damned statistics

Statistics are a tricky thing:

Mark Twain famously popularized the saying, “There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”16 He referred to his own difficulty in understanding figures, and to the idea that statistics can have persuasive power, even when used inappropriately. Statistics can be—and often are—used to bolster weak arguments. As such, many view statistics with skepticism.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Surveys - PMC

Lies, damned lies, and statistics - Wikipedia

For example:

Even when statistics are carefully checked, and don't have the decimal point equivalent of a typo, things don't always look right. During the same August week two different media stories broke: one painting a grim picture of breast cancer rates in the UK; the other a much more optimistic picture.

Monday 9 August: "Breast cancer rates in the UK are more than four times higher than those in eastern Africa, the World Cancer Research Fund has revealed." This is the original press release.

Thursday 13 August: "Death rates from breast cancer have fallen more dramatically in the UK than any other European country, cancer researchers have said." Original report.

Both reports were using completely accurate statistics, but simply used different measures to back up their message.

The simple truth about statistics | Mathematics | The Guardian

The place to go to sort all of this out is the BBC of course:

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

BBC Sounds - More or Less - Available Episodes

BBC World Service - More or Less

For example:

How much does a man’s height affect his chances of becoming a professional basketball player in the NBA? Tim Harford talks to Seth Stephens-Davidowitz to slam dunk the numbers.

BBC World Service - More or Less, NBA basketball: Is height more important than skill?

Or:

Libertarian populist Javier Milei won the presidential election in Argentina on a promise austerity and economic “shock” measures for the ailing economy. Just a few months in, some are hailing the falling rate of inflation as showing those measures are working. Economist Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, explains whether that thinking is correct.

More or Less - Has Milei fixed Argentina’s inflation problem? - Has Milei fixed Argentina’s inflation problem? - BBC Sounds

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using design in the esol classroom

What is 'design'?

to make or draw plans for something that will be produced:
    Who designed your website?

to intend for a particular purpose:
    This dictionary is designed for people using English in a business situation.

the way in which something is planned and made:
    I don't like the design of this control panel.

DESIGN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

Here's a useful framework:

Function & Form

Function relates to purpose. It answers the question, “why?” and defines the reasons you have to do something. Understanding function leads you to consider the necessary preconditions or assumptions for an activity and the desired outcomes. The 5 Whys is an excellent exercise for surfacing the function.

Form is the visible shape or configuration of something. It encompasses the methods and strategies. Form answers the questions of “what?” and “how?” After clarifying the function, form fills in the details and plan for how to realize the purpose.

Form or Function... - Everyday Design

For example:

Porsche Design staged by Hollywood - YouTube

Here's another approach:

Design Thinking is a term adapted from architecture and engineering and is often referred to as a “toolkit for innovation”. Its framework can be applied across a wide range of fields and its approach adapted to suit the needs of the user.

It involves 5 key stages – Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. This approach is most effective when addressing problems that are unknown or ill-defined. In the language learning classroom design thinking can help bridge the gap between creative problem solving and structured learning. It gives teachers additional tools to build understanding and provide students with frameworks for critical thinking and problem solving.

Design Thinking in the ESL Classroom | by Rishma Hansil | Medium

And here are some more suggestions:

Design Thinking Activities in the ESL Classroom | Express Publishing

Teacher's Corner: A Story of Design Thinking in the Classroom | American English

With a video:

How Design Thinking can be applied in language teaching? | Ms. ESL

There are very broad areas to look at:

ESOL: Speaking About Art - The Courtauld

And:

Jay Doubleyou: advertising

Jay Doubleyou: architecture

Jay Doubleyou: dismaland from banksy

Jay Doubleyou: land art

And check out these pages in the search facility:

Jay Doubleyou: design

Finally, back to design:

A design presentation | LearnEnglish

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how nations are invented

Is 'the nation' a 'natural' thing?

Nationalism is natural, multiculturalism is unnatural and foolish. : r/unpopularopinion

If you look at the history of the 'nation-state', it certainly doesn't seem 'natural':

Nation-state | Definition, Characteristics, & Politics | Britannica

Most 'nations' are in fact political creations - as this excellent BBC series with Misha Glenny has shown:

BBC Radio 4 - The Invention Of...

Including:

A four-part history of us - our borders, our peoples, the stories we tell ourselves.

BBC Radio 4 - The Invention Of..., Britain

And, amongst many:

Misha Glenny presents a history of Brazil, from the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500 to Brazil's entry in the Second World War

BBC Radio 4 - The Invention Of..., Brazil

The latest takes us to China:

How did the world's greatest civilisation find itself dragged into two Opium Wars and a century of humiliation? Misha Glenny heads to Hong Kong to find out.

BBC Radio 4 - The Invention Of..., China, To kowtow or not kowtow

It's a huge topic.

Here are some more examples:

India - An Unnatural Nation | History Forum

Natural borders of France - Wikipedia

The Invention of Canada: Literary Text and the Immigrant Imaginary

The Contested Idea of South Africa

Richard White’s Inventing Australia: revisiting the invention forty years later

La invencion de Mexico / The Invention of Mexico

Providence and the Invention of the United States

Here's more from these pages:

Jay Doubleyou: imposing one language on china

Jay Doubleyou: china, mandarin and domestic dominance

Jay Doubleyou: culture mix: germany

Jay Doubleyou: culture mix: norway

Jay Doubleyou: exceptionalism today

Jay Doubleyou: the politics of statues

Jay Doubleyou: official languages

Jay Doubleyou: language in ukraine: mariupol greek

Jay Doubleyou: language and politics in ukraine

Jay Doubleyou: not every english/swedish/german/russian-speaker is english/swedish/german/russian

Jay Doubleyou: facing up to your imperial past: the dutch

Jay Doubleyou: inglorious empire - what the british did to india

Jay Doubleyou: english traditions which aren't english...

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decolonizing britain... israel... russia... canada... australia... india...

