Important Announcements!!! Please Read!

Dear Class:

It has been brought to my attention the following course changes per the ESL department's instructions. I apologize that this news is late in coming to you, but I only just learned of them myself. I thank you for your patience with all of the end of the course changes.

Friday, December 3, 2010
The Placement Test will now take place in the ETRC A-100 at 9:00am. The ESL department would like you to be at the center at 8:45am! Please make arrangements accordingly so that you arrive on time.

Monday, December 6, 2010
We will meet as normal in our classroom and do a massive review for the final exam. (Remember, your Transitions Lecture paper is due!)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Final Exam! The department needs your scores so that I can set up the spring schedule for you so we need to move the exam up. Again, I apologize if this causes you any stress. Simply relax, you have been working hard all semester and you are ready!

Friday, December 10, 2010
I will review your final exam grade, your final grade, and sign you up for your spring course.

Monday, December 13, 2010
The last class and the party as you requested. We decide whose bringing what next week.

I will try to e-mail you all these instructions, but if you read this, help me spread the word and share it with your study buddy and any other classmates you encounter before Friday!

Best,
J :)

ESL L5: The Politics of Finances

Monday, November 1, 2010

Personal Finances and American Politics
Our unit on personal finances is quite fitting this week as personal finances is a topic that is in the news on a daily basis, especially with the election tomorrow.

Here are a few fun financial tools for you to explore:
How Healthy are Your Finances?
When Will You be a Millionaire?
Net Worth: How do You Stack Up?

Last day to track the issues and the polls. (Simply a few suggestions, by all means not inclusive of all options!)
CNN Election Center
MSNBC Election Center
Fox News Election Center
NY Times Election Center
BBC US Election Center
Comedy Central Election Center

What Kind of Learner are You?
I am going to have us take one of these surveys as a class on Wednesday. This will help you to know how you study best!

Gerunds and Infinitives
Gerunds and Infinitives Tutorial
Gerunds and Infinitives: Their Noun Roles

Homework for Monday, November 1, 2010

1. Journal Topic: Money! (150 words) 
• Your Journal is due on Friday, November 5, 2010
2. Study Unit 7 and Unit 8
• Make flashcards for the gerunds and infinitive list I gave you in class. 
• Practice writing a sentence for each gerund and infinitive from the list.
3. Optional: Wuthering Heights second draft of the essay
4. Extra Credit: Unit 7 Quiz

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Things that Go Bump in the Night...(Spooky!)

Friday, October 29, 2010

Gothic Literature

I have to admit. I'm biased. My absolute favorite genre of literature is Gothic Literature, so all the spookiness of this time of year makes me smile.

To expand from today's lesson, if you like all things creaky and creepy, here is a list of authors and their most notable works of art:

1. Ann Radcliffe. The 'Godmother' of Gothic Lit. My favorite author.
• The Mysteries of Udolpho - will Emily St. Aubert end up with her true love Valencourt, or will evil Venetian rouges or ghosts carry her off in the night, never to be heard from for all of eternity? I'm not telling...you will have to read the book! If you like Jane Austen, then you must read Northanger Abbey which is her gentle ribbing of Radcliffe's tale.
2. Mary Shelley. Legend says that on a miserable night while on holiday in Switzerland with Lord Byron, Polodori, and Clairmont, these famous authors dared each other to write a 'scary story.' Frankenstein was Shelly's offering. The rest is history...
• Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus - I can still see myself at age twelve, reading this novel in the library for homework with my best friend. There is a scene in this book that is so brilliantly frightening, that upon leaving the library on a gloomy, spooky October night, the two of us ran the entire way home -- least we encounter any such fiendish creatures. This novel is a classic and ever popular as it comments upon mans desire to control nature, and details the dangers of science.
3. Bram Stoker. 
• Dracula - I did like reading this novel for the details of the scenery because my Transylvanian ancestors were still living in this region when the book was written. However, it is very, very creepy! I did have to put it down a few times as it was a bit too 'intense' for me. But maybe its just the Romanian in me warning myself to take heed to carry garlic in my pocket on nights of the full moon...:D 
• Since vampires are all the rage at the moment, you should also know about Polodori's (name ring a bell? reread the entry on Mary Shelly...) The Vampyre, Le Fanu's Carmilla, and Keats' Lamia or La Belle Dame Sans Merci so that you understand the roots of Twilight, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Sunshine, The Interview with the Vampire and The Reformed Vampire Support Group. 
4. Edgar Allen Poe - The Raven.

Homework for Friday, October, 29, 2010

1. Journal: Topic 1) Halloween or 2) Gothic Literature or 3) spooky things from your country/culture (150 words)
2. Vocabulary Notebook due on Monday, November 1, 2010
3. No Unit 7 test!

~Happy Halloween!~

Boo!

ESL L5: A Great Job with the Speeches!

Wednesday, October 28, 2010

The Joys of Public Speaking

You all did a really nice job with your Wuthering Heights speeches yesterday. On Friday I will give you your grades and your feedback from your peers. I was really pleased to see that so many of you want to try giving a speech again before the end of the semester. I will plan another speaking project for sometime after Thanksgiving.

