Lockdown - Day 22

As I had already announced, I am going to center on the "lowly" prepositions for some time. Understandably, you may say that prepositions belong in the intermediate level and you'll be right to point that out because, theoretically, you should be obsessed with broadening your range of expressive resources. Why should you go back to a grammar area that feels like Sesame Street material? Well I've got just the right answer. You need to brush up on your prepositions because accuracy deals with a lot more than precise vocabulary and clear pronunciation. It is also about using the right preposition!

I have edited the video below specially for you so you can refresh your memory and pay attention to ways in which you may expand your knowledge regarding those little particles we often take for granted. I do hope you find it useful.

Lockdown - Day 18

Nobody is perfect, says Osgood in the memorable final scene of Some Like It Hot. And it's true indeed. Nobody is perfect. Yet perfection remains a goal in many respects. Not in the world of art. According to a famous quote, whose authorship is unclear, a work of art is never completed, merely abandoned. By and large, artists know full well that real perfection is unattainable. And those who strive to achieve it may never come to anything. For that reason an old Italian adage reminds us that perfect is the enemy of good. However, perfectionists do exist. Who are they? People that don't accept anything short of flawless. In itself that is not necessarily a bad thing. Many of my favorite writers, musicians and filmmakers are/were pathologically obsessive about their craft and, while their all-consuming passion may have been a tragedy for their families, the fruits of their labor are a pleasure to all of us. Their obsession took them to the heights of excellence for which they are celebrated.

Why this sermon? Because over the next few days we are going to concentrate on the use of prepositions. Yes. I'm putting together a presentation about it (which I'll keep reasonably short this time). The reason behind it lies in the occasional mistakes you make when you choose an appropriate structure and the right words, but fail to use the correct preposition.

Don't worry. I'm all for imperfection, but within certain parameters. As advanced speakers, you're expected to make, well, "advanced mistakes". Mixing up gender pronouns or using the wrong tense does not belong in that category. Neither does the use of the wrong preposition. So be ready to work on those humble words.

That said, I think we should all take a chill pill and look East. Ex oriente lux, right? In Japan, aesthetic perfection is sometimes regarded with an arched eyebrow. I'm not talking about sleek cellphones or fancy cars. I'm talking about day-to-day life. Just a week ago, I brought up some beautiful Japanese terms one of which was kintsugi. If you want to know what it's about you should watch the video below these lines. Coming to terms with kintsugi goes a long way towards understanding why what we call imperfection may actually represent a meaningful, deeper form of beauty. So now you know. Whenever you submit a less than perfect essay you can always play the kintsugi card and try and convince me that the problem is not your command of the English language. You're simply embracing zen buddhism.

N.B. Tomorrow (Friday) you'll get an email with exercises that we will discuss in our next videoconference.

Lockdown - Day 17

There is a reason why I flat-out reject the inappropriate use of the word literally (which even my trusty Merriam Webster dictionary has sanctioned in its the second entry). I suppose it's a pet peeve of mine. However, the way I see it, if you are allowed to say I literally had a heart attack when you did not, then not only are you confusing your interlocutor but you're also lying. The standard excuse goes along the lines of "I was just using hyperbole". Okay. It's an exaggeration used for effect. To that I would counter that the hyperbolic use of the word literally is quite unnecessary. You can easily say "I thought I was going to have a heart attack" or "I nearly had a heart attack". Those phrases do the trick, don't they? The fact that somebody goes out of their way to insert an adverb whose meaning precisely points out that you are not being rhetorical is more than misleading. Come to think of it, it's not unlike wearing a T-shirt with the word "STAFF" printed on it when you don't belong to the staff of a particular company.

I'm writing about this because words matter. Meanings matter. And in these strange years of post-truth and fake news it has become urgent to be able to distinguish between fact and opinion. As sophisticated speakers, you should know a few techniques that will allow you to express yourself in an objective or professional manner, if need be. In order to do that you have to choose your words wisely.

Let's travel back in time a couple of weeks. On March 5 , the World Health Organization had informed the public that the death rate of the coronavirus among patients was 3.4%. Donald Trump stated publicly: "I think the 3.4% is really a false number". He went to say that it was his "hunch". Alright. Let's just forget the fact that he disputed the official figure with zero evidence so we can focus on his word choices.