What do we mean by 'decolonizing'?

to free (a people or area) from colonial status : to relinquish control of (a subjugated people or area)

Decolonize Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Decolonization, process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country. Decolonization was gradual and peaceful for some British colonies largely settled by expatriates but violent for others, where native rebellions were energized by nationalism.

Decolonization | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica

The first definition is very wide, the second very specific.

And starting with the second, we can look at all sorts of examples:

In the two hundred years following the American Revolutionary War in 1783, 165 colonies have gained independence from Western imperial powers.[25]

Decolonization - Wikipedia

It has got much more complicated lately - especially when we consider the general definition - to relinquish control of (a subjugated people or area)

Britain:

There have been academic studies:

Decolonizing Britain: An Exchange | Modern British History | Oxford Academic

On the right, it's about freeing the UK from American control:

How to decolonise Britain - UnHerd

On the left it's about statues:

Jay Doubleyou: all statues are political

And it's everywhere:

Britain has always been an imperial state, not a national one.

Brexit, Empire, and Decolonization | History Workshop

Yes, everywhere in the UK:

Jay Doubleyou: teaching empire in british schools

Israel:

This is perhaps the most controversial use of the term:

The path to peace in Israel-Palestine is through decolonisation | Opinions | Al Jazeera

Why Israel is Not a Settler Colonial State | AJC

The Decolonization Narrative Is Dangerous and False - The Atlantic

What the left gets wrong about Gaza and “decolonisation” - New Statesman

Russia:

It's not just Russia's imperial goals, but the fact that the country we call 'Russia' is in fact an empire:

Is Russia Europe's last empire? Is its invasion of Ukraine a 'colonial war'? Calls to 'decolonise' Russia are growing - but what would that mean?

BBC Radio 4 - Decolonising Russia

Russia’s history is one of almost ceaseless expansion and colonization, and Russia is the last European empire that has resisted even basic decolonization efforts, such as granting subject populations autonomy and a meaningful voice in choosing the country’s leaders.

Decolonize Russia - The Atlantic

As the successor to the Soviet Union, which cloaked its colonial agenda in anti-imperial and anti-capitalist nomenclature, Russia has yet to attract appropriate scrutiny for its consistent and oftentimes brutal imperial tendencies.

Decolonizing Russia: a Moral and Strategic Imperative – CSCE

Both those who believe a Russian collapse is imminent and those who warn against it agree on one thing: The Russian Federation has never truly been, well, a federation. Decentralization is the key, Khodorkovsky said. Whenever the time comes for the West to lift sanctions, it must negotiate with a government that has received legitimacy from the regions.

Is the West’s Talk of Russian Decolonization Wise?

What used to be the main theme of anti-Western Soviet propaganda back in the 20th century is now a favorite toy of hawkish Atlanticists, pro-Ukraine activists and East European ethnonationalists. Talking about the decolonization of Russia (and Russia alone – one hardly hears about returning Tennessee to the Cherokees) has become the surest way of attracting the attention of institutions that fund scientific research and political activism.

The Controversy of the Decolonization Discourse

With a couple of academics looking at the issues:

Dr Kevork Oskanian | Politics | University of Exeter

The fraught complexities of ‘Decolonising Russia’ – Riddle Russia

Nationalist Myth-Making and Western Notions: Studying Eurasia in the 21st Century | ISPI

And:

M.K. Bhadrakumar — Valdai Club

Russia_Disinformation

No respite for France as a 'New Africa' rises

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ask yourself 'why?'

This is one of the most viewed TED talks:

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TED - YouTube

And this is why:

Why is Simon Sinek’s TED Talk So Important? — Speeko - the #1 public speaking app

But, then, 'why' is at the heart of what he's telling us:

Start with Why - Wikipedia

Start With Why Book | Simon Sinek - Simon Sinek

We can also look at 'how':

How to Find Fulfillment at Work - Big Think

Here's a summary:

Start With Why-Book Summary. How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to… | by Teja Kancherla | Medium

But not everyone thinks 

As it stands, this method of finding one's WHY can only present a real danger for all those who choose it to define their reconversion and find themselves. It would also be a huge problem if it were offered to students who are often particularly influenced and gullible on this issue.

If it is about inspiring leaders and helping them recruit inspired and happy employees, fine! However, if it is used as a tool to define one's career path, to find one's way or to orient oneself, beware.

I also encourage you to read the negative reviews on Amazon of 1, 2 and 3 stars only where you will find a number of very pertinent criticisms.

Critical review of Simon Sinek “Find Your Why”, a dangerous method

Finally, it might not be such a bad thing to ask ourselves 'why?':

Thinking is such an energy-intensive task that most times we try to avoid it, content to live a zombie life. A study funded by Marks & Spencer showed that up to 96 per cent of people in the UK make decisions on autopilot, avoiding any active thinking and assessment.

Worse still, the study showed the most people find life and living so difficult that they switch into what neuroscientists call “zombie mode” (i.e. living on autopilot) the most when they are at home, environment which feels to them safe and predictable.

Always Ask Yourself “Why” You Do What You Do

And:

The Importance of Asking Why | Psychology Today

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shonibare - gorgeously recognisable artist

The Serpentine Gallery shows some fabulous contemporary art:

Yinka Shonibare CBE: Suspended States - Serpentine Galleries

With the artist talking about their latest show on BBC radio:

Front Row - Yinka Shonibare, Sean Shibe, cinema and digital decay - Yinka Shonibare, Sean Shibe, cinema and digital decay - BBC Sounds

With more photos and examples here:

Yinka Shonibare Builds a Sanctuary of Safety at Serpentine - Ocula Advisory

Some reviewers think it's just the same as before:

The British-Nigerian artist’s first solo London show in more than two decades is full of his signature beautiful African fabrics subverting familiar colonial figures – just like the last one

Yinka Shonibare CBE: Suspended States review – gorgeously recognisable, but is that enough? | Yinka Shonibare | The Guardian

Other reviewers look at the politics:

