It is difficult (and rewarding) to learn a new language and students need all the help they can get. In the video below a man is working hard to learn English. He gets help from his school, library, friends and family. Watch the video and comment below. Tell us the special reason the man is learning English and let us know your goals and reasons as well.
There are about two months left of classes. Don’t let the spring weather distract you too much. Keep working hard so you can improve your skills, achieve your goals and celebrate with a nice drink.
Tag: esl
Grammatically Speaking
Grammar is one of the main parts of languages (some others might be phonology, morphology and syntax). Click on the picture below to test your knowledge of some grammar points. The test will provide the correct answer as well as an explanation as to why it is the correct answer. Feel free to ask questions about grammar and let us know your (perfect?) score in the comments section.
Idiom of the Week: Swallow Your Pride
Meaning: To admit when you are wrong. To accept a humiliating or embarrassing truth.
Examples:
It’s OK if you made a mistake, just swallow your pride and admit it.
The students swallowed their pride when the teacher told them they would have to repeat the course.
My husband finally swallowed his pride and apologized about lying to me.
Pop Quiz:
When would someone swallow their pride?
A. If they do poorly on a test.
B. If they do very well on a test.
C. If they get caught cheating on a test.
To see the answer, click on “Continue reading”:
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
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.
National Poetry Month
Spring is finally here and April is National Poetry Month.
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.
Click here to read poems about Spring to get started.
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.
Finally, we have some prizes from the Poetry Foundation . The first 3 students to tell us their favorite poem in the comments section will win a prize!
Language Learning Strategies
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 meet
Spanish 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.
Website Spotlight: Fast Forward
Looking for ways to improve your English outside of the classroom? Striving to become a lifelong learner? FastforwardNY is a great video resource for you to practice your listening skills and learn some valuable life lessons. Some of the topics of the videos on the site are GED prep, Workplace skills, Family situations, information on American Civics and government and even episodes of the TV series designed for English learners, Crossroads Cafe.
You will need to enter an address to watch the videos, you can put your school’s address if you want. Explore the website, watch some videos, comment below and let us know which videos you find most interesting. Enjoy!
