6 Keys to Boosting Your Brain and Memory for a Better Quality of Life

All of us want to be healthier, happier and live longer, more productive lives. Essential to quality of life are a good brain and memory, greater intelligence and being mentally active. Here are six useful keys to help you in re-vamping your lifestyle, improving your health and boosting your mental capacity.

Minimize the Stress in Your Life
Not only is excess stress bad for your mental processes, it’s harmful to your health and can even be a killer. Other aids to help minimize stress include getting enough sleep along with cutting down on consumption of caffeine from soft drinks, tea or coffee. Not more than two cups of coffee a day is the recommendation. One other stress-busting key is to laugh a lot and have more fun. Have you ever seen a stressed-out person at an amusement park? (other than a caregiver with too many charges). Take time to enjoy your life more.

Become More Mentally Active
Do brain teasers, work a variety of different games or puzzles. Try your hand at some crosswords, anything to get that grey matter working for a change. Play checkers, chess, backgammon, Monopoly or any other of numerous board games. You could also play card games. Bridge, Poker and other parlor card games are making a comeback from the video-game fever that has swept across the cultures of countries around the world. Whatever you do you need to challenge your brain. Only then will it respond, develop and grow

Eat Brain-Boosting foods
Brain-healthy fats like Omega-3, aid can not only in slowing down the onset of mind-debilitating disorders but can promote mental acuity. Consume more Olive oil, fish, and walnuts along with foods high in anti-oxidants as studies show they may actually increase mental ability. You should eat less unrefined carbohydrates - instant and processed foods can spike your blood sugar thus reducing brain function. Get the lowdown on a complete dietary overhaul by visiting a Dietician or Nutritionist.

Become More Physically Active
Links between reduced Alzheimer’s risk and regular physical activity has been well-established by doctors and numerous medical studies. So move it. Go for walks, jog, join a gym, take up a physical sport or go bowling. Be sure to get a medical checkup before engaging in any rigorous physical activity, but by all means do something for your muscles, heart and mind.

Improve Your General Health
Your general health greatly impacts your mental abilities or lack thereof. As your health improves, so will your mental skills in general. Quit smoking, or better yet, abandon any use of tobacco including, dipping, chewing, etc. Nicotine and other tobacco by products are transmitted into your system in different ways so switching from one form of tobacco use will not be of any benefit.

Other health-promoting tips include, but are not limited to:

• Don’t use addictive drugs
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Have regular medical checkups

Learn and Practice a New Hobby or Skill

Make time to boost your mental activity by:

• Taking a class (preferably not a sedentary one like needlepoint, etc.)
• Learning a new sport, hobby or activity
• Learn an interesting new skill, even a new language

It’s Never Too Late
It’s never too late to grow mentally or learn. If I can be of any further help or you have a specific question, please feel free to contact me at the site listed below. Try these six useful keys to augment your lifestyle to aid you to live a healthier, happier, longer, more productive life.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Fun but Simple Creative Toys You and Your Young EFL Learners Can Make

Rainy Day Blues?
Have you got the rainy day blues? Cabin fever? Stuck in a rut, or just looking for some affordable outlets for your tots, toddlers and perhaps their older siblings? Looking for some really fun activities for your young learners in EFL classes? Would you like some ideas on producing some unique, economical toys and amusements? Ideas for new, different and creative toys can come from virtually every corner of the house or class room. You may just need a healthy “how to” push in the right direction. Try these ideas for recycling common household items for starters.

Soda Bottle Trucks
As rain pounded into the black sands of the Pacific coast fishing village where I was passing my vacation, I noticed the downpour never stopped the kids. What I also noticed was their ingeniously crafted toy trucks fabricated from water or soda bottles. Each boy ran along rivulets of water pulling a sand-loaded truck. Converting the plastic bottle into a truck was childishly simple. Four bottle caps served as wheels. Two axles were formed from two three and a half inch long pieces of coat hanger wire. The wires were run through the sides of the bottle and through a plastic bottle cap on each side. The ends of the wire were bent up to hold the bottle cap wheels on. A portion of the other side of the bottle was cut away to create a cargo bay. String was tied around the bottle neck. Load up the cargo bay with sand, rocks, marbles, small figures, screws, nuts and bolts, whatever - and the truck was ready to go.

Shake, Rattle and Roll
Empty metal, cardboard or plastic containers make great noise maker toys for the tots. Round containers from cereals, powdered or dry, granulated and some liquid products work well especially if they have re-sealable tops. You can partially fill them with gravel, marbles, clean sand, seeds, dried beans, rice, etc. to create different sound effects. Be sure to super glue or otherwise permanently seal the assembly to keep inquisitive toddlers from opening and potentially swallowing the contents. They’re washable too, so they can be easily washed or cleaned. Your imagination is the only limit to what you can come up with.

