He waits for the school bus. He sees the yellow bus. It stops in front of him. The door opens. He climbs up the steps. He says hello to the driver. The driver says good morning. He walks to the back of the bus. He sits next to the window. The bus starts. He looks out the window.
English Listening and Speaking
videos, music and few exercises for English supplementary learning...
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
School Bus
He waits for the school bus. He sees the yellow bus. It stops in front of him. The door opens. He climbs up the steps. He says hello to the driver. The driver says good morning. He walks to the back of the bus. He sits next to the window. The bus starts. He looks out the window.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Picture Story Five: Depressed
To print picture as a handout, use the pdf version of the file.
Health literacy issues:
- Mental health awareness
- Different cultural views on mental health issues
- Available community services for mental health care in the United States
The basic story:
In January, a woman is having an active, happy life. She is busy with work, friends, family, school, exercise and parties. In February she starts to feel sad. In March she feels worse. She cries a lot. In April she is still sad, and she doesn't want to eat. In May she feels very tired and stays in bed all day while other people are busy outside. In June she decides to ask for help.
Background information:
Depression is a very common illness worldwide, affecting an estimated 9.9 million adults in the U.S. alone annually. It is believed to be in part caused by environmental factors and in part caused by biological factors. Nearly twice as many women as men experience major depression. Depression can occur at any age to people from all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups. Depression is highly treatable with counseling, antidepressant medication, or a combination of the two. Many people from other countries don't know about treatment, in part because of a low presence of mental health care in many parts of the world. The World Health Organization reports that:
- Over 30% of countries do not have a mental health program.
- More than 25% of countries do not have access to basic psychiatric medication.
- 70% of the world's population has access to less than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people. (WHO, 2001)
Many people come to the United States to escape situations of war and torture, which may have left them traumatized and depressed. Others may experience socioeconomic hardship or other challenges of cultural adjustment which make them more vulnerable to depression. Often immigrants don't seek care because they are unaware of mental health care options, feel stigma around the issue of mental health, or feel they can't afford care.
Many communities in the United States provide sliding scale mental health services. These services may be found via county or municipal health departments or community service boards. Increasingly, services are being offered in languages other than English from government and other non-profit mental health care providers.
Major depression (sometimes called clinical or chronic depression) is believed to have a biological basis that can respond to triggers in life. Neurotransmitters in the brain are out of balance. The term major depression is used when a person has some of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks and the symptoms don't get better. Possible symptoms:
- You are very sad. Maybe you cry all the time.
- Sleeping is a problem. Maybe you sleep too much, or maybe you sleep too little.
- Eating is difficult. Maybe you don't feel like eating, or maybe you eat all the time.
- Thinking, remembering and concentrating are difficult.
- Your physical energy is low, or you feel like you can't sit still.
- You don't like doing things that you always liked before.
- You have physical problems like headaches or stomachaches, but they don't get better from normal treatments.
- You think about dying or killing yourself.
- An episode of major depression can be triggered by a traumatic life event, or it can happen without a triggering event.
- If you have major depression, it does not mean you are "crazy." It may be important to clarify this in class.
- If other people in your family have major depression, there is a stronger chance that you can get it.
- Some people get depression from taking some kinds of medicine.
- Some people get it if they have certain physical illnesses.
- Sometimes women can get depression after they have a baby.
QUESTIONS
- Do many people talk about depression in your native countries?
- Is it OK to talk about?
- What do depressed people do for help in your native country?
- Do many people talk about it in the United States? (You can point out that some people don't like to talk about it and others think it's ok. It is ok to talk about with social workers and doctors because they can help you get the treatment you need to get better. Medicine and counseling are very common for treating depression in the United States.)
- What do depressed people do for help in the United States?
- Where can you get help for depression in this community? (Before class, check local listings of mental health service providers. Possible sources of mental health help, or referrals for help, in your community: community service board, public health clinics, the local department of health and human services, doctors' offices.)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
In his native country, the man was very active and ate fresh, nutritious food every day. When he came to the United States he got a job as a taxi driver. He didn't get much exercise. He ate a lot of fast food. For breakfast, he ate at McDonalds (note golden arches behind taxi cab in the second frame). For lunch he ate pizza. For dinner he ate food he could microwave quickly. After dinner he ate snacks of ice cream and potato chips while watching TV. After one year, he had gained a lot of weight. He couldn't breathe while going up some stairs. His body had changed a lot in one year! He was not healthy!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Itsy-Bitsy Spider
The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Conversation Questions Can You Tell me About...?
