Social English Club

05/02/2022

https://esl.yourdictionary.com/lesson-plans/medical-vocabulary-for-esl.html?fbclid=IwAR2gfDuG3dW8o7cMEjNwsZldeOFmy5Df4TWbyzDT9JXqM9nM1JrhQXTyNfw

Medical vocabulary for ESL is a specialized area of words. ESL students should focus on the basic medical vocabulary.

05/02/2022

Today’s Idiomatic Expression: “to milk (something) for all it’s worth”
Meaning: to take full advantage of something; to exploit something to an extreme; to use a condition or situation to one’s full advantage; to get the extremely most out of something that is advantageous; *this idiom usually has a negative connotation; it suggests that someone continues to use something to his or her advantage long after it was pertinent:
-“John has been milking his cold for all it is worth. He is using it to get sympathy from Monica and to avoid doing any housework. He has a stuffy nose and a cough, but he is making it sound like a fatal condition.”
- “That band had one hit song over thirty years ago and they continue to milk it for all it’s worth. They have recorded a new, modern version of the song and plan on doing a reunion tour in 2022. I am surprised that people still pay to see them perform. They haven’t recorded any new songs since 1997.”
- “At first, we felt bad for her because her car was destroyed in the wildfire, but we don’t have sympathy anymore. It has been eight months since the fire and she continues to ask people for rides to work and the store. She is really trying to milk it for all it’s worth. She has had plenty of time to get another car.”
- “When Larry said that you could ask him for help anytime you need it, I don’t think he meant that you could call him every time you have a small problem. You need to stop taking advantage of his kindness. If you continue to milk it for all it’s worth, he will eventually see through you and realize that you are using him.”
- Friday morning: “I am going to milk this four-day weekend for all it’s worth!” Monday morning: “I have spent three days playing video games and watching TV.”
- “Bart is really milking that old joke for all it’s worth. I have heard him tell it dozens of times.”
*Can you write an example sentence?

04/02/2022

Today’s Idiom: “an old wives’ tale”
Meaning: a superstition or traditional belief that is regarded as unscientific or incorrect; a well-known belief that is just superstition; a traditional belief, story, or idea that is often of a superstitious nature and unproven:
-“When we were kids, we believed that if you swallowed your chewing gum, it would stay in your stomach for seven years. We eventually learned that it was an old wives’ tale.”
-“Playing outside in the cold weather didn’t cause you to catch a cold. It is an old wives’ tale that cold weather makes you sick!”
-"Drinking more alcohol when you have a hangover will not make you feel better. It's an old wives' tale called 'the hair of the dog that bit you."
-“A classic old wives’ tale is that humans only use 10% of their brains. But with all the crazy things happening in the world, it seems like it could be true!”
-"Billy is ten years old and he still believes the old wives' tale about a watermelon growing in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed!"
-“You may think that it’s an old wives’ tale, Maria, but it really happened to Monica! After she touched the toad in science class, she got warts on her hand!”
-“My wife says that when you are pregnant, people will tell you a lot of old wives’ tales.”
*Are there some traditional old wives’ tales in your culture?
*Can you write an example sentence?
Here are some other examples of old wives' tales: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/.../old-wives-tales.../

04/02/2022

Forming Questions:
Explanations, Examples, Practice Exercises:
http://www.myenglishpages.com/.../grammar-lesson-wh...
https://agendaweb.org/grammar/questions-exercises.html
https://agendaweb.org/.../questions-english-exercises.html
https://agendaweb.org/grammar/questions-wh-questions.html

04/02/2022

Today’s Idiomatic Phrasal Verb:
“to dumb down”
Meaning: to make something less complex, nuanced, or intellectually challenging, typically to make the content more appealing or accessible to a wider audience; to simplify or revise something excessively in order to appeal to someone of less education, taste, or intelligence; *this idiom often has a negative connotation toward the person receiving dumbed-down information:
-“Professor Freeman had to dumb down his lecture on linguistic analysis so the freshman students who hadn’t read his books would understand the basic idea.”
-“Most of the new employees we hired are non-native speakers. You might have to dumb down your presentation on the history of the company so they can understand you.”
-“Her boyfriend treated us like idiots. He dumbed down his description of his job because he assumed that we wouldn’t understand him. All of us felt insulted!”
-“Rumor has it that his advisors and so-called experts had to dumb down just about everything they tried to explain to President Biden. He struggled to grasp the simplest economic concepts.”
-“If you want to work for that company, you will need to do a lot of reading and research about economics and marketing. Don’t expect them to do dumb anything down for you.”
-“Without dumbing it down too much, could you explain that theory to me using words that a non-chemist would understand?”
-“The government presented a dumbed-down version of the chemical spill to the public.”
-"Between mindless television programs, a lack of public interest in reading, and all the false information on social media, society seems to be getting more and more dumbed-down every day."
-“The dumbing-down of textbooks and omission of numerous historical events that don’t fit the ruling class’s agenda has led to a dumbed-down working class that is too ignorant to question authority.”
-"No, I am not a historian, but you don't have to dumb it down for me. I have a college education and I do a lot of reading. I think I can understand what you are trying to explain."
*Can you write an example sentence?

