As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp, it's not only the ghosts and ghouls that come out to play. Halloween may happen only once a year, but learning about spooky idioms and phrases can add an exciting twist to your language journey throughout the year. So, grab your torch and let's delve in.
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Meaning: Very little to no possibility of success
When you have a "ghost of a chance," it means that your chances of success are so slim that they are nearly as elusive as a ghost. That is definitely not the case with your language learning goals though.
Meaning: A hidden or embarrassing secret.
Much like skeletons hidden in closets, we all have secrets. These hidden aspects of our lives are the skeletons in our personal closets. In the English language, this idiom refers to unspoken matters or uncomfortable truths hidden away from everyone. Fear not this doesn't involve any real skeletons.?
Meaning: To argue the opposing side of an issue, often to cause debate.
Originally from the Latin term' advocatus diaboli'. A devil's advocate is someone who challenges a viewpoint in a discussion to stimulate critical thinking. They raise counterarguments to test the strength of an idea or argument being presented.
Meaning: When a person you're talking about appears unexpectedly.
Used to comment on the coincidence of someone mentioned in a conversation or thought immediately appearing or arriving.
For example, you may find yourself in a conversation about learning a language, only to have a fluent speaker of said language appear out of nowhere.
Meaning: The time of night when witches are believed to be most active
The witching hour can vary from person to person. Some find inspiration at dawn, while others prefer the hush of midnight. But traditionally, it's usually around the early hours of the day, around 3 a.m. If you're a fan of horror movies, you may know the trope of waking up around 3 a.m. to signal an impending supernatural event.
Meaning: A work shift that covers the late hours of the night, typically from midnight to 8 a.m.
Still on the subject of time, the graveyard shift gets its name from the eerie hours it covers and the fact that it can be a lonely and challenging time to work. This term is widely used in the context of employment. The term likely got its name because it covers the time when cemeteries and graveyards are quiet and inactive.
Meaning: Continuously troubled or burdened by past errors or regrets.
The term describes feeling constantly troubled or burdened by past mistakes, blunders, or wrongdoings. It implies that the person is bothered or 'haunted' by it. For example, you might be haunted by an embarrassing language blunder or a cultural faux pas.
Meaning: A place that is deserted and has no people.
A is a term used to describe a once-populated or busy place that has significantly declined or become entirely abandoned. Empty streets, vacant buildings, and a general absence of residents or activity can characterize them.
One example is the many ghost towns of the American Gold Rush that were often left once the gold mines ran dry. The buildings are still standing, but with no one inhabiting them.
As you delve further into English language learning, incorporating spooky idioms and phrases can bring added enjoyment and complexity to your conversations. Therefore, do not hesitate to explore the unsettling side of language. It is a journey that is guaranteed to be thrilling.
May the spirits of communication guide you on your path to mastering languages.
Around 20%?of the , making it an integral component in global business operations. But the question remains for business leaders and HR professionals: how can language learning, specifically, business English courses, drive your organization forward??Here are 8 ways language training can impact your business.
Stories can make us laugh, cry or tremble with fear. They can teach us valuable life lessons and transport us to other worlds. They've been around since the beginning of language itself, but can they actually help us learn a language?
Stories are one of the most useful tools?when teaching children?English. Not only do they help with listening and reading skills, but they can also support speaking and writing skills by providing context, language and structure.?
Very young learners may already be familiar with stories – they may hear them in daycare, school or at home with their parents. Therefore, incorporating these into their language classes may help them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. And if children feel comfortable, they are more likely to be receptive to learning.?
Storytelling usually happens as part of a group in the classroom. This means that it becomes a bonding activity for children where they can communicate and subconsciously pick up the key language. While having fun listening and interacting with the story, they?soak up information without even realizing they’re learning.
So, what storytelling activities can we use with young?learners? Let’s find out.?
Often, we think of storytelling simply as reading a book aloud to children. Yet, there are other activities you can do. These include:
To get young children interacting with the story, first read out a sentence alone. Then, have the children repeat the line with you as a group. Repeat as many times as necessary, until the children feel confident with the language.?
If your learners are happy to, ask them individually to repeat the sentence after you. Make sure each one has a turn and praise them for being brave and trying to use the language.?
An activity that works well with children is to act out the story’s characters. For example, there may be animals, fairies, monsters or other exciting characters that they can each act.?
Ask them to make the noises of the animals, the wind, or the scenery to create an atmosphere while you read. This gets them interacting with the story and the rest of the group, which will help their communication and listening comprehension skills.?
Young learners react particularly well to visual aids and realia. Why not use puppets or dolls to act out the characters, or even ask students to have a go with them? They will engage more with the story and the language.??
Children’s story books are usually quite visual with illustrations and pictures. Make the most of these while telling the story. Try asking students questions about the images to get them using the vocabulary.?
You could ask them, “what can you see?”, “what’s he wearing?” or “can you find an apple?”. This is another great way to reinforce the vocabulary they’re learning in class.?
Use these activities individually or?incorporate a mix into your lessons. Either way, storytelling will help your learners with more than just developing their English language skills.?
While we often think of storytelling as a pastime for children, it can also be a useful language learning activity for adults.?
Stories are part of our daily lives, from news to social media to books and movies. Therefore, they can be extremely beneficial tools for English language learning.?
Yet, the way we approach storytelling as a class activity for adults differs to that of young learners. While we typically read fairy tales to young children, we can bring in a much wider range of content for adults, such as:
Storytelling can be a wonderful language learning tool for both children and adults. If you’re looking for a new way to engage, inspire and motivate your learners, why not try it in your next class??
Language learning is more than just something you study—it's a strategic move that integrates into every aspect of your life—socially, professionally and mentally. With English often being the common ground for global business, communicating effectively in this language has never been more important.
In this post, we uncover the benefits of language proficiency, particularly in English, backed by relevant statistics and insights from 色猫AV's recent?ground-breaking new research.
