tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47206282483833442922012-01-15T17:00:55.256-06:00Celebrating the work and dedication of adult English language learners in Austin, TexasNancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-16013967509597803952012-01-15T11:30:00.001-06:002012-01-15T11:30:06.135-06:00

Here are two protest songs that were often sung at the Civil Rights demonstrations in the 1960s. The first is by Pete Seeger, and it shows the words. In the second one,  Joan Baez tells what the next words will be. Sing along with them!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-72848756775634791082012-01-15T11:19:00.000-06:002012-01-15T11:19:22.982-06:00

The 1960s in the US were years marked by protest against the unfair and cruel treatment of black Americans by the white establishment. These were times of civil disobedience, sit-ins, stand-ins, and unthinkable police brutality. This video was made as a class project by two high school students. I think they did a great job. We are not yet a perfect society, but we have made progress.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-34777853596515011372011-10-15T15:45:00.000-05:002011-10-15T15:45:49.146-05:00

Here's most of the Saturday Eastview Campus class. What a beautiful group of people!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-75593575303106057142011-10-01T15:20:00.000-05:002011-10-01T15:20:22.537-05:00

The Saturday advanced class enjoyed an orientation to the Eastview Library today. Librarian Steve Self gave a thorough orientation to searching for materials in the library (http://library.austincc.edu) followed by a hands-on visit.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-81431415498982898062011-09-15T10:07:00.000-05:002011-09-15T10:57:43.063-05:00

If your neighborhood Austin Public Library doesn't have what you're looking for, the librarian can tell you who does.  In their words, they are "more than books": DVDs, CDs, immigrant assistance, conversation groups for learners of English and Spanish, book clubs, and even salsa lessons! Visit a library near you, and while you're there, check out a book—or two.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-61142373479065827742011-06-29T23:09:00.000-05:002011-06-29T23:09:07.920-05:00

A short review of some of the things we did during the spring and summer semesters.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-53772193513301934282011-06-29T21:51:00.000-05:002011-09-13T22:11:08.642-05:00

During the month of June, we memorized one poem every week. Students then selected a poem to say for the camera.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-3560215121888478112011-05-15T22:11:00.001-05:002011-05-16T15:53:03.265-05:00

Everyone misunderstands instructions sometimes, but Amelia Bedelia takes the cake!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-42325299203368471142011-04-24T19:21:00.003-05:002011-04-24T19:54:05.951-05:00

Colored eggs have long been associated with Easter. People hide the eggs for children to find on Easter morning. Some eggs are hollow and filled with bits of paper. Plastic eggs can have candy or small toys inside. Many people give gifts of chocolate eggs for Easter.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-91673769514629302902011-04-19T08:38:00.003-05:002011-04-19T12:01:20.220-05:00

This is the poster for my presentation on reading at the TexFLEC conference on April 15 and 16, 2011. I have to thank all my students because, without them, I would have nothing to say. Most of all, I thank them for showing me that reading is possible for everyone.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-7997236684674652092011-02-24T14:55:00.009-06:002011-03-26T13:11:40.995-05:00

On Thursday, February 24, Moe Eh and Ka Kay joined me and several hundred other Central Texans to ask our state legislators to support adult education. This PowerPoint shows photos from the event, with text created collaboratively by the whole class.Literacy Day at the Capitol 2011View more presentations from Nancy Meredith.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-72786312163016027322011-01-23T13:24:00.004-06:002011-01-23T13:35:24.438-06:00

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-48204724606621167562010-12-21T23:31:00.007-06:002010-12-21T23:57:26.295-06:00

We a lively celebration of a semester of studying English together. More than enough food, lots of laughter, singing, dancing, and cameras everywhere!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-36359064354517865392010-12-21T23:26:00.003-06:002010-12-21T23:28:00.588-06:00

This song is a well established tradition for my ESL classes. Taking it further: How many gifts in all? How much would they cost?

