Christmas stories you might not know...

Hello everybody from the world,
Today is Christmas' day, so I wish you all a very happy X-mas.
Many of you may not have a family to spend with, but I hope that, the light that comes from the love and birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ guide you, and comfort you all against every sort of adversity.

Today, I'd like to spot some curiosities that, drew my attention throughout this past week:

1. Have you ever thought why we often write X-mas when we refer to Christmas?
The explanation is extremely simple, it is because the letter X is called and/or corresponds to, in the Greek language and/or alphabet, the letter "chi" which is also the first letter of the name Christ in Greek, which is "Xpiotós" (My Greek friends and readers will apologise me for not applying the letter in written form properly).

2. Why do we call that old man that goes house-to-house on the Christmas' day delivering presents "Santa Claus"?
First, something needs to be said, this character used to be called Father Christmas and he represented the Christmas' spirit, bringing peace, love and making friends and families get together on this most auspicious of the nights.
Some time during the Middle Age, a story of a man who used to help poor people in Europe at Christmas has been spread, this person was Saint Nicholas. When more people migrated from Ireland and England to the North American British colonies, they took with them the story of this old man. Shortly after, Saint Nicholas started to be associated to Father Christmas and his name abbreviated to Santa Claus. Santa for Saint, and Claus for Nicholas.

3. What is the difference, in usage, between the names Father Christmas and Santa Claus?
Father Christmas is used in Britain and most of the Commonwealth countries (ex-British colonies). Meanwhile, Santa Claus is widely used in the US and Canada.
Nowadays, Santa Claus has been accepted worldwide. However, previously to the 40's, he was always referred to as Father Christmas.

4. Have you ever wondered how many reindeer Father Christmas (Santa Claus) has, and how they are called?
Easy. Father Christmas has 9 reindeer and their names are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph (this last one is the very famous red-nosed reindeer).

5. Are Father Christmas and Santa Claus the same person?
Not necessarily. Father Christmas is always associated to be wearing green clothes, and he does not go door-to-door delivering presents on the Christmas' day. On the other hand, with the spread of the Coca-Cola brand round the world and the arise of television programmes and comercials, Father Christmas started to be broadcast as wearing red clothes and most frequently entering people's house by the chimney delivering his Christmas' presents.

6. Why do we often decorate our Christmas tree with sparkling red balls?
Easy. Originally, the trees were decorated with red apples, and as the time went by and people moved from rural areas to urban cosmopolitan cities, the apples were replaced by these easy-to-be-made red balls.

So, that's all from now!!!
I hope you all enjoy reading this as I enjoyed searching and writing.
MERRY CHRISTMAS...
Cheers,
Murry.

Documentary on RP Pronunciation from BBC 4 Archive

Hello ladies and gentlemen from all over the world...
Be very welcome: The UK, Ireland, The USA, Sweden, India, Panama, Germany, Canada, Russia, France, Argentina, China, and many more which are visiting this web blog... Make yourself at home, and free to share ideas.

These past days, I was looking for videos about the so-called "stiff upper lip" accent frequently associated to the Upper class from Southeastern England.
Guess what?
I found a marvellous and very rare documentary from BBC Channel 4 on RP and, various regional accents across Britain.
It is very intriguing, and there is even an interview with Lord Reith, one of the first Presidents of The BBC Organisation. He was the one who, established the Southeastern pattern of speaking for the BBC broadcasters, therefore it also became known as the BBC English.

Let's have a look, shall we?
Unfortunately, it's got nothing to look at, 'cause it's only available in audio. LOL.
Click on the link below:

Received Pronunciation Documentary

Have fun y'all my friends!!!
Cheers,
Murry "BrazBrit"

My Fair Lady - An extract

Hello duckies! I hope y'all doing great...
I have got to say that I got frightened by how loose I let my English go on.
Why am I telling it?
I was comparing my acquired accent (developed by years of self-dedication to studying the peculiar sounds of the language) to some RP's ones in films, and it scared me! Because I, somehow, felt my English is veering off course towards some sort of Welsh accent mixed with Cockney, and to make things worse, an American way of saying the letter R when a word ends in it. (which I daresay, absolutely disgusts me!)
It is all a result of a bastardised English which, is being taught at public schools in Rio de Janeiro. The spelling is somewhat British, but sometimes also American, the accent is absolutely American-oriented with a character having an uncle who is British.
How come they had no standards on developing this whole material? Anyway...
Due to the fact that, I came across this dilemma, I decided to post today a short extract from the film: "My Fair Lady" from 1964 starring the always brilliant, Audrey Hepburn. Here it comes:


Remember, you're a human with a soul, and the divine gift of articulate speech. English is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible. Don't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon.

