Let's Speak English

It was the first day of class. Two of her new ESL classmates wanted to know where Tara was from. They were both from Iraq. Because Tara looked Iraqi, one of the women asked Tara, in English, if she was from Iraq. Tara replied, !o, I"m not. Then the women took turns asking Tara if she was from Iran, or Syria, or #ordan. To each question, Tara responded with a simple no. Laughing, one woman said to the other, She"s not from anywhere$ The two went to their desks, talking to each other in %rabic. The ne&t day, the teacher di'ided the students into groups of four. The students in each group asked introductory questions of each other. % student in Tara"s group asked her, (here are you from) Tara answered that she was from Iraq. The two women who had questioned Tara the day before were sitting only a few feet away. Both of them heard Tara"s response. %ha$ they both e&claimed. *ou %+E from Iraq$ Tara smiled and said yes. Then she apologi,ed to both of them for lying the day before. She e&plained that she had not wanted to get into an %rabic con'ersation with them. It had been her e&perience that many ESL students continued to speak their nati'e language in ESL class, and Tara had not come to ESL class to practice her %rabic. In her opinion, ESL students should try to speak English only. I agree, said +ose. *ou"re -.. percent right, agreed #ennifer. +ose and I must stop speaking %rabic to each other. +ight, +ose) +ose nodded, and then said something in %rabic. %ll three women laughed. /'er the ne&t four months, Tara became friendly with both women, although she ne'er spoke a word of %rabic to them during class or break.

Yes/No Questions

Quiz

1. Was it the first week of class? __.

___________________________________-

2. Did two classmates want to know where Tara was from? _______________________________________________________________.

3. Were the two classmates from Iran? _____________________________________.

4. Did one of them ask Tara if she was from Iraq? ___________________________________________________________________.

5. Did Tara sa that she was from Iraq? _____________________________________.

!. Did the kee" tr in# to find o$t where she was from? ___________________________________________________________________.

%. 0id they 1oke that Tara wasn"t from anywhere)

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&. 0id the two girls speak %rabic) 2222222222222222222222222222222222222.

'. Did the teacher di(ide the st$dents into fo$r #ro$"s? _____________________________________________________________________.

1). 0id the students draw pictures of each other)3

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A Woman Has Needs

(ally asked %nita how her daughter 4eather was doing. 4eather had always been a dutiful, lo'ing daughter. She got married about -. years ago, at the age of 56. It was the first marriage for her and her husband Ben. They had two kids. E'erything seemed fine, e'en though 4eather was the only one working. Ben had gotten laid off two years ago. 4e was still looking for work. They were fortunate because 4eather"s grandma lo'ed her to death. She had bought a house for 4eather as a wedding gift, so Ben and 4eather had no mortgage to pay. !ot one penny. 7randma asked only that 4eather call her twice a month. +ecently, grandma had asked %nita what was wrong with 4eather. %nita said she didn"t understand8nothing was wrong. Then why hasn"t she called) grandma asked. %nita said she would talk to 4eather. She left se'eral messages, but 4eather didn"t call back. %nita dro'e o'er to the house. Ben was home, taking care of the kids. (here"s 4eather) %nita asked. She went to the beach, Ben told her. (ithout you and the kids) Ben was reluctant to talk, but he did. 4eather had started smoking again. E'en worse, she had found a boyfriend. She had met this guy at work, and things got out of hand. Ben didn"t know what to do. If he filed for di'orce, he might be out on the street with two kids to support. If he didn"t get a di'orce, he had to li'e with the humiliation of being supported by a wife who was cheating on him.

%nita was astounded at her daughter"s selfish actions. She dro'e home and called her mom. 7randma said that hopefully it was 1ust a phase that 4eather was going through. She told %nita to make sure to remind 4eather to call.

A Woman Has Needs

Gap-fill exercise Wall asked *nita how her da$#hter +eather was ,een a d$tif$l- lo(in# da$#hter. . +eather had alwa s #ot married a,o$t 1) ears a#o- at the and her h$s,and .en. The had

of 23. It was the first marria#e for two kids.

seemed fine- e(en tho$#h +eather was the onl . +e was still lookin# for work.

workin#. .en had #otten laid off two ears The were

,eca$se +eather/s #randma lo(ed her to death. 0he - so .en and +eather had no

,o$#ht a ho$se for +eather as a weddin# mort#a#e to

. 1ot one "enn . 2randma asked onl that +eather what was wron# with

her twice a month. 3ecentl - #randma had asked +eather. *nita said she hasn/t she called?6

/t $nderstand4nothin# was wron#. 5Then wh asked. *nita said she wo$ld talk to +eather. dro(e o(er to

left se(eral messa#es- ,$t +eather didn/t call ,ack. the ho$se. .en was home5Where/s +eather?6 *nita asked. 5 went to the ,each-6 .en told her. and the kids?6 .en was rel$ctant to talkcare of the kids.