The Joys of Learning

I know your paper grades for Wuthering Heights are a lot lower than what you are accustomed to receiving. I decided to 'raise the bar' and grade them with the expectations of a sheltered (EFL only) English Rhetoric course. We only have about five and a half weeks left in L5, so it is very important that I start transitioning you into a sheltered or more likely native speaker English course and with this comes the expectations of such a class. (There is a sheltered ESL only ENG 085 course offered on campus. When you are ready to register for your courses, come see me and I will let you know which section this is in the English department.)

Thus, don't be upset by your low scores. As I explained yesterday, in class essays -- most especially ones written under exam conditions -- are first drafts. First drafts are messy. This is why I am giving you the option of writing a final draft. For your final draft, I will base it on the points you missed. (e.g. if you received a 56% on your essay, you final draft is worth a possible 44 points. You can only improve your score!) The point is to completely rewrite your essay. You start with all new brainstorming and of course, a new outline. Spend a lot of time with these two components before you even think about rewriting your essay.

Points don't really matter. At the end of the day, what is a 92% vs. an 88%? Besides, your course is 'Pass' or 'Fail'. My goal for you is that you feel comfortable with your writing skills. So comfortable in fact, that in the 'real world' if you boss or teacher asks you to write a report, you smile to yourself and think "I know how to do that." This is the point of all the writing we have been doing for the last ten weeks. Repetition builds confidence. You really don't think about the simple present tense anymore do you? Exactly. Soon, you will feel the same way about writing paragraphs and five paragraph essays. They will just come to you naturally.

Homework for October 27, 2010

1. Work on your Vocabulary Notebook
2. Study the Past Perfect
3. Optional: Rewrite your Wuthering Heights essay. Due: November 3, 2010. You must turn in: 1) new brainstorming, 2) a new outline (review your notes on outlining), 3) your final essay (typed or hand written)

~Happy Studying~

ESL L5: Public Speaking Tips

Monday, October 25, 2010

Tips for Giving a Speech
Tips and Suggestions on Public Speaking
10 Tips for Public Speaking

Past Perfect

Remember, the trick with the past perfect is that there must be TWO verbs in the past in the sentence. The action that happens first is in the past perfect. The interrupting or latter action is in the simple past.

Until I moved to Montana, I hadn't seen a bear in the wild.

Grammar study sheet on the Past Perfect
Past Perfect quiz with answers
Tale of famous musician Arlo Guthrie's story using the past perfect

Homework for Monday, October 24, 2010

1. Final preparations for Wuthering Heights speech. Remember, all of your notes should fit on a 3x5 index card. If you do not have an index card, use a ruler and measure out a piece of paper that is 3x5. DO NOT write your speech word for word on the card! Speeches written out will receive a 0 (F).
2. Start next entries for your Vocabulary Notebook
3. Journal: Topic of your choice (150 words)

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Business Cover Letters

Friday, October 22, 2010

Perfecting Your Business Cover Letter Writing Skills

It is very important that you practice writing cover letters both within the classroom and at home for your future employment prospects depend on your fluency when writing these letters. You will be writing cover letters as long as you are in this country and the more comfortable you become writing them, the more you will feel positive about your chances of getting the job when applying.

Here are some sources to help you:
Finding a Job for ESL Learners
ESL Business Letter Writing - How to Find a Job
Job Letters in English
Job Search Letters from one of my favorite writing websites. I used this site extensively when I was in graduate school -- both for my ESL students and for myself!

Homework for Friday, October 22, 2010

1. Study for the Unit 6 exam. You will be responsible for phrasal verbs and business cover letters.
2. Vocabulary Notebook: Due on Monday, October 25, 2010
3. Continue to work on the Wuthering Heights speech for Wednesday, October 27, 2010

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Placement Test

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Compass Test

The test you will be taking in about one month is the Compass test. This will test your abilities in reading, writing, and math. I am waiting for our test date. As soon as I know, I will announce it to the class.

Here is the website with all of the practice questions for you: www.act.org/compass/sample/index.html

Phrasal Verbs
Many phrasal verb worksheets with answers
Many phrasal verb worksheets with answers II

Homework for Wednesday, October 21, 2010

1. Work on your Wuthering Heights speech per the handout. We will do a first practice on Friday in class. You will evaluate each other in your peer groups.
2. Take the 14 terms from the textbook p. 64 B and write an original sentence for each phrasal verb
3. Vocabulary Notebook next ten entries due on Monday, October, 25, 2010

ESL L5: Phrasal Verbs

Monday, October 18, 2010

Phrasal Verbs

Being fluent in English means that you have command over your phrasal verbs. Remember, a phrasal verb is a verb + particle, NOT a preposition. They need to be memorized for definition. You cannot tell the meaning from the context in which it is used.

Here is a great workbook you can purchase on phrasal verbs to supplement your learning.

Check back to this post for phrasal verb worksheets!

