The History of the English language

HISTÓRIA DA LÍNGUA INGLESA

INTRODUÇÃO

A língua inglesa é fruto de uma história complexa e enraizada num passado muito distante.

Há indícios de presença humana nas ilhas britânicas já antes da última era do gelo, quando as mesmas ainda não haviam se separado do continente europeu e antes dos oceanos formarem o Canal da Mancha. Esse recente fenômeno geológico que separou as ilhas britânicas do continente, ocorrido há cerca de 7.000 anos, também isolou os povos que lá viviam dos conturbados movimentos e do obscurantismo que caracterizaram os primórdios da Idade Média na Europa.

Sítios arqueológicos evidenciam que as terras úmidas que os romanos vieram a denominar de Britannia já abrigavam uma próspera cultura há 8.000 anos, embora pouco se saiba a respeito.

OS CELTAS
A história da Inglaterra inicia com os celtas.

Por volta de 1000 a.C., depois de muitas migrações, vários dialetos das línguas indo-européias tornam-se grupos de línguas distintos, sendo um desses grupos o celta. Os celtas se originaram...

Let`s get together and speak English?

Here`s the first attempt to put in practice an idea...
I have been repeating for some years now, mostly to my students, the fact that learning English in Brazil is something quite unique.
The fact is that a great percentage of the economically active population of Brazil have studied English before, and yet, the percentage of those who actually can speak is to a minimum.
Some factors contribute for this status quo, among them are; the poor quality of the schools we have in our country, the lack of professional teachers and mostly the very fact that most of people don`t speak English and therefore those who are in the language acquisition process don`t have opportunities to practice their English on a daily basis.

The atmosphere of an English school can be perceived as a sanctuary of the English language, due to its condition to allow learners to interact in English even if it is only for some hours a week.

The idea referred above takes this scenario under consideration, a population of people who need English and have studied English and yet strive to learn and/or practice English has motivated  this endeavor. It is meant to be a gathering of people who want to change this scenario and get together to make English more active in their lives by using it more often and therefore changing this situation where the cons beat the pros in their quest to learn the language!

Join us! and let`s speak up and about!

Click on the link below if you share the need for more practice of the language and be  part of this idea;
http://www.meetup.com/JundiaiEnglishPractice/

Suit Up!

Law English

This very good TV show from USA Network features 2 up and coming lawyers who work in in NYC.

In this show you can find many law-related technical terms in context!

Enjoy it! 

Suits (2011– )

TV Series  -  45 min  -  Comedy | Drama

Creator:

 Aaron Korsh

Stars:

 Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle |See full cast and crew »

While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City's best legal closers, Harvey Specter. Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory. Mike and Harvey are a winning team. Even though Mike is a genius, he still has a lot to learn about law. And while Harvey may seem like an emotionless, cold-blooded shark, Mike's sympathy and concern for their cases and clients will help remind Harvey why he went into law in the first place. Mike's other allies in the office include the firm's best paralegal Rachel and Harvey's no-nonsense assistant Donna to help him serve justice. Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica and Harvey's arch nemesis Louis, who seems intent on making Mike's life as ...Written by USA Network

Back I am!

Finally after a long period without any activity on this blog I find myself wondering what took me so long to get back at it.
Well, aside professional limitations on time availability, I actually don`t have many reasons to it. So here I am, and hope to get back on track strongly.

Iphone ?? The one from Apple??

Apple loses Brazilian iPhone trademark ruling

 

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Apple Shop muddle prompts new name
• Apple boss dubs cash lawsuit 'silly'
• Apple unveils 4G-enabled iPhone 5

Brazilian regulators have ruled that Apple does not have exclusive rights to use the "iPhone" trademark in the country.

But the US tech giant has already lodged an appeal against the decision with the Brazilian regulators.

The ruling is the result of...

Hand gestures and culture...

