Wednesday 27 February 2013

Signs of Spring (a cheerful post for people who are sick of winter)

Several students have asked me recently when spring will arrive.  The official first day of spring this year is the 20th of March, but there are plenty of other ways to measure it: the flowers you see in parks and gardens are just one of them.  Often they can be the first signs of spring to emerge.

The first flowers to appear are the small and delicate snowdrops - and sometimes they really do grow up through the snow.  These usually appear in January or February.


Thursday 14 February 2013

Because it's Valentine's Day...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.

Versions of this rhyme are absolutely everywhere today - so have a look at these examples and practise your rhythm and pronunciation!  Typically, every line of the poem has two 'beats' (stressed syllables), while the number of unstressed syllables between will vary.  The second line usually rhymes with the fourth, and there may be additional rhymes, but it's far from compulsory.