I was very worried that I might keep you late on a Friday. I'm sorry I didn't show who won the second Kahoot in class! Here's a screen shot of the winners!
Here's a link to the other Kahoots we did! Kahoot for pronouncing ed.
Shift can mean move a little. Shift can be a simple dress or a slip. In our book, shift is a set of hours. Businesses that are open 24 hours per day -- hospitals, factories, 7 11-- have shift workers.
Shift work is typically morning shift from 7AM-3PM. Afternoon shift is 3PM-11PM. Night shift is from 11PM - 7AM. When I did shift work, night shift workers got extra pay.
When I hear "night shift," I think of this song. This song was popular right after Martin Gaye died. I think that night shift might mean heaven in this song.
Did you ever work the night shift? What did you do?
Where will you go this weekend?
Where are the most beautiful places in the world? Where do you want to travel to?
When is a good time (season) to go to the places you like? (I like Florida because I visited it in the winter. My husband doesn't like Florida because he lived there during a very hot August.)
Do you celebrate Rosh Hashanah? More than 30,000 people in Fairfax county will pray, reflect, and plan for a better year today.
What do you usually do for New Years? What can make this year better than last year?
Many students miss fresh food. Some food in the USA is better for shipping with no damage than for tasting fresh and delicious. We have many Farmer's Markets in this area. You can see the big list here or under "community."
Can you type? Can you program a computer? Can you draw? Can you make jewelry? What are your best skills? What are your most unusual skills?
Ripley surprises her colleagues. Do you have skills that surprise people? One of my students can catch fish with his hands, and another student can make a heart with cream in her coffee.
I'm very sad about this new rule. I think eating together at breaktime and talking about it is one of the best ways to practice English. We can only have covered drinks. We can eat outside.
I like fajitas, chili, and kung pao chicken more than cheeseburgers and hot dogs.
What are your favorite things to eat? What food is good for health? What food is good for picnics? What food is good for holidays? What food is not good for you? Why?
I hope the written homework can be finished quickly and helps you remember vocabulary and grammar patterns. Research shows that taking a break and then reviewing is really good for remembering. Using English in real life is your best homework.
Homework for Monday, October 13: Do the handout to practice be going to ____(base verb) for the future. Study vocabulary set 2 and vocabulary 1. We'll probably have a vocabulary test on Tuesday.
10-10 Today, we practiced using be going to _______(base verb). Use be going to ___(base verb to talk about plans for the future. It's better to use "will" when you don't have an existing plan. We often correctly use present continuous for the future when we have plans to go somewhere. We did a Kahoot to practice future with be going to.
Homework for Friday, October 10: Do the handout. Study new vocabulary set 2 and vocabulary 1.
10-9 Today, we talked about jobs. We played Quizlet live to practice the verbs on page 98. We practiced using what and where with a job history. We did Ventures Arcade- Blue 2 Unit 8. We took a quiz.
Homework for Thursday, October 9 Study Unit 8 especially can vs. could, what vs. where, and the verbs on p. 98. Bring your job history. Study new vocabulary set 2 and vocabulary 1. Finish These People are Employed to turn in.
10-8 Today, we talked a lot. Many students answered the most common question, "Tell me about yourself." We did pair work and a FSW to practice common expressions in job interviews.
Homework for Wednesday, October 8 -- Study Unit 8. Bring your job history. Study new vocabulary set 2 and vocabulary 1.
10-8 Today, we practiced using a time sheet. (SB 106) We also reviewed can/could to talk about skills now/in the past. (WB 101) We gave each other advice about how to get a job.
Homework for Tuesday, October 7: Do WB p. 101. Study new vocabulary set 2. Have you finished Unit 8 in the workbook? If you didn't turn in a resume or job history today, bring it tomorrow. Write your answers to these common job interview questions
10-6 Today, we reviewed unit 8 vocabulary and ideas (using past tense, using present tense, and using conjunctions - and, but, or)(WB 90, 91, & 95) We studied how to use can & could for ability. (SB p. 107) (I could dance ballet when I was eighteen years old, but I can't dance ballet now. I couldn't drive when I was fourteen years old, but I can drive now.) Can and could are modals. Modals don't follow verb tense rules. Can is always can. Could is always could. They both go with a base form verb. When used for ability, can is present and could is past. When used for requests, can and could are used the same ways. (Can you please do your homework? = Could you please do your homework?) Could is a little more formal than can.
