Blizzards, Passive Voice, and Articles

Monday, January 31, 2011

How to Prepare for a Blizzard
I just wanted to let you know that Triton College will let me know sometime before midnight on Tuesday whether or not we will have class on Wednesday, January 31, 2011.

Stay tuned for more details.

If you need a good place to track the weather, follow WGN's weather news. Please stay safe!

Today would be a good day to stock up on food and water. Make sure you have batteries for flashlights. If you will be driving, make sure there are warm blankets or a sleeping bag in the trunk. Also, remember to have a full tank of gas in your car to prevent the gas line from freezing. If you are new to this, read this blog post on how to prepare a winter storm survival kit.

Passive Voice
Active vs. Passive Voice online worksheet

Articles
Here is a really nice handout summarizing the rules for indefinite and definite articles.

Still confused? Maybe this handout will help you more.

Are you up for a challenge? Try this online advanced level worksheet on articles.

Homework for January 31, 2011
1. Passive Voice Handouts Ex.
2. Article Handouts Ex.
3. Writing Journal: Topic: How to Prepare for a Blizzard (150 words); Due February 11, 2011
4. Unit 2 Lesson B Workbook: Due: Friday, February 4

~Happy Studying!~

Happy Friday Photo and Extra Credit Creative Writing Challenge!

OK, it is Friday and I could not resist sharing this Photo of the Week with you from The Telegraph.

Too adorable...and very impressive!!!

Up for a challenge? Write and send via e-mail a paragraph on what the golden retriever is thinking...

You can read your paragraph to the class on Monday!

10 points extra credit! :D

Be a Book Worm!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hello Class! You did absolutely wonderful this work this week. You should be very proud of yourselves. (I am!)

Class Announcement
On Mondays and Wednesdays we will meet in T 150
On Fridays we will meet in M-132

Oxford Bookworms and Penguin Books
If you are interested in purchasing the books that I brought to class to show you today, here is the link of a blog post I wrote last semester that discusses all the books for your ability.

I went and put Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White, and Pride and Prejudice on reserve in the Triton College library. Remember, if you read one of these books, come see me. If you take a small test and receive a 70% or better, I will give you 25 points extra credit.

While I was in the library, I discovered that the Penguin series of Level 4 and Level 5 readers are available for check out with your student ID. The library has a nice section of ESL materials that are just sitting on the shelves. Do yourself a favor and stop by the library after class and check out a book.

Free Keyboarding Class Taught by Yours Truly :D
The GED/ESL departments are offering a free keyboarding class for all of you starting on February 7. If you do not know how to type, this is your big opportunity. Remember, the Placement Test you will take at the end of the semester is via the computer. Again, this class is free! I hope to see you all there. To sign up, stop by the ESL department.

Homework for Friday, January 28, 2011
Do:
1. Writing Journal: Topic: Re-tell a folk tale or a fairy tale (150 words); Due: February 11
2. Study for Unit 1 Test
3. Read the first two pages of the Writing handouts. Do Activity 1.
4. If you own the textbook/workbook, bring them to class on Monday.
Do to Turn In: 
5. Finish new draft of My Winter Break essay
6. Workbook: Unit 1: Lesson B

Optional Homework:
1. Finish the Basho reading handouts. If you want me to correct them, turn them in on Monday
2. Part Two of the Grammar Worksheets (the simple past)

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Send me an e-mail this weekend!

~Happy Weekend and Happy Studying!~

The Key to Mastering Irregular Verbs

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Great class everyone! You worked very hard today and we were able to cover a lot of material. Well done!

Irregular Verb Forms
As requested by a student in class today, I have found some information to help you with your irregular verb forms, especially the irregular past participles. Memorizing these past participles is absolutely vital for you to become fluent in English. As I said in class, you will need to master this grammar point because you will use past participles for all of your perfect tenses.

Irregular Verb Forms. I like this chart because it tries to group the verbs and participles based upon which follow the standard form and which don't. If you have had trouble memorizing this chart before, see if this one makes it easier for you.

