Halloween 2020

 The Today Show's recommendations on making trick or treating safe...

Halloween Vocabulary

Did you take your children to go trick or treating?  Was it fun?

Challenge Listening: How to learn languages

 

What are some fun ways to practice English?

I feel better when I'm dancing

 

When we talk about actions now, we use present continuous (be _____ing)

Common Dances in the USA: Fourth grade teachers teach their students how to do the electric slide

I like to do the Cupid Shuffle  It's fun and easy!

I like to dance.  What do you like to do?  What makes you feel happy?

Happy International Friendship Day!!

 

Nurses talk about their friendship and their life during COVID 19

Learning Chocolate -- Vocabualary Practice activities for describing  people

Describe some new friends.  What do they look like?  What do you like best about them?

7-11 & Starbucks

Over the past few years, my children loved this day because they could get free slurpees from 7-11.

Over course, it's different this year.

Happy birthday 7 11

What do you like to drink? 

Practice "drink" vocabulary with https://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/drinks/ and
learning chocolate:  tea, drinks with their containers, and fruit.

Although I enjoy many of their products, I don't usually go either 7 11 or Starbucks because I don't like their prices. 

Starbucks has their own vocabulary in how to order.

How often do you drink coffee?  How do you like your coffee?

Rain on me

In this song, "on" is a preposition that shows where the rain falls.  Practice prepositions.

Do you like rain?  My daughter likes to walk in the rain.  I don't.  I like to eat though, and if there's no rain, there's no fresh food.

What do you do when it rains?

Must as speculation

Many ESOL textbooks teach using must and have to for necessity

In common speech, however, we often use must when we make a logical guess.

Look how fast his English is improving! He must take English class!

Look how slow the internet is.  There must be a lot of people on it.

Wow!  He has very big arms.  He must lift weights.

In all of these examples, must means I guess from logic, NOT it is necessary.

The grammar must ______(base verb) stays the same

I love the next song to illustrate must because when the singer sees the girl, he makes a logical guess.

She's so pretty that she must have a boyfriend.

When the girl talks, she expresses necessity.  

She  feels it is necessary to have a boyfriend when she goes out.

The chorus uses the same words.

Look around.  What logical guesses can you make from your observations?  Use "must!"

Against All Odds

Please practice English on Duolingo (a free app), and on my blogs.

Once you have been my student, you are always welcome on my blogs,

I would really like to see your comments.

Grammar I want you to know before high intermediate  (Low Intermediate Grammar)

Once you understand low intermediate grammar, the best way to prepare for high intermediate is to be very good at using have in present tense and memorizing a lot of irregular verbs.


Write about a time you beat the odds -- a time you did something other people didn't think you could do.

June 13 is National Weed your garden day.

Weeds are plants that are growing where you don't want the plant to grow.

Weed/weeding is also the action of pulling unwanted plants up by their roots.

Some people call marijuana, "weed."

Poison means it will make your sick or hurt.  Poison Ivy gives me a nasty rash.

Challenge Listening

I pull out poison ivy, virginia creeper, and pokeweed almost every day this time of year.

Do you have a garden?  What are you growing?

On the turning away (Difficult content for former students)

Turning in this song is a gerund.  A gerund is the ing form of a verb when we use it as a noun.

(Verbs are usually action words.  Nouns are people, places, things or ideas)

Swimming is fun.  Running makes me tired.  Fighting doesn't solve anything.  Crying helps.

A difficult goal in advanced ESOL classes is memorizing whether a verb can be followed by a gerund, an infinitive (to ____base verb) or both.

I like to swim./I like swimming are equally correct.

I enjoy swimming is correct.  I enjoy to swim is wrong.

I want to go is correct.  I want going is wrong.

Flashcards to practice

(The sound of the word after the verb is what you need to remember.  

Ing is for gerunds.  To is for infinitives)

Watching the news makes me angry and sad.  We need police that truly protect and serve everybody.

 Children need their parents.

Practice Past Tense

Practice unreal conditional only if my class is really easy for you

Write about your parents.  Write about your kids.  Write about working in the USA.

