Happy New Year!!

Every New Year's Eve, people in the USA sing "Auld Lang Syne."  Auld lang syne is Scottish, not English -- it means old times-- and good memories with old friends.
daisies are pretty white flowers that often grow wild.
acquaintances are any people that you met before


Many people take this opportunity to review last year.  This first video is the news last year according to Google searches...

WUSA Video: Good things that happened in 2016

Many people were unhappy with the news, politics and celebrity deaths this year. This video shows 2016 as a horror movie...

Happy New Years!!  Are you celebrating?  

I'm planning to watch the ball drop at Times Square on TV. 

About.com listing of New Years celebration places and ideas with many, many advertisements...

Are you making any New Year's Resolutions?

Resolutions are goals that you really plan to work at getting.

Late Night comedy song making fun of making and not keeping New Year's Resolutions...

An "ex" is a person who used to be really special to you until one of you decided to end it.

"drunk dial" is call someone when you are too drunk (with alcohol) to think clearly.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!  I hope you are having a great December. 
Do you have children and need ideas of things you can do?

     In the USA, different people celebrate Christmas really different ways.  Some people celebrate it because it is a really important Christian holiday -- the day to remember when Jesus was born.

Religious Christmas Song Lyric Videos

Handel's Messiah Sing-a-long

Many people celebrate Christmas by giving money to their church or to charities.  Some local charities.

Some people celebrate Christmas by volunteering (working for no pay) to help people.
Volunteer Fairfax -- links volunteers to no-pay jobs (Can be a great way to meet people and practice English!)  One way to help people and practice English may be to drive old people to doctor's appointments.  Fairfax Office of Aging Volunteer Match.  Please only schedule driving during afternoons -- please don't make commitments during class times!!

Many non-religious and non-christian people in the USA celebrate Christmas as a great time to celebrate love and family -- they shop, party, spend time with family, and to give presents.

Lyrics Videos:  Christmas Songs (NOT religious)


Do you celebrate Christmas?  What do you do?  Was this Christmas different for you?  How?

Goodbye for Now.... I hope I see you January 9th!

What is your best memory of this class?  What can I do to make it better next term?

Computer Class

1.  Do you have a favorite website for shopping?  If yes, tell the class

2.  Do Ventures Arcade (Blue 2) Unit 7

3.  Play with a partner:  Monkey Game! You may have to scroll down to find it.

4.  Play:  Shooting Game comparative vs. superlative forms

5.  Do you have an English Gmail?  If not, make one!

6. Make a google slide show to teach the class --

   * A story from history
           
             OR

   * A skill you enjoy

7.  Look at some websites for shopping.  Write comparative or superlative sentences about the items you see.

The sweetest thing

Grammar Practice with Comparative and Superlative

What makes you happy?  What is your sweetest memory?

Comparisons....

English with Sound and Light Video with examples

Easy ESOL grammar

What are the best shows on TV?

What kind of TV show do you like?  Are talent shows as good as movies?  Are action films better than romantic comedies?

When I googled "best" on Youtube, this video came up.  It's not edited for ESL, but I like the combination of real small talk and unusual performances.

Do you think these really are the best performances you've ever seen on a talent show?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The story of Thanksgiving

Pilrims are people who travel for their religion.  

People who go to Mecca or Jerusalem are often Pilgrims.

People who move here because their government doesn't like their religion are also pilgrims.

I'd love to start an ESOL class online cookbook with easy recipes, difficult but worth it recipes, recipes with national pride, and great recipes for good health.  If you know any good recipes in any of those categories, please write them in a google doc and share them with a link for everyone at my gmail.

The next video is in British English, but the only difference I see is that I say frying pan rather than frypan.

My family's Thanksgiving tradition of easy sweet potato casserole:  2 cans of 90% drained sweet potatoes, one can of 2/3 drained pineapple chunks.  Cover with large marshmallows.  Cook at 350 degrees until the marshmallows are light brown.

This video shows a common Thanksgiving feast.  Many people buy the cranberry sauce and pies.

Forbes: Best Black Friday Deals
Sales at Tysons Corner
Deals at Potomac Mills

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy food family and think about what makes us happy.  Some people also thank God for all the good things in life.  What makes you happy? 

