New in November

Hello, Friends.

We wrap up October. This month has one of the best endings: Halloween! 👻🎃👺💀🍬🍬🍬🍬

We hope the beautiful weather holds out, but the trees are giving up their leaves here in the Midwest. Don't blink! The color will be gone. Meanwhile, enjoy the piles of leaves. Nothing is better than kicking and crunching through a pile of leaves.

November is a great month. We celebrate Thanksgiving near the end of the month. Indiana may see some of the first snow falls.

November 7: Elections 

November 16: International Friends "Friendsgiving" in person feast. Learn to prepare and bake a turkey and traditional side dishes. Bring your favorite feasting dish to share.

November 23: Thanksgiving: no meetings or classes this entire week!

November 24: Black Friday: Christmas shopping and the Christmas season officially begins 

Recommended Watching

The Chosen on Netflix or Angel Studios.

Fun At the Libraries

Libraries in America provide access to books, videos, and music (in hard copies and via apps on line). Libraries are a meeting place for clubs and interest groups.

Carmel Main Library: 425 E. Main Street, Carmel 

Annual Model Railroad Meet  November 4, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, FREE

Puzzle and Board Game Exchange November 19, 1-5:00 PM, Bring a game or puzzle to trade.

Pronunciation Conundrum

Our American Sign Language class highlighted an oddity in voiced American English. Say:

• Black cat
• Black hat
• 
  
  

Black Cats, themselves, carry a lot of baggage. Read more about these super special animals.

Eclipse 2024 News

Stem Center in Westfield opens in time for the eclipse!

Once in a lifetime Eclipse and Hamilton County (and all of central Indiana) is in the direct path!

General Elections

Election season is upon us! The first Tuesday in November is a general election and many local government positions are up for grabs. Visit the Secretary of State website to learn about elections in Indiana. You can see how to register to vote, voting options (early voting, absentee voting, and day of voting) and how registered voters can participate. Candidates are listed as well as their filing dates. There is a great deal of information including opportunities to volunteer and maps of elected officials. Each county has a board of elections that is responsible conducting fair elections. Visit the Hamilton County Election board to see an example.

Voting terms:

• Ballot harvesting: when someone is designated to file a vote for someone else 
• Early voting: voting at a central location (not neighborhood polling place) prior to the election
• File a vote: turn a ballot in to a polling place
• Absentee voting: not voting in person
• Mail in ballots: ballots that are cast (made) by mail

Speaker of the House Elections

Historically, Speaker of the House votes can be contentious. This Wikipedia article is interesting in that it reflects not just the election of the speaker, but the evolution of the political parties in the United States. The House of Representatives elected Louisianan congressman Mike Johnson and the House is open for business.

Meetings and Classes Updates

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

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

Halloween vocabulary and conversations stuck with us. This was because such conversation is fun and we have many great memories to attach to these words. It is easy to transform these words into stories and conversations. We enjoyed a list of new words including robber, alarms, steal, take to jail, arrest. We also learned about headaches, allergies, and sinuses. Small words like and, for, because that help to clarify our conversational directions.

October 31: No Class! Happy Halloween! 

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

We had a great conversation that focused on Luke 23:56. Luke tells us that after Jesus was crucified and died, the women went along to the tomb and watched at a distance. Since the day Jesus died was the "preparation day", the then observed the Sabbath (rather than prepare Jesus' body). Questions about whether the women were required to "keep the Sabbath" since Jesus was questioned for performing the "work" of healing on the Sabbath. In consideration: 

• Keeping the Sabbath holy is a commandment by God (Exodus 20:8) not just a custom  
• Jesus said that we should not think that he came to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17)
• Jesus taught that Sabbath was made for [man] and not the other way around. He told them that he was Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28)

So, were the women correct in keeping the Sabbath? Yes. While they loved Jesus and wanted to care for him, they also trusted that following God's commandments were in their best interest. Keeping the Sabbath as well as demonstrated their love and respect for Jesus as God as well as teacher. Did they have to keep the Sabbath? No. We have the choice to trust God and respect and follow God's commandments.

October 31: Join us as we continue our conversation in reading John.

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

November is "Vague Language" month:

• What is vague language?
• When is it useful? When does it get in the way?
• Why do we use it? 

November 2: Meet and explore vague in American English, in American situations, in American Culture.

