Seeing is Believing?

Hello Friends,

We had an exciting week at International Friends and at the Best Practices in the Heartland Conference. We learned about how to use AI and that it isn't perfect: so, look out! I see some AI work in our future. We networked and found new niches to serve. 

Thank you to everyone for reaching out to the Midwest church community with what we do so we can help other people. Thank you for manning our table and chatting with guests. Thank you for Zooming along so that others could see how we go about our lessons.

American Culture

Hunting and fishing are popular sports in the United States. We have laws as well as cultural practices for hunting and catching “wild” animals, birds, and fish that depend on time of year and place. Domestic animals are off the table.

We have hunting and fishing seasons and people need to hold licenses and purchase tags in order to participate in these sports. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources or DNR is the place to go see what animals are in season as well as regulations. Violations include fishing or hunting without a license, bag limits, etc. There are animals that are non-game, meaning they cannot be hunted or bagged. Hunting and killing "game" that is not legal or does not belong to you is poaching.

The Aurora Borealis

We had a spectacular light show from the Aurora Borealis Thursday night. While the Northern Lights were vague to the naked eye. The filters on cell phone cameras were able to offer a great view to share stunning shots. 

   

Classes and Meetings

Our classes are open: click to register!

Meetings are U.S. Eastern time.

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom.

We started with Psalm 121 (finally, because we have been carrying this one over for a while!). It is the Song of Ascents. A good way to start and end a day of challenges and set your sights in the right direction.

Genesis 20-21 continued to throw us a curve ball. We hope to see Abraham and his family progress and change, but they remain the same. We continued to do the same: we weigh our years of life and experiences against his over 100 years on earth walking with God as his best friend and guide. We are disappointed in him...this time we heard more of his story and his explanations. Can that change our perspective? Genesis 21 tells of the negotiations between Abraham and Abimelek. God intervenes to make the imperfect work for both sides. There are good lessons here.

October 14: We are setting our sights on reading and talking about Genesis 22-24 and Psalm 2 (a good one to get perspective during political seasons).

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

Thank you for Zooming for the conference on Thursday. While it was not always optimal, we were able to hear each other well and still have a good meeting. Critical listening continues to be a skill to develop. Interestingly enough, many times listening means inferring and not actually hearing. Context helps so much as does reading. Technically, these silent sounds are called reductions, but we can call them confusing at times.

October 17: Continue to create (and share) word pages. Pick a word or phrase from this Update and make a word page. I am still looking for stories that tell "where you are from". Pick a tradition that you love or that makes your celebration complete. Watch this video from the Productivity Guy

American English and Culture: Thursday, 7-8:00 PM, Cornerstone Lutheran Church, Room 102

October 17: We are meeting in person! Join us. The doors are open and get ready for some three-dimensional learning.

American English for Kids: 5:30-6:00 PM DST, Zoom

Tennis rules this week. While we were on break I took a stroll to a waterfall in a quarry in Ohio. Limestone is so interesting. Limestone is sedimentary rock, and often contains fossils. Much of the Midwest was covered with sea water. Look closely at these slabs. There are sea fossils. What can you find?

   

October 18: Come and talk about the past two weeks. We got a lot of living done!

Words and Phrases

bag limits: the legal, allowable number, size and sex of animals, fish, or fowl a hunter or angler can kill in a set time (day or season)

change our perspective: look at something from a new view in totality and from another mindset

Hobby Lobby: a popular craft store

I see some...in our (your) future: a prediction of something that is going to happen (because it will be engineered to go that way)

naked eye: seeing things without assistance like, glasses, binoculars, loupes, telescopes, filters

network: meet with other people, make connections

niche: a particular field or classification

off the table: not part of the discussion or consideration

rules: takes priority over other things

setting our sights on: a stated goal

shots: photos

stunning: impressively attractive

tag: physical document attached to the animal after the kill detailing hunter identity information, date, time, etc.

three-dimensional

throw us a curve ball: surprise the is unexpected and unpleasant to deal with

violations: breaking morale or legal codes

October at International Friends

Hello Friends,

October is a busy month for Americans and Hoosiers. Homecoming dances and games are scheduled this month. High School and college students celebrate as well as alumni. The current slang for homecoming is hoco (hoe coe).

