"The Secret Garden" Martha speaking Yorkshire Dialect!

Would you like to hear Martha speaking the Yorkshire dialect? Below you can watch a clip from a BBC production of "The Secret Garden". It shows the first conversation between Mary and Martha which you read in the book. See if you can understand what Martha is saying!

What do you think? Could you understand part of this? Are the characters how you imagined them when you read or different? If you have any comments, leave them below, and you can get extra credit!

CHOOSING A CITY: The American South

The southern part of the United States includes many exciting cities. Here are a few of the most interesting to consider writing/presenting about for your project.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

The most famous attraction in Orlando is Disney World. Bigger than Disneyland, it's considered the best theme park in the world. However, there are many other amusement/theme parks in Orlando, as well as many other attractions. Here's an introduction to Orlando by Expedia, with subtitles:

Here's a video showing one of the many rides at Disney World.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 

Nashville is most famous for being the center of country music, but also has a variety of museums, historic homes, and great food. Check out this video guide!

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

New Orleans is one of the most exciting cities in the U.S. with amazing food, many different styles of music, and the world-famous Mardi Gras festival. Watch this video to see New Orleans FOOD!

Here's the official travel guide from Expedia, with subtitles:

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

San Antonio is a beautiful and historical city in Texas with great food and beautiful views. My uncle went to university in San Antonio, and he really loved the city. If you're curious about other parts of the United States, why not check it out?

San Antonio has great views, but it also has great food! Check it out!

I hope you enjoyed looking at some of the Southern cities in the U.S. Any of these cities would be a really interesting place to give your presentation on! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! Have a happy Chuseok and happy choosing! 

CHOOSING A CITY: Africa

Students often don't know much about Africa, but it is one of the most fascinating regions in the world for travel. Here are some images and videos from the African cities on our list. If you present on Africa, other students will definitely feel interested in new information and wonderful sights!

NAIROBI, KENYA

If you like nature and wildlife, Nairobi is an excellent choice for your essay/presentation. In the area around Nairobi there are 88 outdoor activities, including many opportunities to see animals in the wild. Here's a park where you can feed giraffes:

You can also see lions in Nairobi! Here's a short video of Ban Ki-Moon with a lion cub at Nairobi National Park

Nairobi is also a large city, however, with a variety of museums, markets and food to try. Here is a special video on Nairobi's museums:

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Marrakech has a completely different feeling than Nairobi. It's a beautiful city full of trees and flowers but near the desert. You will enjoy learning about its gorgeous architecture and famous markets. Here's a look at some of the sites of Marrakech:

Here are some friends who visited Marrakesh and their impressions of the city. The markets, especially, look very fun!

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Finally, a visit to South Africa! Many English teachers in Korea are from South Africa, and this man would like to tell you why Cape Town is the greatest city in the world! His video makes Cape Town look pretty good to me! The sea looks great there! 

What do you think? Would you like to research and present on an African city? I want to travel to all three cities after watching these videos! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Have a great Chuseok everyone, and happy choosing! :) 

CHOOSING A CITY: South America, Central America & The Caribbean

Do you like music and dance? Do you enjoy eating some of the best food in the world? If so, I recommend writing and presenting on one of these cities in South America, Central America, or the Caribbean.

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

Guadalajara is a city I'd really like to visit. Mexican culture features great music and great food. Guadalajara has both. Here's a video showing the traditional music of the mariachi bands.

Here's an example of some traditional food in Guadalajara! Americans love Mexican food and this makes my mouth water!

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires is one of the most famous cities in South America and the world. The following video (with good English subtitles) shows some of the most important things to see and do in Buenos Aires.

Now, check out this video of Buenos Aires' famous dance, the tango:

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA

Jamaica is a very common vacation destination for people in the United States. In the following video you can see why - it's beautiful. The video shows some of the nature and several different music styles in Ocho Rios. 

From Ocho Rios you can take tours to see sites related to Bob Marley, probably Jamaica's most famous musician. Here's one of his reggae songs which you may have heard:

There are other great cities in South and Central America and the Caribbean on your cities list. Check them out too! This is one of the most interesting parts of the world and I hope to travel to many of these cities one day!