Memorial Day 2020

At the end of the day, many military units play "Taps" at bedtime.  "Taps" is often played at military funerals.  It's rare to hear lyrics except in Boy Scouts.  "Safely Rest" (not "Bob Good Night") is usually the last line.

Today:  Memorial Day 2020

One of my students suggested the following song as a tribute to military families.  

Can you find which word is not spelled correctly?

Voice of America Article on Memorial Day

Online Word Search for Memorial Day

What are you doing for memorial day?  (I plan to relax!!)

The Annandale blog reports that there will be free COVID testing this Saturday at Annandale HS and Bailey's Elementary on Saturday May 23 from 10-6.  There will be spanish speakers on site.

You are the reason...

Use because to explain reasons.  Practice because and other conjunctions!

What are you doing today?  Why?

Family

Deborah reminded me that May 15 is the international day of the family!

Side by Side video: Talking about family pictures

Practice family vocabulary

family vocabulary game

More family vocabulary practice

Do you have a big family?  What do you like to do with your family?  How do you support each other?

May Day is May 1

In the US, children in P.E. (physical education-gym class) often celebrate May Day by doing some version of a Maypole dance.  It's rare to see other people celebrate.

Internationally, however, May Day often commemorates worker's rights and remembers injustice in Chicago, IL, USA.

Do you like folk dancing?  Are there dances specific to your culture?  Can you do them?

Are workers treated well in your country?  What do people do to make sure that workers are respected and paid decently?

FREE ONLINE CLASSES!

We are offering free online classes to returning students!!  Please call your friends from class to make sure they know!  Please sign up quickly!

Information about free classes

We were and she was....

Only use was or were in the simple past tense when was or were is the main verb.

When we talk about something that was unfinished or interrupted in the past,

use past continuous (progressive)

was/were __________ing

Practice Past Continuous

What were you doing at 3:00 on Saturday?

Already Gone

In my class, we mostly only use the second column for irregular verbs, but we sometimes use the past participle (third column) as adjectives.   If memorizing is easy for you, it's always good to practice
irregular verbs.

How are you?  What are you doing today?  Are you studying?

Paradise

Can you find a word that needs the third person s, but doesn't have it?

What is the most beautiful place in your home?  What was the most beautiful place you went to?
Is there a beautiful place you want to go to?

Lean on Me

Are you on Facebook?  I am spending too much time on Facebook.

I am trying to focus on reading about the helpers.  

My manager has started a Facebook group only for Plum students.

Bill Withers died today.  One of my favorite stories in the 

True Stories from the News series that we often use on reading days is Bill Wither's biography.

I love the story of the man who worked to get out of poverty, wrote songs to make the world better, and quit his successful career to enjoy time with his children.

Has anyone ever helped you when you needed it?  What happened?

Are you enjoying time with your children?  What are you doing?

Using Comparatives

I just added a video series under "listening"

Please take a picture of two things and send it to me at dancelark@gmail.com with a comparative sentence!

Happier...

Grammar:  We change adjectives when we compare

I hope that you are happier now that you understand English a little better.  What other things make you feel happier?  What do you enjoy doing?

Sky Full of Song

I am really excited about this video because my daughter is singing in it!  Can you guess which singer? 

Do you have any children?  What are they doing?

Good evening!

Hi!  How was your day?

I just added some links under community to the FCPS website that show where 

low income people can get

food

free wifi (in the parking lot?)

information about the kids' distance learning in 8 languages

Practice Using Pronouns  (basic)

Practice Indefinite Pronouns (intermediate)

Are you cooking today?  What's your favorite recipe?  Would you like to send me recipes?

Can you make videos teaching me and your classmates tips on cooking or saving money?

My managers are sending you more links to online English learning.

There are a few that I never used.  I will probably link them from here.

If you love or hate any of them, please let me know.

 

Do you know any apps better than Duolingo?  I like Duolingo.  I like the links here.

I like Pimsleur CDs.

Are you working? 

Are you social distancing?

