Chuyên đề idioms and speaking

Table of Contents I Introduction Rationale – Aim and Significance of the Research II Idioms Definition Usage How to learn idioms Some Common Idiomatic Expressions ♦ Education – School ♦ Business – Work ♦ Beauty – Appearance ♦ Shopping ♦ Feeling – Emotions - Reactions III Slangs Definition Usage How to learn slangs ♦ Note Common Slang Terms ♦ School – Studying ♦ Commonly Used American slang Expressions in Daily Life vs British English IV Body Language Definition The Importance How to use body language when communicating Facial Expressions Definition Eye contact Micro expressions Sight languages How to read faces and facial expressions a b c d e V How to speak confidently in public ♦ ♦ VI Exercises How to speak confidently in public Some small tips - Conclusion A Slangs B Idioms C Body Language and Facial Expressions Reference Cantho, March 2014 I Introduction: Rationale – Aim and Significance of the Research Language It propels everyday life and keeps us in touch with one another Through many historical instances we have gained further insight into increasing our ability in the way of this language – telegrams, post, telephone, e-mail, instant messaging and the most infamous of all - text messaging People can not live without each other, we are social beings As soon as we are in contact with others we are communicating For this we can make use of spoken and written language.It’s not that easy to thatbecause of the differences between two cultures, so we have a lot of problems when attempting to communicate with the natives It is the fact that speaking is an important language skill However, in reality, learning English speaking is still far from satisfactory The reason for these problems are: we don’t understand slangs and idioms, their cultures, their ways of using body language and facial expressions Sometimes, we are so shy and afraid when it’s time for speaking in class Demands on our time have increased because of this upsurge in talking, and so we shorted words, and we shorten sentences We talk so much that we seem to be running out of time to just that… It all seems so impersonal when we have to rush away to get to the next conversation We become inconvenienced by how much talking we want, and need, to And so we use Slang, or “Slanguage” Sharing cultural and historical information, idioms broadens people’s understanding and manipulation of a language In addition, it is important to note that body language has different meanings in different cultures How we can interpret body language depends on the situation, the culture, the relationship we have with the person as well as the gender of the other Therefore, the focus of this paper is to share the importance of slangs, idioms and body language for non-native speakers as part of their mastery of the English language II Idioms 1.Definition: - An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning owing to its common usage - An idiom's figurative meaning is separate from the literal meaning - There are thousands of idioms and they occur frequently in all languages Idiomatic expressions are extremely common and are found in all kinds of English, both formal and particularly informal But not make a special effort to learn them There are too many You will learn the most common naturally through the learning material that you are using And it is much better to be accurate when using non-idiomatic English than inappropriate when using an idiom 2.Usage: We use idioms to express something that other words not express as clearly or as cleverly We often use an image or symbol to describe something as clearly as possible and thus make our point as effectively as possible For example, "in a nutshell" suggests the idea of having all the information contained within very few words Idioms tend to be informal and are best used in spoken rather than written English How to learn idioms? Sometimes idioms are very easy for learners to understand because there are similar expressions in the speakers' mother tongue For example: Let's call it a day I am very tired and we have covered the main points of the meeting I think Let’s finish I am very tired and we have covered the main points of the meeting I think However, idioms can often be very difficult to understand You may be able to guess the meaning from context but if not, it is not easy to know the meaning Many idioms, for instance, come from favourite traditional British activities such as fighting, sailing, hunting and playing games As well as being quite specialist in meaning, some of the words in idioms were used two or three hundred years ago, or longer, and can be a little obscure For example: They took her ideas on board and decided to increase the budget. They accept and include her ideasand decided to increase the budget It is best to learn idioms as you vocabulary In other words, select and actively learn idioms which will be useful to you We suggest the following sequence of learning English idioms (510 idioms per lesson): Read clear precise meanings of idioms with usage examples in several realistic sentences