ESL Activities - Barack Obama

Learn about President Barack Obama while doing ESL activities:

Reading comprehension and grammar 

Click here: http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/barack-obama.html

The President's Second Inaugural Address 2013

“For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect.”

–President Barack Obama, January 21, 2013

No School on Monday (Jan. 21st) - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Watch this famous speech from Martin Luther King, Jr. - a courageous Civil Rights leader.

 

My 33 Students in the Lab Learning English

 

Welcome to the Computer Lab!

It's Tuesday, January 15th.

Hi Everyone,

Today you can explore this blog. I encourage you to sign in as a registered guest so that you can make comments in my blog (for fun!). You just need a Google email address (you can connect this to a yahoo email too).

Here's are some ideas for you:

1. Ventures Arcade website (see link on the right blog menu)
Practice for Unit 1 Test which is on Thursday. Remember we are the purple color (Level 4), and record your scores on your checklist.

2. Do the listening activity on Randall's Listening Lab:

(Easy) - Tell Me About Yourself

http://esl-lab.com/selfintro/selfintrord1.htm

• Do the activity. The first time: listen (with no script text).
• Take the quiz. How did you do? Remember your score percentage.
•  Do the activity again the second time. Select the "Quiz Script" at the top of the page and then listen while you read.
• Take the quiz again.   Remember your score.     Did you improve your understanding?
• Then comment your answer to the questions (below) in this blog post.

When did the man graduate from high school?

What does he want to do after he graduates?

 3. Watch these grammar videos:

NOUN CLAUSES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Doh4F0Wvk28

AJECTIVES AND ADVERBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fReIOKsCEIY

4. Take these quizzes to find out more about your learning style or multi-intelligences:

http://www.ithaca.edu/mathcs/LearnStyle/LearningStyleQuiz.shtml

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/results.cfm

 

New Year's Resolutions

Here are some interesting tidbits about making New Year's Resolutions (promises):

This is revised from http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-resolutions/

How to make a New Year resolution

Although many of us make a New Year resolution at the beginning of a New Year, we do it more out of a custom than with actual planning. People don't spend much thought in finding out what they will actually like to achieve in the year. Hence, the success rate with New Year resolution is actually poor. Some tips, therefore, can become handy in making your New Year resolution a success.

Fix your target: What is really important to you? What do you want to achieve in the coming days? Setting your priorities will help you set your New Year's resolution better.

Make a realistic promise: When we promise, we promise big without really considering the possibilities of achieving it at the end. This is one of the major causes of higher failure rate with New Year's resolutions. So, make yourself a realistic promise.

Make an optimistic promise: Try and look at the positive side of the promise. Leave out the negative. So, instead of saying, "I'll not be late to my appointments" say, "I'll be on time". The positive tone will help you improve your chances of success.

Break down big goals: If you have promised yourself a big thing, set small targets at first. Instead of looking at the mammoth task on the whole, taking small steps towards achieving it will help you to reach the target easily.

Develop other habits: We all know that some habits are hard to change. Therefore, the best way to change an old habit is by engaging in other activities. If you have decided to quit smoking, find another engagement which will relax you and will take your mind away from smoking.
 

Welcome Spring 2013 Students

Hello Everyone!

2013 is here, and it's time to reflect on goals and life in general. Many people make New Year's resolutions (a resolve or determination to do something). This is usually voiced to others so that they can hold us accountable! Sometimes, New Year's resolutions don't "stick" because they are just a passing fad. So, I like to call them actions for 2013. What actions will you focus on this year? What is your action plan?

Remember in class, we brainstormed (think of ideas) ideas to keep learning English? I challenge you to choose one new language learning strategy (method/idea) and try it this weekend. Here are some of the ideas you came up with (if you can read it....) :)

Oh, and one more thing... feel free to join this blog as a registered guest to make comments. You can make a comment on this blog. Tell us how you like your new language learning strategy! How did it go?  Or, if you are shy, let's talk about how it went on Monday (in class)!

See you then, and have a wonderful weekend!