What are your favorite ways to do online language learning?  

Good morningI!  

How are you today?  How do you feel?

When we talk about feelings, we often use present tense rather than present continuous 

even if we are talking about feelings now!

Do not use be _______ing for like, need, or want

Verbs that use simple present rather than present continuous NOW

are called stative verbs.

Stative verbs usually involve =, possession, opinion, feelings, and senses.

Using simple present for feelings is actually disappearing in street English, but it is common on English grammar exams.

What makes you feel better when you are stressed, sad, or angry?

Good Morning!  

It's the first day of spring! 

What is your favorite season?  Are seasons here similar to seasons in your native country?

Are you celebrating Nowruz?  What are you doing?

2019 VOA Article on the Vernal Equinox

(This picture of a Persian child in traditional clothes is a few years old.)

Grammar:  Simple present vs. present continuous

I think a lot of people will be joining the celebrators in spring cleaning.

(Notice:  Even though I am thinking now, I use simple present "think" if I tell you what I think)

Do you like to clean your home?  Do you usually do a deep clean in the spring?

What do you usually do?  What are you doing today?

Social Distancing Songs

Parodies are humor. 

 My mother's family believes laughing is always better than crying.

Fairfax County Schools is trying to make sure that the families that usually depend on them for food for their children can still get it.  If your family needs food, check it out.

Did this situation bring you any funny memories?  Do you ever use humor to improve a bad situation?

We're studying now!!

Use be _______ing for NOW!

Practice using present continuous for NOW

Grammar notes:  wanna is incorrect spelling for want to.  You gotta is informal for "you have got to" (which means you must.)

What are you doing now?

Circles

Good Morning!

I added a VOA Beginning English course on video to Listening & Reading

Grammar:  Practice can vs. could

Please comment and tell me how you are. What are you doing today?

What should people do to keep their relationships good?

St. Patrick's Day 2020

The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade was much smaller this year.  Ireland canceled all their parades.

Celtic Drinking Song: The Parting Glass (Good night and joy to you all)

Hey Vania!  Happy birthday!!

Do you like parades?  Did you ever march, dance, or ride in a parade?

I used to throw candy from the Annandale parade 

when my children were in scouts.

Too Much to Ask

In this song, the singer sounds like he is genuinely asking.  He doesn't sound angry or sarcastic.  I usually hear "Is that too much to ask?" when someone is really angry that I didn't do the tiny thing she requested after she did a LOT for me.  (Although, honestly, expecting your ex to tell you her regrets IS probably asking too much!)

Grammar Quiz:  too vs. enough (use far before too to intensify it)

What do you have too much of?

Good morning!

Good morning!  How was your weekend?  What did you do?  What are you going to do today?

May this time of "social distancing" give you rest and time to study English. 

If you are bored, please consider signing up to Quizlet to compete on matching for our vocabulary sets.  I'd also love for students to make videos in English on how to do things that you do well.

If you have friends in class, consider video chatting in English with Google Hangouts or Skype.

What are your favorite movies in English?

Friday the 13th (2020)

We didn't have class on Friday even though it was originally scheduled to be a school day.  Were you relieved?  Are you superstitious?  What superstitions are common in your family?

I have happy memories of finding 4-leaf clovers in my lawn when I was a child.   I had a ballet teacher that never divided our 26 member class into two equal groups because he didn't like the number 13.  We often had two groups -- 12 and 14 people. 

My family always picks up pennies because "find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck" even though my mother is a scientist.  Mama always picked up pennies;  she really loved to find them.

I also had "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" for my wedding.   Do you know of any wedding tradition that is supposed to give the couple and happier marriage?



Do you know any superstitious people?  What superstitions do they believe?  Do you know anyone who refuses to be superstitious? 

Don't be afraid, speak up

I love the pictures of beautiful places in the next video.

Did you ever go to any of these places?

Write about a beautiful place that you saw.  Post a picture in comments if you can

My Girl

 

talkin' = talking
'bout - about
I don't need no  (bad grammar-should be) I don't need any

Tell me about a girl you love.   What is your relationship?  (Is she your girlfriend, wife, niece, daughter, friend?) What does she look like?

