Nationalities

Have you ever wondered what a person of a specific country is called ?In English ,while some general rules regarding the names of countries and their respective adjectives are available, this by no means implies that all nationalities could be asserted by the aforementioned guideline. As a result I have provided a list of all countries with their demonyms for you to review:

• Note : Each country has a direct link to its geographical fact book and assorted information for further reading .  

Country(red)  and  Nationality(green)

 

Afghanistan Afghan/ Albania Albanian/ Algeria Algerian/ Andorra Andorran/ Angola Angolan/ Antigua and Barbuda Antiguans, Barbudans/ Argentina Argentine/ Armenia Armenian / Australia Australian/ Austria Austrian/ Azerbaijan Azerbaijani/ The Bahamas Bahamian/ Bahrain Bahraini/ Bangladesh Bangladeshi/ Barbados Barbadian /Belarus Belarusian/ Belgium Belgian/ Belize Belizean/ Benin Beninese/ BhutanBolivia Bolivian/ Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian Herzegovinian/ Botswana Motswana , Batswana (plural)/ Brazil Brazilian/ Brunei Bruneian/ Bulgaria Bulgarian/ Burkina Faso Burkinabe/ BurundiCambodia Cambodian/ Cameroon Cameroonian/ Canada Canadian/ Cape Verde Cape Verdian or Cape Verdean/ Central African Republic Central African/ Chad Chadian/ Chile Chilean/ China Chinese/ Colombia Colombian/ Comoros Comoran/ Congo, Republic of the Congolese/ Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congolese/ Costa Rica Costa Rican/ Cote d'Ivoire Ivorian/ Croatia Croat/ Cuba Cuban/ Cyprus Cypriot/ Czech Republic Czech/ Denmark Dane/ Djibouti Djibouti/ Dominica Dominican/ Dominican Republic Dominican/ East Timor East Timorese/ Ecuador Ecuadorean/ Egypt Egyptian/ El Salvador Salvadoran/ England English /; UK Demonyms Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean/ Eritrea Eritrean/ Estonia Estonian/ Ethiopia Ethiopian/ Fiji Fijian/ Finland Finn/ France French/ Gabon Gabonese/ The Gambia Gambian/ GeorgiaGermany German/ Ghana Ghanaian/ Greece Greek/ Grenada Grenadian/ GuatemalaGuinea Guinean/ Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissauan/ Guyana Guyanese/ Haiti Haitian/ HondurasHungary Hungarian/ Iceland Icelander/ India Indian/ Indonesia Indonesian/ Iran Iranian/ Iraq Iraqi/ Ireland  Irish/ Israel Israeli/ Italy Italian/ Jamaica Jamaican/ Japan Japanese/ JordanKazakhstan Kazakhstani/ Kenya Kenyan/ Kiribati I-Kiribati/ Korea, North North Korean/ Korea, South South Korean/ Kuwait Kuwaiti/ Kyrgyz Republic Kyrgyz or Kirghiz/ Laos Lao or Laotian/ Latvia Latvian/ Lebanon Lebanese/ Lesotho Mosotho/ Liberia Liberian/ Libya Libyan/ LiechtensteinLithuania Lithuanian/ Luxembourg Luxembourger/ Macedonia Macedonian/ MadagascarMalawi Malawian/ Malaysia Malaysian/ Maldives Maldivan/ Mali Malian/ Malta Maltese/ Marshall Islands Marshallese/ Mauritania Mauritanian/ Mauritius Mauritian/ Mexico Mexican/ Federated States of Micronesia Micronesian/ Moldova Moldovan/ Monaco Monegasque or Monacan/ Mongolia Mongolian/ Morocco Moroccan/ Mozambique Mozambican/ Myanmar (Burma) Burmese or Myanmarese/ NamibiaNauru Nauruan/ Nepal Nepalese/ Netherlands Netherlander or Dutch/ New Zealand New Zealander or Kiwi/ Nicaragua Nicaraguan/ Niger Nigerien/ Nigeria Nigerian/ Norway Norwegian/ Oman Omani/ PakistanPalau Palauan/ Panama Panamanian/ Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinean/ Paraguay Paraguayan/ Peru Peruvian/ Philippines Filipino/ Poland Pole/ Portugal Portuguese/ Qatar Qatari/ Romania Romanian/ RussiaRwanda Rwandan/ Saint Kitts and Nevis Kittian and Nevisian/ Saint Lucia Saint Lucian/ SamoaSan Marino Sammarinese or San Marinese/ Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tomean/ Saudi ArabiaScotland Scottish (NOT Scotch)/  UK Demonyms Senegal Senegalese/ Serbia and Montenegro Serbian or Montenegrin/ Seychelles Seychellois/ Sierra Leone Sierra Leonean/ SingaporeSlovakia Slovak/ Slovenia Slovene / Solomon Islands Solomon Islander/ Somalia Somali/ South Africa South African/ Spain Spaniard/ Sri Lanka Sri Lankan / Sudan Sudanese /Suriname Surinamer/ SwazilandSweden Swede/ Switzerland Swiss/ Syria Syrian/ Taiwan Taiwanese/ Tajikistan Tajik or Tadzhik/ Tanzania Tanzanian/ Thailand Thai/ Togo Togolese/ Tonga Tongan/ Trinidad and Tobago Trinidadian or Tobagonian/ Tunisia Tunisian/ Turkey Turk/ Turkmenistan Turkmen(s) / Tuvalu Tuvaluan / Uganda Ugandan / Ukraine Ukrainian/ United Arab Emirates Emirati/ United Kingdom British, Britons, (Brits)/ United StatesUSA American/ Demonyms Uruguay Uruguayan/ Uzbekistan Uzbek or Uzbekistani/ VanuatuVatican City (Holy See) Citizen of the Holy See /Venezuela Ven0ezuelan/ Vietnam Vietnamese /Wales Welsh /; UK Demonyms Yemen Yemeni or Yemenite/ Zambia Zambian/ Zimbabwe Zimbabwean...

