Most of us know that Thanksgiving in the United States is a day or two off of work that we take to have a feast- a huge meal, with our families. Whether or not you’re new to New York, you may also be familiar with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

This annual* parade is on Thanksgiving Day! Many families (including my own) wake up early to watch the parade on TV and wait excitedly for their favorite parade floats, giant balloon characters, and singers to march down 6th avenue. They stop in front of the famous Macy’s Department store on 34th street and usually perform for the crowd that has been eagerly* waiting since the early hours of the morning!

Commencing in 1924, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is a nearly 100 year old New York tradition that kicks off the Christmas season. At the end of the parade you may even see a very special Christmas character! 

Make sure you check out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on your cable news network on Thanksgiving morning. Check out some photos of parade floats from as early as the 1920s!

*Eagerly – wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable

*Annual – occurring once every year

What is Veteran’s Day and why do we celebrate it?

I’m sure that you already knew that we have a 3-day weekend coming up, but did you know why?

This Friday, and every year on November 11th, Americans observe Veteran’s Day.

A Veteran, also known as a “Vet”, is a person who has served in the military.

In 1954, this federal holiday was changed from “Armistice” to “Veterans” Day.

1. Place a small flag on every veteran’s grave. This is an annual tradition for many scout troops. 

2. If you personally know a veteran, you can thank them for their service! 

3. If you’re not close to a veteran, write a thank-you card and drop it off at a VA hospital. If you’re not in time for this Veterans Day, that’s fine; a thoughtful card is appreciated any time. 

Enjoy your day off this Friday and remember to thank a Veteran! 

Source: Veterans Day 2022: Veterans Day History, Meaning, and Date | The Old Farmer’s Almanac 

This week we take some time to shed light on the need for more adult literacy classes for Adult Education Family Literacy Week! (#AEFL).

Below are 5 facts to note the importance of adult education:

How does adult education affect your life?

What do you plan to do with your education?

Let us know in the comments!

Welcome Back! Welcome Back! Welcome Back!

Can you make 5 sentences from these 5 phrases?

Let’s see in the comments!

Sources:

Back to School Phrases — Dynamic English | Clases Particulares de Inglés

Usually in the media we learn about three or four countries that are English-speaking.

If you’ve been following our blog, you may remember.

The first countries that come to my mind are: England, The USA, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

South Africa?

Yes! South Africa is a major English-speaking nation!

If you read the title of the video, maybe you’ve already noticed some differences in English from the US versus English from South Africa!

*Check out the word coloured, in the US we spell it without the letter u, as in colored.

We also DO NOT use this word to describe people in the US.

South Africa is the only country where is okay to call someone coloured.

Do not use it here, in the US.

Why does South Africa Speak English?

Well South Africa has 11 official languages, but….

The British and Irish also colonized South Africa at different points in South Africa’s history.

Not everyone speaks English, but it is the Lingua Franca– a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.

Resources:

British diaspora in Africa – Wikipedia

Oxford Languages and Google – English | Oxford Languages (oup.com)

The students here at University Settlement are hard workers!

Let’s show off some more of our students’ writing!

One we had a theme:

How would you feel about having a neighborhood safety watch?

Our E4 students had very strong opinions!

Another student had a different opinion!

What is YOUR opinion? What do you think? Do you want a neighborhood watch in your neighborhood?