Friendship

Monday, April 17, 2006

To have a close friend is a very important thing in my life; I cannot imagine my life without one.
As far as I am concerned, I have a confidant, she is my best friend. I met her at the university in the first year. We enjoyed our time a lot. We had such a good time that we cannot forget. We laughed and sometimes we cried.
Now I know I can depend on her and I know when I have any problem she will try to help me, and if she cannot she will try to make the problem less serious.With my close friend I see my life with other eyes may be I see it simpler and happier. So thank you my best friend.
Manal Zletni
Elementary Read more!

Things I should have done

In my life I have made many big mistakes and things I should have done instead. There are three main things that I should have realized at the first place. First, feeling sorry about my mother. It’s so painful to remind myself about the death of my mother, it’s the worst thing that makes me sad and regret, I always feel guilty about her. She suffered many painful diseases and I couldn’t help release her from suffering. I’m not satisfied because I think I didn’t make sufficient effort regarding her illness. I am really grief-stricken and my feeling is getting worst. If only I could go back in time, I would devote all my life to help her more and I’d be more satisfied now.
Second, I’ve just realized lately that I should thought deeply about migration to a European country. I think life wouldn’t be as terrible as it is now. I thought about living abroad ten years ago, but I hesitated in making the right decision. If I had taken the plunge to live in Europe, I would have had a better life and a decent job as well.
Third, being a geologist is interesting and I like the geological sciences, but I have discovered recently the geological jobs are restricted to the oil companies and limited places which are not available outside of Tripoli. I should have studied Civil Engineering instead of Geology.
Now I should think about the future and leave what happened behind. We only live once so we should give up thinking about bad experiences.
Ali Issa
Intermediate Read more!

Student Writing

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

All student writings are left unedited Read more!

Our Crazy Language

Saturday, April 08, 2006

If pro and con are opposites, is congress the opposite of progress?
English is the most widely used language in the history of out planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the books and three-quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary — perhaps as many as two million words and one of the noblest bodies of literature. Nonetheless, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, neither pine nor apple in pineapple and no ham in hamburger. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths and a guinea pig is neither a pig nor from Guinea. Any why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, humdingers don’t hum and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese? One index, two indices — one Kleenex two kleenices? Doesn’t it seem loopy that you can make amends but not just one amend, that you comb through the annals of history but not just one annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and you get rid of all but one, what you call it? If the teacher taught. Why isn’t it true that the preacher praught? If a horsehair mat is made from the hair of horses and a camel’s-hair coat from the hair of camel’s, from what is a mohair coat made? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps you also bote your tongue? Sometimes I wonder if all English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what other language do people drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? Recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim change and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposite, while quite a /ot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
Did you ever notice that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown, met a sung hero or experience requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, grunted, ruly or peccable? And where are the people who are spring chickens or who actually would hurt a fly? I meet individuals who can cut the mustard and whom I would touch with a ten-foot pole, but I cannot talk about them in English. You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill a form by filling it out and in which your alarm clock goes off by going on. English was invented by people and not by computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn’t really a race at all). They are visible, but when the lights are out they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch I start it, but when I wind up this essay I end it.

Condensed from “Crazy English”. Richard Lederer. Read more!

I joined Alshati

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Before, I wanted to improve my English, because I need it for my job and it's an international language. Then I decided to learn more English. So I asked some friends about English schools, then I chose Alshati Center.
When I came to the school, I found a lot of students and teachers, then I joined with my class, and introduced myself to the teacher and the students.
Now, I think I am very lucky for joining this school, there are good students, very good teachers, and it has a lovely atmosphere.
Nahed Zlitni.
Beginner. Read more!