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

We had a nice meeting sharing Hot Wheels Cars across the world. We saw keyboards, but unfortunately could not hear (is Zoom filtering ambient sounds). It is early for some and late for others...we are working around the clock.

November 3: Tell me a scary story! Come on, guys! I want to be scared. Bring it on.

Words and Phrases

ambient: surrounding, in the environment
around the clock: at many times during a 24 hour day
bring it on: a challenge

carry a lot of baggage: psychological or social issues
contentious: displaying an eagerness to fight
get in the way: obstruct an action

hard copies: a book, a movie; something you can hold in your hands; tangible

highlighted: make something stand out

holds out: stays

oddity: something unusual or strange
open for business: operating, working

whether: indication of an investigation of multiple options

Getting Ready for Halloween: Let's Meet In Person

 Hello Friends.

This weekend flew by. We had cool and beautiful weather. Halloween decorations and opportunities to celebrate are sprouting up all over. 

Everyone is welcome to MEET IN PERSON 

for a Tailgate, Pumpkin Carving Party

10 Unique Jack o Lantern Face Ideas

at Cornerstone Lutheran Church: 4850 East Main Street, Carmel

Meet in the back parking lot

Thursday, October 26, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

Bring a tailgate snack to share

Bring a large pumpkin, a sharp knife, and a large spoon to carve your Jack o Lantern for Halloween

Children and friends are welcome

Zoom over and say HI! If you can't make it in person!

If the weather does not cooperate, we will meet in room 100. Enter Door 6

People are talking about

• German food: easy to find at Aldi (ALL di). Right now Aldi has a German celebration and speculoos cookies.
• Trunk or Treat: trick or treating in a parking lot. People decorate their cars and hand out treats to children. Cornerstone Lutheran Church is hosting a Trunk or Treat October 27, 5:30-7:30 PM for children  preschool to fourth grade. 

Halloween: What to expect!

Want to see all the neighborhood kids decked out and give candy or treats?

• Porch lights on
• Lots of decorations

Not entertaining trick or treaters? 

• Porch lights off
• House dark

What else?

• What kind of treats? Wrapped candy (one or two pieces per child). Whole fruit (an apple or orange).
• Some neighbors host small driveway parties and grill hot dogs and hand out beer to adults.
• Some communities have parades.
• Carry a flashlight and watch for traffic.
• Watch for cars and be safe.

Wild Animals in America

A Friend went to a National Park on vacation. In the fall, the color can be beautiful, but there is warning about approaching the animals that make the parks their home. People forget the animals are wild and will defend themselves or their children. Bears are getting ready to hibernate and are cranky and hungry.

• bear/bears
• deer/deer
• elk/elks
• bison/bisons buffalo/buffalos or buffaloes
• antelope/antelopes
• moose/moose (from the Algonquian language)
• squirrel/squirrels
• cougar/cougars
• alligator/alligators
• fox/foxes
• coyote/coyotes

This article on Wildlife Safety: 8 tips for unexpected encounters talks about keeping safe when you come across a wild animal. Wild animals can be in parks, but you may see deer, foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, snakes and a host of birds in our urban and suburban yards. These are most often encountered at dawn or dusk. Keep your eyes open.

Meetings and Classes Updates

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

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

We learned a new list of haunted words to use for Halloween. We applied the words in scary and spooky sentences.

October 24: Tell us about fall fun and Halloween favorite times using our new and old words.

October 31: No meeting: Happy Halloween!!!!

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

Luke continues to tell a great story and lend new insights into the character of Jesus. Overarching insights included that people come to Jesus for physical healing. It is through these tough times that people discover that they need more in their life and Jesus provides healing and more. We talked about how important it is to have friends and a community in Christ to bring our problems to God when we are unable or unwilling. Jesus always is ready and willing to answer. We also discussed that Jesus offers solutions to social and political problems. 

• When we forgive another, we are free.
• Jesus spends a lot of time with God. He does not try to do everything on his own.
• Jesus tell his disciples something new: he tells them to pack a bag and be prepared to travel. He tells them to buy a sword. 
• Even very little faith is enough to make a miracle.
• It is not about the level of performance, but it is about the love of performance. We are all given gifts and how we use them for others is important and adds meaning to our lives and joy to others.

October 24: Join us as we wrap up Luke and begin the fourth Gospel (biography of Jesus): John.

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

We continued in our smaller groups talking about asking questions and gaining answers. Specific questions when we have workers in or take our car to be repaired are sometimes confusing. We find that we are on the answering end of the questions. 

