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Remember, the best way to improve is to learn in an English speaking country. EC has wonderful schools in London, Cambridge, Brighton, Boston, San Diego, New York, Cape Town and Malta if you are thinking about taking an English language course this year.

The EC Team

In this Newsletter… EC Toon What I Mean Is… Foldable Phrases Win Amazon Vouchers! Why Do We Say? Word Origin Past EC Student EC Games Book of the Month Poetry Place WIN 2 week Scholarships ‘New’ Idioms

What I mean is…the new year

Danny has been teaching English with EC for over 9 years.

Here’s Danny with his thoughts on…er…well…you figure it out!

Send your messages to Danny: ecteam@ecenglish.com

What I Mean Is… Hello, happy New Year, and all that. It is a quarter to nine pm and this is the third time I’ve started this article. If all goes well, this is the one you’ll get to read. If it doesn’t…well, you’ll never know, will you? My first attempt was a more-cynical-than-usual rant about the futility o= f making New Year’s Resolutions and how they’re destined to fail, despite o= ur best intentions, due to the fact that we’re normally so drunk when we mak= e them that we barely remember them the next morning anyway. I was then goi= ng to elaborate in great detail on how we always try to give up the things that we actually enjoy doing, and then very quickly give up giving up whe= n we realize that we’re not enjoying ourselves as much as we used to. Or something like that. Sounds quite good, doesn’t it? Entertaining? Potentially amusing? Well, it wasn’t. It was rubbish. I got one paragraph in, re-read what I had written, and scrapped it. (By the way, it’s now nine o’ clock. I just went out into the backyard for a cigarette and to bang my head a couple of times against a brick wall). So I started again. My second attempt was a completely different kettle of fish altogether. I decided to tackle the subject of nostalgia and how bitter-sweet the feeling is. I started to wax lyrical about the past, and how important it was not to forget it because, after all, it’s the on= ly time that really exists. The future is just dreams, ambitions and hopes, and when it finally arrives it becomes the present for half a second and then…in the blink of an eye…it’s the past. It was going to be a very inspirational piece about planning a future in order to create a past wor= th having; a far cry from my usual semi-psychotic fanfaronades. It could hav= e changed your life. But I re-read and scrapped that one too, when I realiz= ed that I was beginning to sound like a cross between Martin Luther King without the dream and Siddhartha Gautama gone wrong. (It’s now seventeen minutes past nine. I just went online to check the spelling of ‘Siddhartha Gautama’ and while I was there I looked up the meaning of ‘fanfaronade’ to make sure it meant what I thought it meant. I= t did). And so this is my third attempt. I’m thirty-seven minutes and four hundred and fifteen words in, and I still have no idea what it’s about ye= t. I guess we’ll have to see where it goes… (A lot of you, in the e-mails you send, very kindly compliment me on my writing style. Some of you want to know what goes on during the writing process. Well, now you know! It’s now twenty-seven minutes past nine and I’ve just spent three minutes trying to word the above sentence so that i= t doesn’t sound like I’m blowing my own horn!) Writer’s block is a terrible, terrible thing to have if you’re the kind of person who loves to write. It’s a bit like…um…well, I can’t really describe what it’s like right now, because I’ve got it, and therefore I can’t write coherently about it. That’s what it’s like. But it’s more than just a case of writer’s block that’s making this article so difficult. It’s also the fact that it’s January. January is kind of a ‘nothing’ month, isn’t it? It has one important day in it - the first one - and then absolutely nothing happens for the rest = of the month. Thirty days of complete boredom, interspersed with tedium, humdrum and general ‘yawn’-iness. (It’s twenty to ten now, but there’s the germ of an idea here somewhere - ‘January, the nothing month’. I might be able to work with that. I’ll be right back, after another cigarette…) So… January…the black sheep of the calendar family. Named after the Roman god Janus, who was the god of the doorway. ‘Janus’ in turn, derives from the Latin ‘ianua’, which means ‘door’, the idea being that January i= s the door to the year. Now who would want to spend thirty-one days standin= g in a flipping doorway? I think it should be abolished. In my opinion, we should go straight from New Year’s Day into February, making the whole of January just twenty-four hours long. February is a cool month… it sometimes has twenty-eight days, sometimes twenty-nine, depending on what kind of mood it’s in. It’s the only month of the year that can pass witho= ut having a single full moon in it. Its name comes from the Latin ‘februum’, which means ‘purification’. Hmm…’door’ vs ‘purification’. There’s no contest really, is there? January has just got to go. Think of the advantages…if we just kept New Year’s Day and then made the first of February the second day of the year, then everything would change for the better. January is the coldest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. If we dumped it, then February would be the coldest month. But…ahaFebruary is also the shortest month of the year, so we’d be knocking two or three days off winter. Statistically, January is also the month in which most people worldwide commit suicide. This wouldn’t happen in February, because everyone would = be too busy planning for Valentine’s Day on the fourteenth. And there’s more! If the year started in February, then summer would begin in July instead of June, and this would make more sense because everybody knows that the weather is better in July. For those of you who celebrate your birthday in January, think of it lik= e this…you’d never get older! Sure, you wouldn’t get any presents either, but it was Christmas a month earlier…how many presents do you need, for Janus’ sake? And finally, we’d only have to wait eleven months until it was Christmas again. Yay! And there you have it. January is a month the world would be better without. In fact, it didn’t exist at all until 713 BC, when King Numa Pompilius decided to throw it in for good measure. So let’s go back to th= e old ways! We mustn’t forget the past…it’s the only time that exists! Th= e future is just dreams, ambitions and hopes, and the present is over in th= e blink of an eye! Down with January! All those in favour, say ‘aye!’ At least we’d be able to say that we managed to keep our New Year’s Resolutions all the way to February. Because, let’s face it…they’re destined to fail anyway. Right. It’s ten to eleven, and this is my first attempt at finishing thi= s article. I’m off to bed. See you in February. Do you have any topics for Danny? Send your messages on this topic, or any, to him. Even if you only want to say ‘hello’, he’d love to hear from you:

