They Eat What! Latin America's Most Exotic Foods - Part 2

They Eat WHAT!

If you’re teaching English as a foreign language abroad, you can expect changes in foods ranging from the simple to the outrageous as we noted in yesterday's part 1 of this series.

So you’re back for more, huh? Well if I didn’t get to you in part one with “treats” from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico you’re gonna just love what you’ll get here in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel into the jungles of Colombia and up into the high Andes mountain range in Ecuador to introduce you to some “Eye-opening”, high-flying specialties that’ll make partly-cooked greasy pork liver seem like “Haute Cuisine”. Hungry yet? Tighten up your belts then and let’s continue our culinary tour.

Three-Toed Sloth

Called “Oso Perezoso” (lazy bear) in Spanish, these dense-haired, slow moving creatures live off of jungle foliage and leaves. You would think they’d be easy to catch, but in fact, they can live high up in the trees and be extremely difficult to spot. Cleaning and preparing to cook one takes several hours. Most of time being spent just to remove the coarse, dense hair which is done by dipping the carcass in boiling water and painstakingly scraping or pulling the hair off. The result is worth it though as it has the most delicious meat I’ve ever tasted when cooked in a thick, rich stew. Sloths are kept as pets since they’re actually quite harmless despite having up to four-inch long claws.

In the Cartagena photo above, English as a foreign language teacher Geny Vidal, from the southern Colombia city of Popayan, cuddles someone else’s pet sloth.

Bofe

Pronounced “bow-fay”, the dried, roasted lungs of a cow are this snack food. Often available at airport restaurants and street food vendors in Colombia, it’s a somewhat acquired taste, but not one that’s unpleasant by any means. Most people simply have to get past the thought of what it is (believe me; you DON’T want to see it before it’s cooked). It’s difficult and time-consuming to prepare. Ready to eat, it’s a dark, unappetizing looking concoction cut into bite-sized cubes for easy munching.

Vulture

Yup, you read right – Buzzard, is eaten in some towns in the Central Highlands of Ecuador. It’s caught, plucked and thoroughly cleaned (I wouldn’t want THAT job!). The high Andes mountain range runs from Colombia south through to Chile and is home to vast flocks of Condors. Condors are carrion-eating birds. I don’t have to tell you what “carrion” is, do I? The cleaned, prepared bird is normally prepared in soup with seasonings, broth and vegetables like yucca, potato, plantain, celery and carrots.

Cow’s Eye

Ever wonder what happens to the “unwanted” parts of food animals like the reproductive organs? Well in Latin countries, these parts are eaten same as the rest of the animal. Consisting mostly of liquid, cow’s eye is sold fresh, of course. It’s most frequently cooked by being stirred into a hot pot of chocolate and served as a drink or a thick “soup” of sorts. Although it’s relatively common and popular in Colombia, I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Several of my acquaintances say the concoction’s quite tasty.

How would YOU like to try it?

In part one of this three-part series, we traveled through Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to sample ants, piranha and green iguana. In part two you were introduced to sloth, vulture and cow’s eye and lungs. In the final part of this series you’ll meet more exotic foods. From the Pacific coast to the mountain highlands of the Peruvian Andes we’re going to rock you with even more “treats” of Latin America you’ll never forget. Brace yourself for this one. It’s definitely NOT for pansies.

If you’d like to get part three of this series “They Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods”, please e-mail me at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com . I’ll be waiting.

Bon Appetit!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

They Eat What! Colombia’s Most Exotic Foods Part 1

They eat WHAT!

They’re horrid, ghastly, gross, unthinkable, gut-wrenching, wonderful, savory and delicious. These are but a few of the adjectives used to describe commonly eaten fare “south of the border” from Mexico to Peru. The expression, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” has never seen more fruition than evidenced in these “exotic” foods found throughout Latin America. Just feast your eyes on these typical taste-tempting treats from Colombia.

