Fortunately, like so much else, Youtube has a wealth of videos on how English should be spoken.
The following are some of my favorites. I offer them without other comment.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
English speaking rhythm videos
Languages have a thythm, each and every one of them. And this rhythm varies from one language to the next. When people learn a second (or additional) language, they have a tendency to speak with the rhythm of the first language. For this reason, it's a good to teach them not only that spoken American English has a distinct rhythm and stress pattern, but what that rhythm is.
Fortunately, like so much else, Youtube has a wealth of videos on how English should be spoken.
The following are some of my favorites. I offer them without other comment.
Fortunately, like so much else, Youtube has a wealth of videos on how English should be spoken.
The following are some of my favorites. I offer them without other comment.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
FANBOYS and compound sentences
This is fun video that teaches about compound sentences.
It also teaches the useful acronym FANBOYS
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
This also teaches the FANBOYS acronym and compound sentences.
Grammar Rock --Conjunction Junction --same thing, different era.
writing good sentences
More than once I've been hired to teach writing to students who often needed help with the basics.
This is a collection of materials I've found on the basics of writing good sentences.
This second one is good too, but it's worth mentioning that Mark Roberts is Canadian and pronounces the word "pasta" differently than most Americans would. (We would say PAH-sta, with an "a" like in "taco" but he says PA-sta with an "a" like in "cat.")
Sentence fragments are a big problem with many students, both foreign and native speakers.
Run on sentences are another big problem.
If you'd like to practice corrrecting sentences and check your understanding of grammar, here is a collection of sample quizzes and practice sheets you can use.
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Sentence-Correction.htm
This video teaches types of sentences.
This is a video on how to write better sentences. It assumes a good command of grammar.
Not so great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpoZBnXHg3E
This is a collection of materials I've found on the basics of writing good sentences.
This second one is good too, but it's worth mentioning that Mark Roberts is Canadian and pronounces the word "pasta" differently than most Americans would. (We would say PAH-sta, with an "a" like in "taco" but he says PA-sta with an "a" like in "cat.")
Sentence fragments are a big problem with many students, both foreign and native speakers.
Run on sentences are another big problem.
If you'd like to practice corrrecting sentences and check your understanding of grammar, here is a collection of sample quizzes and practice sheets you can use.
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Sentence-Correction.htm
This video teaches types of sentences.
This is a video on how to write better sentences. It assumes a good command of grammar.
Not so great
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Golden Age of Science Fiction -Knight and Corwainer Smith
Please consider this a rough draft
Golden Age of Science Fiction
Cordwainer Smith
http://www.cordwainer-smith.com/
Works under his real name:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34034
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard p 154
To Serve Man
1950
Science Fiction 5B
Buck Rogers Radio show
http://www.openculture.com/2013/11/hear-vintage-episodes-of-buck-rogers-the-sci-fi-radio-show-that-first-aired-on-this-day-in-1932.html
Buck Rogers movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU5mdp4TXdM
Buck Rogers TV show
Flash Gordon TV show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5MD9cwpyqY&list=PL_8Ul4SR6bIdhgi1SCH-rnKDkk1uRTXv7
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Pete Teaches Science Fiction --HP Lovecraft
Second, here's the material on HP Lovecraft. There's a lot here but I just want to expose you the variety and enthusiasm of HP Lovecraft fandom )
Biographical materials
(Please try to ,look over or read The Atlantic article. It's well written and has some interesting and important points in there. )
If you want some idea of his influence you may look at the very informative and amusing website, "TV Tropes.com"
Stories
Or there's a particualrly good collection of on-line HP Lovecraft writings at Project Gutenberg Australia. (Just scroll down to find him under the authors with the last name "L.")
There's been an incredible amount of fan work devoted to HP Lovecraft and his creation, the Cthulhu Mythos.
Literally thousands of youtube videos.
This one looks particularly good although I confess I have not had time to watch the whole thing yet.
RPG
Silly stuff
Friday, October 13, 2017
Pete Teaches Science Fiction -Reading assigments for Class #5 A
Greetings, I hope to polish this up and add color and explanation later.
Here's what I hope we will read for class #5
Buck Rogers in print.
Buck Rogers is one of the classic science fiction heroes. This is his first appearance and dates from 1928.
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_08-1928_Buck_Rogers_Armageddon_2419_AD_
HP Lovecraft is normally classified as a weird horror writer but I think a good argument could be made that often he could be classified as a science fiction writer. I think this story is one example. It's a bit long but it is a classic. It dates from 1931.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/At_the_Mountains_of_Madness
More has been written about him in a later post.
(As an aside, I mentioned that I wrote my MA Thesis on the search for Peking Man, a colloquial term for some specimens of Homo Erecti found in China in 1927. Let me suggest, it's never a bad idea to check and verify when people make claims of lofty education, etc. Although I strongly believe most people are honest and good --if you lose your wallet it usually gets returned-- it only takes one dishonest or predatory person to complicate and change your life, so in that spirit:
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/8399
This is my MA Thesis. There is no obligation whatsoever to read any of it. Really.
Damon Runyon
Since we are discussing pulp and magazine fiction of the 1930s and 1940s, I'd like to introduce you to Damon Runyon. Damon Runyon is not a science fiction writer and has absolutely no business being mentioned in this class. On the other hand, he's great. He's very, very funny and often considered one of the masters of the craft of short story writing.
So check him out. I have found his story "A Piece of Pie" and if you look at it, I think you will enjoy it.
Here's a radio series from the time based on his stories. A Piece of Pie is story number 21.
Here's a youtube presentation of the radio play.
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