5Witho$t

he did. +eather

had started smokin# a#ain. 7(en

- she had fo$nd a ,o friend. 0he had

met do. If he

#$ at work- and thin#s #ot o$t of for di(orce- he mi#ht ,e o$t on the

. .en didn/t know what to with two kids to of ,ein#

s$""ort. If he didn/t

a di(orce- he had to li(e with the on him.

s$""orted , a wife who was

*nita was asto$nded at her da$#hter/s called her mom.

actions. 0he dro(e home and +eather

said that ho"ef$ll it was 8$st a "hase

was #oin# thro$#h. 0he told *nita to

s$re to remind +eather to call.

The Big Wedding

%nn and Bob were in lo'e. They were going to get married ne&t year. They had known each other since they were in the third grade. They were both 5. years old. True lo'e was something that %nn and Bob knew e'erything about. There was hardly anything they disagreed about. E'en when they disagreed, they settled the disagreement in such a way that both were totally happy. This was truly a match made in hea'en. They had already made plans for the wedding. It was going to be a big wedding. E'ery relati'e from both families had already been notified about the date. %ll their friends knew about the big day. The in'itations were already printed. The priest, the church, the reception hall, and the limousine ser'ice were ready to go. !othing was being left to chance. This was going to be the happiest day of their li'es. %nn had gone to se'eral wedding web sites for ideas and help. /f course, she had also consulted her mother, grandmothers, aunts, and married friends about how to plan the perfect wedding. Each one of them tried to tell her that there was no such thing as a perfect wedding. There was always at least one thing, or more usually one person, that made the wedding a seeming disaster at the time. But of course, like the disaster that happens on your 'acation, that incident or person would be what makes the wedding more memorable. /h, you should ha'e been at my wedding, said %unt 9abel to %nn. 9y brother #ames was in charge of the rings that :yle and I were going to e&change. /n the wedding day, #ames presented the ring to :yle, who put it on my finger. %n hour later at the reception, I took the ring off to admire it and read the inscription. I gasped. The 1eweler had

spelled my name "9able" as in table. 9y name, as you know, dear, is spelled 9abel as in label. So I went to the ladies" room and cried for almost half an hour. !o one could console me. So, the moral of the story, my dear, chimed in %unt ;rudence, is to make sure that <ncle #ames isn"t in charge of getting your rings engra'ed. !ot that you would ha'e a problem. 4ow could anyone misspell your name8it only has three letters, and two of them are the same. %unt ;rudence, you know that isn"t true, said %nn. 4alf the people I know spell my name with an "e." But, <ncle #ames is not in charge of our rings, so I"m not worried.

The Big Wedding

Gap-fill exercise
%nn and Bob were in lo'e. They were was to get married ne&t year. They had known were both 5. years old. True lo'e hardly anything they

other since they were in the third grade. disagreed about. E'en when they

that %nn and Bob knew e'erything about. There both were totally happy. This was truly a

, they settled the disagreement in such a way made in hea'en. wedding. priest, the

They had already made plans friends knew

the wedding. It was going to be a

E'ery relati'e from both families had already church, the reception hall, and the !othing was being %nn had gone to perfect .

notified about the date. %ll their

the big day. The in'itations were already printed. ser'ice were ready to go.

to chance. This was going to be the wedding web sites for ideas and help. /f

day of their li'es. , she had also

consulted her mother, grandmothers, aunts,

married friends about how to plan the

Each one of them tried to tell her There was always at least one thing, or

there was no such thing as a perfect disaster that happens on your

usually one person, that made the wedding a .

disaster at the time. But of course, like 'acation, that incident

person would be what makes the wedding more %unt 9abel to %nn. =9y brother going to e&change. /n the