Iguana

Starting off our list is a common delicacy from the Pacific Coast of Colombia and Caribbean. Although protected in many countries, these green lizards, which can grow to more than 3 feet in length, are a prized stable in Aruba, Bonaire, Panama and Colombia. The eggs are also cooked and eaten even though they’re often taken illegally. A sizeable black market for them exists in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. They’re not cheap, but they are good.

And yes, little Kenya Lopez' family ATE the Green Iguana she's holding in the above photo!

Armadillo

From Texas to Ecuador, these nine-banded creatures have been coveted for decades. Their numbers are now greatly diminished due to years of heavy hunting; they’re still considered a delightful treat when they can be found. Usually cooked in stews to help tenderize their thick, dense meat, almost everyone who has eaten Armadillo really likes them. You’ve got to be fast to catch them though. They can burrow into the soil at alarming speeds.

Ants

Technically known as “Hormigas Culonas”, these swollen abdomen ant species are a highly-prized food commodity in Colombia and Mexico. They’re gathered from seemingly innocuous places like cemeteries, parks and untended pastures, then roasted or fried until crisp. Only the enlarged abdomen is consumed, often with cheese or honey as an “aperitif”. Sold and exported by the pound, they’ve quickly become an international favorite among the insect-eating crowd.

To b honest, I like them myself.

Piranha

Despite numerous movies to the contrary, they don’t always attack without mercy. Children in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana and Peru swim in Piranha-infested waters all the time without injury. Women are also known to do the family laundry in streams and pools teeming with razor-toothed schools of them. Many of the 35 known varies of Piranha, including the Cachama family, are not only edible, but delicious. Piranha head soup is used as a form of “jungle Viagra”. Tales abound of elderly Indian men with more than a dozen children and multiple wives.

Well if I didn’t get to you here in part one with “treats” from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico you’re gonna just love what you’ll get in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel into the jungles of Colombia and up into the high Andes mountain range in Ecuador to introduce you to some “Eye-opening”, high-flying specialties that’ll make partly-cooked greasy pork liver seem like “Haute Cuisine”.

See you in part two of “They Eat What! Colombia’s Most Exotic Foods”.

Bon Appetit!


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Teaching in Cancun? Don't Fall for the Latin Fantasy Tourist Scam

THE “LATIN FANTASY”

A SCAM YOU MUSTN’T GO FOR

It’s the weekend and you’re off from teaching English as a foreign language classes at one of the many private English language institutes, local or nearby primary or secondary schools. You could just as well be any other foreign tourist in town to enjoy the sights, the food and the beaches.

In any case, they’re WAITING for you.

So here’s how NOT to get caught!

Strolling down a sunlit street in Cancun, Mexico (or possibly another Mexican beach resort town), a sea breeze gently tossing your hair, window-shopping in a luxurious mall, passing along a beachfront boardwalk, day-dreaming of fresh, succulent seafood as its aroma wafts from a nearby restaurant.

“Excuse me”, you hear. You stop and turn to see a smiling face.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from …”, you respond politely. You've just driven the first nail into your coffin. You've confirmed that you're a foreigner.

“How’s your vacation?”, the smiling face continues. You exchange pleasantries.

“Can I offer you a free pass…a night’s stay…a free lunch or dinner…a day at this new resort hotel?”, the smiling face offers.

“It’s to promote a new hotel, …resort…facility…or service that isn’t well-known to foreign tourists yet. And we want our hotel…facility…resort…or service to be known so you can tell your friends about it.”

You receive a genuine-looking piece of paper and perhaps a brochure and map. (somewhere in the back of your mind, your parent’s words- or mine- appear,

“There ain’t no free lunches in this world”) But, “Looks good”, you think, and accept.

“Take this and go this afternoon…tomorrow or whatever and everything will be taken care of with no obligation”, the hook advances.

And then the clincher words strike home, like a harpoon in the side of a great white whale,

“Be sure to bring your credit card!”

“Oh, it’s not essential”, the smiling face continues,

“Maybe you’ll just have to flash it, to show you’re not Mexican”, “…or a serious tourist”, or whatever.