Here is an exercise to test if you can recognize the infinitive, simple past, or past participles of a verb. If you like this exercise, then you will love this one and this one.

This is a very nice exercise testing your irregular verb forms with instant answers.

Do you like games? Here is a fun online game where you type in the past participle as fast as you can.

In this game you need to protect your cities from being attacked by evil alien irregular verb space cats. (Seriously. I am not making this one up!) You protect your cities by clicking on the correct past participle.

Perhaps a crossword puzzle testing the simple present, simple past, and past participles would interest you.

How this Course Works
I teach to each and every student.  You all have different goals and dreams and I work with what you want to do with your life. While you must complete the minimum of what is on the syllabus to pass the course, for those of you who want to be pushed, who want the bar raised, then please see me for additional coursework. Take your weakest skill and work on it. I can find you materials on any topic that you need additional help with! Please don't be shy! The more time you spend learning English, the more fluent you will become in a shorter period of time.

Homework for Wednesday, January 26, 2011

1. Writing Journal: My Best Vacation (Hint: write using the simple past and the past perfect!); Due: Friday, February, 11.
2. Re-write your essay on My Winter Break; Due: Friday, January 28, 2011
3. Re-take Diagnostic Test B1. Due: Friday, January 28, 2011
4. Review the Simple Past and the Present Perfect
5. If you need additional grammar help, work on the grammar worksheets, Part 1: Simple Present
6. Unit 1: Lesson B Workbook handouts: Due Monday, January 31, 2011
7. Reading: Please begin to work on your handout on the Japanese poet, Basho
8. Still need more work? IF you have time (only IF), please work on your How to Use a Dictionary handouts.

~Happy Studying!~

Monday, January 23 Class Cancellation

Monday, January 23, 2011

Dear Students,

Due to a family emergency that I will talk about on Wednesday, I must cancel class on Monday, January 23, 2011. I am very sorry for this inconvenience.

I will post some links to the blog tomorrow for you to practice. What I would like you to do is to review your verb tenses.

Review:
simple present
simple past
future
present continuous
past continuous
present perfect

Also please review:
irregular past verbs
irregular past participles

I look forward to seeing all of you on Wednesday. You will have a homework extension. Your worksheets (which I will handout on Wednesday) will now be due on Monday, January 31th.

Homework for Monday, January 23, 2011
1) review your verb tenses (see above)
2) Journal: Topic: Winter (write about any aspect of winter) (150 words); Due 2/11

~ Happy Studying! ~

Welcome ESL Level 5 Spring 2011 Students

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Keys to Your English Language Proficiency Success

Hello Class (and former students and those who many be reading this from around the world) and welcome to your ESL Level 5 class. I am so excited to have all of you in my class as I know all of the wonderful projects I have planned will really help you to grow in your English language fluency.

You might be feeling anxious, shy, or worried about studying at L5. You may feel you are not prepared, or that the challenge feels too great. I just want you to know that this is normal and it is OK to have some worries. Let me reassure you. Last semester, I am proud to announce that three of my students placed into RHT 101 at Triton College. RHT 101 is native language English composition -- those students had the same worries when they came to me and now they are in college English! The point of telling you this is that it can be done; you can go from ESL L5 directly into RHT 101. However, it will take a lot of work from both of us. My work is that I must constantly challenge you and 'raise the bar' as you master your lessons. Your work is that you must be dedicated, work hard, study daily, and have a positive attitude and most importantly:

look yourself in the mirror every day and say out loud "I am becoming more fluent in English with each passing day."

It might sound silly (just tell your family members it is part of your homework) but positive affirmations really do work!

Do you want to be fluent in English? Do you really want to? Do you want to know the secret? Are you ready to learn the secret? If so, then let me tell you...

The secret to becoming fluent in English is:

believing in yourself!

I know that is not the answer you were looking for. You wanted me to tell you that it is owning the right dictionary, or getting up at 4:00 a.m. to recite the irregular past participle list, but really it is that simple...

