English Teacher - Benjamin Madeira - in the ESL Classroom

01/07/2019

It's in the Game! ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ In 1363, the king of England tried to ban all sports other than archery in order to ensure English supremacy with the longbow. The ban had little effect, however, as the people of England continued to play ball and board games. Learn how terms associated with games and sports shaped the English language.

01/07/2019

What's in a name: ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ The origin of modern naming conventions can be traced to the period immediately following the Norman Conquest ||

01/07/2019

The words for numbers are some of the oldest and most conservative words in most languages ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ The English words for numbers can be traced back to the original Indo-European language ||

20/08/2018

▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ The words for can be traced back to the original Indo-European , but during the early Middle English period, English speakers began to borrow related number words from , and . At the same time, the modern Hindu-Arabic numerals were making their first appearance in English documents and inscriptions.

14/06/2018

▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ The History of Language - Northern : Northern and , the unique features of this northernmost of Middle English.

19/05/2018

RT: Laying Down the Law ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ One of Edward I’s most notable accomplishments as King of England was the conquest of Wales, and his desire to extend that authority to the north of Britain led some to call him “The Hammer of the Scots.”

29/04/2018

RT: Creating the Color Blue ▶ https://goo.gl/A7hM1o ◀ Blue is the color of the sky, large bodies of water, probably more than one wall in your office, and perhaps even a number of your outfits. This ever-so-popular color has not always been so common. In fact, much of the science and history of blue might surprise you.

According to many surveys, a majority of people consider blue to be their favorite color, but the color blue didn't become established as a primary color until the late Middle Ages. And the word "blue" wasn't borrowed into English until early 1300s.

29/04/2018

RT: Tips for with and TV Shows ▶ https://goo.gl/nuUXFq ◀, some advice for using TV shows and films to learn English, both with and without .

You’ve been learning English for several years. People complement you on your writing or your speaking abilities. But you beat yourself up because you can’t understand what you watch without the subtitles.

29/04/2018

RT: The Experiences of (not) Learning French ▶ https://goo.gl/ZiCuSv ◀, This episode includes conclusions about language learning, immersion and the importance of motivation, habit and simply applying yourself.

The Experiences of (not) Learning French: Learning Language in a Classroom vs Learning On Your Own.

29/04/2018

RT: The History of the 'One Horn' ▶ https://goo.gl/1P1YxX ◀ The unicorn, known from medieval bestiaries, also called the , in Greek, was first described in the allegorical animal book popularly called the .

The History of the 'One Horn.' Our ancestors were an exceptionally gullible people, yet as Isidore's work shows, Medieval writers could write as analytically and critically as we can now.

14/04/2018

:: RT: ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ Dyed In the Wool: This podcast examines a period in which clothing fashions were undergoing some major changes. A look at the ways in which clothing was changing: the cloth-making process.

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08/02/2018

:: RT: ▶ http://goo.gl/tdoK1L ◀ On The Move: A look at the movement of people and their money in the 13th century. This was a period when international trading networks carried goods and people to the far-flung corners of the known world.