Today's Holidays of the World

Homework for Monday, October 18, 2010

1. Journal: Write a summary of one article from the Triton College newspaper (150 words)
2. Journal: Write a summary of Wuthering Heights (300 words)
3. Unit 6: Online Worksheet
4. Study for Wuthering Heights in class essay exam. Think about the following
1. Look at the characters relationships with each other. What could they have done to improve/change the way things turned out?
2. Why is this novel popular today?
3. What types of love are there in this novel?
4. Who is your favorite character? Why?
5. Who is your least favorite character? Why?
6. What is the moral of this novel? What do you think Emily Brontë was trying to say in this novel?
5. Start your Vocabulary Notebook for next Monday, October 25, 2010

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Halfway Up the Mountain

Friday, October 15, 2010

Facing Your Fears and Challenges Head On

I hope you all enjoyed your conference with me as much as I enjoyed talking with all of you. It is very exciting to see how all of you have progressed in the last two months. Language learning is a fascinating thing; no two people learn exactly alike. Some of you are stronger in speaking/listening and some of you are stronger in reading/writing. The goal of the next eight weeks is to challenge yourself and work on your weakest skills. It takes a lot of guts and courage to work on things that either scare us or that we think that are not good at (Note: I said think. Everyone can be fluent in a second language. The key is believing that yourself). However, you might be absolutely amazed by your results. Sometimes language learning is like finding that one difficult piece of the jigsaw puzzle; by finding it, all the other pieces fall into place. For example, if you are weak in writing, you might just find that if you have a breakthrough in writing that suddenly you can also read with less difficulty and that you have more confidence when speaking. This might in turn give you sudden clarity with your listening comprehension.

On the other hand, sometimes we don't want to be successful (in this case fluent) because it scares us. We are frightened that if we can no longer classify ourselves as ESL students that people will have too great of expectations upon us or that we can't fall back on this label when we think we need to. Remember, you will be learning English for you whole life and that to be fluent in a language is a fluid topic. You might be fluent at the end of L5, but how will you label yourself in five years, or ten or twenty? The point is, don't be scared about becoming fluent. Fluency will make you life easier, not more difficult.

Stepping out into the unknown is scary. The good thing to know is that we all have to in the course of our lives and that there is always support. For example, when L5 ends I don't suddenly stop being your teacher. I will always be your teacher. You can always read this blog, or e-mail me pieces of writing that you would like me to help you with editing. So if the fear of not having support at the end of L5 has been worrying you, don't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere.

Step into the unknown. Challenge yourself by setting what may seem to be an insane goal for the next eight weeks:

I will be fluent in English by December.

See what happens...

Prepare for the journey of a lifetime...

Today's Holidays from Around the World
Australia: International Day of Older People: World Rural Woman's Day
Burkina Faso:
French Guiana: Cayenne Festival
Sri Lanka: National Tree Planting Day
Tunisia: Evacuation Day
United States of America: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Homework for Friday, October 15, 2010
Finish reading Wuthering Heights. Review the entire book. We will have a comprehensive test on Monday to test your reading comprehension.
Study the spelling word list. Test is on Monday too.

Here are the links for all of the Online Worksheets and Quizzes for Units 1-5. Take a moment this weekend to turn in any missing homework. Remember, each assignment is worth 5 points!  

Unit 1 Worksheet
Unit 1 Quiz
Unit 2 Worksheet

Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3 Worksheet

Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4 Worksheet

Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5 Worksheet

Unit 5 Quiz

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Midterm Exam II

Monday, October 12, 2010

Midterm Exam
Please:

1. Come to class on time. We will start promptly at 9:15 a.m.
2. Come into the classroom and put all of your belongings on the wall against the blackboard. I will assign you a seat. 
3. Take your pencils, erasers, dictionary, tissues and drink/snack to your seat.
4. Sit and wait for more instructions. You may talk to your classmates before we begin.
5. Take a deep breath and relax. If you have been keeping up with all of the materials in class and studying, you should have no problems with the midterm!

Studying for the Midterm

Here are the answer keys to the worksheets you have:
Simple Past and Present Perfect Answer Key
Mixed Modals 2 Answer Key

More lessons and practice:
Simple Present, Simple Past, Future Test with Answers
Simple Past vs. Present Perfect Test with Answers
Adverbial Clauses
Overview of Adverbial Clauses
Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
Active Voice vs. Passive Voice Quiz with Answers
Slideshow on the Modals of Possibility
The Modal Can
The Modal Could

For writing the five paragraph essay information, please read this.

Homework, Monday, October 11, 2010
Study for the Midterm Exam. Review all of your notes on grammar and writing the five paragraph essay.

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: Writing a Summary

Friday, October 10, 2010

Writing a Summary

To summarize is to highlight the main points of a text. We have been practicing this week with summarizing the main ideas of paragraphs and small essays. Here are some helpful hints to writing concise summaries.

1. Read the entire article, document, or book before jumping to conclusions about what to summarize.
2. Ask yourself "What was the main idea of what I just read?" On a piece of paper, write down your thoughts in one sentence.
3. Look for the thesis statement or topic sentence. Does it match what you have written? If not, ask yourself why. It might be necessary to reread the text to reformulate your one sentence summary.
4. When you are sure you have your own topic sentence, reread the text looking for all of the main ideas that support this topic sentence. 
5. Write down each supporting idea as a bullet point. Try not to write in full sentences. Write down key details. Do not copy more than three words in a row from the text. Write each bullet point in your own words.
6. With only your bullet point list in front of you, write your summary.