Homework for Monday, October 6: Do WB p. 98. Write and bring your job history. Start to write answers to common job interview questions
10-3 Today, we went over WB 100, 96, & 97. I explained the three ways to make future tense. We did a reading and talked about our opinions of some jobs. We talked about the upcoming weekend. We practiced talking about errands. We played Quizlet live. FOUR people won!!
Homework for Friday, October 3: Study new vocabulary set 2. Do workbook p. 92 & p. 98. As always, read something you like in English (No more than 7 words you don't know per page). Homework for Monday: Do WB p. 98. Write and bring your job history. Start to write answers to common job interview questions
NO SCHOOL THURSDAY
10-1 Today we used past and present tenses to talk about duties (responsibilities). We did p. 102 and p. 104 in the student book. We practiced vocabulary set 2 with teams doing Quizlet.live. In response to Kabir's question, I talked about one of the most important topics in this class, basic verb tenses. Use present continuous for action verbs right now. (I am writing about the class. They are driving home. She is taking the bus) We can use simple present for right now, but we usually don't. We usually use simple present to talk about schedules, frequency, and facts. (I go to school every weekday. Water boils at 100 degrees C. She watches soccer games every Saturday. He works four evenings a week. She never drinks wine. I usually visit my mother in the evening. I have an old car. She doesn't come on time.) Use simple present for things that are always true, things that repeat, when you use a frequency adverb (always, usually, sometimes, seldom, never), and for non-action verbs now. Non-action verbs often involve ownership, opinion, the senses (see, hear, feel, taste, smell), and emotions. I see you! He hears us. Aziza's food tastes delicious. Coffee smells wonderful. I don't have that paper. I need it.) Use past tense for actions that are finished. (We talked about duties. We finished two pages in the book. We practiced vocabulary. We didn't write very much. I made a mistake five seconds ago, then I fixed it.)
Homework for Wednesday: Do workbook p. 95. Study new vocabulary set 2.
9-30 Today, we practiced using what to ask about an activity (What are you doing? I'm writing about class. What did she do? She worked. What did you eat for breakfast? I ate an egg on toast and a mandarin. What are you doing? I'm drinking coffee. )We used where to ask about location. (Where do you study? I study at Plum Center. Where do you live? I live in Springfield. Where does she live? She lives in Fairfax. Where did they buy their coffee? They bought it at 7 11.) We used when to talk about time. When is your birthday? It's in August. When can you come? I can come on Monday. When will we have a day off? We're off on Thursday. When did you come to Northern Virginia? I came to NoVa in July, 1990. (Want to practice with a Kahoot? Kahoot what or where) We did a past tense kahoot so we practiced the 3 ways of speaking ed and we practiced the irregular verbs on p. 98. We reviewed spelling rules for adding ed. (Usually just add ed. Consonant y -- no y -- ied. (study-studied, try-tried) Vowel y - just add ed -- played, enjoyed.
Homework for Tuesday. Do this worksheet -- remember base form with didn't and past form for affirmative. Do WB 94 if you didn't do it last weekend. As always study vocabulary especially new vocabulary set 2. If you don't have much time, play the matching game for five or ten minutes. Read anything that interests you in English. It's your level if you don't know between 2-7 words per page. if you want to try the Kahoot again, it's here: Kahoot for pronouncing ed.
9-29 Today, we talked about last weekend. We contrasted the verbs that go with usually, last weekend, and next weekend. Usually: (I usually work. He usually mows the lawn. She usually buys groceries. They usually play soccer.) Last weekend ( I worked last weekend. He mowed the lawn last weekend. She bought groceries last weekend. They played soccer last weekend. Next weekend. (Next weekend, I'll work. He's going to mow the lawn. She'll buy groceries. They are going to play soccer. We practiced pronouncing simple past regular verbs and did a Kahoot for pronouncing ed. Some students talked about their past with conversation questions, while other students took a vocabulary retest from our vocabulary: class words set 1. We did a fill-in-the-blank listening worksheet with "How did you know."
Homework for Monday: Do WB . 94. Read something in English. Study new vocabulary set 2. If today's quiz was difficult, study vocabulary again.
Today, we practiced using present tense with 'on the weekend" and "every weekend." We studied vocabulary. We took a vocabulary quiz. We studied conjunctions: and, but, or. Use and with similar or additional information. Use or for choices -- pick only one. Use but as a warning: opposite is coming.
Homework for Friday, September 26. Study vocabulary. for a quiz. Do Workbook p. 90. If you know the vocabulary from set 1, look at our new vocabulary set 2.