Open ended questions keep the conversation going. When we ask open ended questions we are looking to gain information and demonstrate that we are listening and are interested in what the other person has to say. Active listening and reflective listening are important. We talked about people's perceptions when our answers are short or when we ask only direct questions (sometimes we appear to be rude or uninterested).

We practiced contrasting pairs of questions, paying special attention to count/non-count nouns and subject/verb agreement. Some examples:

• How much gas did you buy? How many gallons of gas did you buy?
• How much money do you need for the parking meter? How many quarters do you need? Who is her roommate now? Who were her roommates last year?
• Which one do you want--the blue pen or the red pen? Which ones do you want--the pencils or the pens?
• What color is her suit? What color are her shoes?

Be careful asking questions with "like ":

• What does her sister look like? She is short with brown hair and brown eyes. (To describe physical appearance)
• Whom do you look like? I look like my sister. We look alike. We look like our mother. (To resemble in appearance)
• What is her sister like? She's very warm, friendly, and helpful. (To describe personality or character)

October 26:

In person tailgate and pumpkin carving party at 

Cornerstone Lutheran Church

10:00 AM-12:00 PM

In the parking lot: Look for Carolyn's red truck

Bring

a snack to share

a chair

a pumpkin to carve and a sharp knife

We will meet in room 100 if the weather does not cooperate!

ZOOM over and say HI!

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

We talked about good things and not so good things things. We figured percentages and compared scores to the American grading scale. GRADES: Do we know what they really mean? ruminates on grades and performance. What do you think?

October 27: 

• Bring homework corrections: what did you do to fix the problems
• Create a ghoul and a spooky story to go along with this Halloweenish time of the year.

Words and Phrases

approaching: go toward something

come across: encounter unexpectedly

cranky: acting irritated

Questions and Answers

Hello Friends:

Whew! We made it through Friday the Thirteenth. 

Have you made your Halloween plans, yet? Do you have your costume ready. It is time to stock up on candy and treats. 

Geeking Out! Solar Eclipse October 14

Don't look to the skies without protection on October 14. A Ring of Fire solar eclipse can be seen in some form across the U.S., Mexico, and South America.

Annular solar eclipses are named from a ring of bright sunlight, or annulus. The “ring of fire” is visible around the moon during the maximum phase of this type of eclipse.

Visit the NASA website to learn more about where and when. In Indiana, we will have a 40-50% coverage. Look at the ground...the dapples of sunlight through the leaves show the shadow. Save the date: April 8, 2024 total eclipse is over Indiana as descibed in this article from the Current in Carmel.

A Travelogue From Our Friend Federica

I spent six days at Yellowstone National Park, with two days in the northern part, two days in the central-western section, and two days at Teton Park (located in the southern part of Yellowstone). Given the immense size of the park, I recommend staying in different locations throughout your trip and planning carefully, especially if you visit during the peak season, which is in the summer (June, July, and August).

During my visit, I had the incredible opportunity to see two bears, one grizzly bear and one black bear. The grizzly bear came exceptionally close to us, and there was a ranger present to ensure our safe enjoyment of the wildlife. At one point, he urgently exclaimed, "I want everyone in the car! Everyone in the car!" He was alarmed because the grizzly bear was getting closer and seemed intent on crossing the road right where we were observing it. My husband was so immersed in taking photos that he didn't even notice me rapidly retreating to the safety of the car. He jokingly said that I didn't even wait for him! I love my husband 🤣.

When you're in a natural park like Yellowstone, it's crucial to exercise caution around wildlife. Never feed them and avoid getting too close. I had the pleasure of seeing a couple of moose with an adorable moose calf.

There were many elks during their mating season. The male elks were making peculiar, almost angry-sounding noises in their attempts to attract females. It left me wondering if perhaps there weren't enough females to go around, leading to this unusual display of competition among them. 🦌❤️😡

Visiting Yellowstone often leads to encounters with bison traffic jams. I witnessed numerous bison, and they sometimes seem completely unfazed by your presence, standing in the middle of the road as if you're the one intruding on their territory.

