Parents are more important than schools, but there's a catch... (article by Daniel Gauss on Visible Magazine)

 

I recently had an article published about the importance of parents in a child's education.

Here is the article: https://visiblemagazine.com/parents-are-more-important-than-schools-but-theres-a-catch/

For those of you who are learning English as an additional language, I wanted to explain the title. 

Parents are more important than schools, but there's a catch...

"a catch" is used a lot in English. In this case it would mean, "Parents are more important than schools. However, there is something important to realize."

So, in the article, I argue that many parents set very high expectations for their children and apply too much pressure on their children to succeed in school. They achieve their goal of good grades and academic success, but they do not help their children to become self-motivated and life-long learners. 

I think it is interesting that in the IT revolution which started in the 1990s and early 2000s, you did not have Harvard graduates who created this revolution. You had guys who quit or dropped out of Harvard so that they could pursue their own goals and learning objectives - they chose self-motivation over academic achievement.

I think a student can be self-motivated and do well in college, but these guys felt they needed extra time and space away from their universities. A "tiger" mom would not have let them do this and they would not have done anything original.

Getting back to: "...there's a catch" :

Or, I might say, "I will let you borrow my car, but there's a catch. The catch is that you have to drive me to the airport tomorrow."

I asked Microsoft AI "Copilot" to explain what a catch is: 

Definition: “A catch” refers to a hidden drawback or condition in an offer or deal that might make it less appealing than it initially seems.

Example: Imagine you tell someone, “I will give you this book, but there’s a catch.” This means you are willing to give them the book, but there is an additional condition or requirement they must meet.

Illustration:

• Scenario: You offer a student a free book.
• Catch: They must write a book report on it within a week

 

How to use "wanna" correctly

Recently one of my adult students said, "They just wanna toys."

She didn't realize that "wanna" means "want to".

The easy way to remember how to use "wanna" is to remember that after you use "wanna" you always have to use a verb.

They just wanna get toys.

They just wanna go home.

So the simple rule is: wanna + a verb 

However, you can't use "wanna" with "he" "she" or "it".

That's because "wanna" is "want to" NOT "wants to".

So you can't say, "He wanna go home." You have to say "He wants to go home."

Sorry, but you just can't use "wanna" with "he,she,it".

So, the other rule for wanna is: you can ONLY use wanna with: I, you, we, they.

e.g.

He wants to buy a car.

Not: He wanna buy a car.

Bob wants to eat pizza today.

Not: Bob wanna eat pizza today.

The students wanna take a trip. <-- This works.

The student wants to take a trip.

Not: The student wanna take a trip.

Chicago's tap water contains cancer-causing agents

 

Chicago is certainly a city with problems. One of its biggest problems is racism. Chicago is a segregated city. That means white folks live in one area of the city and black folks live in another. Furthermore, there is a huge disparity (difference) in regard to wealth. It seems that most of the wealth in the city is owned by the white folks. The organization called the Urban Institute states that for every $100 that a white family has in Chicago, a black family will have $10 and a Latinx family will have $12.

So black and Latinx neighborhoods are generally poor and most of the gun violence, for which Chicago has become famous, happens in these poorer neighborhoods.

As if that isn't bad enough, it looks as if you have a stronger chance of getting cancer if you drink Chicago's tap water (ordinary water you get from a sink). God help the people of Chicago, since its politicians certainly will not.

An article on Chicago's dangerous tap water:

Chicago's water contains contaminants

Vocabulary from the article:

cancer-linked - something that is linked to cancer, something that probably causes cancer e.g. Cigarette smoking is definitely linked to getting cancer.

a contaminant - something that makes something else less pure or more dangerous. A contaminant pollutes something. The verb is: to contaminate. e.g. A few years ago there was a scandal where milk for babies had been contaminated by a chemical and many babies died.

to deem something to be something - to consider something to be something

not to think twice about something - not to think about doing something at all. e.g. Don't think twice about our friendship, I am definitely your friend and will always be.

the nervous system - the system that starts with your brain and runs through your body, controlling thought and movement. There are many body systems - the digestive system is the system involved in eating, the circulatory system is involved in how your blood flows through your body, your skeletal system is your skeleton.

hormones - chemicals in your body that control how you feel or what you want.

pregnancy - giving birth.

collaborating with - working with.

aggregated and analyzed data - gathered and looked at and tried to understand data.

a water utility - a government organization responsible for providing clean water to people

discrepancy - difference

the current legal limits - what the government says the limits for contaminants in water should be

authoritative studies on what is safe to consume -  so the government has established limits to how many contaminants may be in a glass of water, but the limits are not good enough - authoritative studies (studies done by experts) show that the limits should be stronger and there should be fewer contaminants in the water people from Chicago drink.

outdated - from too long ago

to fill the gap - this means that the old limits are not good enough and a gap exists between what the limits are and what they should be. This organization wants to help establish new limits and fill the gap.

immune-system damaging - your immune system helps protect you from catching illnesses.

to impact health - to affect health, to do something to one's health

detected - discovered or found

the regulatory system - the system meant to provide laws for clean water

inexcusable - there is no excuse for it, there is no reason for it to exist

to be saddled with a cost - to be forced to pay for something that you shouldn't have to pay for. A saddle is something you put on a horse in order to ride it.

filtering technology - this is a device you can use to try to clean the water from your faucet before you drink it. Your faucet is the thing that water comes through before it enters your glass.

a band-aid solution - this is something you do to temporarily fix a problem without changing the source of the problem.