The advantages and disadvantages of working for a company

Have you worked for a company? If you say yes, I want to ask you. Did you find any advantages or disadvantages? The below there are some of advantages of working for a company in my opinion.
First of all, if you work for a company, you can learn about the community. All companies consist of diverse people. Whether you are a director or a follower, you may have an unavoidable conflict with others. Though very conflicted, little by little you could realize how to work efficiency. Secondly, working for a company makes you know about the outline of whole process for the task achievement. Also, you should do only specialty. For example, if you are a salesman, you won’t design to advertise. Moreover, you can be paid stable incomes while you are working. You don’t have to worry about your company’s finance. However, working for a company also has some disadvantages. Firstly, if your company became sluggish, you might be fired. In other words, you must be outstanding and indispensable to survive. Secondly, your incomes are limited. No overflows without adventure. As there is no risk, you don’t have any chance to get rich swiftly.
In conclusion, I recommend working for a company during the early years of working. I think it makes you know how to be comfortable with society. Nevertheless, after experiencing the working for a company, if you can do it, being self-employed is worth a try. Nobody knows you could be a successful man. Good luck to you!
Joanna Kweon
Pre-Intermediate Read more!

Working for a company


Working for a company has many advantages. first of all, you earn a salary every month and you can get some ideas about your job. Also, you have to be on time in the morning. So that's what we need to be better in our life. Working in a company gives us a chance to get some experiences, so that's very important for development and getting another job if we decided to change our first job. Secondly, you have to learn how to deal with with others, especially dealing with customers and your work mates. Moreover you can use the computer and the internet, so that's what we call it the language of this age.
However, working for a company has also some disadvantages. First of all, it takes most of your time, so you haven't a free time enough to visit your relatives and friends.
Secondly, it makes a human as a machine especially in the capitalism companies if there is no mercy.
Finally, I prefer working as a self-employed to working for a company if it's more relaxing, and I like freedom in my work.
Saleh Assadig.
Pre-Intermediate. Read more!

Burglar's Morning Sleep



On the evening of 1 june, a French burglar broke into a house in Paris. The house belonged to a married couple who went off on a honeymoon to Libya yesterday.Therefore, he set his mind at rest and decided to stael all night. At first, he quietly broke into the living room through the windows and looked at the portrait of the owner of the house. He felt sorry for him, but he had no conscience. When th eEiffel Tower was lit up, he began to put things that looked like precious in his sack. There was a gold clock, an antique jar, and so forth. Suddenly , he felt hungry and had a rumble in his stomack. He went to the kitchen to have something to eat. Then, he opened the refrigerator and looked over inside. There were many kind of food. Specially, there were cheese and hamburger which were his favourite foods, so he was very happy. He ate all of cheese and hamburgers. Also he drank two bottles of champagne,too. He looked like a hungry dog. After eating, he came back to the living room, packed his sack, continued tottering and then ran to upstairs. May be he he had a full stomach and was very tired. Unfortunately, he became sleepy and immediately fell asleep. Next morning, the sun was rising and he was over sleeping. Also, some neighbors who felt suspicious about opening window, called the police station. 10 minutes later, finally he was awakened by police men.
Joanna Kweon.
Pre-Intermediate. Read more!

This is my school

Our school is near the sea. So it has a nice view and it has fresh air,too. It's always clean and well-arranged.
I love the clean places, so I hope that there is more baskets in the school to throw the waste. For example,each classroom should have a basket because we want to keep this lovely place always clean.
In our school there are many students of different ages and jobs. We are all friends. And our teachers are very nice. I love them all. They are from different countries. They work hard to teach us. For me I don't have any problem with the teachers.
The administration of our school is very good. They are cooperative with us and they work hard to improve the school and the students as well.
The classrooms are good and clean but there is something disturbing us.Those tables which don't function well and aren't comfortable and disturb us and the teachers as well - otherwise the classrooms are not bad. Each classroom has its own TV and stereo set which make the learning process easier than before.
We study books which are good and we learn a lot of things easily. We learn not only the English language, but we also learn a general knowledge from these books. They are very good books because we learn from them without complexity.
Anyhow, I say that because I want the best for this school and I hope it goes up more and more.
Ghaida Youssef.
Elementary. Read more!

Alshati Center


Alshati center is the school which exactly follows the modern ways of teaching English Language .First of all, The teachers have good ability to give the information to the students. They never weary from the students questions. Secondly the system here in the center is very good: The system of study and the system of exams. Finally we should specify the things which they use like CDs and TV. These things help the students to improve their language. But I've only one point which is the starating time of lessons, because most students work untill three o'clock, and here the lessons start at four o'clock.
Fathy Ibrahim Thabet.
Elementary. Read more!

