EnglishisEasy/Elinglésesfácil

"Ok, that is a big weapon..." Captain Phillips (2013) is one of those stories that make you think: "Why did they have to make a movie out of this?" Based on real facts, the premise could not be simpler- the captain of a cargo ship saw his vessel being invaded by a group of Somali pirates in 2009. His determination helped preserve his ship and the crew but not himself. As a result of his brave defense he got kidnapped by the pirates who threatened to kill him unless they were paid a ransom. Really the production was done with great care, seeing to every detail so it looks quite realistic in some points. Mostly the action is based on the interaction between Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the pirates, especially their leader called Muse (Barkhad Abdi), and it goes that way to the very end. One of the high points is how the pirates are depicted. They are cruel, even merciless, but not without reason. They are actually fishermen who are forced by local gangst...

"Only a smile they said..." Halloween is indeed not a holiday and it has never been.  We could say that is a tradition that belonged to the Celts, the people that originally populated most of Europe. This tradition or group of traditions were then inherited by the nations that descended from the Celts like for example the Anglo-Saxons. If the name itself does not ring any bell, the Anglo-Saxons were the ones who occupied the British Isles and later on formed the British Empire and eventually the United States when they came to America. Unlike what many people claim Halloween is not a Devil-worshipping event. The Celts were actually non-Christians so then they had no interest in worshipping a a renegade angel - demon who in turn was the antagonist of mankind. So don't celebrate it but don't hate it either, just have fun.

In a different reality, things happened differently. The term MANDE (short for MANDE USTED) is not that common in Latin America and only the citizens of Ecuador and a few other countries use it regularly. Translated literally is COMMAND ME, but that meaning has been lost. It probably came from the time when Spain ruled what was to be Latin America long ago and enslaved and abused of most of the indigenous people (our true ancestors). One of the things Indians were obliged to do was to respond "¡Mande!" every time their Spaniard masters called them. For some reason this expression of servitude derived into a sign of respect to elders and in general to those in a superior rank and eventually into what is these days: just a way to respond when someone calls you by name.  "Juan..." "Mande..." This dialog is not unlikely and is in fact a cultural signal that helps recognize an Ecuadorian when you hear him / her saying that. MANDE as such woul...

"Hey, join our a party! More a fiesta than a party!" The most obvious answer is FIESTA, but that's the problem precisely: is the most obvious but not the only one. PARTY can also refer to a PARTIDO as in Partido Político. If other people and you gather together for a special purpose then that is also a PARTY as in a Hunting Party for example which in Spansih would only be un Grupo de Caza. Then again  a PARTY is not exactly a FIESTA. A social gathering with friends and family to have snacks and refreshments along some music, and alcohol perhaps, is a what in the United States they call a PARTY, but our FIESTAS are much more fun than that especially because we can turn up the music and dance all night long. Also a FIESTA can have a sacred meaning as in Christmas which in Spanish es una FIESTA religiosa but in English is a Religious Holiday.                    

If you want to say AGUAFIESTAS in English the word is PARTY POOPER, or POOP.  True, it is not an elegant word but quite faithful to describe the kind of person it refers to. By definition a PARTY POOPER is somebody who ruins other people's fun by saying or doing things that are not fun at all. Someone who has little or no interest in participating in a celebration or is the first one to leave. In general if you stop somebody's fun you're a PARTY POOPER.

Surely one of the bloodiest crimes I know of is that of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter. The circumstances in which they were killed and how they were killed indicate a brutality that goes beyond any human instinct. Also the crime itself is a mystery because both women lived in the fourth floor of a building in the Rue Morgue, and we know that the murderer entered through the window but that is almost impossible. The outside characteristics of the building make accessing the apartment from that point only possible if you could fly perhaps. From outside the apartment is virtually inaccessible. The neighbors' testimonies are not of great help due to the contradictory, and quite often, confusing information they provide. The Police are working to find clues that solve such bizarre crime but they are making little or no progress at all. The murderer is himself the greatest mystery. Why did he want to kill these two women who meant harm to no one? Why did he kill them they wa...

