Yolanda's blog

Is it the end of language teaching and language learning as we know them? Meet the PILOT: Being lost in translation has happened to everyone while traveling, even us, and that's exactly how the idea was born. Waverly Labs is at the convergence of wearable technology + machine translation, developing the world's first smart earpiece language translator. Using the latest technologies in speech recognition, machine translation and the advances of wearable technology, our smart earpiece allows wearers to speak different languages but still clearly understand each other. Simply put, when one person speaks, the other hears it in their language. Science fiction has called it many things, but we call it Pilot. 

A Palestinian man says he was tricked into selling a mural by the artist, Banksy, that is estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rabie Darduna told the BBC he was given less than $175 (£118) for the image drawn on the only remaining door of his house in Gaza. It was one of thousands of homes destroyed during last year's conflict. Yolande Knell reports.

Some of the images displayed below are masterpieces of abstract art, created by great artists. The rest were painted by an ape. Can you tell which is which? After each picture indicate what it is. Hit the Submit button when done. The quiz will be graded and you will see the correct answers. TAKE THE QUIZ: CLICK HERE

Germany's national railway company, Deutsche Bahn, plans to test small drones to try to reduce the amount of graffiti being sprayed on its property. The idea is to use airborne infra-red cameras to collect evidence, which could then be used to prosecute vandals who deface property at night. READ MORE

It is certainly the case that in usage these two adverbs are often confused and can sometimes be used with the same meaning. specially - for a particular purpose However, when  specially  is used to mean for a particular purpose, this form of the adverb is the norm: This shower gel is  specially  designed for people with sensitive skins. This computer programme is  specially  for children with learning difficulties. My father made this model aeroplane  specially  for me. especially - particularly / above all We tend to use  especially  for emphasis, meaning  particularly or  above all : These butterflies are particularly noticeable in April and May,  especially  in these meadows. You'll enjoy playing tennis at our local club,  especially  on weekdays when it's not so busy. Before adjectives,  especially ,  meaning  particularly,   is more usual: The road between Cair...

I was reading The Guardian and this headline struck me as odd: Queen's birthday honours: Angelina Jolie made dame in thousand-strong list US actor receives honorary title for anti-rape campaign as gender-balanced awards span 19- to 99-year-olds   READ MORE... I didn't know that actor can be used to refer to a woman. In this podcast from the BBC, you'll learn about the history of these terms and why actor is preferred over actress. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.    You can also read the SCRIPT

Present and Past Modals of Deduction with Sherlock Holmes from David Mainwood A GAP FILL EXERCISE A MULTIPLE CHOICE EXERCISE

Click here to do a listening exercise on crime in America. Crime in Spain Spain’s crime rate is among the lowest in Europe: according to figures released by the Spanish Interior Ministry in 2006, Spain has an incidence of nearly 50 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, the lowest in the EU apart from Portugal and Ireland. In the UK, figures are 105 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants and in Germany, 80.   READ MORE

WHO IS SADIQ KHAN? It's the rags-to-riches story of a poor boy done well. Sadiq Khan is the son of a London bus driver and a seamstress. He grew up on a government funded housing estate in a poorer area of the city and attended a local state school. But what is behind the rise of the likely new mayor and what will he do as chief politician of one of the world's most powerful cities?