If you have any questions or comments, please comment below! Happy choosing!

CHOOSING A CITY: The UK

This semester we have two city choices from the UK - the capitol of Scotland, Edinburgh, and a smaller but interesting English city, Liverpool.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Edinburgh not only has many historical and natural attractions, it also hosts the largest arts festival in the world, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. https://www.edfringe.com/ Here are some highlights of street performances during that festival!

This is an entire episode of the popular travel show, Rick Steves Europe, where he visits Edinburgh's top sites and eats delicious food and drinks Scottish whiskey. This video will probably make you hungry!

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND

If you talk to an English native speaker about Liverpool they will probably think of The Beatles, who met growing up in Liverpool. The Beatles are still considered the greatest rock band of all time in the English-speaking world, even decades after they broke up. Here's one of my favorite Beatles songs:

Here is Rick Steves again, on a tour of Liverpool, including its waterfront sites and Beatles sites.

Finally, soccer fans may be interested in Liverpool's team, Liverpool FC. Here are some of their best goals.

If you're interested in the culture of the UK, why not try one of these two interesting cities? If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below! Happy choosing!

CHOOSING A CITY: Eastern Europe

BRASOV, ROMANIA

Brasov is a city which combines beautiful historical architecture with nearby outdoor activities. Brasov has many interesting attractions inside and near the city, including a bear sanctuary and "Dracula's Castle" in nearby Bran http://www.bran-castle.com/dracula.html. The following video gives a glimpse of Brasov's architecture as well as its performing arts.

KRAKOW, POLAND

Krakow is a city full of many students, great nightlife and a large and busy market square. It's also an excellent choice for people who are interested in history. Enjoy this short introduction to Krakow, from Rick Steves. This video doesn't have good English subtitles, but many of his other videos do.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

St. Petersburg is a city bursting with attractions, including more than 400 museums! The Hermitage Museum alone has 2.7 million artworks! This makes St. Petersburg one of the most important cultural centers of Europe. The city also has museums for the authors Nabokov and Dostoevsky. Any art, literature and history lovers will find something interesting in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg has many gorgeous sites, as you can see from the video below, which has English and Korean subtitles available!

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse at these Eastern European cities. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

CHOOSING A CITY: The Midwest of the United States (near my hometown!)

I grew up in the Midwestern part of the United States, so these next two cities, Chicago and Milwaukee, are two of my favorites. I really hope someone will choose them to write/present on! The Midwest is a very friendly area of the U.S. - a great place to study abroad. Below I will post some useful videos and information about Chicago and Milwaukee, to help you make your topic decision!

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Chicago is actually the third largest city in the U.S., after New York and Los Angeles, so there's a lot to see and do in Chicago. Check out the video below for a fast view of some of the sites:

Chicago is also home to many sports teams. If you're a sports fan, watch the beginning of this longer video to see the local teams in action!

Chicago also has one of the most respected art museums in the world - The Art Institute of Chicago. You can see many great works of art from all time periods there. Here's a video from a very popular American movie ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off") showing a visit to the museum:

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

I really love Milwaukee. I was born there in 1977 and I grew up visiting Milwaukee's museums, festivals, restaurants, theaters, and Miller Park, the baseball stadium. If someone chooses Milwaukee, I will be so excited to read about a Korean perspective of my home city!

One of the greatest things about Milwaukee is its many festivals. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I always went to Summerfest, a huge music festival. Here's a news clip, and a clip from a Bruno Mars performance.

Milwaukee also has many other festivals during the year, including the Indian Summer Festival, where you can experience a Native American pow-wow.

Milwaukee is a beautiful medium-sized U.S. city with a great waterfront, delicious food, and lots to do and see.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to the Midwest, my home area. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below! Happy choosing!

CHOOSING A CITY: Asian Cities You May Not Know!