He said "I think" and "my hunch". We all know Dirty Harry's dictum about opinions. So there's no need to go there, is there? Just think about how ridiculous it all sounds. Somebody has a hunch about a death rate. A hunch. It would have been a different story had he said: I have reason to believe... or after conferring with a panel of virologists I'm inclined to think... or words to that effect. But he didn't.

As learners of English, there is a line we must never lose sight of: the one that sets fact and opinions apart. When things get serious (e.g. at the oncologist's office) very few people care about hunches and personal opinions. As a matter of fact it's in those circumstances that misinformation can be truly dangerous. That's why the WHO is trying to debunk certain myths (falsehoods) regarding the infamous Covid-19. In a situation this serious there's no room for opinions. When it's appropriate you can, of course, be subjective and use phrases like:

• I have the sneaking suspicion that she might pass the test
• I have the feeling that we're onto something.
• I am under the impression that they don't like me.

That's actually good English. Just try not to be subjective (I think) about objective facts. After all you wouldn't say "I believe that the Moon's gravity is 64% that on Earth's surface", would you? When you speak at a press conference either you know it's 16,6% or you should not have an opinion about it at all. So, allow me to refresh your memory by listing some strategies that an advanced speaker can use in order to distance themselves from the facts and remain objective.

• Use the passive voice: It is widely believed that... Two raccoons were found dead
• Be specific: 73% of respondents is more accurate than most respondents. Don't say a very important scientist if you can say something like Peter Piot, a world-leading virologist.
• Refer to objetive sources of information: According to a new UN report
• Avoid your personal opinion: Conventional wisdom suggests
• Avoid value judgments: adjectives like scary, wonderful, impressive
• Avoid intensifiers such as: really, extremely, obviously

I want to believe that some of you turn to this humble blog not only to keep your English in good shape but also to get a distraction from the day-to-day routine. I sense this may be only wishful thinking. After all, I don't know that for a fact.

N.B. The topic for the essay is "modern living". Discuss the following statement: "Technological breakthroughs keep making our lives easier, but we still struggle to find meaning".

Lockdown - Day 16

Yesterday I found myself looking at my cats and realized that they have spent most of their lives "on lockdown". Yes. They only leave the house when I take them to see the vet. Then I thought of all the people that are locked up prisons and sailors on duty in submarines. Eventually I asked myself if the International Space Station is staffed these days. Is it? Probably.

I then started to consider the qualities that an astronaut must possess in order to be eligible for spaceflight and enter the space program. All of a sudden, a strange thing happened. I remembered seeing an astronaut playing the guitar in the ISS. That hazy memory prompted me to look him up on YouTube. I didn't take me long to find the clip below, in which Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield plays David Bowie's Space Oddity. The crazy thing about it is that he recorded a whole album in the space station, which he went on to release! You can check it out on Spotify. It's called Space Sessions.

Anyway, I know the video below is not strictly instructional (not in terms of teaching vocabulary or structures) and it may not even be interesting to students who are not really into music. Yet I found it most inspirational. It was recorded in space by a real astronaut! So my first question is: what kind of man do you think Chris Hadfield must be? If you had to make a guess, how would you characterize him? He's experienced "the ultimate lockdown". What strategies do you think he may have used to keep himself busy? What structures/words do you think you need in order to be able to talk about all this? Grist for the mindmill.

Lockdown - Day 15

Hi everyone. How are you holding up? I really hope you've found a (psychologically) healthy way to weather this crisis. With respect to our English classes, I'm going to keep posting on this blog till my fingers bleed. I will also schedule regular weekly videoconferences to tackle specific points and listen to your voices. By the way, I'm not sure if the code 676-546-8161 could grant you access to any meeting, but if it did it would be great. It would certainly go a long way toward making my life easier because I would'nt have to send you an email every time I host an on-line meeting.

So far, I haven't received any essays, but there's absolutely no rush. Tomorrow morning I will update the assignments for my C1.2 students. The C1.1 class still have time to do the exercises from unit 1.

This morning I designing and editing this brief video in which I discuss why it is critical to learn vocabulary in chunks. One thing: a regrettable glitch that occurred during the conversion process deleted one of the slides in which I explain how the German romantics (19th century) managed to restore/redefine the concept of originality and individuality. You, as learners of English, should NOT try to be original. Not yet. First and foremost, you should make sure that you master the conventions. Only when you have accomplished that are you expected to develop your own originality.