Epilogue #3, Marriage

 For one reason or another, we discussed the concept of marriage in our last Talk Show classes. To tell the truth, I personally expected a generally positive attitude towards marriage; however, in action, the results were mixed to say the least.
 

As usual the classes were started by quotations:
 

"Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage."
 Ambrose Bierce
  

“To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.”
  Helen Rowland
 

“Women marry men hoping they will change. Men marry women hoping they will not. So each is inevitably disappointed.”
  Albert Einstein
 

“More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse.”
  Doug Larson
 

"I have always considered marriage as the most interesting event of one's life, the foundation of happiness or misery."
George Washington
 

    "Fundamentals of marriage" was the initial point that started the debate among the learners. The principles include: love, communication, respect, shared interest, ability to resolve conflict, accepting changes, trust, shared responsibility, and honesty.

    The participants went on and described the importance of each and every one of the elements. Apart from love that was almost unanimously acknowledged as the chief cornerstone of any kinship that fuels the process of engagement, the second most important aspect for the majority of the student were trust and honesty which can turn the outcome of any relationship based on its availability or lack thereof.

    Although we can not ignore the fact that most believed marriage to be a finite social [and a perpetual spiritual] contract that would not insure anything but a mere official recognition. Thus I asked about the real guarantee for such unions, and the immediate response was love itself. In this way, the younger participants simply dismissed the current traditions regarding marriage and claimed that intimate relationship ought to proceed for years and years before finally evolving into marriage.


How to Create a Successful Marriage -- powered by eHow.com

    We then warned the students with unsound marriage statistics and high divorce rates especially within developing societies. The reason behind such stats is, more often than not, intense emotional attachment that hinders the process of logical thinking.When a relationship enters the stage of marriage before the affectionate passion is subdued, the results are seldom satisfactory.

Fortunately the bulk of married learners were gratified by their marriage and considered a substantial relationship prior to marriage, which is aimed at earning experience and evaluating the partner in the most unbiased manner, the key to a successful future for the couple. 

    Then 12 stages of marriage were narrowly discussed : courtship, living together, marriage , having a family , first child entering the school, last child entering school , first child entering puberty , last child entering puberty, first child leaving the house ,last child leaving the house , becoming grandparents and finally retirement. 