Spooky Halloween decorations are sprouting up in yards. Spectacular spooky decorations are sprouting up all over. Creative and quirky displays with ghosts and skeletons are funny as well as haunting.

Pumkin spice is the taste to enjoy from donuts to coffee to cocktails and desserts. Pumpkin spice is a combination of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. This is the spice of pumpkin pies and does not contain pumpkin.

International Friends at the Glimpses: Best Practices Conference

October 9-11 International Friends American English and Culture meeting Friends are attending Glimpses: Best Practices in the Heartland. Friends can attend and be ambassadors 

• Hosting an informational table 
• Zooming our American English and Culture class for an on site to demonstration
• Presenting an informational breakout session

Friends can participate by signing up to host our informational table [Oct 9 4:30 pm, Oct 10 10:45 AM and/or 3:15 PM, Oct 11 9:45 AM and/or 11:55 AM]. Check your email.  Zoom the class as usual, attend the breakout session led by Carolyn to help others learn about International Friends and how we can help in other Midwestern communities. Register here.

Attend any of the breakout sessions as well as socialize with others at the conference.

American English and Culture

In the United States titles are used to show respect. 

• Mr. (Mister)=a man
• Mrs. (Missus)=a married woman
• Miss=an unmarried woman
• Ms (Miz)=a woman

These are commonly used with last names. Very young children may be encouraged to call teachers Miss (first name) instead of the more formal last name in daycare or preschool (a Southern practice).

When you don't know the gender or marital status of a professional (or maybe even the name) and are writing an email or speaking directly to, you can defer to the title. The title is almost always used with the surname with the exception of talking to clergy (Pastor, Reverend, Father, Sister, Mother):

• Principal
• Professor
• Doctor (either medical or academic, this is
• Congressman
• Mayor
• Director
• President (of a company or a country)

Adults do not address their teachers as "teacher" when speaking directly to them,. Instead use the requested . Children may (Teacher, can I go to the bathroom.). We do not use a title of "Teacher" with a surname, but use Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. (MS stands for the state of Mississippi).

Sir or ma'am are other respectful ways to address people around you when you do not know their name. This is common in the South.  For example, "Excuse me, ma'am, you dropped your keys."

Classes and Meetings

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom

We read two difficult chapters in Genesis. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah and how the cities are destroyed is a well-known story in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions. This story is difficult because although we were warned about the evil of the people in the cities, we were discomfited by the demands for Lot to turn over his male guests to the mob and shocked that Lot offered his daughters in lieu of the men. (This is on the heels of Abraham showing gracious hospitality to these same guests negotiating for the protection of the cities.) Why would Lot offer his daughters? Did he not love them? Got Questions offers answers and regarding Genesis 19:1-11 offers:

We may sit in judgment of the culture of that day, but protecting one’s guests required great sacrifice. Was Lot right to offer his own daughters in place of the men the Sodomites wanted? No. We can see in the story that the Lord’s messengers protected Lot and his daughters in spite of Lot’s lack of character and worldly viewpoint. Lot meant to appease the men of Sodom so that the hospitality of his house would not be damaged, but he makes the wrong choice in offering his own daughters, and God’s messengers overruled him.

The family is led by the hand and escape the destruction of the cities. Then, Lot's daughters get Lot drunk and get pregnant by him. For us, this is a horrible outcome of their saving. We continue to see that even though people behave willfully and make decisions that are harmful, God still provides for them.

October 7:  Genesis 20-22. We will open with Psalm 121

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

We explored what to expect at the Heartland conference. Friends talked about the value of talking to people we don't know in a welcoming community. 

