Wednesday Reading:

Good morning, dear students!

Today I have a very short article from Buzzfeed about the final episode of Don Francisco's ''Sabado Gigante'', and how U.S. politicians thanked Don Francisco for his decades on the air.  The article introduces several videos, one from Hillary Clinton and another from President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama.

A few vocabulary words that might be new for you are:

Farewell
Household
Launched
Century

Happy Reading (and watching) and happy studying!

Tuesday Quick Tip: The Pronunciation of -OUGH-

Good afternoon, dear students!

I have a great little entry for you today about the pronunciation of the letters ''ough''.  It's quite a popular combination of letters in English, if you didn't know, but can produce  A LOT of different sounds. Check out this sentence below:

''A rough-coated, dough-faced thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough.  After falling into a slough he coughed and hiccoughed.''

There are 9 different pronunciations of ''OUGH'' in this sentence.

WHATTT.
I know.

Let's look at them in order (I've done the best I can to give you a phonetic pronunciation for Spanish speakers):


Rough:  Rahf
Dough:  Doh
Thoughtful:  Thahtful
Ploughman:  Plawman
Through:  Thru
Scarborough:  Scarborah
Slough:  Slaw
Coughed:  Coft
Hiccoughed:  Hikapt



Why can one combination allowed to make so many different sounds when it comes to pronunciation?  Who knows.  I don't.  I just know you have to pronounce these things correctly if you want to be understood, so here we are, dear students.

What other words have you come across lately that end in ''OUGH''?  For those of you working on pronunciation in your English classes right now, we'll be reviewing LOTS of these words over the next two weeks, because there isn't a rule to show you how each one should be pronounced.  Somewhere in the United States, a 9-year-old child is studying these words because we have to memorize the spelling and pronunciation for lots of words in English-- especially these tricky ones.  Take heart in knowing that if small children can learn it, so can you, you genius adult professional!

Check out this video from the old show, ''I Love Lucy'', (a personal favorite of mine), where Lucy is trying to correct Ricky's pronunciation (for the record, Ricky is a Cuban immigrant so the show makes a lot of jokes about how difficult English can be).

Happy Tuesday and happy studying!

English Is Crazy!

Good morning, dear students!

I hope you all had a busy, successful Monday!  I had some great classes with my Monday students yesterday-- I worked with several people on craaaaazy pronunciation rules.  Pronunciation in English can be very difficult, because English is a mixture of old languages that never quite mixed well.  Because of that, we have a lot of words that don't sound the way we think they should.  Check out this video-- It's a recitation of a poem that makes fun of this problem in the English language.  You'll see how many words can look like they should rhyme, but they actually sound very different!

I'm going to be focus on making pronunciation corrections this week, so be ready!  Our classes won't be nearly as tough as this poem, but this should give you a good idea of how common and large the problem of pronunciation in English really is.

Happy Tuesday and happy studying!

Thursday Music Mini-Lesson: Viva La Vida, by Coldplay

Good morning, dear students!

I have an easy song for you today!  I don't expect you to learn a lot of new vocabulary from this one (although you might!).  This is a nice song to listen to and let your brain relax-- it isn't full of complicated vocabulary or obscure grammar structures.  However, I do think it's great practice to listen for each individual word.  Have a listen (or two) and tell me what you think!

Are there any words that you don't know in this song?
Remember that Wordreference is a great resource when you're looking for definitions, translations, and usage examples!

Did you like this song?  Are you a fan of Coldplay, or not?  What do you think this song is about?

Leave your questions and opinions in the comments so others can compare theirs!  We'll talk about any questions or interesting observations in our next class!

Happy Thursday and happy studying!

Thursday Music Mini-lesson: Hotel California

Good morning, dear students!

I hope you're having a great week so far!  Today I have a song for you by The Eagles.  

''Hotal California'' is a pretty famous song.  Do you already know it?  The pronunciation is very clear and there are some really interesting words in the song.  

Do you like this song?  What words were difficult for you?