Blue pins: "We got you surrounded, Red. Yield!" What we know in Spanish as FECHA LIMITE or ULTIMO PLAZO in English is a DEADLINE. Simply put a DEADLINE is a time limit given to any activity. Let's say for example that you have to turn in an assignment and your tutor tells you that he will not see it after the end of the month. Then the end of the month is the DEADLINE for your assignment thus meaning your work will not be accepted after that date.

 In the past if you asked your English teacher what you could do to practice English at home and if he or she was the funny type he or she  would have answered: "Marry a Gringo!"  Today we know that is not necessary. What you have to do is decide what aspect of your life want to dedicate it to. Are you going to use English at work or in your studies? Then, go ahead, do it. If that seems not to be enough,then try again and also be creative. Consider that English could easily apply to aspects other than Business and Studies. Sadly this is a point that many English learners tend to forget because they grow used to the idea that English is another school subject when truly is a language and therefore deserves a different treatment.  What about Sports, Entertainment or even Religion? There might be an area that suits your needs. Still I , or any other English teacher, can help you but in the end if you do not make that decision yourself and make English part of y...

Both are the same but SNAKE is more commonly used, perhaps because of the fact that this word is originally taken from Old German whereas SERPENT was taken from French. For some reason, English speakers in general seem to show more affinity for those words that originally come from Old German. In the past SERPENT was more commonly used and in fact when these animals have legendary characteristics are usually referred to as SERPENTS and not SNAKES.  Here are some names of snakes in English and Spanish: Anaconda (same name in both languages) Black Mamba - Mamba Negra Boa Constrictor (same name in both languages) King Cobra - Cobra Real Diamondback Rattlesnake - Serpiente Cascabel

      (Continued from previous entry)     3. As a teacher who has been in several countries already, you have a perspective others do not. In what regards to English, why is this language of such great importance?       English has become the de facto universal language of international communication. This may have begun due to the prominence of English-speaking countries such as the U.S. and Great Britain, but it now transcends any relationship to those countries. English now belongs to the entire world and its influence is no longer limited by the influence of English-speaking countries. Those who suggest that the rise in influence of other countries will weaken the status of English as the universal language, do not understand this.   The Chinese do understand and that is why there are more English language students there than in any other country. Although learning other world languages is also valuable, English will c...

Mr. Peter Harrington Mr. Peter Harrington is one of the most important names in the world of EFL teachers in Ecuador. His labor, sometimes titanic, marks a before and after in the field since he was the chief designer of COPEI, currently the number one academy in this country. He was also the Director of the English Department in Colegio Politécnico and it was his vision that allowed the creation of an innovative program now regarded as one of the best in Guayaquil,if not the best. He has also worked in Colombia and is currently residing in Mexico where he continues his neverending labor to offer quality education wherever is needed. This interview where he talks about the beginnings of COPEI, the reasons for its success and English in general is offered in two parts of which this entry includes the first. 1.  COPEI has been around for more than fifteen years already. What is in your words the reason why COPEI has been successful in such a difficult market? I cou...

To think they use this to build our houses What we call MORTERO in Spanish is MORTAR in English.  To be clear, MORTAR is a mixture made up by cement and parts of sand and water. This unusual blend is used while is still fresh and soft as a paste that bonds together bricks or blocks in a construction. Once a wall is finished the mixture slowly solidifies and confers strength to the structure. The word MORTAR is also commonly used in the expression "Brick-and-MORTAR" is also used to indicate something is done in a Traditional way, e.g. "You can purchase your smartphones brick-and-mortar or online visiting our webpage."  MORTARS are also small receptacles used by chemists to grind certain materials in a lab. This word can also refer to a weapon that looks like a small cannon used to throw shell at difficult angles.   

