Thursday, February 20, 2014

My Future

This is my third semester of graduate school and I have five more classes left once this semester is over. I am ecstatic to finish school so that I can finally start my career as an elementary or TESOL teacher. I have so many plans for my future and I cannot wait to get started. I know that there will be a fair share of hard times, since life is not easy, but there are so many positive things that I look forward to. Just to mention a few: I want to travel the world, buy a home, buy expensive items, get married and start a family. Everything that I am doing right now is to prepare me for my future, I am working, I am in school and I am saving money. Luckily, with the love and support of my family they are making my future even more promising. They have helped me financially by putting me through college, by living at home it helps me save the money that I need for my future. I hope to move out soon and I know it will be a struggle but I am ready for it. I have lived a very comfortable life and I want to gain even more independence. I am proud of how far I have come, I have two jobs that I enjoy and I am pursuing a career that I love. In 5 years from now I hope I have achieved all my goals (traveling, family, home, money, job etc.). I think the best thing is to know what you want to do with your life and this is my dream. It is my goal to make my dreams a reality I think it is best not to dream too big but anything can happen as long you try.

semester
ecstatic-very happy
career: job
expensive: things that cost a lot of money
financially: meaning money
independence: freedom
achieved: reach a goal

Spelling Words - Missing Letters

1. indep_ndence

2. car_er

3. financi_lly

4. ex_e_sive
5. a_hieved

6.semest_r
7. _cstaticGrammar points

Prepositions

The word preposition can easily be understood by listing some examples: in, on, under, by, for, from, with, during. Prepositions are the (usually) short words that precede nouns or pronouns, and give information about where (on the table), when (in April), etc.
What can be very difficult for learners of English, however, is to know which preposition they need in the sentences they say or write. This is because there is often no correspondence between the preposition they use in their language and the one needed in English*.

* For example: German has the same preposition as English: in. But there are many occasions when English uses in, and German uses a different preposition, or vice versa. English children play in the street, German children auf der Strasse (on the street). Germans can be good in languages (gut in Sprachen), whereas the English are good at them. English people travel by bus; Germans travel with the bus (mit dem Bus). In Germany, something belongs me (gehört mir), but in England it belongs to me.

Prepositions often follow other parts of speech as fixed phrases that have to be learned case-by-case: interested in, angry about, to belong to, etc. It is clear, therefore, that the learner who wants to use English prepositions correctly will often need to consult a good dictionary.

Here is a good online dictionary to use:
http://dictionary.reference.com/

The one

Once upon a time there lived a very beautiful young lady named Alexa. She was happy with her life but always wondered when she would meet the love of her life. She always dreamt of what her wedding would be like and tried to imagine what her groom would look like. She knew that one day she would meet the man of her dreams and she would have a family of her own. Until then she went to school and worked two jobs all in preparation to be the best future wife. She wanted to learn how to cook and make special desserts. She wanted to do all of these things so that her man would know how much she loved him. Even though she was young, she was frustrated, she had met many men but none of them had the special quality that she was looking for. Then on an unexpected day she met him, his name was Hugo, she did not know it then but this was the man she was waiting for. She was at a party and they had locked eyes. Then, he came over to her and introduced himself, he kissed her cheek and she felt giddy. She did not know why but she liked him and just knew that he was the one. They started talking and after a few days he asked her out on a date. They spent the whole night talking and she felt herself falling in love with him. It had all happened so fast but she could now imagine what her husband would look like. She knew who she wanted to make special meals for and who would be the father of her children. She could now see him clearly, but not just in her dreams. She now saw him standing at the end of the aisle, it was Hugo.

groom: a man who is about to be married
preparation: to be ready for something
frustrated: annoyed
quality: a specific characteristic
unexpected: something that you do not see happening
giddy: excited
aisle: a walkway

Grammar points

The Verb to do

To do is used as a principal verb in many set phrases used with the various tasks we do around the house and at work. To do is generally used to express tasks we do, rather than things we make. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rules. Here are some of the main set phrases about tasks we do:

do good
do the dishes
do sport
do exercise
do business
do homework
do yard work
Examples:
I'll do the dishes if you make dinner.
Sheila tries to do sport at least three times a week.
He's done that exercise a number of times.

NOTE: To do exercise is used with a number of different types of exercise. Generally, we use 'play' with competitive sports, 'go' with activities such as walking, riding, and hiking. 'Do' is used with exercises such as yoga, karate, etc.