We talked briefly about the Vice Presidential debate. The candidates were cordial and civilized. Read the transcript, watch a replay. 

October 10: Email a picture of your word brainstorm to be posted on the Notes and Handouts page. Do you have words on your list needing clarification?

American English for Kids: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, private Zoom

We talked about the Japanese "Middle Exams" which are given in the middle of the school year. These tests cover Social Studies, Math, Science, and English. In the United States, Middle School students take midterms and finals that are specific to the class and are developed by the teacher, rather than a standard, national exam. 

October 18: No class the 10th. When we get back be ready to talk about the results from Science and English exams. Be ready to talk about how the schools use the results of these exams.

Words and Phrases

clergy: formal leaders in an established religion

discomfited: made to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed

in lieu: instead, as a trade

last names: surname, family name

on the heels: immediately following

stands for: represents

turn...over: give something to be used for a different purpose

LOOK OUT! It's October.

Hello Friends,

October has some weird and wild dates that are observed and obscure (Check out this article from USA Today to add some fun and fest to the month). Plan to meet with us in-person for some fun:

October 31: Happy Halloween: Pumpkin Carving and Tailgate in the Cornerstone parking lot 9-11:00 AM

Weathering the Weather

Fall brings changing weather conditions. Indiana is land locked, but we still feel the effects of hurricanes, which is surprising since we are land locked. This past weekend we could smell the Gulf air while we picked up sticks, leaves and other debris from our yards. 

The rain didn't dampen the fun at Cornerstone's Oktoberfest or at the Carmel International Art's Festival. I hope that you got out and enjoyed the weekend.

Meanwhile, being prepared for bad weather is important. Makes sure you are prepared because fall brings quick changes. Here is a page in our Quick Start with advice.

Fall Book Sale at the Carmel Clay Main Library

Discover great bargains on used books (and more) during these special sale dates. Just $10 for a bag of books. Presented by the CCPL Foundation Friends.

Friday, October 4, 9am–5pm
Saturday, October 5, 9am–4pm
Main Library Community Room

Glimpses: Best Practices in the Heartland Conference

Free three day conference hosted at Cornerstone Lutheran Church October. Click here to register. Click on "Get the App" and then click the cover to see the events and break out sessions. The "context" of the conference is Lutheran Christian and will communicate with that language set and feeling. There are many topics that are relevant to all people, not just church workers and Christians.

International Friends is having a breakout session and hosting an informational table. We are also Zooming from the conference so other communities can learn more about what we do and see us in action. 

Register and participate (for American English and Culture grade points)

• Improve your conversation skills and help communicate what we do: help host the information table.
• Come to our breakout session and talk to interested people and contribute to the presentation.
• Attend interesting breakout sessions and learn more about the American Christian culture.
• Eat with other people and practice your conversation skills. Meals are

American English

Have you ever....

The question phrase, "Have you ever ...?" Trips people up (and not just people new to English). This 5 Minute English Lesson gives an explanations, exercises, and examples. Don't miss the common questions at the end.

Something that always causes confusion for listeners is the question is phrased as a negative: 

"You haven't been to the Mexican restaurant on Main Street, have you?"

Many people new to English answer "Yes." or "Yes, I haven't." The correct way to answer is to answer "No." or "No, I haven't." The simple question is "Have you ever..."

Meeting and Class Notes

Register and join us in our classes!

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM. Zoom

We started with Psalm 19. This beautiful song  

We then read and discussed Genesis 15-17. God seals the deal with Abram who is renamed Abraham following a practice that seems odd to us in this modern day, but was common in the early days. The article What was a blood covenant? explains verses 9-21 in chapter 15. The stories in these chapters were sometimes difficult to read because of the topic and content. We find that God does not play favorites, but cares for everyone in a way that is unique to their situation and to their special needs.

