Paintball Gun Prohibition

Recently, I was surprised to find this sign posted at my neighborhood park: "Paintball gun activities prohibited."

What can be inferred from this message? What does infer mean?  It means 'guess' or 'figure out from some kind of evidence' the meaning of something else.

First, what is the key word in this sign? How do we know it's the most important word? The sign is printed in black on white, but one word stands out because it is written in larger and thicker letters (= in bold type or 'bolded'). That word is 'PROHIBITED.'

Second, what do you think it means? Since this sign hangs below the city's regulations sign, 'prohibited' probably has something to do with the law. It's a long word (four syllables, like 'regulations'). In addition, this sign has the words 'gun activities.' Most people fear guns and gun use, especially in a city park. If you know what a paintball gun is - even if you think it's a kind of 'play-gun,' you know that balls of paint make a mess! One time use of paintball guns will create paint stains on the grass, plants, picnic tables, sand, and dirt that will make the park unusable for families with little children and destroy the natural appearance of this outdoor space.

Therefore, imagining this, do you think 'prohibited' is a word that is positive or negative in meaning? The construction of the word could be confusing because the 'pro' to many Americans means 'to be for' something or to support it. For example, if someone says they are pro-immigrant, it means that they are supportive of immigrants and immigrant rights. However, in this context, prohibit means 'to hold back.' (to be for holding back). The legal explanation for this regulation is given below.

"Under California law, paintball guns fall under the banner of "imitation firearms," along with BB guns, pellet guns and toy guns. ... Therefore all laws applicable to this broad category of firearm are applicable to paintball fans and their paintball activities." from the Legal Beagle.

If you guessed or inferred that prohibited  has a negative meaning and that you should NOT shoot a paintball gun at this public park, you are correct!  Paintball gun use is banned from any city open space.  

"I" is for Impact

What is an impact?  What impact is this sign referring to?  Do you get it?

Impact in this case is a noun and refers to the force with which something strikes or hits something else. In this case, the impact of an asteroid created this well-preserved crater, located in Arizona, off Highway 40. (You can also enjoy this five-minute video narrative about asteroid impacts and listen to how the word is pronounced and used in context.)

This visual way of understanding the word "impact" can help you to imagine other meanings and uses of the word. For example, in the newspaper, editors choose their photos very carefully so that they have an impact on the reader. They want the image of an event to be memorable. They want it to be impactful. 

Impactful is a relatively new adjective that has become quite common in reporting. It is quite controversial, however, and I am one who has never used the word. For a multi-page, thorough report on the origins of this word, you are invited to read this discussion. Also, please check out another fascinating blogpost regarding impactful by the linguist Anne Curzan. Then you can decide if you want to use it. As always, in building vocabulary, keep your eyes and ears open for the words you're trying to learn. Let me know if it's working for you.

Play, Blow, Break, Split, Run, Fly, Fall, Light

I am a big fan of vocabulary building, so I am always looking for ways to squeeze a little extra vocabulary into any class.  This is a great lesson for any level, primarily to illustrate how single words in English can have several  meanings. This particular activity ties in well to Picturing English as it appeals very much to the visual language learner.  

You could also use this activity in a grammar class.  Students can ask each other questions using the vocabulary. Blow, break, split, run, fly, fall, and light are irregular verb forms. Play is a regular verb that ends with a "y" but it's preceded by a vowel. The spelling of the past tense or past participle, then, is "played", not "plaied." You can use the video as an opportunity to review a small set of irregular verbs plus their past tense and participial forms. In addition, the students get to see how these irregular verbs come up in every day life and why it's a good idea to learn them.  

"D" is for "date"

1.

2.

3.

One of the hardest parts of learning English is learning multiple meanings of common words in English. However, this problem can be looked at as an advantage since one word can do double or triple duty in different contexts. Take, for example, the word "date." Sometimes for vocabulary to stick in your memory, it helps to have a visual image, so I have provided some illustrations to help you. 

In the first photo (#1), you see something that looks like an orchard of palm trees.They are date palms. Although I've never had fresh dates, I am told by my Middle Eastern students that people in that region of the world eat both dried and fresh dates.There are several different types of date, and some of them are as sweet or sweeter than honey!  