Process for Writing a Summary

Summarizing: An Interactive Activity

Today's Holidays from Around the World

Croatia: Independence Day

Haiti: Death of Henri Christophe

Peru: Battle of Angemos; Navy Day

Homework for Friday, October 10, 2010

1. Review for the Unit 5 test
2. Complete you ten (10) entries for your Vocabulary Notebook
3. Read Wuthering Heights Ch. 13
4. Continue to study for the Midterm on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

ESL L5: Midterm Exam

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Midterm Exam

Next week on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 we will have our midterm exam starting promptly at 9:15a.m. As we discussed in class, the midterm will cover: 1) listening skills, 2) grammar skills, 3) reading skills, and 4) writing skills. In order to study for the exam, read this sheet.

Today's Holidays from Around the World
Egypt: Armed Forces Day
Syria: October Revolution War
United States of America: National German-American Day; Physician Assistant Day
Turkmenistan: Remembrance Day

Homework for Wednesday, October 6, 2010

1. Unit 5 Online Quiz
2. Work on Your Vocabulary Notebook
3. Descriptive Paragraph Worksheet (To turn in on Friday.)
4. Wuthering Heights Ch. 12
5. Remember, I have granted amnesty on all old online homework assignments until next Wednesday, October 13. Please do them, you all need the practice and the points in order to pass the class!

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: The Mysteries of Life

Monday, October 4, 2010

Unexplained Mysteries
Unexplained mysteries are found all around the world. All cultures love to tell tales that have strange or unknown endings.

Some very famous mythological examples include:
The Loch Ness Monster
The Yeti
The Chupacabra

Unexplained mysteries can also be about real events or people. Some examples include:
Amelia Earhart
Jack the Ripper
Anastasia

Modals of Speculation
To form the modal of speculation in the past, use:
subject + modal verb + have + past participle + object

The Loch Ness Monster might have been seen in Scotland last year.

An overview of Modals of Speculation in the Past I
An overview of Modals of Speculation in the Past II
Practice forming Modals of Speculation in the Past while watching a film clip from Premonition (it's very spooky!)
Modals of Past Uncertainity

Today's Holidays Around the World
International: World Animal Day
Italy: St. Petronius Day
Lesotho: Independence Day
Mozambique: Peace Day
Sweden: National Cinnamon Bun Day (Yum!)

Homework for Monday, October 4, 2010

1. Unit 5 Online Worksheet (I'm sorry. Somehow I had the wrong link here earlier today!)
2. Vocabulary Notebook
3. Journal: An Unexplained Mystery (150 words)
4. Review vocabulary from today's lesson
5. Wuthering Heights: Ch. 11

~Happy Studying!~

I Hope to See You There!

Don't forget that tomorrow is Fall Family Fun Fest at Triton College. My husband and I will be there at 10am for about an hour so do find us and say hello! 

When: Saturday, October 2, 2010 ~ 10a.m. until 2p.m. ~ Triton College's Botanical Gardens (East side of campus)

ESL L5: Dear Editor...

Friday, October 1, 2010

I hope you all had an enjoyable time meeting with Linda this morning. I am away from my desk at the moment, but I will put her information for you online later today.

Have a Voice: Write a Real Letter to the Editor

You expressed that you were unfamiliar with reading Letters to the Editor in English. The following are several newspapers that traditionally print Letters to the Editor.

Chicago Tribune: Letters to the Editor
L.A. Times: Letters to the the Editor
N.Y. Times: Letters to the Editor

Would you like more information on writing a Letter to the Editor? Here is a lovely page in which the United Nations Association of the United States of America teaches you how to write this type of letter.

Here is an article from a New York Times editor on how to be successful in writing a Letter to the Editor.

If you ever want to write a real Letter to the Editor, you are always welcome to bring your letter to class (or sent to me via e-mail) and I will be more than happy to proofread your work.

Find your cause. Find your voice. Take action.

Today's Holidays from Around the World

Cameroon: Unification Day
China: National Day; People's Republic of China's Birthday
Cyprus: Independence Day
French Polynesia: Stone Fishing Ceremony
Hong Kong: National Day
International: International Day for the Elderly; International Raccoon Appreciation Day; International Music Day
Macau: National Day of the People's Republic of China
Nigeria: Independence Day
Palau: Independence Day
Tuvalu: Tuvalu Day (Independence Day)

Homework for October 1, 2010

1. Study for Unit 4 Quiz
• Vocabulary
• Modals and Phrasal Modals
• Writing a Letter to the Editor
• Wuthering Heights Ch. 4-9
2. Read: Wuthering Heights: Ch. 10
3. Optional Homework: Textbook: pp. 50-51; Workbook pp. 20-23 (This will help you study for the quiz!)