Despite having three days of rain out of the six, I am absolutely determined to return to Yellowstone sometime in the near future. 🌧️🌲🏞️--Frederica Abate

Lone Elk Park: Lone Elk Park is operated by St. Louis County Parks and is located near Highway 141 and Interstate 44 in Valley Park. The park offers a close-up glimpse of elk in their natural habitat. Visitors can also expect to see deer, bison, wild turkey, waterfowl, and raccoons and other wildlife. The elk are restricted to the park by a high fence, but the wooded area lends to the wild feel of the area. There is a scenic lake, picnic pavilions, and one nice hiking trail within the park. The trail, the White Bison Trail loop, is an easy and scenic 3.2 mile hike suitable for most hikers.

Resources Friends Recommend

Commonly Confused Words in English: find word pairs that sound or look similar; be careful so your words are interpreted as intended

Arnel's Everyday English: YouTube lessons by Arnel. She has "fill in the gap" (fill in the blank) activities and small tests for you to check progress and memory.

Local Fall Fun

Fishers Fall Foliage Recommendations: Where to see the prettiest trees.

Palladiascope Light Show: Enjoy this free, one of a kind light show nightly on the Palladium in Carmel.

Sandhill Cranes are on the move: Numbers have double, although they are behind last year's statistics. Be sure to add a road trip to see these amazing birds to your fall to do list.

Words in the News

The news has been filled with these terms:

• Retribution: a judicial construct where defendants are required to give up something in return for offences given. Morals and ethics are key.
• Revenge: acts of violence or vengeance in response to a grievance
• Avenge: inflict harm (in behalf of self or someone else) in return for an injury 

Meetings and Classes Updates

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

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

We practiced colors, numbers, and health by interpreting a table and website. We were quizzed by flash card phrases. Each card led to conversation and connections.

October 17: Tell us what is the best thing about Fall.

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

Aside from our study, we met guests from Indiana that were staying in Arizona. 

Mark's account wraped up this week. We were amazed by Simon Peter when he denies Jesus. Jesus had warned Simon Peter that this would happen and he rejects the idea. When Jesus' prediction comes to pass 

Luke's account of Jesus' life highlights some amazing observations:

• Shepherds hear from the angels that Jesus has been born and they leave the fields to go and see him (Luke 3). They leave and tell others. Shepherds are the first missionaries,
• Jesus not only has command of the wind and water, but he can command fever (Luke 4:39)
• We talked about the difference between the baptism that John the Baptist offered vs. the baptism in Christ. In the first case, John the Baptist was calling for repentance. Current baptism follows the form and people receive the Holy Spirit and cement a relationship with God.
• People as if Jesus "is willing" to help them. Jesus is willing (Luke 5:12). We observed that when we are willing, God is ready.
• Demons know who Jesus is and shouts that he is God's Son and the Savior. Jesus commands them to be quiet--they obey (Luke 4:35)
• Jesus teaches: "Do not worry." (Luke 12:22) What a large 

October 10: Join us as we continue our reading of Luke.

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

Question Words: We jumped right into perplexing question forms with who/whom, whose/who's, and how's what's:

• Whom did you invite to the party? With whom did you speak at the party? (Formal)
• Who did you invite to the party? Who did you speak with at the party? (Conversational)
• Whose books are these? Those are Carolyn's books. (Possessive)
• Who's (who is) your favorite author? (Contraction)
• How's the weather? What's the weather? Are these the same or different? Is one preferred?
• How late will the plane be? How fast were you driving? How long have you lived here? (With adjectives or adverbs to measure or intensify).

We also realized that question words (interrogative pronouns that ask for information in the main/independent clause) also appear as relative pronouns to introduce noun, adjective, and sometimes adverb dependent clauses in a sentence. Welcome to English where words can have many different job descriptions! Continue to observe how you hear and read question words being used to build your own lexicon (like Alexa) and gain confidence with all the nuances.

Medical Questions and Conversations: Talking to your doctor and medical staff can be daunting no matter what the language. We shared tips and techniques to make these conversations and visits flow more smoothly and minimize our white coat syndrome,

Talking to Strangers: We covered many, many non-verbal signals that people use to encourage or discourage conversation. We discovered that there are differences between different countries and cultures. If someone is confused by your conversation, maybe he or she is misreading your body language. 

October 19:

Questioning Words: We'll review Practice 17 questions 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33 in breakout session 1. In breakout session 2 we'll practice pronunciation of contractions with question words and look at some colloquial expressions (see handouts). 

Service People: Join the discussion about asking for maintenance and repair service for your home, for your car, etc. You don't have to know the answers (that is why you hire a service person), bring problems to create a conversation and questions.