September 30: Psalm 121 and Genesis 18 and 19 the famous story of Sodom and Gomorrah

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

Our conversation revolved around social events and about gaining vocabulary. Vocabulary is not limited to words, it also includes phrases. 

We talked about how adult brains love the comfortable paths and that information that is not regularly accessed will "grow over" and fill in as other information takes precedence. The more you "play" with information, the more

October 3:  Pick a word or phrase from your lists and set your mind free and follow the connections. Freely write, sketch, use colors…..

American English and Culture: Beginning October 17 Thursday, 7-8:00 PM, Cornerstone Lutheran Church, Room 102

In person meetings begin Thursday, October 17 in room 102. Enter door 6. Register today. If you have already registered for our classes. Join us if you have already registered for classes, but not this one.

October 17: First meeting. 

American English For Kids: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Private Zoom Link

What do you love to do? Tennis is a sport enjoyed by many. Tennis has a special language of its very own. It also has its own counting system. Talking about how to play can be complicated. Diagrams and practical examples are necessary.

October 4: Come prepared to talk about the big school event for the week.

Words and Phrases

The Gulf: The Gulf of Mexico; sometimes we shorten a name of a common reference. Sometimes we add "the" as to refer to a specific thing or place the Meijer on Meridian. Sometimes we add "the" as an honorific: "We love the Goodwill for bargains."

land locked: surrounded by land (not sea)

play favorites: 

revolved around: discussion or topic covering multiple facets

seal the deal: an official act to confirm an agreement or sale of a major purchase. "We shook hands to seal the deal."

Welcome Fall: September 22, 2024

Hello, Friends.

Fall is a special time of year in the Midwest. Football is in full swing but that's not all. Back to school means many interesting topics to explore and learn.

Learning, Participating, and Fun

Woods Lectures at Butler University:  Check out this grab bag of science and social science lectures. One might grab your interest.

Glimpses at Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel is hosting the Best Practices in the Heartland Conference. International Friends is participating both at the tabling event as well as an informational session to help other people to learn about our school to help their communities with learning as well as teaching. If you are local, consider coming to learn about American culture and how people in the church serve each other and in the community. October 9-11. The event is free.

Things to do in Indiana offers all the fun and interesting opportunities here in our home state. Get out there and enjoy the fall!

Bump Into

Bring your family and friends for fun and food. Look for familiar friendly faces and say hi.

Oktoberfest at Cornerstone Lutheran Church, September 27, 4-10:00 PM. A family evening of fellowship with friends and neighbors! Entry to the event is free! Buy tickets for food and drinks. A discount is offered on tickets purchased before September 22. 

Carmel International Arts Festival, September 28-29. Check out the website to see the artists and opportunities. This is an excellent event

American Culture

National Constitution Day was September 17. The Constitution is this document is 

Constitution Annotated is a .gov site providing a no nonsense approach to the "supreme law" of the United States. Find the Constitution as well as links to court cases and rulings that inform decisions.

American English and Pronunciation

What is it? BMV. BMW. One is a government entity and the other is a fancy car. Do you misunderstand someone or does someone not get what you are saying? Maybe you are confusing /V/ and /W/. There are many English word pairs that if they are mispronounced with a V for a W or vice versa can be quite odd, frustrating or confusing. Minimal Pair initial /v/ and /w/ gives a lists of words for comparison with audio clips to tune your earn and your tongue. 149: Practicing the /w/ and the /v/  provides listening and the transcript to read along.

Meetings and Class Notes

Register and join us in our classes.

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM Zoom

Genesis 13 and 14 offer stories about Abram and Lot. They separate because their "families" are arguing. We love the idea that Abram and God chat (v. 14) after Lot and his crew take off for what appears to be the better part of the land, God promises that He will bless Abram.

September 23: Read and journal (write your thoughts in notes) for Genesis 15-17 and  Psalm 19. Next week!