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: The Wonderful World of Modals

Thursday, September 30, 2010

I am sorry that this post is a bit late in arriving to you. I was feeling a bit under the weather (meaning: not well) and was unable to write yesterday. I'm feeling a bit better today so hopefully I will not get the nasty cold/virus that seems to be plaguing everyone in Oak Park. :D

Modals
If you love charts and rules, you will love this modal page!
Modal Rules
Modal Final Test
Modal Quiz I

Today's Holidays from Around the World
Hati: Manman Aloumandia
International: Inventor's Day
Paraguay: Boqueron Battle Day
Spain: St. Michael's Day
United Kingdom: Michaelmas
Voudon: Manman Aloumandia

Homework for Wednesday, September 29, 2010

1. Unit 4 Online Quiz Note: The vocabulary section would not load properly when I checked this quiz at 4:00p.m. I will give everyone who attempts the quiz 5 points for effort, so don't worry if it will not load properly. Do the best you can with what you can answer.
2. Wuthering Heights Ch. 9

Announcement: Remember, we are meeting as a class from 9:00a.m. until 9:30a.m. in R 301A on Friday, October 1, 2010. If you take notes on the lecture and write a paragraph (minimum 150 words) you will receive 15 extra credit points. If you arrive late for class, please wait for us in our regular classroom (E 314). We will return around 9:45a.m. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail me.

Campaign to Re-Design the US Currency

Many people now consider the US currency very boring and cold, even though the bills have been redesigned in the last five years. There is now a campaign to re-design the currency and many artists are doing a complete makeover of our currency. Here is an article that gives an overview of this campaign.

ESL L5: Read a "Banned" Book

Banned Book Week September 25 - October 2
The American Library Association is celebrating Banned Book Week. The purpose of this week is to educate the country on the precarious (meaning: about to fall; uncertain) nature of the freedom of speech/intellectual freedom. While we live in a democracy that protects our rights to read any book, there are those in the country who feel that they have a right to tell others what or what not to read. There is an online map where you can see where most of the challenges came from in the United States from 2007-2010.

You may be very surprised as to what books people want to ban. Many of these books are considered works of art that are read by most American high school and university students. Take a look at the Most Challenged Books of 2009 list. Are there any on the list that you have read? Here is the list for Banned and Challenged Classics through American history. Now find out why a particular book was banned or challenged. 

Support your freedom in this country. Read a 'banned' book today!

Modals and Phrasal Modals
Here is some a variety of websites to continue your learning and practice with modals/phrasal modals.
About single word modals and phrasal modals (multiple word modals)
A variety of modal exercises in a variety of tenses
Online Modal worksheet with answers

Today's Holidays from Around the World
Belgium: French Community Holiday
Madagascar: St. Vincent de Paul Day

Homework for Monday, September 27, 2010

1. Unit 4: Online Worksheet
2. Wuthering Heights Ch. 8
3. Optional: If you own a textbook, you can do the Unit 3 Supplemental Pages and the Unit 1-3 Review (1 & 2) for practice to test your learning. Also, you may do the Unit 3 Online Worksheet and the Quiz for review.

Academic Honesty and Student Motivation

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Responsibilities of Being a Student

Going to school at a college or university comes with a list of expectations.

• Students need to come to class on time
• Students need to be prepared for the lesson
• Students need to do their homework
• Students need to have time management. Writing a paper at 5:00 a.m. the day before a class is irresponsible
• Students need to have materials organized and accessible
• Students have to be willing to learn
• Students need be responsible and pro-active. If a student misses class, they need to ask when returning what was missed, not wait for the Instructor to tell them.

Taking an ESL class at a college isn't just about learning how to speak, listen, read, and write fluently in English. It is also about being motivated, being positive, being organized, and being responsible. The goal of ESL L5 to to prepare you for the world beyond ESL. You will need to have all of these skills in addition to English in order to be successful in the United States.

Please read the Triton College Academic Honesty Policy which is located as a permanent page for this blog.

Homework for Friday, September 24, 2010

1. Wuthering Heights Ch. 7
2. Writing Paragraphs handouts
3. Vocabulary Notebook: Ten (10) new entries
4. NO test on Unit 3 

ESL L5: Chinese Five Elements

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal

Today we began our exploration of the Chinese art of using five elements to identify one's personality.

I found a more detailed Five Element Personality Test. I think you should take this, because it has many, many excellent vocabulary words for you to describe someone's personality. It is a great way to test your knowledge. For each word you need to look up in your dictionary, make a flashcard, or enter it in your Vocabulary Notebook. Here is more information about each personality type.

For the record I took the test. Here are my results:

Fire 20 %
Water 25 %
Wood 22 %
Earth 7 %
Metal 24 % 


I found another test with a lot of additional vocabulary for you. My results were:
Wood Archetype: The Pioneer.............................. 8
Fire Archetype: The Wizard.................................... 16
Earth Archetype: The Peacemaker......................... 7
Metal Archetype: The Alchemist.............................. 11
Water Archetype: The Philosopher......................... 14


My results are a bit varied but taking into consideration my class results (Water/Metal), it is safe to say I am quite strong in Water and Metal. I would have to do more analysis to determine how Fire and Wood play into my personality.


Today's Holidays Around the World
Bulgaria: Days of Liberation
International: World Car-Fee Day
Mali: Independence Day
Norway: Birthday of Princess Martha Louise
United States of America: American Business Women's Day


Homework for September 22, 2010

1. Journal: How I Think I am Doing in this Class (150 words)
2. All Journals from August 23 to September 22 are due. 
3. Unit 3 Writing Worksheet
4. Unit 3 Reading Worksheet
5. Wuthering Heights: Ch. 6

~Happy Studying!~

Test Your Reading Level

Is the Wuthering Heights book too easy or too hard for you?

