Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Fall Break

Hello, Friends.

In this season of gratitude, I reflect on the International Friends I have met over the years. People have come to study with us from all over the world. I think about the amazing accomplishments of everyone that we have met. Students and staff become one as we have all learned and grown together. I am so grateful for all the people that have taught me so much about life and living in the United States as well as many other places in the world. Hearing your stories. Sharing your dreams. And then seeing what you go on to do is a wonderful blessing.

Have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Carolyn Willard

If you are looking for things to do this weekend

• Things to do in Hamilton County Thanksgiving weekend
• Family friendly fun in Indianapolis Thanksgiving weekend compiled by the Weston School
• Get tickets for concerts, sports, and shows from the secondary market

November and December

Wrap up November in style!

November 18: Christkindlmkt opens in Carmel!

November 23: Thanksgiving Day. Feast, watch the Macy's Day Parade, attend a church service and sing songs of thanksgiving (not all churches have services because this is a civic holiday, not a church holiday), watch football, toss a football in the back yard, feast on leftovers.

November 24: Black Friday. Shop 'til you drop at the amazing sales and bargains devised to draw you in and help businesses move from the red to the black. Shop local.

November 27: Did you find everything for Christmas? Shop CyberMonday. 

November 28: Giving Tuesday. Donate to charitable causes. Donate to support a good cause.

The last month of the year is a wonderful month.

• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 31: New Year's Eve

Classes and Meetings

Our classes and meetings are on break until November 28. Have a great vacation.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

We reviewed our Thanksgiving vocabulary and had a great conversation about spending the holiday with our family members. We talked about voting, briefly. Being able to chat about civic events prepares us to help our neighbors communicate.

November 21: No class

November 28: Review and reset: Tell where you keep getting stuck in ASL, where you practice, how you integrate ASL into daily living. 

Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM, Zoom

Bible study notes and discussions circled around the amazing transformation of the disciples. Miracles are sprinkled through the story. Treacherous travel and exciting escapes keep us engaged.

• Acts 16:21 While the believers are jailed, they sing and praise God. They are not affected by circumstances. They can not change the situation, but they trust God to manage the results to their good.
• Acts 16:27 Paul is calm and shows faith and peace, strength and confidence, humble (knows their weakness), are self-supporting (are not a burden on the community they serve).
• People treat people based on status, but in the story of Acts ordinary people do amazing things through God.
• We observed that Jesus worked on earth professionally for three years. The story of Acts bridges 30 years according to common timelines.

November 21: No class. Happy Thanksgiving and fall break.

November 28: Back to reading with observations about the Epistles, or letters to the church. Our study transitions from historical accounts to personal letters.

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zoom

We celebrated Thanksgiving. After learning to prepare a turkey we feasted! Find recipes on our webpages (or click here).

November 23: No class. Happy Thanksgiving.

November 30: Counting Things

• Practice dealing with specific numbers and counting as well as nonspecific terms such as: many, few, some, more, a bit, a lot, very.
• Practice using vague language to gain specific information regarding health, school, etc.
• A conversation about using vague number language during negotiations to drive consensus and a deal.

Kid's Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:30 PM, Zoom

We had a great time talking about horror movies and other favorite stories. I recommend The Never-ending Story. You can watch it on Amazon.

November 24: No class. Happy Thanksgiving

December 1: Let's Chat!

Words and Phrases

charitable: assisting those who have a need

historical accounts: true stories from witnesses 

secondary market: resale

shop 'til you drop: shop, and shop, and shop until your are too tired to go on

sprinkled through [throughout]: something is found within a greater context (chocolate chips are sprinkled through the cookies)

Get Ready for Thanksgiving...or Not!

Hello, Friends.

This week we have a few classes. If you are available, join us in person for our pre-Thanksgiving feast. We cook together (learn how to roast a turkey a la Carolyn--pretty standard Martha Stewart meets normal house) and bring our favorite feasting dishes to share and eat!

Local Fun

November Events to Do in Hamilton County 

Keeping Safe

Cybersecurity Tips: How to Use Cybersecurity in Your Everyday Life 

In America!

A Tour of American Accents: Enjoy this article that shows the difference between the accents in the United States. 

Equity or Equality 

These two words are an important part of the American vocabulary. Equality is written into the Constitution. Equity has been trending in popular culture and on campus. Is there a difference?

Black Friday Sales

Amazon Starts November 17. Walmart is on now. What is Black Friday? It was traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving and inaugurated the Christmas shopping season. This is the day that many retail stores went from red to black (made money). Look for great deals on what you want, need, or want to stockpile for gifts.