Going up the country

This guy is not the same quality, but he has a video with both singing and lyrics.

Wow!  This video reminds me of a different time.

Write about a happy time in your life.

Are you worried about Corona Virus?

With the marine that visited Ft. Belvior and the Priest in DC, Corona virus is officially here.
Today, Noemy showed me a letter from FCPS and asked if I believed it.  All it said was that school officials are watching the threat and that schools, for now, are open.

I believe that.

Hopkins Virus Tracker - real time cases

Sunday News Challenge -- Not edited for ESOL

News for ESL -- school is out in Japan and Hong Kong

Since all of you are intelligent, hardworking adults, I will assume you often wash your hands.  It's a little more important not to come to school if you feel sick with a respiratory virus.  I learned this weekend that some touch screens work through a Kleenex tissue.  You can touch through a tissue when you use a touchscreen in public.  Please let me know if this advice works or doesn't work for you.

If you have ideas for making our class safer, please let me know.  School, for now, is open.

What do you think about this situation?

Tell us about your work life and goals!!

Employment Survey


Another way to give advice is to say, "Why don't you._______(base verb)"

Do you want to get a different job?  What jobs are good?  What jobs are good for you?

Didn't have to be

Some families are better off as single-parent families.

Please take the "something's missing" as this writer's personal experience,

Tell me about something someone did for you that they didn't have to do

Do you look like anyone?

The commentary is really challenging, but you'll understand the main ideas.

Fever

Learning Chocolate: Symptoms

Ailments on Quizlet

How do you feel?

Cancer Fight Song

On Saturday, a group of us celebrated that an old man we knew that had lung cancer 

is now cancer-free.

Tell me a hopeful story about overcoming an ailment.

Paved Paradise

What are the best things in your life right now?  Can you keep them?

Bad Medicine

This has bad spelling and some bad grammar....

After my class, please say, "There isn't any doctor"  NOT There aint no doctor!

Medical Supplies

At the Pharmacist

Do you know any stories about someone taking bad medicine?  What happened?

Help!

Side by Side video -- health problems and past tense

Medical Vocabulary Practice

Parts of the Body

Learning Chocolate Body Parts Practice

More Learning Chocolate body parts practice

Health Vocabulary Games

Should vs. Shouldn't Monkey Game

Write about a time you needed help.  What happened?  Who helped you?  

How did that person help you?

Where are the best places to go?

Do you like the beach or the mountains?  Where are the best places to go?

On Vacation

Cuz is casual texting or lyric spelling for because.


Did you ever have something go wrong when you were on vacation?  What happened?

Love & Valentines

I missed you!  How was class today?

Runaway Train

Bonus Vocabulary: Subway

I like "platform" better than "track" for the place where you get on the train.

Do you like to travel by train?  Where did you go by train?

Explaining Simple Past

Simple past regular verbs: add ed to regular verbs:  walked, talked, worked, listened.

For consonant+Y, change the Y to I-- Study-studied, worry -- worried, bully - bullied

For vowel+Y, just add ed:  Played, enjoyed, employed

For irregular verbs, memorize (repeat until you remember).

Simple past forms are usually the second column.

Do NOT use a simple past verb form with DID or DIDN'T.  

Only use past forms for positive sentences.

Did he walk to work?  Yes, he did.  He walked to work.  He didn't drive.

80 Irregular Verbs on Quizlet

Practice Irregular Verbs with Tom and Jerry

More Videos and Exercises to Practice

Crazy Little Thing Called Love...

What will you do when you get around to it?  What drives you crazy?  Is love crazy?

Perfect

 Describe falling in love for the first time.  Where were you?  How old were you?  Describe the person you loved.
How can you nurture a relationship so that you have a long, happy marriage?

She's got a way...

Video that goes with today's SxS substitution drill worksheet

Please use frequency adverbs and write about things that people you like do.
Example:  My husband usually hugs me when he comes home.  He frequently cooks on the weekend.  He always takes out the trash in the evening.  He is always kind.

