Seeing and Saying: Drilling Into Details

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

Hello, Friends.

Fall is breaking out here in the Midwest. Fall breaks are starting in our schools: both at a local and collegiate level. Some people are getting out of town. Since sports are in full swing, many students stay home. As the temperatures chill and the pumpkin spice and apple cider warm fingers, remember we still have the opportunities for warm days. 

Seeing C and Saying C

The letter "c" was a topic of discussion in several meetings this week. When this letter appears, how it is sounded may be influenced by the surrounding letters. It is funny that something that generally goes unnoticed suddenly becomes the elephant in the room. 

• Find all of the letter "c" in this Update (hint: there are 242). 
• Notice where they appear in the word. 
• Speak the word and listen for the sound. 
• Compare pronunciations (a dictionary app is a good resource).
• Create sentences or phrases connecting words containing the letter c.

Hint: there is a table for general pronunciation in the Homework and Notes. Go there after reading and ruminating and compare observations with general rules. Dive deeper with the cited on-line article.

International Friends Meeting Notes

Practicing your American English is important. Join us! Click here to register and get the Zoom links. Or come to Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel.

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

Numbers 6-8 offers an interesting perspective of opportunities and recognition for individuals and for groups. 

Numbers 6 talks about the voluntary practices of the Nazarites. These men and women dedicate themselves to the Lord (God). God does specify rules for these people that are special so that their personal choice is a physical appearance and behaviors represents of their spiritual choice. Nazarites can step back from this voluntary service and signify this with an offering. Aaron's blessing is how many Christian churches close their services and ceremonies. Here is the classic choral version:

Numbers 7 recites the offerings made by each of the tribes. The offerings (each made on a different day) are exactly the same. This is significant as no one person or group of people is favored or favorable above the other. This reads like an accounting ledger. There is comfort in the repetition as well as recognition and acknowledgement of the offerings.

Numbers 8 details how the Levites (who are the spiritual leaders, chosen by God as a substitute rather than the firstborn) are identified, cleansed or made pure, make atonement, and are given the directives to serve. God beautifully provides for the people as they begin their journey.

 

October 5: Prepare to talk about Numbers 9-12.

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

As a community of writers, we explored our writing processes and products around the topic of "home." Often, we write drafts to prepare for public speaking. We role played making acceptance speeches with gracious, sincere, humble, confident remarks. Most communication involves some form of narration or storytelling. Review the basics of "your story" this week. 

Find the examples and work about "home" in the Homework and Notes

Keep working on your "presentation" and "acceptance" speeches. From this point forward, you "drive the bus". Surprise one of your colleagues during our meeting by "presenting" the award. Your "victim" then has to "present" the acceptance speech. This game is on-going.

Exotic Grammar:

We have had good questions about conditional sentences that have an "if" clause and a "result clause." We frequently use first conditional sentences to talk about our plans or things we hope to do. Use the present tense in the "if" clause and future tense in the "result" clause. 

Notice the pattern if we imagine what Carolyn might do on vacation: If the weather is good, she will go camping. If she finds a Buc-ee's on the highway, she will stop for gas and a snack. If she has time, she will visit the wild ponies on Chincoteague Island.

October 9: Write a daily list or journal of 3-5 sentences about the things you do each day in simple past tense (or tense of your choice.) Add time words and phrases if you like. Use at least two irregular verbs.

American English Language and Culture: Thursday, 7:00 -8:30 PM, Room 102, Cornerstone Lutheran Church-Carmel

My apologies. My tech failed me and I lost our boards! Here are the main points and the gist of our conversations. 

Gene joined us and we got to know him and more about the American English accent. The sounds of the letters "c" and "t" were key discussions. We listed words to see if we could generate rules (that we knew were out there) rather than jump to our tech or a book to look them up. Learning takes time. Application takes time. As efficient and effective speakers we tend to take the shortcuts, then we beat ourselves up over the fact we "can't learn and apply" and do not relate with others as well as we would like. This is normal.