Meetings and Classes

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

We practiced a list of signs relating to Thanksgiving and then asked each other questions using those words. For  example:

• Do you eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
• Does your family get together for Thanksgiving?
• Do you like pumpkin pie?

The most useful part of the class was to actually go through the list from the videos (in the November 5 Update and in the November 12 Meetings and Handouts)and practice the signs with each other.

November 14: Elections and voting are an important part of American life and culture. 

Here are some videos informing our deaf friends that represent the many ways to communicate about voting in America.

• Voting instructions from Denver, CO
• US Elections in Sign Language
• Arizona Information About Candidates in Arizona

Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM, Zoom

Our study in Acts highlights how the followers of Jesus, who were ordinary people, become extraordinary in speaking and acting (Acts 4:13-14). Acts 4 continues to tell the story of how the people were bold to speak the good news in public. God blesses their words and work and strengthens them (Acts 4: 31). As Acts continues, the stories of the Apostles taking the story of God's love and care for everyone (Acts 10:34) regardless of their race or culture or history is an inspiration.

November 13: We finish reading Acts with chapters 14-28. Join us!

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM, Zoom

We had an interesting class covering the topic of "filler words" or sounds that frequently are heard but never discussed in classes. Words and phrases like these inform spoken conversation and the mechanics of understanding person-to-person conversation or speaking, but are rarely found in written language. The Ted Talk: understanding filler “words” is a good explanation of how these words and phrases work in all languages. 

November 16: In Person at Cornerstone Lutheran Church to celebrate American Thanksgiving and feasting!

Kids' Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom

We had a great conversation about our week and were proud to share success. Our MadLibs were reasonable. 

November 17:

Here is the list for our "MadLib". Quick, name a word for each of the following. No, you don't need the context. It will be silly!

1. adjective
2. plural noun
3. verb ending in "ing"
4. verb ending in "ing"
5. verb ending in "ing"
6. animal, type of fluid
7. verb ending in "ing"
8. adjective
9. verb ending in "ing"
10. animal-plural
11. verb ending in "ing"
12. verb ending in "ing"
13. plural noun
14. verb
15. animal
16. adjective
17. type of fluid

Words and Phrases

a la: in the style of

extraordinary: unusual or remarkable

if you are available: if you don't have anything else to do 

inaugurated: marked the beginning for public use or event 

is on: is occurring

pretty standard Martha Stewart meets normal house: 

• pretty standard: a normal style
• Martha Stewart: an upscale (fancy) TV homemaker personality
• meets: versus
• normal house: average lifestyle

November Business and Busyness

Hello, Friends.

October ended with Trick or Treaters in winter coats and snow. What a drastic change from the week before! Then this next week is beautiful weather again. Get your home ready for winter while the weather holds out: rake leaves, remove garden hoses, clean gutters, rake leave, caulk gaps, rake leaves, clean gutters, clean garden beds, rake leaves, clean gutters. You get the idea! 

International Friends Planning for November

November 16: Feast a Cornerstone Lutheran Church, Carmel, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. Enter door 6. Bring your favorite feasting dish to share. Everyone is welcome! Bring your spouse, friends, neighbors! 

November 20-24: Happy Thanksgiving...No classes or meetings all week

Catchall

Heightened Security

As you go out, you may notice heightened security at public events. Be prepared for a delay. Be patient. Be kind. Our safety is important.

Fall Back Sunday, November 5, 2:00 AM

The United States "falls back" to standard time at 2:00 AM on November 5. This article from the Farmer's Almanac briefly explains Daylight Savings Time history and the shift. Some people prefer Standard time, while others prefer DST. Nineteen states have passed legislation to not shift time, but Congress has yet to pass a bill securing a Uniform Time Act for the entire nation. These days we don't have to set most of our clocks ourselves...our tech takes care of it. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

More Free COVID Tests and Winter Vaccines

 Do you want to know if your sniffles are COVID, RSV, the flu, or whatever is going around? Has your stash of COVID tests expired? Get four free COVID tests from the CDC. If your tests are expired, they may still be viable. Click here to learn more.

And speaking of seasonal illnesses and exposure, there are vaccines available for the flu, RSV, and COVID. You can get these at any pharmacy, like Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, or Meijer or from your doctor's office or the health department.

Is It Too Early?

Join the debate! November is for Thanksgiving...NOT Christmas! Christmas cannot start too soon! Do you decorate and shop and go to the Carmel Chriskindlmarkt before Black Friday? 

• Christmas Gift and Hobby Show: November 8-12, Indianapolis Fairgrounds
• Carmel Chriskindlmarkt: Opens November 18....When shall we bump into each other and how many times?