All I have to do is dream

ad-free video

What do you dream about doing?

How did you know....?

Safeshare Link to "How did you know"

Past Tense Practice

We have a lot of married people in this class.  Do you remember when you decided to marry your spouse?  Please describe that time.  How did you know?

Should I....?

Should you come to class if you're sick?  Should you go to work?  What should you do if your muscles are sore?  What should you do if you have a headache?  What should you do if you have a cold?

Health

A doctor with a patient

An easy song to help you remember "What's the matter?"

Learning Chocolate: body organs

Language Guide: Medicine

What is the World Health Organization?

Chores

What chores do you like?  Do you hate any chores?

Do you do a lot of chores?  Do your children do a lot of chores?  Did you learn any good strategies for doing chores?  Li Ping and I like to use different hampers for different loads of laundry (whites, darks, towels...) so that we don't have to sort the laundry before we wash it.  I heard that some students hire maids to do a lot of the chores.  What strategies do you use to make chores easier?

Today's Assignment: Museum or Home

"Baking with Julia Child"

Julia Child's "The French Chef"

Past Tense Examples: Can you make a video example of past tense?

Please take a picture of something today and write about it in English.  Describe it and talk about the history. Share the picture (and description if keyboarded-- I always take paper too) with me at dancelark@gmail.com.

Challenge: Mike's Letter from mom

This story is similar to the story on Ventures p. 40, but it's not edited for ESOL.  The grammar is VERY difficult and the speed is fast.  I think you can hear and understand a lot of it.

It's killing me -- I'm laughing so much, I might die.

Passive Aggressive:  Say nice things when you want to make other people feel bad or guilty.  ("It's okay, go ahead.  Leave me all alone without any hope.  No problem.")

Sarcasm:  using the tone of your voice to show that you mean the opposite of what you say.

(Unflappable=impossible to upset, but the man is very upset)

  I once dropped my wallet on the METRO train, and a stranger picked it up and mailed it to me (using my driver's license as the address) -- complete with all my cash.

Have you ever lost something in public, but gotten it back?

I won't give up on you

Practice Future with Going to

Practice future with will

Practice Present Continuous=Present Progressive

Need a lot of grammar practice?  Try clicking on some of these topics

Did you ever quit a job?  Did you ever give up expecting a person to act the way that person should act?  If yes, you gave up that job or on that person.

  Did you ever want to quit but decide to keep trying?  What won't you give up on?

History

Video: History of Voting

History of US Voting Constitutional Amendments (written)

Fast Song about the history of Voting Methods

Today we talked about history. For me, history is the study and retelling of the (hopefully) true stories from the past.  What are your favorite stories in history?

Did you turn back your clocks?

If you went back in time, what part of history would you want to see?
What people or stories from history do you like?

Don't forget to turn back the clock one hour tonight

What chores are you doing this weekend?

Video: chore vocabulary

Audio: chore vocabulary

Practice using vocabulary for chores

Chore vocabulary wordfind


Do you enjoy any chores?  Do you listen to music?  What are you doing this weekend?

Did you watch the World Series Game 7?

Did you see Game 7 of the World Series?  That was really exciting for baseball.  I thought of you when I saw a fan's sign:

                                                         It's gonna DID happen!

The Cubs won for the first time since 1908.  Did you watch it?  Can you write about a moment when you were really excited about a game?  (any sport)  What moments that made history have you seen live on TV?

Did you learn irregular verbs in the past?

Practice Simple Past

irregular verbs practice

What do you like to do when you want to remember things?

(PM) "Bad Boys" doing the "Cupid Shuffle"

The next videos are an English teacher's spelling nightmare -- DO NOT SPELL LIKE THESE VIDEOS -- but I really want to post "Bad Boys" for Hien and Marco.

"Whatcha gonna do" should be written "What are you going to do?" 

"Chuck it" usually means throw it or throw it away --- here I think it means blaming other people or refusing responsibility for any actions

brotha=brother

sista=sister

"Be going to" grammar practice

The next video actually spells "are going to" as "gone" and pictures awful kicks, but I like the dance.

