The Final Exam is on Tuesday, December 16, from 7:15 to 8:30PM.  The time is the same as the usual class time.

If you were absent on the last day of class and did not get the study guide, click here for it.

If you have any questions/comments for Diane after the Fall 2008 class finishes, you can record or write a message on a voice board.  She will get an email to listen to your message.

Click here to go to that voice board. 

You can also email Diane at diane.stonebrink@estrellamountain.edu

Speaking and Writing

Grammar

Listening

1.  Please read the story on page 71 and then answer the questions on page 72.  At the bottom of page 72, write 4-5 sentences to describe when, how (by plane, car, bus, foot) and who you traveled to the United States with.

2.  For graded homework assignment #8, please put the information you wrote in your book at the bottom of pages 69 and 72 on a separate piece of paper and add any other information you need to tell the story of why, when, and how you came to the United States.  Title this assignment, "Coming to the United States".

  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

1.  Study the regular and irregular past tense verb forms on the purple handout that we discussed in class on Friday.  Write 5 groups of 3 sentences each (a question, affirmative, and negative sentence) using irregular verbs.  For example:  Did you drink orange juice yesterday morning?  No, I didn't drink orange juice.  I drank coffee.

If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

2.  Please read the story on page 68 and then answer the questions on page 69.  At the bottom of page 69, write 4-5 sentences to explain why you came to the United States and how you felt about this decision.

1.  There is no class on Tuesday, November 11.  The college is closed for the Veteran's Day holiday.

2.  You will have a test on Thursday, November 13.  On the test, you need to write 3 paragraphs of 7-8 sentences each to describe a holiday, a typical day in your life, and a typical day in one other person's life.   Study what you wrote for your homework assignments and in your book!  You can write the same information on the test.  You can also use a dictionary during the test to help you with spelling, so please bring a dictionary you like.  Also review the example stories in your textbook on the pages listed on the Test Review Study guide (click here if you were absent and didn't get it).

1.  For graded homework #7, please write two paragraphs to describe a typical day in your life AND a typical day in the life of someone you know (a friend or family member).

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.  Click here for a handout with another example (in addition to the examples in the book).

1.  Please write one or two paragraphs (100-120 words total) to describe your favorite holiday (from your native country or the United States) or celebration (such as a birthday, wedding, anniversary, or graduation).   Explain when the holiday or celebration is, where and why it is celebrated, and what people usually eat, say, and do on that day.  Look at the example paragraphs in the book about Chinese New Year, Ethiopian New Year, and Honduran Independence Day.

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

1.  No homework due Thursday - relax after the test!

2.  For Tuesday, study the grammatical structures on the handout "Celebrations and Holidays".  Write some example sentences on the second side of the handout for practice.   If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it. 
Also, read the story about Honduran Independence Day on page 56.  Then, answer the questions on page 57.  Finally, write 4-5 sentences on the lines on the bottom of page 57 to describe how people in your native country celebrate their Independence Day.  If your country does not have an Independence Day holiday, write about another national or patriotic holiday from your country.

1.  You will have a test on Tuesday.  On the test, you need to write 4 paragraphs of 5-7 sentences each to describe this school and classroom, yourself (your appearance and free time activities), another person (her/his appearance and free time activities), and your favorite food.   Study what you wrote for your homework assignments and in your book!  You can write the same information on the test.  You can also use a dictionary during the test to help you with spelling, so please bring a dictionary you like.  Practice answering the questions on the Study Guide to help you prepare. (click here if you were absent and didn't get it)

1.  Study (read, say, write) the vocabulary on the handout "Hobbies, Sports, and other Leisure Activities" and write sentences on the third page.  If you were absent and didn't get the handouts in class, click here to download it.
2.  Please write two paragraphs of 5-7 sentences each (10-14 sentences total) to describe favorite activities.  In the first paragraph, write about hobbies, sports, or other activities that you like to do in your free time.  In the second paragraph, write about the hobbies, sports, or other activities that someone you know likes to do in her or his free time.  For example, what does your friend do for fun?  Look at the example paragraphs on the handout Diane gave you in class on Tuesday.  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

3.  In class on Thursday, you will use the computers to record the stories you wrote about your best friend (HW3),  your favorite food (HW4), and favorite activities (HW5).  Also, you will listen to the comments Diane made on your first two recordings (Family HW1 & Neighborhood HW2).

Click here to listen to comments on your Family & Neighborhood stories.

Click here to go to the voice board where you will record your Friend, Food, and Activities stories.

4. Study for the test on Tuesday, 10/21!  Click here for the study guide.

1.  Please study the information on the handout "Commas with Lists of Words" and write sentences using what you learn on the second page.  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

2.  Write a paragraph of 100-120 words to describe one of your favorite foods.  Include information about when you eat this food (any time?  only on a certain holiday?), where you eat this food (your home? a restaurant?  another person's home?), who eats this food (only you?  your family?  is it a popular food in your native country or in the United States?), what ingredients are used to prepare the food, and why you like this food.  Please study the examples in your textbook on page 37 and on the handout Diane gave you in class on Thursday before you start writing.