Scholarship preview competition:

http://www.ecenglish.com/new sletter/09jan/scholarshipcompreview.html

Scholarship Competition Winners!We asked you to tell us your resolutions for 2009 and you gave us a great response. Here are our three winners. Sorry if you didn’t win, but good luck with sticking to your resolutions. Congratulations to Claudio Valente , Tatiana Otreshko and Marie - they a= ll win 2-week scholarships! Not a winner? Read the best of the rest here

Claudio Valente

Hi,

Here are my three resolutions for the new year: To get up 5 minutes earlier every day: last months I’m getting up later and later, however the time I have to clock-in at work has remained the same! The problem is not really the time at which I set my alarm, but the fact that every time it rings I think: “Ok, I’ll get up in 5 minutes” and as a result, I get up half an hour later and I have to hurry up to go to work. So It’s time to change: I will get up as soon as the alarm rings bu= t I’ll have the time to have a good breakfast with calm before going to wor= k. To put less sugar in my coffee: last year the bill for my dentist has bee= n dramatically expensive. I realized that putting a lot of sugar in my coff= ee might have had a bad effect on my teeth, so now I have decided: no more “extra sugar” button at the coffee machine, but I’ll just leave the norma= l quantity of sugar. To wash my car once a month: stop having car always dirty!

Tatiana Otreshko, Russia

Dear friends, My main resolutions for 2009 are: 1) Stop working like a horse. 2) Learn to belly dance. 3) Let my 9-year old daughter come to decisions by herself.

Marie, France

Here are my three resolutions for the New Year: First, I think lifestyle is too stressful, so it will be pleasant to enjo= y each moment with my husband and my friend. For example: Go to a concert o= r theatre with them, or simply enjoy more the life! Then, I would like to improve my English. I’m very keen on learning a new language. It’s so important to communicate with tourists or understand a foreigner who ask for me a direction in my town. In conclusion, I’d like to help others. I usually work with an organization, I’m obviosuly not paid. But It would be interesting to help children with their homework in 2009. Some children are not lucky enough = to have help in order to be successful. All the children must look toward positively. It’s important for them. I hope that my three resolutions will be understood.

EC Word Game To play the game visit: http://www.ecenglish.com/game

7 Letters

This is a word challenge game where you have to find the 7 letter word from the jumbled letters. To score more points you can also try and find as many smaller words as possible before finding the 7 letter word. [http://www.ecenglish.com/games] Play the game online now!

Your Questions This months STAR Question! Congratulations to Martynawho has won worth of Amazon vouchers!

Dear EC team,

I would like to ask you a question about the passive form. The active sentence “My uncle left me this house in his will” could becam= e “This house was left me by my uncle in his will” or must became “I was le= ft this house by my uncle in his will”? Thank you very much! Silvia, Italy

Either is perfectly fine, they both work. Depending on what information you want state first, i.e. what you want to emphasise most, these are bot= h sentence structures in which verbs with two objects can be used in the passive. All the best, Tim

Read more of your ‘Questions and Answers’: http://www.ecenglish.com/your-english-questions

Foldable PhrasesEach month we will add a new card to the foldable phrases booklet. All you need to do is print it, fold it and pop it in your walle= t. Card 22 in our foldable phrases is: English used when declining invitations: http://www.ecenglish.com/newsletter/Foldable-phras es/foldable-phrases.htm

Why do we say..?

This month we take a look at two common English expressions which will make your English sound more natural. Find out wha= t they mean, why we say them and how to use them.