My Center of English Language


I think the best thing I do in my life , I study at Alshati English Language Cente. Really I am so happy because I learn English from different nationality teachers, all of them are fantastic!
I like the policu of the school in teaching English language.
Here in our school we do a lot of things. They are like grammar, phonetics, listening, video watching, reading and writing. I think all of them help you improve language better than before.
I have new friends, they have different jobs, hobbies and wishes all of them are here to speak English very well.Really I like all the things in our school even break time. I spend very nice time here with new friends and teachers. Truly we have a wonderful school. We speak English together for three hours and a half. It's a good practice for us to improve our langauage. I hope to complete my English study here with good circumstances.
Thanks.
Awatef Abead.
Elementary. Read more!

Our School


My school has many advantages like my beautiful smart teacher which is called Miss Rasha.
So you can know you are the best thing in school. Some other things are good like teachers and most of the students are like a family. They are friendly prople. Here we have a lot of time to learn English and we have smart teachers to teach us and to make the lessons interesting but the worst thingin school are chairs. I can't sit on it all the time, and the second thing which I don't like is homework. All taechers give us homework and we have to do it. Sometimes that get me depressed when I am tired from work. But in the end I find my school is the best.
Manal Zlitni.
Elementary. Read more!

Alshati

My school's Alshati center in Tripoli . I think it is good . There are a lot of teachers and I am comfortable there with my friends. I learn grammar because I don't know anything about grammar. The school helps me a lot to learn English I had a good time.The Alshati Center will be very famous in the future.Thanks for all who make Alshati Center up.
Abdeslam Gannash.
Beginner. Read more!

What I like about my school

My school is very comfortable. I am very happy here. Because the teacher is very lovely her name is Eman, she is honest, the students are very interesting. The method is very useful.ButI have one problem, the chairs are not comfortable.But I like them.Thank you.
Enas Rhouma.
Beginner. Read more!

My school

My school 'name is Alshati. It's very nice and clean. The teachers are very good, the people are very lovely and interesting. I like my classroom but I don't like the desks. The method is useful.The break is too short. I am comfortable in the classroom.
Najwa Ftes.
Beginner Read more!

I don't want to go to school

Early one morning a mother went in to wake up her son. "Wake up, son. It's time to go to school!"
"But why, Mum? I don't want to go."
"Give me two reasons why you don't want to go"
"Well, first the kids hate me, and second, the teachers hate me, too!"
"Oh, that's no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready."
"Give me two reasons why I should go to school"
"Well, for one, you're 52 years old. And for another, you're the headmaster!"
Miss Rasha. Read more!

My school

Alshati Center is one of the best schools for learning English language. It's known by many students. The place is very nice, in front of the sea, relaxing and quiet place. The books are good, the school prepare for us tea and sweet things.
The administration is good.But the classes are a little small, and now in summer season the classes need a conditionner( There is one in the class but I don't know if it works) The time is ok but sometimes we need one afternoon for rest, the teachers are good most of them they teach us as mature students (which we like becauseevery one work in a special job and we are in different ages, most of us finished the university.
Generally I find this school comfortable and I improved my language a little. I am happy with this, still I want more, I hope for this school to be connected with the school outside the country to get more benefit for the school and for the students.

Omnia Mohamed Abusaida.
Elementary. Read more!

Cross Eyed Teacher

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Tripoli Ghibli

Did you hear the one about the cross eyed teacher?

She couldn't control her pupils! Read more!

Tripoli Ghibli

Tripoli Ghibli
A laughing matter
Potato to onion:"What makes you think people like you better than me?"
"When you are peeled ,"replied the onion,"no one sheds a single tear. " Read more!