in a good thematic dictionary of English idioms Make up your own sentences for using idioms in real life situations Do ready-made exercises from text books in idioms practice Exercises in idioms practice can include dialogues, narrations (telling stories), thematic texts, questions and answers with idioms in various situations, discussions, talking points and expressing opinions and views on real life topics and issues The most comprehensive aids for learning English idioms are dictionaries of English idioms that contain thematic arrangement of idioms Below is the list of the most important dictionaries of English idioms: Longman Idioms Dictionary (over 6,000 idioms; choose the right idiom with the unique Idiom Activator) Longman American Idioms Dictionary (over 4,000 idioms) Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (7,000 idioms ; with 15 topic classification of idioms) Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms (6,000 idiom expressions, has a thematic index of idioms) Oxford Dictionary of Idioms (over 5,000 idioms, with a thematic index of idioms) Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms (volumes 1, 2) Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English (10,000 idioms) NTC's Dictionary of Everyday American English Expressions (over 7,000 expressions presented according to topic and situation) NTC's Thematic Dictionary of American Idioms (900 thematic headings) The English language is rich in idioms, and although it is possible to converse correctly in nonidiomatic English, a student with only a superficial knowledge of English idioms will find himself (or herself) at a serious disadvantage in his (her) reading, and even more so when he (she) takes part in discussions and debates Ready-made copious usage sentences of English idioms taken from real life offer guidance on the most effective way to use them The English Idiom Dictionaries listed by me in this post provide clear idiom usage explanations and several realistic idiom usage sentences Many native English speakers, especially when they converse among themselves use idioms, informal colloquial expressions and slang Some Common Idiomatic Expressions Education – School • cut class and cut school: to skip a school class or a day of school without an excuse EX: As a joke, one day all the students cut their math class and went to lunch Jane was grounded after she cut school last Friday • How you like school?: a phrase used to start a conversation with a schoolage person EX: Bob: Well, Billy, how you like school? Billy: I hate it Bob: Too bad Mary: How you like school? Bob: It’s okay Almost everything else is better, though • Never tell tales out of school.: Prov Do not tell secrets; not gossip EX: Fred: I just learned something really scandalous about the president of our company Ellen: Well, I don’t want to hear it You shouldn’t tell tales out of school • Tell tales out of school: to tell secrets or spread rumors EX: I wish that John would keep quiet He’s telling tales out of school again If you tell tales out of school a lot, people won’t know when to believe you • School someone in something: to train, discipline, or coach someone in something EX: The voice coach schooled the singer in excellent breathing techniques We were schooled in oratory and debate She schooled herself in patience • School of hard knocks: Fig the school of life’s experiences, as opposed to a formal, classroom education EX: I didn’t go to college, but I went to the school of hard knocks I learned everything by experience • School of thought: a particular philosophy or way of thinking about something EX: Oneschool of thought holds that cats cause allergic reactions I come from the school of thought that believes people should always be polite • A for effort: the recognition that someone has tried hard to something even though he or she may not be successful EX: The students received an A for effort for their work on the class project • Above average: better or higher than average EX: The boy’s marks were above average in all subjects except history • Below average: worse or lower than average EX: Most members of the class were below average in the math test • As easy as ABC: very easy EX: Learning how to use a computer is as easy as ABC for the children • Back to basics: an approach in education that uses traditional ideas or methods that have been successful in the past EX: The teacher believes that back to basics is important in her classroom and the parents are happy with the results • Bookworm: someone who reads a lot EX: My sister is a bookworm and is always reading a book • Brainstorm (something): to try to develop an idea or think of new ideas EX: The students got into groups to brainstorm ideas for the school play • Call the roll: to call the names of students on a roll and expect them to answer if they are there EX: Every morning when the class starts the teacher calls the roll • Cap and gown: the special cap called a mortarboard and the robe that is worn during academic ceremonies such as graduation EX: All of the students wore a cap and gown to the graduation