English teacher commentary:  it don't = it doesn't    gotta= have got a  tryna= trying to

Make or Do

5 Minute English Make or Do Video

Make or Do game

Make or Do expressions on Quizlet

Very similar quizlet cards with the make or do on the back

Make or Do on easyesolgrammar.com

What do you like to make?  What do you like to do?

Paradise

Simple Past Practice

What does paradise look like for you?  Do you love beaches or mountains or forests?  Tell me about a time you felt like you were in paradise.

Set Fire to the Rain

Practice Irregular Verbs

Help!

Did you hear any interesting stories about helping in class today?  How do you like to help people?  Who helps you?  What can help students remember information?  How much help should we give teenagers?  Should we require young people to help society?

It's going to take some time

Practice future with going to

That's My Goal

study ad abbreviations

Please write about a time you got your goal.

Please write about your goals after you learn English.

For my future truck drivers....

I'm happy if you're going to be a truck-driving woman as well.  

Truck drivers with their CDL license often have more opportunities and better pay.  

There's a lot of truck specific vocabulary on the CDL test.

Randy's Road dog general knowledge for the CDL flashcards

Jean Peter's CDL prep flashcards

Smoran's CDL General Knowledge

CDL Practice Tests

Free Driving Test -- be prepared to close a LOT of advertisements

Do you like to drive?  Tell me about learning to drive.  How old were you?  Who taught you?  What did you drive?

Do you want to be a billionaire?

Can you find any bad spellings and grammar in this video?

What will (does) your life look like when (since) you are successful?

Like a bridge over troubled water...

Practice Simple Present with "will"

Who do you turn to when life is difficult?  Who turns to you when life is rough?  How can we comfort friends and ease their worries?

so beautiful....

Who did you talk about when you talked about beautiful people today?  What does your beautiful person look like?  If you want to share a picture or video to my gmail, I'd like that.

Something I need

What do you need?

Whenever

What do you do whenever you can?  (whenever you can = as often as you can)
 What do you think about whenever you think about time with your best friend?

What's new in your life?

Describe someone or something that's new in your life.

What a wonderful world!!

action vs. non-action verbs -- which sentences are correct?

Write about a time you are happy because the world around you is beautiful.  Where were you?  What did you do?

I like the way....

We often say "I like the way you ______" for procedures.  What procedures are really different in the USA than in your previous home?

Happy Columbus Day! No School on Monday!!

Do you understand most of the video?

This next video is super fast and silly -- obviously meant to help teens remember historic explorers-- but it's repetitive.  I hope it's good for my students who need to hear and understand fast English.

Schools, government offices, banks, and libraries close for Columbus Day.  Restaurants and stores usually don't.  They are often crowded with people who don't have to work!  Sometimes, they offer good deals for Columbus Day.

Advertisements that may include Columbus Day bargains:

List of Columbus Day sales at Tyson's Corner

Living Social Ads

Sales at Fair Oaks Mall

Potomac Mills Sales
Springfield Town Center Sales

Are you having a good weekend?  Are you going to go shopping?  

What do you mean?

I mean for you to understand how to use simple present tense with frequency adverbs!


Link to the frequency adverb Side by Side Video from class

No- advertisement link to video "What do you mean"

Answers to worksheets from Thursday, Oct. 6

have vs. have S x S Video

SxS I'm crying because I'm sad. I always cry when I'm sad

Simple Present -- More explanation, examples, and practice

What do you do when you have time off?  What do you do when you are happy?

Hello

Hello!  Tell me about yourself.  What do you look like?  Do you have a big family?  What do you do every week?

Present Tense Monkey Game

Pirate Game

Practice Spelling Colors  (Use your mouse to exchange the letters.  Click on "picture" to learn which color.  The game includes burgundy and turquoise)

Practice talking about his family -- then practice for yours!

You're Beautiful

Safeshare link to "You're Beautiful" video

Can you write about your first crush?  A crush is pre-teen or teenaged love for an older person who is not available.  Can you write about a beautiful person in your life?

Chores

Listen and pronounce the names of some chores

Chore Word Find

Kids Exercise Video "Do Your Chores"-- juvenile, but catchy

What chores do you do every day?  Are there any chores you avoid?  What chores do you rarely have to do?

