Hello all,
Today in film class we watched "Singing in the Rain" (1952) which tells the story of Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies ( filmes falantes) in the late 1920s. The film stars Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood and Jean Hagen as Lina Larmont. The film explore the tensions in Hollywood at the time of this monumental transition from silent to talking films, exploring the ideas of art, authenticity, and the superficiality of Hollywood. Because "Singing in the Rain" is about a the making of a film, we are also offered an interesting literary device called a "story within a story," in which one at times cannot distinguish whether one is watching the film, or the film within the film. Finally, the film gives us a good look at Hollywood in the 1920s.
Discussion question:
What is Don Lockwood like when we first meet him? What goals does he have? How do he and his goals change in the course of the film? Why do they change?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Conversation Hour 30/8
Soularium
Today in class we used a collection of 50 images (called a soularium - created by "Cru") to have a discussion about life and spirituality. I presented the idea to the students and asked them if it interested them. I explained that it would definitely lead to deeper conversations than the ones we normally have, so we didn't have use the original questions if they didn't want to. However, they all wanted to do it, so we did!
Discussion Questions
An image to describe her life right now.
Describing what she wishes were part of her life right now.
"I have been sleeping in the light, but I want to wake up in the light!" -Jannyffer
Images they chose to describe God.
Describing what his spiritual experience has been like.
New Vocabulary
Sharing this class with you was a wonderful blessing! Your honesty and willingness to try something new impressed me a great deal. I learned from you all today and left inspired, too. :) Thank you for sharing your hearts with me and with your peers today while practicing English! :).
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Basic English (For Language Arts students) 29/8
The Present Continuous
We began class today with a presentation of how to form and when to use the present continuous. We looked at the difference in word order between statements and questions in the present continuous. Students came up with questions that we could ask for the first statement to be the answer. I was waiting for them to ask, "Are the students sitting in their seats?" I asked them how to respond negatively to this question.
Students then came up with examples of the Present Continuous by saying what their classmates were doing.
Practice
Students then worked in pairs or groups of three. They looked at a picture and wrote down 5 questions that they could ask their partners about the picture. I told them to come up with some questions that you have yes for an answer, and some that would have no for an answer. The following are some examples of questions and answers that came out of this activity.
Basic English (For Science and Tourism Students) 27/8
Simple Present (Continued)
Tuesday students reviewed went to use the Simple Present. They also reviewed how to form questions using do and does and using the verb to be.
Next, they provided examples of sentences in the simple present.
First they gave examples of repeated actions and routine.
We also reviewed how to conjugate the verb to be.
Student Activity
Students filled in this worksheet with 3 facts about themselves and their daily routine.
They also came up with some questions that they could ask a partner in our next class.
Homework
Share your 3 facts and your daily routine in the comments section of the blog. Thank you! See you Tuesday!
Bible Study 26/8
Be Born In Me (Mary) By Francesca Battistelli
Today class was about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The song we listened to
(Be Born in Me) was by Francesca Battistelli from the album Music Inspired by the Story.
Check out the song and video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ClXvC1HVM
First we learned the new vocabulary. I wrote the words in English, explained them (trying to use only English) and had the students guess what they meant. They did a great job!
Scripture passage: Luke 1:26-56 (New International Version)
The Birth
of Jesus Foretold
26 In the
sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to
Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a
virgin pledged to be married to a
man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel
went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was
greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this
might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary;
you have found favor with God. 31 You will
conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will
be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father
David, 33 and he will reign
over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will
never end.”
34 “How will
this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel
answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even
Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she
who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no
word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the
Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the
angel left her.
Mary
Visits Elizabeth
39 At that
time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she
entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When
Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped
in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud
voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
child you will bear! 43 But why
am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon
as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for
joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord
would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s
Song
46 And Mary
said:
“My soul
glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three
months and then returned home.
After reading and translating the Bible passage, we listened to the song a few times and students filled in the blanks.
Be Born In Me (Mary) Lyrics
Artist: Francesca
Battistelli
Everything inside me ________ for order
Everything inside me ________ to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why I am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me _______ with Heaven’s eyes
And before my head agrees, my heart is on its knees
Holy is He. Blessed am I.
Be _______ in me, be _________ in me
Trembling heart, somehow I believe that You ________ me
I’ll hold you in the beginning, You will hold me in the ________
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
All this time we’ve waited for the promise
All this time You’ve __________ for my arms
Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
So we might know that _______ would go that far?
Be _________ in me, be ________ in me
Trembling heart, somehow I believe that You _________ me
I’ll hold you in the ___________, You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
I am not brave
I’ll _______ be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I’m just _____________
Nothing more
But I am willing, I am _________
Everything inside me ________ to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why I am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me _______ with Heaven’s eyes
And before my head agrees, my heart is on its knees
Holy is He. Blessed am I.
Be _______ in me, be _________ in me
Trembling heart, somehow I believe that You ________ me
I’ll hold you in the beginning, You will hold me in the ________
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
All this time we’ve waited for the promise
All this time You’ve __________ for my arms
Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
So we might know that _______ would go that far?