Why is it important to explore? Grabbing the answer from a source helps with remembering some remote rule for the moment and in the moment. That is fine. The curiosity is addressed and the answer is solved, but it is not moved into practice in a new space and context. The focus was on the short answer not the longer application or use. There is a difference between knowing the rule and actual application in the real world.  Generating word lists tests suspicion and vague ideas about a rule or information. This is where brainstorming words helps to turn concepts and ideas into practical applications in life. 

Continue to play with words and test concepts (KON seps). Brainstorm words to see what comes to mind. Notice if your brainstorming brings to mind multilingual words and phrases, how each sounds versus how it is spelled.

October 8:  For our next meeting, create half page graphic for "home," or choose another idea/word to explore. Take a picture and e-mail it to indyintlfriend@gmail.com or bring it to class. 

American English for Kids: Friday, 8:00-8:30 PM, private Zoom

Contests can be fun. Choral contests are great for both the individual and for the group as a whole. Sometimes the actual performance does not meet the expectation during practice. Each contest or competition has different rules, judges, and judging methods.

Chorus, choir, and choral reading of and the pronunciation are always a conundrum. They are not pronounced how they look. Many people are surprised to learn that the beginning sound is not like the word chair but is like the word core. Which reminds us that good choral technique comes from your core so that breathing is not a chore.

Singing with others is a great opportunity to physically join voices, but there is more going on than just that. Singing helps with memory, learning, and neurological connections and growth. Singing creates emotional responses and connections. Singing promotes social connections and interactions.

October 9: Fall Break-No Meeting

October 16: Prepare questions to find out about my Fall Break. I will prepare a travelogue of our road trip.

Words and Phrases and Resources

concepts: this word is a great example of the in-person discussion. KON seps (or even KAN seps) if you are listening to American English in the Northeast or maybe even in Chicagoland (around Chicago). Although KON sept (with a clear "popping" sound of the letter "t"). The letter "c" has two different pronunciations: the hard sound and the softer "s" sound. 

breaking out: happening in a continuous and spotty way

elephant in the room: something that is obvious but not easy to talk about or is left unsaid

gist: essence, substance, point

It's is Fall. Let's go deep!

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

Hello, Friends.

Temperatures fell this week. On at the beginning of the week, we could not imagine cold weather, and overnight we went from upper 80s to mid 60s. We grabbed pants and long sleeves and felt a little embarrassed to be surprised by the weather change. Fall officially hit the calendar on Tuesday at 8:05 PM. In my backyard, the trees started dropping leaves and I had to acknowledge that my dog knows more than I do since he has been blowing his coat for a while now.

Singlish

Singing helps with so many aspects of language learning. 

This version lets you try it alone...sing along and sing down.

If you are asked to recite these words in order, it is difficult. Remembering (not memorizing) strings of somewhat nonsensical or whimsical words can be difficult to impossible. Set the words (or sounds) to music, and suddenly it becomes easy (try this with spelling an unusual word).

Music matches intonation and cadence of American English. Listen to the radio and different types of songs: country, rap, easy listening. Notice how the words are rushed or drawn out. Your pronunciation and listening skills will blossom.

E Words to Explain Learning

We found new 'E" words to add to our description of adult learners as Efficient, Effective, Elegant.

• Efficient: adults make split second decisions about what is important to know and is necessary 
• Effective: adults practice learning every day and maturity and practice focus what they are learning and help with applying and incorporating what they know into life situations
• Elegant: adults are graceful and stylish with their learning, it is part of their life

 We are adding:

• Exposure: adults need to make contact with or see a need for learning something--it is second nature (but maybe not natural) to learn isolated facts without necessity
• Experience: adults draw on what they have seen and done as part of what they learn, remember, or save. They may overlook something because they filter 

Acronyms

Do we say "na-sah" or pronounce the letters individually as N A S A? Acronyms are pronounced as words whereas initialisms are pronounced as individual letters. The List of Common Acronyms is great for efficient and effective understanding of this topic. What do you notice about these pronunciations?

Accent or Pronunciation

This is a super interesting and hair-splitting topic for language geeks. We all have accents here in the U.S. Keep speaking, listening, observing, and practicing. 