At this point BAIL OUT – drop everything and leave – go, keep going and don’t listen or look back. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry – for years and years to come.

What they want is your credit card number, by any means necessary - your signature too, if possible, on anything; a ticket stub, free car rental agreement or thank you note; anything. It’ll be used to charge dozens, scores, even hundreds of items – next week, next month, next year, etc., etc., etc. Getting the charges off your card will be a next to impossible nightmare and cost you hundreds in legal fees. You won’t be able to get back at “them” or recover the merchandise, products, even real estate charged off to your account. Millions are made by “them” and irretrievably lost by unsuspecting tourists each year.

Don’t YOU be next! Just say, “NO”. And keep saying “NO”.

FINALLY …, Some helpful websites for more information

http://www.cancun.com/ /
Provides more than 100 hotels to reserve, airfare, coupons, maps, tours reservations, nightlife, restaurants and other general information.

http://www.cancunblast.com/ /
An online Travel Guide For Cancun And The Mayan Riviera

http://www.allaboutcancun.com/ /
All About Cancun helps travelers seeking information about Cancun including a complete City Guide

www.visitcancun.com/
Includes details of local activities, accommodations, dining, shopping and other information for visitors.

Photo credit: http://www.cancuncd.com/m_cancun_pictures/Ae19-panoramic.jpg

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Cartooning Your Way to English or Foreign Language Learning Success

Cartoons vs. Comics

Who doesn’t love cartoons and comics? Okay, so I’m no fan of the Simpsons, but even I enjoy Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther and a host of other Saturday morning offerings. If the cartoon network came on in English where I live, I’d record it for use in my English as a foreign language (EFL) classes (and a little personal humor and enjoyment). There are two venues which actually can be used in teaching English as a foreign language or in foreign language teaching and learning; cartoons and comics. But what’s the difference?

The Differences

What’s the difference between a cartoon and a comic? Simply that a cartoon is an animated visual format with sound and a comic is a written, printed format in black and white or color. Some characters appear in multiple formats, having an animated series on TV, movie or comic strip. Characters from Peanuts, cats Felix and Garfield, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and a host of Walt Disney and Walter Lantz characters are some examples. Other characters may appear in only one format such as in many video games which is yet another venue.

Who Do You Love?

Why don’t you try asking your English or foreign language learners;

“Who’s your favorite cartoon or comic character?”

“Why?”

Learners could then elaborate on their favorite characters in addition to:

• describing the character’s personality
• acting out a scene from a cartoon or comic
• white out dialogue bubbles and write in their own lines of dialogue

Adapting Comics and Cartoons for Classroom Teaching

How can these different formats be adapted for use in an EFL or foreign language learning classroom setting? Well, you’ve hit the jackpot here. Because the language in comics and cartoons is usually very simple, it can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

• to demonstrate high-frequency vocabulary in context
• to illustrate idioms and expressions
• to teach verbs and other parts of speech
• as examples of connected speech
• to simulate dialogues to inject humor into class sessions
• to provide a basis for oral discourse and writing activities
• to illustrate culture and values

Other Related Activity Possibilities

Numerous other related activity possibilities exist, which may be applied with just a bit of imagination. For example, have your English or foreign language learners relate:

• who the author or creator of the comic / cartoon series is
• a biography of the author with photos
• describe the setting and theme of the comic or cartoon series
• show examples of cartoons, comics and characters in class, then compare them

If you’d like even more focus, you could show a cartoon or comic strip series in class to familiarize everyone with the character(s). Then might discuss the character’s personality and other elements and ask,

“Why is this cartoon or comic funny?”

Be sure to let the learners interact about their favorite comic strips and cartoon characters.

Take a Survey

Remember to take a survey of who the most popular cartoon and comic strip characters are among the learners. Better yet, have the learners design and conduct the survey themselves, presenting the results and reasons afterwards. By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Part 2 Cartooning Your Way to English or Foreign Language Learning Success

Not Available in English?