Wishes

Pronouncing a final "s" in English -- more explanations and practice

Do you ever make wishes?

We often teach children to wish on the first star they see at night or on birthday candles or when you blow away an eyelash or dandelion seeds, but we don't really take wishes seriously.

Do you ever throw coins in a fountain?  Do you wish on stars or on candles?

Patience

Thank you for your patience!  You are working hard and you are improving a LOT!

Write about a time that you felt rewarded because you were patient!

Beautiful Day

I hope everyone is having a beautiful day whether you made it to school or not.  I hope everyone can come tomorrow.

Write about a memory on a beautiful day...
or write about the best destinations to travel to...
Where did you go?  Where do you want to go

We have school Monday and Tuesday

So one reason I applied for this job was I liked the idea of my work schedule matching my kids' school schedule.  It often doesn't work out that way. 

FCPS kids have Monday and Tuesday off.  We don't.  We have school as normal.  Please come as much as you can.  Of course you can't endanger your kids. 

This video is so awful, I rather like it.  Have fun!

Write about any school you attended a long time ago.

A million dreams

Do you have a favorite artist?  Do you like to create new recipes?   Do you like a style of  music or architecture design or clothing design?

What do you dream about creating?

I'm going to Love You

What are you going to do next time you have a chance to go out with someone you love?

(I'll probably take a walk around Lake Accotink with my husband.)

Link to class paper if you want to finish finding the links I asked you to find

I Want to Hold Your Hand!

"Wanna" is texting/youtube-lyric spelling for "want to."  Never write "wanna" at work or on a college application.

Want is a stative verb.  We usually use "want" in simple present tense even when we want something NOW.  Grammar: Explanation and Practice of Stative Verbs and Simple Present Tense (Don't forget to add "s" with he, she, and it)

What do you want to do this year?

Bad Boys

Do NOT copy the grammar or spelling in this video., but try to sing it

 It's good for practice saying, 

"What are you going to do?" as you often hear it in the USA.

watcha gonna = What are you going to...

Chuck it on your brotha/sista = blame it on your brother/sister 

whatcha wanna___ =  What do you want to ____

Are you a strict parent?  Were your parents strict?  How do/will you treat your children differently than your parents treated me?

Rain on a Sunny Day

I love rain on sunny days because I love to see rainbows!

Do you like rainy days?  What is your favorite weather?  What is your favorite season?

Listening Activities for the Students who don't have to take the test

1.  Make two comments on LIeasyesol.blogspot.com

2.  Nice to Meet You! Listen and do the quiz

3.  A Healthy Lifestyle: Listen and take the Quiz

4.  Feeding Logan:  Listen and take the Quiz

5. Vocabulary for babies: Can you do the listening quiz!

6. Language Guide -- The body 2 -- Can you do the listening quiz?

Happy Rubber Duckie Day

This children's song has been famous for more than 40 years.  Most native speakers can sing it.
I understand that my students are adults.   I respect you a lot.  Sometimes, I like children's songs, but if you don't, you don't need to listen to them.

Do you have children?  How many?  (If no, do you want children?) Do your children have a lot of toys?  Did you have a lot of toys when you were a child?  Did you have any favorite toys?

Hello!

Welcome morning students!!

Listen and read a conversation at an airport with VOA

Practice listening with Randall's Listening Lab!

Write about yourself or a new friend in the class.

How long

Use "how long" to ask about duration of time.

How long did you study English?
How long did it take to travel to the USA?
How long can you study tonight?

Could you?

Sometimes we use "could" to talk about ability in the past because "could" is the past of "can."
I couldn't drive when I was ten years old, but I could ride a bike.

Sometimes we use "could" to talk about imaginary ability in the future.  He could get a better job if he could finish his university classes.

What could you do with excellent English?

Classes start on Monday!

I just got the email that says I'll be teaching at Plum!!  They will be doing more testing on Monday if you know someone who wants English class!

Resolutions

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?

What goals did you make?  What are you going to do this year?