A drop in the ocean: Another Aspect of Love

I think I’ve already mentioned TED.com where good and even better thinkers share their ideas. One of my personal favourites is Margaret Heffernan’s speech in which she is speaking about conflicts and claims that good disagreement is essential to progress. Moreover, after introducing the details of a successful cooperation between a physician and a statistician, she is saying that a well-based rational criticism and the endeavour to reach it is a form of love.

If you have time, watch the video. Subtitles will help you to understand the story and her thoughts. If you are short of time, read my favourite part of her speech:

So what does that kind of constructive conflict require? Well, first of all, it requires that we find people who are very different from ourselves. That means we have to resist the neurobiological drive, which means that we really prefer people mostly like ourselves, and it means we have to seek out people with different backgrounds, different disciplines, different ways of thinking and different experience, and find ways to engage with them. That requires a lot of patience and a lot of energy.

And the more I've thought about this, the more I think, really, that that's a kind of love. Because you simply won't commit that kind of energy and time if you don't really care.

WALK inEnglish

A drop in the ocean: The way you see the world

Has it ever happened to you that after visiting your astrologist, participating in a training or being heavily affected by an incredibly revealing speech you started seeing the world working in just the same way as you had been said? 

What happened then? Probably you told your friend about your astonishing revelation. And how about his reactions? Could you infect him with your enthusiasm? If yes, you must have a great charisma. If not, let’s see one possible part of the explanation.

Tremendous amount of theories aim to describe the process of new information acquisition and information storage. A key term in relation to learning is schema. In Wikipedia you find the following:

A schema describes an organized pattern of thought or behaviour. Schemata (= schemas) influence attention and the absorption of new knowledge: people are more likely to notice things that fit into their schema, while re-interpreting contradictions to the schema as exceptions or distorting them to fit. Schemata have a tendency to remain unchanged, even in the face of contradictory information.

So why might it have happened that your friend did not have the AHA experience when hearing your story? It’s quite likely that you had had a more detailed explanation than the one you were giving to him therefore you had more proofs to reset your structure of beliefs and ideas than him. And it’s also possible that he is more critical to acquiring new information.

Observe yourself: Do you tend to neglect things that contradict your schemas or you feel free to distort them to fit the events? If I say that the more complex your worldview is, the wider range of things can be accepted and explained by your schemas, do you agree with me?


WALK in English.

Study and learn

Many of my students face the problem that they don't know when to use study and when to use learn.

In this short blog post I'd like show some important meanings of these verbs based on Cambridge Dictionary Online.

to study

to learn about a subject, especially in an educational course or by reading books 

Next term we shall study plants and how they grow.

She's been studying for her doctorate for three years already.

to examine something very carefully

I want time to study this contract thoroughly before signing it.

Researchers have been studying how people under stress make decisions.

study (noun) – based on Oxford Dictionaries

a room used or designed for reading, writing, or academic work.

He was carefully reading the contract in his study when the woman opened the door.

to learn

to get knowledge or skill in a new subject or activity

"Can you drive?" "I'm learning." 

I've learned a lot about computers since I started work here.

to start to understand that you must change the way you behave

She'll have to learn that she can't have everything she wants.

to be told facts or information that you did not know

We were all shocked to learn of his death.

I later learnt (that) the message had never arrived.

I only learnt about the accident later.

WALK in English.

Grammary: AIN'T

As I see, English learners may face problems when they try to remember an English word that has several different meanings. One of them is ain't that occurs quite frequently.

I've just come across an interesting article on TreeHugger.com with the title The Future Ain't What it Used to Be. It introduces some drawings from 1900 predicting what life in France is going to be like in the year 2000.


What do you think ain't means in the title of the article?

Now check it in Cambridge Dictionary.

Finally listen to this song and read the lyrics:

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone,
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness everyday.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.

from Lyricsmode.com


WALK Program - WALK in English

A drop in the ocean: Your Sixth Sense I.

"The job of the conscious mind is to form a story out of all our sensations and reflections. Life as we experience it is not just a series of unconnected thoughts and events; it's a coherent narrative unfolding in an orderly universe. But sometimes we have experiences that don't fit our expectations and may even contradict what science has taught us is possible. In our attempts to accommodate such outlier phenomena, we often turn to unproven forces or entities. We start to believe in the paranormal."

These days I feel the reasonings of people to be the most interesting phenomenon ever. It's quite gripping to see how we explain certain happenings. Let's say you've been feeling sick for some days and start looking for explanations. The first possible reasons you check are highly dependant on your age, your gender and your self-image. You can start thinking over your diet in the last few days in order to find something that you have eaten but  you shouldn't have. Or you might have got disgusted by a situation. Or you are extremely empathetic and you've been reacting to the present weak state of your friend. Or you might be pregnant. And the list goes on. But we don't spend much time to find all the possible reasons. You can't get a quart into a pint pot. So we just pick one and render our thoughts, emotions and life accordingly.


I've found an interesting but long article on Psychology Today that deals with reasoning, with a special focus on the experiences (called anomalous experiences) when we are feeling the truth. In the next three posts I'll deal with our sixth sense based on the article. Hopefully, it will grab your attention.


I'm looking forward to your comments.

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: TO BE RAINED OFF

In this incredibly hot weather, a storm and a some-hour-long rain can mean such a relief. That’s why I dedicate this blog post to this calming shower.