Yinka Shonibare considers the tangled relationship between Africa and Europe at Serpentine South

Yinka Shonibare presents ‘Suspended States’ at Serpentine South | Wallpaper

Artist Yinka Shonibare has brought Winston Churchill down to size

Here he is ten years ago:

Jay Doubleyou: yinka shonibare - artist at the royal academy

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earth day 2024

This year's Earth Day promises to be very big indeed:

Earth Day: The Official Site | EARTHDAY.ORG

The theme this year is Planet vs. Plastics:

Earth Day 2024 | Activities & Resources for April 22 - Earth Day

As reported today:

Over the past 60 years, around eight billion tons of plastic has been produced, according to a recent study in the journal Science Advances — 90.5 per cent of which has not been recycled. As a result, this year’s Earth Day theme— “Planet vs. Plastic”— demands a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

Just how big of a challenge is this? What type of numbers are we talking about? Here’s some perspective:

• In 1950, the world produced just two million tons of plastic. We now produce over 450 million tons.
• Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
• Production is expected to double by 2050.
• More than one million plastic water bottles are sold every minute.
• Every year, about 11 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the ocean.
• Only 9% of plastics ever produced has been recycled.
• Plastics often contain additives that can extend the life of products, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

Plastic is literally everywhere

An advertisement from the American Plastics Council in a 1997 edition of the New Yorker suggested that plastic wrappers and containers were the “sixth food group” that were there to keep contaminates out of our food.

Earth Day 2024: Planet Vs. Plastic

Here's some background:

Earth Day is a global event which aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment. It takes place every year on 22 April.,It was set up in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a US senator and environmentalist, and Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University...

The 2024 theme, "Planet vs. Plastics", aims to raise awareness of the harms of plastic pollution for human and planetary health. Previous events have covered a range of environmental issues, from climate change and clean energy to protecting species and the benefits of tree planting. This year's focus comes ahead of an historic UN treaty on plastics, which is expected to be agreed by the end of 2024. More than 50 countries, including the UK, have called for an end to plastic pollution by 2040. But the organisers of Earth Day want to go further, and are calling for a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

What is Earth Day, when is it and what has it achieved? - BBC News

Corporations are getting in on the act - although how effective these promotions are...

Win Disney+ National Geographic Galápagos Islands Cruise: How to Enter

Apple Celebrating Earth Day and International Dance Day With New Apple Watch Activity Challenges - MacRumors

Or is it greenwashing, again...

Reclaiming Earth Day from corporate greenwashing – The UCSD Guardian

How Capitalism Stole Earth Day

Earth Day 2024: Greenwashing is the order of the day

Perhaps more importantly, people are doing things:

Rochdale News | News Headlines | Family event to celebrate Earth Day to be held at Number One Riverside - Rochdale Online

Discounted unlimited travel on Salisbury Reds buses for Earth Day | Salisbury Journal

Celebrate Earth Day in Lancaster district - Beyond Radio

And around the world:

Armenia Changes the World, One Sapling At a Time - Earth Day

Earth Hour 2024: Hyderabad monuments to turn dark today evening; All you need to know | Mint

World Earth Day 2024 Matters In South Africa - iAfrica

And very locally:

Celebrate Earth Day in the Brockton, Taunton area with clean ups 2024

Loose Women films at Eden Project for World Earth Day - Cornwall Live

It's not just plastic:

Earth Day 2024: Importance Of Reducing Carbon Footprint

On Earth Day, don’t forget fish - The Korea Times

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the key language learning benefits of graded readers

There are some great resources out there to help students on their way:

Jay Doubleyou: graded english readers

With many of these resources also coming with something to listen to:

Jay Doubleyou: english easy readers - audio books

Here's a good introduction:

What are Graded Readers for ESL Students? | Wiki | Twinkl

Here's a further guide from the British Council:

Using Graded Readers | TeachingEnglish | British Council

And here's an excellent overview from the latest EL Gazette:

Some are turning their nose up at graded readers, but teachers Willy Renandya and George Jacobs argue that the books are a valuable tool to improve the reading skill.

As language educators, we constantly seek effective ways to support and enhance our students’ language learning experiences. One powerful yet often neglected strategy is the use of graded readers.

Graded readers are widely acknowledged to be highly beneficial for many areas of language proficiency. They are specially written or revised reading materials tailored for various proficiency levels and designed to meet the varied interests of our students. Students can experience the joy of reading a fiction or non-fiction graded reader on practically any topics that pique their interest at any proficiency level. Graded readers provide beginning students with an excellent bridge to gradually move to reading non-graded, unabridged texts.

Here are some of the key language learning benefits of graded readers:

...

Top grades for graded readers! - E L Gazette

With some further academic research here:

The Benefits of Graded Reading - ProQuest [also: (PDF) The Benefits of Graded Reading]

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listen to bbc radio 4!

How do you wash your dishes?

Is it better to wash your dishes by hand or use a dishwasher? This question from listener Eve has got to be among the most hotly contested debates out there. She wants to know which method uses more water and which is more energy efficient. To find out, we speak to a man who's spent decades studying the differences - Professor Rainer Stamminger from the University of Bonn in Germany.

Sliced Bread - Dishwashers - BBC Sounds

How often do you spend time in the garden?

Michael dons some gardening gloves and gets grubby. It’s no surprise that digging, hoeing and heaving bags of soil around is great for our physical fitness. But Michael learns how gardening can also impact our microbiome from Dr Hannah Holscher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She explores how gardening can boost the gut microbiome, benefitting our health and wellness. Our volunteer Caspar, tests his green fingers by growing some kitchen herbs and visiting a community garden.

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley - Get Gardening - BBC Sounds

How do you like your history?

Greg Jenner is joined by chocolate historian Alex Hutchinson and British TV legend Richard Osman to explore the culinary and cultural history of chocolate - Britain's favourite confectionery. Just what did the Maya use to flavour their cacao? How did cacao become chocolate and find its way into our shops and hearts? And why did a family feud change the entire branding of a much loved chocolate bar?

