All Reference Material articles – Page 9
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Word of the week: Moonlighting
Fancy a spot of moonlighting ? Tim Bowen explains why this is not as romantic as it sounds...
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Word of the week: Green
How green are you? Tim Bowen explains why he's not asking about your colour!
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Word of the week: Muppet
Remember the cute puppet show? Tim Bowen explains how the word 'muppet' has entered popular slang.
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Word of the week: Penguin
With global warming high on the agenda at the moment, the possible fate of the penguin has been in the news as its natural habitat is affected by the consequences of rising sea temperatures and diminishing ice cover in the Antarctic. The word penguin is another word ...
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Word of the week: Nice
Are you a nice person? Tim Bowen explains why this popular word hasn't always been a compliment.
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Word of the week: Snob
The Macmillan English dictionary for Advanced Learners defines snob as ‘someone who thinks and behaves as if they are better than other people, usually because of their social class’. If you call someone a snob , this usually means that you don’t like their superior attitude and behaviour. ...
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Word of the week: Rocket science
Rocket science can be broadly described as the science and technology of space research. Few would argue that this particular area of human activity is not a complex one and that rocket scientists are, in all probability, highly skilled and knowledgeable people. In colloquial British English you will ...
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Word of the week: Spam
Do you remember this brand of tinned meat? Tim Bowen explains that, with new advances in technology, 'spam' is no longer something you might want to put in your sandwiches.
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Word of the week: Fun run
Have you ever entered a fun run ? Or is that not your idea of 'fun'? Tim Bowen may persuade you to dust off your running shoes with this explanation.
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Word of the week: Friendly fire
If you regularly watch the news, friendly fire is a term you are probably familiar with. Tim Bowen explains this topical oxymoron.
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Word of the week: Multitasking
The word multitasking came originally from the world of computers. It was used to refer to the ability of a computer’s central processing unit to do several different things at the same time. The term soon began to be applied to people as well as computers. If someone is ...
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Word of the week: Cowboy
Are you a fan of the Wild West? Tim Bowen explains why cowboy no longer just refers to the gun-slinging heroes of our childhood.
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Speaking matters: Assessing speaking
Adrian Tennant talks about how and when to assess speaking in the classroom, and provides some practical ideas for setting up assessment activities.
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Word of the week: Headbanger
Do you like to spend your weekends headbanging to your favourite band? Well, you could be crazy, according to Tim Bowen's explanation of this word.
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Mixed-ability classes
Alex Case addresses the difficulties faced by teachers whose young learners have very different levels of English.
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Word of the week: Maverick
Do you see yourself as a little bit different or do you just follow the herd? You could be a maverick , according to Tim Bowen's explanation of this word.
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Word of the week: Buff
Do you fancy yourself as a bit of a film buff ? Or do you fancy your buff next door neighbour? Tim Bowen explains all about this interesting word.
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Word of the week: Symposium
People normally associate the word symposium with intellectual discussion or as a slightly high-brow word for conference. The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners gives the following definition: 'a meeting where experts discuss a particular subject'. The word has quite surprising origins, however. It ultimately derives from ...
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Word of the week: Posh
The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners defines the word posh as follows: something that is posh looks expensive and attractive. someone who is posh talks and behaves in a way that is typical of people from a high social class. ...