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

We had a new mix of people join us today. Building our relationships in the early weeks of classes is important to becoming confident with talking to others. Practice. Practice. Practice. But having good discussions, conversations and telling and hearing stories are all a part of language learning.

September 26: Bring stories about friends. What is on your social word list?

Words and Phrases

.gov site: any website ending in ".gov" is from the U.S. government.

grab [interest, attention]: gain or get [interest, attention]

grab bag: a mix of things included together
no nonsense: direct

take off: leave

Back To School All The Way Around!

Hello, Friends.

Fall is here. The leaves are beginning to change color and pumpkin spiced everything can be found on menus and in fall candles. Carmel apple is another flavor and scent of fall. Indiana weather is shifting: cool, warm, hot. Homecoming celebrations at high schools and colleges mean special football games and formal dances. Find out what we have been doing at International Friends this week.

Yellow Jackets

Fall also means panicking yellow jackets. These wasps hover around trash cans and outdoor dining tables (they are attracted to rotting food, meat, and insects around the trash). They can bite to hang on and sting multiple times (unlike honeybees who disembowel themselves leaving their stingers and venom behind). Yellow jackets live the large paper homes. None but the queen survive the winter. 

Ward them away from your picnic with cucumber slices on an aluminum plate. 

Learn more Yellow Jackets Vs. Honey Bees – Comparison Guide

Clay Middle School Open House

Friends and staff visited Clay Middle School. We have a very list of people interested in joining us to study American English and Culture in person. We are looking at adding a weekday evening meeting or a Saturday morning meeting. We also added two new staff members! We are so happy to welcome everyone International Friends! Watch for more about additional meetings as we finalize plans. Meanwhile, join our Thursday morning Zoom to get started.

Register for our classes and meetings.

Bump Into

Bring your family and friends for fun and food. Look for familiar friendly faces and say hi.

Carmel Porchfest, September 15, 12-6:00 PM

Carmel PorchFest is a free, family-friendly community event where a variety of musical acts perform live on neighborhood porches in the Arts & Design District. Plenty of food and beverage vendors will be available. We host close to 60 bands on approximately 23 porches.

Oktoberfest at Cornerstone Lutheran Church, September 27, 4-10:00 PM

A family evening of fellowship with friends & neighbors! Entry to the event is free! Buy tickets for food and drinks. A discount is offered on tickets purchased before September 22.

American English

As we build our stories, we talk about things that have happened in the past. You may hear someone saying "We would go to the beach in the summer" instead of "We went to the beach in the summer." In this case, the person is talking about something the happened often, not just one time. Here is a video to (by a Canadian) explain more:

Presidential Debate

Many if not all of our Friends watched the presidential debate. We ran out of time to debrief this highly publicized event. One of our Friends found this YouTube to help us grow your political vocabulary.

Meeting and Class Notes

International Bible Study: Monday, 8-9:00 PM, Zoom

It was great to get together for the first time in so long. We picked up where we left off in the spring with Genesis 12. Abram is given a promise and a blessing. Tells Abram to leave his country and go to a land that God  would show him. Abram packed up his family, possessions and the "people they had acquired" and hit the road. Here is a Map of the Journeys of Abram and a summary of the stops along the way 

The conundrum that Abram lied to Pharoah and said his beautiful wife Sarai was his sister with Pharoah then taking her into his house as a wife. Because of this, the Egyptian household is inflicted with disease. Pharoah reprimands Abram for not telling him Sarai was his wife and sends him and all his people and goods on their way. The sin of the lie of Abram caused Pharoah to sin unknowingly with consequences.

Our observations:

• God is faithful to His promise to Abram to protect and bless him in spite of Abram's shortcomings.
• No person is perfect, and Abram shows how God loves and cares for us, even when we fail to trust Him.
• Age does not impart wisdom.
• We wondered about Abram's fear of the Pharoah.
• We observed that cultures and human nature remain the same.

Psalm 9 mirrors the story in Genesis 12 in supplication, thanks, and praise.