For your upcoming essay and presentations, I hope you will consider choosing a city you don't know well. To help you discover some of the less-known cities on the list, I will be posting videos and information about a few of these cities over the next few days! To start out - here are some less-known cities of Asia!

JAIPUR, INDIA 

Just from this short video, I've fallen in love with Jaipur, and I want to put it on my travel bucket list. Beautiful architecture, delicious food, feeding monkeys, a haunted town! How exciting! The English subtitles aren't correct, but you can hear a bit and see a lot in this interesting introduction to Jaipur!

KATHMANDU, NEPAL

According to this article http://www.travelagencytribes.com/travel-article?id=fc53bdd7-84d5-4d11-9da7-8ac7c539639d Kathmandu has the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites in any world capital. Many of these sites are related to Buddhism and Hinduism, so if you are interested in religion, Kathmandu might be an interesting place for you to learn about. 

Boudhanath - one of the largest stupas in the world. 

UBUD, INDONESIA (BALI)

How can you not want to present on Ubud after watching this video? Gorgeous nature, beautiful art, friendly people! It looks like an amazing time! If that's not enough, Ubud is one of the locations where the writer Elizabeth Gilbert traveled in the bestselling American book "Eat, Pray, Love", which was also a movie with Julia Roberts. Begin your research into Ubud with this entertaining video!

I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to some lesser-known Asian cities! I really hope some students will take on the challenge of writing and presenting on these cities! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! Remember, you can receive extra credit for commenting! Good luck with your choice! I'll post some more cities on the blog tomorrow! 

Using Gestures in Presentations

One way to improve your presentations is to use hand gestures. However, many students aren't sure how to use hand gestures. Here are some useful videos on using hand gestures and some basic rules.

VIDEO 1 - This video shows many examples of speakers using gestures. Don't worry about understanding the English. Instead, watch how the gestures match the intonation or feeling of the speakers.

VIDEO 2: This man advises you to practice your presentation sitting down as if you are having a conversation with a friend. If you do this, he says that gestures will come naturally. He also advises you to change the words in your presentation if they are not conversational enough. The English subtitles are correct in this video, so be sure to turn them on if you want to know more!

VIDEO 3: This speaker advises you to move and walk during your presentation. This also has correct English subtitles you can play. 

VIDEO 4: Advanced gestures! This speaker speaks quickly, and the subtitles are not correct. However, he is an expert on giving speeches, and his advice is really good if you can understand it. 

Some basic rules:

1. Practice your presentation many times, but don't try to memorize a script. Instead, imagine that  you are talking to friends about your topic. This will help you develop gestures naturally. 

2. Here are some places you can use gestures: Introducing a new idea. Giving an example: "For example.." Describing something (your hand gestures can help make a picture of that thing). Emphasizing something ("She was very beautiful." "His life changed completely.")

3. Don't force it. If it doesn't feel natural to use a gesture, don't use it. Instead, just be careful not to fidget with your hands. "Fidget" means nervously moving your hands, not using them purposefully to help your communication. 

Have you seen any other videos or websites that gave good advice about using gestures in presentations? If so, please share the link to that website in the comments!

Les Miserables Supplemental Materials

Hey, students! I'm posting a couple videos and links here that might be interesting to you if you would like more information on "Les Miserables."

First, here is a link about the uprising depicted in "Les Miserables"(the June Rebellion). The beginning of the article is about the French Revolution, so if you want to know what happened to the students in this smaller uprising in 1832, scroll down to the section called "The End of the Uprising." http://plays.about.com/od/musicals/a/Les-Miserables-Historical-Background.htm

Next, here is a video from the 2012 film version of "Les Miserables" which shows the students confronting the government. The video includes English subtitles of a popular song from the musical:

Finally, here is a video that gives some general information about the story, movies and book "Les Miserables."

I hope you have enjoyed reading this book and that it has helped you to improve your English and get some practice in thinking and talking about characters and their actions. You have all done a great job speaking with each other and sharing your ideas this semester!

If you have any comments or questions about any of these videos, please feel free to ask/share in the comments!