ceremony • Catch up to (someone or something): to move fast or work hard to reach someone or something that is ahead of you EX: After my illness, I had to study very hard to catch up to the rest of the class • Copycat: someone who copies the work of another EX: The children called the girl a copycat when they saw her copying the test of another student • Count noses: to count the number of people EX: The teacher stopped to count noses several times during the field trip • Cover a lot of ground: to complete a lot of material in a class or course EX: We covered a lot of ground during the first month of the science class • Cow college: a school where farming or agriculture is studied EX: My cousin will go to a cow college when he finishes high school • Crack a book: to open a book to study (usually used in the negative) EX: I did very well in the course even though I did not crack a book until the last week of classes • Crank out a paper: to write a paper or essay in a mechanical way EX: I had to crank out a paper almost every week to pass the course • Cut class: to not go to class EX: I decided to cut class in order to study for my geography test • Draw a blank: to get no response from someone when you ask him or her a question EX: The teacher drew a blank when she asked about the boy’s plans for the weekend • Drop out of school: to stop attending school EX: My friend dropped out of school and began to drive a truck • Eager beaver: someone who works very hard and is very enthusiastic EX: The young girl is an eager beaver and always comes to class before the other students • Fill in the blanks: to supply the missing words or information on a test or other exercise EX: We had to fill in the blanks for the questions on the test • Flunk out: to fail a course, to fail and then leave school EX: The boy was very smart but he flunked out of his language class • From the old school: ideas that were popular in the past but which are no longer popular or common EX: My grandmother is from the old school and always made her children make their own lunches and walk to school • Get credit for (a course): to receive official recognition and credits after passing a course EX: I was able to get credit for the course which I took in the summer • Get through (a course or a set of materials): to finish a course or a set of materials EX: The boy was a very good student and got through every course that he took • Goof off: to waste time EX: My sister spent most of the week goofing off and was not prepared for her test • Have one’s nose in a book: to be reading a book EX: The boy loves to read and always has his nose in a book • Higher education: education after graduating from high school (usually college or university) EX: The government has recently invested a lot of money in higher education • Hit the books: to begin to study hard EX: After relaxing all weekend I hit the books on Sunday evening • Make the grade: to be satisfactory and of an expected level EX: My final assignment did not make the grade and I had to it again • Off campus: at a different location than the grounds of a college or university EX: Many of the students liked to go to a restaurant off campus • Old boy network: the situation where people (usually men) who went to the same school help each other get good jobs EX: It was necessary to be part of an old boy network to get a job at the law firm • On campus: located on the grounds of a college or university EX: There was a bank on campus which many of the students used Business – Work • Ace up your sleeve: If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something in reserve with which youcan gain an advantage EX: Our new product is an ace up our sleeve • Hold all the aces: A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more advantages than anyone else EX: Given the high unemployment rates today, employers hold all the aces • Ambulance chaser: A lawyer who finds work by persuading people injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused the accident is called an'ambulance chaser' EX: Peterson and Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that's how they make their money! • Back to the salt mines: Saying that you have to go back to the sale mines is a humorous way of talking about returning to work, usually with some reluctance EX: We get two days off at Christmas and then it's back to the salt mines! • Bait and switch: This term refers to a deceptive commercial practice of advertising a low-priced item to attract customers, then telling them that the product is out of stock and persuading them to buy a more expensive article EX: This store is famous for its bait and switch tactics • In the black: To say that a person or organization is in the black means that they are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account and that they owe no money • Black market: The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies EX: Be careful of what you buy on the black market - it's not always good quality • blamestorming: A discussion among a group of people who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called 