Sean Scully, a prominent Irish painter, created this piece, above. I forget the title. I'm glad I've forgotten the title though, and here's why:

Sean Scully MUST have been an English Teacher at some point in his life, because whether he likes it or not, his painting beautifully illustrates the differences and shared aspects between the Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous tenses in the English language.

I'll appreciate the fact that most of you won't understand what I'm talking about here, and for that alone, I grant thee pardon. Unfortunately I was unable to grant similar pardon to my moon-faced students who sat looking at me earlier this afternoon as if it were I who had exploded/erupted that damned volcano in Iceland causing wide-spread chaos in Europe and the world as a result! Well, guess what students of the English Language; English grammar rules stop being so bloody cut and dry when you reach the higher echelons of linguistic scholarship!

Which brings me right back to Mr Scully's aptly titled painting, "The Frustration of the Language Teacher (and no other teacher - only the language teacher - as they are a special breed of human!)". Yes. I made up the title. It's not real. Sorry Sean! I do like your art though. It's very.... boxy! Good enough?

This is my second blog post. I've included pictures. I'm evolving faster than a mutant embryo whose predetermined life will involve a career in the music industry! That's a hint to my students: Don't forget your homework - listen to ""Anthony and the Johnsons"!

And oh yeah, students, study! We've got a test tomorrow.

Ok... thanks for reading, if you have.

p.s. The final syllable in the word "hermaphrodite" has an "I" sound as in the pronoun 'I' (like whY, or mY) etc, not "EE" such as in "EAT". I don't like the phonetic alphabet. Suck it up! Ok, don't suck it up:

-ite =  - /ai t / 

 
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Blog Virgin

......and to all; a Grand Afternoon!

So, as the title may suggest, this is in fact my first 'active' post as a blogger. I once had notions of having my own blog, but I quickly realised that I had very little to contribute to a web already full of crap. I now, however, have a carrot with which to kick this donkey into operation: I teach therefor I am. And I blog therefor I have crap to contribute. I can only hope that my in depth philosophical musings haven't lead to you click elsewhere already!

So, I'm an English Language Instructor, A TEFL teacher, an ESL teacher, amongst other things. Technically, I'm a D.O.S., but more about that later. The purpose of this first post then is simply to say "hi", to introduce myself in as abstract a manner as possible, and as a means of gleaning free software for advertising from a company called.... well, just look at the banners! I of course appreciate that I may have a melting pot of a readership if indeed this little ant-hill o' mine spawns wings, and erm..., (insert end of useless metaphor/analogy here:) _________. That is to say, both teachers and students (potential U-Learn students I hope!) alike may find themselves drawn like rats to rubbish to my good blog!And so to all.....

.....a Grand Afternoon!

p.s. Yes, I will be linking the hell out of my posts - so to all you haters! Don't be hatin'!