Dear Abby Letters for Learning English

Dear Abby Letters for Learning English This lesson plan focuses on modeling a lesson on Dear Abby, written by Abigail Van Burenin, in order to practice a wide range of English skills including reading, vocabulary extension, writing, and pronunciation. Its a fun exercise that helps students practice concepts they have learned in class and is suitable for upper intermediate to advanced level students. Introduction to Dear Abby For those of you who have never heard of Dear Abby, Dear Abby is an advice column in the United States which is syndicated in many newspapers throughout the country. People from all walks of life write in with their problems - family, financial, but mostly relationships - to ask for advice from Dear Abby. Writers usually sign the letters to Dear Abby with a descriptive phrase such as Hoping to feel better soon or Looking for an answer. Abby then replies to the letters with sound advice that is usually quite reasonable, even for very complicated situations. Why Advice Columns in Class? Using advice columns in class allows students have quite a bit of fun with some crazy - or not so crazy - situations while, at the same time, practicing some very high-level skills and integrating quite a lot of new vocabulary related to relationships, family life, etc. I have found students enjoy themselves. However, they also feel challenged as they will need to communicate in both written and spoken form. Lesson Outline Aim: Practice reading, writing, and pronunciation with special focus on giving advice Activity: Reading, then creating and finally presenting and commenting orally on advice column letters Level: Upper intermediate to advanced Outline Begin by introducing advice columns by asking students whether they have ever read an advice column. If they are unfamiliar with this term, describe a typical reader letter and advice response as most students will be familiar with this type of column.Read or show the students an example Dear Abby letter provided as an example at the bottom of this page.Split students into pairs.Visit Dear Abby online and present a few letters and responses to your student. Its best if you use a projector in class, but using one or more computers can work as well.Ask each pair to read both the reader letter and the response of different columns. Students should take note of new vocabulary and expressions to share with the rest of the class.Once students understand their advice column, have them switch partners and each partner should explain the basic problem and response of the advice letter they read.After students have worked through their readings, list new vocabulary and discuss idiomatic usage with the entire class. Have each student write their own advice column letter. Go around the room helping the students with grammar and vocabulary issues.Once everyone has written their advice column letter, quickly review the concept of stress and intonation as a means of improving pronunciation skills.Ask students to mark up their letter by underlining content words to help with pronunciation.Have each student read their advice column letter to the class. Students should then choose an Abby to provide suggestions on their issue.If students have difficulty in understanding, request that the letter in question be reread by the student to the class. Advice Column Letters Worried about Love Dear ...: I dont know what to do! My boyfriend and I have been dating for over two years, but I feel like he doesnt really love me. He rarely asks me out anymore: We dont go to restaurants, or shows. He doesnt buy me even the smallest of presents. I love him, but I think hes taking me for granted. What should I do? - Worried About Love Response Dear Worried About Love: I think its clear from your description that your boyfriend doesnt really love you. Two years is not such a long time to be dating, and the fact that he treats you like a toy he can ignore speaks volumes about his true feelings. Get out of the relationship as fast as you can! There are many more wonderful men out there who will appreciate, and treasure your love - dont waste it on an oaf who clearly has no clue as to your worth!

Historiographical essay ( the New Deal) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Historiographical ( the New Deal) - Essay Example F.D.R won the presidency and embarked on the New Deal.1 The First New Deal took place between 1933 and 1934 and was criticized for not bringing the recovery Roosevelt promised the Americans. A section of Roosevelt’s First New Deal critics described the programs as ‘socialist’. The Second New Deal programs were launched in 1935. The most notable programs of the Second New Deal revolved around Social Security and were thought to be more reasonable and realistic than those of the First New Deal. Roosevelt won the 1936 elections by a landslide, ensuring that the majority of the New Deal programs continued being in place. The programs were faced with missteps and setbacks until national recovery was achieved in the late 1930s, just in time to pave way for military preparations ahead of the Second World War. Scholars and historians of different times wrote books detailing the New Deal. They agreed on some things about the New Deal, but disagreed on others. The differences in views on and perceptions about the New Deal resulted from the different mindsets shaped by the different times the books were published. Richard Hofstadter is the architect of the consensus school of thought on issues surrounding the New Deal and the Great Depression. He alongside other consensus historians believed that that the American past was largely shaped by unity which implies things like homogeneity, shared national interest and stability. In his book, The Age of Reform: From Bryan to FDR (1955), he described the New Deal to be more of a reaction of an economic emergency than a clear framework for reform. He said the New Deal was very different from the progressive era reforms, meaning Roosevelt was very different from the progressive era reformers. He said that whereas the New Deal was not based on any cle ar reform philosophies, but were

