My Dearest Mad-Readers,
This post will be short, since you will have to do most of the work. My blog is getting closer and closer to 100 followers and I would like to answer some of your questions to thank you. If you have any questions for me, leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. Thank you all for your support !
Take care,
Phil.
My Dearest Mad-Readers,
I would like to use some ink on a topic which has already been explored at length, today : which Linux distribution should you run as your main desktop OS and why it does not matter. I know there is a lot of hate all over social networks from Ubuntu users (and other Debian-based distros) toward Arch users and vice versa, since everyone is convinced their ways are better than the others'.
It is okay to be a beginner. It is okay to start with Ubuntu or Linuxmint or any other distribution, as long as it is a rewarding experience for you. If you are happy with Windows, good for you. Same with Mac OS. I am merely doing my best to encourage you all to be curious and open to new horizons. I know Linux is better for me, because I believe in Open Source software and I do not like all the magic taking place behind my back on Windows. This is why I am ready to sacrifice some of my time to always learn more and be able to set up my computer on my own. Life is short and one needs to pick their battles carefully. If picking an OS is not interesting for you, I get it. If others do not get it, do not waste your valuable time talking with them.
Some extremely competent people run Debian-based distributions as their main OS, so I do not believe one can take the shortcut of saying an Ubuntu user is less capable than they are only because they are running Manjaro or any other Arch-based distributions. Gnu/Linux is about freedom, not hate. I believe whoever is running Linux, whichever distribution it may be, has already made a huge step forward.
Some people like spending time making lists with the most popular distributions or which one you should be hopping to. I believe it is a waste of time. Knowing the main distributions is obviously enriching for you. However you shouldn't switch to Arch if you are happy with Ubuntu (or Slackware, for all I know). Whatever distribution you are running, you can do everything you would be doing with another (just not exactly the same way). One only needs to embrace diversity. Accept others even if they think differently. It is okay if they prefer desktop environments to window managers. We cannot all have the same preferences and interests, or life would be boring !
If you want to have a debate about Gnu/Linux, I would be most happy to oblige. I love all distributions, although I must say I love Vanilla Arch a little more (it is the one I have the most experience with, and I will not apologize for it). I love Arch for what it allows me to do and for the desktop experience I have had with it. However, this doesn't mean it is the best in all cases. Gentoo has another philosophy I entirely agree with (though I haven't made the switch yet) and I don't consider Arch the most stable option for a server (I'd actually prefer Debian).
I was talking with a reader in the comment section of my article about Linux Mint and he just would not understand one simple thing :
I want my website to be a place of knowledge and curiosity. You are not on Twitter, or Reddit or any social network here. Whatever OS you may be running, you are not better than someone else because of it. If you want to hate, go and do it somewhere else !
If you want to be among all the amazing (and proudly mad) people in this community, you only need follow this blog (via email or WordPress). If you aren't following this blog yet but trust its future content will rock as the one which preceded, subscribe and get notified whenever I publish a new article. I also have a Goodreads account, by the way, for those of you who are interested to follow me there or add me as a friend.
Take care of yourselves,
Phil.
PS : I love Gnu/Linux !
My Dearest Mad-Readers,
Let me proudly present my first ever blog post about traveling, which is logically linked to my first ever solo trip. I remember how nervous I was. I didn't want to forget anything before leaving, so I made a list, and I was afraid I would miss the bus or that I wouldn't find my way at the airport, or in Oxford, if I even managed to get all the way there. In the end, everything went fine. I have come back home in one piece, ready to tell you my experience as a CELTA trainee !
CELTA stands for Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. It is an ESL (English as a Second Language) training course for people aspiring to become teachers or who are already teaching and would like to get an official and globally acknowledged certification. If any of you is looking to become qualified as an English teacher, I recommend you also check out TEFL courses.
The CELTA course being extremely intensive, I can only advise people who intend to sign up to prepare not only for the tests to be accepted into the course but also for the course itself. A month can sound like a short endeavor. It really is not. It is a marathon, and just like any marathon, you need to be mentally (and financially) ready for it.
