Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely – Book Review

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Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely: 3500 Most Beautiful English Vocabulary Words

by Robin Devoe

I've been trying to supercharge my vocabulary by consuming books on this subject. The year 2024 concluded with me finishing up Big & Fancy Words That Might Make You Smarter...er by Albert B. Squid, which presents one big and fancy word (as the title says) for every day of the year. In the middle of this year, I wrapped up my reading of the lexically luminiferous resource The Lexicologist's Handbook by Dane Cobain. Now here I am reviewing Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely by Robin Devoe, which, in a sense, is the ne plus ultra of all such I've read to date.

Why so? Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely by Robin Devoe lists English words that you would most likely not encounter in everyday life. Here is a selection of random expressions from the book: amaranthine, limerence, oneiric, catachthonian, mansuetude, quiddity, gourmandism, esprit d'escalier, plumigerous, hesternal, zeitgeist, redivivus, encincture, devenustate, and spizzerinctum. On the whole, the definitions are easy to understand, and I like the fact that the author also provides information about etymology, parts of speech, synonyms & antonyms, rarity, obsoleteness, etc., although this doesn't apply to every entry. A tiny number of entries show how to pronounce the words – I kind of wish each and every one had such information; natheless, I realize that it would probably be too massive an undertaking. Hence, I had to use other resources, such as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), to grok this aspect of the vocabulary.

All of these notwithstanding, I have encountered a number of inaccuracies, without which the dictionary would be more outstanding. Here are several examples:

• In the entry for "nanization", "bonzai" should be "bonsai" – a mistake probably caused by the similarity between "bonsai" and "banzai" (another word of Japanese origin). (p. 86)
• As the definition is that of a verb, the word "scintillant" (adjective) should be "scintillate". (p. 118)
• In the entry for "spiracle", "anthropods" should be "arthropods". (p. 125)

All in all, Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely by Robin Devoe is an absolutely frabjous English resource! I am sempiternally grateful for its existence and wholeheartedly recommend this dictionary to any logophile, poet, or one who wants to delve deep into the English lexicon.

Have you read Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely? What would you say about this book? Share your opinion in the comment section below!

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The Lexicologist's Handbook – Book Review

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The Lexicologist's Handbook: A Dictionary of Unusual Words

by Dane Cobain

I have been fascinated by English for eons. The joy of learning and exploring this language is immense, so much so that I ended up becoming an EFL teacher in my country, Indonesia. Although grammar is the aspect that got me hooked in the first place and played a primary role in setting my life trajectory, the beauty and richness of the English vocabulary is unlimited food for my insatiable linguistic appetite. The Lexicologist's Handbook by Dane Cobain is such a terrific resource for this never-ending adventure.

This book is basically a dictionary – but not a usual one. It is jam-packed with unusual, rare, fancy, or otherwise cool English words that will imbue readers with lexical superpower. In each entry, there is information on the word's pronunciation, type(s), definition(s), and example sentence(s), which enables you to understand the word thoroughly and primes you to use it in real-life situations, impressing your fellow humans linguistically.

Howbeit, considering The Lexicologist's Handbook is aimed at learners of English and educational in nature, I wish the accuracy of the content were higher. I have encountered a number of mistakes, one of which is "Amphitheatre" being misspelled as "Ampitheatre". On top of that, the pronunciation feature could be enhanced by adding information on stress position.

On the whole, The Lexicologist's Handbook by Dane Cobain is a spectacular addition to English literature. If you are bored of using ordinary expressions or looking to diversify your vocabulary, I highly recommend reading this tremendous lexical booster!

Have you read The Lexicologist's Handbook? Do you agree with my opinion? Share what you think in the comment section below!

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Lily and Maia: A Dinosaur Adventure – Book Review

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Lily and Maia: A Dinosaur Adventure

by Jack Horner

Illustrations by Grace Hattrup

Lily and Maia: A Dinosaur Adventure is an inspiring story about an intrepid, very young, female amateur paleontologist who is crazy about dinosaurs and goes on an adventure in Montana in quest of nests of Maiasaura. (Maiasaura is a type of duck-billed dinosaur which the author, Jack Horner, discovered with his friend in that region of the United States.) Why should this book be on every child's bookshelf?