'blamestorming' EX: 10 Humans can adopt a facial expression voluntarily or involuntarily, and the neural mechanisms responsible for controlling the expression differ in each case Voluntary facial expressions are often socially conditioned and follow a cortical route in the brain Conversely, involuntary facial expressions are believed to be innate and follow a subcortical route in the brain Facial recognition is often an emotional experience for the brain and the amygdala is highly involved in the recognition process The eyes are often viewed as important features of facial expressions Aspects such as blinking rate can be used to indicate whether or not a person is nervous or whether or not he or she is lying Also, eye contact is considered an important aspect of interpersonal communication However, there are cultural differences regarding the social propriety of maintaining eye contact or not Beyond the accessory nature of facial expressions in spoken communication between people, they play a significant role in communication with sign language Many phrases in sign language include facial expressions in the display There is controversy surrounding the question of whether or not facial expressions are worldwide and universal displays among humans Supporters of the Universality Hypothesis claim that many facial expressions are innate and have roots in evolutionary ancestors Opponents of this view question the accuracy of the studies used to test this claim and instead believe that facial expressions are conditioned and that people view and understand facial expressions in large part from the social situations around them b.Eye contact: A person's face, especially their eyes, creates the most obvious and immediate cues that lead to the formation of impressions This article discusses eyes and facial expressions and the effect they have on interpersonal communication A person's eyes reveal much about how they are feeling, or what they are thinking Blink rate can reveal how nervous or at ease a person may be Research by Boston College professor Joe Tecce suggests that stress levels are revealed by blink rates He supports his data with statistics on the relation between the blink rates of presidential candidates and their success in their races Tecce claims that the faster blinker in the presidential debates has lost every election since 1980 Though Tecce's data is interesting, it is important to recognize that non-verbal communication is multi-channeled, and focusing on only one aspect is reckless Nervousness can also be measured by examining each candidates' perspiration, eye contact and stiffness Eye contact is another major aspect of facial communication Some have hypothesized that this is due to infancy, as humans are one of the few mammals who maintain regular eye contact with their mother while nursing Eye contact serves a variety of purposes It regulates conversations, shows interest or involvement, and establishes a connection with others But different cultures have different rules for eye contact Certain Asian cultures can perceive direct eye contact as a way to signal competitiveness, which in many situations may prove to be inappropriate Others lower their eyes to signal respect, and similarly eye contact is avoided in 28 Nigeria, and between men and women in Islam;however, in western cultures this could be misinterpreted as lacking self-confidence Even beyond the idea of eye contact, eyes communicate more data than a person even consciously expresses Pupil dilation is a significant cue to a level of excitement, pleasure, or attraction Dilated pupils indicate greater affection or attraction, while constricted pupils send a colder signal Here are some of the signals the eye gives away: - - - - Looking right (generally): Usually indicates the person is creating, fabricating, lying or storytelling In some cases this may mean that the person is making up something, but other cases (like telling a story to a child) it can be perfectly normal to be creating something Looking down and right indicates feelings that can be genuine or not depending on the context of what the person is doing Looking left (generally): Usually indicates the person is recalling facts, remembering This includes recalling and stating facts from memory, usually the truth But ‘facts’ can be incorrect, which is another matter all together Direct eye contact: When speaking to someone this can be an indication of honesty by that person; although trained liars have practiced this skill and can copy it well When you are listening to someone and have eye contact that generally means you have interest, attentiveness and some kind of attraction to the person Widening eyes: This indicates appeal, interest and invitation Usually interest in someone or something you are looking at, and a positive response The exception is when widening eyes are paired with raised eyebrows, which can be a shock response Women tend to widen their eyes to try and increase their attractiveness Rubbing eyes: Can be associated with disbelief about something (as in checking your vision) or something