Learning English is like any other skill, the more time you put in, the easier it becomes. Also, you can have great leaps of knowledge. What was difficult the week before can suddenly become very easy. The brain works in mysterious ways.

Curious to see if you are reading below level, at level, or above level?

Here is an online test you can take from the Wuthering Heights L5 publisher Oxford University press to test your reading level.

If you test below or above level, send me an e-mail and we will talk about some strategies to build upon your score.

ESL L5: What is Your Personality?

Monday, September 20, 2010

Are you an early riser or a night owl? Are you someone who thinks outside of the box or do you prefer to be led by another? Are you a risk-taker or a go-getter? Would you rather be surrounded by books or by people?

A common test to analyze your personality is the Jungian-Myers Briggs Personality Test. I took this version of the test and these were my results:

My Type is: 

INFJ

Introverted/Intuitive/Feeling/Judging

Strength of the preferences %: 44/75/62/22

Qualitative analysis (meaning: narrative statistics) of my type formula

I am:

• moderately expressed introvert
• distinctively expressed intuitive personality
• distinctively expressed feeling personality
• slightly expressed judging personality

Take the test if you would like and bring the results to class to share!

Today's Holidays of the World

East Timor: Liberation Day

Homework for Monday, September 20, 2010

1. Journal: My Personality (150 words)
2. Technology Essay Due!
3. Adverb Worksheet (both sides)
4. Reading: Wuthering Heights Ch. 5
5. Vocabulary Notebook: Begin the next ten (10) entries due next Monday, September 27
6. Journals: Remember, all your Journals since August 23 are due on Friday, September 24!

~Happy Studying!~

ESL L5: A Beautiful Day to Read in the Sunshine

Friday, September 17, 2010

You all have been working so hard in class. Keep up the great work everyone! Can you believe you have just finished your fourth week of ESL Level 5? Time is flying; very soon the leaves will be off of all the trees.

I just looked at the weather forecast and it seems that this weekend will be quite rainy and a bit on the chilly side. Do get outside today and enjoy the sunshine. Sitting outside on a nice fall day with a cup of coffee and something fun to read in English would be a nice way to pass the afternoon.

What's that you say? Read for fun in English? Yes, of course you should read for fun and you should do so every day. For example, if you like to read the news from your home country in your native language, google the headline and find the article in English and test your knowledge of the article. If you love gossip columns, then read the latest on the celebrities. If you like sports, then read about your favorite sport. It just doesn't matter what you read in English, what matters is that you do read!

Here are some helpful strategies for improving reading comprehension that I have modified from English for Foreign Language Speakers the Easy Way:

• Be positive. Don't get down upon yourself for what you don't understand. Feel proud of what you do understand. Simply keep reading. It will become easier and easier with practice.
• Be motivated. Visualize yourself reading in English your favorite book, magazine, or website in the future. Picture yourself reading without the aid of a dictionary because you are now fluent in English. Picture how happy you are that you have achieved this momentous goal. Think this is simply a dream? Re-read this post every month. You will be amazed by the results of this simple affirmation...
• Create a movie in your head. Visualization while you read helps you with comprehension.
• Read words in thought groups. Try to get the main idea of clauses and sentences. Do not read word for word.
• For practice, underline the topic sentence. Can you identify the topic and the opinion? When you finish a paragraph, test your comprehension by writing one sentence that summarizes the paragraph.
• Read in a place that makes you happy. Read in your favorite comfy (meaning: comfortable) chair, or at your favorite café. Part of my living room is a sun room which is surrounded by my plants and overlooks a park in Oak Park. I tend to do all my reading in this nook of my living room. I even do my grading here as it is a happy spot for me! :D
• Read a healthy balance of fiction and non-fiction. Fiction will help you with dialects and writing styles. Non-fiction will help you with current English terminology/vocabulary terms.

Today's Holidays of the World

Angola: Hero's Day

United States of America: Citizenship Day; National Stepfamily Day

Homework for Friday, September 17, 2010

1. Study for the Unit 2 Quiz. Make sure you review:
• Vocabulary terms
• Grammar: Present Perfect Continuous
• Grammar: Passive Voice vs. Active Voice
• Grammar: Irregular Verbs: Past Tense and Past Participles (side one of the handout)
• Reading: RFID Chips
• Reading: Wuthering Heights Ch. 1-3
• Writing: The pros and cons of technology
• Writing: How to express abilities
• Writing: Identifying topic sentences and supporting information
2. Read: Wuthering Heights Ch. 4
3. Writing Paragraphs Handout: Practice II
4. Vocabulary Notebook: Ten (10) entries are due Monday, September 20, 2010
5. Writing: Unit 2: Lesson B: Workbook: p. 13 C, D, and E to hand in

~Happy Studying!~

Just for Fun: Georgia Decides to Replace Russian with English

I just read an interesting article on how the nation of Georgia is attempting to suddenly make English the second language of the nation.