7 highly useful vocab words for the ESL student

 

to be in custody – this is when the police believe someone has committed a crime and they take the person to the police station to question him/her. The person will either be arrested and charged with a crime or allowed to go free. i.e. The police currently have a person in custody who may have been the person who robbed my house. They are still investigating, however. Or: That guy who got into a fight in the local bar and hurt Joe is in custody right now. The police are trying to decide whether to charge him with a crime. Joe had to go to the hospital but it looks as if Joe might have started the fight.

solemn – something very formal and serious, usually a ceremony or event. i.e. For a few years after the 9/11 attacks in New York City, there was a very solemn and moving ceremony each year to remember the innocent people who died. Government leaders and family members would speak about this tragedy and prayers would be said and very emotional music would be played. Or: My father had been a soldier, so when he died the US Army performed a very solemn ceremony at his grave. Soldiers fired their guns and a person played a very sad song on a bugle (a type of horn instrument).

to curb something – to reduce something, do something less then one usually does it. i.e. If Bob wants to lose weight, he needs to curb the amount of beer he drinks. Or: I want to start saving more money, I need to curb my spending. (a curb is the area between a sidewalk and the street; it is connected to the sidewalk and higher than the street and a person parks his/her car next to it)

to be slated to begin on a date – to be scheduled to begin on a certain date. i.e. The rollout of our new product has been slated to begin on January 4^th. Or: Construction on our street has been slated to begin next week. We won’t be able to park our cars on our block next week. (a slate is a flat piece of rock that students used to write on over 100 years ago – it was easy to erase writing from a slate and so one slate could be used over and over again)

to be charged with a crime – this happens after a person is arrested, if the police are sure he committed a crime. A person will be formally charged or accused of the crime and have to go on trial. A trial is in a courtroom with a judge. If a person charged with a crime wants a jury, then 12 people will be chosen to listen to the case and decide whether he/she is guilty or innocent. i.e. The police arrested Joe because they believed he had stolen his roommate’s smartphone. The phone was discovered, however, in the apartment before Joe could be charged, so the police merely let him go. Or: Right now they are investigating Trump for various wrongdoings, but there might not be enough evidence to actually arrest and charge him with a crime.

to summon someone, a summons – to call someone is to summon someone, a summons is like a ticket the police give someone indicating he has to go to court because he has been accused of a minor crime. i.e. It was time for dinner and Bob’s wife summoned him from the garage into the kitchen to eat with the family. Or: In New York City, if someone is caught drinking alcohol publicly the police will not arrest him/her because that takes too much time. They will issue the person a summons, indicating that the person must appear in court, before a judge, to determine whether the person was guilty of that minor “crime”.

an aficionado – (uh FISH ee un AH dough) someone who really likes or is into something (this is a Spanish word, used in English). i.e. I like soccer (football) but Joe is a real soccer aficionado. He watches a few games every week and knows a lot about the different teams and players. Or: It is safe to say that I am an art aficionado. I love going to art museums and galleries and I read and write about art.

ESL vocabulary - 5 useful words (2)

 

to complicate something – to make something more difficult, usually making a problem worse. i.e. I asked Joe our IT guy to help me with a computer problem and he just complicated things. Now my computer does not even work. Or: I was having trouble with my girlfriend and I told her that I wanted to talk to her. But our conversation wasn’t very useful; things just became more complicated and now we hate each other.

to morph into something – to change into something. Bob used to be a real idiot in the office but suddenly he just seemed to morph into a decent human being. Now we have no problem with him. Or: Joe used to be one of the nicest people I knew, but constant stress made him morph into a total butthole.

a meltdown –  this is when a person has been under too much stress and cannot take it anymore and becomes overly emotional; he/she might scream or cry or become very upset. A meltdown literally happens in a nuclear reactor when something wrong happens and radioactive smoke is released into the environment. i.e. I knew Joe was under a lot of stress but I was shocked to see him go through such a meltdown. He started screaming at everyone and then just sat down and started crying very hard. Or: Suddenly Bob just started crying and blaming everyone for all of the problems in the office. He had never had this type of meltdown before and we were quite concerned. 

a mindset – this is when a person establishes an attitude and will not change it even if he/she is wrong and people prove that the person is wrong. i.e. The problem with Trump is that he has a very negative mindset concerning immigrants. Even though they are good for the economy, he will always believe that they are evil. Or: It is difficult to change one’s mindset if it is not challenged by experience. Bob never thought women could be great managers until he started working with Jill.

to get rusty – this is when you had a pretty good skill at something, but you did not use the skill for awhile and the skill has lessened. Rust is the red stuff that appears on metal after many years, when the metal gets old. i.e. I used to be able to read German pretty well, but I haven’t tried to read anything in months. I might be a little rusty at reading German these days. Or: I used to be a pretty good golfer, but I might be a little rusty now because I haven’t played in two years.