Lockdown - Day 12

Here is the second and last part of my extended class about comparisons. Hopefully, after watching the video, you will realize that the ability to use similes is one of the hallmarks of a truly advanced learner. Just remember that understanding idiomatic expressions is not enough. You should try and use them whenever possible. It is easy as pie!

Lockdown - Day 11

For some time now the media have been bombarding us with statistics about the seemingly unstoppable spread of infections. In some weeks, I fear, the focus of attention will shift to the economic consequences of this historic pandemic. I wonder when the powers that be will sit down and analyze the social impact of the present situation.

As far as the English language is concerned, we should be ready to talk about it with some precision. That conversation requires that we handle a number of different topics most of which are dealt with in our textbooks. Close-Up tackles the topics of health (unit 3) and modern living (unit 10). Outcomes discusses relationships (unit 2) and health issues (unit 9). And guess what? You will need all that input to do the writing exercise I'll ask you to submit before April 3.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today I would like to write a few lines about our unusual situation. Don't worry. It will give you some background for your essay.

As you know, my oft-repeated mantra is that the advanced level is all about having options (so we can express different shades of meaning). We should therefore know that a recluse is a person who leads a secluded or solitary life whereas a shut-in is a someone who is confined to a home or a room often due to a disease. So both recluses and shut-ins are home but for different reasons. An inmate remains indoors because they are not allowed to get out. Just like us. Sort of. Kind of... The question is: what are we now? Well, most of us are locked in. We are all staying at home but the term stay-at-home is linked to a well-established labels (e.g. stay-at-home moms/dads) so I don't think we can use it to refer to our particular predicament. We can then contemplate the case of people that voluntarily choose to stay at home and I'm not talking about hermits (who are recluses for different reasons) but people who have found reasons to stay away from social interaction. Now, where do you find those individuals? The truth is you can find them in any society. That said, there is something peculiar about the fact that the Japanese language offers so many social labels describing types and subtypes of loners.

Bizarrely enough, Japan boasts the highest life expectancy in the world, followed by Spain (which is expected to overtake Japan by 2040). These two countries also top the lists of the noisiest in the world. I don't know how to feel about this. Does it mean that noise  is healthy? All joking aside, longevity appears to be the result of a combination of multiple factors. I guess that the eating habits play a major role in this matter. And it is true that the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese cuisine have some common characteristics in spite of which I think it is safe to say that, in terms of social life, Japan and Spain are poles apart. In Spain we tend to be more touchy-feely. We pride ourselves on being open, warm and friendly. We are also emotional in a way that, by Japanese standards, may be brash and even offensive. And, while that may be true, I must admit that I often miss the kind of introspection that brought about such beautiful Japanese expressions as mono no aware, wabi-sabi, komorebi, kintsugi etc. Feel free to look them up. You won't regret it.

I'm writing about all this because, in anticipation of the aforementioned debate, I have spent some time pondering the psychological impact of this nationwide lockdown and how it is affecting different societies. In a certain way, the debate has already started. At least on my cellphone. I have received quite a few memes pointing out how little social distancing is affecting Finland (the old stereotype being that Finns like to keep a distance). I have also observed that many an obsessive gamer has already posted in the comment section of YouTube that this confinement has hardly changed their everyday life. But time and again I've found myself thinking about a specific Japanese word: otaku.

What does it mean? Essentially, an otaku is a hardcore geek. Some of them can become quite reclusive and exhibit questionable social skills. However, there is a far more severe form of seclusion: the one practiced by hikikomori, who lead extreme often self-destructive lives. I have chosen this disturbing topic so you can appreciate the benefits  of our lifestyle and consider our own culture from a different angle. If you think about it, it feels weird that two countries that share similar results (longevity and noise) should promote dramatically different lifestyles. At any rate, I believe that considering the ends of this particular spectrum may help you discover all the proverbial shades of grey and prepare for the writing assignments that you can find at the bottom of this post.

As for the dangers of social isolation, you can watch this video and later do your own research into this dark aspect of urban Japan. In the process you might come across the fascinating concept of ikigai, which may or may not partially explain the legendary longevity of the Japanese. Trust me. It's worth exploring.

Writing assignments for C1.1 and C1.2.

A 300-word essay on the topic of modern living. In light of the current circumstances,  consider one of these two questions: Have we humans found a way to reconcile technological progress with a fulfilling way of life? How are lifestyles in the 21st century different from earlier models?