Final Presentation Example Video

Dear students,

I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted! I will reply to your comments soon! In the meantime, here is a video that some teachers in Level B have made which gives an example of how to do your presentation.

Watch the video and take notes on some of these things:
Speaking feedback (What did they do well? What can they improve?)
Posture, gestures, eye contact (What kinds of gestures did they use? How did they use their pictures and videos?)
How did the speakers change sections? What phrases did they use to introduce each other?

If you have any questions about this video example, please also ask!

I hope this video is helpful to you as you prepare your presentation! Remember, you can always schedule an appointment with me, or you can attend the Lounge Writing class and ask the teacher if you can give your presentation or section.

Take care and enjoy the school festival this week!

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Remembering Sewol Victims

Even though the purpose of this blog is not to deal with current events, I was very moved by this article, and I wanted to share it with you. The article has many pictures and the English is not difficult to read. It shows various parents of victims of the Sewol disaster in their children's rooms and interviews them. I recommend it. If you have any comments on this article or the disaster, please share. http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/04/the-cherished-empty-bedrooms-of-the-sewol-ferry-victims/390594/

I hope that you are all well. This photo essay really reminded me how unique and important each individual life is.

Describe Your Favorite Movie Character(s)!

Do you like watching movies? If you do, you probably have some favorite movie characters! I'm going to tell you quickly about some of my favorite characters. Then, in the comments, you can get some extra credit if you describe your favorite character or characters! I look forward to hearing from you!

Some of My Favorite Movie Characters

1. Mr. Orange from "Reservoir Dogs"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/

This character from Quentin Tarantino's first film, "Reservoir Dogs" is intelligent, funny and fast-talking. He also has a secret which he must keep to save his life. If you enjoy Quentin Tarantino films or crime stories, I recommend this movie!

2. Anne Elliot from "Persuasion" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114117/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

This movie is based on the Jane Austen novel, and, in my opinion, it's the best version. Anne Elliot is also Jane Austen's most mature and sensitive character. Her flaw is that she has been too obedient and agreeable to people who are older than her. She is very responsible, kind and caring, so she missed her own chance at happiness. In this story, she is presented with a chance to win back the man she loves and have her own happy life.

3. George Sand from "Impromptu" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102103/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

George Sand was actually a real person. She was a famous French author who took a man's name and dressed like a man in order to have freedom in society. I love this character because, unlike Anne Elliot, she actively pursues what she wants, including men. This movie is the true story of her romance with classical musician Frederic Chopin. Though it is a movie about history, the characters seem very modern and the dialogue and situations are very funny.

4. Dracula from "Bram Stoker's Dracula" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103874/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

The vampire Dracula has appeared in so many different films over the years. This version of the character, played by Gary Oldman, is my favorite, however. In this movie Dracula is a realistic character you can care about. He's ancient, romantic and incredibly sad and lonely. He's also, of course, evil. If you like horror or monster movies, I strongly recommend this movie.

How about you? Who are your favorite movie characters? Share in the comments! :)

How do we treat people who are different? How should we treat them?

"The Elephant Man" introduces us to a character who is very different from other people in his physical appearance. People around him don't always treat him well. Below is a clip from a movie about another person with a similar physical difference. Like "The Elephant Man" it is also based on a true story. If you would like some extra credit, watch the clip and answer some questions in the comments!

If you would like some extra credit, answer one or more of these questions! How do people treat the main character, Rocky? What do they do? What does Rocky do when people treat him differently? Describe Rocky's personality. If you met Rocky, what would you do? What would you say to him?

Describe a Character: Keith "Some Kind of Wonderful"

This week in class we practiced describing a character. Here is the full clip from the beginning of the movie "Some Kind of Wonderful." What can you tell me about Keith to introduce his character? Try watching a few more minutes of the clip. What new information can you learn?

Now write your ideas in the comments! If you write a lot, I will increase the extra credit value of your comment!