You're Dead to Me - The History of Chocolate - BBC Sounds

How much do you know about the Irish actor Cillian Murphy?

Cillian Murphy played Tommy Shelby in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders, a role that brought him a huge audience and much critical acclaim. Before that he’d played Scarecrow in The Dark Knight trilogy, starting his collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Nolan, and has most recently starred in Nolan’s Oppenheimer winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Academy Award nomination. The Irish Times named him as one of the greatest Irish actors of all time.

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs - Seven things we learned from Cillian Murphy's Desert Island Discs

How much do you know about professional wrestlers?

Professional wrestlers Drew and Lee have been like brothers ever since adolescence. When one betrays the other in the heat of a tumultuous night in Glasgow, the two men find themselves entangled in a bitter grudge that goes way beyond the confines of the wrestling ring, with violence and bitterness spilling over into the real world…
In Radio 4's Sideways – the podcast about the ideas that shape our lives – Matthew Syed delves into the world of pro wrestling to shed light on the hidden values and harsh consequences of grudges.
Can grudges ever be beneficial? Or will they always be destructive?

BBC Radio 4 - Sideways, 57. Grudge Match - Why do we hold grudges and can they ever be good for us?

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dumbing down high culture

What do we mean by 'high culture'?

Jay Doubleyou: high vs popular culture

Jay Doubleyou: high culture > popular culture --- high register > low register

Jay Doubleyou: romeo + juliet and west side story

And what do we mean by 'dumbing down'?

Jay Doubleyou: dumbing us down [and school]

Jay Doubleyou: education: dumbing us down [and Prussia]

Jay Doubleyou: brexit, trump and dumbing down [the cult of ignorance]

What about opera? Does it have to be 'dumbed down' to make it 'popular'?

I'm a young opera fan - we don't need them to be dumbed down for us (March 2024)

Daily Research News Online no. 8123 - Research 'Dumbing Down' Opera? (March 2008)

But what a snob! Or is this critic criticising with tongue firmly in cheek?

What’s so good about young people? I only ask because English National Opera seems so desperate to entice the yoof that it is willing to let them through the door in their pyjamas and slippers, and possibly in nothing more than their birthday suits if that whole dressing-up lark feels like too much effort.

This week, ENO enlisted the help of Blur’s Damon Albarn (well into middle age) and Terry Gilliam (old enough to start resembling a badger) in an attempt to woo a younger audience. Albarn and Gilliam, who both dress like 14-year-old boys, launched the Undress for the Opera initiative, which invites newcomers to turn up in their jeans and trainers instead of the usual suits and frocks. The London Coliseum will also offer beer promotions, “club-style bars” and “specially themed cocktails”. Come to the opera and get as drunk as you like, kids!

If you don’t like the music, Gilliam (hopefully) joked that you could “wear your earphones”. Meanwhile, the ENO’s artistic director, John Berry, said that “there are lots of people who are put off by the way opera is presented…We’re going to greet you when you come through the door, look after you and make sure you have a really fantastic evening.” Eeww! Please don’t!

Why are we so obsessed with courting young people? They’ve got no money, and when they do they spend it all on super-strong alcohol, rolling tobacco and condoms. The few young people who do want to spend their savings on Don Giovanni hardly need the promise of hooch as an incentive. Does this craven appeal to young folk make an institution look cool? No. It just makes it look like a sad teenager trying to attract the focus of their unrequited love.

I have never been to the opera – not because you have to dress up, or because, in the words of Gilliam, I think it is “for a bunch of old farts – the bourgeoisie in dinner jackets”. I haven’t been to the opera because it generally costs a small fortune. So while it’s great that ENO will be making 100 seats available for 25 quid, it would be even better if we could sit in those seats in our finery, without the threat of a pint of beer down our backs. You don’t need to lure people to The Magic Flute by turning it into The Pig and Whistle.

Dumbing down won't attract the young to the opera

Finally:

Jay Doubleyou: register: populism, culture wars and woke [how Trump speaks, defining populism...]

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the real price of learning english

How much does it cost to learn English?

How much does it cost to learn English in the UK? ‹ Frequently Asked Questions ‹ Frequently Asked Questions

And are there other approaches?

How Much Does It Cost To Learn English? Can You Learn English For Free?

But is the system fair?

The true cost of science’s language barrier for non-native English speakers

The latest EL Gazette discusses this, starting with another discussion:

Back in December, an intriguing and divisive article appeared in the Guardian. The article, titled ‘English still rules the world, but that’s not necessarily okay’, was written by lecturer in public policy and administration at the University of Ulster, Michele Gazzola. In it, Michele discusses the position of the English language in today’s modern world, and the implications it has for those who speak it as a second language. Specifically, Michele says there is a real cost, financially and socially, to both countries and individuals.

What is the real price of ELT… - E L Gazette

Finally, maybe the costs of not learning a second language need to be considered:

A Cost/Benefit Analysis of Learning a Second Language | Language Trainers UK Blog

The True Cost of (Not) Learning a Second Language for International Education - Gateway International Group

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how to teach/learn reading

TEACHING READING:

How can we teach the reading of English has become a big discussion points:

Phonics and the battle for literacy: experts cross pens in the ‘Reading Wars’! - E L Gazette

The latest EL Gazette is dedicated to 'how to teach reading':

ELG2402 Feb Issue 488

Including:

Asking the right question: teaching reading to bilingual learners - E L Gazette

Embracing English learners in a Science of Reading era - E L Gazette

Here's more of the basics:

A step-by-step set of procedures: 

Teaching Reading to ESL Students

With the same in more detail:

How to Teach Reading to ESL Beginners: 6 Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension | FluentU English Educator Blog

Here we look at a specific approach:

Guided Reading: a Powerful Tool for Teaching Reading Skills to ESL Learners | Learn English

Here's a teaching reading poster:

Teaching reading | TeachingEnglish | British Council

Here we go a little deeper in helping students:

7 Tips to Improve Your ESL Students’​ Reading Comprehension • LatinHire Online Tutoring

LEARNING READING:

Keeping it deep, reading is in itself a good thing for learing a language:

Improve your English through Reading | EnglishClub

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of specific skills:

How to Improve Your English Reading Skills: 22 Tips and Strategies | FluentU English

The British Council has got some great reading tasks at different levels:

Reading | LearnEnglish

Here's Emma from mmmEnglish with some great ways to improve reading:

The Best Way To Improve Your Reading Skills 📖📚 English Tips! - YouTube

It's possible to work on speaking when reading:

Reading Tips to Improve Pronunciation for ESL Students

Here's a good list of 'easyish' novels:

9 great novels to help improve your English - Blogs | Pearson Languages

And here are some ideas on reading 'easy readers':

5-step guide: How to improve your English by reading simple books

Finally, here are some great resources online to help further:

Free Websites to Practice English at Home | The New York Public Library

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krashen and the comprehensible input theory

Prof Krashen is a very influential language professor:

Jay Doubleyou: krashen quotes

He very much believes in 'language acquisition':

Jay Doubleyou: how to acquire a language in one year - and not 'to learn a language'!

And reading is key to that:

Jay Doubleyou: reading really is the best way to improve (your own and a second) language

Jay Doubleyou: from narrow reading and listening to fluency: part two

Here's an overall look at Krashen:

Jay Doubleyou: krashen and second language learning

But there are questions about his approach:

Is everyone WRONG about Stephen Krashen's "comprehensible input" theory? - YouTube.

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pronunciation: getting students to understand better and to be better understood

It's important to work on students' pronunciation regularly and often:

Why Pronunciation Teaching Should Be the Number One Priority

Teaching Pronunciation to EFL Students – TEFL-Toolkit.com

It is a matter of increasing awareness:

Jay Doubleyou: english pronunciation is crazy

Jay Doubleyou: 'four ears' or 'four years'?

Jay Doubleyou: connected speech

Jay Doubleyou: listening to song lyrics will help your pronunciation

Jay Doubleyou: chunking

Here are some approaches that might help:

Jay Doubleyou: shadowing

Jay Doubleyou: singing songs to learn english

Jay Doubleyou: practical dictation > online texts and audio

Jay Doubleyou: pronouncing cat, cut and cart in english

Jay Doubleyou: sound scripting

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the grammar discovery approach to learning langugages

How do we teach and learn the grammar of a language?

The EL Gazette looks at a method :

In this article, teacher Joanna Buckle delves into the grammar discovery approach. But what is it and does it work?

One nineties development in English language teaching was the ‘grammar discovery’ approach. It’s now been around long enough to have been incorporated into a number of textbooks. In this method, students are given a set of examples of a particular grammar point, such as the present simple tense, and asked to extrapolate the rules for its use from the context. But how much theoretical backing does this approach have?

...

The grammar discovery approach - E L Gazette

Here's a good explanation, plus an example:

The idea is that students will ‘discover’ the grammar through a series of steps (these might be tasks, language awareness activities, pictures, questions, etc) and will deduce both the form and the meaning from the context(s).

Grammar teaching: The discovery technique | Article | Onestopenglish

Here's an excellent piece giving real insights:

It can be difficult for language teachers to make learning grammar in a language classroom interesting and engaging for students. After all, these rules and rubrics need to be learnt, understood, memorised and then put into repeated practice. So how can teachers make learning key grammar concepts more interesting? This blog post examines the two main approaches to learning grammar (i.e deductive and inductive) and then focuses on the inductive approach (also known as guided discovery) in further detail.

Deductive vs. inductive grammar teaching

It is widely acknowledged that there are two main approaches to teaching grammar in any language. As outlined above, these are known as deductive and inductive approaches.

• A deductive approach is when the grammar rule is presented by the teacher and the student produces language based on that rule.
• An inductive approach is when the rule is inferred by the student through some form of guided discovery. (i.e the teacher provides the students with a way to discover the rules for themselves.)

Notably the former approach is clearly more teacher-centred. But it does allow language teachers to deliberately highlight the item for attention and can also allow more time for actually practising it in spoken or written form. Given that inductive approaches are more learner-centred, we’ll make that the focus for this blog post, although it is worth pointing out that these approaches are usually most beneficial for students who have a base knowledge of the language. It’s clearly easier to work things out for yourself if you already have some knowledge in a subject.

What is Guided discovery in grammar teaching?

According to the British Council: “Guided discovery, also known as an inductive approach, is a technique where a teacher provides examples of a language item and helps the learners to find the rules themselves.”

In detail, guided discovery is a way for language educators to encourage students to make their own explanations for grammar / language rules with the support and guidance of their teacher. It’s a powerful alternative to the traditional “chalk and talk” approach and aims to mimic the way most people naturally learn a language i.e by picking up the rules as their learning and experience grows.

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How guided discovery could transform your grammar teaching

And here's a video showing how it can be done:

Work it out yourself - Helping students with grammar, with Chris Redston - YouTube

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how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... 2: counter it with the same!

There's an interesting new book out - with a little video introduction from the author:

From one of our leading experts on disinformation, the incredible true story of the complex and largely forgotten WWII propagandist Sefton Delmer – and what we can learn from him today. Peter Pomerantsev introduces us to Sefton Delmer, the anti-hero of How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler.

From one of our leading experts on disinformation, the incredible true... | TikTok

The book has a wider purpose:

The Journalist Who Tried to Fight the Nazis With Radio Stories

In “How to Win an Information War,” Peter Pomerantsev looks to a World War II propagandist for lessons in the battle between Russia and Ukraine.

Book Review: ‘How to Win an Information War,’ by Peter Pomerantsev - The New York Times

His book is the Radio Times book of the week:

JOIN THE RADIO TIMES BOOK CLUB TODAY! – Radio Times Shop

With more from the FT:

“How do you win an information war?” asks Peter Pomerantsev in the introduction to his new book, before addressing its animating question with a personal flourish: “What can you do when those you love . . . slip away from you under a quicksand of lies, and move mentally into an alternative reality where black is white and white is black?”