There are a lot of references made to the Mexican-American culture that prevailes in the Southwest U.S., such as colitas (in this case, ''colitas'' refers to the tiny end of a cigarrette, usually of marijuana/ the flowery end of the marijuana plant, or other types of generic desert flowers-- the meaning can go both ways here).  The mission bell is also mentioned.  These bells come from the religious settlements that the Spanish established during their colonization of Mexico.

Other words that may be new for you are:

shimmering     sight      dim     heaven     hell     plenty     courtyard     sweat     alibi

feast                 beast     steely  knives     


Hotel California is a very strange song.  There are a lot of theories about the meaning about it. If you liked the song or want to discuss it in class, I'd love to hear your theory!!

Happy Thursday and happy studying!

Thursday Music Mini-Lesson: Born To Die by Lana del Rey

Good morning, dear students!

I have a cool lyrics video for you today.  I hope you enjoy the song, and more importantly, I hope you learn some new vocabulary or phrases!

The song is ''Born to Die'', by Lana del Rey.

Let's look at a few important notes:

1) Remember that in English, ''Nacer'' is ''To be born''.  In Spanish, the verb is the action of a baby.  In English, it is something that happens to us, but not something that we actively do.  So I can say that my baby will be born in the summer, or that I was born in November.  The important thing to remember is that along with ''born'', we must put some version of ''to be''.

2) ''In the meantime'':  translation
3) ''The pouring rain'':  translation


What did you think of the song?  Did you have any other vocabulary words or phrases that you didn't understand?  Leave your questions and opinions of the song in the comments, and we can talk about it in our next class!

Happy Thursday and happy studying!

The Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Challenge

Good morning, dear students!

Today I'm leaving you with a two-for-one deal.  This NPR article is very short, but has some good vocabulary.  It's accompanied by a GREAT video about a man in Nepal trying to rebuilt after the recent earthquake.

Here's a list of a few words that you might need to know for the article:

1) in ruins:  translation
2) salvage: translation
3) plight:  translation
4) remoteness:  translation
5) shattered:  translation


If you'd like, you can watch the video here first, but it is also available on the NPR article.

What other new vocabulary did you find in the text and the video?  Tell me in the comments or in our next class!

Happy Wednesday and happy studying!

Thursday Music Mini-Lesson

Good morning, dear students!

Today I have a great song to present to you, by a very important musician.  B.B. King, who died very recently, is from the state of Mississippi (although he is widely considered to be a Memphian after insisting it is his home), and is credited with creating the blues movement for which the city of Memphis is famous.

He is my favorite Memphis musician (there are a lot to choose from!) and to hear of his passing made me feel so sad.  He was an amazing performer that created his own style of blues.  He named all of his guitars ''Lucille'', and the way he played is distinctive-- no one (despite many attempts) has ever been able to emulate his talent.

That said, have a listen to his song ''Why I Sing The Blues''.

You can read the lyrics to the song here.

Remember,

• ''Wanna'' is the relaxed pronunciation of ''Want to''.
• ''Ya'll'' is an imaginary contraction used in the Southern U.S. to mean ''You all''.
• If you pay your dues, you show respect to the people that deserve it (especially people that have helped you or people that are older/in a more difficult situation than you).

If there are other words or phrases that confuse you, make a list and bring it to our next class, or write them in the comments below!  Did you like this song?  Why or why not?  Did you know who B.B. King was before now?

I hope that you enjoy this particular song-- B.B. King is, in my opinion, the most important Memphian in the history of the city.  He is a legend, and if you aren't familiar with his music, I hope this motivates you to listen to more of his work.  

As a bonus, check out his sweet guitar solo in the video below!

Happy Thursday and Happy studying!

Thursday Music Mini-Lesson

Good morning, dear students!  Welcome to a new weekly feature-- Thursday Music Mini-Lessons!  Listening to music is a great way to get more comfortable with a language.  Once a week, I will post a song with it's lyrics.  We will look at music from different genres to give everybody a chance to find a song that they like!  This will be a great, quick exercise that you can practice in ten minutes or less, and find new vocabulary words and phrases.  Additionally, listening to English songs can help your brain adjust to the natural rhythm of the language.  So here's our first entry:

God's Gonna Cut You Down-- Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash  (February 26, 1932--September 12, 2003) is remembered as a country music icon, though he is also known for his success in the genres of rock and roll, rockabilly, gospel, blues, and folk.