Examples:
Jennifer did yoga for two hours this morning.
I try to do some exercises like sit-ups and push-ups every morning.
James does pilates at his local gym.

watch the following video on the verb to do:

Exercise:

Unscramble the words

1.	oormg	________________________________
2.	uxnctepdee	________________________________
3.	saeil	________________________________
4.	ddgyi	________________________________
5.	treinppaaro	________________________________
6.	yauilqt	________________________________
7.	setdfruart	________________________________

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Zumba

I always had a love for music and dancing therefore it seemed like a no-brainer when I decided to get certified as a Zumba instructor. The classes are so much fun and are an excellent way to get in shape.

I had been taking Zumba classes for about a year before I was approached by a manager at the gym I attended; he said that he was looking to hire someone new to teach. He told me that if I got certified I would have the job, so I thought about it and then I signed up for the 8 hour certification class. The day of the certification class was long and exhausting but it was all worth it. In the end I ended up getting my certificate and a new job.

I have been teaching Zumba for about 3 years now and I love it. I enjoy making new routines and learning new choreography. I especially loved the music; prior to Zumba I had not really listened to Spanish music. Now I listen to it everyday and most of my routines consist of Spanish songs.

I am currently teaching Zumba, Zumba toning (which is dance zumba but with light weights) and Zumba for kids. I am also a nursery school teacher and my principal expressed interest in trying zumba for the children. It has been a wonderful experience and the children love it. Zumba has brought me many great job opportunities, a healthy body and fun wonderful memories. I am thankful that I started doing Zumba and I greatly recommend everyone try it.

no-brainer: did not require much thinking
certified: to say officially that something or someone has met certain standards or requirements
zumba- an exercise Spanish dance class
instructor- teacher
approached: to move or come close to someone
exhausting- very tiring
choreography- dance moves
prior- before

Grammar Points

What is a subject?

The subject is one of the main two parts of a sentence. According to traditional grammar, a sentence consists of two parts:

a subject,

a predicate which modifies the subject.

consider the following sentence:

Leila loves painting.

Leila is the subject and likes soccer acts as the predicate
The subject relates its constituent (a noun phrase) by means of the verb to any other elements present in the sentence (objects, complements and adverbials.)

Examples of subjects

Nurses are on strike. (subject with no determiners)
The big man hurt him. (a noun phrase introduced by a determiner)
Driving is what I like most. (Gerund)
To write poems is difficult. (Infinitive)
That he worked hard is a fact. (a clause)
I/you...like soccer. (subject pronouns)
It rains often here. (dummy subject)

Now write 5 sentences with 5 different subjects.

Exercise
Answer the following questions

What is Zumba?
Have you ever heard of Zumba before this reading?
Have you ever taken a Zumba class before? If not, then write if you would like to try it
Do you like to dance?
Why do I like teaching Zumba?
Do I like Spanish music?

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Best Experience of my Life

When asked to reflect on the best experience of my life a specific person comes to mind, my boyfriend. Meeting him was the most significant part of my life, especially since I had never fallen in love before. From the first date I felt that there was something special about him and after a few dates I quickly fell in love with him.
Even though the first date was nerve-raking, due to the fact that I was so excited and did not know what to expect, it was the best experience of my life. I am a shy person so I was nervous but he made me feel so comfortable. I felt like I had known him for a long time. There was never an awkward moment of silence; He carried a great conversation and had me laughing. He was a true gentleman, it was a night that I will never forget. I did not know it then but it was the start of the best chapter of my life.
I am so thankful that I have him in my life, he has showed me how a woman should be treated. Just when I thought chivalry was dead, he came into my life and opened my door and pulled out my chair. I wondered to myself if he would continue to do that for me and I am proud to say he still does. He is a real man and I will never take him for granted. I have never felt so strongly about anyone before, it is such a special feeling and was well worth the wait.

Definitions:
1. Reflect: To think
2. Specific: clear detail
3. Awkward: uncomfortable feeling
4. Take for granted: not being thankful
5. Nerve-raking: feeling very nervous
6. Chivalry: being polite toward women

Fill in the blank with the words that have been defined above.

Life is short so enjoy it. Occasionally you will be place in ____________ situations but you will learn from them. Even though you will feel _______, you must realize you have to go through the bad to appreciate the good. Life is something you never want to ________________. Make sure you take time to ________ on all the good things that have happened to you, never focus on the negative. Always be the best you can be and pay attention to _________ details. An act of _________ can go a long way. Live, laugh, love.

What is the past tense?

