Words of the Wild Wes http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW Whatever. en-us Nucleus CMS v3.60 © 2009 Authors and GTSC. Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW/nucleus/nucleus2.gif Words of the Wild Wes Words of the Wild Wes http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW To err is human, … http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=3029 Thu, 8 Apr 2010 20:42:34 -0400 Wes Groleau Humor … but to really screw things up takes a computer.  Or a government agency.  What if …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=3029 Illiterate spammers http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2647 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:59:48 -0400 Wes Groleau Technology Those irritating intrusions into one’s mailbox—or one’s blog.  Came across a few recently that actually amused me. …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2647 No dialysis for illegals? http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2485 Sun, 6 Dec 2009 23:23:49 -0400 Wes Groleau Off-topic After reading an article cited by Richard Russell, I found myself unwilling to edit my thoughts down to a reasonable comment size, so …

Defending Grady

I can’t believe you said that!

What difference does it make?

A suggestion

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2485 Tough love is good for children http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2365 Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:56:38 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach “Confident, skilful parents adopting a ‘tough love’ approach to parenting, balancing warmth with discipline, seem to be most effective” in terms of generating “qualities such as application, self-regulation and empathy.” This from a U.K. study, which also found that these qualities made "a vital contribution to life chances, mobility and opportunity".

How should we respond to this?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2365 You can tell … http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2362 Fri, 6 Nov 2009 01:13:13 -0400 Wes Groleau Phonetics Sometimes I’m impressed by the things our minds can do.  Like recognize someone's voice in her whisper, or tell a bilingual person’s first language by the sound of his laugh.

A. P. recently cited another example on FLTEACH.

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2362 The Death of Language? http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2306 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:32:06 -0400 Wes Groleau Linguistics A BBC article looks at language extinction.

Among the ranks are the two known speakers of Lipan Apache alive in the US, four speakers of Totoro in Columbia and the single Bikya speaker in Cameroon.

The question is, …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2306 Sounding Right http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2262 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:37:23 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach Why did Earl Stevick recommend that a beginning language teacher read The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwey?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=2262 It’s the Law! http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=93 Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:30:00 -0400 Wes Groleau Linguistics Grammar rules are like laws of nature.  They give an illusion of control.  …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=93 Common Sense http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=1184 Sun, 1 Feb 2009 14:54:47 -0400 Wes Groleau General If you were dirt-poor and had no job, would you get “free gas” from a leaking tank truck?  That’s what people tried to do this weekend …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=1184 TANSTAAFL http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=984 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:37:57 -0400 Wes Groleau General Were you offered a free iPod or other in-demand item for merely clicking a link?  Heinlein says, “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch,” but I decided to see how much I could find out without actually getting stung.  I did not get stung, and I will pass on what I found …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=984 Methods meddling by amateurs http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=889 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:50:06 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach Don’t you wish politicians and preachers (and amateurs like Wes Groleau) would mind their own business and leave pedagogical theorizing to the experts?

I find that both Churchill and St. Augustine have tried to stick their noses in the teacher’s business …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=889 Race doesn’t Matter http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=876 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:43:03 -0400 Wes Groleau General Many will tell us that race doesn’t matter.  Wayne Joseph thinks it does matter: “I see their point, but race does matter, especially with things like medical research ?,?

What do I think? ?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=876 The Miracle Worker? http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=668 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:42:26 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach The movie Stand and Deliver shows how one skilled and motivated teacher can work a miracle in just one year.  “Based on a true story??I guess that means it’s not really true? ?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=668 Gaffes Can Be Deceiving http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=610 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 22:30:09 -0400 Wes Groleau Politics In 2000 and 2004, the ’Net was full of chuckles over Bush’s notorious slips of the tongue.  One had to hunt pretty hard to find out that his opponents had their share.  But if you made the effort, you just might be willing to admit that given enough opportunity nearly everyone’s tongue gets twisted.  And of course, a presidential campaign is full of such opportunities.  But sometimes a gaffe is more than just a gaffe. …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=610 Thinking it Through, Two http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=506 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:38:39 -0400 Wes Groleau Politics Obama said, “We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.? And two weeks later, Palin said almost exactly the same 
?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=506 Thinking It Through http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=476 Mon, 1 Sep 2008 14:33:59 -0400 Wes Groleau General While mowing the lawn, I noticed that my socks were getting all twisted around. that’s odd?I wonder why. ?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=476 You be the judge http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=463 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:22:33 -0400 Wes Groleau Technology they’re both pretty bad, but which do you think is the better translator from French to English, a computer program, or an American who can’t speak French but owns a dictionary? You be the judge …

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=463 achy breaky grammar http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=229 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:39:08 -0400 Wes Groleau Linguistics To THAT tune:

"No rotas más mi pobre corazón"

I'm sure that’s what I heard on the radio. But then ?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=229 Standards?a parable http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=145 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:01:13 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach In second grade (1961), I put “Wes? on paper in cursive and was reprimanded:

?We learn cursive in THIRD grade.?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=145 I have to admit, it’s cool http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=125 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:49:05 -0400 Wes Groleau General Has absolutely nothing to do with Language or Learning, but it does look cool:

http://www.engadget.com/gallery/
iphone-first-hands-on-and-unboxing/293799/

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=125 Krashen vs. grammar? http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=114 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:50:23 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach Is Stephen Krashen a grammar-hating extremist?  Dozens of web pages by both supporters and opponents seem to say so?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=114 Amigos Falsos http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=108 Wed, 30 May 2007 18:23:55 -0400 Wes Groleau Humor Several of the boys in Sra. Fulano’s Spanish class told her they tried to visit a Spanish-speaking church but weren’t allowed in.

Puzzled, she decided to pay the church a visit herself.  Upon arrival, she saw a small sign admonishing the faithful to remain faithful:

NO DUDES

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=108 The lesson http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=106 Mon, 28 May 2007 00:40:27 -0400 Wes Groleau Teaching Approach How does Homer Smith give an ESL lesson?

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=106 I mean, like, ya know, right? http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=100 Sat, 12 May 2007 15:56:24 -0400 Wes Groleau Humor On May 12, 2007, at 1:12 PM, Marcy Webb wrote on FLTEACH:

.... Questions I am often asked by students include, “Why do ser and ir share the same conjugation in the preterite??

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=100 Free speech has its limits http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=99 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:51:44 -0400 Wes Groleau Humor Two men arguingWell, these two guys think so ...

]]> http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW?itemid=99