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-33462016305816229912010-12-21T22:41:00.006-06:002011-01-04T09:55:30.051-06:00

Here are two productions by beginning ESL students performing an adaptation of O'Henry's short story, "The Gift of the Magi." Students made the background posters and then became cast members. Making the Posters

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-77935674584981665342010-11-18T15:52:00.005-06:002011-01-04T09:53:56.750-06:00

Below is the third production of Green Eggs and Ham starring beginning ESL students. This one is unique because of the special surprise after the story. A big thank you to all who participated!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-12533297474029026842010-09-29T23:14:00.005-05:002010-09-30T08:39:01.582-05:00

After the trip to the library, we worked together to create a story about a mother and son visiting their local library. Click here to hear how the story developed.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-22797866802876358152010-09-29T21:56:00.002-05:002010-09-29T22:23:05.829-05:00

On Monday, September 27, we had a tour of Austin's Cepeda Branch Library. More than half the students got library cards and checked out books and DVDs while we were there.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-49065995188173077682010-08-28T10:40:00.003-05:002010-08-28T10:46:53.683-05:00

Presenting most of the students beginning the Fall 2010 class at SWK (3 absent)…

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-84425557421344304132010-06-27T23:31:00.004-05:002010-06-28T11:42:07.374-05:00

A cinquain (5-line poem) is one version of formula poems that work well with beginning English learners. There are many varieties of cinquain, but I like to give students the following formula:Line 1 — 1 noun (person, place, thing, or idea); this is the subject of your poemLine 2 — 2 adjectives that describe the nounLine 3 — 3 present participles (-ing words) that describe the subjectLine 4 — 4

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-32722021093201281092010-06-23T20:36:00.009-05:002010-06-28T23:21:17.895-05:00

South Austin Campus students participate in a readers' theater production that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a fundraiser put on by a small cafe. Click on the book cover to see the movie.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-26078070251232088342010-06-23T11:01:00.012-05:002010-06-23T12:28:34.027-05:00

Both of the ESL classes made cookbooks for the culmination of our semester-long discussion of food. Students contributed recipes and titles for the books. Thanks to Alejandro Garcia for the SWK cover art and to Monica Carrillo and Angelica Fiallos for the SAC cover art. Click on a cookbook to download a PDF of it.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-88745938339238602722010-06-16T12:00:00.003-05:002010-06-16T12:15:00.208-05:00

Kim Peek was the inspiration for the character Raymond in Rain Man. He died in 2009 at the age of 58. Click here to read more about Kim Peek.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-16807394517457033422010-05-09T07:55:00.004-05:002011-01-04T09:52:49.644-06:00

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seusss is a great vehicle for pronouncing American English vowel sounds. It also provides a good excuse to have a party. Green eggs and ham, anyone?

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-58017350211043938612010-02-11T23:08:00.004-06:002010-02-11T23:21:40.677-06:00

On February 9, students from both ESL classes met at the Bob Bullock Museum for the American Sabor exhibit. The bilingual exhibit demonstrated the influence of Latino rhythms on rock music in the U.S. It showed major Latino influences in the music of New York, Miami, San Antonio, and Los Angeles with videos, interactive listening and mixing booths, and rhythm instruments to try for a real

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-54714335435365985102010-02-04T12:47:00.005-06:002010-02-04T13:02:05.118-06:00

I've added a link to the ESL links on the right for Google Translator. You can Copy and Paste any text or website address into the translator box, choose your language, and have a pretty good translation of the text or website. Try it with this message:Drag the pointer across all of the text to select it.Right click, and choose CopyGo to Google TranslatorRight click, and choose PasteChoose

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-49790127182573972442009-12-14T00:03:00.003-06:002009-12-14T01:42:28.858-06:00

Southwest KeySouth Austin Campus

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-31610207114612283932009-12-13T08:44:00.009-06:002009-12-13T10:30:27.115-06:00

ESL classes are punctuated regularly with parties for all occasions, culminating in the end-of-semester gastronomic celebration of friendship.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-80317489779559311742009-11-17T21:46:00.007-06:002010-01-08T11:41:49.270-06:00