The critical word here, it took me some time to realise, is “war”. In a war you do everything possible not to lose. It isn’t about posing your better values against the enemy’s, but about undermining popular belief in their “truth”.

Pomerantsev’s main current enemy is Vladimir Putin’s Russia, about whose complex and effective propaganda regime the academic and writer — who was born in Soviet Ukraine to dissident parents — has already written two books: Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible (2014), and This Is Not Propaganda (2019). Both were written before Putin launched his all-out bombs and guns war on his European neighbour.

How To Win an Information War was written in a time when Russians who are contacted by their Ukrainian friends and relatives, and told what is actually happening, usually respond with disbelief and rejection. Ordinary Russians have become unreachable by the living truth. Meanwhile in the US up to 40 per cent of Americans believe that the last presidential election was “stolen” and it is conceivable that the corrupt author of this fiction will become US president again.

So that’s what we face, and few questions keep democrats — conservative or liberal — awake at night like the one that Pomerantsev poses. It’s a question he answers by suggesting to us that we reflect on the extraordinary career of Britain’s top wartime counter-propagandist, Sefton Delmer, who was an all-out commander in the information war against Nazi Germany.

How to Win an Information War — a history lesson in effective counter-propaganda

Here he is talking to The Spectator:

Peter Pomerantsev: How To Win An Information War | The Spectator

Here is his view earlier on how to counter propaganda:

Jay Doubleyou: how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... 1: enjoy culture and the arts

Meanwhile in Russia:

Jay Doubleyou: the propaganda wars today

The Soviet-born British journalist looks at the psychology:

Jay Doubleyou: the politics of humiliation today

... and the theatre:

Jay Doubleyou: politics as theatre

Finally: how Russia is currently winning the information war:

Jay Doubleyou: information wars

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london has a new museum

A new museum is opening in London:

Dedicated to creative opportunity and its power to bring change. Two free cultural destinations – V&A East Storehouse and Museum – will open up the V&A collection for all, celebrate making in all its forms and create new possibilities for everyone.

V&A East · V&A

This is what a design magazine thinks:

We preview the V&A East Museum in London | Wallpaper

This is the actual website of the new museum:

V&A East

There's a lot going on - with a museums website looking at it all:

New look inside V&A East Storehouse as collection move begins

This week, the director talks to some teenagers about what he wants them to do - and he lets them handle some of the museum's artefacts:

Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East, is on a mission to create a new kind of museum in the Olympic Park. He wants to attract a diverse audience of 16-25-year-olds, the kinds of young people least likely to be found in the great museums of South Kensington. Part of his plan is to take objects from the collection into schools and to tell their powerful stories. So we are with him in a school for students who have been excluded from other institutions as he opens the treasure chest... Gus also shares his own story of discovering art in books and then travelling to museums and galleries, as a terrified teenager, to encounter the real thing. A life-changing experience.

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, A Museum in the Making, 11/03/2024

With a piece in the Radio Times to accompany the series:

A safe space - 5 Mar 2024 - Radio Times Magazine - Readly

Last year, we had a look at how the project was going:

V&A East's plans to shake up the art world - YouTube

Here's their first exhibition next year - with a video trailer:

The Music Is Black: A British Story - Exhibition at V&A East Museum · V&A

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'popular opera'

Can opera be popular?

THE MAGIC FLUTE:

Perhaps it depends on which opera:

The Magic Flute, ENO review: A tonic for the soul

This is what people think about it:

Mozart's The Magic Flute ǀ English National Opera - YouTube

What''s a 'foley artist'?

Meet The Foley Artist | The Magic Flute | ENO - YouTube

The Magic Flute | Buy Opera Tickets for 2023/24 | ENO

Foley (filmmaking) - Wikipedia

WEST SIDE STORY

Here's someone who took the opera and did something different - from twenty minutes in:

Howard Goodalls Twentieth Century Greats 3of4 Leonard Bernstein - YouTube

This is West Side Story:

West Side Story - Wikipedia

Which Spielberg filmed last year:

Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" | Official Trailer | 20th Century Studios - YouTube

But here's the original from 1961:

West Side Story - Prologue - Official Full Number - 50th Anniversary (HD) - YouTube

West Side Story ' Dance at the Gym ' Mambo 日本語字幕 - YouTube

West Side Story - Cool (1961) HD - YouTube

It really is a 'great piece of art':

The Great ‘West Side Story’ Debate - The New York Times

Why West Side Story is a Masterpiece - YouTube

THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL:

But can anything like this become 'popular'?

Thomas Adès: The Exterminating Angel (recorded live at the Met) - YouTube

It's on in Paris at the moment:

The Exterminating Angel - Opera - Season 23/24 Programming - Opéra national de Paris

And had a fabulous season at the Met in New York:

The Exterminating Angel

Review: If You See One Opera This Year, Make It ‘The Exterminating Angel’ - The New York Times

The composer was inspired by the film:

The Exterminating Angel (1962) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] - YouTube

'POPULAR OPERA':

Where to go for opera?

Five Best Operas for Beginners - The Operas You Should See First - Keep It Classical - YouTube

And in English?

Habanera from Bizet's Carmen ǀ 2020 Opera Season ǀ English National Opera - YouTube

Bizet - Carmen (sung in English) (ENO, 01.07.2015). Part II - YouTube

With subtitles!

Verdi's Don Carlo with English Subtitles (Alagna, Pieczonka, Maximova, Petean, Prestia) - YouTube

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listening to bbc radio

The Radio Times is a weekly magazine listing the UK's TV, radio and streaming - and their Radio listings guide | Radio Times opens out a lot of listening possibilities. Just click on a programme to get more details - and see if you'd like to listen.