ESL vocabulary - 5 useful words

 

to dread something – (pronounced: dred) to really hate the idea of doing something, to feel kind of sick when you think of doing something. i.e. My tooth is really hurting me, but I dread the idea of going to the dentist. Or: I know the number 4 line of the Shenzhen subway is going to be so crowded that I dread going there this morning.

to be on the ball – to be doing what you should be doing and doing it well. i.e. Hey, we are falling behind in our work so we need to get on the ball and start working harder. Or: I don’t like working with Joe, he’s just not on the ball and he wastes my time.

a bombshell – something shocking, like a bombshell news report. i.e. The report that Trump stupidly tried to get Ukraine to help him win the next election was bombshell news. i.e. When Bill told us he was leaving the company after 35 years, this was a bombshell that left all of us very shocked and sad. – a bombshell is the package that a bomb is enclosed in, so you would think the term ‘explosion’ would be better, but for some reason people use ‘bombshell’ instead.

a sixth sense – we have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell…so a sixth sense means a feeling beyond our normal senses, sort of an intuition or awareness that doesn’t come from anything in the outside world.  i.e. Joe didn’t say or do anything, but my sixth sense told me that he was angry with me this morning. Or: When I woke up this morning my sixth sense told me this would be a great day, and my sixth sense was right.

alleged – this is a common word in US newspapers and it means that the police believe someone committed a crime but it hasn’t been proved. i.e. The alleged murderer has claimed that he is innocent, so we will have to wait until his trial to find out the truth. Or: It has been alleged that Trump broke the law, so now the government must investigate him thoroughly.

Three useful words for the ESL student (3)

to crack down on something – this is when the government decides to take very severe or serious action against something they had been ignoring or avoiding in the past. i.e. New York City police have been cracking down on dangerous bicycle riders in Central Park now that two people have been seriously injured because of bicycle accidents. Or: There has been too much bullying in American schools. Teachers and administrators need to crack down on this type of harmful behavior. (bullying is when bigger and stronger kids harass or bother or beat up smaller kids)

outskirts – the outskirts of a city are the parts of the city farthest from the center of the city. i.e. When I lived and taught in Longgang, I almost felt like a prisoner because I was living on the very outskirts of Shenzhen and rarely traveled into the downtown area…it just took too long. Or: The poorest people of a city often live on the outskirts, far from the real life of the city.

to be looming – if something is looming, it is fast approaching. This term is usually used in regard to time and deadlines. i.e. I have to file my tax returns by April 15^th. It is already April 1^st, the deadline is looming. Or: Joe needed to finish his report by a tight deadline and he suddenly realized the day he needed to turn that report in was looming fast.

Three useful words for the ESL student (2)

to ramp something up – to increase something, like ‘ramping up an effort’ to finish something. A ramp is a road that goes upward, it is not level. i.e. This trade war is ridiculous. Negotiators need to ramp up their efforts to reach an agreement to end all of this. i.e. I have not been writing many articles these days. I need to ramp up my efforts to keep writing articles, I can’t get lazy.

tops –  this is the very highest offer a person will make…no higher offer will be made i.e. I will give you 500 rmb for that painting, tops! Or: I will pay you 60 rmb for those shoes, tops! Or: We will pay you 14,000 rmb per month, tops!

paydirt – if you “hit” paydirt, you become incredibly successful. i.e. I invested 1,000 rmb in a new company and I hit paydirt! My investment is now worth 100,000 rmb! Or: I went to an art gallery opening and met an amazing woman who is now my girlfriend. I hit paydirt!

Drama Queen English - Teaching Emotions and How to Express Them through English

I would like to offer an activity to teachers of English which I created and which has worked quite well for me. I call it: Drama Queen English. In fact, it might even work in an American classroom for children who are native English speakers.

Basically, you can help students learn the names of various emotions, help them with their pronunciation and students really seem to enjoy playing this educational game. 

One of the lessons is that spoken English is rarely emotion-free and that non-verbal communication is often employed when speaking English.

Of course we all know what a drama queen is:

image from forums.phoenixrising.me

This is a person who over-reacts emotionally and often makes a big deal out of nothing. In the game Drama Queen English the student should be encouraged to go totally overboard, and express over-the-top emotions while making simple statements.

So here's how you do it.

You start by creating a number of slips of paper with basic statements and slips of paper with emotions. You might do a PowerPoint on emotions before playing the game, and you can remind students of what the emotions are as you play.

Basic statements:

Emotions:

Of course, now, students will take one statement and one emotion randomly and have to present it as a drama queen in front of the class. 

They should be encouraged to be as expressive and dramatic as possible - that's the point of the exercise/game. Also, emotions that don't seem to fit the statements actually can be made to fit the statements - therein lies the fun!!!!

The student joyfully says, "I need help!"

The student says "The tea is not ready." as if he/she is in love.

Sometimes I will have a pair of students in the front of the room and after one emotes a statement, the other responds with an equally goofy/silly emoted statement.

e.g. First student, “Lovestruck” “I hurt my elbow.” 

Second student, “Happy” “I had a strange dream.”

