My Dream Vacation

I'm going to go on vacation. I'm going to go to Hawaii because I've never been there and I heard it's beautiful. I'm going to go with my boyfriend and we are going to fly there. I think we are going to stay for 3 weeks. I hope the weather is going to be sunny and warm because we are going to go scuba diving, swimming, and hiking. But of course we are going to relax. I'm going to bring 2 bathing suits - one for swimming and one for sunbathing. I think we are going to see beautiful tropical flowers and gorgeous beaches. I'm definitely going to take a lot of pictures.

I'm going to give you $10,000 to go on vacation. You can go anywhere you want. You can do anything you want. You can see anything you want. Talk to you partner about these questions.

1. Where are you going to go?

2. Why are you going to go to this place?

3. What is the weather going to be like?

4. When are you going to go?

5. How are you going to get there (transportation)?

6. How long are you going to stay?

7. Who is going to go with you?

8. What are you going to do there?

9. What are you going to see?

10. What are you going to bring with you?

Now post your answers to the blog. When you are finished, you can practice reading, listening, grammar, typing, or vocabulary.

Adele's Story

This is Adele. She lives in France and she is married. Her husband's name is Phillip. He is not at home because he he works on a boat. He lives on the boat for many months at a time. She misses him, so she is writing him a letter to tell him that she loves him. She is sitting in a chair and remembering how handsome he is. She is leaning her face on her hand because she is thinking about what to write him. The sun is shining through the window, but she doesn't care because she is dreaming about when her husband will come home.

Now you are going to type the story you wrote in class. On the right, you will find the links to the pictures we used in class. Find the picture you wrote about and copy it. Open MicroSoft Word and paste the picture into the document. Then type your story and print it.

Job Ads

Now that you are finished with your job search, please answer the following quesitons.

1. What is the job?

2. What is the name of the company?

3. How much does the job pay?

4. Is it full-time or part-time?

5. Do they want you to apply in person, call, or send a resume?

6. Do you like this job? Why or why not?

Please post your answers on the blog. When you are finished, you can practice reading, listening, grammar, typing, or vocabulary.

Jobs

This week, we are talking about jobs. I want to know about what you do. Here is my example:

I am a teacher. I teach the Level 2 class in the LEAF Program. I teach 19 hours a week, plan lessons, and correct my students' papers and tests. I am also the Adult Education Coordinator. I supervise the volunteers and make sure the program runs well. My favorite part of the job is working with the students because I like talking to people from different countries. My dream job is to be a singer because I love to sing. I sing all the time - I sing while I cook, I sing while I drive...

1. What do you do? If you don't have a job right now, what did you do in the past?

2. What activities do/did you do everyday?

3. What is your favorite part of the job? Why?

4. What is your dream job? Why?

Now write your answers. When you are finished, you can practice vocabulary, reading, listening, grammar, or typing.

BART Strike

Please talk about the following questions with your partner. 1. How did you get to school today? 2. How long did it take you to get to school today? 3. Do you ever take the bus or train? 4. Did you ever experience a strike in Chicago or your country? 5. Why do workers go on strike? 6. In your opinion, should workers who serve the public go on strike? Now click on the link on the right and read the article called "BART Strike". When you are finished the exercises, return to the blog and write your answers to the conversation questions.

When I Moved to Chicago

I moved to Chicago in 2006. I left Michigan in the summer and it was hot and humid. I said goodbye to my friends and family the day before I moved. I was very sad to say goodbye, but I was excited to move to a new city. The day before I moved, my father and my friend helped me pack my furniture into a truck. The next day, my father and my brother drove with me to Chicago early in the morning. It took 2 and a half hours to drive. After we arrived, we moved my furniture into my new apartment. It took me 3 days to organize everything, but I was comfortable after I finished.

Healthy Food

Today, you are going to read an article about healthy food for kids. Please read the article and then do the exercises. When you are finished, you can do another reading, or you can practice listening, grammar, typing, or vocabulary.

My Favorite Food

My favorite food is pasta. I love pasta with cream sauce with some kind of vegetable like spinach or brocolli. I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, whole wheat pasta, rice, bread, and cereal. I don't eat much junk food (potato chips, french fries, soda...) and I don't eat meat. But I eat fish and other kinds of seafood. For breakfast, I eat yogurt, cereal, and blueberries mixed together and I drink my favorite beverage - coffee. I love chocolate, so for my last birthday, I had chocolate cake. And because I don't know how to cook very many things, I usually buy spinach dip from the grocery store when I go to a party.

Now, write your answers to the conversation questions from the beginning of class. When you are finished, you can practice vocabulary with Oxford Picture Dictionary or typing with Mavis Beacon. If you want to practice reading, grammar, or listening, click on one of the links on the right.

1. What is your favorite food? Describe what is in it.

2. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

3. What is your favorite thing to drink?

4. What kind of dessert did you have for your last birthday?

5. What kind of food do you usually bring to a party?

6. Do you know how to cook? If yes, what is your specialty?

Have fun!

