Author: US Adult Literacy

We offer free 10-month long ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Language) classes in Lower East Side of Manhattan. We help immigrant New Yorkers by providing them with intensive English language classes, and counseling. We're located at 175 Eldridge, Street, New York, NY. This is a blog for our students so they can get more practice in English language, and learn about life in New York City.

Halloween 🎃 👻

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Halloween, which takes place every October 31st, is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Originally based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), Halloween has evolved into a modern celebration where children of all ages dress up in costumes and go door-to-door “trick-or-treating,” asking for candy from friends & neighbors.

Halloween is also a time to enjoy the spookier side of life. People celebrate ghosts, zombies, haunted houses, and all things creepy and fun – often with Halloween parties for children and adults alike.

For more information about Halloween, check out wikipedia. 

Halloween Vocabulary

  1. 🚪 Trick-or-treat – the Halloween activity where children dress up and go door to door for candy
  2. 🎃 Pumpkin – a round orange vegetable often carved into a jack-o’-lantern
  3. 👻 Ghost – the spirit of a dead person, often imagined as white and floating
  4. 🧙 Witch – a woman with magical powers, often shown with a broomstick and pointed hat
  5. 🧛 Vampire – a creature that drinks blood and avoids sunlight
  6. 🧟 Zombie – a dead person who comes back to life, usually walking slowly
  7. 🕷️ Spider – a creepy-crawly insect often used in Halloween decorations
  8. 🕸️ Web – what a spider makes to catch insects; also used as decoration
  9. ☠️ Skeleton – the bones of a body, often shown as decorations or costumes
  10. 🏚️ Haunted house – a spooky or abandoned house believed to have ghosts
  11. 😱 Scary – something that causes fear or makes you feel afraid
  12. 🦇 Bat – a flying animal often linked with vampires and the night
  13. 🍫 Chocolate / Candy – a sweet treat made from cocoa, popular during Halloween. Sweet treats given to children who go trick-or-treating.
  14. 🎭 Costume – special clothing worn to look like someone or something else
  15. 💀 Skull – the bone part of a head, often used as a spooky symbol

Here are 5 fun & interesting facts about Halloween:

  1. 🎃 Origins in Ancient Celtic Festival: Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), celebrated on October 31st. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred.
  2. 👻 Costumes to Scare Spirits: People originally wore costumes and masks to scare away or confuse ghosts and evil spirits that were thought to return on Halloween night.
  3. 🍬 Trick-or-Treating Traditions: The practice of trick-or-treating began in medieval Europe as “souling,” when poor people would go door-to-door on All Souls’ Day (Nov 2), offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.
  4. 🕯️ Jack-o’-Lanterns Came from Turnips: Before pumpkins, the Irish carved turnips into lanterns to ward off evil spirits. When they immigrated to America, they found that pumpkins were more plentiful and easier to carve.
  5. 🦇 Popular with Americans: Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the U.S., with Americans spending billions of dollars each year on costumes, candy, decorations, and parties.

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The Treasure That Is the NYPL

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The Rose Reading Room, photo by Max Touhey

Field trip!

We encourage you to visit and get to know the New York Public Library. There is so much to learn, and the library is the place to do exactly that!

Nearest to University Settlement is the Seward Park Library. This building opened in 1909 and is at the eastern edge of Seward Park.

Seward Park Library

192 East Broadway

NYC, NY 10002

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DcPUYMmihfPkb6P26

Did you know?

— The New York Public Library features more than 6 million items in its circulating collections. You can find everything from books, e-books, and audiobooks to music and movies.

— The Library has a free e-reader app, SimplyE, that you can download and then read e-books on your mobile device.

— Explore local museums & attractions with Culture Pass! If you have a library card from the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, or New York Public Library (serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), you can reserve free passes to 100+ cultural institutions across NYC.

— You can print documents at the Library from your mobile device. Black and white printing is available for 20 cents per page.

— NYPL offers free internet access. With your library card, you can reserve a computer to use at almost any location.

— NYPL is better than Google! Ask questions and chat with the expert staff in real time, Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM. https://www.nypl.org/get-help/contact-us/chat

— In the summer months, many NYPL locations are official “Cooling Centers.” Some of these are even pet-friendly!

— Many locations have free yoga (in Spanish), film screenings, as well as sewing and craft groups.