What th.....?

There are four ways that "th" can sound in the American accent. Many people have trouble with the unvoiced and the voiced "th". Often people substitute a "d" sound or a "z" sound for the voiced "th" (even native speakers in the northern states). Both of these sounds are made by placing your tongue between and behind your front teeth. The sound is subtle.

Listen and try to these examples.

Check out the list and YouTube video in our handouts. Watch the five minute videos of the story. There are two of them there. One is in English and the other is an English as another language example. It is a wonderful example of learning the American English. 

What Is It?

A trip to the library always gives us a gift. The last visit to the Westfield library led us to the young adult section and the Brian Selznick books. Are these really books? Are they multi-media? Enjoy them with your family.

Veteran's Day

November 11 is Veteran's Day. We honor those people who have served our country. Here are some wonderful resources to learn more about this important day for these important people.

• American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories: An NPR podcast collection of stories to listen to on the go.
• Veteran's Voices: A writing project for veterans to tell their story.
• Veteran's Day Teacher's Resource Guide: Read about the history of Veteran's Day and find out what to expect at a school celebration.

Meetings and Classes Updates

Click to go to our Meetings and Classes page to learn more and register.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

No meeting! We were entertaining Trick or Treaters. I had one boy that couldn't hear. I was able to tell him Happy Halloween.

November 14: Join us as we study Thanksgiving feasting and greeting signs and start the conversation by telling each other about our traditions. Test your literacy with this a five minute, unvoiced YouTube. This 11 minute voiced video explains signs.

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM, Zoom

The Bible's message connects and informs throughout the books. This week's observation connected the Last Supper where Jesus is eating the celebratory Passover Feast with Judas, who betrays him. For many this is a horrifying prospect. Who would want to celebrate with someone they know is about to seal their fate. Psalm 23:5 sheds light on this: "you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows."

Family ties are important. We love and crave the love of our families. Family members do not always understand each other or show the car and consideration they would give to strangers. Jesus' mother and brothers. When Jesus is hung on the cross, he told his mother and "the disciple he loved": Woman here is your son...Here is your mother. Familial relationships are not always based on genetics. They are built as people adopt each other.

November 7: Join us as we continue our conversation in reading John.

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM, Zoom

We had great conversations and discussions about social conversations. 100 most useful social English phrases can give you a head start. 

We reviewed words and phrases for referencing past, present, and future (in, at, on, ago, last, yesterday) and for linking or sequencing time (first, next, then, after that, finally). Some expressions were less familiar (week after next/before last, in two days/weeks, next/last weekend). Then we explored phrases for politely disagreeing.

November 9: Options, options....

Really listen to spoken English this week (eavesdrop in a coffee shop, restaurant, grocery store checkout, listen to a radio interview, watch a drama) and make a list of the filler words and sounds you hear. Across the board, let's see who has the longest list.

• Build your command of time phrases by joining the journey to compose at least ten sentences, true or fanciful, that include references to time. Sentences may work together to tell a story or may be unrelated to explore different contexts. SEE HANDOUT. 
• Also, really listen to spoken English this week (eavesdrop in a coffee shop, restaurant, grocery store checkout, listen to a radio interview, watch a drama) and make a list of the filler words and sounds you hear. Across the board, let's see who has the longest list.
• Weddings, funerals, and other life events call for phrases that express the inexpressible. What do you say? What are customs in the United States? Debra Fine has a do and don't list (somewhat tongue in cheek)
• Words and language can encourage or dissuade. Why is vague language important and how can it be employed to open doors, make friends, end a conversation, and more.

Kids's Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom

We built a Halloween story that was not too scary. 

November 10: Mad Libs are a great way to spark your storytelling skills. We are going to skip forward to Christmas with a Mad Lib for middle school. Click here to see the story. Parents, work with your child to generate a list of words. Don't tell them the context!

Words and Phrases

about to: something that is going to happen very soon

anoint my head with oil: recognize and honor

catchall: think of that basket where you throw all the stuff you have to look at later....

command: abilities

dissuade: discourage

eavesdrop: listen to other conversations

employed: use for a purpose

familial: relating to the 

head start: getting a start above/before others

heightened security: increased measures to screen and protect people meeting at gatherings

my cup overflows: I am overwhelmed with joy and thanks

pass a bill: Congress agrees and makes an idea or make a law

really [listen, try]: put extra effort into something

seal their fate: to make the future someone has certain

shift: a change in direction

stash: collection

sniffles: having a cold

spark: ignite, start

these days: currently

tongue in cheek: somewhat ironic and sarcastic

whatever is going around: symptoms that are common everywhere