My Favorite Room

My bedroom is my favorite room because it is comfortable. When I want to relax, I sit on my bed and read a book or listen to music. My comforter and sheets are white and I like my big pillows on my bed. My bed is between 2 night tables. There are 2 lamps on the night tables and I have red flowers and an alarm clock on one of the tables. I have two dressers. One is short and the other is tall. There is a big mirror over one of the dressers and a picture over the bed. I have a beige rug under the bed. I don't have a TV because I like my bedroom to be quiet.

Now write about your favorite room. When you are finished, you can practice vocabulary with the picture dictionary or typing. Or you can practice reading, grammar, or listening with the links on the right.

My Routine

This is my normal routine. I usually get up at 6:00 and I eat breakfast and drink a cup of coffee. Sometimes, I eat an egg and toast for breakfast, but I usually eat cereal with yogurt and blueberries. I brush my teeth and I get ready for work. Then I work from 9:00 to 5:00. After I get home, I make dinner and wash the dishes. I usually read or watch TV before I go to bed. Next, I take a shower and get ready for bed. I usually go to bed at about 10:00. I don't stay up late because I get up early in the morning. On the weekends, I like to sleep late. I do my laundry, go grocery shopping, and clean my apartment. I sometimes meet my friends for coffee or go to a movie.

Now write about your routine and post it on the blog. You can use the conversation questions from the beginning of class or your writing from yesterday. When you are finished, you can practice listening, grammar, or reading.

Classes and Schools

We are studying classrooms and schools this week. In computer class today, we are going to learn how to use a reading program and the articles are about school. First I will give you a demonstration and then you are going to use the program on your own. When you are finished, please return to the blog and answer the questions.

1. Do you like to read in your language?

2. If yes, what do you like to read? Books (romance, history, science), magazines, newspapers...

3. What is your favorite book? If you don't know the name in English, you can write it in your language.

4. Who taught (past tense of teach) you how to read (your mother, your brother, a teacher)? How old were you?

5. What is more difficult for you - reading, writing, listening, or speaking in English? Why do you think so?

Welcome!

Welcome to Level 2 computer class! I'm happy that you are studying with us. In computer class, we are going to practice listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Today, I want you to write an introduction. I will teach you how to post your writing in this program. This program is called "a blog". When you are finished, everyone will read the introductions.

Here is my introduction:

My name is Robbin. I am an English teacher and I have been teaching for 11 years. I am from the United States and my hometown is Holt, Michigan. It is a very small town in the middle of the state. Now I live in the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago on Sheridan and Foster. I am not married and I do not have any children. I have a cat and her name is Sophie. My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate and my favorite food is pasta. My favorite color is blue because it looks like the sky and ocean.

Now you get to write. Please write the answers to these questions.

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Where do you live now?

4. If you have a job, what do you do?

5. Are you married? How many years?

6. Do you have children? What are their names and how old are they?

7. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

8. What is your favorite food?

9. What is your favorite color?

I'm going to go on vacation. I'm going to go to Hawaii in August because I've never been there and I heard it's beautiful. I'm going to go with my boyfriend and we are going to fly. I think we are going to stay for 3 weeks. I hope the weather is going to be sunny and warm because when we are there, we are going to go scuba diving, swimming, and hiking. But of course, we are going to relax. I'm going to bring 2 bathing suits - one for swimming and one for sunbathing. I'm also going to bring my sunglasses. I think we are going to see some beautiful tropical flowers and gorgeous beaches. I'm definately going to take a lot of pictures.

I'm going to give you $10,000 to go on vacation. You can go anywhere you want. You can do anything you want. You can see anything you want. Talk to you partner about these questions.

1. Where are you going to go?

2. Why are you going to go to this place?

3. What is the weather going to be like?

4. When you are you going to go?

5. How are you going to get there (transportation)?

6. How long are you going to stay?

7. Who is going to go with you?

8. What are you going to do there?

9. What are you going to see?

10. What are you going to bring with you?

Now take turns writing your partner's answers. When you are finished, read about other students' vacations and then practice reading, listening, grammar, or typing on your own.

This is Adele. She lives in France, and her husband's name is Philip. He is not at home because he works on a boat. He lives on the boat for many months at a time. She misses him, so she is writing him a letter to tell him that she loves him. She is sitting in a chair and remembering how handsome he is. She is leaning her face on her hand because she is thinking about what to write him. The sun is shining through the window, but she doesn't care because she is dreaming about when her husband will come home.

Now you are going to type the story you wrote in class. On the right, you will find links to the pictures we used in class. Find the picture you wrote about. Open MicroSoft Word and paste the picture into your document. Then type your story. Please print 2 copies. One for me and one for you.

Now that you are finished looking at the classifieds for a job, please answer the following questions from your handout.