Can you tell about something you love?
Can you tell about something you hate?
Can you tell about something you really care about?
Can you tell about someone you dislike?
Can you tell about a dream you've had?
Can you tell about a goal you have?
Can you tell about yourself?
Can you tell about your childhood?
Can you tell about your family?
Can you tell about your your parents?
Can you tell about your boyfriend?
Can you tell about your girlfriend?
Can you tell about your pet?
Can you tell about something you believe in?
Can you tell about a place you've visited?
Can you tell about an accident you've seen?
Can you tell about a time when you were happy?
Can you tell about a time when you were sad?
Can you tell about a time when you were excited?
Can you tell about a time when you were frightened?
Can you tell about your favorite pastime?
Can you tell about chocolate?
Can you tell about rainy days?
Can you tell about something beautiful?
Can you tell about something ugly?
Can you tell about something delicious?
Can you tell about something pleasant?
Can you tell about something boring?
Can you tell about something with four legs?
Can you tell about something with a tail?
Can you tell about something spicy?
Can you tell about your education?
Can you tell me about your work?
Can you tell me about a teacher you had?
Can you tell me about a boss you had?
Can you tell me about the hardest thing you ever had to do?
Can you tell me about a time you lied?
Can you tell me about something you regret?
Can you tell me about a mistake you made?
Can you tell me about someone in your family?
Can you tell me about your favorite book?
Can you tell me about someone you envy?
Can you tell me about something you've achieved?
Can you tell me about the worst punishment you had when you were a child?
Can you tell me about your first kiss (if it is possible)?
Can you tell me about someone you admire?
Can you tell me about the last book you've read / movie you've watched?
Can you tell me about a country or place you would like to visit and why?
Can you tell me about your favorite music / song / band?
Can you tell me about something you would happily do again?
Can you tell me about your worst vacation?
Can you tell me about a problem you have now?
Can you tell me about gambling?
Can you tell me about a collection you have?
Can you tell me about your first boyfriend/girlfriend?
Can you tell me about your first kiss?
Can you tell me about a prize you won?
Can you tell me about your favorite restaurant?
Can you tell me about your favorite movie?
Can you tell me about your dreams?
Can you tell me about your dream car?
Can you tell me about your country?
Can you tell me about your fears?
Can you tell me about your hopes?
Can you tell me about love?
Can you tell me about the most important lesson you've learnt in life so far?
Can you tell me about your home town?
Can you tell me about your computer system?
Can you tell me about something you would never do, if you have chance to come back life again?
Can you tell me about a time in your life when you were very, very busy?
Can you tell me about what your God is like?
Can you tell me about your past relationships?
Can you tell me about something that scares you?
Can you tell me about one of your grandparents?
Can you tell me about the hardest decision you have ever made?
Can you tell me about a recent embarrassing moment you've had lately?
Can you tell me about a time you felt really proud?
Can you tell me about a famous historical person (living or dead) who if you had the opportunity, you'd like to interview?
Can you tell me about your hometown?
Can you tell me about your job / school?
Can you tell me about your friends?
Can you tell me about your family?
Can you tell me about what you enjoy doing most in your free time?
Can you tell about something you hate?
Can you tell about something you really care about?
Can you tell about someone you dislike?
Can you tell about a dream you've had?
Can you tell about a goal you have?
Can you tell about yourself?
Can you tell about your childhood?
Can you tell about your family?
Can you tell about your your parents?
Can you tell about your boyfriend?
Can you tell about your girlfriend?
Can you tell about your pet?
Can you tell about something you believe in?
Can you tell about a place you've visited?
Can you tell about an accident you've seen?
Can you tell about a time when you were happy?
Can you tell about a time when you were sad?
Can you tell about a time when you were excited?
Can you tell about a time when you were frightened?
Can you tell about your favorite pastime?
Can you tell about chocolate?
Can you tell about rainy days?
Can you tell about something beautiful?
Can you tell about something ugly?
Can you tell about something delicious?
Can you tell about something pleasant?
Can you tell about something boring?
Can you tell about something with four legs?
Can you tell about something with a tail?