International Friends Meeting Notes

Practicing your American English is important. Join us! Click here to register and get the Zoom links. Or come to Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel.

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

Numbers 4 -5. One Friend has a concurrent study that highlights the words restoration, reconciliation, and restitution as the themes of these chapters. Numbers 4 continues to describe structure, materials, processes and procedures, and to identify the people who are responsible for the work and the dire consequences when the processes are not followed.

Numbers 5 begins with a recap for causes for people to be "'put outside the camp" which include leprosy, has a discharge, or has touched a dead body (details can be found in Leviticus 13-15 as well as cleansing and return to the community) .

Numbers 5 continues with rules and processes for wives that commit adultery or are accused of committing adultery. Included in this discussion are the rules and processes for husbands who are jealous of their wives. Human jealousy is described with envy, strife, and leads to sinful behavior which harms the relationship between the couple as easily as infidelity. 

Contrast this with the jealousy of God (Exodus 34: 14) which is motivated by love, protection, and zeal. God's love and protection would turn His people to Him not to another god.

 

September 28: Continue the story with Numbers 6-8. There is always a group of people who make their rules to serve God that is divergent from the rest of the people. The Nazarites are the These chapters outline how God xxx differing community opinion and then provides space for them to move back into the general society. 

Spoiler: Chapters eight opens with verses about establishing seven lamps. Revelation 1: 12 foreshadows the seven lamps as the seven churches that propel the good news to all the ends of the earth.

As you read this week, remember that "scripture interpreters scripture".

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

We began this meeting with a detailed discussion about the word "board" (and not "bored"). This led to talking about meeting language and rules of order and the roles and responsibilities of the president and others. Formal words signaling the beginning and end of a discussion keep the meeting from becoming heated and keeps the meeting moving.

We talked at length decoding the differences in pronunciation and accent including where the emphasis is placed in a word. Written representations of pronunciation is not the simple as breaking the word into syllables. Learn more here: Decoding & Encoding: What Are the Differences?

Simply looking up the word can help. Understanding how this representation differs from syllables can be helpful in understanding what someone is saying from both speaking and listening (are lit-tle and lid-dle the same word? See the further discussion on this in the evening meeting notes).

Miriam Webster on word dividing

No, the conventions for dividing a word at the end of a line of text and the conventions for dividing a word into phonetic syllables are not the same, and as a result a headword and its pronunciation may show different divisions. The centered dots/points in a headword—which are chiefly determined by considerations of morphology (the study of word formation, as by inflection, derivation, and compounding) and of pronunciation—indicate the places where it can be broken if all of the letters will not fit at the end of a line. They do not necessarily show syllable division (which is the common misconception); they are simply potential points of end-of-line division. Syllabication of a word is indicated by the hyphens found in the word's pronunciation, where they exist as aids to the pedagogical command of "sound it out."

October 1: Prepare an acceptance speech. Be specific. Include gratitude but not platitude. Take a picture and e-mail it to indyintlfriend@gmail.com or message/text Carolyn.

American English Language and Culture: Thursday, 7:00 -8:30 PM, Room 102, Cornerstone Lutheran Church-Carmel

The night meeting was so much fun! What is the difference between a CNA and an MA. We read the AI description to cement a career decision choice.

Listening and speaking are not always intuitive. We talked (a lot) about whether we need to pronounce the "t" like a "d" and if a British accent needs to be Americanized. Americans understand "little" with a "t' rather than the more common By the way, if the childcare staff speaks a different language, and your baby is spending eight hours or more of the day with those people, your baby's first language is the caregiver's.

The "natural" language this year is Berber but the "fall back" language is French. Our Friends learned British English in college. This makes for interesting conversations on translation and expectations since each language was learned at different stages in life.

Reading through an AI comparison of MA and CNA jobs and training provided us with the opportunity to fine-tune pronunciation. T's for D's (or not because that is an accent not a mispronunciation).

October 1:  For our next meeting, create half page graphic for "home," or choose another idea/word to explore. Take a picture and e-mail it to indyintlfriend@gmail.com. or bring it to class. 