We are family

Practice family words

Game: Drag the names to the relationship (scroll down)

Practice adjective order -- beyond size, color, pattern

Do you have a big family?  Do you live with your family?  What makes your family different from other families? What do you like to do with your family?  Do you have any friends that are like family to you?

Begin Again

Describe a person that you love.  Write about something that you are starting to do.

"Dance Forever" by Allstar Weekend

Do you like to dance?  How often do you dance?  What do you like to do on weekends?

Can you use "can?"

More practice using "can"

What skills do you like to use?  Did any of your classmates' skills surprise you?  What can I do to help you enjoy the class?

That's the way it is...

link with no ads to "That's the Way it Is"

Don't give up.  The more you practice, the better you get.  Quizlet is the program I use for electronic flashcards.  Some people add the app to their phone.  Some people always go through the link on this website.  (On a phone, you may have to go to the bottom and click on "view web version.")

Both ways to access Quizlet are fine.  Please give me feedback -- I want to put on all the new words from class that you need to practice.  I also want to fix any mistakes.

 read your mind = know what you think      'cause=because     give up = quit     that's = that is    upnill = uphill = difficult

Click here to join our evening class on Quizlet carefully -- don't pay $$

Unlike Celene Dion, I can't read minds.  Tell me some of your recent story or tell me a story that's popular in your old country.

Grammar Practice (Plum PM Class)

While responding to questions, I briefly talked about a LOT of basic English grammar this evening.
Do you want to practice?  (The difficulty in these posts varies a lot.  They all start easy, but some of the later exercises may be difficult.)

a vs. the                 Have vs. Has                  Pronouns  

Please click the next link if the worksheet I gave you for homework is difficult.
 Present Tense -- Do you want to practice? want/wants like/likes need/needs


Monday's class:  Don't use ______ing or to after will

If this grammar is easy for you, focus on listening or writing!

• Pick a song to repeat until you can sing it.  Asuka made a CD of English songs she liked, and listened to them while she was driving.  You may want to make a playlist on your phone. 

•  Answer blog questions with comments or on paper to give me in class.

You are so beautiful

Describe a beautiful person in your life.

I know it's raining, but we have class!

There are (at least) 3 grammar mistakes in this song.  Can you find them?  What are they?

Hello (Adele cover)

Ad-free "safeshare" link to Adele lyric video

Hello!!  Never be sorry for talking about yourself in my class.  Please write about yourself.  Who are you?  What do you like to do?  Where are you from?  What's your favorite food?  What are your favorite things to do?  What is your favorite holiday?  Do you have a big family?  What makes you happy?

Hello

Do you believe in love at first sight?  If you are happily married, write about meeting your spouse. Write about a time you met a friend.

I dreamed a dream...

Lyric Video of I dreamed a dream

In these videos, people declared their dreams -- their unreasonably difficult goals -- and they worked hard to achieve them.  What are your dreams?

Marry Me by Train

Ad free Safe Share link to video

Are you married?  If yes, write about the wedding you had.  If no, write about the wedding you want.  If you don't want a wedding, write about that!

Make New Friends

Please write about an old friend.  How did you meet?  When did you become good friends?  How did you get to know each other well?  Why is this friend special?

Computer Class

1.   Make a comment describing your relationship with an old friend


2.  Do you know a lot of irregular verbs?  No? Click here!

Yes--listen and read about Uganda


3.  Make a google slide about your favorite story from class so far.

You can...

Can you hear how "can" is pronounced?
Are you watching the Olympics?  What do you think?

Peace Train

I loved Tho's suggestions for being peaceful today.  What can promote peace -- in yourself, in your family, or in our country?

Let's Go Surfing

Challenge: Interviews with the Paskowitz Family

Homeschooling

Do you know anyone who is homeschooled or homeschooling?  Do you think it's a good idea?  If you homeschooled, would you want to unschool, school-at-home, or use a co-op?  Would you travel a lot?

(PM) Breakaway

Write about a time you took a chance.  What did you do?