1.	P's and Q's	885 up, 337 down
	From an old printer's axiom. Back in the early days of printing presses, each line of text had to be set up one letter at a time. Since the letters in the press were reversed (so they'd print forward), the printmaker (or typographer) needed to be careful not to confuse one letter for the other. Reminding someone to "watch his p's and q's" means to pay attention to the details. On the stand, Bill was always careful to watch his p's and q's when dealing with the lawyers. buy p's and q's mugs & shirts
2.	P's and Q's	371 up, 453 down
	This axiom, regardless of its origins, has been common in post-victorian Britain as an abbreviation of 'to mind your manners' or, more specifically, to say both 'please' (p's) and 'thankyou' (thank-Q). Thus the phrase 'watch your p's and q's' has been in use to encourage people to speak politely, especially children, who remember such phrases better than just instructions. Kid 1: You spill my pint? Kid 2: feck off! Mum: Oi, watch you're p's and q's! Kid 2: Sorry. Feck off, please. from: http://www.urbandictionary.com/ 26 January 2011 Mind your P’s and Q’s if you want to make your $$’s Business without Borders Proper business etiquette can make the difference between a disastrous overseas encounter and a successful one Even a small blunder concerning the unspoken rules of cultural etiquette can derail progress (there was the sight of former U.S. president Richard Nixon getting off his plane in Brazil and giving the “OK” hand gesture, which locally translates into “up yours”). Help is at hand: the last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of books and experts to turn to for help. “In Japan if you are about to sign a deal “In Japan if you are about to sign a deal  you do that hand gesture, it’s a monetary symbol. They may wonder if you want a bribe,” said etiquette consultant Tina Manousos. The educator spoke recently to a group of business students at the annual Queens Conference on International Business in Toronto. “Opportunities are no longer in the continent you are from.  They are everywhere,” said Manousos. “Your expertise in your field is not enough. As soon as you get off that plane you better know the politics, religion and superstitions of the people,” she added. “That’s what is going to make your company and yourself look good.” Along with the nuances of global hand gestures, Manousos commented on proper greeting standards with a focus on Far East and Asian cultures. Because they are a “proud people,” she stressed greeting your counterpart with less eye contact than is acceptable in North America (along with a slight bow and a gentler handshake). “Don’t go very deep in your bow unless you know the rituals of the country because it’s all done by rank in some places,” she said, adding it is crucial to know the rules of physical contact between genders in China and the Middle East. “Let the woman make the first move. If she gives you her hand then shake her hand and if she smiles and bows, do the same.” It’s also important to know in what order a person’s given and surname is used. Perhaps one of the most marked differences between Eastern and Western business practices, however, is the card exchange. While it is treated more casually in North America, Manousos stressed that cards are given with much weight in Asia, where a person is symbolically handing you their reputation. “They are going to present it with two hands with the card facing you. You should receive it as if you are getting something very special,” said Manousos. “Take the card with both hands. Only make notes on it regarding proper pronunciation in private, and never on the face of the card because it is almost as if you are defacing them when you write on the front,” she said. To close a meeting well, understand the politics of gift giving. In India, for example, one should stay away from leather products because the cow is sacred to Hindus. Avoid sharp objects such as letter openers as a general rule, because in some Asian cultures they can symbolize the “severing” of a relationship. “If you are doing business with France for example, don’t take a bottle of California wine because they think they have the best in the world,” she said. “On the other hand, Scottish whisky or smoked salmon from North America is great because it’s not something they have.” High-quality pens are always safe, but Manousos stressed doing some gift giving research as the best way to promote a positive final impression. “Know who you are doing business with,” she said. “It’s not necessarily about where you are but the people you are doing business with.” extracted from: http://globalconnections.hsbc.com/global/en/articles/mind-your-manners-if-you-want-to-make-your-dollars

Introverts...

Definition: Contrary to what most people think, an introvert is not simply a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness. Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. This is true even if they have good social skills. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to "recharge."

When introverts want to be alone, it is not, by itself, a sign of depression. It means that they either need to regain their energy from being around people or that they simply want the time to be with their own thoughts. Being with people, even people they like and are comfortable with, can prevent them from their desire to be quietly introspective.

Being introspective, though, does not mean that an introvert never has conversations. However, those conversations are generally about ideas and concepts, not about what they consider the trivial matters of social small talk.

Introverts make up about 60% of the gifted population but only about 25-40% of the general population.

This is an interesting video on Ted Talks I imagine you`d like to watch... At least 1/3 of you guys!!

Now watch this video and leave your opinion:

http://on.ted.com/Cain