By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts gang and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

But what can you do if cartoons and comics are not available in English where you are? Suggestions and recommendations for further English or foreign language teaching and learning options will be discussed for those who live in countries (like here in Colombia) or regions where NO English language feeds are present.

Braj Kashru’s Circles

Language learning researcher Braj Kashru categorized countries into three circles of English language influence. The “Inner” circle is comprised of those countries and regions which have English as the first or official language. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, England and more than a dozen other countries are included in the “Inner” circle.

The “Middle” circle is comprised of those countries and regions where English is a useful second, but highly recognized and accepted language. Countries such as India, Panama, Kenya, and several other countries with a high number of indigenous languages are included in this group.

The “Outer” circle is comprised of those countries and regions where English has no official status, is not widely spoken and is considered a completely foreign language. Many countries in South America, Asia and on the African continent are included in this group. The language status of any country is ultimately, subject to change and these examples are by no means meant to be “concrete”.

When the available cartoons and comics are not in English, you certainly can still use them.

But how?

Who and What’s Available

Many cartoon and comic strip series are either dubbed or translated into the local language of a regional people. In addition though, there are cartoon and comic strip series originally done in a language other than English. Examples I know of include:

· Asterix and Friends done in French
· Mafalda written and produced in Spanish
· Condorito also written in Spanish

There are, very likely, many others in countries around the world similarly produced and written in languages other than English. These may, or may not, be available to English or foreign language learners in their desired language. If you know of any, I’d appreciate an e-mail letting me know about some of them and the language they’re in.

Use these then for activities including those mentioned earlier in addition to:

· Translation exercises
· Creating learner-produced dialogues (written and oral)
· Acting out dramatic scenes and situations

Don’t Forget About …

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for any political caricatures and humor from the editorial pages of newspapers and magazines that you might be able to use in the English or foreign language learning classroom. Also, you can occasionally find collections of comics in local bookstores.

Hopefully you will find some of these ideas and suggestions helpful for allowing the likes of characters such as Superman, Batman, Spiderman, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, and the Flash along with a vast army of super heroes and cartoon or comic strip characters to lend more dynamics and humor to your English as a foreign language classes.

Up, up and away!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

What the Heck is That?

Most EFL or foreign language learners start shouting responses right away.

“Our group got 14”.

“We have 29”.

“Oh no, we only found eight”.

I make a game out of it, pitting small groups of EFL learners against each other in an effort to come up with the most.

The English as a foreign language (EFL) class group consists of 20 students aged 20 to 22 in their fourth or fifth university semester. Regardless of the faculty from Accounting and Business to Law, Medicine, Nursing or Orthodontics, and even with adult independent student class groups, they all love “the game”. In fact, language learners of other foreign languages like Italian, French, German, Japanese and Spanish swear by the game too.

The Game

Learners are organized into small groups of four to five. A picture, drawing or photo of a strange, unknown is projected or posted. They must then brainstorm as many possible uses for the “item” as they can. After an interval of ten to twelve minutes or so I have them tall the number of “uses” they’ve been able to come up with. Members of the winning group then receive a small “prize” or reward. Ones I like to give out are little cellophane-wrapped candies, a bag of M&Ms or something else like that. We then discuss the ideas presented, especially the most unique and interesting ones.

Gadget, Device or Machine?

This activity almost always brings up what the difference between a gadget, device and machine is. We go around the class room identifying objects from each category. Our working definitions are as follows:

A gadget uses no power and has no moving parts. Examples include a manual corkscrew, potato peeler or hand-operated can opener.

A device uses power but has no moving parts. Examples include a radio, a digital TV or a telephone.

A machine uses power and has moving parts. Examples include a computer, a CD or a cassette player / recorder, cars and airplanes.

Learners could also be assigned to look up definitions in a dictionary before reporting their definitions to the class. If two or more different dictionary versions are used, learners can make comparisons, coming up with a composite definition.