Firstly, Lily and Maia highlights the importance of pursuing your passion. Life is short and, if possible, what is better than doing what you love? This book encourages parents and teachers alike to wholeheartedly support their children in their endeavors, as long as they are positive and bring good to the world.

Moreover, Lily and Maia raises the paramount theme of science. Fostering the love of science is dispensable as our species' existence hinges on it, and childhood is the best time to start instilling this quality. Through the medium of dinosaurs and paleontology, Lily and Maia beautifully conveys this critical message.

Dedicated to Jack Horner's colleague Holly Woodward and featuring lovely illustrations by Grace Hattrup, Lily and Maia offers a simple yet profound children's story filled with adventure, friendship, and science and is a great gift to the world of education.

Have you read Lily and Maia: A Dinosaur Adventure? What is your opinion on this children's book? Share in the comment section below!

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English Visual Dictionary – Book Review

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English Visual Dictionary

by Collins Dictionaries

Are you planning to continue your education in the UK? Have you recently gotten a job which requires you to relocate to Darren Naish's homeland? If so, this wonderful visual dictionary is just what the doctor ordered!

English Visual Dictionary by Collins Dictionaries is an extremely comprehensive dictionary that teaches you English vocabulary that you need in order to survive in the UK by virtue of clear, relevant pictures. The book is divided into 10 theme-based chapters, ranging from "The Essentials" to "Leisure" to "Special Days", ensuring that everything you need is covered. Even though it is a visual dictionary, it also presents common expressions without accompanying images which you might need in order to communicate successfully in the UK. One of my favorite features in this book is the YOU SHOULD KNOW... sections, which give readers useful information about local customs. For example, do you know what double yellow lines on the road means? You'll find the answer to such questions in this dictionary!

Note that the vocabulary contents of this book are British English, which means that some of them may not be suitable to use in American English.

In summary, English Visual Dictionary will be of such great help, communication-wise, to those would love to explore the UK.

Have you read English Visual Dictionary? If so, share what you think in the comment section below!

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What Does It Mean To Be a Teacher?

This is a vitally important question for some of the billions of earthlings to answer – and that fraction includes me, a speck of cosmic dust which happens to be inhabiting the most populated island of the Indonesian archipelago. I have worked as a teacher of English, my most loved language of all, for over seven years and this has inevitably made me ponder and reflect, from time to time, on the role that I have been trusted to take. Teaching is my bread and butter, but, to me, it goes far beyond that. I wholeheartedly believe that being a teacher means much, much more than earning money to get by in life. The future of the planet very much depends on our collective action and in order to ensure the continuity of its existence and the advancement & protection of its welfare, what we sorely need are who I would call real teachers: those who put their best effort into enlightening the minds of the next generation for the common good – for all of us. Seen from this point of view, teachers are really saviors of the world. So, what does it mean to be a teacher? What things does it involve? I reckon the following elements are essential to making a real teacher:

1. Educator

Needless to say, this quality is indispensable to being a teacher. Teachers are meant to educate, and this requires them to possess a sufficient amount of knowledge or skill to diffuse to or instill in the students. A teacher who lacks expertise in their respective area simply will not make a significant impact, if any, on their students' lives. It is important to underline that teachers must strive to combat false information and that they also need to be highly creative to make sure that their delivery of a particular subject is effectively accomplished.

2. Motivator

Let's face it: Students can feel down and discouraged – well, they are human beings, aren't they? They may be having a serious family problem, or instead they may have been stuck on a math problem for long. Such situations can hurl them to the depths of despair; and this is when the subrole of a motivator comes into play. A teacher should be able to sympathize with and motivate their students to achieve their aims, making them rise and directing them to meeting their challenges. What is worse than seeing someone's potential left unfulfilled?

3. Example Setter

Teachers have to be role models for their students. Why so? Well, it is simply because students tend to imitate their teachers, just as kids do their parents. If a teacher tells their students to be punctual, but they themselves always arrive late, would that convince the students to be disciplined? If you are an English teacher, but you do not care about, say, capitalization when writing country or city names, don't you think your students would be slovenly too? Setting an example is a very powerful way to drive students to success in learning.