  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

1.  Please write a paragraph of 100-120 words on a separate piece of paper to describe one of your friends.  Include information about what your friend looks like (height, weight, hair, eyes), your friend's personality, what kind of clothes your friend likes to wear, where you first met, what you like to do and talk about together, where your friend lives now, and any other information you would like to share.  You'll give this paper to Diane on Thursday.  It is worth 20 points towards your final grade.

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

2.  Please study the information on the handout, "Describing Clothing"

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here and to download it. 

1.  You will have a test on Thursday, September 25.  On the test, you need to write 3 paragraphs of 6-8 sentences each.  One paragraph is about your family, one is about another person's family (you choose who - it can be a neighbor, friend, sister, brother, etc.), and one paragraph is about your street and neighborhood.  Study what you wrote for your homework assignments and in your book!  You can write the same information on the test.  You can also use a dictionary during the test to help you with spelling, so please bring a dictionary you like.

Please follow the instructions that Diane tells you to complete the speaking assignment below.

Click here to go to the voice board to record your Family & Neighborhood stories.

If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it. Remember, don't put anything in the Screen name box.  Put your firstnamelastname@email.com in the Login box and the Password is diane

1.  Please write a paragraph of 100-120 words to describe your street and neighborhood.

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

2.  Please study the information on the handout, "Writing Practice - Subject Verb Agreement" and write in your own sentences.

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it. 

2.  If you received a score of 18.5/20 or lower on your "My Family" paragraph, please look at the mistakes Diane marked, look at the information on the Editing Symbols handout, and then write the paragraph again on a separate piece of paper to correct the mistakes.  If your score was higher than 18.5, you do not need to write the paragraph again. If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.
 

Listen & Write - Listen to "Ying Jie's Story" and type in the missing words:  http://members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/listening/ying_jies_story/ying_jies_story.html

Listen & Write - Listen to "Min's Story" and type in the missing words:  http://members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/listening/min/min.html

Listen & Write - Listen to "Ima's Story" and type in the missing words: http://members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/listening/imas_story/imas_story.html

Quiz - Capitalizing Proper Nouns:  http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD/quizzes/grammar/cap.htm

Quiz - Countries, Nationalities, Languages:  http://a4esl.org/q/j/ck/fb2-nationalities.html

Quiz - Identifying Singular, Plural, and Possessive Nouns:  http://www.quia.com/quiz/826719.html

Tutorial and Quiz - Possessive Rules:  http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=ABC601

Quiz - Change the Noun into a Possessive:  http://www.quia.com/quiz/826724.html

Quiz Game - Identify the correct possessive form:  http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/stonebrink/ESL012/possessives/turtlemc3quiz.swf

Quiz Game - Type in the apostrophe where needed:  http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=ABC601a

Quiz - Identifying Correct or Incorrect Use of Possessives:  http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/possessives.php and http://www.better-english.com/grammar/possplu.htm

1. Answer the questions on page 6 about the story on page 6, and then write 4-5 sentences on the bottom of page 7 in your textbook to describe your street or neighborhood (the area around your home).

2.  Please study the information on the handout, "Prepositions of Place" and write in answers where it asks you to.

 If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.  Here's the powerpoint show of the same material.

1.  Write a paragraph of 100-120 words to describe your family on a separate piece of lined 81/2 by 11 inch paper.  Be sure to use the American academic style of writing.  Follow the directions on the handout, "Homework Assignment 1 - About My Family".

        If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

2.  Read the story on page 3 of your textbook and answer the questions on page 4.

2.  Study the first side of the yellow handout "A Few Basic Capitalization Rules".   Complete the exercises on the second side.

          If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

3.  Study the first two pages of the white handout, "Country Names and Nationalities".  Complete the exercises on the third page.

     If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here download it.

4.  Study the first side of the pink handout "Using the verb Be with Age - How old...?"  Complete the exercises on the second side.  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

Click here to download Course Syllabus

Click here to watch an eight-minute movie about some of the Student Support Services at EMCC.

Click below to watch a short movie that explains how to login to Blackboard:

             Explanation in English                  Explanation in Spanish

Click here to watch a four-minute movie that shows how to walk from your classroom in Ocotillo Hall to Diane's office in Estrella Hall.

In class Monday, 3/19 - Wednesday, 3/21:

1. Read the story on page 37.

Day students -  Homework due Wednesday, 3/21 and Evening Students - Homework due Monday, 3/26:

Write a paragraph of 100-120 words to describe one of your favorite foods.  Include information about when you eat this food (any time?  only on a certain holiday?), where you eat this food (your home? a restaurant?  another person's home?), who eats this food (only you?  your family?  is it a popular food in your native country or in the United States?), what ingredients are used to prepare the food, and why you like this food.  Please study the examples in your textbook on page 37 and on the handout Diane gave you in class on Monday before you start writing.

  If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it.

In class Friday, 3/23:

1. Read the story about New Year's Eve on page 48
2. Practice the grammatical structures on the handout "Celebrations and Holidays".   If you were absent and didn't get the handout in class, click here to download it..