Books you can read :
Needless to say, you need to be comfortable with grammar (and ideally, basic phonology) before taking the CELTA course. If you are not, you will most likely spend too much time studying it instead of focusing on what matters most : teaching. Teaching should be at the center of all your preoccupations, since it is the skill you need to sharpen when you take such a course (except for those who already have experience as teachers, but they are quite rare).
You need at least a level of C1 on the CEFR scale, but really you should be C2. Otherwise language may get in your way. You don't want to have to think before you speak/write, or it will take too much time to do the most basic things. And God knows the CELTA is a lot about time management and organization.
The CELTA should be considered as an investment. The price varies depending on where you intend to take the course and if you have any additional expenses (i.e if you need to fly to another country, like I did, pay for food, etc...). It can be as "low" as $1500 and can go up to $3000. If you want a more accurate price, I recommend you check out this website or even directly contact the school where you intend to take the course. For those of you who like Oxford, here's the school where I took the CELTA.
As I currently live in France and since I was craving for an opportunity to travel to an English-speaking country at the time, I settled for Oxford. A Month in Oxford, that's the dream, right ? The architecture, the university, the libraries... Who in their right mind wouldn't say yes to that ? Not me.
I made a list of what I needed to bring with me : necessary books, clothes, passport & wallet... This is what I advise you to do : a list. It's basic advice but you should do it several weeks in advance, ideally. This way you have a lot of time to add up any item you might have forgotten.
The CELTA as I did it is broken down into 4 weeks (a month, you know?). The first and second weeks are the toughest. During the first week, you need to get used to the fast pace of the CELTA, and the second week is even more work than the first. The third is less stressful, since you know what you've gotten into, and the fourth is much more chill for a very simple reason : If you are still there, you can be pretty sure you will succeed. The only thing that matters then is which grade you are going to get. Most people only get a pass, but that really is because those who get a higher grade have much more experience in the first place. You can get 3 grades : Pass, Pass B, and Pass A (the latter being the highest).
A day is usually divided into 2 main parts : Theory in the morning ; Teaching Practice in the afternoon. If there is few trainees, you should teach everyday (as was the case for me) but you will not be observed everyday. By theory, I mean grammar, phonology, listening/speaking/reading practice... You need to be able to teach all these skills.
The way I see it, people tend to believe that you need to be with someone all the time. It should not be that way, not to me. A relationship is much healthier when you don't fully rely on someone else to complete you, right ? Well, if you go on a solo trip, you will only be able to rely on yourself. You will have to book hotels (or just find somewhere to sleep), find ways of transportation, find the way when you are lost... Just survive by yourself. If you want to get a taste of freedom, this your chance! Fly away, discover a new culture on your own and have a lot of fun without having to adapt to others' needs!
You have many opportunities when the CELTA certificate is yours. You may keep teaching, if you already were. You may begin, if you weren't already. Since the CELTA is internationally renowned, you should have no trouble getting a job. As the training is hard, employers will also look at you differently (and consider your application more seriously).
If you want to find something quickly, I recommend tefl.com. Check it out, there are lots of job opportunities there.
The DELTA course becomes an option when you have one year of experience as a teacher. If you are serious about teaching, this is the logical follow-up to a CELTA. It is expensive but such an investment will allow you to earn more, publish your own books, become famous... (you know, the usual?)
If you want to be among all the amazing (and proudly mad) people in this community, you only need follow this blog (via email or WordPress). If you aren't following this blog yet but trust its future content will rock as the one which preceded, subscribe and get notified whenever I publish a new article. I also have a Goodreads account, by the way, for those of you who are interested to follow me there or add me as a friend.
Take care of yourselves,
Phil.
* This is is an Amazon affiliate link
Mes très chers lecteurs,
Voici votre dose de prose, un court poème remis au goût du jour spécialement pour vous. J'espère que vous l'apprécierez.
Le cheval galopait à travers la plaine. L’herbe et la prairie s’étendaient devant lui à perte de vue. Le vent soufflait sur lui mais il continuait d’avancer. Il sentait sur son dos la chaleur du soleil. Il ressentait l’exaltation d’un galop à pleine vitesse. Il ressentait la puissance de la liberté.