This article brings up many interesting issues, including:

• the politics of languages
• the culture of languages
• language preference based on generational demographics

Do you think that this is a good idea? Do you think that it is potentially dangerous, in that forcing children to learn English will be as unpopular as it was for children to learn Russian under Communism? Should the parents be allowed to choose the language their children learn?

All opinions welcome! :D

Just for Fun: A-List Actors to Film in Chicago this Fall

Here is a link to an article in the Chicago Tribune about famous movie stars coming to the city to film this fall.

Just for Fun: Test Your Knowledge of English vs. A Native Speaker's Knowledge of English

Do you think you have trouble with English because it isn't your first language?

Guess what? Welcome to the club! (meaning: everyone has this problem/issue) Native English speakers mangle (meaning: destroy) English all the time.

A recently published book titled, 100 Words Almost Everyone Mixes Up Or Mangles lists words that Americans constantly confuse.

Compare you knowledge to a Native English speaker's knowledge by testing yourself with 7 entries from this book! 

Did you ace (meaning: score a perfect 100%/do really well) those entries? Then feast your eyes (meaning: check out) upon the entire list of words.

So how did you do? :D

Pros and Cons of RFID Chips

Wednesday, September 15, 2010


What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
We had a very productive conversation about the pros and cons of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips. This should help you write your paragraph on the pros and cons of using RFID chips on humans. Remember to incorporate the phrases which indicate advantages and disadvantages into your writing. Also, make sure you have very strong topic sentences and conclusion sentences. :D

METRO Group Future Store
The shop from your textbook readings really does exist in Germany. Here are the links to their sites:
METRO Group Future Store Initiative This link is about the company. (in English)
Real- The actual store's site. (in German)

Reading Skills: Skimming
Continue to practice your skimming skills as you read Chapter 3 of Wuthering Heights.

First, skim the chapter, looking for important ideas and vocabulary words. Remember, you should focus on the main ideas in the paragraphs, not reading the text word for word.

Next, read the chapter, now reading each and every word but not using your dictionary for help. When you read a word you don't know, finish reading the end of the sentence. Can you guess the word? If not, read the next sentence. If you still cannot guess the word, look at the sentence previous to the sentence with the mystery vocabulary word.

Now can you guess the meaning of the word? If not, mark the vocabulary word in your text. Continue reading the text, guessing vocabulary words and marking those that you cannot figure out. Finally, read the chapter a final time. Maybe your marked vocabulary words will now make sense to you. If they do not, now is the time to look up any vocabulary terms you don't know.

Try to spend no more than 30 minutes total looking up vocabulary words. If there are many words you don't know in any text that you read, do the following: first, select those words that prevented you from understanding a passage (meaning: section of text), then if you have the time, continue to look up less major vocabulary words from the text.

Further information: Reading tips for English language learners

Today's Holidays of the World
Australia: International Day of Peace
Bolivia: Cochabamba Local Festival
Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua: Independence Day
International: Software Freedom Day
Slovakia: Our Lady Mary of Sorrows
Spain: Nuestra Senora de la Bien Aparecida

Homework for Wednesday, September 15, 2010

1. Reading: Read Wuthering Heights Ch. 3
2. Writing: Write ex. C from your Texbook on a loose leaf sheet of paper. Make sure you use the statements of pros and cons you learned in class. Make sure the paragraph has a topic sentence and a concluding sentence. You will hand in this paragraph to me after an in class activity.
3. Grammar: a) Do both sides of the Present Perfect Continuous Worksheet. b) Do pp. 2-3 (and first three sentences at the top of p. 4) from your Passive Voice Worksheet packet.
4. Putting it all together: Take the Unit 2 Online Quiz. Test your current knowledge of the chapter!

Future Homework Due Dates

1. Study for Unit 2 quiz. Monday, September 20, 2010
2. Continue working on your Vocabulary Notebook. You will turn in ten (10) entries. Due Monday, September, 20, 2010.
3. Continue working on the Technology Essay. Work on your outline. Due Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
4. All Journal entries due Friday, September 24, 2010

~Happy Studying!~

Happy Chocolate Monday

Monday, September 13, 2010

We all survived Monday, yea! :D My next poll on this blog will be a survey on who is a morning person and who is a night owl.  I am definitely a night owl myself. I think technology has made me more of a night owl too. Many nights I will decide to 'see what is happening in the world' (Jennifer English for: to surf the 'net) and find that it is well after midnight when I finally look at the time! Does this happen to you too?

Passive Voice

The passive voice can be a bit tricky. Remember, it is formed with:

'to be' in the correct tense + the past participle

It is used when we want to emphasize the object of an active voice sentence. 

For example, I could write: 

The tsunami killed 10,000 people.  (active voice)

However, I do not want to emphasize the wave; I want to emphasize all of the poor people who lost their lives when the wave hit them. Thus, I would write: 

10,000 people were killed by the tsunami. (passive voice)

Here is some online practice to help you with the Passive Voice:

Rewrite sentences in mixed tenses, Passive Voice (with answers)

Rewrite sentences in the Simple Present, Passive Voice (with answers)

Rewrite sentences in the Simple Past, Passive Voice (with answers)

Today's Holidays of the World

Argentina: Librarian's Day

International: International Chocolate Day (YUM!)

