First off, I want to thank you guys for your flexibility this week adapting to the new classes online!  For those who have decided to take a break this month, feel free to keep up with the emails and send me homework.

I also wanted to let you know, that this weekend I am going to organize an extra activity online for those who are bored at home!  On Sunday January 31st at 18:30 we will connect to Happy Hour Trivia Night. If you would like to connect, just let me know!

Now, on to the homework.  This week we focused on pronunciation, specifically practicing the different pronunciations of the letter S, particularly in plurals and third person verbs.

Listening:
Learners can try a B1 level listening exercise called My Favorite Things from The British Council.

For original version listening, check out any of the many videos on Amoeba's youtube channel featuring What's In My Bag?

Reading:
Learners can try a reading activity from British Council (page 2 of this PDF). Can you find the instances where the letter S is pronounced /z/?

For original version, check out one of the many articles from The Verge's series What's in Your Bag? such as

• What’s in your bag, Anne-Marie? Scrunchies. A lot of scrunchies.
• What’s in your bag, Marlon James? Pens, paper, and turmeric tea

Writing:
This week, please describe the articles you have in your bag, your fridge, or your trunk.  The trick, though, is to be descriptive and also to explain the personal significance of some of these items for you!

Best,
Kelly

This week we used NPR's podcast series Life Kit as the basis of our conversation, talking about some important life skills to have such as:

• how to save money
• how to sleep better
• how to cut back on screen time
• how to throw together a meal

and lots of other ideas!


Listening:
Learners can try some listening comprehension activities about some of the topics that we discussed in class: how to get a good night's sleep, how to improve your memory  or parenting, 

For original version listening, peruse the Life Kit Archive!  Here are some recommendations:How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race, How To Invest — Even During A Pandemic ,  Here's How Tech Experts Recommend Organizing Your Photos .

Reading:
Learners can try a short reading activity about How to Save Money, or about how to lose weight. 

For original version, try reading the accompanying articles that go with the NPR Life Kit podcasts: How to Break Up with Someone,  What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary or How To Read More Books. 

Writing:
This week, please write an article for NPR Life Kit about how to achieve and cultivate an important life skill!  To get an idea, think about different skills you need for personal finance, health, habits, education, parenting, work, or travel.

Best,
Kelly

Welcome back!  This week we kicked off 2021 with a conversation about change: cultural change, lifestyle changes, trends, personal change, etc.  It was a great opportunity to practice a variety of verb tenses such as "used to" and the third conditional.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity from from BBC about changes throughout one Londener's life, or about environmental change. For something a little more challenging, try this activity about lifestyle changes in the pandemic.

For original version listening, try a clip from BBC entitled Change for the Better or an episode from Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History

Reading:
Learners can try a short reading activity called Changes in Town, or Adapting to Change.

For original version, try reading an article form the Guardian's series, One Change That Worked, about lifestyle tweaks that brought about welcome changes.

Writing:
This week, please write an essay about one major change, in society, in your city, or in your life.  Be careful about the grammar you use to describe the way things used to be and how things could have been different!

Best,
Kelly