Hello, Friends.
March went out like a lion up to the very last minute! April showers are more like deluges! Weather watchers have had a real treat tonight. Watch for downed power lines. Be safe!
Happy Spring Break
We are officially on break! Relax and enjoy the week. See you in two weeks OR...
Let's Get Together
We have a Friend coming to town for Spring Break. Look for an email inviting you to meet up later in the week.
When: Monday, April 10th, 10:00-12:00. Come when you can for part or all of the time to say hi and catch up with your Accent and English class friends!
Where: Needlers Grocery Store coffee shop (coffee shop is called Lemons....at the front of the store). 4755 E 126th St, Carmel, IN 46033
Just a few blocks south of Cornerstone Lutheran Church where we used to meet for classes
Vocabulary
Our classes are bringing and talking about some wonderful words. Be sure to check the and look for words that are relevant to our Friends.
In America, we have some incendiary "i" words people are talking about:
- indictment
- inflation
- insurrection
Recommended Reading
- A Man Without Words by Susan Schaller
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- Golum and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
School Safety
Our schools continue to be proactive in protecting our children. The recent shooting in Nashville sheds light on how suddenly tragedy can strike and how important it is to be aware and prepared. These events do not just happen in the States. Our Friends have raised concerns with similar actions in schools in their home countries (recent stabbings by a student in Sao Paulo this same week).
"Being forewarned is forearmed." These events do not occur in isolation. People hint and even about their plans. Many schools have mechanisms in place to collect anonymous reports of dangerous talk or behavior. Stopit is one app that is used by our local schools. This reporting system supports multiple languages. Click to see the access screen. Learn more about what services StopIt offers.
The Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1, Section 6
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5-6:00 PM, Zoom
A small, but mighty, meeting. Five words provided us with insight into our expanding personal vocabulary. Unfortunately, a great way to practice is watching the announcements during emergency Finding the right word does not always mean that the word is right!
While watching live news
April 11: Sign about your hero.
American English: Thursday, 9-11:00 AM, Zoom
We like to think (and talk) about thinking. Thursday we explored the denotation and connotation of these words: wonder, ponder, research, contemplate, meditate, ruminate, worry, perseverate. There are many more synonyms, phrasal verbs, and idioms with "think." Look and listen for these.
Our breakout room conversations were especially meaningful as we described our hero or heroine. We are retelling our stories in rotating small groups. Telling and retelling your stories helps to build confidence as well as helps you to refine the story itself.
Grammar Goodies:
A quick review of count and non-count nouns:
- Singular count nouns must be preceded by an article or determiner: a dog, the brown dog.
- Count nouns may be made plural with -s, -es, -ies, or an irregular form: dogs, horses, puppies, sheep, according to spelling rules.
- Non-count words may not be made plural, but some may be measured.
- Be careful with "category" or "Abstract" words like these: a lot of baggage, some clothing, a bunch of equipment, no furniture, much money, a bit of advice, a great deal of information, a ton of homework, too much grammar. Do not add "s".
- Individual items in categories may be plural: two suitcases, three shirts, three pens, four chairs, $100 dollars, three assignments, etc.
- Question words (how many vs. how much), negative forms (I don't have any baggage to check), and quantifiers (some, much, a lot of) help us choose correct usage
April 12: Tell our hero stories to new small groups. Brainstorm words that relate to talking.
American Accent Training: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom
It is nice to continue to welcome Friends to our meeting and classes. It was super nice to drop in to the Accent class for a few minutes. We talked about compensatory strategies or ways we work around difficult to understand to be understood.
April 13: Get back together and chit chat about your break and continue to tweak your accent.
Kids' Conversation: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Zoom
We realized we have three amazing holidays: International Friends Spring break, April Fools Day, and Easter.
April 14: Be ready to talk about your April Fools' pranks and your Easter egg dying project.
- 30 Hilarious Pranks For April Fool's Day
- 60 Best April Fools' Pranks to Pull in 2023
- How to Make Natural Dyes For Your Easter Eggs
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