4. Inspirator

Setting an example is a must, but I think a teacher needs to go the extra mile. Be an inspiration to your students! There are endless things a teacher can do to launch their students to heights of excitement on their learning journeys. For example, if you are a music teacher, you might want to record videos of you showing off your brilliant skill at playing a musical instrument and posting them to social media so that the general public can enjoy it. This will get your students psyched about the performance and, hopefully, wanting to do such inspirational things themselves.

5. Friend

It is probably true that there is often an invisible but discernible gap between teachers and students. It is as if students are destined to respect their teachers from afar and their teachers are "untouchable", exclusively sitting on their "thrones". Although I agree that there should be limits to how teachers and students interact, developing a rapport with students is really important as it can enhance their learning experiences by leaps and bounds. As mentioned before, students are humans, so being able to, for example, share with their teachers would be greatly beneficial.

6. Learner

Finally, a teacher, just like everybody else, is essentially a learner. This certainly applies to the knowledge or skill in their respective field – for instance, an English teacher must keep abreast of the latest development in the language (new vocabulary, etc.). However, it can be extended into such areas as understanding the psychology of the students and new technology that can be utilized to make learning more fun and effective. Teachers need to always update their armaments to ensure that their students experience learning in the best way possible.

Thank you so much for reading up to this point! I hope this article is useful for fellow teachers and those considering entering the profession. Feel free to leave any comments below! 😊

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Quote #61

"I would choose to know the truth, however agonizing it is, over comforting lies any day." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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My First-Ever Podcast on Dinosaurs!

This past week has been a little surreal for me. Out of the blue, a former colleague of mine Aep Syaefullah, the host of Kantor Penasaran, contacted me and asked whether I would like to talk in his podcast about one of the most influential things in my life: dinosaurs. 🦖🦕 Is this for real? The invitation left me psychologically unstable for some time, and eventually I said yes! I felt it would be a great chance to channel my interest to the general public, specifically the Indonesians, the vast majority of whom, in my opinion, are indifferent to the majestic creatures. So, on June 1, 2020 we did the recording and talked about dinosaurs for about 45 minutes. Here is a poster for the event:

The podcast can be accessed on the following platforms: Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Breaker, and RadioPublic. The title is "Klinsman H: Talking about Dinosaurs in Indonesia" and, as you must have noticed, it was recorded in Indonesian, our native language. Although we did have a discussion about dinosaurs in Indonesia, the podcast actually covers more than that: what dinosaurs mean to me, my dinosaur-related collection, whether Komodo dragons are honest-to-goodness dinosaurs, and so on. Here is a snippet of the podcast:

Listen to the full podcast here:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kLxn9T4W57KpVUKxNGSTI?si=WOMoIUEjTKWd2khL3TLwDw

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/kantor-penasaran/episodes/24--Klinsman--Bicara-tentang-Dinosaurus-di-Indonesia-eertb2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kODc4ZjdjL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/OTc2MmM2ODAtNDVhNC00NzJkLWE3MTYtMmUyNzVjNTVkYmZm?ved=0CAcQ38oDahcKEwjYhs2Bq-jpAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBg

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/kantor-penasaran-podcast/e/64911697

RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/kantor-penasaran-podcast-8XPazn/s1!8fff2

I'm really sorry for any imperfections in the podcast – to be honest, I was somewhat nervous! However, I hope that the audience can enjoy listening to our conversation and get something useful from it! 😊

Related articles:

• Why Dinosaurs?
• Why Dinosaurs Matter – Book Review

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MOOCs

This robotic-feel term is pretty new to the English language and can sound alien to some people, especially those who are not on the stage of education.

What are MOOCs?

First off, let's dissect this coinage. As you might have realized, the word, possessing an -s ending, is actually plural in form. The singular construction, "MOOC", is an acronym of "massive open online course" and pronounced as /mu:k/ (ugh, I love the IPA). Bear in mind that this has nothing to do with an agitated cow. I have always been mind-blown by the astounding advancement of technology and MOOCs are a revolutionary product of this civilization phenomenon.