The magazine itself has a daily list of recommnded listening - in "Today's Choices" - with a couple of examples here:

On Star Trek: Thursday radio - 22 Nov 2022 - Radio Times Magazine - Readly

On the race to the North Pole: Broadcast - BBC Programme Index

There is a lot to listen to - but you just need to register with a UK address to be able to listen.

Here are a couple more places to explore what's on offer:

Jay Doubleyou: short history series on bbc radio

Jay Doubleyou: talking about music - on audio

Jay Doubleyou: north, east, south, west - what do they mean?

Jay Doubleyou: china, the bbc and disinformation

Jay Doubleyou: walter benjamin on the radio in english

And:

Jay Doubleyou: radio 4 in 4 minutes

Jay Doubleyou: poetry on bbc radio

Jay Doubleyou: drama on radio 4

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 4's history of ideas - animations

Jay Doubleyou: sharing our lives with wolves: on bbc's shared planet

Jay Doubleyou: history from objects: the british musem, radio 4 and neil macgregor

Jay Doubleyou: the listening project - listening to britain

Jay Doubleyou: just a minute

Jay Doubleyou: sport on the radio - in english

Jay Doubleyou: getting the most out of bbc radio 4 - for esol students

And finally:

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 6 to help you with your english...

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 5 to help you with your english...

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 4 to help you with your english...

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 3 to help you with your english...

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 2 to help you with your english...

Jay Doubleyou: bbc radio 1 to help you with your english...

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the lunatic fringe in sleepy ye olde england...

There's an interesting town in South West England which is not exactly a 'sleepy, olde-worlde place':

On the ‘Welcome to Totnes’ sign that greets people to the town somebody added ‘Twinned with Narnia’ below it. It’s been removed since by those who don’t have a sense of humour, but to me it’s a perfect description of Totnes. The town has been described as ‘New Age’, ‘Alternative’ and even ‘eccentric’ but however you like to describe it, Totnes is different to any other town in the South Hams, or even Devon for that matter. Totnes - Twinned with Narnia - Easymalc's Wanderings

Since the pandemic, however, there has been what many consider to be a very disturbing ‘challenge to complacency’ happening, with anger in Totnes as Covid ‘anti-vax’ propaganda was posted through letterboxes

At the same time as this disquiet was being expressed last summer, a lot of attention was being paid by the wider 'mainstream media' to "Narnia": Totnes, Transition Town & Conspiracyland.

As covered in a new series on BBC Radio 4:

What’s happening in the Devon town of Totnes? The small town of Totnes in Devon is known for its warmth and open-mindedness, gong baths and healing crystals, but a fault line has emerged between the minority who’ve been drawn in by disinformation laced with hate and those who are fighting against it. Some in the town were drawn into a conspiracy theory movement during the pandemic, one whose monthly marches and rallies persist to this day. A conspiracy theory newspaper called The Light seems to have played a key part in the division there. BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how the theories that dominate its pages are changing the town. Marianna in Conspiracyland – 1. Entering Conspiracyland – BBC Sounds

This has been challenged by some who, by no means conspiracy theorists, 

At the end of my street in Totnes a huddle of people gather around a trestle table each week hawking newspapers. They’re surrounded by rhetoric denouncing vaccines, denigrating the government and even denying climate change. The newspaper is The Light, a controversial print publication that describes itself as the ‘uncensored truth’ with links to inflammatory ideologies and far right figures. As a journalist, I know I should probably stop and find out what they’re about but I know they see me as the MSM (mainstream media) and I fear I’d probably get a barrage of abuse. So even though I happen to love engaging in conversation with people who see the world differently to myself, I tend to cross the high street...

It’s a bit bonkers. But it’s not ‘dangerously crazy’ as Totnes resident Peter Shearn suggested this week. He was interviewed by BBC journalist Marianna Spring for her documentary Conspiracyland which was released on BBC Sounds and Radio 4 and expressed his fears about the impact that The Light and its cabal was having on the town. Conspiracyland documents the rise of conspiracy theories since the pandemic - people who largely believe that Covid-19 and the vaccine are a form of governmental control. Totnes is one of several hubs across the UK where The Light is passed out on the street, but it has become a central focus because it’s a town that has always embraced alternative thinking.

And by making Totnes the central focus, it exacerbates its image as a slightly crazy - even dangerously crazy - place to hang out. In actual fact, it’s a liberal-thinking, sustainably minded, increasingly affluent town where alternative views are embraced. Sometimes those alternative views venture into conspiracy. I loved Marianna Spring's documentary for shining the light on a growing movement that is emerging in many parts of the country. But it's not representative of most of Totnes. It’s a small, straggly band of people with a megaphone giving away a free newspaper that very few read in a tucked away corner of the high street. I would call them the lunatic fringe (maybe because I'm in the MSM). If you don’t like it, just cross the street. I live in 'Conspiracyland' Totnes and it may be bonkers but it's not dangerously crazy - Jacqui Merrington - Devon Live

This 'lunatic fringe' is appearing in other Devon towns: last summer there was a lot of disquiet in very 'sleepy Devon', with the conspiracy newspaper The Light still circulating in Sidmouth.

And late last year, concern over extreme opinions was still being expressed in Totnes, and a couple of months ago, in the next county, Glastonbury residents were shining a light on the publication spreading disinformation in their town.

Here is the latest February edition of the The Light to look through.

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compartmentalization as a way of managing

Twenty years ago, we learnt that the most important foundation of mental health treatment was 'dead':

Psychoanalysis Is Dead ... So How Does That Make You Feel? - Los Angeles Times

Psychoanalysis is a theory of psychopathology and a treatment for mental disorders. Fifty years ago, this paradigm had great influence on the teaching and practice of psychiatry. Today, psychoanalysis has been marginalized and is struggling to survive in a hostile academic and clinical environment.1,2

Is Psychoanalysis Still Relevant to Psychiatry? - PMC

The founder of psychoanalysis was very critical of alternative approaches:

Compartmentalization, a term coined by Sigmund Freud, is a defense mechanism, which is a strategy the psyche uses to avoid feeling anxiety, especially related to internal conflicts. With compartmentalization, the person separates feelings or thoughts that contradict each other into different “compartments” in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance that arises when a thought or feeling we have starts to contradict a different thought or feeling that we are also aware of.