Call a spade a spade? When you call a spade a spade, you speak bluntly and without delicacy or tact. The expression originates from the Greek biographer and essayist Plutarch (c.46-c.120 A.D.) although not as we know it today. In fact, the phrase used by Plutarch was to call a bowl a bowl. The Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus (1467-1536) translated Plutarchs works, and made a mistake when he came to this phrase. Apparently, the Greek words f= or bowl and shovel are very similar, as they come from the same root. Erasmus error was then translated into English by Nicholas Udall in 1542!

Example: “He always speaks plainly. He’s not afraid to call a spade a spade.”

Jeans (and Denim)?Blue jeans may always be associated with America, but neither the word jeans nor the word denim come from there. In fact, both words derive from place names. The word jeans comes from Italy Genoa in particular. It originates from the French phrase je= ne fustian, meaning a type of cotton cloth from Genoa, and the word wasnt actually used to mean the denim trousers that we all know and lo= ve until much later. Similarly, denim also comes from a placename; thi= s time Nimes a town in Southern France. The French phrase serg= e de nimes meaning serge (a woolen fabric) from Nimes was eventually shortened into the modern denim.

Example: “The restaurant doesn’t allow its customers to wear denim.”

Past EC Student

This month, Stefania from Italy writes to us about her time with EC London:

What can I say…London is magic…as you already know… Regarding the accommodation I was quite happy…the residence was in a central position so much so that to arrive at school it took only 5 minutes…and also to go out in the evening was simple. The room and bathroom were satisfactory, the staff was kind. I liked the school a lot! I ended up in upper intermediate level (I dont know how I managed)!!! The teachers were very friendly and patient…in fact sometimes I was los= t when they spoke very quickly and, despite this, they always took their ti= me to explain! Moreover, the school organized several activities in which I participated by way of parties and social program…all very interesting! It ‘was an unforgettable experience…maybe perhaps in February Ill go back to look for a job…we’ll see!

Thank you for everything ps If I had to go on any other language course I will certainly come to you again and I ensure you good pubblicity! A friend of mine would like t= o do a language course in August and I have already passed all your details= !

Stefania

Have you won an EC scholarship or have you been to an EC school? We’d love to hear about your experience. Please email us about your trip, including a picture and we’ll print it next month! email: ecteam@ecenglish.com

Book of the Month

The Wasp factory

Iain Banks

Suggested Level: High-Intermediate

Do you have a dark sense of humour? Well then, this might be a good book for you! This is the story of a young boy, Frank, who lives with his fath= er on a small Scottish island. Frank occupies himself using his religion and an array of weapons (from his catapult, to home-made flame throwers and pipe bombs) to control the island. He goes for long walks, and occasional= ly gets drunk with his dwarf friend in the local pub. Other than that, he an= d his father have almost no contact with the outside world. His unique worl= d view and behaviour is often shockingly gruesome while at the same time being totally engrossing. At its heart this novel is about power, abuse and deception.

The Poetry Place

This month’s poem was sent to us by English learner Olga Mikitich. She wrote this poem on Christmas Eve while in London. Thanks again, Olga! New Year’s Resolutions

I wrote this poem at the Christmas Eve When people to glorify the God I still believe I will believe That next year will be happy and good . First resolution at the next year for me Will doing all for my degree. To get a knowledge is better Than sit at home and nothing get. The second resolution will be work Would like to be a business lady To help a people like a lawyer To make a something like a designer Third resolution - family and health I wrote about it at the last my poem But it always more important for me I think like every person at the Earth. Would like to wish for every man Be happy, lucky and successful Work, study, believe and go to aim Live without war and peacefully.

Introducing…’New’ Idioms

Learn English

As it is the start of a new year here are some expressions and idioms which use the word ‘new’: (For more lessons please visit:

Turn over a new leaf: To start behaving in a better way: ‘I heard that’s she’s turned over a new leaf and stopped drinking alcohol.’

A new lease of life: To have a new lease of life means that you become mo= re energetic and active than before: ‘Having grandchildren has given him a new lease of life.’

A new broom (sweeps clean) A new broom is the new leader of a group or organisation who makes a lot of changes: ‘The new broom made a lot of changes to our department and things are now better than ever.’

Pastures newWhen someone goes to pastures new they are leaving their job or home to go to a new one: ‘After 5 years with our company Joe has decided to go to pastures new.’

You can’t teach an old dog new tricksThis expression means that it is difficult to get someone to change the way they do something after they have been doing it a different way for years. ‘I can’t get my grandmother to use a computer. I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!’

In 2007, 97% of students said they would recommend EC to a friend. All ou= r schools promote a culturally diverse environment that is friendly and educational. EC has English language centres located in the UK, Malta, South Africa and the USA. To find out more about EC visit www.ecenglish.com. If you would like to k= now more about the courses we offer then contact: study@ecenglish.com] study@ecenglish.com. We’ll be very happy to talk to = you. This message was sent by: EC - Language Centres, EC Central, ‘Paolo Court’, Giuseppe Cali Street, Ta’ Xbiex, Ta’ Xbiex XBX 1423, Malta