Just by looking at the individual words themselves, we pretty much can understand what it refers to. Let's work our way backwards. A MOOC is (1) a course that (2) can be taken online, (3) is open to anyone, and (4) can be done by a huge number of people. In other words, as long as there is a decent Internet connection, anyone from anywhere in the world can take a MOOC. This is to speak nothing of the fact that many or most, if not all, MOOCs can be joined for FREE, and that many TOP universities and institutions develop and offer them! Let that sink in for a moment and be mesmerized at how cool it is!

Where can we take MOOCs?

Coursera logo
Downloaded from https://about.coursera.org/press

MOOCs can be taken through a number of providers. The most popular one is probably Coursera, whose partnering institutions include Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Imperial College London. The second most famous is perhaps edX, on which you can attend courses offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, as well as the University of Oxford. Other prominent names comprise Udemy, Udacity, and FutureLearn.

Another way to answer this question is through phrases such as "from home". Definitely, you can learn about your favorite subjects through MOOCs in your sugary home or at the coziest cafe in town, while taking enjoyment in a cup of Vietnamese coffee or Thai tea. While it is probably best to study on a laptop/desktop, MOOC providers such as Coursera and edX have created mobile apps which you can download so you can take their MOOCs and learn conveniently via your phone.

My experiences with MOOCs

I enrolled in my first MOOC in 2013, thanks to my first brother, who brought it to my attention. To date, I have completed six (6) MOOCs. Here they are in the chronological order I took them:

1. Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology, offered by the University of Alberta (UoA) (Coursera)
2. Shaping the Way We Teach English, 1: The Landscape of English Language Teaching, offered by the U.S. Department of State and the University of Oregon (Coursera)
3. Shaping the Way We Teach English, 2: Paths to Success in ELT, offered by the U.S. Department of State and the University of Oregon (Coursera)
4. Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds, offered by the University of Alberta (UoA) (Coursera)
5. Teaching Grammar Communicatively, offered by the U.S. Department of State (World Learning, Canvas)
6. DINOx: Dinosaur Ecosystems, offered by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) (edX)

As you can see, the subjects that I have learned through MOOCs are English and dinosaurology, which are two of my greatest interests – the other being Jay Chou's music. Nevertheless, there are numerous fields of study that you can learn about through MOOCs: business, computer science, music, languages, and copious others.

The activities I did in my MOOCs included watching videos, reading course notes, taking quizzes, doing projects, and participating in discussion forums. Different MOOCs may have different requirements, so you need to read the information carefully. For example, to pass the DINOx: Dinosaur Ecosystems course, I had to take 6 quizzes and achieve an average score of 50 or above, whereas for the Shaping the Way We Teach English course series, I was required to create lesson plans which would later be checked and graded by three random fellow participants.

The MOOCs I took generally lasted for a month or two (4–8 weeks) and the dedicated time I spent on them was, on average, between 2 and 4 hours a week. For me, it wasn't really demanding, but I definitely had to make sacrifices – delaying my book reading being one of them. However, it is ultimately worth the effort I put and the sweat I secreted!

I received certificates for completing all the abovementioned MOOCs (I also acquired a badge for passing the Teaching Grammar Communicatively course – it can be seen on the left-hand section of this blog). This recognition feature is particularly interesting and could help improve your career prospects: Beautify your resume by anchoring your achievements in it and let potential employers admire and be impressed by them. Nonetheless, note that not all MOOCs provide free certificates. For instance, I had to pay 50 USD for my DINOx: Dinosaur Ecosystems certificate but I obtained my Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology and Teaching Grammar Communicatively certificates without any fees. Here are a couple of certificate examples that I have collected:

My Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds certificate
Link: https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/records/YJ2RCETAWKM2

My Shaping the Way We Teach English, 2: Paths to Success in ELT certificate

My DINOx:Dinosaur Ecosystems certificate
Link: https://courses.edx.org/certificates/bc84273fdd2d4a978f32ef1b96a72497

On the whole, it has been a great experience to take part in this staggering development in education. I could learn "at" fabulous institutions from abroad, without having to travel to the otherwise unreachable places. Additionally, now there are probably MOOCs offering degrees to their participants as well! Certainly, MOOCs are in vogue and continuing to gain more and more fame as a way of learning. It is very exciting and I cannot wait to see what the future of MOOCs holds.

Have you ever taken MOOCs? If not, would you like to take them? Please share what you think of MOOCs in the comment section below!

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