Tonight the SWK class was able to take advantage of an invitation from the Bob Bullock Museum to see their educators' preview of the new quilt exhibit. After the tour, we went upstairs for a film, Crazy Texas Weather, complete with special effects for the audience to give us the "feel" of hurricanes and tornadoes.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-38930063621406691642009-11-15T11:51:00.009-06:002009-11-15T22:27:04.822-06:00

In the US, Friday the 13th is considered a bad luck day, a day when one has to be careful to a avoid accidents and misfortune. There's even a word for it: paraskevidekatriaphobia! Here's a website that explains the word and the superstition.However, my SAC students from Mexico told me that in their country, Friday the 13th is a "social day"—a day to visit friends and enjoy the company of others.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-84303063763995518902009-11-12T19:48:00.005-06:002009-11-12T20:08:45.121-06:00

I asked my Southwest Key students tonight why they liked computers. Here are some of their answers, along with two of my own.Everyone can study what they need to at their own level.English practice can be personal and individual.Computer skills can be used outside of class.Computer skills can help you find a better job.You can use a computer to communicate with family far away.Click on Comments

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-53025302623620137782009-11-05T08:05:00.003-06:002009-11-05T08:11:13.030-06:00

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-85649779149957657912009-10-31T11:22:00.005-05:002009-11-01T11:17:22.674-06:00

Last Wednesday the SWK class had a tour of the Austin Community College Eastview campus library. So many choices! So many possibilities!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-92223513397949411712009-10-31T10:57:00.003-05:002009-10-31T11:10:46.157-05:00

Reading in English is a great way to improve vocabulary, fluency, and even grammar. The key is to choose a book that is highly interesting and at an appropriate level (not too easy, not too hard). In the photos below, students are reading, writing about what they've read, and checking out new books.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-14101896202836309292009-10-02T22:54:00.005-05:002009-10-02T23:26:43.793-05:00

I became intrigued with Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling last summer, and with the encouragement of Will Slade, a fellow student at UT, I finally decided to have a go at it. I'm posting an edited version of a much longer story developed by my beginning-level SWK students. The story began with a character (Gloria). Where does Gloria live? What is her job? I asked the questions

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-23557470064217876812009-09-02T09:19:00.003-05:002009-09-02T09:40:22.347-05:00

September always feels like New Year's to me. The weather starts to get cooler, and life starts to wake up from the lazy days of summer. I look forward to new classes, new students, and new things to try out in the classroom. This year I teach two classes—beginning students at Southwest Key (SWK) and a multilevel class at ACC South Austin Campus (SAC). I just posted a photo of the SWK class. (

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-77999949382167497332009-07-18T21:54:00.005-05:002009-08-27T06:22:10.394-05:00

ElenaJuanaAlejandra and Maria

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-88355184300625081892009-07-18T21:44:00.005-05:002009-11-01T11:22:03.916-06:00

Last day of class until August, and that means… PARTY! So why does everyone look so sad?

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-63302237903572261992009-06-20T20:31:00.009-05:002009-06-21T18:41:37.882-05:00

Suzan K. Modi, formerly of Sudan, became one of the newest citizens of the United States on Saturday, June 20, 2009. The Spirit of Texas Theater in the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin was transformed into a federal courtroom at 1:00 this afternoon for the citizenship ceremony for 21 people from 11 different countries. In the photo above, Suzan waits for the ceremony in front of a statue of former

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-23292035167812108192009-06-05T22:28:00.009-05:002012-01-15T17:00:55.264-06:00

Our end-of-year project involved using the future tense and learning PowerPoint. The movie below is a compilation of all the students' PowerPoint projects.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-79839068284563787982009-05-14T22:53:00.003-05:002009-05-14T23:00:16.716-05:00

May 15 in Mexico, but my class surprised me with an early appreciation party on May 14...Thank you!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-42941491782020988982009-04-16T22:44:00.003-05:002009-07-11T15:31:13.005-05:00

Here's the video of students reading their biopoems! I think they did an awesome job. Listen for how well they pronounce "snakes" :-)

