Fluency – Page 5 – The Paris Savannah Connection

homonyms = when words sound the same!

Listen to these:

nyms … like names, (comme “noms”) “homo” like the same.

just a refresher first:

homonyms are words which sound the same.
homonyms are words which sound the same but which mean different things.
homonyms are words which sound the same, have different meanings and are spelled differently.

“I” as in “I am” has the same pronunciation as “eye” as in “The one-eyed man is king among the blind.”

too bad … ? working too much?

If you’re interested in nyms … there are also … antonyms, synonyms, hypernyms, all kinds of nyms!

Ted Sorenson, speechwriter to JFK

What is a speechwriter?

Here’s a video of a man who accepted a unique opportunity, who developed his skills and who worked hand in hand with JFK putting real, world-shaping ideas into words. In this video he speaks of the values he shared with John Kennedy, of the intense thirteen days of the Cuban crisis, of the letters and books he crafted for the man he chose to stand by. Listen to what he has to say about … asking questions. After all, which came first: the question or the answer?

Enlightening, serious, powerful and above all, human. A man who devotedly worked hard – no, a man who worked as hard and as devotedly as he could – to try to make the world a better place.

Last Word: Theodore C. Sorensen

From the New York Times: The Last Word, Theodore Sorenson

concluding a speech: at the end of the day …

During a recent conference, more than one speaker used a very clear and easy to pronounce expression:

“At the end of the day …” This expression, which means … the end result …. is roughly synonomous with

“When all is said and done” or “The bottom line”

and in French … maybe something like … Tous comptes faits … En fin de compte … and I will say that today, at the end of the day, there was a lot of goodwill, lots of business cards were exchanged and promises made!

“The bottom line,” said Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chief of pulmonology at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital, “is there’s no longterm health effect from volcanic ash.”

(see the article on the vocabulary of green, too)

When all is said and done …

This means that when the discussion is over, when everything has been said … the conclusion is …

Try your own recording of these!

Keywords – “light”

How many concepts does “light” bring to mind? Light itself, weight, humor …

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/how-many-concepts1.mp3|titles=

How many concepts does “light” bring to mind? Light itself, weight, humor …

Edith Wharton wrote :

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

When a word has more than one contrary, more than one antonym, this is proof that it’s a strong word. The pronunciation of the word is vital. The accent is important … and the context is the determining factor. Humor plays on words with more than one meaning.

]

Edith Wharton wrote :

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

When a word has more than one contrary, more than one antonym, this is proof that it’s a strong word. The pronunciation of the word is vital. The accent is important … and the context is the determining factor. Humor plays on words with more than one meaning.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/light1.mp3|titles=The word “light” is especially rich. It functions as a noun. A light, the light; it functions as an adjective: it is light, light blue; it also functions as a verb: to light … not to mention “to lighten” … and words with the root like “lightning” and just at the sound of it, you see the long yet short flash, that oh so powerful LIGHT against the (dark, darkened) sky.]

The word “light” is especially rich. It functions as a noun. A light, the light; it functions as an adjective: it is light, light blue; it also functions as a verb: to light … not to mention “to lighten” … and words with the root like “lightning” and just at the sound of it, you see the long yet short flash, that oh so powerful LIGHT against the (dark, darkened) sky.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/I-like-to-define.mp3|titles=I like to define words by what they aren’t … first by their polar opposites (black/white) and then in more nuanced ways (shades of grey) according to their uses, their contexts, their connotations.]

I like to define words by what they aren’t … first by their polar opposites (black/white) and then in more nuanced ways (shades of grey) according to their uses, their contexts, their connotations.

What’s the opposite of “light” ? …. Well, it could be …. just a moment … what’s the context?… what time is it? Is is still (light) outside?

What is the opposite in this context? If white is light, black is …… dark.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/and-of-course.mp3|titles=

And of course the other very frequent context using “light” to describe the concept of weight would give us … heavy, of course.

As for the verb “to light,” .. why… if the linking concept is fire, it seems to me that “to put out” is probably the most frequent in everyday speech, though “extinguish” could be very popular among firemen … and officials.

]

And of course the other very frequent context using “light” to describe the concept of weight would give us … heavy, of course.

As for the verb “to light,” .. why… if the linking concept is fire, it seems to me that “to put out” is probably the most frequent in everyday speech, though “extinguish” could be very popular among firemen … and officials.

By the way, Edith Wharton also said this:

If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.

If you’re interested in words and concepts … subscribe to the Paris Savannah Connection.

Who can count? Who knows about cause and effect? Maybe we’re not as smart as we think we are …

What students know and can do: student performance in reading, mathematics and science. (around the world)

Did you see the OECD statistics on education? Shanghai’s got everyone beat … I wonder why …

Do you think this could have anything to do with it? … Listen to this (You’ve got to double-click …)

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/ex202261.mp3|titles=they never get up before noon…]

Expression of the day = “Gimme five!”

When you meet a friend … this is one of the things you might say and DO!

“Gi’ m Faiv” “Gimme five” or literally: “Give me 5”

This is what it sounds like : [audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/EX18013A.mp3|titles=Gimme five]

and it means:

= Tope-là !

New York City – A visit to Grand Central Station

New York City

Grand Central Station

Newsletter: November 18, 2010

Success.

This word is so frequent that if you google it (yes, to google is a verb… google … googled … have googled … googling … ) here’s what you’ll find:

success: 247 000 000

But what about the opposite, the antonym, failure? What’s your bet? more? less?

Here’s what I got: 117 000 000 … less than half!

I’m not sure that there are any conclusions to be drawn from this other than … the concept is a pretty popular one!

What’s success then? Is it winning a battle in the larger context of war? And failure … would it be losing?

Neither success nor failure are fixed and stable and forever. Such very relative states they are! There are a number of other very valuable words which describe these … ways of reaching an objective. One of the real, concrete ones might be …

breakthrough (20 100 00): a word which gives us a feeling of accomplishment, of achievement of one of the steps on the way … to success; breakthrough … overcoming an obstacle … or what seemed to be one until we’ve gotten past it. By the way, the opposite might just be … breakdown!

Milestone (25 600 000), a concrete step in progress…like the discovery of antibiotics or an event that measures progress, a specific and identifiable marker on the way to a destination. Perseverance is the road to the next milestone.

Success is like knowledge … We are always looking for where it’s hidden … What’s the secret to success? This is a question Albert Einstein answered. He said something … long before we had access to Google … but it still remains true today:

“Know where to find the information and how to use it – That’s the secret of success” And let’s not concentrate on the antonyms …, at least not today!
Good luck in all your postive endeavors!
Thanks for reading today’s Paris Savannah Connection.

Mark
PS. This feels like a real breakthrough …

Newletter November 18, 2010

… making a mountain out of a molehill …

exaggeration > amplification > overstating > creating a catastrophe out of a relatively minor issue.

One of my students is finally getting over a real complex about using “for” and “since” … sound familiar? She’s very, very fluent and native speakers admire her agility and culture in English. Right now, we’re doing memory work.

English teachers in France have traumatized millions and millions of their students over the years with this. I’m sure no other element has appeared in French schools’ English grammar tests as much as these three little words: for, since, ago.

(Depuis … le temps …. )

Sure, we say “for ages” and not “since ages” … but as the French say: “Il n’y a pas mort d’homme.” (No one’s died from it.)

And in English … need we insist on making a mountain out of a molehill ? … Sure try to get it right … but if you don’t … why make a mountain out of a molehill?