1. What is the job?

2. What is the name of the company?

3. How much does the job pay?

4. Is it full-time or part-time?

5. Do they want you to apply in person, call, or send a resume?

6. Do yo ulike thie job? Why or why not?

When you are finished, you can practice job related vocabulary on Oxford Picture Dictionary or you can practice typing. Ask me for help if you don't remember how to open these programs. Or you can practice English on other websites by clicking on the links on the right.

When I moved to Chicago

I moved to Chicago in 2006. I left Michigan in the summer. The weather was hot and humid. I said goodbye to my friends and family the day before I moved. I was very sad to say goodbye, but I was excited to move to a new city. The day before I moved, my father and my friend helped me pack the truck with my furniture. The next day, my father and my brother drove with me to Chicago early in the morning. It took 2 and a half hours to drive. After we arrived, we moved my furniture into my new apartment. It took me 3 days to organize my apartment, but I was comfortable after I finished.

Now write about when you moved to Chicago. Remember to use past tense. When you are finished, you can practice reading, listening, or grammar with the links on the right. Or you can use the picture dictionary program or practice typing.

Free Food for Kids

First, you should read the story about free food for kids. The link is on the right. After you are finished reading and doing the activities, return to the blog and answer these questions. Click on "comments" to post your answers.


1. Why is it important for kids to eat a healthy breakfast before school?

2. Do you think it is important for adults to eat a healthy breakfast, too? Why or why not?

3. The free food for kids program is from the government. The money comes from taxes. Do you think it is more important to give free food to kids or for the public to save money on taxes? Why?

4. This story about free food for kids is from California. Do you know of a similar program in Illinois? What are they?

When you are finished with your questions, you can practice more reading, listening, or grammar. Or you can go to the typing program or the picture dictionary program.

Robbin

My Favorite Food

My favorite food is pasta. I love pasta with cream sauce and some kind of vegetable like spinach or broccoli. I like to go downtown to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers' market. I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, rice, whole wheat pasta, cereal, and bread. I don't eat much junk food (chips, soda, french fries...) and I don't eat meat. But I eat fish and other kinds of seafood. I like to eat healthy food because many people in my family have heart problems. For breakfast, I usually eat blueberries, yogurt, and cereal mixed together and I drink my favorite beverage - coffee. I love chocolate, so for my last birthday I had a chocolate cake. And because I don't know how to cook very many things, when I go to a party, I usually bring spinach dip from the grocery store.

Now, write your answers to the questions below. When you are finished, you can practice vocabulary with the picture dictionary or practice typing with the Mavis Beacon program. Or you can click on the links on the right to practice grammar, listening, or reading.

1. What is your favorite food? Describe what is in it.

2. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

3. What is your favorite thing to drink?

4. What kind of dessert did you have for your last birthday?

5. What kind of food do you usually bring to a party?

6. Do you know how to cook? If yes, what is your specialty?

Have fun!

My Home

My favorite room is my bedroom because it is comfortable. When I want to relax, I sit on my bed and read a book or listen to music. My comforter and sheets are white and I like my big pillows on my bed. I have 2 night tables next to my bed. There are lamps on the night tables and an alarm clock. I have 2 dressers. One is short and the other is tall. There is a big mirror over one of the dressers and a picture over the bed. I have a big rug under the bed. I don't have a TV in my bedroom because I like it to be quiet.

Now I want you to practice conversation with your partner. Ask your partner about his or her favorite room.

1. What is your favorite room? Why?

2. Describe your favorite room. Is it big or small? Is it comfortable? What colors are in the room?

3. What furniture is in the room? Where are the pieces located?

4. What do you do in your favorite room?

5. What do you want to change or buy for your room?

When you are finished, click on the links on the right.

My Schedule

This is my routine. I usually get up at about 6:00 and I eat breafast and drink a cup of coffee. I sometimes eat eggs and toast, but I usually eat yogurt and cereal with blueberries. I don't take a shower in the morning because I take one at night. I brush my teeth and get dressed. Then I work from 9:00 to 5:00. After I get home from work, I make dinner and wash the dishes. Next, I take a shower and relax. Sometimes I read a book or watch TV. I usually go to bed about about 10:00.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the Level 2 computer class. I am happy you are studying with us and I hope you have enjoyed the first few days of your English class.

This is a website where you can practice writing, reading, listening, and grammar. This week, I want you to write an introduction and I will teach you how to post your writing on the blog. After you are finished, I want you to practice grammar with the links on the right.

Here is my introduction:

My name is Robbin. I am an English teacher and I have been teaching for over 10 years. I am from the United States and my hometown is Holt, Michigan. It is a very small town in the middle of Michigan. Now I live in the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago on Foster and Sheridan. I am not married and I don't have any kids. I have a cat and her name is Sophie. My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate and my favorite food is pasta. My favorite color is blue because it looks like the ocean and the sky.

Now you get to write. Please write the answers to these questions.

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Where do you live now?

4. If you have a job, what do you do?

5. Are you married?

6. Do you have kids? If yes, what are their names and how old are they?

7. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

8. What is your favorite food?

9. What is your favorite color?

10. What do you want to learn in English class?

Have fun!
Robbin