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-28232163272169907802009-04-12T20:24:00.009-05:002009-11-01T11:15:30.259-06:00

A biopoem, or technically speaking, an autobiopoem, is a poem about oneself. Click on the poem at the right to see a slide show of all the poems from the class.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-70218247350183068352009-01-30T18:53:00.010-06:002009-07-11T16:15:57.397-05:00

It's a new semester and a new class at SWK. Making introductions helps new and returning students get to know each other while they become more confident speakers of English.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-91893655464303756192008-12-23T15:45:00.005-06:002009-04-12T20:35:57.400-05:00

Searching for info — Since I started this blog a litle more than a year ago (October 2007), it has grown to a searchable size. If you're looking for a particular post, you can always enter a key word or phrase in the Search box at the top of this page, and then click SEARCH BLOG. Today I added a Labels section on the right-hand side of the blog. This is an index to the posts by keyword. For

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-62757011644735106012008-12-22T20:35:00.010-06:002009-12-13T10:28:39.538-06:00

This song is by now a traditional end-of-semester performance (this being the third class that's done it, and in my family anything that gets done at least twice becomes a tradition). If you love it, you can also see the performances from 2006 and 2007. Challenge question for those who love math: How many gifts did True Love give?

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-54907228096459604462008-12-21T17:20:00.029-06:002011-01-04T09:56:34.303-06:00

Our final project for the fall 2008 semester was a reading of an adaptation of O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." In the slideshow below, two groups of students spend time rehearsing before the camera starts rolling. The result is a "walk-through" reading of the play.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-86242827691481783902008-11-20T17:54:00.008-06:002010-05-09T08:12:27.602-05:00

When I was as the TexTESOL state conference earlier this month, I saw a demonstration by John Schmidt (Texas Intensive English Program) that I knew I had to try with my class. He and a volunteer did an interpretive reading of "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss — good for practicing American English vowel sounds. It's a long poem, so I divided it into six parts and had a different pair of students

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-57587222488032976132008-11-05T16:30:00.006-06:002008-12-23T14:50:50.323-06:00

The world stayed up late last night to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election and Barack Obama making his first speech as the president-elect of the United States. I have to say I am filled with feelings of optimism and hope today. To me, Obama's win is important because it shows that many people making small contributions can achieve the result they want. As Obama reminded us last

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-60007052373240985212008-10-23T21:44:00.004-05:002008-12-23T14:50:07.555-06:00

My ESL class surprised me with the most awesome birthday party this year. There was enough food for a village, and I have no idea how they ever found so many candles! Thank you, Sergio, for contributing your photos. Thank you everybody!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-32573783386373532162008-10-15T21:25:00.005-05:002009-07-11T16:17:11.016-05:00

Dialogue lines are a great way for English learners to practice conversational skills. In this video, beginning-level students are telling about something that is important to them or to their families. Before the activity was over, each of the 16 students had told their story to eight different conversation partners and engaged in English conversation for more than half an hour!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-17546999055571985062008-09-10T21:19:00.010-05:002008-12-23T15:08:08.989-06:00

On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew two hijacked planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Photos and videos of the resulting devastation, terror, and heartbreak are etched in our memories. Now on September 11 of every year the U.S. observes Patriot Day as a day of remembrance and honor for those who were killed on that day in 2001 and for those whose heroism in

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-61350478349235901092008-09-03T14:27:00.007-05:002008-12-23T14:42:18.977-06:00

Doors close, and other doors open. This semester, many things are new for me; many new doors have opened:I am at a new location. The people I have met at Southwest Key are very nice and helpful. Usually, there are not any other classes or meetings near us, so we can be as loud and noisy as we want to be.I have a new class. Almost all of the students speak Spanish, and all are at or near the

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-13066984204013136382008-08-13T10:28:00.011-05:002009-07-11T16:19:02.020-05:00

This has been the week of the 2008 Olympics in our house, from the awesome opening ceremony last Friday through the continuing coverage on cable channel 4 (KXAN TV). The dedication and performance of these athletes is inspiring (so maybe I'll try harder to open a jar of jelly before I ask my husband to help). While I was looking on YouTube this morning for video of the opening ceremony, I found