Un bruit de tonnerre déchira le ciel, pourtant calme quelques instants plus tôt. La pluie approchait. L’obscurité ne tarderait pas à la suivre avec la fin d’après-midi.
Le temps passa. Le soleil et la chaleur disparurent. Le vent se mit en colère. Le ciel gronda et déversa sur la terre un torrent glacé. La force des foulées de ses semblables rejoignit celles du cheval solitaire.
Alors qu’il essayait d’oublier son malheur quelques instants plus tôt sous un ciel rayonnant, il sentait la vitalité du groupe revenir en lui dans une obscurité grandissante. Il n’était plus seul. L’orage passerait.
Si vous avez aimé, ne vous privez pas de me le faire savoir avec un like, un commentaire, ou encore en vous abonnant (par email ou WordPress).
My Dearest Mad-Readers,
Let me share with you my favorite musicals. For each one of them, I will reveal my favorite song and add a link to a YouTube video (which do not belong to me). Beware, spoilers ahead...
The first musical I have ever watched, and as such it is rightfully at the top of my list. The clip below is from HSM 2, and I feel nostalgic remembering when I was so much younger (like a decade younger) and SO in love with a girl who ended up trampling all over my heart. Needless to say, when you're sad, this song is devastating. Let's not forget a breakup is happening in this scene...
I recently discovered this musical, actually, and I have only listened to it. It was enough to convince me however, that this thing is AWESOME! It was recommended to me by a fellow follower (note the alliterations and assonances, please). She is actually my only email follower and one of my most fervent supporters in my endeavors (So thank you, I know you've recognized yourself)
As the title brilliantly suggests, it is about a man called Alexander Hamilton and who actually happens to be one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. So not only will you have a good time watching it (on Disney+?) but you'll revise your history too.
One bird, two stone *bam!*
The fools who dream, this is my favorite song in this musical and I can tell you it is not easy to pick a favorite song in 2017's best movie. Yes! You heard that little voice in your head right when you read these words : 2017's best movie. This is the one movie which will inspire you to follow the hardest path. The one path you've always dreamed of despite the fact everyone always told you that you were wrong. This is the one movie that realistically shows you the reality of being an artist, how it often merely comes down to meeting the right person at the right time to succeed. This is the movie which will make you cry and make it seem impossible, and yet that will heartily scream that you should try and try again, fail and fail again, until you eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Beware of your dreams, for they may come true. People rarely imagine that achieving so-called success is not paradise. People rarely imagine that money and fame are not all there is to success. Well, A Star Is Born is a perfect illustration of that. You have a renowned singer on one side. He has it all, and yet he couldn't be more unhappy. He also incarnates the stereotype of the alcoholic artist, but let's say it's for a good cause. On the other side of that same coin, you have a talented young woman, known of none. If you wish to see the effect of success and fame, how it can get you to the top as well rip you into a thousand pieces, this movie is for you.
I saved my absolute favorite for the end. Last but not least, or so they say! So few people know it, yet it rocked my world ! So, you know... I figured I'd share... There is a lesson to take out of this movie : to achieve success, there are no shortcuts. It's either you put in the work, or you don't. If you don't, you already know the outcome. If you do however, you are giving yourself a chance to accomplish something greater. It is your choice then. Will you keep being negative and miss a unique opportunity which only belongs to you ; or will you pep talk yourself into putting in the effort and do what 90 % ridiculously consider as impossible ?
* * *
As I haven't mentioned Grease* up above, let me at least say it is amazing and it deserves this small honorable mention. Have you seen these musicals ? How did you find them ? Tell me in the comments below ! I'm dying to know your opinion ! Oh ! And would you have any recommendations for me ?
If you want to be among all the amazing (and proudly mad) people in this community, you only need follow this blog (via email or WordPress). If you aren't following this blog yet but trust its future content will rock as the one which preceded, subscribe and get notified whenever I publish a new article. I also have a Goodreads account, by the way, for those of you who are interested to add me there.
Take care of yourselves,
Phil.
* This is is an Amazon affiliate link