9-25 Today, we reviewed agreeing with too and either by writing sentences. We used "but" to show differences in opinion. I don't like fish, but Romario does. I like spicy food, but Romario doesn't. I don't like bussing tables, and he doesn't either. He likes to dance, and I do too. We practiced using present continuous verbs for NOW and for the future (after class.) We played Quizlet live. We went over vocabulary in a hospital on p. 96 (SB) and we did the listening on p. 97 (SB). One trick: you don't need to do something if you already did it. We did partner dictations for writing sentences about the picture on p. 96.
Homework for Thursday, September 25: Write an email to me at Pimteacherlaurie@gmail.com. You can talk about your job or you can write about a weekend or a day off. Study vocabulary.
9-24 Today, I introduced the idea of using too (for affirmative) and either (for negative) to agree. We played games to practice vocabulary & using verbs. We identified present and past verbs with WB p. 5 and with this Kahoot: ID past or present. We practiced using past form for affirmative and base form for negative with this Kahoot: Simple Past: Contrast positive and negative.
Homework for Wednesday, September 23: Do Workbook (White book) p. 5. and study vocabulary. If you want to try the Kahoot again, here's a link. For WB p. 5, use present tense with every or usually. Use past with last.
9-22 Today I used a slide show to teach the formal grammar rules of "simple" past tense. It's important to use a past form verb for affirmative sentences (I sat down after class. I walked this morning. I went to an amazing show.), but use a base verb with didn't for negative sentences (I didn't sit down. I didn't walk this morning. I didn't go to a show last week.) Use a base form with did for questions. (Did you sit down? Did you walk to school? Did you see a show?) We watched the slides, practiced some examples, talked to each other, filled out a worksheet, and wrote sentences for "find someone who."
Study vocabulary, D Homework for Monday, September 21- WB p. 96-97. Study vocabulary. If you want to try the Present Continuous Kahoot again, click here.
9-19 Today we reviewed present continuous and identified job duties (SB p.103). We spent a lot of time talking about spelling rules that go with adding an ing. We described the picture on SB p. 2, we did the listening on SB p. 4, and we did a present continuous kahoot. (link above)
Homework for Friday, September 18. Study vocabulary.. Do this worksheet.about can ___base verb I hope it's easy and you can do it quickly.
9-18 Today, we practiced listening to people who talked about their skills. We used "you can't ____(base verb) to talk about rules. We went over the color vowel chart. We wrote about objects that our classmates brought.
Homework for Thursday, September 17: Study vocabulary. Do WB p. 3. Bring something that you like to talk about. (Can be a picture on your phone, but please choose tonight, not during class>) I'm not looking for a full oral presentation, but I want you to talk about it in English. Example from me: I'm Laurie. "Olive sock" Laurie. I brought this tee-shirt because it's very special to me. It's special because my mother gave it to me. She gave it to me because she said I helped her do a NASA experiment, and she wanted me to have the NASA team tee-shirt.
9-17 We reviewed our vocabulary with a game. We completed p. 2 in the white workbook, and the listening on p. 3 in the blue student book. We practiced using the Color Vowel Chart., and present continuous verbs. We also practiced listening with can and can't. We talked about our skills. If you can't do something that a job interviewer asks for, tell them that you are willing to learn and that you usually learn quickly.
Homework for Wednesday, September 16- Study vocabulary. Bring an object or a picture of an object that you like to talk about!
9-16 Today, I introduced the color vowel chart. A vowel is a letter (a, e, i, o, u) or a sound we make with our voice. English has 5 vowels. We often only teach 10 sounds for those vowels, but there are fourteen sounds. The color vowel chart has one color for every sound. I rarely use "auburn dog" because it's not a common sound in a Northern Virginia accent. I hope we can use this chart to teach and remember pronunciation, spelling, and reading.
We played a board game to get to know each other.
Some people took a reading test. Others did a grammar (mixed verb tense) page and wrote a paragraph.
Homework for Tuesday, September 15: Study class vocabulary for today. Answer questions on the class website (blog) either as a comment or on paper.
9-15 Today, we introduced ourselves. We interviewed a classmate. We tried our first line dialog. How many people did you talk to? We talked about the class and about class goals. Skills are actions that you can do. When you talk about skills, stress the action after can. I can cook. I can read. He can play the guitar. In the sentence, I can cook, pronounce "can" like Kn or Kuhn. When you talk about things you can't do yet, stress can't.
Can-can't-will-won't & want to ____________(Base verb) A base verb doesn't have a special ending like ed, s, or ing.
