3.en.87 on a poetic mood: Taylor’s onomatopoetic poem

Today, Taylor did not come with us to the poetry workshop, but she was on a poetic mood. She read our post on onomatopoeia and decided to give it a try.

This is her contribution to our poem archives:

“Sneaking Out” By Taylor Ault

As I creep through the house,

my shoes squeak on the floor.

While I try to go outside,

I bang the door.

When I turn on the car,

the engine starts to roar.

Soon I hear a loud pop,

just my luck, the tire tore.

I get out of the car,

thinking, what a bore!

Being quiet is just too hard,

For me, no sneaking out anymore.

It’s great, isn’t it?  Now, we only need some sound effects and a good recording. Let’s see if we can convince Taylor to do it for us.

 

1.en.20. a real diner in Santa Catalina? Is that possible?

Taylor, our  language assistant teacher, joined us on the first part of the walk last Friday. As we were approaching the Cuba colonial, she was surprised at an unusual site: A Diner!  just like the ones she can find at home. She told us that it made her feel a bit homesick. Next class we’ll ask her questions about her favourite diner in her hometown and about her favourite hamburger topping.

Do you know what a diner is?

Diner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A diner is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America. Some people apply the term not only to the prefabricated structures, but also to restaurants that serve cuisine similar to traditional diner cuisine even if they are located in more traditional types of buildings. Diners are characterized by offering a wide range of foods, mostly American, a casual atmosphere, a counter, and late operating hours. “Classic American Diners” are often characterized by an exterior layer of glimmering stainless steel—a feature unique to diner architecture.

Here are a couple of pics from the Diner in Santa Catalina. Does it look like an American one?

We googled for famous diners in Connecticut, Taylor State, and found  a nice one, Danny’s drive in, it is a classic and dates back to 1935. Visit its web page and find out some of the names of its most famous hamburguers.

1. How much do they cost?
2. What’s the name of the one you would choose?

Homework: Post your answers to the blog for Thursday the 28th, so you can tell Taylor when she comes to our class.

There is a very famous song by Suzan Vega that tells a story that happens in a diner. Here is a video that will help you understand the lyrics.

Enjoy the music

You can try and fill in the gaps. Just a hint, all the words missing end in “ing”

I am _____ (1)
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner

I am _____(2)
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee

And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue

He is _____(3)
Out the window
At somebody
Coming in

“It is always
Nice to see you”
Says the man
Behind the counter

To the woman
Who has come in
She is _____(4)
Her umbrella

And I look
The other way
As they are _____(5)
Their hellos

I’m _____(6)
Not to see them
Instead
I pour the milk

I open
Up the paper
There’s a story
Of an actor

Who had died
While he was drinking
It was no one
I had heard of

And I’m _____(7)
To the horoscope
And looking
For the funnies

When I’m _____(8)
Someone watching me
And so
I raise my head

There’s a woman
On the outside
Looking inside
Does she see me?

No she does not
Really see me
Cause she sees
Her own reflection

And I’m _____(9)
Not to notice
That she’s hitching
Up her skirt

And while she’s
Straightening her stockings
Her hair
Has gotten wet

Oh, this rain
It will continue
Through the morning
As I’m_____ (10)

To the bells
Of the cathedral
I am_____ (11)
Of your voice…

And of the midnight picnic
Once upon a time
Before the rain began…

I finish up my coffee
It’s time to catch the train

1.en.13 a little bit about Taylor

Hello everyone,

this pic was taken Thursday the 14th, you were thinking and trying to do your best in your first English exam. How did it go? I hope everyone will get a good mark, if not, you have plenty of time to catch up.

while you concentrated on your exam, Taylor, who is an excellent assistant teacher and a very nice person, was also writing about herself. She wanted to help you  write  good descriptions of people, so she wrote about herself in order to give you a model.

Homework for Monday 18th October: copy Taylor’s text in your notebook and answer the questions in the blog. Remember that you must not repeat the same answers in the blog, only add new information or comment on your classmates answers if you think  their answers are not correct or some information is missing.

Read Taylor’s description and answer the following questions:

1. How many paragraphs is her text divided into?
2. Can you think of a heading for each paragraph?
3. Are the paragraphs organized according to a certain order?
4. Are there any words you do not understand?
5. Does every paragraph deal with the same period in Taylor’s life?
6. Did you know how to spell correctly the names of places and people?

A Little Bit About Me!

Hello!  My name is Taylor Ault.  I am 24 years old and am from Stratford, Connecticut.  Connecticut is a small state in the North East corner of the United States and borders New York.  I would describe myself as having blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.  I think that I am adventurous, youthful, optimistic, loving, and a good friend.

I have two parents who still live in Connecticut.  In addition to my parents, I also have two cats (Noel and Emma) and one dog (Bailey) at home.  My younger sister, Victoria, is 22 years old and goes to university in New York.  Even though I love Mallorca, I still miss my pets and family sometimes!

At the age of 18, in 2004, I left Connecticut and went to Princeton University for four years.  Princeton is located in the state of New Jersey.  At Princeton I studied Art History.  When I wasn’t working, I played soccer and spent time with my friends.

When I graduated from Princeton in 2008, I worked for a program called AmeriCorps.  During my time with AmeriCorps, I taught young children how to read and write in an after school program.  When I finished working for AmeriCorps, I decided to come to Spain.  Last year I taught at IES Mossen Alcover in Manacor and at CP Na Penyal in Cala Millor.  I lived in Manacor and spent lots of time playing tennis, reading books, and learning all about the island.  I loved Mallorca so much, that I decided to come back for a second year.  This year I live in Palma and teach at IES Ramon Llull.

In the future I would like to be a lawyer in the United States.  I hope to work for a museum in New York or Boston.  However, right now, I am very excited to be working at Ramon Llull!  I think I will have a great year with the amazing students here!

1.en.9 What’s in a name? What is Taylor going to be like? Acrostics for Taylor

Hello everyone!

I am learning a lot about you and your names thanks to your presentations in your Spanish lessons.

Today we tried to imagine what our new assistant teacher, Taylor, will be like. We only know his name, TAYLOR, the rest we’ll have to wait to find out.

• Do you know what an acrostic is?

Acrostic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An acrostic (Greek: ákros “top”; stíchos “verse”) is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message.

Homework for Monday 3rd

Using Taylor’s name I have made 3 acrostics. Look up the adjectives you do not know in the dictionary and post them to the blog. When we’ll meet Taylor next week we’ll ask him  which adjectives fit him best.

Tall

American

Young

Lively

Organized

Relaxed

Tough

Adventurous

Yankee

Leader

Optimistic

Rebel

Teaser

Artsy

Yuppy

Loving

Outspoken

Romantic

Next week, during English lessons we’ll try to make some acrostics with our names.

Enjoy the weekend!