- Look at her, a prisoner of the gutters. Condemned by every syllable she utters. By right she should be taken out and hung, for the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue. This is what the British population calls an elementary education!
- I think you've picked a poor example.
- Did I? Hear them down in Soho Square dropping H's everywhere. Speaking English any way they like.
- Hey, you, sir, did you go to school?
- What "ya tike" me for, a fool?
- No one taught him "take" instead of "tike".
Hear a Yorkshireman, or worse...
Hear a Cornishman converse...
I'd rather hear a choir singing flat!

- Garn! (Go on)
- Garn! I ask you, sir, what sort of word is that? It's "aow" and "garn" that keep her in her place, not her wretched clothes and dirty face.

Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
This verbal class distinction by now should be antique.
If you spoke as she does, sir, instead of the way you do. Why, you might be selling flowers, too.
- I beg your pardon.

An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him. One common language, I'm afraid we'll never get. Oh, why can't the English learn to... Set a good example to people whose English is painful to your ears:
The Scotch, and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely disappears.
Why, in America they haven't used it for years!
Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian.
The Greeks are taught their Greek.
In France every Frenchman knows his language from A to Z. The French don't care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly!!!
Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning
The Hebrews learn it backwards which, is absolutely frightening

Use proper English and, you're regarded as a freak!!!
Oh, why can't the English... Why can't the English learn to speak?


Everytime I watch this act of the film, it makes me feel so good and also wonder how languages develop.
Have fun reading it... Be my guest!
Cheers,
Murry "BrazBrit"

Sons of RP (Received Pronunciation)

Hello duckies...

Since I decide to update my blog I will post something related to the Englsh Language, of course, British-oriented.

I have read on Mr Wells' blog (PhD in Phonetics and Phonology and Professor at UCL)

"In England and Wales, RP is widely regarded as a model for correct pronunciation, particularly for educated formal speech. It is what was traditionally used by BBC news readers — hence the alternative name BBC pronunciation, although now that the BBC admits regional accents among its announcers this name has become less appropriate."

To highlight how intrinsically RP belongs to the mindset of most Britons. OED (Oxford English Dictionary) cited a article published by the "Inpendent" Newspaper in 2000:

"What do you do when the fabric tears? - asked a young boy, only to be met by total incomprehension until his enquiry was translated into received pronunciation."

It is crystal clear that, even though, the boy, who asked the question, is from Bristol (a Southern city in England), he was only able to be answered back once his question was well-pronounced, or should I say, once it was pronounced in an RP-like accent.

Think it over mates... Comment on, like or dislike it.

Do as you please.

Cheers,

Murry "BrazBrit"

Welsh influence on me

Hello y'all from the world, "long time no talk, eh?"

I'd like to apologise you all, because I have been through a quite harsh time.
Today I'd like to share something more personal... May I talk about me? Would you all allow me to?
I'm terribly amazed at how God acts on our lives.
On the 10th of March (very BrE way, isn't it? lol) My boyfriend and me split up. Well, to be honest, I decided to break up. There's no way I will keep on dating someone who stops climping up his career. I want someone who follows me, so that we can both follow each other. Anyway...
After a couple of days, I fell in love with another man, but that one is not worth mentioning. Once someone means nothing to you, he/she becomes nothing.

Let's talk about the title of this bloody post (lol). Shall we?
In August, I talked to a friend of mine, named Shirley, who studied in a Grammar School, therefore, a very well-educated Englishwoman, form Hertfordshire (close to London) via Skype, whilst talking she said that I didn't sound like a foreigner at all and, that no one would point at me and say I'm not British. I cannot avoid telling you how my ego went way up high to the sky...
She told me that I sounded like someone who is from somewhere close to the border between England and Wales... Can you believe it? Me, a Welshman?
It reminded me of the time I worked for Linde Engineering as an interpreter where, I had to deal 24/7 with Mr Gareth Jones, a Weshman, he had a strong but nevertheless beautiful accent. It was very clear due to his lack of rhoticity on the "R" letter, the very well-sounded "L" and, lack of "H" just like Cockney sounds.
So, to give you a clearer example, let's focus on the word HARD; in AmE it sounds like /haRd/ with a rhotic R, whilst in Standard BrE it sounds more like /ha:d/ with the lack of the R sound. Nonetheless he pronounced in his Welsh English /'a:d/ pronouncing it without an R and H... Astonishing, innit? LOL.
I decided to post it so that I won't be able to forget it. haha

Let me talk about the English languages for a while.
I wanna post a very intriguing sentence. It simply contains every single letter of the alphabet. Can you believe it? Check it out your-own-selves. I decided to call it the: "ALPHABET SENTENCE":

THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG...

