Thursday, December 29, 2022

Using Technology to Learn English

 

When it comes to learning English, there are many resources out there that can help you, and with advances in technology, there are now more resources available online than ever before. Armed with smart phones, ipads, laptops and gaming devices, our students have access to so much that it can be overwhelming at times. Therefore, we have summarized below some of the online resources that are available to young learners today.

We always encourage our students to watch movies or shows in English with English subtitles. Streaming services like Netflix offer this capability. This can be a great way to improve listening comprehension and speaking skills for everyday situations. Quite often, our European students don't realize that we are using vocabulary they already know because the words are pronounced differently in English. Many also find it challenging to know where to place the stress on an English word. Listening to the English being spoken while reading the English subtitles will help bridge these gaps. Watching and listening in another language requires a lot of focus and attention; so, watching episodes or movies in short parts can help to take in more of the language. Noting new words and pronunciation as they appear can also help with the learning process.

YouTube also offers a lot of content that is fun and accessible for all language levels, including music and videos on various topics of special interest. Adding on a brower extension like the ‘language reactor’ can help to sift through the content and enhance the learning experience through subtitles and a pop-up dictionary.

Language app's such as Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta stone and Memrise to name a few can also be a great way to learn new vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. Many of the app’s have ways to keep track of one's progress to help maintain motivation.

A bit more controversial are online games because of the amount of time being spent in front of a screen. The important thing here is to find those games with high educational value like the recently released Minecraft ‘adventures in English with Cambridge’. There are also many other video games that can be switched to English in the settings, and some video games have characters who speak in English or features that allow for communication in English with other players from around the world

Accessing online content on topics of interest can help to maintain motivation and ensure continued learning. National Geographics, for example, offers interactive games, activities and videos on animals, science and history. These topics might interest some students. PBS is another organization that offers video and game content through which younger children can learn and practice English.

Although technology can be very useful in learning English, it’s important to remember that it can't replace everyday human interactions and should be used alongside real-life experiences. Immersing oneself in the English language and practicing it in situ is required for mastery. Communicating fully with other English-speaking people should be the goal and not the acquisition of vocabulary or knowledge of grammar rules.

Friday, September 02, 2022

Emails from NY

Dear Martina,

How are you?  Are you fine?  In New York, the weather is terrible!  It's rainy!!  

I like New York.  This week, I visited the Empire State Building, Natural History Museum and a botanical garden.  Two days before yesterday, I saw Lion King.  It was very beautiful.

Love,

G

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Dear Best Friend,

How are you?  I am well.  Yesterday, we went to a museum and saw many pictures.  They were beautiful.  I also played with water in a park with my friend.  We then went to buy some ice cream.  It was cold but very delicious.  Yesterday was very hot, but I made some good memories with a new friend.  Now, I want to do something with you!

S

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Dear Dad,

Is everything ok?  I'm in NY, and it's amazing.  The city is a bit crowded, but it has some spectacular buildings with very creative shapes.  I've been to visit the Statue of Liberty, and the view from the island is beautiful.  We are planning to visit the Empire State Building next.  I have seen it from the outside, and it is especially beautiful at night.

I hope you can write back soon and tell me how you are doing.  I miss you.

Love,

T

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Dear Grandma,

How are you?  I'm doing fine.  I ate ice cream yesterday.  I watched Aladdin on Broadway on Wednesday,  It was very powerful and amazing. I'll be home soon.

R

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Dear Grandma,

How are you?  I am fine.  In New York City, I am doing many things, but I want to go back to Russia.  Write back to me, and tell me what's new in Moscow.  I miss you a lot.

Love,

V



Learning English with Hi-New-York


With Hi-New York, we do many activities like going to the museums, zoos and parks and doing arts and crafts. Some people might say that museums are boring, but I enjoy them
because I discover new things and new words. On the first day of school, we went to juggle, and it was really fun.


We also have English lessons in a classroom. There two levels of English: Beginners and Advanced. I  remember better the vocabulary that we learned in our lessons because we can use them on our field trips. In these lessons, we also learn 


grammar. I
n France, we do not learn such advanced English.  This school has children of different nationalities, and we can speak English together because we have almost the same level of English.

At noon, for lunch, we go to a restaurant. The Japanese restaurant is my favorite.  Some people do not like some of the food and are picky-eaters, but I liked all the food we ate at the restaurant.

At Hi-New-York, we do fun activities, and this makes learning English easier.  I love hanging out, having fun and learning English at the same time.




Thursday, June 02, 2022

Our NYC Story




Characters

Narrator

Superheroine Lady Ice

Lady Ice’s Dog Ice Cube

Villain Mr. Fire

Mr. Fire’s Cat Heat

Old Man

Old Man’s Dog


Narrator:  Lady Ice is walking by the lake in Central Park on a warm, summer morning when
an old man falls into the lake.  The old man’s dog comes running up to Ice Cube to ask for help.



Old Man’s Dog:  Oof oof oof

Ice Cube:  Oof oof oof

Narrator:  Lady Ice rushes to the rescue by freezing the surface of the lake.  The old man grabs onto a piece of floating ice and starts swimming to the shore.  Mr. Fire, who was burning some bushes nearby, notices what is going on and decides to melt all the ice.



Mr. Fire:  Take that!  And that!

Heat:  Meow, meow (happily)

Narrator:  The old man starts to flounder again.

Lady Ice:  Hang on!  I’ll be right there.  

Narrator:  Lady Ice makes stepping stones of ice on the lake to go rescue the old man.  Mr. Fire shoots fire at her path to melt everything.  Ice Cube and the old man’s dog leap to the rescue.  They tie down Mr. Fire’s arms with their leashes so that he can’t throw any more fire.  Lady Ice rescues the old man and then covers Mr. Fire with ice.  Heat slinks away silently, abandoning his master.