You wind up creating strange and funny little absurdist dramas/dialogues in which students display emotions using rhythm, tone of voice and body language.

So there you have a simple exercise/game which will allow your students to express themselves, feel more confident about being in front of the class or other groups, teach them different emotions and help them realize that when speaking English we do not speak in a monotone and we use our bodies and faces in the expression of various statements.

I really hope you can try this and that it helps you. Feel free to experiment...

Daniel Gauss

MA, Teachers College Columbia University

(currently teaching in Shenzhen, China)

danielgauss31@gmail.com

Read the essays of Daniel Gauss here: https://goodmenproject.com/author/daniel-gauss/

A teenager in Oregon gets harassed with homophobic graffiti, but responds with grace and humor

This article has very useful vocabulary and I chose it to show that the United States is not as open-minded as many folks around the world might think. Because this teenager admitted to some friends that he is not "straight" or "heterosexual" (to be "straight" means you are a guy who likes women or a woman who likes guys) people secretly came to his house and left anti-gay graffiti all over the place.

Everyone's right to make his/her own decisions about his/her life is supposed to be protected in the USA, but, as you can read, there are still many hate-filled and narrow-minded people who enjoy causing harm to others.

The article:

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/oregon-teen-turns-homophobic-graffiti-teachable-moment-n1038206

Vocabulary:

homophobic - if a person is homophobic, he/she hates people who are not straight; someone who hates gay people. In this article the teen states he is "bi" which means bisexual, so he likes both boys and girls. So I guess the term homophobic can be used to describe people who do not like bisexual people either.

grace - if a person acts with grace, he acts calmly and peacefully and kindly

to be harassed by someone - this is when someone deliberately tries to harm another person emotionally,;when one person bothers another person

graffiti - this is when paint or markers are used in public places, often illegally, to convey messages or designs. There is something called "graffiti art" but in this case the graffiti is not art, it was meant to emotionally harm the teenager.

a teachable moment - when something bad happens but you use it to teach people something important. So the teenager used the graffiti to create more positive art and to get people from his community involved in a process to take action against hatred.

to be vandalized, vandalism, to vandalize - this is when public or private property is deliberately destroyed or ruined by someone for fun or out of hatred.

LGBTQ - lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer: lesbian = women who like women, gay = guys who like guys, bi = liking both sexes, trans = switching from one sex to another, queer = you don't want to be called any of the other stuff, but you are not straight

anti - against. If someone is anti-gay, he/she is against gay people. The opposite of anti is pro.

bass - pronounced "base"...a musical instrument that produces a very deep sound

disturbing - not calm, not peaceful, anything that causes one to worry or be scared

tagged - painted

to be flabbergasted - to be deeply surprised to the point where one is shocked

the slur "fag" - a slur is an insult against someone because of how they look or act. The word "fag" is an insulting term for someone who is gay or lesbian.

to spray paint something - this is paint that comes out of a spray can

to cope with something - to deal with something bad in a healthful way

pride - a feeling that one should be happy about or satisfied about something. 

pansexual, asexual - pansexual means liking every gender or sex (I think), and asexual means you just don't care about sex

inclusive flags - inclusive means everyone s welcome to do something or be somewhere. So there are flags that represent this attitude in the LGBTQ community.

bullying - when ignorant, hateful (often stupid) people bother, harass or attack innocent people. Usually the people being attacked are peaceful and kind and easy targets for the idiots who do this.

to confide something to someone - to tell something to someone secretly. If there is a person you often tell secrets to, he/she is your confidant.

an outpouring  of support - a huge amount of support, like water pouring out 

the community has stepped up - the community took positive action, people came forward to help even though they didn't have to

a bias crime - to be biased against someone is to hate someone because of how he looks or acts. A bias is, basically, a prejudice. In the USA a bias crime is a very serious matter because everyone is supposed to have the right to be whatever he/she wants to be. 

Testimonial: learnTEFL.com - a good way to become TEFL certified

Even though I went to Teachers College at Columbia University, and I have experience teaching, I like to keep up-to-date on the latest teaching trends, methods and debates. Therefore, I decided to take an online course to become TEFL certified. TEFL stands for Teaching English to Foreign Learners. If you want to teach English to foreign students, this type of certification will help you greatly. I recently went on a trip to China and it became apparent to me that virtually every English center there requires TEFL certification.

If you want to go overseas and teach, I would highly recommend this course offered by https://learntefl.com/ They even have a job placement specialist who can help you a bit and answer any questions you might have. If you are a fluent English speaker, a good person, and you care about helping others through the field of education while experiencing other cultures, by all means become TEFL certified and get out there! You can have amazing experiences while helping folks.

Now, lots of folks who speak English believe that they can teach English to others without any special training, and if you look through classified ads at folks who offer English tutoring, many of them have not studied education and have not had teaching experience. It is a huge fallacy to assert that just because you can speak English you can teach English. A sound knowledge of English grammar is necessary as well as a knowledge of various teaching methods and materials that are effective. Frankly, a good teacher must also have certain character traits. I think a good teacher has to be patient but a bit assertive while always remaining positive and supportive.