Talking to Strangers for Solutions: Learn strategies and techniques for gaining attention and gathering information from people you don't know. Practice making open ended questions that build relationships and gain more information from people you don't know. Here is an article to get you started:  71 Open Ended Questions: Examples for an Engaging Conversation.

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

We met and caught up. 

October 30: Create a ghoul and a spooky story to go along with this Halloweenish time of the year.

colloquial: characteristics of the informal conversation

defendants: accused people

lexicon: dictionary, collection of related words

missionaries: a person who fulfills a particular activity often religious

stock up on: buy a large amount of something for future use

October Overview

 Hello, Friends.

October is a great month to be in the Midwest. It is a great month to be involved in International Friends. To make things easy, you can see our October overview and schedules any time on our Meetings and Classes page. If you subscribe, go to our webpages any time to get questions answered or find more information. Join us any time from anywhere! Right now we have people Zooming from all over Indiana as well as Asia, South America, and Europe.

This month our classes and meetings are concentrating on building our skills in conversation. Concentrate on questions, specific situations, and talking to people you do not know. Speaking to others can be scary, but it is October and scary events that result in wonderful treats🍬🍬!

Running Into Each Other

I did not bump into anyone from International Friends and the band was on a very long break by the time we got over to the Carmel Oktoberfest. We did have a very good (and cold) time. Here is a hint for an upcoming date to run into each other.

Revisit and Remember

To learn and remember it is important to revisit information in a different way. Thanks to Ziggy, we have a nice summary of our classes from the week before all wrapped up in a funny cartoon!

Local Fun and Topics

Fall Break in Hamilton County is a great way to see what is happening in your backyard. Take a little break and enjoy corn mazes, bonfires, festivals, and more.

Hartland Film Festival October 5-15. MovieMaker Magazine named the Heartland International Film Festival as one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2023 and is consistently on the 50 Best Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, including 2023!

Butler University Jorden College of Arts recitals and performances are often free and open to the public. Take advantage of these amazing opportunities to enjoy and support our young, local artists. Visit the Butler Events Center for even more opportunities on campus!

Indy Fringe Theater opens a new season.

The Headless Horseman Festival at Connor Prairie celebrates its 40th year! Enjoy classic family thrills and chills.

Pumpkin Patches in Hamilton County are a great way to spend your fall break.

Technical English

Nitty Gritty Nit Picky

When getting down to the nitty gritty details, it is important to listen carefully to how the word is pronounced as well as differences in the sounds you are used to saying. When the "i" pronounced with the "e" sound that is usual in many languages "nitty gritty" can come out sounding "needy greedy" if you are not careful. And yes, when someone is worried about the nitty gritty details, they can appear needy and greedy, but you may not want to call them out!

How About What?

"How" is a fun and confusing word. Do not think or try to learn about "how" in isolation. It is always paired with other words. Then, we have "how come" which means "why". How can be an adverb, a conjunction, or a noun. Merriam-Webster explains, bring your questions to our meeting on Thursday.

Election Debates

Debates are a big part of American voting tradition. Candidates argue and present their plans and positions on critical issues facing the people in the community or the nation in a civil fashion (hopefully) answering questions posed by a moderator. There are rules for the candidates as well as the crowd. The moderator sometimes has her hands full when the audience decides to enthusiastically show support or disapproval or when the candidates talk over each other to make a point.

Carmel Mayoral Debate

Mayor Jim Brainard is not running for mayor of Carmel. He has served seven terms as mayor and the town has grown from 25,000 to more than 105,000 people. You can read more about his career and legacy and about Carmel on the City Website. The two candidates vying for the of mayor squared off in a debate Monday evening at the Palladium. Read about the event and watch the debate here.

Meetings and Classes Updates

Our October schedule is posted! We are excited to move forward with working and growing together.

Click to go to our Meetings and Classes page to learn more and register (if you have not registered, yet)

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

Time and time again we have had to refresh our ability to talk about that human construct that allows us to meet and celebrate in the same space. When we talked about time, we discovered that we had to be able to ask questions...A review of when, where, why, who, and how had to happen! Time talk forced us to consider grammar and tense. American Sign Language does not treat grammar the same was spoken English. Here is a link.

October 10:  There is no better way to review your vocabulary than to be able to communicate important information. Bring all your vocabulary together to interpret an emergency announcement: AQI Basics | AirNow.gov. 