This song, ''God's Gonna Cut You Down'', reflects a common theme in Cash's music: Christianity.  Listen to the song and read the lyrics on the screen.

Important notes:
-''God'll'' is a strange-looking word.  It's an invented contraction that means ''God will''.
- Remember that ''Gonna'' is relaxed pronunciation for ''Going to''.
Tell me what you think!  Do you like this song? Why or why not?  Had you heard it before now?  What is your favorite line?  List your answers below in the comments, and bring your vocabulary questions with you to our next class!

Happy listening and happy studying!

Reading: Guess What Makes the Cut as a Smart Snack in Schools? Hot Cheetos

Good morning, dear students!
Today I have an interesting article for you to read (intermediate-advanced).
The link to read the article is here.  I've also included a few vocabulary words below, with links to definitions and translations.

As most people are aware today, the United States has a large problem with obesity, and a very large problem with childhood obesity.  We are famous for our greasy, fried foods, junk food snacks, and generally unhealthy eating habits.  There are several national campaigns in process now to try to show people how to make healthier food choices, and the biggest battlegrounds in these campaigns are public schools.

You also have the option to listen to the story, which is less than 4 minutes.  I encourage you to try out both.  By clicking the button on the right that says ''Transcript'', you can see an exact transcript of the radio report to follow along, if necessary.

A few vocabulary words that you might need to look up are:

Fiery: definition; translation
Guideline: definition; translation
Paean: definition; translation
Cash-strapped: definition; translation


What do you think about this article?  Was it difficult to comprehend?  What is your opinion on the issue of ''healthy'' junk foods in schools?  Tell me in the comments!  Leave your questions there, too, or bring them with you to our next class!

Happy studying!

The World's English Mania: Who's Studying with You?

Good morning, dear students! Happy Thursday!  

Have you ever wondered how many English students there are in the world?  Maybe you haven't, but the information about English students around the world may surprise you!  English is a huge language and the benefits of knowing it are constantly increasing.  I have here a TED talk, given by Jay Walker.  He speaks very clearly about the ''Mania'' of learning English.  Listen to the TED talk and tell me what you think in the comments or in our next class!  Could you understand what the Chinese students were saying?  Were you surprised by the number of English speakers in the world?  

Check it out!

Happy Studying!

Women's History Month

Every year in March, the White House celebrates Women's History Month.  The month of March was chosen to be the time each year when we reflect upon the struggles and accomplishments of women throughout the history of the United States of America.  This particular video is from 2013, but it's a great exercise for listening and vocabulary.  The video lasts less than 4 minutes and has subtitles.  Women's History Month is an important time in the U.S. to look at our past and to look at our goals for the future regarding women's rights.  It's interesting to note that the International Day of the Working Woman is not widely celebrated in the U.S., despite the fact that women have our own month to celebrate our history in the country. Strange!

Phrases and vocabulary that might be new

To have a say (in something)-  This means to be considered or consulted in the decision-making process.  

I didn't have a say in the restaurant we went to because everyone had already decided on Applebee's.

To shatter glass ceilings-  This refers to the idea that women can excel in their jobs and educations, but at some point we stop being successful as our male peers.  This phenomenon is called ''hitting a glass ceiling''--- an invisible barrier that prevents us from advancing.  To shatter a glass ceiling is to break through that barrier and have success in an area that women typically have not had before.

Hilary Clinton shattered glass ceilings when she became the first female Secretary of State.

The way I carry myself-  To carry yourself a certain way refers to the manner of self-presentation.  It refers to your attitude, your appearance, your langauge, your clothing--everything about you that people will judge.  If you carry yourself with confidence, you look and act confidently. 

She carries herself with grace, and everyone admires her social skills and charm.

Milestones- this word refers to important moments or achievements that are used to measure success over time.  Important milestones in a baby's life are saying their first words, taking their first steps, etc.

Women have achieved many milestones in the last 100 years, including getting the right to vote, winning public office, and entering the job market.

What other new phrases or vocabulary words did you see in this video?