03/01/2022

Today’s Idiomatic Phrasal Verb:
“to beef up”
Meaning: to make something stronger or more effective by adding more support; to enhance or fortify something in order to make it more effective; to increase something, often strength:
-“The mayor ordered the police chief to beef up street patrols to reduce the number of automobile thefts in the city.”
-“I added some extra support beams to beef up the weight-holding capacity of the shelves in my garage so I can put some heavy boxes on them.”
-“They beefed up security because they were expecting a lot of protesters at the city council meeting.”
-“The coach told me to spend more time lifting weights. He told me that I need to beef up my arms and shoulders before the football season begins next month.”
-“If you are going to compete with the larger, national businesses, your company needs to beef up its online advertising.”
-“The US has beefed up its military presence on its border with Mexico due to the massive flow of migrants intent coming in illegally.”
-“Club United needs to get a new striker to beef up its pathetic offense.”
-“If Italy took some of the billions of euros it spends beefing up its politician's salaries and benefits, and invested that money in education, the country would be a better place.”
*Can you write an example sentence?

03/01/2022

Today’s Idiomatic Expression:
“not a dry eye in the house”
Meaning: everyone at a particular place feels very emotional about what they are seeing or experiencing and many are crying; all of the people at an event are brought to tears due to intense feelings of sadness, joy, pride, sorrow, etc; used to say that everybody in an audience has tears in their eyes; *this idiom is used to describe larger groups of people such as in a theater, at a wedding, in a church, etc:
-There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Professor Freeman gave his final speech to the faculty before his retirement.
-There isn’t going to be a dry eye in the house when Lori walks up on the stage to receive her diploma. We are all extremely proud of her for her sacrifice, hard work, and dedication.
-There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Ali announced to the crowd that they had just witnessed his final boxing match.
-I don’t think that there was a dry eye in the theater during the heartbreaking final scene of the movie when Doctor Nick goes into the waiting room to tell Rod and Todd that Ned had died on the operating table.
-There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Angel slid the ring on Addy’s finger and the newlyweds kissed. It was a very romantic wedding ceremony.
-There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Chef Mario told the staff that he had to close the restaurant.
*Can you write an example sentence?

01/01/2022

The importance of learning slang for achieving a B2 to C2 level of English.
https://englishforyoutheteachersvoice.blogspot.com/2021/11/tips-for-effectively-learning-slang.html?fbclid=IwAR22ceauzNbA6na_RqF6MQC0UFeVecx3Z9VYMdOgBMqy5gLIyFShQMbJQVs

This is a blog for articles relating methodology, games and challenges for ESL / EFL teachers

01/01/2022

https://englishforyoutheteachersvoice.blogspot.com/2021/12/using-phrasal-verbs-correctly-in.html?fbclid=IwAR1VzBisD062I6bNv8ozwFvsQ6fmt_K5lVkwIb_X4s6PqN3FhzYjX5Swic0

This is a blog for articles relating methodology, games and challenges for ESL / EFL teachers

29/12/2021

https://englishforyoutheteachersvoice.blogspot.com/2021/08/advanced-english-understanding.html?fbclid=IwAR1jyGads7zKXcm_aDepUW1Gyj06MVc3WcrR-KMEXO-sS6yeX52kTfjTiXA

This is a blog for articles relating methodology, games and challenges for ESL / EFL teachers

23/12/2021

Did you know these two pronunciations of 'address?' Try making your own example sentences and reading them out loud for pronunciation practice.

23/12/2021

Today’s Idiom:
“a dirty look”
Meaning: a look of anger, contempt, disapproval, disgust, etc.; an angry expression on one’s face to show someone that they are not happy with that person’s words or actions; this idiom is commonly used with the following structures: to give (someone) a dirty look / to get a dirty look from (someone):
-“Professor Freeman gave me a dirty look when he caught me using Facebook on my phone while he was giving a lecture to the class.”
-“John got a bunch of dirty looks from some of the other people at the bar when he told a racist-sounding joke to the bartender.”
-“I gave the man on the park bench a dirty look, but he just ignored me. He continued to smoke his cigar even though he was sitting right in front of a light pole with a no smoking sign.”
-“The director of the department gave my coworker a dirty look because she made a controversial comment about politics during the academic planning meeting.”
-“Monica got a dirty look from a guy in a big truck when he pulled up alongside her at a red light. He was angry because Monica didn’t use her turn signal before she changed lanes.”
-“My wife and I will never go to that restaurant again! The last time we ate there, we got dirty looks from some of the other customers.”
-“Bobby’s mother gave him a dirty look and told him to cut it out when she caught him pulling his sister’s hair.”
-“Some of the other students gave Frank dirty looks when he shouted out the answer to the teacher’s question without raising his hand.”
-“From the dirty looks they gave me, it was obvious that they didn’t think that my joke was appropriate or funny. I apologized to them, but the damage was already done. I feel bad for offending them.”
-“The goalkeeper gave his teammate a dirty look for not being alert.”
*Can you write an example sentence?