Do you know the phrase ‘to be rained off’? If not, try to find it out based on this quotation from BBC.

’Although we tend to get more rain this side of the UK. This is the seventh game in our group that has been rained off while there has been three in the north group and two in the south.’

Check your bet in Oxford Dictionary.

WALK inEnglish.

A drop in the ocean: Active Ageing

I'd like to dedicate this blog post to a friend who keeps using his age as an excuse for turning into a bit less active man than he could be.

I have found the definition of active ageing on the website of WHO. If you're interested, visit their website.

What is "active ageing"?

 Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. It applies to both individuals and population groups. 

Active ageing allows people to realize their potential for physical, social, and mental well-being throughout the life course and to participate in society, while providing them with adequate protection, security and care when they need.

The word “active” refers to continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labour force. Older people who retire from work, ill or live with disabilities can remain active contributors to their families, peers, communities and nations. Active ageing aims to extend healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age. 

“Health” refers to physical, mental and social well being as expressed in the WHO definition of health. Maintaining autonomy and independence for the older people is a key goal in the policy framework for active ageing. 

Ageing takes place within the context of friends, work associates, neighbours and family members. This is why interdependence as well as intergenerational solidarity are important tenets of active ageing.

Did you get the message? It doesn't matter how old you are, do not fail to realize your potential for physical, social, and mental well-being. 

If you have time to practise, try to translate the highlighted words or write your own sentences with them. I'm looking forward to your comments.

I hope you all have found it instructive regardless of feeling young or old.

WALK in English

Spread the word: WITH EVERY FIBRE OF MY BEING

I met this expression in a TED talk (at the very end) and somehow I fell in love with it immediately. 

Here is a quote from the movie Moulin Rouge. Can you find out the meaning of with every fibre your being?

"Christian, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and love, if only because I long for it with every fibre of my being."

Macmillan dictionary says the following:
used for saying that a feeling is very strong

He hated her with every fiber of his being.


In a much better case you love someone with every fibre of your being. By the way, have you seen Moulin Rouge? 

Keep WALKing.

A drop in the ocean: Desert Rose

There is an evergreen song that I’ll always love. I’m sure all of you know this masterpiece but have you ever paid attention to the lyrics? It’s so nicely put that it’s worth having a look at.

First read the lyrics and check the unknown words. Then start the video and follow the song line by line.

[Cheb Mami Introduction (Algerian Arabic):]
Hadaee mada tawila
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
[English:]
Oh night oh night
It has been a long time
And I am looking for myself and my loved one
And I am looking for myself and my loved one
And I am looking for myself and my loved one

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of fire
Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

[Cheb Mami (Algerian Arabic):]
Aman aman aman
Omry feek antia
Ma ghair antia
Ma ghair antia
[English:]
Aman aman aman
My life is for you
And no one other than you
And no one other than you

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall

[Cheb Mami (Algerian Arabic):]
Ya lili ah ya leel
[English:]
Oh night oh night

from www.azlyrics.com

Has this exercise changed your attitude to this song? At least a bit?

WALK Program – Haladjunk az angollal?

Spread the word: TO BE IN THE SAME BOAT

Have you ever been told that you and another person are in the same boat? Have you ever met this English expression?

"It's not surprising any more to me that I am struggling to find work, because everybody is in the same boat."

from BBC

"This definition of social glue does not necessarily include trust, liking, or mutual respect. Those may come later once the feeling of connection and the sense of being in the same boat has been established."

from Creating Social Glue in the Community

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Laugh a minute: How to hug

Did you hear about the blonde that went to library and checked out a book called 'How to hug'? Got back to the dorm and found out it was volume seven of the encyclopaedia.

from verynicejoke.com


Did you get it? :)

WALK in English again.

Laugh a minute: The government

The government claims it's following the will of the people. I didn't even know we'd died!



will (1):  what somebody wants to happen in a particular situation


will (2): a legal document that says what is to happen to somebody's money and property after they die

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: Changing education paradigms 1.

Hi,
I’m back again. This time we’re going to deal with a presentation on the underlying concepts of education systems by Ken Robinson. I’ve chosen this video not only because I’m fond of him and his work but I reckon that his thoughts and sense of humour can teach me and you a lesson.


The video takes around eleven minutes. Today I would like you to cope with the first 3 and a half minutes (until 3.35).In order to raise your capacity to catch the message I’ve created some warming up and after listening activities.


I.) Match the words and phrases with their definitions.
to alienate sy from sg
to anticipate
compulsory
the Enlightenment
imperative
to object to sg
to square the circle

1. to see what might happen in the future and take action to prepare for it
2. to find a good solution to a problem when that seems impossible, especially because the people involved have very different needs or opinions about it
3. to say that you disagree with, disapprove of or oppose something
4. to make somebody feel that they do not belong in a particular group
5. a thing that is very important and needs immediate attention or action
6. the period in the 18th century when many writers and scientists began to argue that science and reason were more important than religion and tradition
7. that must be done because of a law or a rule

Definitions are taken from Oxford Dictionary.


Don't worry if you couldn't match all, try it again after watching the video.

II.) Try to explain these expressions with your own words:
cultural identity
to raise/ lower standards
Industrial Revolution
public education


And here is the video.

Do you like it?

III.) Find the following words in the presentation:

revolutionary, street kids, to take your place in, to benefit from

WALK in English, again.