MOVIE CHOICES PART 5: Animation, Musicals and Fantasy

This semester, you will write an essay about a movie character. You can choose from many different movies. On the blog this week, I will post videos and pictures from some of these movies. See what you think! If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

 “Up” (2009) – Carl Fredericksen (animation, adventure) LOUNGE     

The first scene of this excellent animated movie (watch the clip below)  always makes me cry. Always! Every. Single. Time. The rest of the movie is equally touching. If you love animation or sentimental movies, I highly recommend "Up." 

“Hook” (1991) – Peter Banning (fantasy, adventure)           

This fantasy and adventure movie follows a real-life Peter Pan who grew up and forgot who he was. This movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars some of America's best actors - Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts, as well as the famous British actress Maggie Smith. 

“Big Hero 6” (2014) Hiro Hamada (animation, adventure)

I haven't seen this one yet, but my husband wrote this description: "This computer-animated adventure story takes place in the imaginary city of San Frantokyo (San Francisco + Tokyo).  A 14 year-old boy genius invents technology to solve a mystery, but he needs the help of a funny healthcare robot named Baymax and his friends." Recommended if you love animation!

“Annie” (2014) Will Stacks (musical)

If you enjoy musicals or you dream of becoming suddenly rich, you might enjoy this movie. It's a remake of an old musical, updated with new music styles, and a very good performance by Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie. 

What do you think? Do you have any questions about these movies? If you do, please comment below! Also, check out the other blog entries about dramas, romance movies and comedies! 

MOVIE CHOICES PART 4: The Comedies!

This semester, you will write an essay about a movie character. You can choose from many different movies. On the blog this week, I will post videos and pictures from some of these movies. See what you think! If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

“Yes Man” (2008) – Carl (comedy)       

Jim Carrey is both funny and inspiring in this hilarious comedy about a man who learns to say "yes" to everything. I have watched this movie at least 10 times, and I always love it. 

“Groundhog Day” (1993) – Phil Connors (comedy)   

This is one of the most famous and funniest comedies from America, and Bill Murray is one of the best comedians/actors there is. This is also a really unique story, about a man who has to live the same day over and over and over again... What would you do if you couldn't move ahead in time? 

“About a Boy” (2002) – Will Freeman (comedy)               

Hugh Grant stars in this touching British comedy about a selfish man who learns to care about other people. I always feel happy when I watch this movie, because the characters are so realistic and the story is very beautiful. 

“The Internship” (2013) Nick Campbell (comedy)

In this comedy, two older guys take an internship at Google. I watch this movie a lot when I just want to relax, because it's not too serious. If you are getting interested in using Google Drive you might also find this movie interesting. The real Google campus was used in many scenes, and the founder of Google even makes a cameo appearance. "Cameo appearance" means that he doesn't do much acting, he just walks through or says one thing. 

“Freaky Friday” (2003) Tess Coleman or Anna Coleman (comedy)

What would happen if you had to live your mother's life? In this movie a mother and a daughter switch bodies and have to figure out how to get back to their own life. For this movie, you can choose to write about either character - the mother or the daughter.

                                                           

“The Princess Diaries” (2001) – Mia Thermopolis (comedy) [first movie only]

Many people know this movie, the first big starring role for Anne Hathaway.This movie has a little fashion, a little romance, and is good for people who would like to be a princess or a queen. 

“Accepted” (2006) Bartleby Gaines (comedy)

Everyone in our class qualified for university - but what if you didn't? Bartleby Gaines has to find a way to keep his parents from finding out that he didn't get into school. What he does ends up being much more impressive than just going to school. If you like to watch movies about crazy ideas and university life, check this out!

What do you think? Do you have any questions about these movies? If you do, please comment below! Also, check out the other blog entries about dramas, romance movies and other movie possibilities!

MOVIE CHOICES Part 3: Dramas About Older Characters

This semester, you will write an essay about a movie character. You can choose from many different movies. On the blog this week, I will post videos and pictures from some of these movies. See what you think! If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

“Blue Jasmine” (2013) – Jasmine (drama)      

Cate Blanchett won an Academy Award for her amazing performance in this movie, directed by one of the most famous American directors, Woody Allen. Jasmine is one of the most interesting characters in all the movie choices. There will be a lot to write about and talk about if you choose this movie. 

