Girls will be Girls

According to a news report; a certain private school in Brisbane was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.

Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.

Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses). To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.

He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers.... and then there are educators

What do you think about the joke? Do you know any other in English?

Jennifer ESL - Great English Teacher on YouTube

In the past, we’ve already talked about several people that teach English on YouTube (Paul: Learn American English Online, Mister Duncan, Mrthoth, Steve Ford). All of them were male teachers, today, we’re happy to introduce a female teacher whose classes and videos are also brilliant.

Jennifer is the name of this teacher and she’s produced more than 100 videos for ESL (English as a Second Language) students.

With Jennifer’s videos you can improve many skills of your English because her videos are focused on different aspects like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and intonation. As an example, you can watch the following video about idioms and sayings about the kitchen:



Link to the video on YouTube

Her videos are all-inclusive as they contain an introduction about the lesson, a more detailed explanation and exercises which you can practice.

To discover all the videos from Jennifer you can visit her channel on YouTube called JenniferESL.

You can also visit her personal website where you’ll be able to get to know Jennifer better and find more material to learn English.

How to Prepare for the TOEFL

Colleges and universities around the world typically require foreign applicants to submit TOEFL test scores as part of the admissions process. Getting a good score on this test shows that you can understand and communicate in the English language. The following tips will help you prepare for the TOEFL properly and achieve the score you need to impress admissions committees.

Read about the Test

The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the TOEFL. This will make the test seem less daunting. It will also give you an understanding of what is expected of you as a test-taker. You can learn more about TOEFL test content by visiting the official TOEFL page on ETS.org.

Take a Practice Test

Taking a practice test will also help you become more familiar with the TOEFL. You can usually find practice tests in TOEFL test prep guides. You can also get two free practice tests, review materials, scoring information, and sample writing exercises direct from ETS if you register for the paper-based test. You shouldn't worry about doing well on the practice test. The goal of this exercise is to learn about the test so that you can find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

Get the Official Guide to the TOEFL Test

The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test is not the only TOEFL test prep guide on the market but it is the only TOEFL guide created by ETS, the people who actually make the test. The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test contains information on the test, practice exercises, skill-builders, test-taking tips, comments from actual test-takers, and two full-length practice tests. The guide can be purchased for approximately $20 USD from several retail outlets. It may also be available at local libraries for no charge.

Immerse Yourself in the Language

Immersing yourself in the English language is another excellent way to obtain the skills you need to score well on the TOEFL. To do this, you can enroll in an English program or join an English club that provides the practice you are looking for. You can also take part in one of the many no-cost social language learning communities that have popped up on the web (Livemocha, iTalki, LingQ, etc.) These communities are often flush with native speakers who can help you improve your ability to speak, write, and listen to the English language.

Practice Writing

To perform well on the TOEFL, you will need to learn the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, structure, and paraphrasing. The best way to learn all of these things is through writing practice. You can begin your practice by making a list of familiar writing topics and writing about them. Choose an opinion or "side" for each topic and construct sentences to support your idea. You should continue this method of practice until you are able to plan, write, proofread, and revise a cohesive essay in 30 minutes or less.

Guest post from freelance writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes for OnlineDegreePrograms.org, an online degree resource.

Think in English, Change your Facebook Account to English

Another great way to improve your knowledge of English could be as simple as connecting to a social network like Facebook, but using it in English. For instance, you can change your default language from your mother tongue (in this post we’re using Spanish as an example) to English to learn new words and expressions that might come up from Facebook’s web application.

So, let's see how to set up your account in English:

1. First of all go to Facebook.com and log in. Once there click on Cuenta:



2. Click on Configuración de la cuenta option:



3. Go to the Idioma tab and choose English (US) or English (UK), whatever you prefer, from the combo box:



4. After doing this all Facebook's options will be shown in English. Now go to Home to see the changes on your wall:



5. Happy practicing with your English :)

Guest post from Luis M. Gallardo, you can visit his blog about Linux, Programming, Videogames and many other topics. Luis also collaborates in the planeta consolas blog.

Top Websites to Watch Online TV in English

One of the biggest difficulties that we find in the English language learning process is understanding when someone talks to us, also called listening. There are many different accents in English and if you live in a multicultural society you have to “train your ear” to every English accent that you can find and of which we can mention: British, American, Irish, New Zealander, Indian, French, Chinese, German, etc.

At the beginning it can be frustrating because you’re not able to understand the majority of what someone is saying to you, and because of not understanding several words you miss the whole meaning of the sentence. However, the more you listen to the accent and the way the person talks you’ll understand more.

And, why are we talking about this? Well, in this post we’re going to introduce a series of online resources that you can use to improve your understanding skills (listening) while you watch your favourite series, shows and films. How come? Watching them in English!

Joost content is organized into three main categories: show, music and film. Under shows there are different categories like Sports, Animation, Comedy, Culture, and etcetera. You’ll be able to find series as charismatic as He-man.

In the music category there are video clips and also reports about your favourite artists. Last, there are several sections under films but it has to be noted that the films are usually old, a luxury for lovers of the classics.

Link | Joost

In Hulu content could be divided between series and movies. There is a huge quantity of offered series, including: Human Target, House, Ugly Betty, Lost, Family Guy, White Collar, The Office, Naruto, Chuck, Heroes or 24. Talking about the movies, there is also a big variety of old and new films.

Hulu also offers a classification (depending on the channels): family, sports, music, comedy, drama, videogames, etc.

A very interesting Web page but with just one big disadvantage: its content can only be seen in the US. Therefore users from other countries will have to wait for the time being.

Link | Hulu

Another great website to watch online TV is CastTV; the content is clearly organized in TV/movies, Music Videos, Top Videos and there’s even a section with the commercials from the 2010 Superbowl.

An interesting feature from CastTV is the section about Top Viral Videos or videos that have become famous on the Internet. It’ll allow you to keep up to date about what is being watched on the Internet.

Link | CastTV

In this amazing website you’ll find every series you’re dreamed about; practically every known and not so well known series are here and surely you’ll like some.

You’ll be able to find television series such as: 24, 90210, American Idol, The Big Bang Theory, Bones, Californication, Chuck, The Closer, Cold Case, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Family Guy, FlashForward, Friends, Ghost Whisperer, Heroes, The Hills, House, Lost, Medium, Naruto, NCIS, Numb3rs, Oz, Prison Break, Rome, The Simpsons, Smallville, Supernatural and a very large etcetera. There are in total more than 100 series so you won’t get bored with watching TV in English and improving your listening! :)

Link | TVgorge