My friend

My oldest friend is Hatem, he was born in 1977. He lives in Tripoli , in a big flat with his family, his father and mother, his two brothers and one sister, he is oldest of his brothers.
We met ten years ago when were both in the computer department in the university, we were together nearly every day. However, we talk on the telephone, because he is very busy.
He has dark brown eyes and hair, and he’s tall and thin. He always wears jeans and T-shirts. He likes to listening to music, pop music and rap music, and he likes getting sports cars. He’s also crazy about computer games.
He works for Winter Shall company and he travels alot in his job, that’s why he’s very busy.
Moreover, he has some good and bad qualities. The advantages are that, he’s generous, successful in his lif, and he likes helping poor people, and is also lucke to have good friends.
In addition, he can use the time in different ways, he can work and read for example, and do his work efficiently.
The disadvantages. Firstly he needs some advice about his family, because he doesn’t worry about them, and he’s usually nervous. Secondly he travels a lot, so his family and I don’t see him for about a month. Sometimes he’s pessimistic, and he’s frightened of the future.
Despite the disadvantages, I like him because he’s a good man who is friendly and I feel more relaxed with him. I’m happy for him, because he’ll get married soon “he says”.

Osama Ali Ajala
Pre-Intermediate Read more!

His name is Art

I have a boyfriend in South Korea. His name is Art. I am going to tell you about him, because he became the most beloved person after moving out from our country. I want to have the time to bear him in mind.
3 years ago, when I met him at first, I recognized two things within 3 seconds, that he was short and he had little density of hair. Oops! Yes, he was a plain man. To be more exact, his out of beauty differs from my ideal man. Some time ago, when he was a just friend of mine,” I like you” he said to me. It was a bolt from the sky. However, his mental attitude. Way of thinking, consideration for others made me interested gradually. There was something attractive about him. From that date up to the present, he became a very important man to me.
He is graphic designer, the same as I am. Because we’re engaged in the same profession, I can grasp his strong point very well in our field. His first good point is that he is an expert. He always makes an effort to challenge undeveloped ways of expression. Even if his output looks so rough, that was recognized unique and valuable.
Secondly, his power of analysis stands high above the others. In addition, he has eyes which can see something has value correctly. For example, when he had a degree exhibition near at hand, he felt regrettable that many people had forgotten the traditional, own culture, something valuable. Therefore he had made a vernacular design. (His work’s explanation was omitted because it is too long and difficult to write)
His hobby is Subyuk-chiki. It is the Korean traditional military art that has been played by warriors since the Geryeo dynasty, but now it is already forgotten by many people. Fortunately, a small number of people are making efforts to sustain it, and Art is one of them. Almost every holiday, he goes to the Jeery mountains to get exercise with his associates. I like his enthusiasms about he wants to do.
Finally, he is sympathetic and wise, so he was a good conversational partner with me. Talikng with him was very happy. Also, sometimes I was depressed, he sang and danced for me. There were such variety shows. Sexy, comic dances are never to be forgotten.
I miss the time we were together.


Joanna Kweon
Pre-Intermediate Read more!

My Uncle

My uncle name’s Mohammed and he was 56 years old last year. He was born and grew up in Sugalguma in the east of Tripoli, where he lived until he was 28 years old. In 1978 he went to America to study. He studied in Michigan University, where he studied chemistry. In 1989 he married Kamila from a normal family, she‘s a teacher. They had two children, their name’s are Zacara and Hetam. They’re 15 and 18 years old, and they’re students. He lives with his family in Michigan City, and he has a big house, it has all things you want in a home. Also it’s a very beautiful house. Moreover he has a nice car. He works in a big company. He works hard, so he earns a lot of money. In the evening he likes watching TV or listening to music. Sometimes he likes reading and relaxing in the living room.
At the week ends he likes going out on picnic with his family. He went to the countryside and spent a good time there.
During vacation he always like traveling aboard to see new countries that he hasn’t been to before. His hobbies are playing football and he likes swimming. Also he likes go shopping in his free time. Things he doesn’t like: he doesn’t playing tennis and he doesn’t like going out in the evening. Moreover he doesn’t like noise.
My opinion that he’s friendly and generous, also he has a strong personality. Moreover he’s serious and he’s a bit nervous.
Finally my uncle lives aboard for a long time, and he didn’t see his parents also from he leaved his country, and his sons didn’t see our country until now. I think you should you should come back with his family to know everything about his descent.

Khaled Edali
Pre-Intermediate Read more!