Homework for Monday, September 13, 2010

1. Journal: The Disadvantages of Technology in the Modern World (150 words)
2. Unit 2: Lesson A Online Worksheet. Only spend about 20 minutes on this assignment!
3. Present Perfect Continuous: Read grammar rule handout
4. Present Perfect Continuous: Do worksheet p. 2
5. Passive Voice: Do worksheets #1 & #2
6. Wuthering Heights: Read Chapter 2

Future Homework Due Dates

1. Start working on the Technology Essay. First, do your brainstorming. Due Wednesday, September 22, 2010
2. Start working on your Vocabulary Notebook, next ten (10) entries. Due Monday, September 20, 2010
3. All Journal entries due Friday, September 24, 2010

~Happy Studying!~

Just for Fun: Kate Bush ~ Wuthering Heights

Kate Bush was a very popular English pop artist in the 1980's. Her most popular song was Wuthering Heights, her take on this beloved English novel. Here is one of the versions of this video. I will post a copy of the lyrics tomorrow. In the meantime, try to understand what she is saying. Enjoy! :D

The World of Heathcliff and Cathy

September 10, 2010

Wuthering Heights and Gothic Literature

I hope you are really excited about reading Wuthering Heights. As I mentioned in class, Wuthering Heights is all the rage (meaning: really hip and trendy) at the moment because of Twilight. Wuthering Heights is Bella and Edward's favorite book, and of course in real life, anything tied to Twilight is popular at the moment. Wuthering Heights is so popular in fact, that in the United States and the United Kingdom, one can purchase special editions of Wuthering Heights with covers that are Twilight inspired.

It does make sense that the two books would be tied to each other. Twilight is a modern day gothic tale of forbidden love between a vampire and a mortal, while Wuthering Heights is a gothic tale of tragic love which is considered one of the finest stories ever written in English. Wuthering Heights has many elements (meaning: aspects) which are of the genre (meaning: type) Gothic Literature. To learn more, watch this video on the hallmarks (meaning: traits) of Gothic literature.

How to be Able to Painlessly Read the Native English Language Version of Wuthering Heights

Your goal for the next year should be to move from the L5 version to the native English language version. This can be done in three easy steps:

1. First read the L5(B1/2) version, which we will cover in this class. This version of Wuthering Heights is available at Amazon.com.
2. After we read the ESL shortened version, you goal should be to read the Advanced ESL (L6/C1/2) version of Wuthering Heights. This version includes a full version of the book plus a dictionary of the most difficult words to your own native language at the bottom of each page! Here are the links to the Advanced ESL versions Wuthering Heights for Spanish speakers, Polish speakers, Chinese speakers, Bulgarian speakers, Albanian speakers and Portuguese speakers. (Note: If you are interested in any other versions, post your request as a comment and I will add the link!)
3. After you read the Advanced ESL version, your next goal would be to read the native English version of Wuthering Heights in English. 

Don't be intimidated by the length of this book. Wuthering Heights is read by teenage native English speakers and is very readable. If you are curious as to what the original version looks like, here is a free online version of Wuthering Heights.

Today's Holidays of the World
Gibraltar: Gibraltar National Day
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dijibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen: Id al Fitr (End of Ramadan)
Belize: St. George's Caye Day
China: Teacher's Day

Homework for Friday, September 10, 2010

1. Journal: Go online and read about the life of Emily Brontë. Write a summary of her life story. Do not copy from the Internet. Each sentence needs to be in your own words! This is how you practice your writing skills. It does not matter if it is not as 'fancy' or eloquent (meaning: well stated) as the online version. The goal is to find your own voice as a writer! (150 words)
2. Present Perfect Continuous worksheet - English Bananas.com do first side of the page only!
3. Read the Wuthering Heights handouts. Stop reading at the start of Chapter 2.
4. Start the next ten (10) Vocabulary Notebook entries. Remember, to follow the format from the handout. The most important part is the sentence in your own words. The next ten entries are due September 20, 2010.

~Happy Studying!~

Study! Study! Study!

Testing One, Two, Three...

I hope you all felt very comfortable taking your reading diagnostic test. Testing is a very important part of the American education system. Many companies use similar tests for employment too. Remember when taking tests to follow these helpful hints for a good test taking experience.

1. Get plenty of rest the night before any test. Partying the night away in a nightclub is not recommended the night before any test.
2. Eat a well balanced meal the day before a test and the morning of a test. It will give your brain the necessary energy to help you think clearly.
3. Drink plenty of water. A hydrated brain is a happy brain.
4. Get exercise. Taking breaks while studying is important. As a matter of fact, when you exercise during a break, it gives your brain time to 'digest' all of the information you have crammed into it when studying. Your brain is actually studying the material even while you take your breaks!

Homework for Friday, September 9, 2010

1. Study for your Unit 1 quiz. Make sure to review vocabulary words, simple past vs. present perfect, writing paragraphs, writing using time expressions and The Monkey's Paw.
2. Writing Paragraphs handouts. Read the first two pages. Complete Practice I.
3. Do p. 10 A, B, C, & D. You do not have to turn your work into me. It is for practice only.
4. Review the first 20 irregular verb conjugations from your handouts. 

Happy Studying!