This week we used the illustrated book Food Rules, by Michael Pollan, as the basis of our conversation about healthy eating.

Listening:
Learners can try one of the following food-related activities: Snack Time 
Joe's Hamburger Restaurant 
Heavenly Pies Restaurant 
Dinner Time 

For original version, listen to Michael Pollan read some of his food rules, or listen to an interview with him called You Are What you Cook.

Reading:
Learners can  try the activity Eating Out or an article about poor nutrition in the developing world.

For original version try Michael Pollan answer's questions, How Change is Going to Come to the Food System, National Food Policy Saves Lives.

Writing:
For writing this week, choose one of Michael Pollan's food rules (check this list here) and write an essay expanding on the idea he suggests.
Best,
Kelly

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November Week Three:

This week we continued our conversation about travelling and situations we may encounter, focusing on context such as hotels, doctor's offices, taxis, etc.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity called At the Doctors or for something a little harder, try Hotel Check-In from ESLLab

For original version,  Amateur Traveler is a podcast tailor-made for you. For over a decade, host Chris Christensen has been coaching new travelers on how to find and visit locations that are on their bucket lists

Reading:
Learners can check out some of the following activities related to the situations we saw in class:

AT THE HOTEL 1: Checking in
AT THE HOTEL 2: Checking in
AT THE HOTEL 4: Talking to someone at the reception desk
AT THE HOTEL 5: Making a reservation
AT THE RESTAURANT 2: Ordering
AT THE RESTAURANT 5: Eating a meal
AT THE RESTAURANT 6: Eating/bad service
AT THE RESTAURANT 7: Finishing a meal/paying
TRAINS/TAKING TRAINS: What's wrong?
DRIVING: What's wrong?
SIGHTSEEING: Questions and answers
HEALTH: Seeing a doctor
HEALTH: What's wrong?
SAFETY/CRIME: What's wrong?

For original version explore some of the articles over at Global Yodel, or a longer essay from Longform.org about travel. 

Writing:
For writing this week please write a dialogue from one of the situations we talked about in class the last two weeks: at the airport check-in counter, the hotel, a taxi, a doctor's office, a restaurant, a shop.
Best,
Kelly

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November Week Two:

This week we talked about travel, specifically practicing useful language necessary to navigate problematic situations that could arise when traveling.
Learners can check out any of the many pages with useful listening exercises for travel English:
Airport
Car Rental
Hotel
Directions
Restaurant
Store and More
Talking to Strangers

For original version, listen to some travel podcasts, such as Excess Baggage, the Budget Minded Traveler, or Women Who Travel.
Learners can read any of the useful vocabulary lists and texts of Surival English, which focus on some of the vocabulary you many need when traveling.  Similarly, try Travel English.

For original version try any of the articles from Wanderlust Magazine or Atlas Obscura.
For writing this week please take one travel fiasco situation and write a dialogue.  What are some of the phrases you may encounter? How would someone solve the situation?
Best,
Kelly

 Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend last week!  This week we got back to our flow, talking about sound: the sound of places, people, animals, film and music.

Listening:
Learners can check out an episode from 6 Minute English called Life Without Music, or Is Silence Golden?

For original version, listen to the Radiolab story, Sound as Touch or some of the resources from SoundWorks Collection: Video and Podcast.

Reading:
Learners can read an article from Breaking News English about the prevelant problem of noise pollution.

For original version read about John Cage's Search for Silence, or Silence Like Scouring Sand: A trip to one of America’s quietest places with a man who has dedicated his life to keeping it that way.

Writing:
For writing this week start a story with the first sentence, "The sound instantly made them both uncomfortable."  Take it from there!

Or, try to use some descriptive adjectives to describe the different sounds you hear throughout your day.  Write your sound diary.
Best,
Kelly

 Happy Halloween, everybody!  As you know, this is one of my favorite holidays, and it is a yearly tradition to turn off the lights and tell scay stories by candlelight.

Listening:
Learners can try watching the Ghosts ESL video, or Learning English Through Story: The Living Ghost.

For original version, check out the This American Life episode the House on Loon Lake, that we talked about in class. For something easier, try American Folklore Stories.

Reading:
Learners can try an article from Heads Up English about people's beliefs in Ghosts.

For original version learn about the origin of Halloween.

Writing:
For writing this week I would like you to write a scary story!  In can be a true story of something that happened to you, or you are welcome to use your imagination to make it up.
Best,
Kelly