Words, Words, Words

Click to be redirected to our webpages for more information and updates. 

Hello, Friends.

This week has been a week of words: good words, bad words, changing words, defining words. American English is comprised of words from many languages and unusual and unexpected pronunciations. Words can have power when used correctly or incorrectly, or they can be empty words. Word order can change a meaning or can make a good or bad impression. How a word is said can mean the the opposite. And when we can't find the words maybe they were better left unsaid.

At the Movies

The Professor and the Madman on Netflix is the story of the Oxford Dictionary and the editor Sir James Murry.

Words We’ve Heard

troll: 

1. a mythical creature (either a giant or dwarf) that lives in a cave or in the hills Billy Goat's Gruff is a classic American tale about this kind of troll (and three ways to handle them)
2. to search or hunt (we were trolling for fish)
3. a doll
4. internet trolls are people who make nasty, distracting comments on social media to divert the direction or hurt a conversation (a cyber bully)

trope: an overused word or figure of speech (that being said)

Core, core, corps

All these are pronounced exactly the same but mean some very different things.

Repair Work

• Plumber: works on leaks, pipes, faucets, and gas (think pipes!)
• Electrician: works on wiring and general electricity
• Technician: repairs appliances and equipment
• Repairman: fixes appliances, equipment, or other specific projects
• Handyman: a general fixer for projects around the house
• Painter: paints walls, ceilings, trim (baseboards and windows inside), interior, exterior
• Carpenter: works with wood or cabinetry (cabinets or cupboards)
• HVAC (pronounce the letter H and then say vac) technician or repairman: repairs or maintains heating and air conditioning

A Public Service Announcement

A

IWI Education Seminar "Common Mistakes in English and the Use of Idioms” by Mary Ann Fadae, Ph.D Tuesday, January 26 Did your eyes glaze over in school when English grammar was taught? Or did you just forget some of the finer points of English, as we all do over the years? Maybe English is your second or third language, and you would like to learn the correct usage of some idioms and what it means when for example, someone says, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” Please join us for a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, January 26th at 10:00 a.m. to discuss common mistakes made in conversation and the meaning and use of idiomatic expressions. Feel free to come with your own questions as well. Please note that we will be discussing American English and not British English. Mary Ann Fadae has worked as a curriculum editor and edited and/or proofread numerous types of materials for publication. She was even asked to edit her own dissertation, when it was accepted for publication by the publishers in Cambridge, England. Dr. Fadae has also studied linguistics and taught Arabic at IUPUI, which meant explaining the differences between English and Arabic grammar. She also served as the AIW Newsletter Editor. Please RSVP and the Zoom link will be sent a few days before the event iwieducation1@gmail.com.

Let's Eat...Some More: Devour Indy is January 20-February 2. 

Helping Others and Helping Yourself

Prevail Reads Together link. Listen and read along. Join the challenge and record a book!

From  January  10, 2021 Hamilton County Reporter.

Consignment Sales for Missions: Cleaning house can help others. Drop off clothes and household goods to CLC to generate income to help people here as well as abroad. 

Little Mom Shop: Donate to help mothers with small children. Or, if you need help, "shop" for what you need.

COVID-19

• Variants: COVIDs are changeable. This one is no different. Are the variants more dangerous? Can the vaccines cover variants? The CDC working to understand, address and attack.
• Register for the Vaccine: Vaccines are available for healthcare workers and first responders and people over 70 years of age. Indiana has 170 vaccination sites with five in Hamilton County and 11 in Marion County.
• International Travel and COVID-19: Effective January 29, 2021 all travelers coming into the United States will have to have a negative COVID test within three days of travel or a document of recovery stating they have had and have recovered from COVID 19. If traveling to another country, you can view each country's requirements when traveling from the U.S. 

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30

This week we read the story called The Mitten by Jan Brett (click for the read aloud on YouTube). This is a fun book to read over and over again. Children can call out the animals.

January 18: Join us for some more snowy stories and fun.

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30

We met to increase our vocabulary and to sign about our holiday. We learned a very interesting fact about the American hearing impaired culture. This group relates to others three ways: deaf, hearing or hard of hearing. When conversing in ASL someone may ask you what you are, and this is the categorization that they are expecting you to answer (not your nationality).

January 18: Join us as we learn more vocabulary, expand our conversation skills, and talk about American and deaf culture.

