Have the world by the tail!

Holiday, normally a great relief and looked forward to with great anticipation. My daugther just finished her last school day “online” before Easter and has now over 1 week off, not knowing whether she will return to online lesson or school, most likely online. Usually, we would be in a frenzy, packing bags, finishing off emails, arranging for the cat to be looked after, last-minute hotel booking if travelling long distances by car. However, this time an attempt to feel the excitement of "more free time" is not so great.

Like many of us, we had to cancel visits to our family and friends. Thank goodness that our internet is not failing us (please let me not jinx this!). Staying at home is a fact of life and we all should make sure that we have the world by the tail. Don’t confuse this expression with “to be on his tail” we are not chasing anyone, but you owe it to yourself to succeed, to be content and happy with what you have. Embrace “Carpe Diem”, even now in harsher times.

Coming back to the use of the internet. For learning a language the internet is

undoubtedly a great tool. Trying to find the right balance between using the internet and making the lessons personal is key. Validating the accuracy of the material available is essential.

With not much effort there are some little things you can do yourself to soak in English. Just sign up for the 1 word a day with good English dictionaries for example. It lands in your email inbox and even if you only scan the information some of it will stick over time. The Miriam Webster is the one I use.

There are other really fun ways to improve your English without boring exercises. Go to Youtube and search for learning English with tv series or films. I advise "Harry Potter" for beginners and another favourite is "Friends". They are full of good explanations.

Last not but least have a great Easter and look at this video which explains "Having the world by the tail" in more detail: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have+the+world+by+the+tail

Marleen @EnglishaFirenze #EnglishTeacher #English