American English for Kids: Friday, 8:00-8:30 PM, private Zoom

Talking about traveling to a city is a good way to talk about culture and explain daily life or a favorite place. This is another way of teaching. It also gives us a break from our daily life with a "virtual" holiday.

October 2: Prepare an itinerary for a trip to Kyoto. What to see, where to stay, how to get around.

Words and Phrases and Resources

an MA: yes, a consonant follows the article of "an" but in this case it is not an "M" but and "em"!

blow his coat: shedding like crazy

cement: make a final decision

chiefly: primarily, mostly

decoding: decoding is the process where the brain translates printed words into spoken words. To put it simply, it’s the process of sounding out words.

hair-splitting: open to debate

headword: the word at the beginning of a dictionary entry (new to me!)

heated: emotionally argued

hit: appeared, arrived

itinerary: travel plan

misconception: incorrect or view or opinion because of faulty thinking

propel: drive or push something in a certain direction

Fall Into Fall

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

Hello, Friends.

Here in the Midwest, we will feel cooler temperatures in the coming week. Even if the pools were still open, they would not be open because the air temperature is predicted to stay below 70 degrees! This is quite the change from the last week or so when the temperatures were in the upper 80s to mid-90s, and with the humidity it was more than hot, it was sticky!

Community Fun

This time of year, festivals and excused to get together as a community out of doors are rampant. Search local papers and sites for fun things to do. Get out and see friends and neighbors. Meet new people. Locally, we have a great mix of people sharing their heritage. This weekend kicked off with the Fiftieth Anniversary of the City of Carmel with an old-fashioned ice cream social. 

Hamilton County offers more fun. Click for the Top Five Guide. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to find more things to do.

Each county and community offers this type of guide either online or in the paper.

Learn From Our Meetings This Week

Read what we did this week in each of our meetings. This week's meetings covered American English and American Culture foundations to apply.

Pick out tips and techniques and try them. 

International Friends Meeting Notes

Practicing your American English is important. Join us! Click here to register and get the Zoom links. Or come to Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel.

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

We got reacquainted in this meeting. Even though we have been studying together and meeting occasionally over the summer. We got down to business toward the end of our hour and talked about Numbers 1-3. 

Chapter 1 is a census of the tribes/families of Israel. This chapter sets up the structure for the entire community as it traveled together. The able-bodied men from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war numbered 603,550. This accounting did not include women, children, elderly, etc. This was a really large party that was counted and accounted for.

Chapter 2 provides a beautiful word picture of how the camps were to be set up. The description reminded us of a kaleidoscope. 

Chapter 3 provides for the spiritual and legal leadership of the people with the appointment of the Levites. This chapter also outlines the terms and the term of these men's service. This chapter also provides for the redemption of the first-born children of all people and animals. These are to "belong to God" and reflects back to the Passover in Egypt. Instead of taking the first-born, the Levites stand itn their place (chapter 3:45)

God provides a plan for the Israelites to live and work together as they sojourn to the promised land.

 

September 21: Continue the story with Numbers 4-6. These chapters outline the responsibilities of the different groups. Chapter five talks about preserving individual households from separation through protecting the larger community from disease. Chapters four and six outline the responsibilities of groups of people composed from people from various tribes who performed special services.

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

Breakfast, brunch, lunch, luncheon, working lunch, dinner, or supper? We love to compare an

contrast food traditions across cultures. Food is always a safe and interesting topic of 

conversation. What is your favorite meal of the day? What are your favorite breakfast foods? How do you like your eggs—scrambled, fried, or sunny side up? Do you prefer a sweet or a

savory breakfast?

We worked on critical listening skills today as Carolyn told about attending the USGLC (United 

States Global Leadership Coalition) in Washington, D.C. in June. This opportunity to network 

and brainstorm with government representatives, aides, and others to explore issues of 

concern sounded inspiring. Think about your experience. Have you ever attended a

professional conference, served on a school or community committee, or collaborated with 

others on a project of any kind? What did you learn, accomplish, or contribute? Share your

experience with us in class or explore this in a future homework assignment.