that is related to crying or tiredness Usually if paired with long blinks then it means the person is tired or bored Eye shrug/roll: When an eye has an upward roll, it usually means it is a sign of frustration or annoyance Pupils dilated: The black center of a person’s eye gets larger to let in light and smaller to let in less light When it is dark that is one of the reasons pupils are dilated Another reason pupils dilate is when someone sees something that is appealing to them or attractive Blinking: When blinking is frequent it may be a sign of excitement or pressure but it is not a reliable way to tell if someone is lying When the blink rate is infrequent it usually means boredom if the eyes are not focused or it can mean concentration if the eyes are focused c.Micro expressions: Micro expressions are the facial expressions that last less than a second that can help to determine the true feelings or emotions of the sender in communication The fundamental characteristics of a micro-expression, according to Ekman’s original definition, are involuntary leakage and fast speed These expressions have been gaining more attention over the years for many reasons Law enforcement can benefit from this practice to catch criminals This is not something that is easy to do, as a University of San Francisco study shows that less than 1% of people are natural lie detectors who can detect micro expressions and lies without first being trained 29 Cues that tip off lie-detectors can be through the mouth, eye movements, or even our eyebrows A split second can tell a natural lie detector everything they need to know about the truthfulness of what a person is communicating Micro expressions have become increasingly studied over the years due to how much help they can be in detecting danger or someone's true, underlying emotions d.Sign languages Facial expression is used in sign languages to convey specific meanings In American Sign Language (ASL), for instance, raised eyebrows combined with a slightly forward head tilt indicate that what is being signed is a yes/no question Lowered eyebrows are used for wh-word questions Facial expression is also used in sign languages to show adverbs and adjectives such as distance or size: an open mouth, squinted eyes, and tilted back head indicate something far while the mouth pulled to one side and the cheek held toward the shoulder indicate something close, and puffed cheeks mean very large It can also show the manner in which something is done, such as carelessly or routinely Some of these expressions, also called non-manual signs, are used similarly in different sign languages while others are different from one language to another For example, the expression used for 'carelessly' in ASL means 'boring or unpleasant' in British Sign Language e.How to read faces and facial expressions? 1.Before trying to read anyone's face, teach yourself to recognise 'micro-expressions' These are small facial expressions, a different one for whenever someone is feeling an increase in any different emotion They are: - Happiness - A smile, quite an obvious one, however, if there is no wrinkling, increase in puffiness or general muscle movement around the eyes, the person is faking the smile - Sadness - Eyebrows up, lips down-turned Eyebrows up can also mean the person is feeling guilty - Contempt - One corner of the mouth rises, like a sort of 'half-smile' In extreme contempt, the person's mouth shifts over in an odd way - Disgust - The top lip is raised, showing the teeth in extreme cases, like a scorn - Surprise - Gaping mouth with eyebrows raised If this expression lasts longer than a second, the person is faking it - Fear - Eyebrows raised and lower part of the mouth lowered in extreme cases Swallowing also indicates fear Anger - Lips tightened, flaring nostrils, eyebrows pulled down and together are all signs of anger - 2.Start looking When you've taught yourself to recognise micro-expressions try looking for them in people you see everyday 30 3.Establish a 'baseline' in the person you're looking for micro-expressions in A baseline is their normal muscle activity when feeling little or no emotion Ask them normal questions Take mental note of their muscle activity when telling the truth You're pretty much done Just look for micro-expressions and try and fit them in with what the person is saying V How to speak confidently in public? When rehearsing, practice speaking to the room as if the audience were in front of you You wouldn't stop half way through and ask to start again in front of an audience, right? Under pressure, how you practice is how you'll perform Avoid the temptation to speak in front of a mirror or a video camera (it's distracting) and instead focus your energy on what it feels like to present in the moment Practice speaking with your friend(s) or your parents Prepare a good plan of speaking There should be: Don't try to speak on too many issues In addition, don't wander off the topic Think carefully before you talk Use silence; it can be a great ally and cause the audience to hang off your next words, wondering what