"¿Ya vieron? ¡Les dije que era mejor traer los trajes de buceo!" This word is considered offensive since it is applied to all those immigrants that illegally cross the border between Mexico and the United States looking for a job or in order to find a better income.  Originally the term was applied only to the Mexicans who crossed the Río Grande, a river that is used as a reference to mark part of the U.S. - Mexican border. They did that at night and of course when they came out their backs were wet which is why they were called WETBACKS (ESPALDAS MOJADAS) in Spanish. These days the term is applied to all illegal immigrants no matter if their backs are wet or not. The problem of WETBACKS has many sides and many aspects to consider. If you are a COPEI student remember to check Antonio and Wetback, two books that COPEI includes in its program and that are related to the illegal immigrant problem.

One question students who have reached a high proficiency level commonly ask is what they can do to keep their level of proficiency high or even increase it. Fifteen years ago or so I would have said that there was not much to do but these days the panorama is different and there are several good options that allow precisely that.  All you need is a good Internet connection and a smartphone. Once you have both connect through to the BBC webpage. For those who are from another reality not ours, the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) is the prime communication network in the United Kingdom. No other system has the preeminence the BBC has and they offer a great variety of services, most of them in good British English.  Once you are connected to their webpage look for their radio stations, choose one after your own fashion (there are stations for news, sports, music, politics, and even opinion) and just immerse yourself in this exciting world that is similar to ours yet ...

"Who is the breadwinner now?" In English the term is BREADWINNER which translated literally into Spanish is the GANAPAN, but we don't talk like that so that word does not exist in Spanish. Put simply we must say EL QUE SE GANA EL PAN or EL QUE TRAE EL PAN A LA CASA.  In English a BREADWINNER is the one who works to provide his or her family with what they need. When there are two providers for the same family then we talk of having a Primary and a Secondary BREADWINNER in the family which is decided by comparing not only who makes the most but who is ready to share the most.

Silly example: "Oh! All this water must have appeared overnight !" The word is OVERNIGHT. OVERNIGHT means quickly, suddenly. It is used to refer to something that truly happened for as little time as that of a night. e.g. These new neighborhoods increased in size literally OVERNIGHT. It can be used as an adjective as well. e.g. We could not react on time since it was an OVERNIGHT operation. And it can even be a verb. After we land in L.A. we´ll go to a hotel and OVERNIGHT  there.

FACILITY is another word to be careful to be with. It does not always mean FACILIDAD as we  understand it. Primarily, FACILITY is INSTALACION, literally a place for doing something so by definition hotels, convention centers, libraries, etc.; all of them are FACILITIES. Of course, FACILITY means the capacity of doing something with freedom or ease, but it is more a secondary than primary meaning. 

"They told me it would boost my career!" Out the several words I found it seems that POMPADOUR is the one term that most frequently people use to refer to this hairstyle. I have encountered other terms such as TUFT OF HAIR, FORELOCK and even HAIR HORN, though I understand not all of them are necessarily the same.  POMPADOUR hairstyle seems to be the right term and that is the hairstyle worn by the model in the picture. Update: Gisella Quintana+ says QUIFF is COPETE. That would be a Yes, though QUIFF is COPETE as it was in the fifties. Nevertheless, QUIFFS are still on: none other than Bruno Mars does not hesitate to sport one.

Vegetarians would love MOTE There is no word for MOTE in English. MOTE, as Ecuadorians prepare it, is boiled corn kernels that are served peeled and are used to accompany certain dishes such as Fritada (fried pork), Hornado (roast pork) and some soups. HOMINY is a good option though a bit imprecise because though corn kernels are used, also maize kernels can be used, and the final texture and appearance is different as well. The term MOTE does exist in English but with an entirely different meaning: a MOTE is a Countable, not Uncountable, noun and means a small particle or a speck.

