Wed
May
16th
Word Wednesday
Today’s word-of-the-day: EXAGGERATE.
Exaggerate: (verb) to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth.
While we try our best to present the truth in its pure form, sometimes we just can’t help but to ‘spice it up’ a little bit.
Share with us some of the most unbelievable exaggerations you’ve ever heard or said!
The Ginger Team
Posted in English learning
Tue
May
15th
The Tuesday Talk
With the many advances in technology in recent years, the way things are being taught in schools are changing drastically; and more likely for the better. While the traditional style of chalkboard teaching continues to persist in classrooms, this method is being increasingly complemented with the use of computers and learning software. What are the main differences between these 2 learning methods, and how should we exploit technology to maximize our learning potential; especially for the learning of languages?
Personalization
The key difference between chalkboard learning and computer learning is personalization. In a classroom with 20-30 students, some even reaching close to 40, there is no way that the single teacher can pay devoted attention to every single student. However, with computer learning, softwares are able to customize content based on the different levels of ability of individual students. This also allows for more interaction of the students, compared to mostly just listening in the classroom.
Exploiting Technology
While learning technologies have their limitations, Smart tells us that we can still exploit them on 2 fronts – laying groundwork and learning in context.
Laying Groundwork
Educators in the United States strongly recommend the use of individual programs and other technologies in English learning because they accelerate the acquisition of phonics, vocabulary, fluency, reading-comprehension skills and other language-building blocks.
Ginger Software provides these features for our users to hone their skills in basic English:
1. Text-to-Speech reader. This allows users to quickly learn the proper pronunciation of words.
2. Grammar Book and Spelling Book. These aid users in building up their vocabulary.
3. Tips and Articles on English language learning. This feature enables our users to consolidate what they have learnt by providing miscellaneous information that is relevant to their learning.
Learning in Context
Margaret Hawkins, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Education, cautions that students do not really acquire language by performing computer tasks divorced from an authentic learning environment. Instead, they need social interactions that make them actively use language to negotiate meaning. In her view, much of today’s language-learning software is rooted in old Second Language Acquisition and English as a Second Language research that treats listening, speaking, reading, and writing as separate areas and posits that students can learn a general language out of context, then apply it specifically later.
While this may be true of some learning software, Ginger Software’s Grammar & Spell Checker utilizes a patent-pending algorithm that allows it to correct a sentence according to its context. This unique feature ensures that our users do not use English words ‘blindly’ and out of context.
Although learning technologies could never completely replace traditional chalkboard learning in a classroom, it would greatly enhance the value of learning if we adopted the relevant learning technologies available to us today.
Share with us your views or personal anecdotes regarding using technology to learn the English language! 
The Ginger Team
Posted in English learning, Text to speech
Mon
May
14th
Manic Monday
We, at Ginger, give our utmost to save our users from embarrassing mistakes. But this slip-up is simply way beyond us. =p
Have a great day ahead everyone! Just another manic Monday…
The Ginger Team
Posted in Funny English Mistakes
Sun
May
13th
Sun
May
13th
Savvy Sunday
So let me open with this dilemma: Is it supposed to be “gray” or “grey”?
And the answer is simply: It depends.
Both gray and grey are acceptable spellings. Gray is used primarily in the United States and other areas that use US English. Similarly, grey is used in Great Britain and other areas that use UK English.
Having said that, do note that there are 3 exceptions to the rule:
1. Proper nouns such as a last name would always be spelled “Gray”. For instance, Earl Grey should be Earl Gray instead.
2. The dog breed, Greyhound.
3. Food irradiation (quantity of radiation energy absorbed by the food as it passes through the radiation field during processing). 1 Gray = 0.001 kGy = 1 joule of energy absorbed per kilogram of food irradiated.
In terms of COLOUR, grey and gray are actually two different “color swatches”. Many people believe grey is an actual color perceived as the hue of “silver”, and gray is a sliding scale of values from black to white.
Try out Facebook poll to see how you match up against others in knowing how to use grey/gray!
Use Ginger Grammar & Spell Checker for the correct answers to the Facebook poll.
Posted in Archive
Wed
May
9th
Word Wednesday
Today’s word is PAPARAZZI.
Paparazzi: (noun) A freelance photographer who pursues celebrities trying to take candid photographs of them to sell to newspapers or magazines.