you are about to say Don't be intimidated by silent moments Practice a lot beforehand If it's for a presentation or a speech, the more you practice it, the more it will take on a life of its own and feel more comfortable to deliver Concentrate on one person Maybe practise in front of them, so that it feels like you're just talking to them Connect with your audience Use feelings and gestures to intensify a point Just don't overdo the gestures or emotion - a little goes a long way 10 Don't look directly into people's eyes Focus on their foreheads or on a place at the back of the audience, just above the heads in the audience That way you won't feel distracted 11 Let go of assumptions Just because an audience is not smiling or nodding in agreement does not mean they aren't listening or feeling positive about your talk People often not display encouragement on their faces in an audience situation, so don't seek it You'll know from the applause level at the end how well you went and by then, the speech is over! 31 12 Never get confused Try to speak fluently 13 Speaking fluently encourages you that you are doing all right 32 *SOME SMALL TIPS: Enunciate; clear speech helps those listening as they don't have to decipher the words but can concentrate on the content Hold your hands in front of you at waist level This enables you to make subtle hand gestures to illustrate your point while not causing too much distraction to the audience Watch your pace and pause if you feel you are rushing; no one will mind if you take a breath! A few seconds breaking to take stock is not noticed by anyone except you Don't try to sound or be different when you are talking Practice until you are comfortable with your topic Then just talk to the audience as freely as you can Remember they all want to hear you and they aren't going to notice if you leave something out and make a mistake Don't be embarrassed by your faults Demosthenes was a prominent orator in ancient Athens even though he suffered from speech impediments A good public speaker can overcome these difficulties Be confident in yourself Make sure you pause in between sentences for greatest effect and to ensure that the talk is sinking into the listener's minds You think - therefore talk - faster than other people can comprehend When speaking, talk at a rate that seems unbearably slow It will come out just right! Breathe Most amateur speakers forget to breathe when giving a speech Talking deep breaths before a speech can calm down the heart rate and prevent additional fatigue on stage 10 Try to move around a lot Use some space Conclusion English speaking requires practice and there is no doubt in that Everyone in this world learns to speak and so there is nothing to fear if one doesn't speak English well Practically, judge yourself first rather than judging others The only thing which matters is your attitude and zeal to speak well Listen to people diligently, understand what they want to say, indulge in conversation positively, think before speaking and weigh your words before doing that Start with reading content in English; certain articles, story books and news reports Talk to yourself in English daily to introspect yourself and finally you are done There is no end to this, you learn each day, each hour, each minute and each second so just believe that you can and you will definitely So, speaking English is hard, but not impossible 33 VI EXERCISES A.Slangs I.The sentences below contain examples of British, American or Australian slang Can you work out the slang words that match the definitions in the boxes? 1.‘I know zilch about computers I never use them.’ (American) 2.‘He’sloaded That’s why he can eat in expensive restaurants most nights.’ (American) 3.‘It’s good tuckerthere, especially the fish And quite cheap too.’ (Australian) 4.‘She’s got a great job Fifty grand a year and 30 days’ holiday.’ (American) 5.‘You know what happened to Steve? He left his coat on a chair with his wallet in the pocket, and someone nickedit.’ (British) 6.‘She’s unusual Not a bad person, just kind of kooky.’ (American) 7.‘Iflunked my driving test, so I’m going to have to it again.’ (American) 8.‘Their kitchen is so manky I don’t think they’ve cleaned it for about a month.’ (British) 9.‘I had four hours’ sleep last night and only about five the night before I’m knackered.’ (British) 10.‘We’re having a barbie on Sunday if the weather’s good Why don’t you come round?’ (Australian) 11.‘Do I know Mike? Of course I do! We’ve been buddies for years!’ (American) 12.‘The stores are open 24/7so you can buy stuff whenever you want.’ (American) A dirty G very tired B C D E F nothing, zero steal food fail (an exam/course) friend H I J K L very rich strange, crazy all the time one thousand pounds barbecue 34 II Choose the correct answer: acid If someone takes a tab of acid, they will probably: a be arrested for stealing chemicals b see things that aren't real c go to sleep alky | alkie | alchy Gillian thinks her husband's an alkie because he a gets drunk every day b has wine with his dinner most nights c drinks beer with his mates some nights blow If someone says, "Hey, you wanna score some blow?" they're trying to sell you some a pornography b marijuana c cocaine booze The guys were looking for more booze, and Ted yelled "Yes!" when he found a bottle of a cough mixture b methylated spirits c Scotch whisky busted Glen has to go to court on Friday He was busted last week for a growing his own vegetables b growing his own marijuana c brewing his own beer coke If a stranger comes up to you and says "You want some coke, man?", he's trying to sell you a a can of Coca Cola b a solid heating fuel c some cocaine dope If someone says they have some dope for sale, it means they're selling 35 a cheap alcohol b fake goods c illegal drugs B.Idioms: I.Match the idioms with their meanings (1-6 with A-F; 7-12 with GL): Idioms – along the way – to be about – to be fed up withsb/sth/VERB-ING – to be none of sb’s business – to be up to sb – to be worth + it OR VERB-ING Meanings A – to have had enough of B – not your concern C – as you go – every now and then – to feel like + it OR VERB-ING – to get on with sb 10 – to get rid of sb/sth 11 – just as well G – “good job that…” H – to want to 12 – there is/are left… D – to concern E – to be an useful action F – to be sb’s choice I – to remain J - occasionally K – to have good relations with L – to dispose of II.Fill the gaps with the idioms in the correct form: Urgg! The washing-up I’ll it tomorrow I don’t doing it now A: Shall we go to the cinema or to the pub? B: I don’t mind It _ you It’s raining _ I brought my umbrella Our old sofa is horrible We have to it soon Politics! Politics! I with politics A: Have you made a plan? B: No, we’ll arrange things A: How often you buy the paper? B: A: I saw you with Peter in the pub Are you going out together? B: It A: Do you _ your boss? B: No, I don’t He’s arrogant, rude and stupid 36 10 Your car is very old and it’s always being repaired Maybe it buying a new one 11 There is a good film on Sunday It a Roman soldier 12 three apples _ in the basket III Choose the correct answer: a roller coaster | a roller-coaster ride Ben says his life was a roller-coaster ride while a he was living in an amusement park b he was staying in a cottage in the countryside c he was getting divorced and changing his job a zebra crossing A zebra crossing is a place for a zebras to cross the road b people to cross the road c cars to run people over burn your bridges | burn your boats You'll be burning your bridges if you a save your money while working in a bank b steal a customer's money while working in a bank c borrow some money while working in a bank cross that bridge when we come to it We can say "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" if someone asks about 37 a how to get over a river b a future problem c a failed business jump on the bandwagon When political correctness became popular in the nineties, millions of people jumped on the bandwagon and a said it was incorrect b became politically correct c corrected people's politics plain sailing We drove to Paris, and after getting out of London it was plain sailing all the way because a there was hardly any traffic b it rained so much it was flooding c we had a strong westerly tailwind 38 39 b they can't be very good c let's get them while they're chea 40 C Body Language and Facial Expressions: Read the questions and choose the correct answer: 1.Which of the following gestures is usually a very strong indicator that someone is telling a lie? a) Scratching their head b) Looking down c) Crossing their legs d) Touching their nose or lips e) Fiddling with their hair 2.When someone is lying, their vocal tones tend to increase or decrease in pitch? a) Increase b) Decrease c) Neither 3.In most Middle Eastern (Traditional Arabian) countries most traditional Arab men greet each other by … a) Shaking hands b) Bowing c) Touching noses d) Hugging e) Clasping each other wrists 4.When one person subconsciously starts to mimic the body language of another person, it usually means: a) They are irritated and want to leave b) They are in-tune and agreeing with other person c) It’s a show of mutual dominace d) They are mocking the other person without realizing it e) None of the above 5.A person reaches out to shake your hand with the palm of their hand facing slight towards the floor They are trying to establish … a) Their trustworthiness b) Their willingness to be friends c) Their superior position to you d) Their openness e) Their submissiveness to you 41 Reference - http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv167.shtml http://lib.chdu.edu.ua/pdf/zbirnuku/7/37.pdf http://www.booksie.com/non-fiction/article/critica/the-importance-of-slang http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_body_language_important?