Monday, November 7, 2011

Spring Forward! Daylight Savings Time in the USA and Visualization in Learning American English as EFL

Twice a year we change the clock by one hour. The new, or the “Summer Time”, is called the Daylight Savings Time. The clock changes on the second Sunday of March and returns to Standard Time on the first Sunday in November. Why do we switch between ST and DST?

In 2011 Daylight Savings Time in the United States began on Sunday, March 13, 2011, and ended at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 6th, 2011. Clocks go ahead one hour in the spring and go back one hour in the fall.


In the United States all 50 (fifty) states, with the exception of these two states: Arizona and Hawaii, use DST. Why Arizona and Hawaii do not want to change the clock like the rest of the country does? In short – because turning the clock to DST is troublesome and is not worth the alleged savings.

For simplicity this twice a year change is described as “spring forward, fall back”. This statement has a double meaning. The first one is obvious and denotes that in the spring we move clocks forward and in the fall we move them back.

The second or other understanding results from the double meaning of the words used. Spring is one of the four seasons of the year. To spring also means to jump. Therefore the term “spring forward” indicates the direction, in which clocks “jump ahead” in the spring. By analogy, “to fall back” means to retreat or to withdraw or to back out.

Now, the phrase “Spring forward, Fall back” takes on a new, more complete meaning and becomes a very accurate instruction as to what we should do with our clocks at the designated time points when we change the time back or forth.

What do you see now when you are looking at the expression “spring forward, fall back”? In your mind, do you see just the four words spring/ forward/ fall/ back, or do you see the full sentence, which instructs you what to do and when?

This technique is called visualization and is based on association, which both play a crucial role in modern teaching including ESL which stands for English as a Second Language or it’s more contemporary variation: EFL - English as a Foreign Language. Teaching American English to non-native speakers is part of.

Spring forward, Fall back”!

Move your clock forward in the spring, move it back in the fall.

See ya ...

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