Symbolic and Figurative Expressions

Literal English word use and meaning has very structured formats and can be used to function efficiently if one desires to be an English writer or operate in the English speaking world.

Native English speakers use formal and literal word use and meaning formats from zero to 80 percent of the time when they are speaking or writing. Native English speakers use informal or symbolic or figurative formats when speaking or writing from 20 to 100 percent of the time.

If you want to always understand native English speakers then you have to also study the use of informal, symbolic and figurative formats in both written and spoken English.

The English language is composed of every imagined symbolic expression used for written and spoken communications and adds new imagined “expressions” everyday. The number of English words increases and word-use formats evolve everyday.

Some symbolic or figurative formats are written first and are adopted into spoken communications. Some symbolic or figurative formats are spoken on radio or a TV show first and then adopted into written communications.

Native speakers have to learn new words or evolved new “meanings” everyday to remain current and up to date with fads or trends and new discoveries. If you want to be current with native English speakers then you have to study how fads and new discoveries change language formats in both written and spoken English.

From the:
ESL in Canada - Sentence Master Grammar Summary
Symbolic and Figurative Expressions Glossary

fad
A fad is a colloquialism used to label a short-lived fashion: something that is embraced very enthusiastically for a short time. A fad is a seemingly unimportant belief or practice that is too strongly advocated, usually with regard to food or fashion.

Thesaurus Synonyms: trend, craze, rage, mania, vogue, style, whim, fashion.

Trend: prevailing style: a current fashion or mode

Craze: a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal.

Rage: A current, eagerly adopted fashion; Example: when torn jeans were all the rage.

Mania: an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

Vogue: the popular taste at a given time, a current state of general acceptance and use

Style: a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period

Whim: a sudden desire, an odd or fanciful or capricious idea

Fashion: The prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior. Something, such as a garment, that is in the current mode.

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ESL in Canada Blog URL
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/

Glorious Grammar to the Rescue

It is a sad story

Writing is now more important than ever before. The Internet has enabled millions of people to communicate in writing via email, BBS forums and text messaging. Having the ability to communicate correctly and efficiently is now more important than ever. The old formula of 90% oral and 10% writing has morphed to about 60% oral and 40% writing for most professions. To succeed in the professional digital age correct writing is mandatory.

Grammar, has long been regarded as the result of centuries of logical improvements in the systematic organization of language. Grammar, has been held up as one of the defining criteria elevating mankind above mere animals.

Begun by well meaning researchers looking to improve mankind, Prescriptive Grammar and the rote drills to perfection became a practice to be ridiculed, ignored and then discarded.

In the 1920s and 1930s, two great promoters of the descriptive linguistics tradition, Edward Sapir and Leonard Bloomfield, both wrote influential books that elevated the primacy of speech over writing and the importance of a descriptive approach to language study.

The publication of Syntactic Structures in 1957 by Noam Chomsky of MIT began a revolution in linguistics. This began the on-going widespread belief that language acquisition is considered an autonomic process dependent upon unconscious interactions between an innate, internal language acquisition device and the quality of the raw input material of the child's linguistic environment.

Chomsky’s "Naturalist Theory" core premise was that in order for children to be able to learn a spoken language with such rapidity and thoroughness, children must be born with large portions of the universal grammar of language already hardwired into their head.

By the 1980's these "Naturalist Theories" and subsequent transformational-generative grammar additions gained momentum and pushed regulators, education faculties, teacher trainers, educators and textbook editors to eliminate traditional grammar instruction.

It is unfortunate that Chomsky was only right about initial language acquisition.

Babies are born with an excess of neural connections, many of them are lost through lack of use over time. Beginning at about the age of nine or ten and continuing until kids are around the age of fourteen, the internal mechanisms for intuiting syntactic, phonological, and morphological structures start breaking down.

Education theory promoters need to stop preaching the half-truth that grammar develops naturally through simple exposure to language. They need to admit that the internal language-learning mechanism is imperfect and that this ability degrades as students age.

It is interesting to note that some USA states have used 1930's Grade 6 English tests as a benchmark to show that most of the 1990's and 21st century first year college students could not even pass. Historical comparisons have revealed that education tests and standards have been deliberately reduced to disguise the failures of the modern public English education curriculum.

The second challenge is the elementary school students who had not formally learned English grammar are now teaching English. Many of these teachers have never been exposed to the traditional grammar books of the 1940s and '50s, so cannot explain many of the rudimentary English grammatical forms.

These facts should provide language program designers with clear road maps. Program designers have to recognize that they have a limited window of opportunity in which to expose students to syntactically rich language. Educators should prioritize technical grammar learning early and often.

Teachers must recognize that older students will not learn grammar simply by reading and writing. Teachers must correct grammatical errors that students have acquired during their early years. For older students language learning is not autonomic. Grammar structures and mechanics have to be explicitly taught.

The "new, old grammar" will be a hybrid of correct structures, meaning and expression. It is unfortunate that the "new, old grammar" will be modified by politics, special interests and economics.

For those of you taking a personal responsibility for improving your grammar knowledge base and English writing skills, go to the "Introduction to Parts of Speech" to start your grammar review. Discover how traditional English grammar provides guidelines for choosing words, arrangement of words and punctuation of sentences.

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ESL in Canada Blog URL
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/

Additions to the ESL in Canada Student Club

The ESL in Canada Student Club organizes ESL English language exchanges, fun activities, entertainment events and games, educational workshops and seminars for ESL English and international students, language students, new Canadians, visitors to Canada and volunteers to practice English and international language skills, meet new friends and enjoy life in Toronto, Canada.

The Club will evolve to include networking activities and start to organize events to assist club participants with immigration, employment, education, shopping and making new friends in Canada.

Registration for Language Exchanges

Students will be matched who wish to speak a second language. Students who speak English as a first language and wish to speak another language will be matched with Students who speak the other language as a first language. Speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Japanese, German, Russian, Chinese, French, and others will be matched to Native English speakers who wish to practice their second language.

Full Name
Residence address
Telephone
Email address
First Language as a Native Speaker
Second Language you wish to practice.
Age
Male or Female
Education Level or Year in HS, College, University, BA. MA. PHD
Major or Main interest in School
Type of Work and job description
Do you like sports, Hockey, football, baseball, basketball, other
Do you like Dance, Opera, Theatre, Art, other
Favorite Music, TV shows, Movies, Foods
Average Computer time per week?
Other activities or Hobbies or Interests
Best days and time to language exchange for 1 hour.
Additional questions will be asked at the initial interviews to determine suitability.

Email registration to: eslincanada@gmail.com
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ESL in Canada Blog URL
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/