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-40115110104387427922008-07-08T08:07:00.023-05:002008-12-23T14:31:30.705-06:00

As we celebrate a year of successes and memories, we are reminded that happy and sad are not always opposites.BubbleShare: Share photos

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-62777999031686818572008-07-08T06:41:00.008-05:002009-07-11T15:55:21.028-05:00

Our final project for the 2007–2008 school year was a celebration of poetry and song. Students chose a poem or song to recite or sing, but they also had to do research on their piece and/or on the author or artist to present as an introduction. Click on a name below to see a student's presentation. I've also included OutTakes just for fun.Albina Alejandra Angeles Anna Buja

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-89411311389645102502008-06-25T22:04:00.003-05:002008-12-23T14:28:02.561-06:00

The ACC Adult Ed Department has had to change the schedules and locations of many classes for the fall semester. I will be moving to Southwest Key to teach a beginning level class. The intermediate/advanced HBC class will continue with Jeong Christensen as teacher. The HBC class will also have a new time. Instead of 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, it will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m. I

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-15633774476036766452008-05-07T20:57:00.003-05:002009-07-11T15:53:34.828-05:00

On Tuesday, May 6, we met at WorkSource, 6505 Airport Blvd, at 9:00 a.m. for a tour of the facility. WorkSource can help people find better jobs — and much more. They have computer classes and information about job training programs all over the Austin area. Visit their Web site to learn more.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-15882036888984501902008-04-06T22:37:00.007-05:002009-07-11T15:38:12.133-05:00

A biopoem is an autobiographical formula poem for expanding students' use of adjectives and writing about feelings. Here is an example:Who Is Gaby?By Gabriela FuentesGabriela...Friendly, tall, athetic, curious, smartWife of AaronWho loves family, music, and moviesWho is afraid of heights, snakes, and sharksWho wants to see Europe, family happiness, and sonsResident of North Austin...FuentesClick

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-35819618074159470132008-03-26T18:03:00.007-05:002009-07-11T16:14:54.405-05:00

If you misplaced your CD of Ted Klein reading his English vowel pronunciation exercises, you can now hear them online. He has teamed up with Jade Lindquist, who has added Ted's CD to her Web site for learning Spanish, edufone.com. You will hear Spanish at first and in the explanations, but don't give up if you are not a Spanish speaker. Keep listening, and you'll hear Ted's pronunciation

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-42430468908047571832008-02-22T18:07:00.013-06:002009-07-11T16:19:58.575-05:00

While discussing the historic nature of this year's Democratic primary election -- a black candidate against a female candidate -- Hyon reminded me that we have had a black candidate for president before. Jesse Jackson was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984, winning more than 12% of the vote. He did much better in 1988, when he won more than 31% of the vote at the

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-77180018896737628272008-02-21T16:30:00.004-06:002009-07-11T16:20:45.046-05:00

If you want to know the etymology of a word or phrase, you want to know where it came from or how it got started. There are several stories about the origin of the word okay. Do an Internet search using the key words okay and etymology. Take notes about what you find for class discussion later today. Okey dokey?

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-26253539088005908232008-02-14T16:50:00.006-06:002011-02-18T11:26:29.676-06:00

On Monday, February 18, banks and government offices will be closed in honor of Presidents' Day. However, ACC and Austin public schools do not have a holiday. We will have class on the 18th of February. Click here to read more about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. If you're feeling adventurous, take a Presidents' Day quiz.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-44785946542492504402007-12-20T20:22:00.008-06:002009-12-13T10:27:29.048-06:00

Fall 2007 was an awesome semester! Thanks to all of you who helped make it so.Below is our 2007 rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas, with apologies to Laura and Angeles, who had gone to pick up the pizza.