    In the end we realized that while marriage is of vast importance, it not only needs to be chosen wisely, but also demands maintenance and care throughout.


Further Readings :

Two Keys to a Happy Marriage

12 Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Marriage

How to Maintain a Good Marriage Relationship?

The Traveler ,By Sohrab Sepehri

The table caught the traveler's eyes:

-"What lovely apples!
 

Life is high of the solitude."
 

The host asked:
 

"What does lovely mean?"
 

-"Lovely means an amorous interpretation of forms.
 

Love, and love only
 

Intimates you with the warmth of an apple
 

Love, and love only
 

Took me to the vast realm of lives' sorrow
 

And gave me the chance of becoming a bird.
 

-And the potion of sorrow?
 

The potion tastes like pure elixir.
 

-Why are you downhearted? You look lonely.
 

-And how lonely do I feel !
 

-I suppose
 

You are involved with the invisible vein of colors
 

-Involved means
 

In love.  
 

-And imagine how lonely would the fish feel
 

Were it involved with the blueness of the infinite sea.
 

-What sad delicate imagination! 

-Sadness is the hidden smile of plant look,
 

A faint indication to the negation of the unity of objects.

Talk Show Podcast Episode Four

This Episode of Talk Show Podcast Features a brief interview with Mr.Farhood Taghipour. You can read the journalistic version of the interview at Interview with Farhood Taghipour, Instructor and Coordinator.

Alternatively you can download the podcast here

Interview with Farhood Taghipour, Instructor and Coordinator

I was really glad that Farhood Taghipour gave me a few minutes of his time despite the fact that he had to deal with multitude of issues in his busy schedule. Farhood Taghipour woks as a head teacher (in charge of arranging classes for the teachers and registering students), instructor and coordinator at an institute of language learning ; he is 32 years old, graduated in mechanical engineering and of course married.

    Unlike many younger instructors, Mr.Taghipour has been teaching English since the year 2001.

    He started studying English for more than ten years before acquiring his CPE degree, and also has been teaching English for quite a substantial amount of time.

    I asked Farhood to describe how it feels to be both an instructor and a coordinator? In response he said "my responsibilities here are somehow difficult because I've got to deal with students and teachers and management…. it is a central part and, yes it is sometimes complicated".On a side note, being the equivalent of a hub for the institute has certainly influenced the way Farhood treats other people in an admirably warm manner.

    I then proceeded and asked him the reason behind choosing ESL as his main line of work and he replied that due to the fact that English is not only Iran's but also many other countries' second language, then as a result, it is of significant importance and is absolutely necessary.

    While Farhood did not comment on the way English is treated and handled in Iran, he instead showed his satisfaction regarding the students attending English classes who welcome the system's unquestionable focus on learning through engaging speaking and conversation in various courses with open arms. Farhood constantly talked about the grandness of communication in all English courses even those which might not initially sound exactly pertained such as grammar courses, but this emphasis has certainly worked simply because the results contain notable improvements amongst students.

    I asked him to describe the place of English language in the Iranian society , and in response he believes that since the majority of the population in Iran is made up of youth and youngsters English is considered crucial if not absolutely vital." They appreciate this speaking [in English], they love to speak in English because it is really common here in Iran" said Farhood.

    I then called for some thoughts regarding the ESL teachers, which unfortunately was  immediately faced with the word "shortcomings".

Mr. Taghipour believes that the major problem when it comes to Iranian teachers is the universities that fail to transfer the teaching techniques wholly and thoroughly by not emphasizing on communication and speaking methods. Although this problem could be solved by adding new conversation courses to college curriculums.

    When I asked him about the financial aspect of ESL in Iran, unlike our previous interviewee, he was quite satisfied by it, and considered it lucrative due to the fact that the emigration rate is so high in Iran; many people constantly reach out for such classes and as a result provide an uninterrupted demand for a solid market.

    As a tip for the students, Farhood believes that learners need to accept the significance of communication in English learning and fill this supposed gap by attending classes that are solely focused on the aforementioned skill. For the final comment Farhood Taghipour wants the learners "to start as soon as you can".

Journal Entry: Encarta Premium 2009

Learning English has become easier and faster over the years thanks to the advancements in technologies and specifically computer softwares. Having access to reading, writing, listening and pretty much anything else is now one click away.