Have you ever wanted to break away from something or someone?   What?  Who?  Why?  Did you break away?  Are you glad you did (or didn't do) it?

It's always a good time

Are you having a good week?  What is always fun to do?

Memories

Write about some memories that you may want to tell your grandchildren.

What's your motto?

Please fill in the blanks;  it's _____________ to _________________.  What does your mother teach you?/What do you teach your children?   What is your family's motto?

Can't Buy Love

Do you need money to be happy?  Do you need money to be successful?  Is communal living -- like the Shakers do -- a good idea?  Is it easy?

PM Melancholy Baby

World War 1 History

What do you know about World War I?  What do you want to remember the most about your life?

Tis the Gift to Be Simple

What should a simple life look like?  Do you want your life to be simple?

Superstitions....

I think many people today agree with this song.  No one wanted to admit to being superstitious!

Did any of the superstitions we talked about surprise you?  Which ones?  Are there any common superstitions in your country that you want to write about?  Do superstitions ever scare you?  

Do they ever make people happy?

Challenging Videos

It'd amazing how often I read about simplifying my life.  I rarely take the advice for more than one day.  Here are some videos about simplifying your life.

This comedian speaks fast.  How much can you understand?

One of my students recently requested grammar practice.  

Practice Simple Present

practice simple past

Using Prepositions

I really love the thoughtful writing you turned in today.  Would you like your life to be simpler or more complicated?  How?

Have you simplified your life?  How?

What do you do every day?

Grammar Teacher Notes:  When you write, put a space between every and day unless it's an adjective right before a noun.  Also don't put an a between is and getting.

simple present grammar practice

Tell me about yourself and your routines.  What do you do every day?  Can you tell me about changing a routine so that it worked better?

What did you do for love?

Man carves steps for his wife

Chinese Pop song with English translation

English version:

Please tell me a story about something you or your friend did for love.

Organ Donation in the USA

Medical Vocabulary

Organ Donor FAQs

In this next video, a Mayo clinic doctor explains what is involved in giving someone part of your liver.

Cultural Differences between men and women -- what is your opinion?

Last morning class, I gave you a paper that had some suggestions for small talk.  This extremely fast video from "The Art of Manliness" has some good advice for starting conversations that should work for women too.  Also in that morning class, Peter said that men like to solve problems, but women just want to listen and empathize.  That reminded me of this video:

"It's not about the nail"

Is it true that men want to solve problems, but women prefer to talk about them?

Last evening class, I got worried about my plan to talk about feelings and romance when I realized that most of my students were men.  I thought about the stereotype that women love to talk about feelings and romance, but men don't.  Do you think that stereotype is true?  If it's true, why are there so many male psychologists?

Another student said that many mothers in her country are sexist and treat sons better than daughters.
Sheryl Wudunn--a speaker for TedTalks-- says that rural poor people mistreating their daughters because they are girls is the biggest social problem in the 21st century.

Whenever I think about sexism and culture, I think of this cartoon -- a bikini and.a burka

I also didn't know how to answer when a student asked me if women clean their houses here.  Many women do, but I'm not sure how time and techniques would compare with her culture.

Do men and women have different routines?  These filmmakers show their different days in the USA.
Can you describe their routines?  What are the differences?

Do you think men and women act differently here?  How?

You've Got a Friend

Nancy pointed out last class that this Carole King song is similar to "Lean on Me."  Thanks Nancy!

Can you find the misspelled word(s)?

Do you know which word in this song is never used in "educated" proper English?
Have you heard this song before?  Does it remind you of anyone?  If so, please describe the time, situation, or friend you think about.

Challenging Lecture Video

Do you understand this video?  Can you write the main points?

Ring of Fire (pm)

Do you think love is really like fire?  Who do you love?  Can you describe that person?

Lean on Me

Has anyone helped you when you needed it?  Many people have helped me.

(PM) Sunshine

Does weather change how you feel?  How do you feel this week?  What is your favorite season?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Potomac Nationals (minor league) Schedule

Washington Nationals "Nats" Schedule

Cartoon: Foghorn Leghorn (old stereotype of someone from the Southeastern USA) teaches baseball (with uneducated English)

Every minor and major league baseball game I've attended played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and "YMCA"


Do you like to watch baseball?  What is your favorite team?  Have you ever played baseball?  Do you have a favorite position?