Can you tell about something spicy?
Can you tell about your education?
Can you tell me about your work?
Can you tell me about a teacher you had?
Can you tell me about a boss you had?
Can you tell me about the hardest thing you ever had to do?
Can you tell me about a time you lied?
Can you tell me about something you regret?
Can you tell me about a mistake you made?
Can you tell me about someone in your family?
Can you tell me about your favorite book?
Can you tell me about someone you envy?
Can you tell me about something you've achieved?
Can you tell me about the worst punishment you had when you were a child?
Can you tell me about your first kiss (if it is possible)?
Can you tell me about someone you admire?
Can you tell me about the last book you've read / movie you've watched?
Can you tell me about a country or place you would like to visit and why?
Can you tell me about your favorite music / song / band?
Can you tell me about something you would happily do again?
Can you tell me about your worst vacation?
Can you tell me about a problem you have now?
Can you tell me about gambling?
Can you tell me about a collection you have?
Can you tell me about your first boyfriend/girlfriend?
Can you tell me about your first kiss?
Can you tell me about a prize you won?
Can you tell me about your favorite restaurant?
Can you tell me about your favorite movie?
Can you tell me about your dreams?
Can you tell me about your dream car?
Can you tell me about your country?
Can you tell me about your fears?
Can you tell me about your hopes?
Can you tell me about love?
Can you tell me about the most important lesson you've learnt in life so far?
Can you tell me about your home town?
Can you tell me about your computer system?
Can you tell me about something you would never do, if you have chance to come back life again?
Can you tell me about a time in your life when you were very, very busy?
Can you tell me about what your God is like?
Can you tell me about your past relationships?
Can you tell me about something that scares you?
Can you tell me about one of your grandparents?
Can you tell me about the hardest decision you have ever made?
Can you tell me about a recent embarrassing moment you've had lately?
Can you tell me about a time you felt really proud?
Can you tell me about a famous historical person (living or dead) who if you had the opportunity, you'd like to interview?
Can you tell me about your hometown?
Can you tell me about your job / school?
Can you tell me about your friends?
Can you tell me about your family?
Can you tell me about what you enjoy doing most in your free time?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Beggar Replacement
The Story
The doorbell rang, and the housewife answered it. She found two beggars outside. "So, you're begging in twos now?!" she exclaimed.
" No, only for today," one of them replied. "I'm showing my replacement the ropes before going on holiday."
Vocabulary Practice
Mark the best choice.
1. A 'beggar' is a person who.......
a. sells food and clothes
b. has no money
c. asks for money
d. does the housework
2. To 'exclaim' means to..........
a. say something kindly
b. say suddenly and loudly
c. walk quickly
d. look angrily
3. A _____is a person that you put in place of yourself or another.
a. beggar
b. rope
c. housewife
d. replacement
4. 'Ropes' here means .......
a. the rules and customs in a place or activity
b. pieces of strong thick cord
c. people you probably meet in a special place
d. houses which are expensive
Questions for Discussion
This joke is telling us something about beggars' life. What is it?
Do you know a joke or a true story about beggars?
Activities
A. Now you tell your friend(s) the story in your own words.
A Related Proverb
A man is known by the company he keeps.
The doorbell rang, and the housewife answered it. She found two beggars outside. "So, you're begging in twos now?!" she exclaimed.
" No, only for today," one of them replied. "I'm showing my replacement the ropes before going on holiday."
Vocabulary Practice
Mark the best choice.
1. A 'beggar' is a person who.......
a. sells food and clothes
b. has no money
c. asks for money
d. does the housework
2. To 'exclaim' means to..........
a. say something kindly
b. say suddenly and loudly
c. walk quickly
d. look angrily
3. A _____is a person that you put in place of yourself or another.
a. beggar
b. rope
c. housewife
d. replacement
4. 'Ropes' here means .......
a. the rules and customs in a place or activity
b. pieces of strong thick cord
c. people you probably meet in a special place
d. houses which are expensive
Questions for Discussion
This joke is telling us something about beggars' life. What is it?
Do you know a joke or a true story about beggars?
Activities
A. Now you tell your friend(s) the story in your own words.
B. Pronounce the following words several times:
- Beggar
- Exclaim
- Reply
- Replacement
- Ropes
A Related Proverb
A man is known by the company he keeps.
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