 

One of the latest and greatest softwares for not only English learners but also professionals would be Encarta Premium 2009, a complete package that provides almost everything that an English learner might need.

This powerful package features three distinct softwares : Encarta Dictionaries , Encarta Kids 2009 and Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009 DVD .

• Encarta Dictionaries

The dictionary contains:
1-Comprehansive Dictionary
2-Thesaurus that features synonyms and antonyms of all terms (extremely useful)
3- Translation: a real time translation in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.
4-Verb Conjugation: This part is indeed one of the most beneficial aspects of the dictionary that provides all grammatical forms of each selected word with various examples.(useful for writing speeches, essays and anything that requires precise attention to grammar.
5- You also have the option to look up the words in the Encyclopedia.

• Encarta Kids 2009

This multi-media package features hundreds of interactive and graphical articles about everything from people in history and social studies to science and sports. These articles can be both heard and read which could be used to improve the knowledge regarding reading and listening in the most entertaining manner possible.
     

• Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009 DVD

This software features Math tools, Foreign Language tools, search tools, papers and reports, presentation , charts and graphs, college and career in which you can accomplish various tasks such as writing professional essays or college application letters , reading online articles about assorted things, solve your math problems , present reports and files and last but perhaps most importantly a comprehensive Encyclopedia with a gigantic database of information that satisfies the need of novices and experts alike.


How to install Encarta Premium 2009 (This part is solely for those users who are not familiar with installation process). Follow these instructions in order to install the program:

Insert the disk inside the DVD-Drive and open the disk.

Double Click on the" Dictionary" and you will have three softwares to deal with.

Double-click on 'Encarta 2009' and then run 'Setup.EXE'.

The installation will begin,

Click on Next>choose the option "I accept the license term" and click on Next > wait until the required system components are installed >click on Next > without changing the default setting click on Next > choose "Create Desktop Shortcuts" for convenient access and click on Next > you can change the location of the program if you so desired and then click on Next > click on Next > wait unlit the installation process is over > finally click on Exit Setup.

When you run Encarta Dictionaries it is recommended that you choose "I do not want it right now" and click on OK.

Epilogue # 2, Literature

Literature as many of you might agree, is a subject that is part of our subconscious lives without us noticing it. The concept of literature was indeed one of the most abstract and difficult topics that we discussed in our last Talk Show.

Many participants announced their lack of knowledge regarding literature right-off-the-bat, and those who actually established signs of interest in the topic were honest enough to admit the ambiguity of the subject matter. 

   So why is literature so laborious for the bulk of the people to define and discuss? Does it imply that literature is no longer considered crucial, and the modern world does not pay enough attention to it? Is it simply due to various alternatives that are brought upon by the new technologies…things such as round-the-clock TV channels and the internet that provide us with the magnitude of information to the point where literature proves unnecessary?

   In this regard I quoted a few statements about literature in our Talk Shows which might enlighten this seemingly rigorous construct :

• “The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.”

                                                            Robert Louis Stevenson

• “Books are humanity in print.”

                                                              Barbara W. Tuchman

• “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”

                                                                       C.S. Lewis

• “What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.”

                                                                         E. M. Forster

• "Poetry is at least an elegance and at most a revelation."

                                                                 Robert Fitzgerald

• “While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living”

                                                                    Cyril Connolly

   Most participants agreed upon the fact that literature is a channel through which ideas and emotions are emitted, i.e. one can use literature as a means to use their higher faculties [traits that are exclusive to humanity] in order to express one's notion. A few students actually went on and declared that literature could be even a mean by and of itself.

   Literature takes various forms including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, journal, autobiography, biography and many more.

Lecture 8: "Fictions of the Real" from ASU English on Vimeo.

   All classes unanimously agreed that literature affect the lives of every single one of us, and has direct impact on the way we interpret the world, hence the direct link between culture and literature was instituted.

   After discussing the general definition of literature, we then moved on to scrutinize different types of literature. Initially we classified literature in two forms of ancient and modern. Despite the mixed opinions about either forms, Talk Show attendees generally believed that ancient literature is akin to a locked treasure which emanates beams of wisdom from afar ,however can not be fully embraced unless unlocked first. This issue was particularly magnified by the fact that well-known literary works such as William Shakespeare's and Hafiz's need to be deciphered before they reveal their true spirit.

