Dr. NozKidZ dr. nozkidz | 31 Oct 2008
English, English Everywhere
Children love games and they love challenges, too. If you want to interest your children in English, show them how English is everywhere in their lives.
It’s surprising how many places have English words, names, phrases, etc., from the obvious MacDonald’s sign to the famous “Trust me! You can make it!” TV advertisement.
But there are even more. When you have time, or you go on a car journey, get the kids to watch out for English signs, words and phrases on the street signs, etc. Talk about the words, and what they might mean. Give prizes or praise for each one they spot or guess correctly!
Soon your children will open their eyes to all the English around them. Then they will feel English is something to understand, enjoy, and to take part in. Best of all, they might learn something at the same time.
(first published in Koala Newsletter, March 1998.)
Dr. NozKidZ kenneth | 26 Oct 2006
Q3. How can I improve my speaking by myself in the short time in Taiwan?
Here’s another great question from a reader:
> Would you tell me how can I practice with others without paying?
> How can I improve my speaking by myself in the short time in Taiwan?
> Cathy
Continue Reading »
Dr. NozKidZ kenneth | 24 Oct 2006
Q#2: What do “regardless” and “no matter what…” mean?
Thanks for the question! I just found it in my mailbox.
What do “regardless” and “no matter what…” mean? Continue Reading »
Dr. NozKidZ kenneth | 26 Sep 2006
Q#1: Tag Questions
Dr. Nozkidz is in right now, and has opened the mailbag, to find a question from a reader! EE wants to know why the two following sentences are different. So… here goes…
” did you want to buy this new car, didn’t you?”
” didn’t you want to buy this new car, did you?”
Actually, these sentences are both incorrect.
They should be:
You did want to buy this new car, didn’t you?
and
You didn’t want to buy this new car, did you?
They are both tag questions.
Rather than tell you the answer, you can first read about it at http://a4esl.org/q/h/fb006-bp.html
The tag question in English is a phrase added to the main part of the sentence, inviting the listener to confirm or give an opinion about the comment. It is composed of two parts: the auxiliar verb, determined by the principal verb, in negative form (or affirmative if the principal verb is negative), followed by the pronoun, determined by the subject.
In your case, though, I think the speaker is trying to confirm the other person’s intentions by getting them to explain their point of view.
So, I could say: You do understand this explanation, don’t you? Meaning: I assume that you understand but I would like you tell me or confirm this to me.
For more information on Tag Questions, go to the BBC’s Learning English pages, especially the part on “When to use the tag questions” in the middle of the page. Scroll to find out.
Then you can try another practise if you wish at The English Zone.
Hope that helps.
Until next time… Noz.