"Sorry...it's the burritos again..." Christopher Columbus, who is known as Cristobal Colón in Spanish, was an Italian sailor, an ambitious and visionary one only that his vision was wrong. It is because of his efforts and endeavours that many of us literally exist and also because of him the world is the way it is.     Is that good? Is that a blessing? I can say I'm certainly happy to exist, but sometimes I wonder that if all the suffering, diseases and death that the Europeans of that time brought to this land. They came to conquer and to ransack and to impose their culture and ideas. Their arrival only bought doom to the nations already existing here who Europeans tried to erase from the map.  I for one think that was price a little too high to pay. It is for this reason that while Columbus's arrival is enough reason to commemorate and thank; in Ecuador that "celebration" is only a day to remember. So in the United States, October the 12t...

Gravity shows up at the end. One of the best Sci-fi movies ever made hands down. If you have heard any praise given to this picture before you actually watch it then pay attention because this Alfonso Cuarón movie (he directs and produces) does deserve it. The story is simple and yet mind-boggling. A U.S. mission is making important modifications in the Hubble telescope, and two of the crew members are veteran Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) a specialist who is there more because she is essential to the project than for skills as an astronaut (she is actually terrified to be there). Things start to go wrong when they are informed that the Russians, in an attempt to destroy one of their own old satellites, have accidentally begun a chain reaction and a destructive cloud of debris is about to strike them so they must abort the mission. When they are trying to go back into their shuttle the cloud hits them proving so deadly it destroys the shuttle...

I see you...wait...I'm looking at you...uh, darn! Though with a similar meaning they are not the same. When you SEE something you are not really making any effort. In other words, SEEING is an action that can take place incidentally, there is not an implied intention to it or you are not really paying attention to the object in question. e.g. Yesterday, on my way home, I SAW a car accident. (I obviously did not intend to see something like that. It just happened.) LOOKING is different. When you LOOK AT something you are paying attention to an object, you are doing because you intend to. e.g. From time to time, my Dad comes out and LOOKS AT the kids playing to make sure they're all right. (My Dad is overprotective so he makes a decision to come out and see the kids are fine.) When WATCHING you obviously decide to see something, as when you LOOK AT, but also you pay much more attention to the object which besides is usually one in motion such as a film or a TV show....

If only for the over this book should be called In Cold Eyes In Cold Blood is one of those novels that stand out among the plethora of other written productions resisting more than anything the always merciless test of time. Written by the American writer (also journalist), Truman Capote (1924 - 1984), this work tells the story of the tragedy that befell the Clutters, a family of rich farmers from Kansas who in 1959 were attacked and killed during their sleep by a couple of burglars who were later on identified, and arrested. The novel tells all these events and what happened during and after the trial that ended up when both criminals were sentenced to death penalty. They were both executed by hanging in 1965. Besides the good writing, this book is a landmark: it is one of the first samples of the telling of a true crime told in the form of a novel. A best-seller in that time and still a book with creates a lot of mixed emotions in the spirits of those who read the story. Ca...

1000 years? They're much older than that. To say something like that is only possible in Spanish but not in English. In English you would say ONE THOUSAND YEARS OLD.  A direct translation such as: One Thousand Years of Antiquity (which is what we actually say in Spanish) is awkward and it does not make sense in English. The problem is how we express age in both languages. In Spanish we only refer to the age of an object when it is a relevant thing to say; otherwise, we prefer other ways to convey a similar meaning. For instance if we want to buy a house that is not new, that is it's been uninhabited before we may ask how long ago it was built: "¿En qué año fue construida?" but we would never ask its age: "¿Qué edad tiene esta casa?" Old monuments are a different story but we don't ask about "their age" but how ancient they are: "¿Qué tan antiguas son las pirámides de Egipto?" In English regardless of these circumstanc...