Local, state, and national politics are part of American Culture. We addressed questions about political parties, voting, ballots, absentee ballots, and particular local candidates, and we 

practiced some critical reading by noticing common elements on candidates websites: Home,

Story, Shop, Donate, Help, etc. Where is home for you? If you are an expat or global nomad, that may not be an easy question to answer. If you have kids, where do they call their home country? Is it your home country, or the country where they have grown up?

Thank you for your time and attention. Use something you heard or learned in the coming week. Talk to your husband about politics. Talk to your kids about “where is home.” Practice grammar, usage, and idioms that are new to you.

Examples:

Usual (adjective—which one): We followed our usual schedule today. 

Usually (adverb—how often): We usually begin and end on time.

Threw me off—The noise outside threw me off during the exam.

Fun facts: As you travel across the U.S., enjoy learning each state’s motto and symbols (flag, seal, bird, flower, tree, song). Challenge: Find out the state symbols of Indiana and one other state you have visited (or might visit in the future.)

September 24: For our next meeting, create half page graphic for "home," or choose another idea/word to explore. Take a picture and e-mail it to indyintlfriend@gmail.com.

American English Language and Culture: Thursday, 7:00 -8:30 PM, Room 102, Cornerstone Lutheran Church-Carmel

We met and talked about our families including our brothers, sisters, and in-laws. We learned more about each other. 

We talked about learning English and the challenges of transferring what we already know into listening and speaking language. In this case, since our friend has a Masters Degree in finance with the emphasis on economics, listening to Thomas Sowell's Basic Economics is a great opportunity hear about the field in American English. Borrow the audio book is available through the Libby app and your public library.

Listen and watch Dr. Sowell in this interview. This discussion helps us to understand how American economics has developed. Turn on the CC (Closed Captioning) to read along. Remember you can adjust the audio speed.

Finding a new career is common in the United States. We looked at the Medical Assistant program offered by Allied Health Education Programs through the Trinity Free Clinic. We read through the opportunity to earn this basic degree to get a feel for working in the medical field.

September 24:  For our next meeting, write the answer to the following question from the application. Email your answer or bring it to class.

"What will you put into the program in order to succeed? What are your future goals in the medical field?'

American English for Kids: Friday, 8:00-8:30 PM, private Zoom

We talked about preparing for exams. We continued talking about the "cram" courses that students take to prepare for exams. Our friend said that his teacher said that they had to, "change their mind." This usually means to take a new perspective, decision, or position about something. Literally, though, when we are learning we are changing our minds! So yes, a teacher helps students "change their minds!"

September 25: Teach a short lesson from a chapter of study. Debrief to tell if/how this method helped you recognize your learning.

Words and Phrases and Resources

accounted for: a part of or made up of

sojourn: travel

Welcome to American English and Culture 2026-2027

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

Hello, Friends.

Learning a language is so much more than learning the language. Yes, there is grammar and vocabulary, but that is only the foundation. As we kick off this year (and our football season), we are beginning with strategies for efficient and effective learning. 

In our meetings this week we used a number of learning strategies. Most of these strategies are invisible until we call them out. Be sure to look at what and how we worked (although it never really feels like work) in each of our meetings. We covered a variety of content, but we used the same strategies to grow our understanding of each other and American English.

Back-To-School: Active and Passive Learning

Active learning is when people engage in and participate in learning. Conversation and debate help to identify what is known and how to communicate it to others. Gaps can be filled in through discussion (or to be filled in later). Writing and drawing are creative ways to express learning. Making a model or some product helps to apply and test knowledge.

Passive learning happens in reading and lectures. Passive learning might provide higher points on tests. Passive learning is an efficient way to pass along information, and one-way communications provide the means. A shortfall is that since it is one-way, gaps are hard to discover. Attention can wander and the reader and listener may not even notice which leads to gaps 

How do you learn? Adults learn best with necessity or when there is an intrinsic interest or goal.  