I hope you can find it interesting. Next time, I promise to bring something more eye-catching.
Cheers,
Murry "BrazBrit"

Pronunciation differences within the USA: North vs. South

Hello you all over the world.
Lent has just begun... so it is time to rethink about our lives...
Catholics all around the globe start fasting for the following 40 days. I am just one amongst so many...
Time to pray!

Talking about English...
Today, I decided to post a very interesting video which is about differences between the Northern and the Southern American pronunciation... in a song!

There's a question: In which way do you pronounce "either" and "neither"?

"Let's call the whole thing off"
by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstring

Lyrics:

Things have come to a pretty pass
Our romance is growing flat,
For you like this and the other
While I go for this and that,
Goodness knows what the end will be
Oh I don't know where I'm at
It looks as if we two will never be one
Something must be done:

Chorus 1:
You say either and I say either, You say neither and I say neither
Either, either Neither, neither, Let's call the whole thing off.
You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off
But oh, if we call the whole thing off Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you like pyjamas and I like pyjahmas, I'll wear pyjamas and give up pyajahmas
For we know we need each other so we , Better call the whole off, off
Oh, let's call the whole thing off.

Chorus 2:
You say laughter and I say larfter, You say after and I say arfter
Laughter, larfter after arfter, Let's call the whole thing off
You like vanilla and I like vanella, You saspiralla, and I saspirella
Vanilla vanella chocolate strawberry, Let's call the whole thing off
But oh if we call the whole thing of then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters, I'll order oysters and cancel the ersters
For we know we need each other so we, Better call the calling off, off
Let's call the whole thing off.

...

Línguas dos países mais poderosos...

Hi there. I hope you all are doing well.

I want to post a very simple image I found on the web these past days:

Let's try to look through a good standpoint: at least Portuguese is within this list!

PS: NÃO DEIXE DE VER O POST ANTERIOR SOBRE OS CURSOS DE INGLÊS NO BRASIL!

Pesquisa sobre Cursos de Inglês

Hello y'all... Today I decided to change the subject a little.
I found an amazing survey (poll) about the many English Schools spread all over Brazil.
I wanted to share it with you and to know what your opinion about it is. There we go:

• Qual é a escola de idiomas mais popular do Brasil? (total: 1.450 votos)

1º Wizard 17% (251 votos)

2º CCAA 17% (250 votos)

3º Fisk 13% (187 votos)

4º Cultura Inglesa 12% (184 votos)

5º CNA 12% (176 votos)

6º Wise Up 8% (114 votos)

7º Yázigi 7% (110 votos)

8º Skill 4% (66 votos)

9º Wisdom 2% (35 votos)

10º Outros 5% (77 votos): Brasas, Berlitz, Alumni, Yes, Britannia, You Move

fonte: www.englishexperts.com.br (enquete: Janeiro / 2008)

• Qual é o melhor curso de inglês que você já estudou? (total: 2.133 votos)

1º Wizard 15% (320 votos)

2º CCAA 14% (292 votos)

3º Cultura Inglesa 12% (246 votos)

4º Fisk 10% (219 votos)

5º CNA 10% (216 votos)

6º Yázigi 6% (130 votos)

7º Wise Up 6% (130 votos)

8º Skill 4% (74 votos)

9º Wisdom 2% (40 votos)

10º Outros 22% (466 votos): SENAC, ACBEU, UpTime, Brasas, Number One, IBEU, Yes, Britannia

fonte: www.englishexperts.com.br (enquete: Dezembro / 2007)

• O que te faria ser fiel com uma escola de inglês? (total: 2.246 votos)

1º Método de ensino 75% (772 votos)

2º Bons professores 72% (743 votos)

3º Preço 36% (376 votos)

4º Estrutura da escola 20% (208 votos)

5º Localização da escola 12% (125 votos)

6º Nome da escola 2% (22 votos)

fonte: www.englishexperts.com.br (enquete: Setembro / 2009)

• Você tem vergonha de falar inglês em público? (total: 1.605 votos)

Sim 76% (1.213 votos)

Não 24% (392 votos)

fonte: www.englishexperts.com.br (enquete: Agosto / 2008)

• Você prefere estudar qual tipo de inglês? (total: 8.553 votos)

1º Americano 66% (5.620 votos)

2º Britânico 31% (2.669 votos)

3º Outros 3% (264 votos): Australiano, Canadense, Neozelandês, Irlandês, Sul-africano

fonte: www.englishexperts.com.br (enquete: Agosto / 2008)

I hope you can enjoy it... but BEAR IN MIND:

POPULARITY DOES NOT MEAN QUALITY!

