week 13

We are in between process essays and persuasive essays. For this week, answer this question. "How long until you realized you had no talent or patience for this?" Tell the story (true or fiction) of trying to learn a new talent or hobby that you only pursued briefly and eventually gave it up.
When I was a kid, I really wanted to learn to ride a unicycle. I saved my money for a long time and got one. I tried for weeks and months but never learned to ride that darn thing. It was so frustrating. I was athletic and flexible as a kid but could never master the unicycle. I don't know whatever happened to it.

week 12

This week we are writing process essays which explain steps in a process. Tell us the steps you took in deciding to study English at SAL. For your final sentence, would you recommend to a friend to follow these steps or not? Why?

week 11

Respond to this quote by Buddha: Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Week 10

This week we are writing concluding paragraphs. Pretend that you wrote an essay about your Spring Break. Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes or restates the main points of the "essay". Include personal comments as well. Mine would be: All and all, I enjoyed my Spring Break. Playing lots of tennis, volunteering in my kids' school and organizing my house, school papers and clothes were the highlights. It wasn't as exciting as past Spring Breaks when I've traveled to Florida or Hawaii, but this time, I truly feel relaxed and ready to work for 8 more weeks.

week 9

This week we are talking about nature versus nurture. Tell us about a characteristic that you inherited from one of your parents that you like. This could be a physical feature or personality trait. For me, my father was always very honest. He didn't say a lot, but whatever he did say could be trusted. I think that I'm like that too. Physically, I look a lot like my mother. Sometimes when I catch a quick glimpse in the mirror of myself, I think it's my mom! People have always told my mother that she looks young for her age, so I like that I look like her.

Week 8

Next week some new students will be joining our class. Remembering what your first week was like, share with them 1 or 2 pieces of advice to help them adapt quickly.

Week 7

We have a long Spring Break coming up. What are your plans for the break? Are you the type of person that likes to fill each day with activities or will you mostly rest? For me, it will be a combination of both. I'm going to take the TOEFL ibt. I would like to teach some SAL electives about the TOEFL and this would help me do a better job of that. I'll also play a lot of tennis. I compete on a tennis team that starts in April. With my foot hurt right now, I'm not able to practice. I need to get my game back! What about you?

Week 6

Your impressions of the United States sure have changed since you've been here! I remember when I lived in Barcelona, Spain. The people I met thought that most Americans carried a gun. They thought I ate hamburgers every day and were surprised that I was nice and kind. They expected me to not be able to speak Spanish and to be rude. I hope that I changed their impressions of Americans.

Our first essay will be about how you have adapted to your new environment. Our first discussion of this chapter was about animals and how they adapt. This week I want you to share with us what animal you would choose to describe yourself. I would have to say a duck for me. Ducks look so calm moving along the water on a pond, but really they are paddling hard under the water. I may appear calm, but I'm actually very busy with work and kids and life!

Week 5 question

This week we are writing our final paragraphs before we move on to essays. We are also working on developing more complex sentences with adjective clauses and phrases. Here's what I want you to comment on this week: Before you came to the United States, you probably had some impressions of Americans from the movies or from things you had read or heard. Now that you live here, tell us about one or two things that have surprised you. These would be things that are different from what you had expected.

week 4

It was so entertaining for me to read about your first days in the United States! Thanks for sharing those stories. In this chapter of the writing book, our topic is high school experiences. I want you to think back further to elementary school. What is the earliest memory you have of school? One of my earliest memories is in second grade when I was sent to the Principal's office. I had put the eraser end of a pencil into the classroom sharpener to see what would happen. The sharpener broke and the teacher was really mad and sent me to see the Principal.

week 3

Your newly created holidays were so detailed and creative. It was a pleasure to see what you care about and how you would celebrate it! By the end of this week, you will be writing a paragraph using clear, descriptive language. I would like for you to practice a narrative paragraph by telling us about your first 2 or 3 days in the United States. Remember to use chronological ordering.

Week 2

It was great to see that everyone was able to post a response and made the deadline. What a diverse group of students we have in class! I hope that I get a chance to speak with each of you individually about your area of study and work. This week we are reading paragraphs about holidays. If you could create a holiday, what would it be for? How would you celebrate it? I think I would create a day of the year that everyone had to learn something new. People could take a class or try a new sport or do anything that would be beyond their normal skills and activities. I think it's important to always be learning and growing as a person. It would be called "National Take a Risk Day".

Week1 Question

Let me know that you are connected. I would enjoy hearing about your plans for the future and how improving your English writing will help you in the future. I'll post one question a week for you to respond to. Remember this is an academic writing class, so please consider your format and grammar when you respond. Laura