This was our last week of class, so we talked summer plans and adventures!
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I wanted to thank you all for another great year at Meetinghouse!  Don't forget that if you would like to keep studying over the year, my website has lots of useful links and resources.

If you would like to reserve a spot in next year's group, please fill out the online pre-registration.

Your feedback helps me improve!  Please take a minute to fill out an evaluation.

And lastly, please return any materials (books, magazines, CDs) that you may have!

HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER! See you after San Mateo!

Best,
Kelly

​With summer just around the corner, we took the chance to discuss different hobbies, interests and pastimes.  For some of us, summer is a season of more free time, so it's a great time to take up a new hobby!

Listening:
Learners can listen to several of the listening exercises available from British Council hobbies and activities:

• Knitting – is it just for grannies?
• Why I love swimming
• Make your own clothing

For original version, you can try the TED Talk Laura Vanderkam: How to gain control of your free time .

Reading:
Learners can try a reading and vocabulary exercise about ESL hobbies.

For original version, check out an article about a bizarre hobby called Hobbyhorsing.

​Writing:
Please write a description of a hobby that you do or would like to do.  What does it consist of?  Why is it beneficial? What gear do you need to do it? Is it competitive?  Be descriptive!

Best,
Kelly

​This week we talked about celebrations and events: weddings, bachelor's parties, housewarming parties, grand openings, fundraisers, etc.

Listening:
Learners can listen to a couple different listenign exercises about weddings from ESL Listening Lab:Wedding Anniversary, Wedding Plans. Or try something from Bitish Coucil: Weddings

For original version, you can try listening to an episode from This American Life called My Brilliant Plan.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity about a traditional wedding.  Check out the vocabulary and comprehension activities.

For original version, check out an article about 12 Stories of Events gone horribly wrong.

​Writing:
Please write a report describing the key elements of an event you would like to plan.  What will it be? Think about the venue, date, decorations, entertainment and try to describe it in utmost detail!

Best,
Kelly

This week we used the English language edition of the El Pais newspaper, in particular section titled the Spanish Way of Life.  This content launched several mini-conversations about perceptions of Spain, as well as current topics such as depopulation, racism, and traditions.

Listening:
Learners can listen to an article from Breaking News Enlgish about Tourism in Spain, or about Spain's Shrinking Population.

For original version, you may be interested in the El País English language podcast called ¿Qué?

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity about the daily timetable in Spain.  Check out the vocabulary and comprehension activities.

For original version, check out some of the international journalism out there that covers Spanish current events: The Guardian, El País in English.

Writing:
Please read one of the articles from the Spanish Way of Life section and write an essay response to it.  What is your perspective on this issue? Do you have a different opinon or viewpoint?

Best,
Kelly

I could tell you all needed a break from the last two weeks of hard work practicing conditionals.  So this week, the topic was MUSIC, how music plays a role in our lives, inspires, makes us move and sing.  Some brave groups even gave the karaoke microphone a chance!

Listening:
Learners can try some episodes of 6 minute English that have to do with music: Life without music or Is music getting faster?

For original version, try digging into the archives of NPR music, there are lots of articles and listening to do over there.  One of my favorite music podcasts is Song Exploder. Check it out!

Reading:
Learners can read some articles from Breaking News English: one about the ever-amazing Prince or an article from British Council about music.

For original version, try some reading from Tiny Mix Tapes, or check out the archives from the music section of Longform.org.

Writing:
Please write in response to one of the following creative writing prompts:
What is the most beautiful piece of music you've ever listened to? Talk about how each part of the song made you feel and why it has stuck with you. Also, relate a story in which you share it with someone else and try to prove to them how great it is.
Describe your best concert experience of all time. What was the band, who did you go with, and why has it stuck with you as being so fantastic? Go into extreme detail and feel free to make use of band lyrics.Most people have a genre of music that just does not appeal to them. What is yours and why? Create a dialogue between two characters: one who loves that genre and one (like you) who hates it.
You are the lead singer in a brand-new chart topping band! How does it feel to be so famous for creating art? What is it like having so many fans and having to keep the band happy when egos begin to clash?If you could be proficient in any one instrument what would it be and why? What would you do if you had immense talent in creating music with this instrument?
Have you ever had a piece of music change your life? What specifically changed you and why? If you haven't, just create a character or a piece of music that would cause such a thing to occur.
It's hard not to associate certain pieces of music with certain people and times in your life. Write a "High Fidelity"-esque autobiographical piece about five songs that will forever be linked with particular people, for better or for worse.

Best,
Kelly

This week we took continued working on conditional tenses, paying special attention to the third conditional.

You can test your command and knowledge about different conditional tenses at GrammarQuizzes.com.

Listening:
Learners can try a video from BBC English called Grammar Snacks:Third conditional or Benjamin Button and the Third Conditional.

For original version, try listening to an episode of the show Hidden Brain called Rewinding & Rewriting: The Alternate Universes in Our Heads.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity called Advanced Grammar | Marge's Day Of Hell .  Comlete conditional sentences about her day.

For original version, read an article about how people responded to the loaded question What is your biggest regret?

Writing:
It's time to practice writing with the third conditional.  Write a text about a turning point in your life.  How would things have turned out if you had taken a different path?  Explore the possibilities and write an essay about it.

Best,
Kelly

This week we took the opportunity to practice different conditional tenses: Zero Conditional, 1st Conditional, 2nd Conditional, etc.

You can test your command and knowledge about different conditional tenses at GrammarQuizzes.com.

Listening:
Learners can try a listening article called A perfect day: second conditional from ESOL Nexus or a video from BBC English about Second Conditional

For original version, try listening to an episode of the podcast What I Wish I Had Known.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity called If I Won the Lottery. Or a downloadable PDF text with exercises and key.

For original version, try an article entitled:This Is the Biggest Regret in Life Most People Have from MSN.com

Writing:
It's time to put some of the conditional tenses into practice with some writing.

Writing Prompt: The first conditional is used to talk or write about real possibilities in the future. Review the rules for using first conditionals. Then pretend you are a parent who wants his or her kids to be behave for their grandparents on the weekend. Write a note to your kids. Offer some bribes for good behaviour.

Writing Prompt: In English we use the third conditional to talk about something in the past that did not happen. There is no possibility for this thing to come true because the past already happened. The result is also impossible because the past is in the past. Review the structure of the third conditional. Then demonstrate your understanding of how to use this structure by writing a paragraph staring with the phrase “If I had known…”.

Best,
Kelly

This week's work was an extension of last week's discussion on recycling and waste; we turned our attention to the topic of planned obsolesence.

Listening:
Learners can try listen to an article from Breaking News English about Printer Ink or an episode of the BBC's 6 Minute English entitled Built to Fail?

For original version, listen to a recent episode of NPR's Planet Money about the Phoebus Cartel (with transcript).

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article about microplastics from Breaking News English.

For original version, try an article about the Future of Planned Obsolesence in the Tech Field or an article from Buzzfeed about Things that Last Basically Forever.

Writing:
Do you think Spain should enact laws banning planned obsolesence or do you think it's an inevitable feature of our market-driven system? Why or why not?

Best,
Kelly