...and that challenging.

Self-esteem with language learning is no easy thing. You must convince yourself that you believe deep down inside, that you can master the English language.

So every day, for the few months that we are together, begin your day with telling yourself that you are becoming more and more fluent. See what happens....

The Nuts and Bolts

Here are some helpful tips to starting the semester off on the right foot! (I have nothing against left feet as I find having a left foot makes balancing and walking quite easy, but I only teach the English language, I didn't write all of the idiomatic sayings, so I just have to work with what I've got, OK? OK!)

1. Read this blog after your class. I will try to have the posts uploaded no later than 8:00 p.m. Also, I will try to add extras from time to time. Therefore...
2. Join this blog as a follower. You will then be notified by e-mail when a new post is uploaded so that you will not have to worry that you are missing something.
3. Read the syllabus. Re-read the syllabus. Carry it with you the entire semester. This is the roadmap of your class. Yes, I will need to make changes because of guest lecturers, testing days, etc. but this is our map to the buried pirates treasure a.k.a English language fluency!
4. Get to class before 9:00 a.m. You will then have time to get settled with all of your books and catch up with your classmates. It puts you in the frame of mind for learning to have a few minutes of calm instead of rushing into class late.
5. Communicate I: I know it can be embarrassing to be confused, but if you don't tell me what is going on, how am I going to know if you are struggling? Waiting until you don't do well on a test is far too late to let me know. Let me know as soon as material is unclear.
6. Communicate II: We all have busy lives. Things come up out of the blue. (Look this up if you do not know what it means!) Please e-mail me a) if you cannot come to class, b) if you cannot finish your homework (state why please!), c) if you must miss a test/essay/speech, etc. Remember, your free schooling is based on a Federal Grant and I must report attendance to the State of Illinois. Which leads us to...
7. Do not be absent for more than four class periods in a row. If you are, the State of Illinois requires me to drop you from the course. NO EXCEPTIONS! (I didn't write the law, I simply must follow it to the letter). However...
8. Do not come to class if you are sick. It is winter. We are all trying to stay healthy. If you are really sick, please do not crawl into class and spread your illness to your fellow classmates (and your Instructor). Just send me an e-mail telling me you are out sick. OK? Don't play the hero; stay home and get well.
9. Do your homework. After positive attitude, the next most important thing to becoming fluent in English is doing your homework. Language learning is like mathematics; repetition is the key to learning. I hate busy work homework. You know, mindless homework for the sake of homework. You won't have any busy work homework in this class. All the assignments build one upon the other; they are vital to improving your English proficiency. Do them!
10. Have fun. I bet you were not expecting me to tell you to have fun, now were you? Yes, have fun. Have lots of fun. Learning takes place when you are relaxed and happy. Learning does not take place when you are stressed out and miserable. Be playful. Have fun with the language. Try to see it in a new way.
11. Challenge yourself. Having trouble putting words to paper? Add an extra paragraph to each writing journal assignment. Having trouble spelling? Write ten vocabulary flashcards each day. Having trouble with vocabulary? Read for 15 minutes every day on a topic of your choice. Write down ten new words in a vocabulary notebook. Having trouble with speaking? Switch to English at the dinner table with your family. Having trouble with listening? Borrow audiobooks out of the library. Bet honest with yourself. What is your weakest skill? Focus on this for the entire course. You will be amazed (and proud of yourself) by may with your now-no-longer-weakest-skill.

Comments about anything I wrote in this post? Feel free to comment directly here if you want to start a dialogue with your fellow English language learners or do e-mail me privately if you wish!

Happy English Learning!

J.P.

Homework for Monday, January 24th, 2011

1. Read all the handouts from Friday. Write down any questions you may have and bring them to class.
2. Writing Journal: My Goals for ESL Level 5 Spring Semester (150 words); Due: February 11 @ 9:00 a.m. 
3. Finish Student Survey if you have not done so. Bring to class to hand in.