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-28604205433307157732007-12-12T16:59:00.003-06:002008-12-23T15:06:05.614-06:00

Take this test on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to see how much you remember about the poem. It's not really a test, so if you can't remember, you can look at your paper to find the answer.Read stories by ESL students about their Christmas and New Year memories.Try these 30 questions to test your English grammar while you learn about the history of Santa Claus.Find out why we have Christmas

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-42794187312739816852007-12-09T14:07:00.004-06:002009-07-11T15:50:15.561-05:00

Some of you have read The Gift of the Magi by O'Henry in class. Here is a link to a recording of the story so you can listen to it as you read. Scroll down until you see the audio player, click the arrow for Play, and then scroll back to the top of the story to read with the recording.O'Henry was born William Sidney Porter in North Carolina in 1862. He moved to Austin when he was 22 years old. He

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-33285620844234312612007-11-29T09:44:00.004-06:002009-07-11T16:18:20.460-05:00

After you did the Excel exercise, you might wonder... What is zodiac? What is a Chinese star sign? Here are some links with answers:Signs of the ZodiacChinese AstrologyWhat does it mean to be born on Saturday? Here's a traditional English nursery rhyme that predicts your life based on the day of the week you were born:Monday's child is fair of face [pretty or handsome]Tuesday's child is full of

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-79866831568117227282007-11-28T17:53:00.002-06:002009-07-11T15:40:16.200-05:00

How many minutes have you lived? How many days will you have to work before you can retire? On what day of the week were you born? Click here to open an Excel document that tells all.Click on OpenType your birthdate in the first cell with a black border in column 1.Type the age you want to be when you retire in the second cell with a black border in column 1.Type the date of your wedding (or if

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-388850674617667822007-11-28T17:34:00.001-06:002008-12-23T13:14:30.621-06:00

Here is the link to the Web site for Material World that we looked at in class today:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.htmlIf you have time, you can see more photos from Kenya, Japan, India, and China at this site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/producer.html

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-80881470792106369872007-11-26T16:56:00.004-06:002009-07-11T15:50:56.174-05:00

The horse is runninghigh and beautiful colorsanimal lovelyFrom our big windowI can see the clear blue skyAnd beautiful birds.On the big tableFive beautiful red rosesStood in the green vase.Elephant runningIn Africa long afterbigger and mightyPoinsettia red greenbeautiful colors happyanniversaryrobin sings prettybeautiful colors orange brownflies in the forest

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-1266134127720078872007-11-16T11:01:00.004-06:002011-09-13T22:10:47.090-05:00

Here's the video of our class commercials. Great work, everybody!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-34663734546024666832007-11-12T14:11:00.005-06:002009-07-11T15:41:57.926-05:00

After talking about slogans used in commercials, our class informally adopted this slogan from Home Depot. It has become the class motto, not only in what we say, but in what we do. You can do it; we can help! How do I feel about that? I'm lovin' it!

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-83892113183213439332007-11-07T23:17:00.002-06:002011-01-30T14:22:04.774-06:00

Here's a reading experiment. Try to read these mixed-up words. Hint: focus on the first and last letters.I cna't blveiee taht I can uesdnatnrd waht tihs syas. New rsaerech syas taht the oerdr of ltetres in a wrod deos not mtaetr. The olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-15406744542223022972007-10-31T21:10:00.005-05:002009-07-11T15:43:18.711-05:00

In the I Love Lucy commercial for VitaMeataVegaMin that we saw in class, Lucy uses questions to get the audience interested in her product. Here are some real commercials with different ways of getting people's attention. Read the words on the right side of the screen while you watch the commercial. Click on any words that are different from what you hear. Play the commercial as many times as you

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720628248383344292.post-52654866680786828912007-10-24T19:51:00.002-05:002009-07-11T15:47:15.900-05:00

One way to learn English faster is to take it home with you. Here are some ideas.1. If you have a friend or family member who speaks English, ask them to talk with you in English for 15 minutes. You can do this several times a day. If they correct your mistakes, just say "thank you," and keep on talking.2. Sometimes when you are shopping, you might see one employee who looks like an English-only

Nancy Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843036034449263629noreply@blogger.com0