So I recently completed a TEFL certification course through learnTEFL.com and I was quite satisfied. The course was actually more challenging than I thought it was going be, but anyone who is dedicated and serious about putting enough time into studying the lessons should be able to pass this course. It is a 150 hour course packed with thought-provoking lessons.

There are 12 modules with quizzes after each (except for the 12th), 3 assignments and 1 final exam. If you take this course, I would recommend that you keep a notebook and take notes of new terms or interesting concepts for each module, because the final exam is comprehensive and it really does a good job of testing the important points throughout the course. There is a lot to learn that can be applied to your teaching of English.

The course follows the Communicative Approach or the CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach. According to this approach grammar is important but it is in the service of communication or fluency. In fact, I liked many of the issues that they brought up while introducing this approach. For example, I have always wondered what the best approach would be if a student were speaking while making multiple grammar mistakes. According to this approach the teacher should allow the student to finish before going over the mistakes. Honestly, I am not sure I totally agree with that, but I did some research and it seems that if you allow a little time to pass before correcting an error, students are more predisposed to learn. So these folks are probably right after all.

Also I enjoyed reading about the difference between "prescriptive" and "descriptive" English instruction. "Descriptive" English instruction focuses on how people tend to speak English in the general population. "Prescriptive" English is the type of English that follows established grammar rules. For example, most English speakers use "if" incorrectly. They will say, "I don't know if I should wear a sweater today." This is "descriptive" English. But "if" really shouldn't be used this way. "If" should be used in conditional statements - "If it rains I will wear a hat." The word "whether" should be used when you are indicating a choice: "I don't know whether I should wear a sweater today." These folks do not force you to choose one approach over the other, but I sensed that they lean more toward "descriptive" English. I lean more toward "prescriptive" English since most of the foreign students I teach or tutor are professionals or students, and I feel they want to speak a high level, grammatically accurate type of English.

There are numerous fascinating issues addressed throughout the course - another would be motivation. There is a section where future English teachers are offered tips to help them motivate students who seem apathetic or unengaged. I created a formula long ago which goes: desire + confidence + focus = achievement. Unless a student is motivated he/she is simply not going to learn. 

Essentially, this course touches on numerous issues that are essential for a conscientious English teacher. Based on my experience, and I am not being compensated in any way for saying this, I would recommend that you check learnTEFL.com out. You'll even have your own experienced tutor/mentor to help you. Mine was such a sweet and kind person -  I am really grateful for her concern and support and assistance. 

Good luck!!!! Get TEFL certified and get out there and help people learn this amazing world language!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

57 million Americans have a side hustle.

Have you ever thought about starting your own small business while you still hold down a full time job?

Incredibly, 57 million Americans do this. As of last Saturday there were 327,355,053 Americans. So, roughly, 1 out of 5 Americans has a side job, which can also be called a side hustle.

to hustle = to work very hard
to hustle someone = to cheat a person out of money, to lie to a person to get money unfairly

So 'hustle' in a side hustle is used as a noun even though the word is used primarily as a verb.

Here is an interesting article about this trend in American life. What really seems to be interesting is that Americans are pursuing their side hustles primarily to make extra money, and not out of a sense of enjoyment or enrichment or passion. 

How about you? What kind of side hustle would you like to create and would it just be to make extra money?

The article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/people-start-a-second-business-for-a-lot-of-reasons-but-mostly-its-this-one.html

Vocabulary to help you understand the article:

a side business - to start something on the side means that you already are doing something important, but you want to create something smaller as well. So a side business is a small, extra business.

pursuing a passion - doing something because you love it or desire to do it

the plain and simple truth - the basic truth

the side gig - the side job, the side business, the side hustle; gig means job

a finding - a discovery

finances were the main driver - money was the primary motivation

escaping the rat race - in the 1960s young people in the USA coined (created) the term 'rat race'. Being a part of the rat race meant you were living like a rat in a highly competitive society, just working, working, working, competing, competing, competing and not think much about what you were doing or could be doing instead. You were racing through life like a rat, and not savoring and understanding and appreciating life like a human being. So many young people wanted to 'escape from the rat race' - they wanted to find different types of jobs or activities that would make them feel better and help them learn more or appreciate life more.

it makes sense - it can be easily understood

myriad aspects - many different parts of something

affiliate marketing - getting other people to assist you as affiliates (junior partners) and rewarding them when they make sales for your brand

would-be side hustlers - possible side hustlers

he cites - he refers to, he points to

to monetize and scale - to make money and grow

an undying passion project - a project for which your passion will be undying (your passion will not die)

a viable model - a possible model, a realistic model

one caveat - one warning. caveat comes from the Latin expression: Caveat emptor!!! = Buyer, beware!!! (This means that before you buy something you should be super careful.)

to fall into a trap - to make a common mistake, like walking into a trap that someone has set to catch an animal

a paradigm-shifting idea - an idea which changes everyone's perspective or belief about something. 

proliferation - a fast multiplication of something, when something multiplies quickly

to break new ground - to do something new

to be empowering - to make one feel stronger and more confident

a transition - a change

to be primed for something - to be ready for something

an entrepreneur - a business person

Emotional-support pets on airplanes. A good or bad idea?