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

Many of the stories in Mark are similar to the stories in Matthew. Mark tells if like it is. Stories become familiar with the second telling. The third time around informs us even further. What stories strike a chord

October 10: Begin again with us as we begin discussing the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician. His perspective. As a man of science, his and insight into the 

American English and Culture: Thursday, 9:00-11:30 AM, Zoom

Welcome to October! We tried our rotation three topics in two opportunities. As usual, we did not always stick to the script in the breakout rooms, but there is so much to learn from each other and the opportunity we have to talk together. Click here to see all the handouts and materials.

Do we always mean what we say and say what we mean? A review of idioms with "get" allowed us to discuss the nuances, social constructs, and tone of language in general and idioms in particular. We found new vocabulary, wordplay, and some giggles in two Ziggy comics.

October 10:  We continue our overarching topic of conversation with people we have not met before. Many of these conversations are full of open-ended questions using the "W" words and are in specific and sometimes stressful contexts where we need help or we are giving required information. When we talk to people we do not know, we need to be aware of the cultural expectations that go with meeting and talking.

Questioning: Question Words and Phrases: As we transition to Question Formation, browse the handouts for a new list of idioms to help you practice intonation and expression. Bring questions.  Sometimes looking at grammar backwards helps us truly understand structure. In Practice Exercises 16 and 17, try turning the given sentences into questions. We will discuss these over the next couple of weeks.

Customer Service and Medical Language: Asking and answering questions in healthcare settings are always concerning and intimidating. Being prepared for common questions helps all of us to not be as concerned and to concentrate on what needs to be communicated.

Talking to Strangers: Talking to strangers involves more than verbalizations. It involves nonverbal cues that let us know whether the person is comfortable and willing to talk and listen. Here are a few tips. What else have you observed?

Conversation 4 Kids: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom.

We were happy to see each other on Friday. It was great to see a Friend we have not seen in a long time. We learned a little about Scouting in the Brazil (is it different in different countries?). We discovered that cold and flu season has hit pretty much everywhere in the northern hemisphere (get well soon so you can get back to Zoom).

October 10: Bring a favorite toy to share as well as your homework example. Be ready to share and to ask open ended questions to "earn points"!

Words and Phrases Fancy and Common

a man of science: a person who thinks and works in practical and observable phenomena

all wrapped up: summarized

by the time: when

call them out: call attention to less than desirable behavior

positions: opinions

stick to: stay on one topic, plan, direction

talk over each other: talk at the same time

tells it like it is: is direct in speaking

terms: the length of service in a public office

time and time again: over and over, time and again⛽

up for grabs: available or obtainable

verbalizations: spoken words

vying: competing

International Friends in October

Hello, Friends.

October is a great month. We have officially left summer behind. International Friends Classes and Meetings are moving into phase two. We have had three or four weeks to get acquainted with each other and now it's time to get down to business (but that doesn't mean that the fun and fellowship ends!). Be sure to visit each of the meetings recaps below. There are plenty of tips to speed your learning. Click here to join our classes and discussions to get more out of the notes. 

October is a month of tailgating, homecoming, and getting together with friends and family outdoors.

October is known for super moons and spooky parties.

October is the month of pumpkins and apples and falling leaves.

Join us as we celebrate all things October at a tailgate party in the parking lot at Cornerstone Lutheran Church October 26, 10:00 am-12:00 pm.

Local Fun and Topics

Little Libraries

Are you looking for a good read or just a read? Do you have books to pass along? Little Libraries are just the answer. You may have passed one on a walk or outside a home, commercial, or community building. Bookworms or book collectors or people that like to collect things and give things away are just a few of the people who start and maintain a little library. You can read the story about one that was built in Fishers, Indiana in this article in the Current. The Little Free Library organization promotes and builds libraries around the world and people can buy a sign to have their little libraries registered with this organization where they are put on an app and mapped so they can be easily found. The people who look after registered little libraries are called stewards. There are no rules! Take a book. Leave a book. Books are a great thing to share! 

Netflix

Live to 100 on Netflix talks about the Blue Zones in the world where people live long lives. Beyond diet and exercise, this series talks about the tips centenarians have for long and productive and happy lives.

The Great British Baking Show started a new season on Netflix. Join the bakers as they compete and see what beautiful and delicious cakes, breads, biscuits (cookies in American English) are whipped up each week. Good news! Episodes are released weekly, so you can't binge! This is a good thing when carb loading.