Making Connections

Language learning can be tedious because fluency in the new language feels less natural than a previouly learned language. People often study a language for years, but when faced with conversation or speaking with others in a "job" situation the words get buried. Why does this happen?

Words are not always easy to remember and use in any language, new or old. Your brain is busy running around looking for the words to form sentences. With often used languages, it is like driving familiar route: you get where you are going without remembering the drive. With a new language (or concept) you either have to build or do some maintenance to connect the concepts and words to confidently communicate.

Practice making connections and observations with a brainstorm. Pick a word or phrase. Write down a word or two and embellish with drawings, lines, color.

click image to enlarge

Why this works. There is so much learning going on here. And, if you let your mind run wild it becomes a powerful meditative and mindful tool.

• Pronunciation and/or accent is recognized. In this case, the "ge" and the "ch" can sound the same to some people (these sounds do not exist in other languages). The "u" and "au" sounds can become confused.
• Vocabulary is developed. In this case, each word has a distinctly different meaning that can be discovered in context when listening and writing and comparing.
• Mechanics are developed. Seeing, drawing/writing, and paying attention to sound comparisons brings three physical senses to help clarify differences and make 
• Brainstorms are "roads" between concepts. 

American Holidays and Remembrances in September

September has two notable dates in American culture and history: Labor Day and September 11.

Labor Day simply celebrates all of the people who work. Have a day off. Have a picnic. It is the end of summer and while we still have hot weather ahead of us, our outdoor swimming pools close. As some Friends have observed, Labor Day is a political holiday in other countries. Not here. 

September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by al-Qaeda terrorists who planned and hijacked commercial jets full of passengers to blow up national economic, military, and governmental sites. Not all the hijackings were successful. That day challenged American culture and security. Twenty-five years later we remember this day. We remember 2977 victims on the jets and at the sites of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, and Pentagon. We remember the passengers that took over a fourth jet sacrificed their lives with the crash in the field in Pennsylvania. We remember the first responders and citizens who worked to rescue and restore our cities and preserve our liberty and freedom.

International Fire and Safety Journal. 

International Friends Meeting Notes

Practicing your American English is important. Join us! Click here to register and get the Zoom links. Or come to Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Carmel.

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

September 14: Our journey resumes with the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Numbers tells the story of the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the desert before entering the land promised to them by God.

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

We got to know each other in this first Zoom meeting. As we shared our background and stories, we practiced listening, echoing, vocabulary, accent training, and so much more! Little did we realize that we had learned so much in two hours. American English study is all about being able to talk to and relate with one another.

September 17: For our next meeting, create half page description of a word or words in the Making Connections section in this Update Post. Email it to indyintlfriend@gmail.com.

American English Language and Culture: Thursday, 7:00 -8:30 PM, Room 102, Cornerstone Lutheran Church-Carmel

We met and got to know each other and set our goals both short term and long term. One of our goals is to become more fluent at work. We noticed that it is hard to bring the correct words to mind in the context of a job.

September 17:  For our next meeting, create half page description of a word or words in the Making Connections section in this Update Post. Bring your work to class.

American English for Kids: Friday, 8:00-8:30 PM, private Zoom

We talked about preparing for exams. Middle School and High School students often take general exams for admission or placement at the next level for learning. One strategy is to read and reread notes and textbooks from previous classes. This is passive learning. We talked about using the Feynman Method and then took about 10 minutes to try it out. 

Identify the Topic: The Three Forms of Water

Explain the topic as if teaching a sixth-grader: 

click to enlarge

We made improvements by adding the temperature notes. 

We talked about the molecule of water and how when it moves slower (cold) it becomes solid, and when it moves faster (hot) it becomes vapor or gas. We waved our hands fast and slow because kids learn better with motion

We talked about how hydrogen two atoms and one oxygen atom make a molecule of water.

September 18: Teach a short lesson from a chapter of study. Debrief to tell if/how this method helped you recognize your learning.

Words and Phrases and Resources

a number of: an uncountable amount (because we do not want to enumerate them-or count them)

call [insert a noun our pronoun here] out: overtly recognize 📣

debrief: give a summary to someone

gap: empty space between two or more things

intrinsic: essential or necessary

shortfall: when something does not meet requirements

Time's Up! Let's get back-to-school!