Be _________ in me, be ________ in me
Trembling heart, somehow I believe that You _________ me
I’ll hold you in the ___________, You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
I am not brave
I’ll _______ be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I’m just _____________
Nothing more
But I am willing, I am _________
Be _________
in me, be ________ in me
I’ll
hold you in the ___________, You
will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
The Blanks:
After they filled in the blanks, we read through the song together to fill in any missing spaces. Finally students sang the song together as we listened one last time.
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me
The Blanks:
After they filled in the blanks, we read through the song together to fill in any missing spaces. Finally students sang the song together as we listened one last time.
Homework Assignment:
Use the new vocabulary to write a short paragraph in the comments section below. The paragraph may be about Mary or anything else! Please write at least 3 sentences. Thank you for a great class!!Wednesday, August 28, 2013
American Culture Class (28/8)
Hi folks,
Today we learned about immigration to the United States.
Vocabulary:
Migrant: someone who moves from place to place to find work.
Immigrant: someone who moves to a foreign country to live there permanently.
Refugee: someone who is forced to leave their country because of war, persecution or a natural disaster.
Statue of Liberty: A statue on an island at the entrance of the New York harbor. This statue was given to the United States by France in 1886. It is a symbol of welcome to immigrants.
Ellis Island: An island next to the Statue of Liberty that served as an entry point for immigrants until 1954, and also as a deportation center.
We read a a text about the history of immigration and answered some true or false questions about the text. Next, students worked in partners to review the timeline of immigration history to the United States beginning with colonization. Finally, students were divided into groups of four and each group received a first-person narrative from an immigrant. Each group then presented their immigrant story to the class with a skit. We learned about the experiences of immigrants coming from Russia, Ireland, Mexico and China in different parts of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Key facts:
Today we learned about immigration to the United States.
Vocabulary:
Migrant: someone who moves from place to place to find work.
Immigrant: someone who moves to a foreign country to live there permanently.
Refugee: someone who is forced to leave their country because of war, persecution or a natural disaster.
Statue of Liberty: A statue on an island at the entrance of the New York harbor. This statue was given to the United States by France in 1886. It is a symbol of welcome to immigrants.
Ellis Island: An island next to the Statue of Liberty that served as an entry point for immigrants until 1954, and also as a deportation center.
We read a a text about the history of immigration and answered some true or false questions about the text. Next, students worked in partners to review the timeline of immigration history to the United States beginning with colonization. Finally, students were divided into groups of four and each group received a first-person narrative from an immigrant. Each group then presented their immigrant story to the class with a skit. We learned about the experiences of immigrants coming from Russia, Ireland, Mexico and China in different parts of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Key facts:
- Around 40 million legal immigrants now live in the United States, with 1 million more entering every year legally.
- Approximately 11 million illegal immigrants currently live in the United States
- 50% of immigrants are Hispanic, and most immigrants live in California.
- The United States accepts the most refugees out of any country in the world, with almost 300,000 currently living there.
- Before 1880, the United States did not place any restrictions whatsoever on immigration.
Discussion question:
Most refugees have to leave their homes very quickly and must leave many things behind. If you had to leave your home very quickly and could only take three things with you what would they be? Why?
A maioria de refugiados tem que sair de suas casas rapidamente que tem que deixar muitas coisas. Se você tivesse que deixar a sua casa muito rapidamente, quais são as três coisas que você levaria com você? Porque?
Saturday, August 24, 2013
American Film (24/8)
Hello all,
Today we watched A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), which is based on a play by Tennessee Williams and takes place in New Orleans in the late 1940s. The main charcters are Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski and Harold 'Mitch' Mitchell.
Blanche and Stanley are foils to each other in that they represent opposite extremes: while Blanche representes the old South and delicate femininity, Stanley represents the new South and aggressive masculinity.
Vocabulay:
Elysian fields: campos Elísios (uma referencia ao mundo subterrâneo na mitologia grega)
Polack: expressão pejorativa para se referir a um descendente polonês
Gender roles: os papéis de gênero
Foil: na literatura, um personagem que contrasta com a protagonista, a fim de destacar certas características de cada personagem
Discussion question:
Do you think Blanche is insane and deserves to be sent to the insane asylum (manicomio) in the end of the film or do you think she is a victim of her particular cultural situation? Explain why or why not.
Today we watched A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), which is based on a play by Tennessee Williams and takes place in New Orleans in the late 1940s. The main charcters are Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski and Harold 'Mitch' Mitchell.
Blanche and Stanley are foils to each other in that they represent opposite extremes: while Blanche representes the old South and delicate femininity, Stanley represents the new South and aggressive masculinity.
Vocabulay:
Elysian fields: campos Elísios (uma referencia ao mundo subterrâneo na mitologia grega)
Polack: expressão pejorativa para se referir a um descendente polonês
Gender roles: os papéis de gênero
Foil: na literatura, um personagem que contrasta com a protagonista, a fim de destacar certas características de cada personagem
Discussion question:
Do you think Blanche is insane and deserves to be sent to the insane asylum (manicomio) in the end of the film or do you think she is a victim of her particular cultural situation? Explain why or why not.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Conversation Hour 23/8
Scrabble!
Today was a great day to play scrabble because we only had a few students. They always end up learning new vocabulary when we play.
Vocabulary from today:
Grid:
Dove:
Cone:
Near: perto
Beg: implorar
To dunk:
Lit: (past tense of to light)
Row: ("in a row")
Wash:
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