   On the other hand, modern literature, while far more convenient to digest, sometimes can not yield the level of depth that is otherwise achievable through study of old-style composition. This predicament is further amplified by the fact that contemporary authors across the globe [excluding few territories] face with the nonsensical challenges of censorship, financial insecurity, and the hectic phase of modern lifestyle.

   Towards the finis of the classes I asked the learners to cite their favorite genre of literature which, not to my surprise, led to conclusion that romance and fiction are certainly the most sought-after literary genres especially among females!

   In the end, the majority of the participants admitted that their knowledge concerning literature is indeed insufficient, and they realized their imminent need for more literature studies.

Talk Show Podcast Episode Three

Let me present you with yet another episode of Talk Show Podcast. In this program literature and its categories are introduced through the widely-accepted definitions.
The categories discussed are comprised of:
·    Fictional Literature
·    Drama
·     Tragedy
·     Melodrama
·     Comedy
·    Tragicomedy

·    Prose Literature

·    Myth

·    Novel 

·    Allegory 

·    Comedy 

·    Epistolary 

·    Feminist 

·    Gothic 

·    Ironic 

·    Realism 

·    Romance 

·    Narration 

·    Naturalism 

·    Picaresque 

·    Satire 

·    Short story

·    Folk Tale

·    Poetry

·     Sonnet 

·    Ballad 

·    Elegy 

·    Ode
·     Lyric 

·    Epic and Mock epic

·    Nonfiction Literature

·    Autobiography and Biography

·    Diary and Journal

·    Outdoor literature

Alternatively you can download it here

Journal Entry: Things To Keep

In our contemporary world filled with negativity, we seldom find ourselves appreciating and cherishing the little things and opportunities given to us, and lack of attention to those little things result in small negativity, which as time goes by, accumulates into one gigantic mountain of pessimism.

Contemplating about run-of-the-mill albeit wise statements is something we all need every now and then.

I saw a poster the other day regarding the things we need to keep in order to reach our destiny in the best and most positive manner:

Things to keep

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become 
your words.
Keep your words positive because your words become 
your actions.
Keep your actions positive because your actions become 
your habits.
Keep your habits positive because your habits become 
your life style.
Keep your lifestyle positive because your life style becomes 
your destiny.

A Poem From A Friend #2

Are these idle whys indeed?

By Mack Moradi 

I’m just wondering,
Why you should give up everything,
Why you would ignore your own scarlet happiness,
                       Over my wilted blue consciousness,
Why you would captivate your ivory fondness,
                       In my blurred corpus,
Why you would touch your vivid lips,
                        On my drought and fidgety smiles,
Why your tender fluffy arms,
                         Embracing always my desperate presence,
Why you’d be shooting your twinkling passions,
                         To my castaway dimmed stars,
Why and why and more whys….
         
 I just know you’re the noble alchemist,
                                        With your celestial might,
                                  Turning my blues to a rainbow of love,                                                                                                   
          Still seeking desperately,
                         For the sense of all "whys",
                                               Hopping for revealing,                   
                                                                    All hints and signs, 

Epilogue # 1, Tradition

Tradition was the topic discussed in the first Talk Show class after the New Year in Iranian calendar. Now the first question that rises in our mind is about the definition of tradition, what does tradition mean?

Let's take a look at some amazing quotes full of insights about tradition, shall we?

Tradition may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.
By G. K. Chesterton

Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past.
By Lewis Mumford.

Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe and aren't even aware of.
By Ellen Goodman.

As soon as tradition has come to be recognized as tradition, it is dead.
By Allan Bloom .

Tradition does not mean that the living are dead, but that the dead are living.
By Gilbert K. Chesterton .


Contemplating tradition in a literal manner would grant us with the run-of-the-mill description of the word: a set of belief, customs and pattern of thoughts inherited by an individual from the society of origin. This definition is generally accepted by the majority of people simply because they consider tradition a permanent component of our conscience that regulates our perception and attitude towards the other members of the community and the universe as a whole.
 