What Does It Mean to Compartmentalize? - Choosing Therapy

It is seen rather negatively:

Compartmentalization is a form of psychological defense mechanism in which thoughts and feelings that seem to conflict are kept separated or isolated from each other in the mind.[1] Those with post traumatic stress disorder may use compartmentalization to separate positive and negative self aspects.[2] It may be a form of mild dissociation; example scenarios that suggest compartmentalization include acting in an isolated moment in a way that logically defies one's own moral code, or dividing one's unpleasant work duties from one's desires to relax.[3] Its purpose is to avoid cognitive dissonance, or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves.

Compartmentalization (psychology) - Wikipedia

However, this approach can be very helpful:

Compartmentalization in Everyday Life

Compartmentalization can be part of everyday experience, especially in situations when life can benefit from a little separation. Some may draw boundaries between work and play; others may make allowances for mistakes and setbacks.

Can compartmentalizing ever be helpful?

When people are dealing with a number of serious problems at the same time, it can be difficult to maintain focus to accomplish necessary tasks; putting a problem on hold by compartmentalizing can help them take action. Although disengaging with emotions isn’t a long-term solution, it can be a valuable tool from time to time.

How can people compartmentalize work?

Our jobs, particularly high-stress or high-pressure positions, sometimes seem to take over our lives. Compartmentalizing can set boundaries so that you function well at work and enjoy time away from the office.

Compartmentalization | Psychology Today

Psychoanalysis is about Why - looking deeply into our past lives to give explanations.

Compartmentalization is about How - looking at ways of managing things and looking to the future.

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official languages

We can actually communicate in more than one language:

Jay Doubleyou: we are by nature multilingual

But it gets very political:

Jay Doubleyou: imposing one language on china

Jay Doubleyou: language and politics in ukraine

Which countries have more than one official language?

Linguistic Coexistence in Europe: Countries with More than One Official Language – Braanz

List of multilingual countries and regions - Wikipedia

Which Are The Most Multilingual Countries In The World?

But recognising another language as 'official' does not always mean communication on the ground:

Languages of Israel - Wikipedia

Languages of Ukraine - Wikipedia

English is the most common official language, with recognized status in 51 countries.

Official language - Wikipedia

BELGIUM:

French-speaking Minister of Education Caroline Désir suggested making Dutch classes compulsory in Wallonia. This reform will be difficult to implement because of the critical shortage of skilled teachers and the political context.

Belgium's unity remains undermined by the language barrier

Belgium's language divide: Many young Walloons do not speak Dutch

How can Belgium overcome its regional linguistic conflicts? | Social Policy

‘It’s important that people who decide to spend their lives here also learn French and Dutch,’ top Flemish politician says.

Flemish nationalists aren’t happy with plan for more English in Brussels – POLITICO

SWITZERLAND:

The Zurich national museum, the Tages-Anzeiger and swissinfo.ch has invited us to explain Switzerland’s exceptional cohesion in comparison to other multilingual countries, as part of the debate series entitled La Suisse – et maintenant? [Switzerland – and now?]

How To Explain Switzerland’s Linguistic Harmony?

The Language Enigma Of Switzerland - Live and Let's Fly

It’s not unusual to hear Swiss people from different parts of the country chatting away in English. Not everyone is happy about this, but does using English as a lingua franca – a bridge over the Röstigraben, the country’s main linguistic divide – benefit national cohesion or harm it?

English as a common language in Switzerland: a positive or a problem? - SWI swissinfo.ch

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poetry in the esol/efl classroom

To what extent can poetry be used in the English-as-a-Second/Foreign-Language classroom?

There are practical and engaging ways to do this:

Jay Doubleyou: spell check poem

Jay Doubleyou: short texts for fun dication

Here is more fun:

Jay Doubleyou: poetry as diagram

Jay Doubleyou: football and poetry

Jay Doubleyou: tree poetry

Jay Doubleyou: the bfg: malapropisms, spoonerisms and nonsense words

About the British:

Jay Doubleyou: the british - a poem

Jay Doubleyou: grayson perry and philip larkin on the british

Here are a couple of backwards poems:

Jay Doubleyou: refugees: a poem

Jay Doubleyou: backwards poems

But we have to be very sensitive:

Jay Doubleyou: "poetry in the classroom: some kids i taught and what they taught me": three years on

How to make a poem:

Jay Doubleyou: rhyme in english

Jay Doubleyou: limericks

The EL Gazette looked at the subject recently:

On Poetry: Benefits for students and implementation ideas for educators

Creativity in the classroom can come in a variety of ways. Teacher, Matthew Kloosterman, gives his best practice on how to incorporate poetry into teaching.

Connecting poetry, as a genre, to other texts being studied invites intertextuality and deeper reading for students. Poetry is also highly personable and offers an avenue for student agency. When students select their own poems for poetry study, it encourages even more personal connections to texts.

In this article I would like to share several ideas on how poetry can be implemented and why poetry is beneficial for students:

On Poetry: Benefits for students and implementation ideas for educators - E L Gazette

To finish: WOW!

Jay Doubleyou: kate tempest poet

Jay Doubleyou: performing poetry

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backwards poems

Here's a poem which you can read from the beginning ... or the end:

Jay Doubleyou: refugees: a poem

Here's another:

Dear Humanity, It's Time To Give Up (Reverse Poem) - YouTube

And there are lots more:

5 Reverse Poems That Will Blow Your Mind - Heart

Here's how to do it:

How to Write a Reverse Poem. A poem that can be read in both… | by Cameron Bradley | Writers’ Blokke | Medium

9 Reverse Poems Your Middle Schoolers Will Love - Hey Natayle

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