Cultural Differences

Brits X Americans X Aussies X Canadians

Aussies: Dislike being mistaken for Brits when abroad.

Canadians: Are rather indignant about being mistaken for Americans when abroad.

Americans: Encourage being mistaken for Canadians when abroad.

Brits: Can't possibly be mistaken for anyone else when abroad.

Aussies: Believe you should look out for your mates.

Brits: Believe that you should look out for those people who belong to your club.

Americans: Believe that people should look out for & take care of themselves.

Canadians: Believe that that's the government's job.

Aussies: Are extremely patriotic to their beer.

Americans: Are flag-waving, anthem-singing, and obsessively patriotic to the point of blindness.

Canadians: Can't agree on the words to their anthem, when they can be bothered to sing them.

Brits: Do not sing at all but prefer a large brass band to perform the anthem.

Americans: Spend most of their lives glued to the idiot box, i.e. “TV”.

Canadians: Don't, but only because they can't get more American channels.

Brits: Pay a tax just so they can watch four channels.

Aussies: Export all their crappy programs, which no-one there watches.

Americans: Will jabber on incessantly about football, baseball, and basketball.

Brits: Will jabber on incessantly about cricket, soccer, and rugby.

Canadians: Will jabber on incessantly about hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, and how they beat the Americans twice, playing baseball.

Aussies: Will jabber on incessantly about how they beat the Brits in every sport they play.

Brits: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island.

Aussies: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island.

Americans: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas, & liquor in a backwards country.

Canadians: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas, & liquor in a backwards country.

Americans: Drink weak, bad-tasting beer.

Canadians: Drink strong, bad-tasting beer.

Brits: Drink warm, bad-tasting beer.

Aussies: Drink anything with alcohol in it.

Americans: Seem to think that poverty & failure are morally suspect.

Canadians: Seem to believe that wealth and success are morally suspect.

Brits: Seem to believe that wealth, poverty, success and failure are inherited things.

Aussies: Seem to think that none of this matters after several beers.

Americans: Spell words differently, but still daresay it is "English".

Canadians: Spell like the Brits, pronounce like Americans.

Aussies: Add "G'day", "mate" and a heavy accent to everything they say in an attempt to be cool.

Brits: Include Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish, that hate being called English by foreigners, but when abroad they all refer to their language as "English".

This is England

Informações:

Título original: This is England

Título no Brasil: ---

Gênero: Drama de Cultura Skinhead da Inglaterra dos anos 80's

Ano: 2007

Formato: Avi

Tamanho: 701 MB

Legendas: Inglês e Português

Hello everybody...

I hope these films are helping you all in some way to improve your accents as well as the British way of speaking and expressing yourselves. The film I am posting today is a very good one, and shows the skinhead subculture of England in the 80's. This happened when Mrs. Thatcher was the Prime Minister, the well-known "Iron Lady"...

This is England

The film begins with Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), a 12 year-old schoolboy from Cleethorpes, whose father died in the Falklands War. On his way home, unhappy, Shaun runs into a group of young, non-racist skinheads led by Woody (Joe Gilgun), who feel sympathy for Shaun and invite him to join them. The group accepts Shaun as a member and he finds a big brother in Woody, while developing a romance with Smell (Rosamund Hanson), an older girl who dresses in punky new wave style. The film closes with Shaun throwing his St George's Cross flag, a symbol of his friendship with Combo, who came from prison with a nationalist spirit against the ruling government of Mrs. Margareth Tatcher, the “Iron Lady” into the sea.

Much of the film was shot in residential areas of Nottingham, including St Ann's, Lenton and The Meadows, with one section featuring abandoned houses at the former airbase RAF Newton, outside of Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The opening fight was filmed at Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College, a secondary school in Derbyshire. Additional scenes were filmed in Grimsby, Turgoose's home town.

Turgoose was 13 at the time of filming. Turgoose had never acted before, had been banned from his school play for bad behaviour, and demanded £5 to turn up for the film's auditions. The film was dedicated to Turgoose's mother, Sharon, who died of cancer on 29 December 2005; while she never saw the film, she saw a short preview. The cast attended her funeral.

The film won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the 2007 British Academy Film Awards. It also won the Best Film category at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards, Thomas Turgoose winning the Most Promising Newcomer award.

This is England - Film Download

This is England - English Subtitle

This is England - Portuguese Subtitle