Well, this happened while introducing  the topic of Art, in  particular that from other cultures. A Mandala is a special piece of art made of sand which also has a spiritual meaning. It is not well -known in Ecuador so I was surprised when one of my students, E, claimed he knew what it was. T: OK class, today we're talking about a very unusual form of art called Mandala... E: Excuse me, teacher? Mandala? T: Yes, E, Mandala.   E: Mister, I know about that. T: About what? A Mandala? E: Yes. I read an entire article. T: Really? So, I suppose you can tell us about it. E: Sure, mister. I can. T: Then go ahead, E.  E: All right, mister. Well, Mandala is from Africa. T: Wait, don't you mean Mandalas are from Africa? E: No, mister. Está bien. Mandala was even president of that country Sudáfrica... South Africa. T: Wait, you're talking about Nelson... E: Nelson Mandala, mister. T: It´s Mandela not Mandala. E: Mandela, Mandala... it's th...

"So, is this why it took nine months to arrive?" One of the best Mexican movies ever made, literally. This 2013 film directed, produced and also co-written by Eugenio Derbéz was produced to stand out as a different product from what Derbéz has done in the past, considering his comedian roles for what he is famous for. I was somewhat curious about this film because it came preceded by good reviews which was for me unexpected considering that Derbéz is not really a movie actor and he is usually seen on several TV shows that he himself creates and produces. In that aspect, the creative aspect, it is understandable that this production of his has met great success because Mr. Derbéz is really a creative machine and a wonderful comedian. It is true that Instructions Not Included is essentially a comedy but has a lot of other elements that put it under other labels as well. For instance it is also a movie about human, in particular family, values. Valentín (Eugenio Derbéz),...

"Calm down. It's just five more minutes!" The correct term is MASS. The difference with the way this word is used in English and Spanish. In Spanish, or at least in Ecuador, only the Catholics attend MASS but not any of the other religious confessions, including the Lutherans. Today we know that for example the Anglicans and the Orthodox have their own Mass services. 

"Yes! Absconding is so much easier if you're President of a Latin American country! One of the lowest acts of betrayal a man can perform is ABSCONDING which is when you leave quickly and secretly  in order to avoid being captured and face charges against him /her. Of course, when you do something like that there is usually a reason and that is someone who ABSCONDS usually takes along something and that something is most of the time not his or hers. Sadly, in the history of Latin America and Ecuador in particular there have been government officers and even presidents who have done that precisely.                                                                                                               ...

Buy now, pay later. If anything defines the philosophy behind what in Spanish we call FIAR is those words precisely. There is not one word in English to say FIAR. Depending on who you are, a seller or a buyer, you BUY ON CREDIT or SELL ON CREDIT. The only difference is that in our culture FIAR indicates that you obtain a product on credit and indeed you are expected to pay but there is no gain for the seller.  When you buy using a credit card that is different because then you have to pay an interest which is usually not low.   That explains why FIAR, though a common practice in Ecuador, is not really appreciated especially by those who sell. 

Out of the way! I just saw a Shark! One of the many problems with Spanish and English is how different their sounds are sometimes. m English sounds tend to be low and guttural while Spanish sounds are loud but softer. The "punch" certain words have when uttered is different from language to language and also the meaning plays an important role when choosing what to say and even how to say it. This is particularly true when translating the titles of movies, in particular from English to Spanish. And the most dramatic example, in my humble opinion, of the point I'm trying to make is this film by Steven Spielberg, JAWS, In Spanish the translation is nothing but deplorable because it means QUIJADAS. Most people in my country would not go see a movie with such a silly title. It is then that those who bring movies change the title, and that's what happened: the title was changed to TIBURON (SHARK). What was the result? Instant success. Not the only case, though. H...

I shall go travelling with so much delight! Both are correct.  This really depends on the type of English you are using. Let's not forget there is U.S. English and also British English. TRAVELING is how that word is spelled in the United States and TRAVELLING is how it is spelled in the United Kingdom. Also the pronunciation of both versions of this word is pretty much the same, albeit TRAVELLING should be pronounced with a British accent. Which one is right?