I've recently finished reading the delightful "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". It was a breeze to get through — humourous, touching, and beautifully written.

Since I did most of my reading on the train, every time I came across an unfamiliar word, I jotted it down (or should I say scrawled it) in my notebook to look up later.

I don't usually look the meanings of words up in the process because it takes away from my enjoyment of the story. Unless I can't make sense of the story on account of the word.

So, as I'm doing my research, I wanted to share a few of these with you. Check out the quiz below.

Choose the correct definition.

👇👇👇

Learned a new phrase today: a velcro baby is a baby who is very clingy and always wants to be held, especially by mum. :)

I have 4 younger brothers and it's definitely a phase all babies go through!

Another phrase springs to mind when I look at this picture of my sister and her boy. It refers to two people being inseparable. Can you guess what it is?

OK, I know that it's a well-established fact that the word форточка is one of those words alongside сутки and тоска that don't have a direct equivalent in English, but hear me out. Transom window.

It's not the exact same thing, but it is "a small window that sits on top of an existing window or door's transom (aka their top beam)" and is used for lighting and/or ventilation. A pretty neat near synonym that can help explain the concept.

(What do you mean you've never had to explain форточка to anyone? 😄)

After I gave my own talk (to which I was very nearly late because I've got so used to working online that I forgot that getting anywhere at 8 in the morning takes, like, 2 hours if you don't live near a metro station!), I attended a session on 'Jazzing up your writing sessions' by Elizabeth Fedotova.

Here are my takeaways. 💛 are the things I'd like to give a try and 💚 are the things I already do!

💛 When assessing students' writing, tell them ahead of time that you will only correct 5 errors in their work. — I think it's a good idea because, realistically, how much do students actually internalise after we've written them pages of comments?

💛 Not all comments should take the form of words. They can come in the shape of meme stickers. — Genius. :)

💛 Ask students to weave in 3 pieces of false information into their writing. Their groupmate will then read the text and try to identify these pieces of information. — This sounds fun and interactive.

💚 Use a randomiser to assign a genre, a grammar feature, and a topic for students to use and write about. — I do this for my micro-writing activities, usually randomising a genre, some stylistic devices and vocabulary items for them to use.

💚 Dictogloss! Read your students a short text. First they just listen without making notes. Then you read it a second time and they write down whatever they can. After that, they pair up with someone and together they create a fuller version of the text. Finally, they can team up with another pair. — Collaborative and helps practise a variety of skills.

Do you do any of these?

Every year I write a quiz for a school event that my parents host. It's an intellectual game show type thing where students from several schools can flex their quick thinking skills and academic prowess.

When I write these quizzes, I think they are amazing. But writing the quiz isn't the end of the story.

Before I send it to the coordinator to print, I always sit down with my dad (who is also the game host) for a trial run. This is vital for a few reasons:

1) Reading the questions aloud immediately reveals any awkward phrasing. If the host doesn't immediately understand the question, neither will the students.

2) Reading the quiz together with someone else reveals ambiguities. If the host can think of alternative answers (that are not included in the key) on the spot, so can the students. And when there are points and medals on the line, the host had better be prepared!

3) Reading aloud helps the host deliver the questions effectively. Intonation can make or break communication and an aptly placed pause really enhances clarity. When you are familiar with the text, you are more likely to read it coherently.

Reading aloud and asking a friend to read your text is something I recommend to all writers! We do have an 'internal monitor', of course, but two head are better than one, right?

Which do you think is stronger, the weight of looming deadlines or the wings of inspiration? :)

I've created one more Mad Lib, based on "The Master and Margarita". That brings the total of Mad Libs in the pack to seven! I think it's a good number.