The second photo is a common scene around the world, with a happy couple facing each other over a meal. The reader can easily imagine this young lady and man are out on a date (#2). This is the meaning that many students will be familiar with. In this second case, date can act as a verb or a noun. For example, "Jane and Jim have been dating each other for a year."  "They often go out on dates."  

Finally, photo #3 shows a calendar with an important date circled in red. An important date usually includes the month, day, and year of a noteworthy event, such as an earthquake or a birth. In addition, date can be used as a verb, such as "dating (=writing a date on ) a letter or postcard" that you are sending to a friend.  Now you have five different ways to use the word date.  

Advanced Vocabulary Required to Read Rest Stop Rules

What is a rest stop? Do travelers need directions on how to use one? Apparently, we do.This sign was made for New Mexico's highway drivers. Will drivers who stop read the sign? I didn't notice anyone - other than me - pause to look at the sign. The makers of this highway posting would have benefitted from advice from an advertiser or copywriter. The information here is not accessible to the masses.                        

As with Power Point slides, less is more. There is so much information printed on this metal board that it's hard for the reader to know which rule is most important. Also, the sign is at the top of a post that is several feet high. Unless you're six feet tall, the sign is not at eye level. When you look at it, you see lots and lots of writing. Why didn't the makers use bullet points and short phrases?

Since most people that stopped didn't look at the sign at all, my husband and I saw several people breaking Rule #2. They let their unleashed dog out of their car. The dog pooped on the dirt, and the owners walked away, leaving the mess to stink up the rest area and to be a hazard for any child allowed to run around the rest area after a long drive in a car seat. Rule #2 is to show consideration to others. Of course!

Pictures, such as those shown in Many Englishes, my sister blog, might be more effective than word-filled signs. How many people know what a trash receptacle is? What are firearms, poisonous snakes, and poisonous insects? What is the meaning of inhabit? What are consumption, defacing, vandalizing, sewage, and salvaging? There are lots of advanced level words here. Just keep on reading signs to build your vocabulary!

Do you have THE time?

How much can an article change the meaning of an expression?  A lot!

A few years ago, a Korean graduate student in a TESOL program experienced a very embarrassing situation. It was caused by her unfamiliarity with a common way of asking if someone knows what time it is.  A man stopped her when she was on the mall (she's a petite, very attractive, young Korean married lady) and asked her if she "had the time."  Since she only knew the expression "have time" to do something, she thought he was asking her out on a date or to have coffee together. She looked at him and told him that she was married.

The man was confused at first but after a minute or two of awkward explanations from the woman, he  realized that the woman did not know that "the" completely changed the meaning of his utterance.  He explained to her that he was not asking for a date. He pointed to the wristwatch she was wearing. "I just wanted to know the time."

Of course, my Korean classmate felt humiliated. She considered herself to be a quite advanced-level non-native speaker and had even taught English in her home country.  However, she had never heard the expression "have the time."

She has the time.

Pictographs and Signs

Newspaper Rock in New Mexico's
Petrified Forest

People have probably been drawing and leaving signs since they first learned how to scratch on rocks or paint with wet minerals on cave walls. It's not surprising then that we can learn a lot about language and culture from signposts.  What is important to convey when no one is around to tell you face-to-face?

Here are some examples of signs that were posted in areas where people travel either by car or on foot. In one case, there is potential danger to the traveler (Photo A). In the other, there is potential damage that could be caused by the traveler (Photo B). Can you understand the meanings of each sign? Try to guess the meanings of the signs before reading the explanations next to them.

Photo A:  Along the road to Joshua
Tree National Monument, CA

What does subject to something mean? Maybe you know that subjects are areas or fields of study in college. The subject can also be the topic of discussion or conversation. Thus, subject is a polyseme, meaning that it has multiple meanings.

"Subject to flooding" means that this road can be affected by something bad, like floods. It is wise to pay attention to these warning signs when driving in desert country. These areas are especially vulnerable to flash floods. This water can travel very quickly down canyons or hillsides and take out roads and any vehicles traveling on them.

Photo B: Rancho Peñasquitos Park,
San Diego, CA

This sign tells hikers in the park not to cross beyond the fence because there is a project to help the plants in the area regrow. The park administrators might also have added that the off-trail area is covered with poison oak (another reason to stay on the designated trails).

Reading signs is a great way to continually expand your vocabulary. You might be inspired to read more signs if you consider that when people write signs, they assume that most people can understand the words that are used. Did you understand the signs on this page?