Get your library card now!

If you’re 13 years old or older and live, work, or attend school in New York State, you can apply for a free library card right now using this online card application—then visit your nearest NYPL location to receive your physical NYPL card. A physical library card is your key to checking out physical books and materials, signing up for Culture Pass, and more.

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History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day: today, October 13, 2025.

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VOCABULARY

Indigenous – adj., of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place

Disrupt – v., to throw into disorder

Recognize – v., to admit that something exists

Hurtful – adj., causing pain, especially emotional

Glorified – v., to make something seem great

Colonial – adj., relating to people settling in a new place, often belonging to someone else

Oppression – n., cruel or unjust use of authority or power

Trauma – n., a psychological state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or injury

Erased – v., to wipe out, to make something disappear

Self-sufficient – adj. to be able to take care of oneself

Sustain – v., to keep up, to supply nourishment

Movement – n, series of acts working toward a desired end

History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day: today, October 13, 2025.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day began in 1977 as an idea expressed at a UN conference on discrimination.  In 1990, South Dakota was the first state to recognize the day.

In 1992, protests and demonstrations disrupted planned Columbus Day celebrations in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. People began referring to that day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to celebrate the rich culture and the lives of the Native American people. Soon, those cities also recognized the holiday.

For the Native Americans, Columbus Day was always hurtful as it glorified the violent past of 500 years of colonial torture and oppression by European explorers like Columbus. Indigenous Peoples’ Day draws attention to the pain, trauma, and broken promises that were erased by the celebration of Columbus Day. Before his arrival, the indigenous folk were successful self-sufficient communities that sustained life for thousands of years.

Year by year, the movement to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day spreads to more and more states, towns, and cities across the United States of America.*

*https://nationaltoday.com/indigenous-peoples-day/

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Banana Oat Pancakes

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Vocabulary

Picky –

Toddler –

Banana –

Oat –

Shoveled in –

A Toddler Favorite

These banana oat pancakes are great for a picky toddler. Many toddlers spit out veggies but pasta gets shoveled in. But all toddlers love these pancakes!

Ingredients

  • 1 banana 
  • 1 egg 
  • ⅓ cup rolled or quick cooking oats
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil

Optional additions:

  • 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butter 
  • ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or chopped mango 

InstructionsThe above version has just nut butter and flaxseed meal added.

In a medium bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Crack the egg into the bowl, and beat it together with the banana.

Stir in the oats, vanilla, and cinnamon.

At this point, you can stir in any add-ins, like flaxseed meal, nut butter, and fruit. 

The above version has just nut butter and flaxseed meal added.

And here’s a version with blueberries!

Heat a pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Put the batter into the hot pan (I like to make small pancakes), and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Enjoy!!!!

Source – https://thewoksoflife.com/banana-oat-pancakes/

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Fall Activities in NYC

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The heat and humidity of summer is slowly fading into fall’s crisp, cool air & the beautiful, vibrant colors of autumn in and around New York City.

As fall approaches, here are some fun suggestions for things to see and do in New York.

Check out the fall foliage  🍂 🍁 in Central Park

Stroll through Central Park. The Ramble, Bethesda Terrace, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir offer beautiful views of the fall foliage. 

Central Park Fall Foliage: https://www.centralparknyc.org/activities/guides/where-to-find-fall-foliage-in-central-park

Central Park Conservancy: https://www.centralparknyc.org/

Attend the West Village Halloween Parade: 🎃 👻

Don’t miss this iconic and incredibly spooky parade in Greenwich Village. You can watch from the sidelines or even join in the costumed fun! 

Village Halloween Parade: https://halloween-nyc.com/

Explore the High Line: 🌇

This elevated park offers unique perspectives of the city skyline- it’s a fantastic spot for a leisurely walk and some urban fall foliage.

Friends of the High Line: https://www.thehighline.org/

Celebrate Oktoberfest: 🍻 🍺

Many beer halls and venues across the city host Oktoberfest celebrations with German food 🥨, beer, and lively music. Grab your lederhosen and join in the fun!

German-American Steuben Parade New York: https://germanparadenyc.org/oktoberfest/ 

Catch a Broadway Show:

Come join Alexander Hamilton, Simba, and Galinda 🧙🏻 & Elphaba in all the fun! Fall marks the beginning of the new Broadway season, making it a great time to see a new production or a classic favorite. 