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013) Walter Mitty (drama, adventure)

If you're interested in traveling or photography, this movie is a good choice for you. Ben Stiller plays a timid man who embarks on adventure in this popular recent movie.

“Passion Fish” (1992) May-Alice Culhane (drama, comedy) 

This is one of the ten best movies I have ever seen in my life, and I watch A LOT of movies. The characters and the dialogue in this movie are excellent. It also shows the music and landscape of a really unique area in the American South. Check to make sure you can find it first, but this is a fantastic film if you can get your hands on it!

What do you think? Do you have any questions about these movies? If you do, please comment below! Also, check out the other blog entries about comedies, romance movies and other movie possibilities!

MOVIE CHOICES Part 2: Dramas About Younger Characters

This semester, you will write an essay about a movie character. You can choose from many different movies. On the blog this week, I will post videos and pictures from some of these movies. See what you think! If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

“Good Will Hunting” (1997) – Will Hunting (drama) 

This movie was nominated for many Academy Awards in the U.S., and it won the award for Best Screenplay. It's about an unexpected math genius played by Matt Damon. If you're interested in math or American university life, you might find it interesting. 

    

“Bend it Like Beckham” (2002) Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra (drama, sports)

If you're a soccer fan or soccer player, I strongly recommend this movie, about an Indian girl in London who dreams of being a soccer star. You can also see Keira Knightley before she became famous. Finally, this is a good choice if you want to learn about British culture and hear British English. 

“Girl, Interrupted” (1999) Susanna (drama)  

Can you imagine if your parents sent you to a mental institution? This movie tells the story of one girl who has this experience in the U.S. in the 1960s. This is also one of Angelina Jolie's first movies. 

“Precious” (2009) Precious (drama – very intense)

 This is a very intense drama about a teenage girl who endures terrible hardships and abuse and begins to look for a better life. It's an independent film which won Academy Awards for best supporting actress and screenplay. You won't forget this movie! 

What do you think? Do you have any questions about these movies? If you do, please comment below! Also, check out the other blog entries about comedies, romance movies and other movie possibilities!

MOVIE CHOICES Part 1: The Romance Movies

This semester, you will write an essay about a movie character. You can choose from many different movies. On the blog this week, I will post videos and pictures from some of these movies. See what you think! If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

“Dirty Dancing” (1987) – Frances “Baby” Houseman (romance, dance). 

This is an early scene from the movie which shows the 1960's style dancing in the movie. This movie is very, very popular in the United States with people of all ages. It's a classic!  

“Casablanca” (1942) – Rick Blaine (drama, romance) LOUNGE   

This is the oldest movie on our list, and it is considered one of the greatest films of all time. If you're interested in film studies, you should see it! This is the trailer. This movie is also available in the lounge!

 

“Romancing the Stone” (1984) – Joan Wilder (romance, adventure, comedy) 

This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's a really good choice if you like comedy, action and romance. The story is very exciting and the dialogue is well-written. The action takes place in New York and Colombia. Check it out! Here is an interview from the main actor in "Romancing the Stone". It shows some clips from the film. 

“Tootsie” (1982) Michael Dorsey (comedy, romance) 

This movie is really unique! It's a comedy and romance about an actor who pretends to be a woman to get an acting job. Unfortunately, the girl he loves doesn't know he's a man! 

What do you think? Do you have any questions about these movies? If you do, please comment below! Also, stay tuned for blog entries about comedies, dramas and other movie possibilities!

Introducing my Husband

In this entry I'm going to introduce my husband three times. The first time is the same as you saw in class and in our Google Drive folder. The next two paragraphs, however, will use different topic sentences, organizational styles and will contain some different information. Notice that you can write an introduction different ways! Notice some methods I use to organize information (first, second, also). Notice that some information changes and other information stays the same in each paragraph!

