April’s Student of the Month is Lois Geng. She is from W4 and her teacher is Lynne Hayden-Findlay. Lois is a great writer and one of her writings has been chosen to appear in the Literacy Review (you can read more about the Literacy Review here). Below, Lois tells us a little about herself and then shares some of her writing. Enjoy and keep working hard, the next Student of the Month could be you.
My name is Lois Geng. I was born in China and immigrated to the United State of America. I have been in New York City for more than ten years. I love New York because of its fantastic lifestyle and that it’s full of opportunities. I like to challenge myself even though I have a happy life. I want to continue to work hard improving my language skills in order to better integrate into American life.
WATER
Water is the source of life. Water is the treasure of life.
In our lives, we cannot be separated from water. Water will always accompany us. During my childhood, I lived in my grandmother’s hometown which is in China’s Southern countryside. In front of the house, there is a big stream flowing down from the mountains. It is crystal clear and there is a lot of small fish hiding under the stones. We often went to catch the fish and played in the water. The water left me with the joy of childhood. But when I returned to my grandmother’s home a few years ago, I couldn’t recognize the stream I once knew. The stream is now a victim of pollution. It gave me a feeling of sadness.
Water is the best gift nature gives us. We should cherish it, protect it. If people do not cherish water resources, then the world’s last drop will be tears.
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He is well known for his realistic writings of rural life and his use of American informal (slang) speech. His poems were often set in rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, and used these settings to look at complex social and philosophical themes. Frost has often been quoted by other people. He was honored often during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
We are going to have some posts, activities and contests this month to celebrate all things poetry. So enjoy and start reading some poetry…all the cool kids are doing it.
First, maybe you noticed the Poet’s Corner in the lobby of 175 Eldridge St. You’ll find a magnetic poetry board (pictured below) for you to play and experiment with. Check it out, have some fun. Also here is a link for you to play with magnetic poetry on your computer.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for Poem-A-Day. You’ll get a new poem sent to you everyday. It’s a great way for you to improve your English skills and a great way to start your day.
This post is from our E4 teacher, Mary Staub. Mary shares some language learning strategies she’s used. We also get to watch a video of her students sharing their favorite tips to improve their English. Read and watch below, then share some of your favorite ways to practice English in the comments section:
Foreign languages have always been part of my life.
I grew up bilingually, speaking Swiss German and English since childhood, and started learning French and Spanish during high school. More recently, I’ve tried to start learning Arabic. Over the years, I’ve used a lot of different language learning strategies to help me improve more quickly.
For example, when I was living in Seville, Spain, for eight months during college, I looked for opportunities to meetSpanish people and took part in all the town festivals. I also joined a Capoeira (Brazilian martial art) group while I was there, where all of the members spoke only Spanish. This forced me to use Spanish all the time and helped me become more fluent. Another thing I did was take dance classes from a teacher who spoke only Spanish. All her instructions were in Spanish so I had to learn to understand.
Another thing I did and continue to do is to read as much as possible in Spanish or French. I read books, newspapers, or anything else that I am interested in. I look up the words that I don’t understand and seem important. Then I write the ones I want to remember in a journal so I can review them. I also sometimes make flashcards, especially at the beginning when I’m learning a new language. That’s what I did when I started learning Arabic.
I also practice using new words and phrases by imagining little conversations where I can use them or I’ll try to start ‘thinking’ in the language. I often do this when I’m taking the subway or riding my bike and have time to let my mind wander.
Watch the video to hear about the language learning strategies that some of my E4 students use. Then add a comment to share some of your own strategies.
It’s Staff Spotlight time! This week we will be interviewing Mary Staub. Mary has taught both Weekend and Evening Classes and now teaches our highest level Evening Class, E4.
This is your chance to ask Mary some questions about herself, her advice on learning English, her students or whatever you’d like. Ask your questions in the Comment Section and we will interview Mary next week…
Below is a slideshow with all of the Class Photos. You can click on the slideshow or here to go the website and see all of the photos. Leave a comment and tell us which class looks the best, who needs to comb their hair and who needs to practice smiling 🙂
