Wednesday 14 November 2018

World Cup: The future of English football is here

Image source: youtube.com
Millions of hearts were broken all across England when their team lost against Croatia in the World Cup semifinals by the slimmest of margins. Up to that point, fans of the England team all over the world were hopeful that their footballers could get the job done and see it through all the way to the finals, and bring home the Cup after half-a-century.


However, the sting of the 2-1 defeat to Croatia was only temporary as English fans knew their team had arrived. Truth be told, the English team was the youngest fielded in this year’s World Cup, which only meant that in four years, they would be mature enough to perhaps win it all.


Image source: inews.co.uk
This is a huge boost for a team that saw superstars such as Beckham, Rooney, and Gerrard one by one leave international competition. The new captain is the 25-year-old Harry Kane, who in this year’s competition showed that not only was he capable of leading this young team, he was capable of leading them to the brink of a final showdown against eventual winners, France.


Together with other young, up-and-coming football stars, Kane looks to return to the grand stage and make a run at sports’ ultimate prize. Perhaps 2022 is the year the World Cup finally comes home.


Hello, I’m John Eilermann, a huge fan of the beautiful game, football. I’m also a World War 2 enthusiast. Learn more about me and the stuff I love by following me on Twitter.

Monday 12 November 2018

Improve your vocabulary with these tricks

Image source: Pexels.com

Having a rich vocabulary can help you convey your thoughts and feelings more specifically. Instead of saying, "I'm fine" or "it's bad", you'll be able to give more meaning to your experience. If you want to develop how you gather new words, here are some simple tricks to ensure your learning:


Learn one new word everyday

Imagine adding more than 300 words to your vocabulary bank each year. That's a lot! If you're always online, you can subscribe to dictionary apps or sites that will deliver your word of the day. Before you know it, you'll be using these words in your daily conversations and even in your writing.


Read and write

I grew up highlighting unfamiliar words on paperbacks. Why some wouldn't appreciate marks on their books, this helped me remember new additions to my word bank. To take it a step further, after finding out the meaning, I would write five sentences to ensure that I fully understood what I just learned. These days I'm grateful for e-book readers because the built-in dictionary can instantly provide the meaning to a new word with just one long click.

Image source: Pexels.com

Play word games

Playing Scrabble, Word Factory, or Wordscapes are great ways to remind us of words we know but don't really use daily. Of course, there are other games that will test your vocabulary and lead to new discoveries. But aside from jolting your memory, seeing a word while playing will lead to a discussion with friends and you'll end up using these answers in conversations. Personally, these games are the most entertaining way for me to lengthen my word list.


Learning new words doesn't need to be exhausting. You need to incorporate it with an activity you find pleasurable so it won't feel like a chore. Before you know it, you'll have more expressions to use.

Hi! John Eilermann is the name. I’m a comparative literature student from St. Louis, Missouri, and I’m enjoying my life here. For similar reads, visit this blog.