Category Archives: Language

On Becoming an “Educational Practitioner”

Comedian George Carlin had a routine on euphemisms in which he talked about soldiers who were unable to cope with combat any more. In World War I, he said, the condition was called shell shock. By World War II it … Continue reading

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MakeBeliefsComix launches Contest

MakeBeliefsComix.com is sponsoring a comic strip contest as part of its efforts to encourage students enrolled in literacy and English as Second Language programs to develop their language, writing and reading skills. Each month students can submit by email their … Continue reading

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National Punctuation Day

September 24 is National Punctuation Day, a day teachers everywhere should be able to embrace. The sponsoring site is holding a Punctuation Haiku contest and displays pictures of punctuation cookies, cupcakes, and even a punctuation meat loaf (recipe available). Here … Continue reading

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“Refudiate” and other Dogberryisms

On Sunday former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin tweeted refudiate and joined the ranks of those who’ve used in public what Mark Twain once called “the almost right word.” She later changed the word to refute (she probably meant repudiate) and … Continue reading

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