However it raises a few vital questions: can tradition be chosen, altered or even totally disregarded?These questions were brought upon in our latest Talk Show.

The majority of participants believed that tradition while derived from culture can be chosen or dismissed. Generally speaking, the younger learners had a far more negative and pessimistic posture towards tradition and considered it an obstacle to globalization and modernization.

On the other hand, the relatively older students unanimously believed that tradition is the exclusive factor that ultimately distinguishes between cultures and make a community unique, and while not every tradition is to be upheld, some traditions (in case of Iran) such as Nowruz are worthwhile and ought to be preserved.

Almost the entire two classes believed that secular traditions are far more acceptable than non-secular ones and they represented specifically Iranian culture in a more direct manner.

Dr.Ali Reza ,one of my learners, mentioned that tradition can indeed be changed through each new generation, although this process is quite time-consuming.

Overall the reaction towards tradition was relatively negative amongst younger participants and neutral between the older ones. It's quite evident that most Iranians these days seek to choose the traditions that are constructive and rightfully theirs and leave out all the rest.

I personally learned a lot thinking about these deep statements , so what have you gotten out of them ? I'll leave you to contemplate on the issue and realize the actual purpose regarding the severe criticism, remember those societies that have not let go of the tradition are the least developed and most superstitious communities in the world ,finally it's all up to you to decide your orientation.

Talk Show Podcast Episode Two

The second episode of Talk Show Podcast features an interview with Ahmad Kashani.You can read the journalistic written version in Interview with Ahmad Kashani, a credible English teacher .

Alternatively you can download the podcast from here.

Interview with Ahmad Kashani, a credible English teacher

Aside from being one of my best friends in Iran , Ahmad Kashani has proved to be one of the greatest and most fluent English teachers I have ever encountered with. His determined and tenacious desire to instruct befittingly outmatches that of other teachers. His self-effacing trait coupled with his innate endowment regarding communication is his state-of-the-art apparatus in ESL classes.

He so altruistically gave me a few moments of his time to answer some of my questions.Bellow you can read the interview that has been emended for the sake of shortness.

After greetings I asked Ahmad to describe himself for the readers.Ahmad Kashani is 26 years old, he is graduated in two distinctive fields of Microbiology and Information Technology; he went on and delineated Microbiology a bit further by saying :"Microbiology is a brand new field of medicine which talks about minuscule things such as bacteria, viruses and so forth".

Then I immediately changed the direction of the interview towards ESL by asking about the reason behind him becoming a teacher. Well not to my surprise ,he began talking about his English background which is quite substantial in its own rights.
Ahmad has been dealing with English since he was four years old, now that is the perfect age is it not ?! And that has let him to pursue his education in many different countries including England.

As we all know online and distant learning has become a major competitor with the conventional means of learning and Ahmad certainly has benefited from this phenomenon by studying two separate major simultaneously, so go Web 2.0!

After that I asked him how he reached this level of competence and fluency in English and how long it took him to do so, in response he mentioned that due to the sizable amount of time that he has spent on the subject and his multiple encounters and interactions in many different countries, his interest in movies and music that feature English tracks and overall affection are but a few of the contributors to his skillfulness.

Ahmad considers English more than just a second language but an international language that proves even more vital than the mother tongues in overcoming some specific challenges.

What really impressed me about Ahmad was his attention to the factor of love that ought to be implied in both processes of learning and teaching. It's quite obvious that Ahmad is indeed satisfied with the way ESL is taken care of in Iran simply because he ranked it as B+.

As many of us would agree, Ahmad does consider teaching English a profession that is primarily focused on social aspects rather than financial ,and he believes that if your sole purpose behind teaching English is monetary then you would find far better opportunities in real estate business and whatnot. As in the case of Ahmad, his other and perhaps most significant motivation behind teaching English is teaching itself. Ahmad adores teaching in whatever form as long as true essence of learning is flowing in. However, this unprecedented desire for teaching is partially innate since Ahmad's father is a college professor as well.

In the end Ahmad wants the students to not only put effort in the learning process but also be patient.

You can listen to the full interview in Talk Show Podcast Episode Two.