Is the US Congress too powerful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Is the US Congress too powerful - Essay Example In evaluating whether the Congress is "too powerful", it is necessary to consider what it actually does. Congress makes laws, and within the United States this "law-making" role has in fact been made difficult rather than easy. In the United States of America laws are difficult to pass for a number of reasons and in a number of ways. American law is based upon a mixture of English and French law, and the Constitution was designed to produce three co-equal branches of government that would provide checks and balances on one another (Friedman, 1998) . These checks and balances are designed to make laws difficult to pass for a good reason: it stops any one individual, political party or branch of government dominating too much. A weak government makes for a strong people. The co-equal branches of government are designed to make laws difficult to pass. However, in a well-organized administration in which the President has a good relationship with Congress laws can be passed quite quickly and easily. But even when one particular Party has control of the Legislative and Executive branches: the House, the Senate and the Presidency, it can still be difficult to pass laws. This is shown by the difficulties that President Clinton had in 1992-1994 and President Bush has had for much his Presidency. The making of an Ameri... This stops what has been called "the tyranny of the majority" (Brennan, 1996). The President can also veto a bill if it does not have the support of 2/3 of both the House and Senate in order to override the bill. However, pressure put on individual members by key positions such as the Speaker of the House or the Leader of the Senate may moderate the effects of this individual power. Members of each party tend to vote with their party. The process of moving from a Member/Senator's idea through to Bill and on to Law is deliberately set in a complex way. The Bill may be stopped at a number of hurdles, and indeed, the vast majority of Bills never make it to be laws (Sabato, 2006) Overall, a Bill may be introduced by a member of the House or Senate. It is then distributed to each member of the House. The Speaker of the House can then give it to a Committee which will recommend that it be released with a recommendation for passing, release with revision or be set aside entirely and not considered at all. Bills introduced by the majority party tend to be taken more seriously than those form the minority. The majority of Bills that have the support of the major powers in Congress (House, Senate, Presidency) do make it to be laws - the other bills are often never intended to become laws by the Members/Senators that introduce them. In fact they are for discussion or to score political points. The relationship between the House and Senate is designed to produce either compromise or to stop Bills making it to be a law. Bills that pass the House need to be introduced into the Senate, and there they may be adapted or changed to be something completely different in "conference committees" (Wilson, 2005).

Biometrics Essay Example for Free

Biometrics Essay Biometric Recognition or Biometrics refers to the automatic identification of a person based on intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. It requires physically present at the point of identification. Identification based on biometric techniques lessen the need to remember a password or carry a token like a physical ID. Various biometric traits are being used for real-time recognition, the most popular being face, iris and fingerprint. However, there are biometric systems that are based on retinal scan, voice, signature and hand geometry. First, a user must be enrolled in the system so that his biometric template or reference can be captured. This template is securely stored in a central database. The template is used for matching when an individual needs to be identified. Depending on the context, a biometric system can operate either in a verification (authentication) or an identification mode. The biometric recognition system is a technology design to monitor the students’ official entry inside the campus. It will also serve as the Internet and Tool room access pass. With the issues concern on the monitoring of students, the researchers delve on the propose project study entitled â€Å"TUPT using Biometric Technology.† It will also be used to identify students who will use University facilities like Internet Center and Tool Room. This study will help the security system by adopting the biometric recognition to identify the bona fide students of TUP- Taguig. It will also track and manage the end user of Internet Center same with the borrower in Tool Room. Statement of the Problem This study would utilize the security systems in the campus. Several problems incurred in the campus wherein the security guards encountered difficulties in dealing with student’s admission. To a large extent, borrowing, monitoring and tracking of equipments by the students are also considered in this study. In view, the researchers prompted to conduct this study by enhancing the ID system in which the Biometric Recognition should be adopted. Objectives General Objective: This study aims to enhance the University ID system by adopting Biometric Technology. Specific objectives: 1.To create a system that will enhance the security of the campus using Biometric technology. 2.To develop a more efficient management and operation in ID system. 3.To gather information regarding the development of ID system in TUP- Taguig using Biometric. 4.To test and implement the effectiveness of said system in the campus.

Voice and Ambivalence in Bless Me Ultima and Baby of the Family Essays

Voice and Ambivalence in Bless Me Ultima and Baby of the Family  Ã‚        Ã‚   Bless Me Ultima and Baby of the Family serve as the 'coming of age' stories of two minority children. Rudolfo Anaya and Tina McElory Ansa skillfully reveal the richness, diversity, and conflicts that can exist within the Hispanic-American and African-American cultures primarily through the dream sequences in each novel. Dreams are the mechanism used in each work to magnify the individual experiences and conflicts Tony and Lena encounter. In addition and perhaps, more importantly, Tony and Lena deal with ambivalence and find their voices not only through the relationships with other characters, but through the resolution of their dreams. To truly fathom how integral and dependent the dreams are in the novels, a few definitions are in order. Dreams are defined, not only as "images passing through a sleeping person's mind" (Neufeldt 132). Dreams also include the mystical events or dream-like occurrences within each novel. Dreams are a way for each character to connect to the past and, perhaps reveal the future. The otherworldly experiences or dreams of Tony and Lena help guide them down the road of ambivalence, and eventually lead to an awakening or the attainment of 'voice.' Webster's New World Dictionary defines ambivalence as "simultaneous conflicting feelings" (13). These 'conflicts' can be seen in external situations, and typically have serious internal implications. This condition is one of the defining factors of the Hispanic-American experience. Are Hispanics immigrants or minorities? In terms of religion, are they Catholic or Indian? Typically, Hispanic- Americans blend the two choices because neither situation totally applies to them. Perh... ... Once Lena and Tony are reconciled to the swirling adventures that transpire around them, there is a resolution. A rebirth of sorts occurs for each character as they realize that they must take conflicting ideologies and mesh them together to form individual voices.    Works Cited Ansa, Tina McElroy. Interview with Tina McElroy Ansa by Doubleday. Book Group Corner. http://www.randomhouse.com/resources/bookgroup/handifanwith_bgc.html. accessed 30 Oct. 2000. Callahan, John F. In the African-American Grain: The Pursuit of Voice in Twentieth-Century Black Fiction. University of Illinois Press: Urbana and Chicago. 1988. Neufeldt, Victoria, ed. Webster's New World Compact School and Office Dictionary. 1 vol. to date. MacMillan: USA. 1995. Wood, Scott. "Book Reviews: 'Bless Me Ultima.'" Contemporary Literary Criticism. vol. 23 (1983): 22.      

