International Students NZ

Today’s picture: Student at the Massey Albany Cultural Fair, 2009

Part 1: Today's word

Emerge (verb) means to come out or become known. So, for example, you can talk about problems or issues emerging from a situation. The emergence (noun) is when something first comes to public attention. 2009, for instance, has seen the emergence of Twitter as a major form of social networking – Twitter has existed for a few years already, but only came to the general attention of the media around the world in 2009. If something is just beginning to be noticed, then it is emergent (adjective).

Click here for interactive exercises on academic vocabulary and writing.

Part 2: Test

Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out?

Having coded the interview data and then grouped it into categories, three major issues emerged.

It later emerged that the company had, in fact, been losing money for years, despite the apparently healthy balance sheets presented to shareholders.

If we consider the full range of sociocultural factors, a more complex picture of literacy begins to emerge.

The team failed to emerge the data to a wider audience, which meant that their important findings were largely overlooked.

Part 3: Practice Question:

Apart from Twitter, what other social networking innovations have emerged over the last few years?

Part 4: The Phrasal Test – part 9

Complete these phrasal verbs – the meaning is given in brackets
1) call __________ (return someone’s call)
2) __________ something out (have a look at)
3) __________ across (find by chance)
4) cut it __________ (stop)
5) drop __________ (fall asleep)
6) __________ out (go crazy)
7) get __________ (meet)
8) go __________sth (review)
9) __________ on (wait)
10) __________ up to (respect)

Part 5: Kiwi Quiz Question

The Glenn Schaeffer Prize is New Zealand’s richest award for emerging writers. How much does the winner receive?

$15, 000
$ 65, 000
$ 125, 000
$ 225, 000

For information on all New Zealand writing prizes, including those especially for university students, click here

Part 6: Today's online listening:

This is an interview from the BBC with the emerging Chinese writer and film-maker, Xiaolu Guo

Questions for the article:

What made Xiaolu Guo’s experience in Beijing a challenging one?

What style did she write her English novel in – and why?

There are many other programmes in this series, with questions, vocabulary and explanations here

Today’s musical suggestion: from Canada / Mexico

De cara a la pared – face against the wall by Lhasa de Sela

Click here for more details of this emergent international star
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