Flying High
An all-time favorite toy with children and adults alike, kites have been around for more than 4000 years since their invention in China. Originally made from paper and bamboo, kite-making materials now run the gamut from the original paper and bamboo to nylon, cloth, plastics, and even metal foils. Not strictly for kids, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite into scientific history. Fifth century BCE Greek scientist Archytas of Tarentum is credited with introducing kite-flying into Europe.

Here are some reference web sites to get you up, up, and away:

• http://www.skratch-pad.com/kites/make.html Have ever wanted to build a kite? Well, here is a simple kite you can make your self!

• http://www.ehow.com/how_1288_make-kite.html How to make a kite. While kites are inexpensive to buy, making one adds to the fun. You'll be especially proud when your diamond-shaped creation takes to the sky.

• http://www.aloha.net/~bigwind/20kidskites.html These are the complete time tested instructions to get kids making their own kites and flying them in 20 minutes.

• http://www.planemath.com/activities/flykite/kiteplans.html Here are more simple kite plans to help get you and your kids started

• http://scsc.essortment.com/howtobuilda_rlrf.htm Kites are fun for young and old alike. You can build your own kite, or help your young learners build one by reading this article!

Airport Central
It’s hardly much of a jump from kites to planes. Inexpensive and easy to produce, flyable planes can be made from paper, plastic or Balsa wood available at hobby shops, building and craft supply stores and hardware stores. Just like kites, they’re intriguing, tons of fun and a snap to make. Flying them can be a bit trickier, but who cares? Time sure flies when you’re having fun!

Try these web sites for a quick take off:

• http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/paper.htm This page lists some of the best Web sites on how to make and fly paper airplanes.

• http://paperplane.org/ Ken Blackburn, web site to share what he knows about paper airplanes. He holds the Guinness record for time aloft for paper airplanes.

• http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/paper/airplanes.html T he most amazing thing about a paper airplane is that all you need to make one is a sheet of paper—nothing more.

• www.paperairplanes.co.uk/ Alex's paper airplanes Cobra Paper Airplane The Planes - This is an index listing all the paper airplanes currently on the site ranked by how easy they are to make.

So there, you have some ideas on producing some unique, economical toys and amusements for your tots, toddlers and their older siblings. Ideas for new, different and modified versions of your creations will flow from virtually every corner of the house. Who knows, you might even develop something saleable. The toy conglomerates are always looking for the next super fad item.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language: 7 Tips for Using Popular Movies

Movies and Videos in the EFL Classroom
If you’re looking to expand the role of movies and videos in your EFL classroom, what better way to expand the learners’ communicative skills, grammar and vocabulary than by using clips from popular movies? Try using these seven tips for stimulating learner motivation while enjoying a favored pastime of children and adults alike, watching short scenes or clips from popular movies.



Photo: Sebastian High School students in Cali, Colombia watch a video clip in EFL class


1. Use pre-viewing activities
Before the video, warm up your learners to the theme and grammar using pre-viewing activities. A variety of these might include puzzles, photos and images, short games like “concentration” or TPR activities, a story or anecdote, or activating the schema of the learners’ in a number of other ways.

2. Have learners complete a chart while viewing
While they are watching a short video or movie segment you might have the learners fill in key information in a chart. Items like names of characters, occupations, family relationships, clothing and settings can be easily recorded this way. This allows the learners to focus more on the communicative aspects and less on actually writing.

3. Select a grammar point repeatedly demonstrated in the movie clip
There’s no need to leave grammar out of a video-based lesson or stage. If a usable grammar point or structure is repeated or prominent during the movie clip you plan to use, all the better. Just remember to pre-teach that grammar or structural element, even a class or two before the video, so that it will be recognizable in context.
Using Movies to Improve Your English Language Speaking Skills in One Week or Less
4. Have a list of six to eight lexis
Select a list of from six to eight or ten vocabulary words, idioms and expressions from the movie clip or video you plan to use. Pre-teach these during the pre-viewing stage of the lesson. When the learners then hear them used in context during the video viewing session, the lexis will have added impact.

5. Make use of visual input
A popular movie clip is an audio-visual experience, so use it as such. While learners are watching and listening for general and detailed spoken information, include visual aspects for them to skim and scan for as well. How many? How much? When? Where? Who? How and why are good starters for capturing visually-presented information from the movie clip or video segment.

6. Allow learners to select their preferred movie clip
It can be quite a dilemma. There you have perhaps two or three or more movies from which to choose, but you’re not sure which your learners would prefer. So I have an idea, do you choose, let them do it. Take three movies for example, show the learners only the first five minutes of each, and then let them choose which they’d like to work with. If you have a clip in mind from each of the movies, show each clip and give them a choice. You can work up your activities and lesson stage plans confident in having your learners’ interest and motivation. So who’s it going to be, Clint Eastwood or Whoopi Goldberg?

