Karen Bali, English Teacher

There are eight plurals on this cafe sign, but only one has an apostrophe. Why?
Panini, which is Italian, is actually already a plural in its original language (the singular is panino), but in English, the word is well-known and commonly used as a singular noun, for example: "I'll have a cheese panini, please". Therefore, this counts as a rogue apostrophe is completely incorrect!

What an amazing experience, visiting the language school where I trained as part of City College Southampton Industry Day.
I started my career as an ESOL teacher at Lewis in 2016 as a trainee on their CertTESOL and have never looked back. There was, as always, a warm welcome and a wonderful atmosphere. It was great see how enthusiastically and professionally they work, walk through the quaint, labyrinthine building, meet their dedicated, friendly staff and see a few familiar faces. Thank you so much 🙏 🧡

https://gofund.me/e192cfa6

Feeling emotional, reading about a dedicated teacher who took her own life after a critical Ofsted inspection. The pressure on schools, colleges and teachers to perform well is immense and the system of grading an establishment with a one word judgement is grossly unfair. Teachers deserve better. Never let this happen again!

Sign the Petition Grant an inquiry of the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School

QUIZ!

With GCSE English exams less than 3 months away, I've created a little quiz to see how well you know some common language and structure techniques. Answers in one week!

1. 'The sky was angry'
What language technique is this ?

2. What's the name for a sentence with only one or two words?

3. I walked out into the wild, windy weather.
What language technique is this?

4. What's the name for a wildy exaggerated statement (e.g. 'I've called you a thousand times')?

5. 'In two week's time he would be half way up a mountain feeling much colder.
What is this technique called?

6. These are examples of what?
- As quiet as a mouse
- Like a fish out of water

7. Whinnie the Pooh, Fantastic Mr Fox and Baloo the Bear are examples of what?

8. 'Fifty years earlier, when his house was shiny and modern, it was the envy of the village '.
What is this?

9. What's the punctuation at the end of this sentence called?
'I'm not sure what you mean...'

10. These are all examples of what?
-To begin
-Furthermore
-Meanwhile
-However
-Consequently

https://www.instagram.com/p/CovFKIqsipi/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I have an obsession with all idiomatic language, to the extent that I jot examples on my shopping list! #idioms #idiom #metaphor #metaphors #idiomatic #English #englishlanguage

https://www.facebook.com/100057188301243/posts/640321344550803/

What does a teacher do in the holidays?
It’s early August and schools across the country broke up for summer a couple of weeks ago. Most hardworking teachers are most likely catching up on sleep, off on their holidays, having days out with their families or planning DIY projects. I’m also a teacher but this week I’ve been up early every day and working hard.
“But students have broken up” say my puzzled friend and relatives. “Why do you have to go to work?”
The reason is that I’m a teacher in a Further Education college and work doesn’t stop for the holidays. Yes, lessons have finished, classrooms are empty, and courses are over for the academic year, but there are numerous things that need to be done before the new term starts in September.
The most important task is to interview new students to ensure that we have full classrooms in September. Ours is a large department serving both teenagers and adults and we have a full schedule over the summer. My colleagues and I will interview around 300 potential students this month. This involves each applicant completing a writing task, followed by a conversation to accurately assess their level to ensure that we assign them to the correct course. It’s exhausting. However, that’s not all. I do have some time off, but I also have a list of other things to do during the next few weeks, which I’ve only just started.
Following up on last year’s students is a regular summer job, especially if they are staying in the college, whether progressing to another level or moving on to a different subject. We need student numbers to ensure we receive funding for each course.
Every course needs a detailed Plan of Learning (also called a Scheme of Work) in place before any classes start. This is a week-by-week schedule outlining the subject and content of lessons, the resources needed and the learning outcomes, which must be in line with the exam requirements. In addition, we need to include time for wellbeing and progress tutorials, mock exams, enrichment activities and off-site trips. The first term’s Plan of Learning for my two courses must be completed before I teach a single lesson.
Regular training is a vital part of any teaching role. Mandatory training, which must be updated each year, includes Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity and Data Protection. These are no longer delivered face-to-face; they are now interactive online courses, each taking up to an hour to complete.
Finally, before we open the doors to students for the next academic year, our classrooms need to be presentable. Student work from last year will be taken down from notice boards, posters replaced or rearranged, and everything prepared for induction week.
So now you know a little of what some teachers are doing at work over the holidays. At least we get some calmer days and even time for the occasional tea break before term-time chaos starts again. Until then, I’m making the most of a little time to relax and reflect before beginning another year of hard work and adventure!

How many bins?
A confusing sign that uses the plural 'bins' but the determiner 'this', which is singular.

Plurals can be tricky but there are rules that can help you to get them right. The person who made this sign obviously doesn't know that.

Spelling in the 1500s was not standardised. Writers mostly spelled phonetically. The first English Dictionary was published in 1604 and contained just 3,000 words.

Spot the horrific mistake on this poster at my local swimming pool 😱

Spot the mistake here...

I've said it before and I'll say it again... NEVER use an apostrophe with a plural.
I see this mistake so often. The question is: do you think it is right to point out mistakes like this to business owners and staff or not? I don't 'name and shame'. Let me know what you think and please send me photos of punctuation, spelling and grammar errors that you see. Thanks 🙂

🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh, the problem with plurals. 😄

Dogfood? Catfood? I'm surprised at this premium supermarket!