Good bye January. Hello February!

Hello, Friends.

We had a January thaw (an unseasonably warm period in January) this week. Indiana likes to tease us with out of season weather to remind us that a change is on the way.

February

February is renowned for Valentines' Day (February 14) and its spin offs like Galentine's Day. February is Black History Month. February is the shortest month but it is chock full of important and inconsequential days to celebrate. 

February 2: Groundhog Day

February 10: Chinese New Year: Welcome Year of the Dragon!

February 13: Fat Tuesday and/or Mardi Gras and Galentines' Day

February 14: Valentines' Day and Ash Wednesday

February 19: Presidents' Day

February 29: Leap Day

Check out a day-by-day list of somethings to celebrate throughout February from Readers' Digest. Then, be sure to celebrate your favorites.

In Indiana

Devour Indy is on. Try a new restaurant. Visit an old favorite. This article provides five insider tips to make more out of this event.

Minnetristia in Muncie is a great place to visit. There are exhibits to enjoy as well as beautiful grounds. The Storyland exhibit opened January 20. Enjoy classic children's books with activities. 

Bob Ross, the famous artist that introduced the Joy of Painting to generations with filmed his soothing videos in Muncie that aired on PBS. Visit Bob Ross' studio that is housed in one of the historic buildings. Or sign up and take a class and paint along. Here's Bob painting a winter scene. Listen to his soothing cadence and narration.

Bluebirds

Snow on the pines, bluebirds on the feeder make Winter wonderful.  I watch, warmed by flurries.

This is an example of writing that we talked about in class on Thursday. In poetry, the writer will paint an image with words. In poetry, the author may decide to visually (and creatively contrarily) break the sentences and phrases into different lines to control the reader's understanding and force an intentional phrasing of the work beyond standard punctuation. These sentences lend themselves to poetic interpretation.

Snow on the pines, 

bluebirds on the feeder make Winter wonderful.  

I watch, 

warmed by flurries.

The above is an example. Think about how you read this work. How would you rephrase this writing to emphasize rhythm or the ideas?

Meanwhile, bluebirds are not common in Indiana in the winter. That alone is a wonder. Bluebirds are a symbol of happiness and hope in Western culture. 

American Accents and Cultural Stories

Our Netflix recommended watch is Fried Green Tomatoes. This is a heartwarming movie about the relationships between friends and employees and family.

We like to geek out on American Accents (but we focus on the broadcaster version: Midland American English - be sure to listen to the clips in this article from Wikipedia if you don't read the whole thing) that is most widely understood nationwide and world wide). American accents map: A tour of different accents across the US is super fun survey of some of the more famous accents and is full of video examples.

Classes and Meetings

All classes are open to new students. Register and join us!

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM EST (UTC -5), Zoom

We met and chatted and filled in the blanks for important words like Starbucks.

Can you see an opportunity to use these important phrases from this Instagram clip?

January 30: Wrap up the month with weather language and community helps. Here are some Instagram videos to help:

Weather broadcaster: notice her phrasing and grammar (also notice how they pronounce Miami in Oklahoma!)

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We enjoyed 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. These three letters are full of the Gospel and are the image of the love portrayed by Jesus. John expresses his love for the people as well as the love that God has for His people. 1 John 3:1 sets the tone:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

John expresses his joy in his relationships and with their mutual relationship with a loving God. John also issues warnings about false leaders and teachers that corrupt the true message of compassion, love, and grace and he advises how to handle these people. John brings a message of light, hope, truth, and love. A confidence that comes from a loving God.

These short letters are worth a read. 

January 30: Begin our conversation on Revelation. This book is often called confusing and abstract. It has a reputation of being frightening. When read from the perspective of God's infinite love and care, it is a message of insight and hope. The end is the beginning! Join the conversation!

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We are happy to note that this "class" is morphing into a Master Class. Our colleagues are beginning to step into the roles of "peer teachers" (listening to each other and identifying areas of development) as well as take a greater role in driving class content (suggesting activities and exercises as well as resources). As Friends step forward, they grow leading personal and class growth. Staff continues to provide cohesion and direction to keep us accurately on track as well as bring creative activities to keep us moving forward.