While we hear of celebrities assaulting complaining about paparazzi, I’m quite sure the majority of us, who are more obscure, secretly wish we could trade places with them.
Today, thanks to Instagram and the like, I guess such fancy wishes are achievable… somewhat.
Posted in Archive
Wed
May
9th
Assistive Technology for Struggling Writers
Miki (Michal) Feldman-Simon, Ginger’s Vice President of U.S. Operations, will be speaking on how struggling writers can leverage on Ginger Software’s assistive technology.
Miki brings varied experience in entrepreneurship, education, and organization management to Ginger Software. She started her career working with underprivileged teenagers and their families and helping them prepare for military service in Israel. Miki went on to coordinate a student assistance program (Big Brother) that partnered underprivileged kids with volunteer university students. Following this, Miki served as National Sales Manager for an educational startup company, Geometrix, which created and marketed an innovative visual-thinking program for elementary school children.
She went on to establish a human-resources consulting company providing services for several successful Israeli startups including Agentics (later acquired by Mercado) and Demantra (later acquired by Oracle) and introduced Employee Assistance Programs services to the Israeli market through an alliance with an established Australian EAP provider.
Miki moved to Boston in 1998 and went on to head the Human Resources department of Phonetic Systems, which was later acquired by Nuance Inc. Miki has a B.A. in Psychology and Educational Counseling and an M.Sc. in Organizational Behavior (graduated Magna Cum Laude) from the Tel Aviv University. Miki’s passion is education and innovative educational programs.
Miki’s speech will be broadcast on 31 May 2012. You can sign up for the Live Broadcast here.
Posted in English writing, Ginger Updates
Sun
May
6th
Ginger’s Chrome Web Extension
After about more than a month since we released Ginger Software as a Chrome Web extension, we have seen quite a number of early-adopters. Danny Stieben argues why one should adopt Ginger’s Chrome extension in his article “Get Improved Spelling & Grammar Corrections with Ginger [Chrome & Firefox]“.
He opens his case by highlighting the difference in prowess between a spell checker on Microsoft Word and a spell checker on a web browser. To quote him, “Life is great until you come to the browser. With it, you only get basic spell checking, and nothing else. This is a problem for those who rely on good spelling and grammar checking.”
His case for adopting Ginger’s web extension revolves around 2 main points:
1. Web browsers like Firefox currently use an open source spell checker, Hunspell, which is relatively basic compared to current market offerings.
2. While Chrome will eventually adopt Google’s new contextual-based spell checker, it will not be until a few more months.
For these couple of reasons, Stieben concludes that Ginger’s Chrome extension is worthwhile to download.
Do download and utilize Ginger’s web extension for better grammar & spell checking convenience on your web browser.
Posted in Ginger Updates, Web Extension
Sun
May
6th
Savvy Sunday
WHEN TO USE I.E. IN A SENTENCE
I.e. is an abbreviation of a latin phrase that carries the meaning of “that is”. It is used to CLARIFY a statement, rather than for LISTING EXAMPLES.
I.e. should be used when you want to explain what you just said in a different way – a definition, metaphor, or clarification.
E.g. is used to list a finite number of examples. For example, “I love wearing swimwear that reveal much of my body, e.g., speedo trunks, briefs, and bikinis.”
Parentheses or Commas?
Writing them as (e.g. blah, blah) or ,e.g., blah, blah are both acceptable. Most style guides recommend that you use a comma after e.g., even with the full-stop present.
CONCLUSION:
e.g. = examples
i.e. = clarification
This mini-article was referenced from The Oatmeal. Do check out their webpage for a more elaborate article on the proper usage of i.e. and e.g.
Have a Savvy Sunday!
Posted in English Language, English writing
Sat
May
5th
Ginger Nominated as Rising Star by CHINICT
Ginger has been nominated as a “Rising Star” by CHINICT, China’s largest conference on tech innovation and entrepreneurship. It will be held in Beijing for the 8th consecutive time on 24th and 25th May this year.
Ginger CEO, Netanel Jacobsson, will be speaking at the conference on invitation by Frank Nazikian, organizer of the event. This nomination will provide Ginger with immense exposure in the media, as well as a platform for networking with potential partners, customers, investors, R&D facilities and service providers.
Ginger Software is growing fast as a company and gaining serious traction on a global scale. TechCrunch will be running a live stream of the event so do catch it online!
Posted in Archive, Ginger Updates