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30

Whew! What a great study. We started with the very end of the Bible: Revelation 22: 11. In this book, John receives a very strange prophesy and as the event winds up, Jesus and the angel speak these words. We discussed the implication of let in this context. Does let mean allow or permit or is let used as a command. We found the answer in the Portuguese translation where the word is permitir or allow. What great advice for us when dealing people and events are out of our control: Let go and let God.

We got back to our stories in Luke 5: 17-26. We truly enjoyed this story. Especially as doctors, teachers and lawyers we are taught by Jesus in our fields. 

Friends tear open a roof to break into a meeting to present their friend to Jesus for healing. Jesus first forgives the man. He reads the Pharisees minds and questions them about the legal legitimacy of his right to forgive sins. He then tells the man to walk and immediately he is healed. What a lesson!

January 19: We will talk about Luke 5: 27-31 where Jesus calls Levi and eats with sinners. Why would the Son of God work with and dine with these people? Jesus does not follow the norm.

International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00

We made cottage or fresh cheese. It is a simple recipe that feels like an exotic science experiment. It was fun to learn how milk, heat and an acidic food react to make a delicious treat. We learned about using bittern, nigari, or brine to curdle soy milk into tofu. The chemistry of cooking is so interesting!

January 19: It's show and tell time. Bring something that makes you happy and be prepared to share the story behind your joy.

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00

We met the youngest member of our class. It was wonderful to see her, finally! You never know how a conversation can turn. We wrapped up with advice not to visit Mexico City in the summer because of the floods. 

January 20: Join the conversation. We always have plenty to say and the time flies.

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30-12:00

We always welcome new class ideas. Our expanding need for Professional Conversational English that gives us an opportunity to talk about our profession or ideas and develop and use advanced and specialized vocabulary. 

Now That You Know Your Preferred Method of Learning...

When you know how you prefer to learn (reading, listening, seeing, doing or some combination) you can discover gaps in how you approach learning to become even more efficient. Trying a new learning technique can be awkward, but that helps you to think and learn in a new way to helps you retain  information. 

For example if you learn best by repeating and hearing a word over and over, try drawing pictures. Those pictures are meaningful only to and for you. When you do this, you are making new pathways and distract your brain from censoring information that does not fit the usual learning paths. 

Another example is to combine your favorite form in another way with a less typical form. For me "doing" is a great way to learn. I listen to audiobooks while walking the dogs or cleaning house. I adjust the tempo of reading so that I will pay attention and not space out.

January 21: We have room! Register and join us to develop your American English skills

End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00

We talked about Greek Life and the Greek fraternity and sorority system. Apparently this is a unique aspect of American college life. Fraternities and sororities are college "clubs". These are social and professional organizations perform philanthropic work. They also provide an alternative to college dorms and apartments. Students "rush" or apply to the different "houses". While "pledging" the "pledges" prove they are serious about joining by performing initiation acts (things like having to wear a white dress and tall, high heeled shoes when out in campus or having to stop and sing a certain song when running into a sorority member). There is a  history of fraternities getting in trouble with school administration for wild parties and hazing. Houses or chapters can be suspended from a university for this behavior. (Which reminds me of the R rated 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House).

We had a great conversation about volunteering and philanthropy, community service and more. We compared the culture of service in the United States with home countries. We talked about service jobs (gardening, housekeeping) and status. We talked about getting and demonstrating knowledge and skills on through non-paid opportunities and identifying this on resumes to show our capabilities. We talked about companies and people who use philanthropy for promotion. Volunteering is not always a passion or altruism. Sometimes it is work that needs to be done and people pitch in and do the work.

January 22: Join the conversation. 

empty words: when someone says something they do not mean (yes, I will make my bed)

impression: opinion or feeling about someone or something

can't find the words: not able to express strong emotion or sympathy

better left unsaid: say nothing because to talk would cause problems
variant: something that is different from the original

drop off: leave

relates to others: understands or communicates with people
categorization: grouping of like things

fields: professions

break into: enter forcefully
legitimacy: defend with logic or facts
right: power or privilege under law

man of few words: someone who is able to tell as story or express an opinion without wasting words
follow the norm: do what is expected
exotic: mysteriously and excitingly unusual

acidic: sour, made from acid: vinegar, lemon or lime juice, etc.

curdle: to cause something to coagulate or form into solids
turn: change direction; 
gap: incomplete or deficient
censoring: deleting or suppressing information
tempo: speed
space out: not pay attention; day dream
philanthropic: helping others
hazing: initiation practice that includes harassment or 
status: rank or opinion within a community

passion: strong emotion
altruism: selfless concern for the wellbeing of others
pitch in: join to help to complete a task or activity