Finding an “Item”

So where o’ where can you find a good “item” or two to help your EFL or foreign language learners to play “the game”? You might try a leisurely browse through a dollar store or equivalent in your search. A flea market is another place where you might certainly turn up an antique gadget to use. I’ve had numerous successes when browsing for cheap, unusual and practically unknown items in both of these places. Check out the family attic and don’t forget to snoop through areas of the basement where “goodies” might be warehoused. Having two or three different items will allow you to repeat or vary the exercise using realia. You could also always draw a unique, but non-existent thingy for playing the game as well. Be sure to look for items that make you or your learners want to say;

“What the heck is that?”

The extents of your imagination is the only limit for both you and your EFL or foreign language learners.

Photo credit: New Interchange student book 2 by Jack C. Richards with Jonathan Hull and Susan Proctor, Cambridge University Press

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

How to Learn an English or Foreign Language Vocabulary List in 5 Minutes or Less

Vocabulary lists, what can you do?

You can’t learn English or any other foreign language using only them, but you can’t learn a language without them either. One great aid is to learn memorization techniques that will allow you or your learners to quickly and easily memorize even a fairly lengthy list of foreign language vocabulary. One such technique excerpted from my dynamic activity foreign language-learning e-book, “You CAN Learn a Foreign Language: Tested Techniques ANYONE Can Use to Learn ANY Foreign Language”, which you can use starting right now, follows here.


Let’s start by taking the following list of 18 common English words:

hat
hen
ham
oar
whale
shoe
key
wife
pie
toys
tot
twine
thumb
tire
till
dish
duck
dove

You’re going to memorize this list of 18 words in 5 minutes or less.

Oh, Yes you CAN!

Here’s how you’re going to do it:

Making a Memory Movie

This 18-word vocabulary string could be memorized as a sort of ridiculous movie like this:

A colorful hat falls down onto the head of a hen sitting on a nest of three eggs which look just like three small, whole hams. You slip an oar under the hams to take them out from under the hen by putting one end of the oar into a whale’s mouth. The whale swims backwards to slide the hams from under the hen, but the whale’s tail smacks into a giant, fashionable shoe floating on the water.

Sticking out of the shoe is a key that your (someone else’s) wife is trying to take out of the shoe. In her other hand she holds a steaming hot pie (your favorite kind of course) and there are toys sticking out of the pie which she then holds out to her tot crawling towards her so (s)he can get the toys sticking out of the pie. Tying the tot’s ankles together is a length of twine leading back to a big thumb that is jerking back and forth on the twine. See the thumb jerking back and forth?

The thumb is sticking up out of big, old, dirty car or truck tire. The tire just rolled down a hill because the fancy dish it was sitting on cracks and breaks because of the tire’s weight. There's a till (cash register) keeping count each time the thumb jerks - Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching! The sound attracts a quacking duck which waddles over and starts to peck at the pieces of the dish when a white dove flies over dropping olive branches on the duck.

Remember, really “see” the movie in your head in as much detail and graphic motion as possible. “Hear” the sounds of the whale splashing in the water, the dish breaking, the duck quacking and the olive branches as they crash onto the duck’s back. The more ridiculous, outrageous and vivid your movie is, the more memorable it becomes.

Have you done it?

Have you really memorized the word list?

Yes, you have!


Now here’s proof!

Recalling the Word String

- Ok, now play the “movie” back in your mind,
saying the words on the list out loud.


No peeking back at the word list!

Recalling the word string is much easier, faster and more accurate than you’d originally imagined, isn’t it?

- Now give the word string IN REVERSE,
starting from the last word to the first word.


Very likely you could do so easily by playing the movie in your head, backwards if you needed to, right?

Simple isn’t it?

If you didn’t do as well as you’d like the first attempt, try it again. You’ll very soon get the hang of it. Using this type of memorization technique, you can memorize almost any list of English or foreign language vocabulary in 5 minutes or less.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com