We had very interesting conversations around our writing prompts. We talked about how American schools use collages for learning: gross and fine motor skills in cutting and pasting, visual imagery and impact for communicating, searching and repetition for memory and building mental connections to name a few. Practical applications of "collaging" include Mind Maps (here is one application among many) and Word Clouds (this is one application, find more on the class resources page). The Business Model Canvas provides a practical hybrid for thinking about and communicating direct content in lieu of a formal business plan. 

Thank you to our Friends who stayed after class to provide us with activities and requests for our next meeting.

Pronunciation cautions: live vs. leave. The "i" in live is short and can be misconstrued or mispronounced to sound like "leave". Sentence context can help, but in conversation this mispronunciation can be distracting from the main message (the listener has to interpret). Review pages 4-6 in Mastering the American Accent by Lisa Mojsin.

February 1: February is Listen, Learn, Love Month. Check our Meetings and Classes page for the focus for the week. We are continuing to practice and play with English and develop our abilities to communicate admiration and affection. Find the February schedule on the Meetings and Classes page.

Play with English writing prompts:

1. Choose an article and tell about it. Be sure to cite where it came from.
2. Notice "something weird" and show us (in writing) the surprise
3. Create an acrostic. Use your name. Use a loved one's name. Write a phrase. Write a word.

Write an Acrostic Infographic

Kids' Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We bit the bullet and finally got around to the Edo Period. Our Friend found this article: The Edo Period: Political, Economic, and Social Developments. We are taking turns reading aloud and talking about our thoughts about this period. It is interesting to note how this period in Japanese history still has impact on Japanese society and character today. We are discovering new words and learning to pronounce them.

February 2: Join us as we continue to explore the Edo Period via our article and compare our current situation and possible impacts.

Words and Phrases

around: regarding

bit (or bite) the bullet: stop avoiding something

chock full: full or overflowing

cite: give credit to a quote or original source

full of: has lots and lots

geek out: be excited and enthusiastic about a particular thing; focus on and enjoy studying quirky topics or information

got around to: do something, finally!

lavished: bestow in excess

make more out of: get greater value from something

meanwhile: a bridge word leading to a related subject

morphing: changing 

note: pay attention to something; identify something specific

on: happening

renowned: know, talked about, famous for

step forward: risk a leadership role, opinion, etc.

survey: description

to name a few: here are some examples

worth a read: read it, you will get a lot out of it

Mid-January and No Thaw In Sight

 Hello, Friends.

The United States is finally seeing true winter weather. Weather is a popular topic in Indiana as well as many other parts of the country. When we move from one area to another, we keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly. While we like to think we are in control of our time and our travel, Mother Nature will throw in a surprise ice storm.

Weather talk can be code for more than whether it is raining. It can be an invitation to conversation or an indication that. It can be acknowledgement or a greeting.

In America: The First Primary Election...Or Not. It depends...

Tuesday is the first primary election for presidential candidates. New Hampshire. In a primary elections the individual state has election rules for selecting each party's candidate to be included on the ballot in November of 2024. In the case of New Hampshire, undeclared or independent voters can walk in and select either a Republican or Democrat ticket to weigh in on a candidate choice. While elections can be straightforward, discussion and speculation are all part of the game.

 

The New York Intelligencer offers the dirt and the lowdown on the primary: 2024 New Hampshire Primary: How It Works and Who's Expected to Win

Movies, Books, Genre 

How to Know a Person by David Brooks

We love heartfelt Southern on Netflix 

• Sweet Magnolias
• Virgin River

We are Country at heart--(if you revisit sites later, the list will be different)

• Check out the iHeart top country list 
• Billboard is the source for music charts
• iTunes charts are updated every 10 minutes

Meetings and Classes

Join us and grow: International Friends: Meetings and Classes (indyinternationalfriends.blogspot.com)

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM EST (UTC -5), Zoom

We picked up some essential phrases as we talked about winter weather. Both of these phrases are contingent on your perspective (in Brazil -2 F is unbearable, but in Iowa it isn' surprising, but in Indiana we know that in a couple of days it will be much warmer):

• not a big problem
• no problem
  

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We talked about 2 Peter and Jude. These two letters are companion letters, both warn against false teachers. That the people trained and appointed to teach and support the community (Godly or otherwise) have ulterior motives and abuse their power or authority and is very uncomfortable to consider and to talk about. We don't like to think that people would intentionally mislead others about God's love, grace, and mercy. Jude's letter describes the actions and behaviors of the people thoroughly. He advises that the people guard themselves from being dragged in and dragged down by these people. 2 Peter 1: 16 advises to "pay attention to scripture" and 20-21 that prophesy (declarations of the Gospel) come from God via the Holy Spirit and not from human beings.  Jude 1: 20-22 provides the gracious advice to support each other and focus on God and his love and to show mercy to those who are in doubt (as a result of the erroneous teaching).