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

2026-2027 Registration Is Open

Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser 

Hello, Friends.

It is time to go back to school. Our classes and meetings begin after Labor Day (September 7, 2026).

Sign Up Today!

International Friends Registration - Cornerstone Lutheran Church

Summer Conversations

We had some visits and meetings over the summer with some awesome notes and observations. Words in American English can be pronounced in unexpected ways. "Sounding words out" does not always work for listening and speaking. Spelling "rules" are not consistent. Here are some of our finds over the summer.

Seeing and Saying

1. Listen: Use your tech to hear the following words. Say them. 
2. Comment below to share words you have discovered.

Why this works: Seek and find, say, share. 

1. Seek and find: Your search work helps you remember. 
2. Say: Your speaking helps train your ear to hear others and your muscles to speak the words.
3. Share: Language learning is a social activity. Telling others (even as a comment) add what you learned to your 

Here are the words:

• chorus: group of singers, repeating part of a song/music
• choir: a large group of singers
• chore: a routine task (usually household)

• say: speak
• said: spoke
• sad: not happy

• stay: do not leave
• stayed: did not leave
• staid: respectable, not adventurous

• play: take part in a sport or game; a performed story
• played: took part in a game or sport
• plaid: a pattern of alternating colors

Words and Phrases

awesome: noteworthy

finds: discoveries

tech: phone, computer, tablet

Speaking About Sports in the Summer

42 Summer Sports List (sorted by Popularity) Click here to go directly to our webpages and read the Update and other pages.

Click here to listen to and follow our podcast "Sorry! What Did You Say?"  on Spotify in your browser

We now have transcripts and episodes are divided into chapters. Be sure to check the AI's work. 

Hello, Friends.

Summer fun and fests continue. The World Cup ends July 19, but there is plenty to do. In the U.S. most schools start back in August (although locally, we have a district or two beginning the end of July). Take advantage of the festivals and music. There are county and state fairs to enjoy the best of the local farmers. Farmer's markets feature fresh crops and other delicious treats. 

Some American Professional Summer Sports:

• NASCAR
• IndyCar
• Baseball
• Women's Basketball
• Tennis
• Golf

There is plenty more to participate in and to follow 42 Summer Sports List (sorted by Popularity). 

The Sports Front

Continuing to look at sports...American sports leagues include different levels of commitment. Amateur play includes:

• Middle School, High School, and Collegiate teams
• Recreational (Rec) teams
• Travel teams
• Club teams

Professional team athletes that are paid to compete. These include major leagues as well as minor leagues that feed athletes to higher levels of competition.

Every sport has it's own format and parents and athletes can plug into locally. Here is an example of the structure for soccer (featuring California).

From U.S. Soccer Parent: Our goal is to empower every soccer parent in the U.S. with the knowledge, resources, and community support needed to confidently guide their child’s journey—from recreational play to elite competition—while helping shape a more transparent, inclusive, and informed youth soccer culture.

Listening Practice

While we are on break from our classes, we are still recording and posting episodes to Sorry! What Did You Say? on Spotify. Hearing native and non-native speakers in conversation can help you understand American English and Culture. Listen to the differences in the speakers as well as the content of the conversation.

Tips: 

• Speed up or slow down the recording. Sometimes you need to slow down to catch nuance or just what is being said. Sometimes you need to speed up to focus your attention and get the gist.
• Read along. The episodes have transcripts that are automatically generated. Do the transcripts match what you hear? Is it your ears or is it the AI?
• Notice the differences in pace and cadence of each speaker. Part of this is personal "style" and part of this is carry over from original language. Singing is a great way to learn the cadence of a language, even if you don't know all the words (and who knows and sings all the right words...no one You've Been Singing These 30 Songs Completely Wrong). 

Words and Phrases

feed: supply

follow: watch or keep track of

get the gist: understand the concept or poing

plug into: connect to a network or a system

plug in: connect a device to power (plug in the lamp)