What does Talk Show 2.0 mean?

If you are wondering what the term Talk Show 2.0 means, you have come to the right place.
Talk Show 2.0 is a name derived from the illustrious term "Web 2.0" which refers to newly embraced style of the occupants of World Wide Web and their accompanying compounded link to the world through social-networking and blogging among other things .

The invoking motto of Web 2.0 can be shrunk in a few words: to be accessible wherever and whenever.
As you might know, Talk Show 2.0 is a blog that is aimed at yielding a spot on World Wide Web where my students could manage to associate with me and my teaching materials, and bestow me an honor with their comments, thoughts or plans to further heighten the quality and tone of my various classes.

Although, my main purpose behind updating this blog , is supplying my students with outside-of-the-class supplements since most of my learners approach me often and stress their desire for additional contents such as reading materials , literature , listening records and so forth . Well! all of those prospects and more are framed in one dynamic and interactive bundle called Talk Show 2.0.

Further Readings:

Web 2.0

Blog

Journal Entry: One long holiday

As a person who is not exactly fond of too many holidays, I found myself in the belly of a seemingly enchanting and enticing behemoth that did not want to let go of me.

Now you may be wondering what this gigantic and exceptional behemoth exactly is?

Allow me to present Nowruz !!! What? Is not Nowruz the most celebrated and widely esteemed holiday in Iran ? How could you so blindly compare it with a gigantic behemoth?

Well, I will explain if you allow me to do so, without further ado, I would jump right in and describe very briefly what Nowruz is .


Nowruz is an Iranian festival that marks the beginning of spring and takes the Iranian calendar to a whole new year. Iranian people await and celebrate this significant event sky-high by visiting their relatives, going on trips and so on.
So far everything resembles our own Christmas and New Year's Eve but the differences set out to become more apparent the moment you realize that this renowned holiday lasts for at least 14 days –I personally was off the hook for approximately 21 days!- and during this period ,especially the first week or so ,the majority of business and trade centers, governmental agencies, banks, educational institutions , colleges and pretty much every other organization that does not directly deal with trips, auto service and above all kebab and Deezee is out of the picture!
This is while the country has more than 20 other holidays for various reasons. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet is not it ?

In one of our Talk Show classes we discussed the issue of holiday and its abundance in Iran and some of my students actually were not satisfied with the sheer amount of holidays that certainly has enormous impact on the fundamentals of the Iranian society economically, educationally, politically and culturally.

However, we shall not overlook the beauty of Nowruz that is buried beneath the unsound statistics which articulates the vernal message of spring and its accompanying freshness and happiness.
Many of my wonderful friends sent me text messages and emails congratulating Nowruz ,and I will only post few of them for you in order to further understand the elegant atmosphere during these days:

"Dear Daniel
I hope the beauty of spring, joy and happiness into your life. Wish for you healthy and happy new year…….Ali"

"Merry Nowruz & Happy New Year! It's Nowruz! The time to make new beginnings, realize dreams and reach new goals. Spring has sprung! As the buds bloom, the birds fly back to their home and bumblebees buzz in with seasonal cheer…time to wish you a season that is bright with a harvest of smiles, happiness, hope and prosperity to last all year through………. Mack Moradi"

"Hi Daniel
Didn’t know u b4. Ok! Not a big deal!
But now that I know, I never wanna lose a guy like u.
This, v call it Norouz (I know u know it. I’m just pullin ur leg)
A tradition established by King Jamshid, who ruled the country around 2000 years ago. Who brought nothing to our nation but unity and prosperity.
Wish the year 1389 gives us something new as novelty.
Wish u and those who love you, ever luck.

Amin Vakili "

"Happy New Year my friend, I hope you be healthy & successful during in your life.

Mohammad Khabazi "

Again let me thank all of those who sent me their kind remarks and wish them a fantastic year ahead.



I myself managed to indulge myself during these days and put all the substantial spare time in some good use. Heck, I even began to like this format along with many other Iranian customs!

I wish all of my students, friends and colleagues in Iran cherished and enjoyed their holidays as much as I did.




Further Readings :

Nowruz
Iranian festivals
Public holidays in Iran