Do you know someone who is obsessed with one activity (like Pokemon Go) and never wants to do anything else?  Write about it!

(PM Class) Here comes the sun....

Top Ten Rock Bands

Weather words by www.languageguide.org

Grammar Video: Pronouns & their antecedents

  I love to see the sun!!  This morning was overcast, but now at 1:30, it's sunny!

 Write about a memory on a sunny day or write about a time that you felt sad until something or someone made you feel better.  What made you feel better?

Stalin

Video about Joseph Stalin

7 11

You can get a free slurpee (sweet frozen drink) at 7 11 today!
(The offer is only good from 11AM-7PM)

Where is a close (nearby) 7 11?  Type in a zip code and check the map.

Read about 7 11 and take a quiz!

 I used to go to 7 11 a lot before I had children.  I even worked at 7 11 one summer when I was in college.  Now, I rarely shop at 7 11, but I usually go on July 11 when they offer free slurpees!

How often do you go to 7 11?  What do you like to buy there?  Did you get a free slurpee?  What is your favorite drink?

You're Beautiful

Tell me about a beautiful person that you admire.  What makes the person beautiful?  What does she (or he) do?

Hello

This was my favorite song when I was twenty years old.  Are there any songs that remind you of certain times in your life?

Do you believe in love at first sight?  I know a woman that did.  She married a man two weeks after they met.  Eight years later, they were still married.  I had a long engagement to a man I'd known since I was 12.   Are you married?  If yes, did you know your spouse well before you got married?

If a stranger sang this song to you, would you think he was romantic?

You are so beautiful

What makes someone beautiful?  Describe someone who is beautiful to you.

Adele

What makes you feel young and happy?  What makes you feel comfortable?  What makes you feel free?

Heal the World

What do you do to make the world a better place?  What do you think most needs to be done?

Let it Be

Do you ever worry?  I worry a lot.  What do you worry about?

 I worry about my family, my students, and my friends,  Worry has never helped me, but I worry anyway.  Sometimes when I feel worried, I play this song, and then I feel better.  What makes you feel better when you worry?

We are the World!

Can you find all the words in this video that really need an apostrophe to be correct?  Can you find the sentence or question that uses the wrong form of "to be?"

Please tell me about a time that you helped a child or found out that someone else had helped a child.

Stairway to Heaven

Don't spend time trying to understand this song.  This song doesn't make sense to native speakers.  It's a lovely example of how "wonder" means unfocused thoughts about and around a topic.  This song is also amazing music.

Can you play a guitar?  Can you play any instrument?  Tell me about learning to play music.  Do you have a favorite musician?

Titanic

Describe someone you will always love.

Hello

This was my favorite song when I was twenty years old.  Do any songs remind you of certain times in your life?

Do you believe in love at first sight?  Do you know anyone who married someone else that they barely knew?  If a stranger sang this song to you, would you feel like he was romantic?

Faded

Tonight is the first time I've ever heard this song.  I think it's beautiful and sad.  This is not a common way to use "faded."  Usually, we use "faded" for jeans or curtains that lost their color in the laundry or sun.

Do you wonder where some of your old friends are right now?  One thing I love about Facebook is that it helped me contact friends I hadn't seen in a really long time.

What do you do to keep your old friendships from fading?

Are you celebrating Eid al-Fitr? What are you doing?

A reading to explain Eid Fitr to non muslims




Happy Eid al-fitr!  If you celebrate this holiday, please describe the celebration!!

Welcome new students!

Please write about yourself and your life.  What's your name?  Do you have a big family?  What do you like to talk and write about?  Do you like your job?  Is the USA a really big change for you? What are your goals?

Happy Fourth of July!

Virginia Places to Go See Fireworks! 

History of Independence Day -- it's a little fast, but I think you can understand.

Some patriotic songs you may hear today....

God Bless America-- A Christian Patriotic song 

"Stars and Stripes Forever" often plays during fireworks

Did your native country celebrate an Independence Day?  When?  What do people do to celebrate?