=/h, you should ha'e been at my wedding,> #ames was

charge of the rings that :yle and I

wedding day, #ames the reception, I 1eweler had spelled my

the ring to :yle, who put it on the ring off to admire it and read ?9able@ as in table. 9y name, as you

finger. %n hour later at inscription. I gasped. The , dear, is half an

spelled 9abel as in label. So hour. !o one could console me.> =

went to the ladies@ room and cried for

, the moral of the story, my dear,> chimed

%unt ;rudence, =is to make sure that you would

that <ncle

isn@t in charge of getting your rings engra'ed.

ha'e a problem. 4ow could of them are the same.> =%unt ;rudence, you my name with an ?e.@ But, worried.>

misspell your name8it only has three letters, and

that isn@t true,> said %nn. =4alf the people #ames is not in charge of our rings,

know spell I@m not

A Festival of Books
9eo"le 8oke that no one in :os *n#eles reads; e(er one watches T<- rents (ideos- or #oes to the mo(ies. The most "o"$lar readin# material is comic ,ooks- mo(ie ma#a=ines- and T< #$ides. >it li,raries ha(e onl 1) "ercent of the traffic that car washes ha(e. .$t how do o$ e?"lain this? *n ann$al ,ook festi(al in west :os *n#eles is @sold o$t@ ear after ear. 9eo"le wait half an ho$r for a "arkin# s"ace to ,ecome a(aila,le. This o$tdoor festi(al- s"onsored , a news"a"er- occ$rs e(er *"ril for one weekend. This earAs attendance was estimated at %)-))) on 0at$rda and %5-))) on 0$nda . The festi(al feat$red 2&) e?hi,itors. There were a,o$t ') talks #i(en , a$thors- with an a$dience q$estion-and-answer "eriod followin# each talk. *$to#ra"h seekers so$#ht o$t more than 15) a$thors. * food co$rt sold all kinds of "o"$lar and ethnic foods- from *merican ham,$r#ers to +awaiian sha(e ice drinks. 7?ce"t for a B% "arkin# fee- the festi(al was free. 7(en so- some "eo"le a(oided the food co$rt "rices , sneakin# in their own sandwiches and drinks. 9eo"le came from all o(er >alifornia. Cne co$"le dro(e down from 0an Drancisco. @This is o$r si?th ear here now. We lo(e it-@ said the h$s,and. @ItAs 8$st fantastic to ,e in the #reat o$tdoors- to ,e amon# so man ,ooks and a$thors- and to #et some (er #ood deals- too.@ The idea for the festi(al occ$rred ears a#o- ,$t no,od knew if it wo$ld s$cceed. *ltho$#h ,ook festi(als were alread "o"$lar in other E0 cities- wo$ld :os *n#eles residents em,race one? @*n#elenos are (er $n"redicta,le-@ said one of the festi(al fo$nders

A Festival of Books
Gap-fill exercise People joke that no one in Los Angeles most pop'lar reading material is "omi" of the traffi" that "ar !ashes /sold o't0 ; ever one !at"hes #$% rents videos% or goes to % movie maga(ines% and #$ g'ides& )it li*raries have movies& #he +, per"ent

& B't ho! do o' e-plain this. An ann'al

festival in !est Los Angeles is

after ear& People !ait half an ho'r for

parking spa"e to *e"ome availa*le& & #his ear1s attendan"e !as & #here !ere a*o't

#his o'tdoor festival% estimated at 2,%,,, on 6, talks given * a'thors%

* a ne!spaper% o""'rs ever April for one and 23%,,, on S'nda & #he festival feat'red 45,

an a'dien"e 7'estion8and8ans!er period follo!ing ea"h talk& A'tograph sold all kinds of pop'lar and ethni" foods% a 92 parking fee% the festival !as free& Ameri"an so% some

so'ght o't more than +3, a'thors& A food ham*'rgers to Ha!aiian shave i"e drinks& E-"ept people avoided the food "o'rt pri"es People

sneaking in their o!n sand!i"hes and drinks& San Fran"is"o& /#his is o'r si-th ear here so man *ooks

from all over )alifornia& :ne "o'ple drove do!n & We love it%0 said the h's*and& /;t1s j'st

to *e in the great o'tdoors% to *e

and a'thors% and to get #he idea for the alread pop'lar in said one of the festival

ver good deals% too&0 o""'rred ears ago% *'t no*od kne! if it s'""eed& Altho'gh *ook festivals !ere are ver 'npredi"ta*le%0

<S "ities% !o'ld Los Angeles residents em*ra"e one. / &