An adjective order exercise was in the lesson plan today. There are many nuances in the English language that we are never taught explicitly, we just learn them through trial and error: correct adjective order is one of them. For non-native speakers, it needs to be taught explicitly.
Category: Volunteer
ELL Training
Completed an online ELL (English Language Learning) training course this afternoon as part of the annual training requirements set by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Unwinding with Umami
Thursdays are our service days: Dwight in a university greenhouse, me in ELL classrooms. This leaves us with little energy for cooking, so we typically have dinner out. Tonight: our local Izakaya (Japanese bar/restaurant).
Never Give Up
First day of my new weekly ELL (English Language Learning) gig with adult learners. Three classes, great attitudes and determination, spiffiest facilities yet.
Scoping Out a New Gig
The ESL teacher I assist is moving to a new job at this facility. It’s a joy working with her, so I’ve applied for a volunteer position in her new classroom. Today, I scoped out the building on Lake Street and determined it’s easily reached by bike or direct bus. (MPS is Minneapolis Public Schools.)
Minding Our Ps and Bs
In the Somali language there’s no P (puh) sound, so we reviewed the difference between puh and buh (B) sounds. (With puh, you can feel your breath.) The definite article (the) is another challenge for Somali learners: in Somali it’s a suffix to the noun, so it’s too easy to forget to use it in… Continue reading Minding Our Ps and Bs
Appositives
Until today, as a native English speaker, I was familiar with the concept of an appositive, though I did not know the term. Discussed the concept of an appositive, a noun or noun phrase that follows a noun and further defines or identifies the first noun, just like in this sentence. Worked through examples with ESL learners without the assistance of Google.
That’s Closed! No Ice Cream!
Today I had to teach about sentences starting with “That.” In preparation for the class I plugged a convoluted sentence into ChatGPT: although correct, it suggested not starting sentences with “That.” After all that I needed ice cream as a reward, but the store was closed.
A Safe Place
On Tuesdays I’ve been missing my good friend Dave who’s laid up waiting for surgery. Instead, I was an ESL classroom assistant then a one-on-one tutor. People have tough lives, but their great attitudes and desire to learn are inspiring.
TOEFL
Worked throught TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exercises with an adult learner. It’s always a joy to work with people who want to learn.