From the Pettravel.com website:

Emotional support animals are used in Animal Assisted Therapy to improve the physical, social, emotional and cognitive condition of the patient. Most emotional support animals are dogs and cats, however this therapy can also include parrots, horses, elephants, lizards, and monkeys. The DOT is currently considering the addition of pigs to the list. These pet animals are now recognized as providing a valuable service to the elderly and to others with a medical disability and have recently reached the status of Service Animals.

A "cognitive" condition means "thinking" condition. The DOT = The U.S. Department of Transportation

Basically, if I understand this correctly, people who do not like to fly and who feel anxious (worried, stressed, nervous) while flying are allowed to bring these emotional support animals onto an airplane for free. The animals make them feel more comfortable.

However, I really do not like little pets, especially those crazy little designer dogs that some people have to make them seem richer than other people...those dogs that cannot stop barking: yip yip yip yip yip! OMG!

So if someone brings one of these crazy little dogs on an airplane to make him/her feel less stress, it is going to add to my stress! Also, as you can see from the quote above, and from the article linked below, people try to bring weird (strange) pets onto airplanes. Some people try to bring snakes and spiders. Do you want to sit next to a giant hairy spider for 13 hours?

All of my students seem to think this is a terrible idea and many airlines are beginning to take measures to end this practice. Everyone seems to agree that REAL "service" animals (for people who cannot see, for example) are fine. Bring a spider on an airplane to feel safer, well, not too many people would agree with that.

What do you think? One of my students suggested that there are other ways to make people feel more comfortable on planes. Free soothing music, free movies, herbal tea - there are many other things than a big hairy spider that can make a person feel safe. How do you think this whole situation got started?

The article:

http://www.businessinsider.com/emotional-support-animals-big-problem-airlines-want-to-stop-them-2018-6

Vocabulary:

emotional support - this means when someone gets some help in regard to dealing with a painful emotion or emotions. If a friend of yours is depressed, you might try to provide emotional support by taking him/her out, making the person laugh or just by being there to listen to your friend.

vague rules - not clear rules, not well-defined rules

to cheat the system - to get around/avoid the system's rules unfairly or in a deceitful or sneaky way

to the detriment of - to the harm of; detriment is the opposite of benefit

to tighten its definition - to make its definition more exact, more precise

to exclude - to eliminate

a trade group - a organization that represents a number of companies in one industry

unscrupulous - lacking morals, not having ethics, an unscrupulous person does not care about what is right or wrong (pronounced: un SCREW pyul us)

fraudulent documentation - fraudulent means fake or not real, if a person commits an act of fraud, he makes money illegally; so fraudulent documentation means fake documents to get these animals on airplanes (I am not sure whether this is a crime - it probably should be.)

posing as - to pose as someone or something means to pretend to be someone or something

to be mauled - to be bitten badly by an animal

defecating pigs - pigs pooping on the airplane (how's that for your emotional support - fly 7 hours with pig poop)

to weed out the impostors -  an impostor is a faker or someone who is pretending to be something he/she is not. To weed someone or something out means to eliminate someone or something. Let's say you are hiring 5 people for a job and 30 people apply. You have to weed out 25 people - like pulling weeds to support the flowers. So the Department of Transportation is allowing airlines the right to refuse emotional support animals access to airplanes.

to codify regulations - to put these regulations in writing and to make sure the regulations are followed everywhere in the country

giving airlines discretion - giving airlines the ability to make their own choices based on their own judgment

Asking questions properly in English

Lots of students have trouble asking questions in English. Here's an exercise to help you.

The most important thing to remember is that after a question word or phrase you need a VERB.

Why did he choose to take a bus to Cleveland? NOT: Why he choose....

What kind of ring did he buy? NOT: What kind of ring he buy? 

REMEMBER: you use 'does' 'did' with a verb and 'is'/'are'/'was'/'were' with an adjective.

Are you angry?  Is he smart? Was he happy to receive the gift? What is he angry about? 



I am not feeling well.

What's wrong with you? Why aren't you feeling well?

I don't want to eat that salad.

Why don't you want to eat that salad?

Joe was very angry today.

Why was Joe very angry today?

Bob won't be coming in to work today.

Why won't Bob be coming in to work today?

I need help.

How can I help you? What kind of help do you need?

I was so irritated yesterday.

Why were you so irritated yesterday?

Ralph died.

How did he die?

Did you hear about what happened in Memphis this morning?

What happened in Memphis this morning?

I hurt my elbow.

How did you hurt your elbow?

Jane went on vacation.

Where did she go on vacation? When will she be back?

My dog ran away but someone found him and brought him back.

Who found your dog?

I was late for work today.

Why were you late?

I had a strange dream last night.

What did you dream?

I became angry and tried to hit Joe in the face.

Why did you become so angry?

My brother is getting a divorce.

Why is he getting a divorce?

I'm going to move to Brooklyn soon.

When will you move to Brooklyn?

Did you hear about Bob?

What happened to Bob?

I'm so jealous of Bob.

Why are you so jealous of Bob?

I earned a lot of money last week.

How did you earn a lot of money last week?

My boss sucks!

Why does your boss suck?

I threw your pen away.

Why did you throw my pen away?

The government is corrupt.

How is the government corrupt? Why do you say that?