Homecoming 

Homecoming is celebrated at high schools and colleges in the fall. Students and alumni celebrate coming back to school with dances, parades, and football games. High school dances kick off the dating scene for teens. 

Meeting and Class Updates

The third week of classes and meetings are on Zoom.

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

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

We met this week and practiced our conversational American Sign Language. We discovered that watching each other is important in understanding what we are saying. In ASL, when you can not remember a word you have an easy out: finger spell! 

September 26: It's time to talk! This week we are brushing up on our time vocabulary. Bring sentences and stories that require you to talk about timely topics.

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

This week's discussions included reflection on who Jesus counted as family and who we count as family. We talked about the book of Mark and how the stories are short and to the point where in Matthew, the stories flowed one into another. Because of the direct language and perspective, Jesus is much more of an action person in the accounts by Mark.

We also talked about the intentions of the Jewish temple leaders and their motives in questioning Jesus. Mark demonstrates Jesus' popularity with the people. Most Jewish leaders feared the authority of Jesus and refused to acknowledge his wisdom and teaching, We talked whether they were unhappy because they were restricted by their preconceived ideas of what God intended them to do. Jesus teaches using stories. He explains the stories to his disciples as an aside. 

September 26: Join us as we continue to read the Gospel of Mark. Concider how Jesus shares his message and teaching and the impact it has on the people he encounters.

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

American Language and Culture topics for October are all about questions and answers. 

• Examine the words and structure of questions to help you anticipate and grow your grammar skills.
• Understand questions and generate answers in the specific areas of: shopping, medicine, and general maintenance.
• Overcome you worries about talking to strangers (or even friends) as we talk about getting comfortable using language and customs to communicate with others.

Customer Service: How do you like your coffee? 

This week's focus was on customer service conversations in restaurants. The conversation soon focused on coffee shop language. Each shop has its own lingo and ordering more than a cup of black coffee can be daunting. Starbucks has a language all it's own. This Guide to Starbucks Lingo can help you get the most out of you Starbucks experience whether you drive through or walk in or order off your app.

Getting it Done

We got back to "get" this week. We almost got carried away sharing all the idioms we know:

• Get the runaround
• get married/devorced
• Don't get me started
• Don't get me wrong   

We noticed the MANY verbs we substitute with "get." Think about these contexts:

• Get a haircut
• Get groceries
• Get a new car
• Get a babysitter
• Get a gift
• Get bored, hungry, mad, sick, confused, busy, accepted, scared...

Open Conversation

In our smaller group we took time to assess using our "-ive" chart. 

We went on to talk about our level of confidence. We also talked about how people perceive us:

• Direct
• Rude
• Sarcastic/Ironic

We talked about perceptions and how situations can influence what people think and how they react. Culture also is important when we are in social and professional situations. Tone and delivery can be perceived as funny or impertinent.

October 5

To become confident, keep observing, building, and sharing your lists of new vocabulary and usage. We get the most out of our time together when you teach what you know and ask probing questions. Try our breakout sessions.

9:00-9:15: Break the ice and warm up

9:15-10:00 Breakout sessions

10:00-10:05 Break

10:05-10:50 Breakout sessions

10:50-11:00 Recap and Reset

Breakout!

W Words and Questions: To sharpen our question and answer skills, let's spend October as reporters asking: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW. We've already had requests to explore WHO/ WHOM/WHOSE, and we can't leave out WHICH/THAT. Join us as we get our heads together and try to get a grip on some nitty-gritty grammar and usage this month. Warm up with two worksheets about basic question patterns, which are posted under the Handouts tab on the website. Quiz yourself and bring questions.

Customer Service and Shopping: Shopping in the United States is cut and dry. Sometimes you need help or need to return an item. Learn about the phrases you can expect to hear and talk about what is expected in American stores.

Talking to Strangers: Conversation with people we don't know can be a problem no matter what the setting. When we are afraid others don't understand us or we are not confident of our language skills and don't try, we miss out. Watch the TED Talk by Kio Stark.

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

October 6: We are anxious to try out our new format and game for conversation. Get open ended questions ready to generate points. Practice storytelling to keep the points coming!

Words and Phrases

a good read: a good book

count or counted: consider, feel or think

lingo: language

pass along: share information or resources

preconceived: 

timely: usually this means current events, but in this case timely is a play on words!