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We had a very productive class on Thursday. We covered a lot of ground using creative exercises that help grow mental connections and expand knowledge and skills with the American English language and culture. Our goal is to expose you, as adult learners, to more than American English content, and to give you tools and experiences that help you understand the subtilties of learning and American culture and develop outside of class.

We looked at each other's collages and talked about the impact of creating a visualization of a phrase: how we perceived the words and their flow. It isn't too late to try this out. See Meeting Notes and Handouts for our work. 

We sang and pronounced a nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice which is wonderful for practicing "smiley" sounds/words and short choppy "a" words strung together as well as transitions from smileys to dropped jaw. The story mirrors what is going on linguistically: sounds and pronunciations in this rhyme run all around mouth and head and are clipped. We presented the rationale for learning these rhymes as both as a fun exercise as well as a cultural reference (since these are ingrained in early childhood learning, they are the essence of our cultural references).

January 25: Playfully prepare for the day: 

Journaling is a good way analyze phrasing, track progress, critique grammar, and experience the subtilities of punctuation. Journaling is a very individual and personal take on a subject, situation, or day. Expand your skills with this week's prompts and focus on the weather: 

• Write a public service announcement about the weather.
• Relate an opportunity to talk about the weather.
• Describe the weather. Try to create rhyming sentences or phrases. Maybe write a haiku that focuses on (a short poem with three lines of five, seven, and five syllables inspired by nature and seasons)

Email your writing or a photo of your work to indyintlfriends@gmail.com.

The weather is a bridge to important things said and unsaid: Talk About the Weather

Nursery Rhyme Play: Here is Barney the iconic big purple dinosaur singing and playing with  The Three Little Kittens. Notice the creative play and activities that help bridge learning.

Kids' Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

Our friend wowed us with an impromptu presentation of the structure and function of the Japanese federal government. He pulled up a graphic for illustration and explained in English the Japanese titles in five or six comprehensive and interesting sentences. 

January 26: Let's finally finish looking at the time range of 1600-1800. Once again, what was happening in your corner of the world and in the world at large? Do events coincide?

• American History Timeline: Colonial Settlement through National Expansion up to the Civil War
• Japan History: Edo Period (1603-1808)
• Brazil: Colonial Era (1500-1808)
• Korea: Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897)

Words and Phrases

all part of the game: something not to be surprised or upset about; to be expected

at heart: living one lifestyle but having a love for another

companion: covering similar material

can be code for: to talk about one thing when thinking or feeling something else

covered a lot of ground: did a lot of work

dirt: gossipy information

dragged down: cause someone to do something wrong or to cause someone to be sad

dragged in: cause someone to become involved in something

erroneous: incorrect

impromptu: unplanned and unprepared

it depends: reflects an uncertain answer

lowdown: facts or relevant information

plan accordingly: decisions and actions that are appropriate for a specific situation

prompts: key words or phrases that assist or encourage a speaker

public service announcement: posted information intended to keep a community safe and healthy

straightforward: not complicated 

subtilities: small but significant impacts

The United States is: This phrase can be confusing. States is plural, but the United States is singular (one country). This was not always the case. Until just after the Civil War, The United States were the 

through...up to: starting with a place or event and then going beyond another to the beginning of another

wowed: impressed 

Happy New Year and Welcome January and a Two for One.

 Happy New Year, Friends!

I hope you had a great holiday. We wrapped up our year with some deep and interesting topics. The new year promises to be more of the same. Our classes are back on, so we eased into things this past week with conversations about what we did over the holidays. We shared our celebrations and caught up. We spent some time  Ends always come with new beginnings.