Broadway.com: (A comprehensive site for tickets and information on Broadway shows): https://www.broadway.com/

Are you an athlete – or do you know one? Watch-  or, if you’re feeling energetic, run – the New York City Marathon. 🏃‍♂️ 🏃🏼‍♀️ 🏃🏽‍♂️ Sunday, November 2nd

NYC Marathon: https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon

Go Apple or Pumpkin Picking (outside the city): 🍎 While not in NYC itself, a short trip to the Hudson Valley or Long Island allows for classic, fun fall activities like apple and pumpkin picking at local farms. Many offer hayrides, corn mazes, and fresh cider donuts. 

Masker Orchards (Hudson Valley): https://www.maskers.com/

Apple Ridge Orchards (Hudson Valley): https://appleridgeorchards.com/pick-your-own-apples/

Attend the New York City Wine & Food Festival: 🍽️

For foodies, this annual festival in October brings together renowned chefs and culinary experiences, offering tastings, cooking demonstrations, and more.

NYC Food & Wine: https://www.glwd.org/events/new-york-city-wine-and-food-festival-nycwff/

Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (or its balloon inflation):

Experiencing the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade firsthand is an unforgettable experience.

Come see Santa 🎅🏻 and the giant turkey 🦃 !

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: https://www.macys.com/s/parade/

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LABOR DAY, AMERICAN STYLE.

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It’s Labor Day!

The first Monday in September is Labor Day in the USA.  Unlike many US holidays, it is a celebration without rituals – except for shopping and barbecuing. For most of us, it marks the last weekend of summer holidays and the start of the school year.

Ritual – n., an established form for a ceremony or observance

Founder – n., someone who takes the first steps in building something

Envision – v., to imagine, to picture to oneself

Means – n., things that are useful or help to achieve a desired end

Unify – v., to make different things into one unit

Reduction – n., to make something smaller, to decrease

Recall – v., to remember

Struggle – n, the act of working hard or fighting for something

Maypole — n., a tall pole decorated with flowers and ribbons

The holiday’s founders in the late 19th century envisioned something very different from what the day has become. The founders were looking for two things: a means of unifying union workers and a reduction in work time.

  • If you’re living in the USA, don’t confuse this day with May 1st, (May Day), which is International Workers’ Day.

This day is celebrated in over 160 countries to recall the struggles and achievements of the labor movement. 

In France, people carry and give lilies-of-the-valley. Many countries, such as Italy and Nicaragua, celebrate with dances around a Maypole.

 

In America, Labor Day is less political and more about fun.

See you in class very soon! And:

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Grammar: The Past Perfect Tense

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What is the Past Perfect Tense and why do we use it?

The past perfect tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past.

Structure:

had + past participle

The past participle is usually the same as the past tense for regular verbs (e.g., walked, played), but can be different for irregular verbs (e.g., eaten, gone, seen).

“had” stays the same for all subjects (I, you, he, she, etc.).

Why Use the Past Perfect? 🤷‍♂️

It helps show what happened first in the past when there are two past actions.

compare:

Past Simple only:
 I left when he came.
(Not clear which happened first.)

Past Perfect + Past Simple:
 I had left when he came.
(Now it’s clear: I left before he came.)

Here Are Some Common Words with Past Perfect: before, after, when, already, just, never

Example One:

She had finished her homework before she ate dinner.
– First she finished her homework, then she ate dinner.

Example Two:

By the time I arrived at the station, my train had already left.
– First the train left the station, then I arrived at the station (late) 😢

Test yourself: Quiz time

1.By the time we arrived at the theater, the movie _____. 🍿

A. started
B. was starting
C. had started
D. has started

2. She was tired because she _____ all night. 🥱

A. worked
B. had worked
C. has worked
D. works

3. After he _____ lunch, he went out for a walk. 🚶

A. had eaten
B. was eating
C. eats
D. ate

4. They _____ the bus before we got to the stop. 🚏 🚍

A. had missed
B. miss
C. missed
D. were missing

5. I didn’t want to watch the movie again because I _____ it already. 🚫 📽️

A. see
B. was seeing
C. had seen
D. have seen

Answers: 1) C. had started 2) B. had worked 3) A. had eaten 4) A. had missed 5) C. had seen

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