Lee and I went to Kyoto in September, 2011. This is Arashiyama, where you can see a monkey park!

EXAMPLE 1: My Husband, Lee Gumienny

My husband, Lee Gumienny, is a very kind and interesting person. He is 39 years old, and he's originally from New Jersey in the United States. Like me, he's an English professor at Dongguk. He really likes teaching, and he teaches Sophomore Level B and Freshman Level A. Lee also has two major hobbies. First, he loves photography. He takes black and white photographs with a film camera. He usually does street photography, which is taking unposed pictures of people on the street. He's a very good photographer. He has won a few prizes for his work, and he has shown his pictures in small galleries. Lee also really likes listening to music. He particularly likes jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music, but he listens to all kinds of music. Lee has a wonderful personality. He is very kind, he's a good friend, and he's really good with animals. My cat loves Lee more than she loves me these days! I'm very lucky to have Lee as a husband!

My cranky cat, Lucy, loves Lee the best!

EXAMPLE 2: Introducing Lee Gumienny

Lee Gumienny is a kind person with many interests. Lee is my husband. We live together in Seonggeong-dong in Gyeongju and we both teach English at Dongguk University. He is a very kind husband. He often cooks for me or helps with household chores. He always listens sympathetically when I have a problem. He is very affectionate. He is also very kind to our cat, who is very cranky. I trust Lee completely. Lee is also very good to talk to because he has many interests. His main interest is photography. He does street photography with a film camera. He's also very interested in music, books and movies. He particularly likes science fiction movies and book and jazz, hip-hop and electronic music. He often introduces me to new music that I haven't heard before. These are not Lee's only interests, however. He is interested in a wide variety of topics like spirituality, current events and politics and cooking. I'm really happy that I found such a kind and interesting husband.

Lee took this self-portrait in the elevator of our old apartment building in the Seomyeon neighborhood of Busan.  

EXAMPLE 2: Lee Gumienny: Great Photographer, Great Teacher

My husband, Lee Gumienny, is a great photographer and teacher. First, he's a great photographer. He takes mainly black and white photos using a film camera. Unlike many photographers these days, Lee doesn't change his photos much with Photoshop or other programs. Lee does street photography*, which is photography of real people on the street, not models. When he goes out to take pictures, he must pay careful attention to the people around him and be ready to snap an interesting photo. Lee studies photography books and other photographers' work on the internet to learn new techniques and to find inspiration. Because of his dedication, he has won several prizes for his photography. Photography isn't his job, however. He is also a great teacher. He cares a lot about his students. He spends a lot of time preparing for his classes. He also spends a lot of time helping his students in the office outside of class. Lee's students often tell me that he is friendly and funny. I'm really proud of Lee.

*You can see Lee's pictures at http://www.leegumienny.com/

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT! Do you have any questions about writing? About my husband, Lee? Feel free to write any comments or questions below! Remember to log in with your gmail account and/or tell your class time and name!

Welcome to Spring 2015 Students!

Hello to my new Sophomore Level B students (and any students from last semester who might still be around!) I'm happy to be back!

Here is how to use this blog for the class!:

1. Read the entry or watch the video in the entry.

2. Look at the bottom of the entry for the questions. You can answer this question or just make any comment you have!

3. Log in to gmail and comment. (It's a good idea to copy [control C] your comment before hitting "publish" because sometimes the comment doesn't go through the first time). 

4. I will write back to your comments!

5. Three comments=1 homework point!

For the first entry this year, I'd like to share a video with you about English-learning goals! I study German and French every day, and I set goals for myself. For example: My French goal for last year was to finish all the lessons on the website duolingo.com (I achieved it!) This year I want to finish reading "Harry Potter" in French and I want to complete all the English homework I give you in class in French. Watch this video to think more about learning goals. Click CC for subtitles in English:

What do you think? Do you have an English-learning goal? (For example: I want to get an A on my final essay; I want to get a 7 on TOEIC Speaking; I want to write 10 letters to a friend abroad).

Do you think having a learning goal is important? Share your goals or your thoughts below!