The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. The three main tenses are: the past tense, the present tense and the future tense. Verbs describing actions that will happen in the past are said to be in the past tense.
Examples:

"The four travelers passed a sleepless night, each thinking of the gift Oz had promised to bestow on him."
(L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900)

"And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creaturepicked up the nuts."
(L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900)

"Dorothy . . . drew a small silver whistle from her pocket and blew a shrill note upon it."
(L. Frank Baum, Tik-Tok of Oz, 1914)

"The past tense includes any action or state of being that we could find between the dawn of time and a split second before the present."
(Michael Strumpf and Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible. Owl Books, 2004)

Pick 3 sentences from this reading that are written in the past tense and underline the words that are written in the past.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Power of Music

One of my most favorite songs is entitled "Young and Beautiful", which is sung by the very talented Lana Del Rey. I will never forget the first time that I heard this song, I was so deeply moved by the lyrics and the emotion. I love music, I believe that it is powerful and an important part of life. I feel that there is so much to be learned from music, especially from the lyrics, music relates to life experiences and can make you feel better. I think it is a great way to learn about another language as well as our own (we can learn new words). I want to incorporate it in my classroom, it is a fun and different way to learn, we can listen to songs in all different languages. I love listening to music in other languages, however, the song that I want to discuss is sung in English. (I edited most of the song so that it would be appropriate and it had one grammatical error)

Will you still love me
When I'm no longer young and beautiful?
Will you still love me
When I have nothing but my aching soul?
I know you will.

All the ways I got to know
Your pretty face and electric soul

He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds

I highlighted these parts of the song because they are very important and special to me. I think the question "Will you still love me when I am no longer young and beautiful" is a realistic and significant question. Essentially, it is talking about when we fall in love, we fall in love with the heart not the appearance. As we get older our looks change and so it is very important that we are with someone who will continue to love us. The best part is that she knows "he will" love her when she is no longer young and beautiful. I like that the singer sings the song to her man, by saying "you" and other times she sings of him in the third person. I love how she said that he makes her "shine like diamonds", I love the use of simile. I also adore how she calls him her sun, since he makes her feel beautiful, special and happy. She describes him by saying that she has grown to know his "pretty face and electric soul", I think it is a great description and it helps us understand what he is like.

Definitions:
1. Incorporate: to add something to another thing
2. Aching: causing pain
3.Sung: singing but in the past
4. Realistic: something real that relates to life
5.Significant: something important
6. Description: to tell someone the appearance, sound, smell, events, etc., of (something or someone)

Matching

Match the following words with their definition.

1. Incorporate A. singing but it in the past tense
2. Aching B. painful
3. Sung C. to include something to something else
4. Realistic D. something that has special meaning
5. Significant E.to say what something or someone is like
6. Description F.something that relates to life that deals with truth

What is the future tense?

In grammar, a future tense is a verb form that marks the event described by the verb as not having happened yet, but expected to happen in the future. An example of a future tense form is the French aimera, meaning "will love", derived from the verb aimer ("love"). English does not have a future tense formed by verb inflection in this way, although it has a number of ways of expressing futurity, particularly the construction with the auxiliary verb will or shall, and grammarians differ in whether they describe such constructions as representing a future tense in English, one and all.

The "future" expressed by the future tense usually means the future relative to the moment of speaking.

"Never believe any war will be smooth and easy."
(Winston Churchill)

"Nothing will work unless you do."
(Maya Angelou)

"I will not charge admission to the bathroom."
(Bart Simpson, The Simpsons)

"I'll be back."
(Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator)

Scully: Homer, we're going to ask you a few simple yes or no questions. Do you understand?
Homer: Yes. (Lie detector blows up.)
(The Simpsons)

Write 5 sentences in the future tense

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Trying New Foods

I have always had a fondness for food, although I am a vegetarian, I enjoy trying new foods. I recently gone to Dominican, Peruvian and Portuguese restaurants. I believe that the best way to get to know a culture is by eating their foods. Prior to eating at these various cultural restaurants, I had assumed that the foods would be similar to each other. After experiencing these restaurants I had learned so much, there are few similarities but many differences. Although these places may make the same type of food they do it differently in their own way. For example, you can order ceviche at either one of these restaurants but it will be unique in its own way. Ceviche from a Dominican restaurant tends to be more sweet, at a Peruvian restaurant it tends to be a bit spicier and at a Portuguese restaurant it tends to be more pungent.

Simple Present

FORM

[VERB] + s/es in third person

Examples:

You speak English.
Do you speak English?
You do not speak English.

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.