Because I misplaced last week's Update in another blog, you have a two-for-one this week.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Temperatures are dipping into the negatives without wind chill, so be safe.

• Carry food, water, and blankets in your car.
• Carry chargers for technology.
• Dress for the weather. Be sure everyone in your car has a coat, hat, gloves, boots, etc. in case you have to walk to shelter.
• Have enough food on hand. Weather in the Midwest changes quickly, so have enough food for several days.
• Let faucets drip on exterior walls (ones that have windows to the outside) and open cabinet doors so pipes have less chance to freeze.
• If you leave your home for an extended time, leave your furnace running. You can lower your thermostat to save money and energy, but do not turn your furnace off so your pipes don't freeze.

Martin Luther King, Junior

January 15 is a national holiday remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights leader. His "I have a dream" speech from 60 years ago is timeless and often quoted. 

The Encyclopedia Britannica has a comprehensive study of Dr. King's life and accomplishments.

Transcript and 17 minute audio of the I Have A Dream Speach from NPR

Reset and Resolutions

Many people start the new year with a clean slate to break the cycle of habits acquired over the past year. What are your resolutions for 2024? Do you have a plan for a successful follow through? 

In America: Caucuses!

Buckle up! The race for president of the United States kicks into high gear January 15 with the Iowa Caucuses. The Iowa Caucuses is the opportunity for the voters to meet face to face with the Republican (GOP or Grand Old Party) candidates in intimate settings (homes, restaurants, libraries, etc.) and ask questions. Then the voters meet face-to-face again and vote. Remembering that this is a race, how each candidate approaches this milestone reflects his or her campaign strategy and is fodder for voters and pundits. Read more details in this unique take on primary elections Reuters article and this NPR article. Go to the Des Moines Register to get the local take.

You can live stream each candidate individually...or generally, here are websites for the current front runners:

• Donald Trump Campaign Schedule
• Ron DeSantis Website
• Nikki Haley's Campaign Website
• Vivek Ramaswamy's Iowa Schedule

And, here is a link to all of the options on the ballot.

Hot Button Words

We had a great conversation about words that carry a good deal of socially emotional weight in America:

• prejudice: This word means that a person has a preconceived judgment about a people group. While this may have a positive spin, more often this word is used as a negative. (a prejudice for or against).
• stereotype: This word implies an overgeneralization about a group of people. Stereotypes that are flexible are useful for cataloging first impressions or creating a general category (college students stay up until 2:00 am studying so Insomnia Cookies make a good gift).
• bias: A prejudice for or against one thing or person in comparison with another; a bias is often perceived to be unfair when applied to people as people groups. People may lean toward or have a preference for something or someone (I am biased when it comes to Sean Connery as 007.)
• discrimination: Treatment that unjust or preferential on the basis of race, religion, or other distinctive features. Discrimination is an outward action that implies any of the above.

While it is easy to think of the above words as attributes of others, managing a personal action and interaction is key. It is easy to assume someone's home or perspective, which may not at all be accurate (and, in turn, become guilty of any or all of the negative aspects of these words). 

Civil Discourse

Political season offers opportunities for civil discourse. Broad assumptions about individuals affiliated with parties are made, when in fact, the individual voter is to be respected. Civil discourse does not necessarily mean a lecture or debate with a winner but respectfully discussing and considering different points of view.

First Impressions

Are we ambassadors or another word that begins with an "a" and includes a double "s"? This Psychology Today article talks about the power of first impressions and managing them.

One wise woman once noted that when we are the victim of a negative social or cultural interaction, we need to take a look at ourselves (individually or as a group) and see if or how we might be acting that is offensive or exclusive or uncomfortable to others around us and would cause them to react negatively. Jumping to conclusions about others based on first impressions 

Football

The Colts dropped out of the race for the Superbowl. Look forward to our next big American holiday on February 11, 2024. Start thinking about your watch party plans. Get conversational and check out the NFL Superbowl site.

Trends: Dry January

After all the parties and events, many people are abstaining from alcohol for the month of January to reset and meet health and weight resolutions. Virgin drinks are on the rise in restaurants as a social substitute. 