7. For post-viewing discussion:
If not addressed during pre-viewing activities, now is the time to talk about favorite actors, actresses, similar plots and stories from other movies, and what might be different or better outcomes for what as seen. Stage re-enactments, altered dialogues and plot twists your learners might come up with. Be imaginative, be creative, be bold or even funny, but get them communicating about their experience.

Prepare a Worksheet
You can prepare a one or two page worksheet to be photocopied and used by the learners for the video session. Alternatively, learners can copy the format into their notebooks. Just be sure to plan your pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing activities well and your English language video clip-based lesson is sure to be an award-winner.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Here’s a List of Links I Like

Links I Liked
Since I regularly browse the internet and read a dozen or more blogs, articles and RSS feeds each week, I thought that I’d cull some of the best or most interesting ones to share them with my fellow readers, writers, teachers and foreign language learners. These readings tend to be on a wide range of topics and styles from academic to humorous and educational or non-fiction, but each one nonetheless, provides its own value to thinking people and professionals from many different walks of life.

Photo: A stone-carved Olmec Head in Xalapa, Mexico

Here’s what’s current on my list:

http://heleninwales.livejournal.com/322860.html
Helen's musings on life etc. by means of her online blog journal

http://www.internetmarketingsweetie.com/download/
Internet Marketing Sweetie information for women in business

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/
Daily Writing, English Grammar and Punctuation tips This is a good site to pick up some tips and interesting information on English language grammar, punctuation, spelling and word origins.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2008/03/it-seemed-like-good-idea-but-not-as.html
The World as Seen by a TV Comedy Writer
If you’re at all familiar with American TV sitcoms (comedies) you’ll enjoy some of the background this writer provides online.

http://www.ibankcoin.com/peanut_gallery/index.php/2008/03/30/american-dream-killing-me-softly/
The Peanut Gallery (definition: A group of people whose opinions are considered to be unimportant) Humorous views, opinions and ideas

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Books/1046504.html
Being a writer in Canada challenging, says Richards
Do you want to know what being a writer is like? Then check out this page

http://www.examiner.com/a-1309070~Interest_in_Hunting__Fishing_Dropping.html?cid=rss-Vermont_Headlines
Interest in Hunting, Fishing and Outdoors is Dropping …
Why do you think fewer and fewer people are developing an interest in the outdoors and outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, hiking and others? One opinion is here for you to read.

http://www.ehow.com/
How to Do Just About Everything
If you want clear, simple instructions on how to do a huge variety of everyday tasks from tying a tie to making an apple pie, then this is the site for you.

http://www.yourfirstarticle.com/
Article Writing and Article Marketing by Jeff Herring, a writer with hundreds of free articles posted online

http://mountainmystic.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/from-imp-to-imp/#comment-39
From Imp to Imp
Blog site with a cute little “story poem” you might enjoy.

http://hackyourday.com/2008/04/01/5-steps-to-managing-a-blog-writers-workflow/#comment-1255
5 steps to managing a blog writer’s workflow
http://ragnar111.wordpress.com/
Ragnar111’s Weblog updates ancient wisdom with the help of the laws of Quantum Physics

Feel free to check out any or all of the links that may interest you. Each month a new series of links that I’ve scoured from the internet will be posted for your information and perusal. If you run across any interesting links you particularly like or enjoy during your own online surfing, please feel free to let me know too.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then e-mail me for further information.

Is The English Language Being Destroyed?

Listened to the Radio Lately?
If you’ve listened attentively to the radio or watched some of the current or recent offerings on the silver screen in English, you might have noticed something alarming. People seem to be losing their ability to properly and effectively communicate in English. Why with text messaging and text messaging, you virtually need to re-learn English in order to be able to function in these environments.

English grammar, spelling and pronunciation have never been exactly what you’d call easy. As a professor of English as a foreign language, I’m all too familiar with the irregularities and intricacies of English in its seemingly myriad of varieties, dialects, patois and other divergent forms. Hop onto YouTube for a slice of English in all its splendorous varieties. Try Australian English with Steve Irwin or Jamaican English and its contorted pronunciations. Cue up a couple of the latest rap tunes, and see how well you can follow what’s being said. Then there’s the English of India and East African countries like Kenya and Nigeria, which has a booming film industry. Relax to a clip or two from one of the several Nigerian movies online and you’ll definitely begin to see what I mean.