#slide=1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom http://www.linguarama.com/ps/technology-themed-english/what-is-an-idiom.htm Laflin, Shelley Vance 1996 Something to Crow About: A Concise Collection of American English Idioms for Everyday Use Washington D.C.: United States Information Agency Lyons, John 1997 Language and Linguistics: An Introduction Cambridge: Cambridge University Press New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language 1993 Connecticut: Lexicon Publlishers, Inc Ovando, Carlos J and Virginia Collier 1985 Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts New York: McGraw-Hill Princeton Review 1998 The Princeton Review: Grammar Smart, A Guide to Perfect Usage New York: Random House 42 [...]... Spain, often stand closer together when speaking than do Chinese people And people from Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia stand even closer! You do not always have to adapt your behavior when you meet people from around the world, but you should be aware of potential misunderstandings If, instead of standing, you are speaking to someone while talking, you can show your friendliness and "openness"... everyone in the world understands one gesture in the same way Still, you can use basic gestures most of the time, then when you see a strange reaction from your listener, you can make sure to emphasize your real meaning by using words and a different hand movement If you are speaking to someone while standing, it is important to stand neither too close nor too far from the speaker Stand at a position that... our hands together loudly or make a fist (put our fingers in a ball as though we want to hit someone) and hit a table or desk To show that we welcome someone, on the other hand, we can hold our hands out with the palms up, and maybe move them towards a chair to invite someone to sit next to us 26 Some hand gestures that are popular are waving to someone as a greeting or holding your index finger and. .. you EX: The comments I overheard made my ears burn 16 III Slangs 1.Definition: - Slang consists of a lexicon of non-standard words and phrases in a given language Use of these words and phrases is typically associated with the subversion of a standard variety (such as Standard English) and is likely to be interpreted by listeners as implying particular attitudes on the part of the speaker In some contexts... to relax and be natural Trying too hard to use "body language" will make you seem a bit strange Instead, you should allow your body language to naturally follow your words If you say something positive, then your face, body and hands should show it too If you are expressing a sad or worried feeling, then your face, body and hands should change with that feeling As you think about it more and consider... consider how you can use your body to communicate, you will become more and more natural More specifically, let's talk about hand gestures Using our hands, we can emphasize our main points, remind our listener how many main points we have, and let our listener know when we are changing topics A dramatic movement of the hand or moving our hands wide apart can signal how important something is We can even... facial expressions are worldwide and universal displays among humans Supporters of the Universality Hypothesis claim that many facial expressions are innate and have roots in evolutionary ancestors Opponents of this view question the accuracy of the studies used to test this claim and instead believe that facial expressions are conditioned and that people view and understand facial expressions in large... interest in someone you desire, detecting truth and lies, portraying confidence and commanding respect in any situation You can also use body language to put people at ease, make friends instantly, persuade and influence 2.The Importance: Body language is a part of communication that very few actually study yet it makes up most of what we use to communicate and is generally much more accurate a judge of... could have your hands on your knees, or one hand on your knee and the other at your side You can fold your arms sometimes if you wish, but don't hold them there for a long time As long as your hands move from time to time, the listener will not think that you are unfriendly Besides all of the obvious physical ways to communicate non-verbally, we have our voice We use "intonation", loudness and "pitch" (how... speak louder than words and sometimes we can communicate things even without the aid of a single word We can shrug our shoulders and, without a word, we’ve just said, “I don’t know.” We can raise our eyebrows and we’ve just said, “Excuse me? Did I hear you right?” We can turn our hands over palms up in front of us to say, “I don’t know what else to say That’s all I’ve got.” And we can point to our ... by how much talking we want, and need, to And so we use Slang, or “Slanguage” Sharing cultural and historical information, idioms broadens people’s understanding and manipulation of a language... questions and answers with idioms in various situations, discussions, talking points and expressing opinions and views on real life topics and issues The most comprehensive aids for learning English idioms. .. Longman American Idioms Dictionary (over 4,000 idioms) Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (7,000 idioms ; with 15 topic classification of idioms) Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms (6,000