Meetings and Classes

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

January 16: Let's talk about our holidays and talk about winter weather. Prepare to be able to tell your deaf friends and acquaintances about winter weather preparedness.

January 23: Continue winter talk with personal stories about cold weather memories.

January 30: Wrap up the darkest month of the

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM EST (UTC-5), Zoom

We did not get past 1 Peter. This letter a positive message full of advice and conveys love. We recognized that as humans we need empathy and acceptance. A few specific versus that struck a chord:

• 1:3 being adorned with a quiet and gentle spirit.
• 3 living hope through Jesus
• 2:25 straying sheep who are now secure without a reason to wander
• 4:8 love covering a multitude of sins and/or faults
• 5:2 being shepherds of God's flock

January 16: Let's talk about 2 Peter and Jude. Bring your overarching impression of the Epistle as well as specific, meaningful verses. You don't have to read in English.

January 23: Let's talk about 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.

January 30: Wrap up the New Testament with Revelation. This is often a challenge to people as it is predictive and written in prose that is hard to imagine (since it tells of future events). People generally hate surprises. This book  readers and believers for strange times and uncomfortable times.

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00AM (UTC-5), Zoom

January is a good month for reflection and resolution. Keeping in line with our singing for accent reduction, be thinking about developing a little ditty that addresses American English areas for improvement. Additionally, we are trying some creative exercises to help connect language concepts as many ways as possible in your brain to grow retention, memory, and access.

• Speed rounds with dyads to homework results (practice listening as well as speaking because when we get together you note areas of improvement).
• Creative work beyond worksheets.
• Cultural observations and discussions.

January 11: Part One - Speed rounds with dyads to share holiday happiness (practice listening as well as speaking because when we get together you note areas of improvement). Part Two - singing The Farmer in the Dell. Nursery songs teach uncomfortable mouthing and voicing as well as cadence in a fun manner. They are also important for common cultural understanding.

The farmer in the dell

The farmer in the dell

Hi-ho,the derry-o*

The farmer in the dell

*after considerable linguistic research, this phrase is only a fun, nonsense phrase (not a reflection of my formative years in Wisconsin: the Dairy State) that certainly helps us with many problematic pronunciation transitions

January 18: Create a collage of a saying or statement that strikes your fancy. Cut out the words or pictures and paste them in a pictorial way. My resolution is to work on sketching, so here is the beginning of my words only representation...

And prepare for our next sing-along. What about Three Blind Mice helps you with your pronunciation and cadence? Accent reduction students, check your book and be ready to teach us. (And here’s a viral article and video to take you down a rabbit hole: Mouse Tidying Up Shed).

January 25: Colorful Language is a great way to visualize your vocabulary and spice up your speaking. Small groups meet to brainstorm color terms to transform them into our pronunciation anthem.

Kid's Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM (UTC-5), Zoom

January 12: Let's look at the time range of 1600-1800. Once again, what was happening in your corner of the world and in the world at large? Do events coincide?

• American History Timeline
• Japan History: Edo Period
• Brazil: Colonial Era

Words and Phrases

acting: behaving

break the cycle: stop a habit or behavior

civil discourse: respectful conversations about topics

caucus: neighbors getting together in person and discussing 

a clean slate: start fresh

coincide: match up

Des Moines pronounced Dah Moin (rhymes with coin)

dropped out of the race: a team or person that no longer in a competition

dry: without alcohol (dry county: no alcohol sold in that county, not dry martini

ease into [something]: go slow to get started

first impression: initial basis for building opinions or facts 

fodder: people, information, etc. that is good for a specific use

follow through: complete an action to a conclusion

hot button: emotionally charged

in contention: having a good chance of success in a contest or a race

in your corner of the world: where you live vs. a world wide focus

interaction: communication or direct involvement with someone or something

kicks into high gear: in or moving into a state of intense activity

more of the same: things continue as expected

overgeneralization: something that is true only some of the time, to broad, oversimplification

promises to be: likely to happen

pundits: people who speculate about political races

race: generally used for any competition or contest toward a specific goal or prize (politics, any sport, achievement, i.e. race for space)

struck a chord: resonate

take: perspective

the above: in literature, "above" refers to information previously presented

virgin: drinks without alcohol (Virgin Mary vs Bloody Mary)

when in fact: but