But Wait, There’s More
Let’s not leave out Black American English or the “English of the South”.
If you’re an English as a foreign language teaching professional (ELT), you may well have comprehension problems with these forms, as will your EFL learners. With the proliferation of public speaking online and off, the problem of incomprehensible English speech is getting worse, not better. It appears that as more and more countries adopt English as a lingua franca for business, trade, technology and education, that each is developing its own “variety” of speaking, grammar and spelling. It’s almost a catch-as-catch-can situation.

The growth and expansion of English worldwide is an almost unprecedented phenomenon. While having many highly positive aspects, there is a downside to English as a world language. If some basic curbs or parameters are not eventually recognized, the English language could ultimately be warped beyond all recognition and return to the days of Beowulf, Milton or Chaucer. And who nowadays, can understand that?


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

English and Foreign Language Compositions - 5 Tips for Easier Writing

Writing Can Seem Like a Daunting Task
Whether you are an English as a foreign language teacher or a foreign language learner, at some point you’re going to have to write an essay or composition in English. Since English is structured quite differently from many other foreign language groups in terms of grammar, spelling and punctuation rules, writing even a simple, straight-forward opinion essay or composition can seem like a daunting task for many. Writing in English can be either process or product-based (ref. Fowler, 1988 vs.White, 1987), so even native English language speakers can experience problems with organizing, composing, drafting and editing a written piece in their own first language (L1). So if you are nervous about writing at first, don’t worry too much about that. You’re in plenty of good company.

Here are seven easy tips to help make the English language writing process easier.

1. Use a five-paragraph essay format
To keep yourself on track use this writing format: Paragraph one – state your idea or opinion and what you’re going to write about clearly and simply in three to five sentences. Here's a five-paragraph essay example online for you to follow.

2. Write simple sentences
Use short, simple sentences to help state your points as directly as possible. “I think learning a foreign language is important for most learners.” Then use additional sentences to add additional points. “This is because most learners will need to be able to communicate with others not from their culture.” For more points and ideas just use more sentences. “We all live in a globally-based community connected by technology like telephones, faxes, e-mail and the internet.” Don’t list more than three or four items in a sentence.

3. Use compound sentences expressing no more than two ideas – sparingly
For a little variety, you can use compound sentences which express two ideas instead of just one. If you do this however, it should be just a very few sentences – not a lot of them. “People in many European countries often have to communicate in several languages on a daily basis, like English, French, and Spanish or German for example.”

4. Be sure to capitalize proper nouns
Proper nouns are generally the names of persons, places or things and should be capitalized. Examples are nouns such as languages, cities, people’s names, titles, and geographic names among many other possibilities. Use a dictionary to help you. English, Barcelona, President George W. Bush, and Mt. Saint Helens illustrate proper capitalization.

5. Be careful with the use of the articles in English
In a number of languages, the use of the indefinite article (a, an) or the definite article (the, this, that, these, those) can be very different from their use in the English language. Also related are quantifiers like: some, any, a lot of, many, few, all, none, much and most). These can be a problem if the learner translates from their first language (L1).

Many English-Speaking Natives Have Problems
So if you are nervous about writing in English at first, remember that even many native English language speakers have problems with essays, articles, letters and compositions in their own first language (L1). Just follow the steps above and you should find the English language writing process a whole lot simpler and easier.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then e-mail me for further information.

Part 5 - 20 Critical Problems that Keep Colombia in the Third World

The Final Two of This Series

With these final two critical social problems, we wrap up the series on living and working in Colombia. Much of the news coming out of the country is negative, but there are, in fact, quite a number of positives which can be associated with this, one of the world’s most notorious countries.

Here are the final two issues to be mentioned in this series.

19. There are lax controls on essential medicines and drugs of all classes.
As for whether it’s good or bad to be able to get virtually any non-narcotic prescription medication over-the-counter, is still up for grabs. If you know the name, composition r brand of a medication, it can usually be purchased without a prescription from pharmacies throughout the country. The quality may be subject to question as well in some areas. Even if you want to take “what my neighbor took when she had this problem”, you can often just go into any pharmacy and buy it no questions asked. True, some countries over-regulate, but then again it’s a tough call any way you look at it.

20. Racial and social prejudices are commonplace.
“America went through a crisis of its own during the 1960s with the emergence of intergration in its society. The process still continues as the current presidential race well demonstrates with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in history’s forefront. Will America finally have a black president? We’ll soon know. No question about a black president in Colombia though. No one expects or believes it could happen anytime soon. Why? … Because of deep-seated inferiority beliefs on the part of many Colombians – black and white. Minorities like blacks and indigenous races do not get “equal treatment” despite laws to the contrary. Not “Jim Crow” of the mid 1900s, but not too far off either. With enough money, a measure of “equality” can be reached, but is not available to the majority.

In another, soon upcoming series, we’ll look at some of the positive aspects of living and working in Colombia, one of the world’s most beautiful, but notorious countries. Stay tuned …


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then e-mail me for further information.