That company is in a new city now.

In which city are they located? Where are they now?

I had such a great time last night.

What did you do? How did you have a great time?

The restaurant we both liked moved to a new location.

Why did it move to a new location?

We need economic reform in this country.

What kind of reform do we need?

I'm sad.

Why are you sad?

I was able to fix my cell phone.

How did you fix it?

I will never fly on that airline again!

Why not? What happened on that airline?

I think that airline is racist.

Why do you say that?

That sandwich is bad for your health.

Why is it bad for my health?

Joe is sick.

What's wrong with him? Why is he sick?

I need to go back to Chicago for a few weeks.

Why do you have to do that?

I need a vacation.

Why do you need a vacation?

You should I visit Chicago.

Why should I visit Chicago?

I finally fixed my car.

What was wrong with it? How did you fix it?

I yelled at my friend.

Why did you yell at your friend?

I saw a great movie.

Why was it great? Which movie did you see?

My favorite restaurant is closing.

Why is it closing?

Don't use the number 7 subway line this weekend.

What's wrong with it?  Why not?

You should vote for a third party candidate.

Why should I vote for a third party candidate.

Joe moved.

Where did he move to?

One way to prove climate change to Trump - a melting iceberg in his image

Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, does not believe that humanity has been harmfully affecting the Earth's climate (weather patterns).

In America, he is the type of person who is called a "climate denier". To deny something is to say that you don't believe something. 

In fact, Donald Trump has blamed the idea of global warming on China, saying that China wants the world to believe that businesses and factories are harming the earth so that United States businesses will stop producing so many goods around the world. (Virtually no intelligent people believe Trump's 'conspiracy theory' about China). 

A group in Finland is trying to raise (gather/collect) $500,000 to have an artist carve a giant image of Trump on an iceberg near the North Pole so that Trump, himself, can watch his image melt as a result of global warming.

A very creative and peaceful response to a climate denier!!!!!

Article about this situation:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-ice-sculpture-iceberg-climate-change-project-trumpmore-melting-arctic-a8331886.html

Vocabulary from the article:

to carve something into something - to use a sharp object to cut into an object so as to form a new image from the original object

The Arctic - this is the very cold region to the north of Earth; the Antarctic is the area to the south. Antarctica is an actual continent. There are seven continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica and Australia. The Arctic or the North Pole is not a continent, it is just a huge area of frozen water. 

a stunt - an action done to create publicity. Publicity means attention from television news shows, newspapers, the internet, social media etc. So a stunt is something that might be done to get everybody's attention.

to spearhead something - if you spearhead something, you are the leader - you are the first to do something, just as the tip of a spear enters a target first. A spear is a long, sharp weapon that can be thrown through the air.

the initiative - an initiative is a project or an endeavor, something someone or some group is going to do to reach some kind of goal.

they have dubbed the effort - they are calling the effort; to dub something as something is to give it a name or title

Trumpmore - there is a famous mountain in America called Mount Rushmore which has the faces of four US presidents carved into it.

to ponder - to think about, to wonder about

Mr. Trump has previously whether climate change exists - this is a mistake by the editor of this article. It should be: Mr. Trump has previously questioned whether climate change exists

non-competitive - he feels that the USA and other countries are competing with each other or fighting against each other to see who can make the most products. He feels the USA is currently winning and making more products than any other country. So he believes that other countries have created the idea of global warming to try to stop US owned factories from making as many things as they are making.

in the Oval Office - the name of the office where the US president spends most of his time. It is shaped like an oval - like an egg.

to sue someone - to take someone to court to stop them from doing something or to get money from them

greenhouse gas emissions guidelines - the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency is a government agency in the USA which sets up rules or guidelines trying to limit the amount of 'greenhouse gases' that can be sent into the air by factories. Greenhouse gases are gases that get stuck in the atmosphere (the air surrounding the Earth) and cause heat from sunlight to get trapped in the atmosphere. So the guy Trump appointed to run the EPA once tried to stop the EPA from setting up rules to save the atmosphere from greenhouse gases.

poised - to be poised to do something means to be ready to do something

offshore drilling - this means drilling for oil in the oceans off the coast of the United States. This is very dangerous as accidents can happen and pollute the water. Trump believes in offshore oil drilling.

to be off limits - if something is off limits, it is prohibited, someone should not go there or do anything there

to muse about something - to think or ponder about something

prominent - if something stands out from other things, it is prominent. So the presidents on Mount Rushmore were four of the most famous presidents of that time.

a rally - a gathering of supporters where they hear speeches and feel good about an issue or person

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at Bush is running for president of Iraq

So one of my students said, "Hey, look at what he did with just his shoes! Imagine what he'll be able to do with an entire government!"

