Changes

9/23/2013

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As some of you may already know, sadly,I am not returning to teaching this fall. I have LOVED teaching you all English over the years.  I really have.  At the end of a long day, I always felt energized about seeing you all and spending time with you, learning about you, learning from you.  You all also probably know how difficult it has been for me to find babysitters for my kids while my husband was traveling.  Well, it looks as though he will be traveling even MORE this school year, and it just didn't seem to make sense for me to teach any more nights while the kids still need me so much at home.  So, that is it.  I will no longer be teaching the evening class, but I will still be a part of the ESL team, helping out with the computers every now and then.  I hope to see you all at least once or twice this semester at the Keefe Center, but please keep in touch because I would love hear all about what is going on in your lives, too!

Feel free to email me with your own news and/or questions.  I know you will have a wonderful year, but I will miss you all.  Please keep in touch!

Julie
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Questions for the Hamden Firefighter

4/30/2013

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On Thursday we are having a Hamden firefigher come to class and your homework is to write at least 5 questions for him. Feel free to share some of you questions in the comments section below.
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State Taxes

4/16/2013

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This evening we talked about how state taxes vary from state to state.  Below is a link that details the different tax rates depending upon the state.
http://taxes.about.com/od/statetaxes/a/highest-state-income-tax-rates.htm

I am curious to know what you think of each state's tax rate.  Where would you like to live?
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Taxes

4/12/2013

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Last night in class we read two great articles about taxes in the U.S.  What kind of taxes come out of your paychecks, how to read your pay stubs, and how to file a tax return.  For more information about taxes you can go to www.irs.gov.  Also, it is a good idea to check with the library between the months of January to March.  The library sometimes offers free tax services to those making $51,000 or less a year.  It is a great way to save money!

We also had a great discussion about taxes and money in general.  For more information, you can check out our vocabulary list.

What are your thought about taxes.  Do you think they are too high?  Too low?  What did you learn from lesson last night?
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Fun with Homophones

4/2/2013

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That plane is not plain!
Today in class we talked about words that sound the same, but are spelled differently. These words are called homophones.  Homophones can be  very frustrating for ESOL students to learn, but once you learn them, they may become kind of fun to play with.  Here is a website that provides you with further explanation of what a homophone is and some practice with common homophones.  Feel free to explore that site or do some research on your own.  Can you think of any homophones?  Feel free to add them in comments below.

Here is a great list of homophones
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Happy Easter

3/31/2013

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I was just wondering what many of you did today, Easter Sunday.  Please feel free to comment below and tell us how and if you celebrated Easter today.  I have also included an interesting clip about the history of the Easter bunny.  Enjoy!
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Happy Birthday to me?

3/20/2013

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Just letting you know that tomorrow is my birthday, and I will be bringing some goodies to share with you in class.  I know that we have been talking a lot about food, recipes, and nutrition; so I will be sure to include the recipes to anything I make for the class.  Don't feel obligated to bring a thing!  Just come!  We can sing, eat, celebrate, and learn together!

By the way,   that is a picture of me and my twin sister.  Can you guess which one is me?
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Children's books for learning and enjoyment

3/14/2013

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On Tuesday we had a discussion about children's books.  I emphasized that I know that you are NOT children!  You are adults and all of the reading and assignments we do in class are made for you, adult.  However, many of you have asked me about children's books because you want to be able to read books to your children and grandchildren.  We also discussed the benefits of reading children's books.

  • We can practice our pronunciation
  • We can read these books to our children and grandchildren
  • The stories are exciting and funny
  • The illustrations are often beautiful
  • There is a lot of vocabulary in the stories and the beautiful pictures help us to understand the meanings (instead of translating).

I hope that you all enjoyed reading the books aloud in class and that the were able to see the benefits of reading these books. 

What are some of your favorite books? They can be children's books or even adult books.  Please tell us and include a link to

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St. Patrick's Day

3/8/2013

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Some of you had some questions about St. Patrick's Day.  Below is a link to a video about the origin of St. Patrick's day.


The Origin of St. Patrick's Day

Also, don't forget about the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New Haven!  Who is going?
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Challenges in the U.S.A

3/8/2013

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Last night we had a great discussion about the challenges some of you had when you first came to the U.S.A.  You also have a writing assignment where you can write about some of these experiences.  Feel free to share your thoughts here.  What were some of your first experiences in the U.S.A  like?  Have your feelings for the U.S.A or your home country changed?  How?  When did you realize that you had adapted to life here?  What  are some things that helped you learn English or adjust to American life?
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