September 16: Our readings Genesis 13 and 14 and Psalm 19

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

Hearing about what summer was like for our Friends when they were young was very interesting and heartwarming. It was interesting to hear what people did for fun as well as what summer felt like for them. Whether the memory was impromptu, thought out, or written down and read, each Friend conveyed the sense of joy that only a child can experience. Read people's stories here. Email Carolyn your story to share with our Friends.

Small groups talked about the words and phrases they use with family in their homes. We found there is a mix of English as well as other languages (some families speak more than one language other than English in their homes). 

September 19: Talking about work and careers. This week tell us a story about your career or work life. Collect a list of words and phrases used in your career.

American English For Kids: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Private Zoom Link

We caught up with each other after a long break. Our kids are growing up so fast! This year we are going to work on our storytelling. That is telling the story of our life. This is an important skill when introducing ourselves and our ideas.

September 20: Thinking about the phrase "I am from [details about your past]", be prepared to tell about your family and family experiences. 

Words and Phrases

conundrum: riddle or thorny question

debrief: talk about

hit the road: travel

if not all: probably everyone or everything

send someone on their way: tell someone to leave

supplication: to ask for help from God or a higher power

picked up where we left off: continue

ward them away: repel someone

Welcome. We are so glad to see you!

Hello Friends,

Our meetings and classes are back in session. It was good to see everyone at American English and Culture on Zoom. We began catching up with each other as well as setting our course for the upcoming year. If you have attended in the past, old Zoom links will not work. Register to get the new link.

This year we are concentrating on telling and listening to our stories. Being able to capture and hold attention is an important part of communicating in all languages and cultures. This skill is important for getting work done on your car, talking to your children's teachers, talking to your doctor, interviewing for a job, socializing with friends and family, etc. Preparing and telling our story helps us to narrow our focus from the whole world of a language to the specific words and patterns necessary to ask questions, gain information, and get work done! And...stories are interesting and fun. 

Bump Into Each Other Events

Artomobilia, September 7 in Downtown Carmel: Look for Friends at these fun events

Carmel Porchfest, September 15, Noon-6:00 PM

September Community Outreach Event

International Friends has an informational table at Clay Middle School Tuesday, September 10, 6:00-8:00 PM. Join us as we share more about our program and invite others to join us. Email Carolyn for more information at indyintlfriends@gmail.com

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM (UTC-4), Zoom

In our first meeting we got acquainted with each other (a little bit).

September 12: We are beginning to tell our stories and build our American English "toolbox".

Yes, we have homework this year (by popular request). Have fun with it!

Think about your summer as a child. What was it like? What stands out? We will share these in small groups completing the statement "I am from..." or "I come from..." Remember the Maya Angelou statement and our discussion about how we get more out of our communications with others when we use our stories.

Collect and make a list of the words and phrases you use regularly around your home (in all languages).

Think about the contexts you need to learn to talk in English. Adults are efficient learners, and our brains are great at deciding what is most important to remember. Practical connections narrow our focus to make us efficient and makes learning interesting.

American English Conversation for Kids: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM (UTC-4), Zoom

Welcome back on September 13! Register to get the new Zoom link.

Extra Credit

Watch the Presidential Debate, 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, September 10. 

We recommend these stations because they broadcast without commercials and rarely interrupt with spin. The back and forth between the candidates about critical American issues are great for informing American culture hot topics.

CSPAN

PBS

Resource Notes

Maya Angelou's Powerful Communication Secret: This article by John Millen 

Words and Phrases

spin: give (a news story or other information) a particular interpretation or slant

Welcome Back September 5. Our first meeting is on ZOOM.

Hello, Friends.

We are looking forward to beginning our new year of meetings and classes.

Our American English and Culture class is meeting

Thursday, September 5, 9:00-11:00 AM on Zoom.

Click here to be directed to our webpage with more information and to register.