History of education Essay

Jim Henson once said, â€Å"Kids don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.† Teaching doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be smart, you have to be a teacher or professor. Being a good and intellectual person does make you belong. A program named Literacy Training Program (LTS) will help you acquire those required qualifications in order to possess an effective teaching even without getting a bachelor’s degree. LTS is one of the means for us students to help those in need as well as for us to contribute to society by aiding these people to become better citizens. At first, I only require myself to attend and give presence every meeting just for the sake of passing and completion of units. Little did I know that LTS was not just a subject to attend but rather exposing one’s self into realities of life. As a student, I am not very much exposed to different kinds of people, different situations of everyday life, and to different communities as well. In our immersion that was held twice, I have seen those. It made me realized how blessed I am compared with them. So I have attained the urge of taking it as challenge. I am challenge because I am not typically a patient person and not really good in teaching. As a beginner, you must possess virtues like integrity, dedication, fairness and an open mind to greet new ideas and innovate. You should also bear in mind the value of positive reinforcement. I was also taught that we should always establish good relationships with the kids. I witnessed many scenes that a teacher encounters in her teaching career. I felt what a professional teacher felt when she wants her students to learn something new from her. Here, I felt pity with the students not having a proper care from their family. I learned so many things in this teaching experience. I learned how to be more prepared for the materials that I needed, to be patient in making my student understand our lesson, and to be a good listener. I learned the difficulty of teaching many students and the joy I got from it. I learned how to have sympathy for others, to understand their weaknesses and to appreciate their abilities. Most of all, I learned how to socialize with other people, expose myself to the community and adopt their surroundings. LTS helped me develop and grow even more as a student. It opened our minds for us to be able to understand the different circumstances as to what the children experienced. It helped us not to be judgmental to these children and instead to extend our patience until they will be able to understand what is taught to them. We always end our program with a prayer, making the children realized that whatever happens, we should always thank God about everything for what He had given to us, that we should ask for forgiveness and hoping that by the next immersion, it would be much better.

Rhinoceros Beetle - 788 Words

Week 2 Essay One Charles. Oryema Question: Worlds within texts often prompt us to question the worlds outside texts. Write an essay in response to this statement with reference to at least one short story you have studied. â€Å"Rhinoceros Beetle† by Susan Hawthorne is a story about a boy’s childhood obsession which becomes a reality when he grows into a man. The story presents ideas and assumptions which viewers can relate to real life. The writer first presents an image of a boy with a destructive nature which is normal in young males, but then challenges this idea by showing a more menacing side of some men. Women are portrayed as the victims and misunderstood by the†¦show more content†¦The author agrees with the idea of women as victims through the characterisation of women in the short story. The women are portrayed as helpless to the torment inflicted upon them by the boy in the story. This positions readers to feel sympathy for the women but also think of the world outside the text in which women are also seen as inferior to men. â€Å"Each season provided him new ways of frightening the little girls who sat in front of him or behind him†. This statement shows tha t the boy’s primary target were the girls who sat next to him. This supports the tradition idea of women as the victims and compels readers to see that the women in the text are treated more or less the same as the women in the outside world. Characterisation has been used by the author to reinforce the traditional idea of women as the helpless victims. The short story presents women as aware but misunderstood by men through use of narrative point of view. In society women are usually seen as inferior to men, and therefore often don’t get the acknowledgement they deserve. â€Å"The women held their secrets because when they mentioned it to their husbands or brothers they were laughed at†¦.Instead of sympathy, the husbands and brothers now had a secret weapon†. This shows that women did not share their fears as it gave others ideas to torment them further. Women in the short story are also shown to be fully aware of the boy’s behaviour early on in the story. â€Å"The men of his home town said, but howShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Poaching1806 Words   |  8 Pagesdownside although those who profit will not care so long as they receive their money. Poaching crimes range from the butchering of elephants for their ivory, to the sale of great apes and exotic birds as pets, to caviar, decorative tiger p elts, and rhinoceros horns used for carvings and traditional medicines. 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