The article:

https://nypost.com/2018/05/01/iraqi-journalist-who-hurled-shoe-at-bush-is-running-for-president/

Vocabulary from the article:

flung - fling, flung, flung (to throw)

to run for office - we use the verb 'to run' if someone is trying to win a political position through the electoral system

chucked - another term for to throw is to chuck something at someone. It is more of a slang term.

launched - another term for thrown.

to brain someone - to hit someone in the head (again, this is a type of slang term)

widows - women whose husbands have died

orphans - children lacking parents (children without parents)

to be tackled - to be attacked and taken down to the ground

nimbly - skillfully

Bush cracked at the time - another verb for to 'tell' a joke is to 'crack' a joke

a ceremonial official - not much power

sovereignty - independence

the provisions of the constitution - what the constitution says should be done

alas - unfortunately 

The African American guys arrested at the Philadelphia Starbucks tell their side of the story

Two African American guys went to a Starbucks to meet a guy with whom they were working on a business project. They did not bother to buy anything. One of them tried to use the bathroom and was told he could not do so unless he bought something first. The manager then told the guys they could not sit and wait without buying anything. They would not buy anything and they would not leave.

So the manager of the Starbucks called the police and the police told the men they had to buy something or leave. They did not do either thing - they told the police they were waiting for someone.

The police arrested the men, but later (after 8 hours) released them.

Starbucks fired the manager and apologized. They are going to provide a training program to teach all of their staff members how not to discriminate against people at Starbucks. (prejudice is an attitude, something a person feels; discrimination is action taken against people because of prejudice)

The Philadelphia Police Department (this happened in Philadelphia) claims that the police did the right thing. If you walk into a coffee shop, you have to buy something, you cannot use the space for free.

How do you feel about this?

An article:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/men-arrested-starbucks-business-meeting-hoping-change-lives/story?id=54578217

Vocabulary:

to be arrested: this is when the police take a person into custody (they take a person to the police station because they believe he/she has committed a crime)

to be accused of something: when someone says you have done something wrong

trespassing - going some place you were not allowed to go (often this means you entered onto land that doesn't belong to you - here it means they entered a restaurant and didn't buy anything)

an entrepreneur - a business person, someone who wants to get involved in a business activity

a barista - at Starbucks, the people behind the counter are called baristas

to decline - to say 'no'

real estate - property

ultimately - finally

to handcuff someone - to put a metal device around a person's two wrists so that he cannot fight

escorted them - led them, removed them from the store

a squad car - a police car

the charges they were facing - the accusations against them, what they were accused of, what they supposedly had done wrong

the charges were dropped - the police said, "OK, we are removing any accusations against you, you may go."

prompted protests - caused protests

a protest - when a group of people come together publicly to complain about something they feel is wrong

minding their own business - not bothering any one

their Miranda rights - whenever anyone in America is arrested, the police have to tell the person his/her rights - "You have the right to remain silent, you don't have to say anything, you also have the right to get a lawyer immediately..." Miranda was a person who was arrested but he wasn't told his rights and he complained about this. So now there is a la named after him requiring the police to tell every arrested person what his/her rights are.

defiant trespassing - you are someplace you shouldn't be and you won't leave (you are defiant - you say "No! I won't do that!")

a video testimonial - a video statement

candidly - completely honestly

to spot something - to see something, to realize something

unconscious bias - bias means prejudice; unconscious bias means you are not even aware that you are acting because you are prejudiced against certain people

reprehensible - very, very wrong, disgustingly wrong

subsequently - later, afterwards

A Lyft driver abandoned a pilot mid-ride due to the low price of a fare

So what would you have done? 

Let's say you are a Lyft driver and you pick a guy up and start driving him to the airport. After a few minutes you realize you are going to travel an hour and only make $6. Well, you picked the guy up and started driving him, so you have to finish your job, correct?

Well, one Lyft driver didn't see things that way. He just stopped his car and forced an airline pilot out in the middle of nowhere. The pilot was late for his flight due to this. 

Thankfully the pilot recorded enough of this exchange to prove what really happened.

So, obviously, if you pick a guy up, you have to finish the job, correct? If the fare is too little for you, do not pick the guy up. 

But, whose fault is this ultimately? 

The article:
http://kfor.com/2018/04/08/pilot-says-lyft-driver-kicked-him-out-after-realizing-airport-was-just-a-6-trip/

Vocabulary:

to kick someone out of some place - to force the person to leave

to drop someone off at a place - to drive a person somewhere

a random spot - not a chosen spot, just any spot, a spot decided on arbitrarily or randomly or not due to a rational or deliberate choice

a tight schedule - he did not have much extra time, a schedule that does not give you much extra time

abruptly - suddenly

to be worth it - super useful: It wasn't worth it for him to....It wasn't worth it for me to... It was worth it to go to the beach today because it was free and I was able to relax.

a ride hailing app - to hail a cab, or to hail a car is to literally wave on the sidewalk to get the driver's attention so that you can use his service. So a ride-hailing app is an app that helps you get a car ride without actually 'hailing' a cab on the street.

initial - first

to feel frustrated - to feel as if there is no solution to a problem or that you are in a bad situation and all the choices suck

his rank - the fact that he was an airline pilot

gunning it - that means he started driving the car super fast to get the ride over with as soon as possible

running stop signs - not stopping for stop signs

whipped out his cell phone - he pulled out his cell phone quickly

things were going downhill - things were getting worse

incredulous - if someone is incredulous he has a hard time believing something is happening

citing - indicating, pointing to

what transpired - what happened

a form letter - a letter that a company sends to everyone or to a certain group of people