My last days in New York

Selin hanging on to the U.S. flag in Brooklyn with her friend, Zeynep.

by Selin Tekin

Last Monday was my first whole day at home. Normally, I have really good reasons to go out, but since that day, I couldn’t find any reason to head into the city, so I decided to study for the TOEFL. First, I woke up and decided to prepare breakfast. After that, I listened to music, then I watched a sitcom. Before I knew it,  it was already 5 pm, and I decided to run in a park near our house. When I got back home, I went shopping with my cousin. As you can see, I did everything except study and the next days continued like this.

Actually, I want to talk about the one day that was different--last Saturday. First I decided to see my old classmates, and we had dinner together. Then we went to a bar to have a drink and talk about my last days here. After the bar, we wanted to go to one of our friends' birthday party in Hudson Terrace. Actually, I definitely hate nightclubs and I always say no to parties, but this time was one of my good friends' birthday and I felt obligated to go.

My favorite holiday in Kazakhstan

by Yevgeniya Khatskevich

There are many holidays in my country; among them are Easter, Trinity, New Year's Day, Christmas, Nauryz, the Feast of Unity of the Peoples of Kazakhstan, Victory Day, Day of the Capital, Constitution Day, Independence Day of Kazakhstan, International Women's Day, and Days of the Defenders of the Fatherland (on February 23 and May 7). These are formal holidays. Informal ones consist of Halloween, Valentine's Day, the Old New Year and others.

Each holiday has special meaning and reasons for celebrating. Actually, I like all holidays in my country because most of them are days off, which means that you don't have to go to work, and you can do whatever you want for fun. You can celebrate in traditional or non traditional ways. Holidays are rare times of the year when you can just enjoy life. They are times to stop and take a deep breath before work begins to drive you crazy again.

The holiday which I like more than the others is International Women's Day or the 8th of March. Of course, my first reason for loving this day is that I’m a woman. It's very pleasant to receive presents, flowers, and hear wonderful words addressed to you. In addition, you get a lot of attention from men. But hello, they do it because they have to do it, so it's no big deal.

Actually, the main reason why I like this day is my mom because it's another chance to tell her about my love and respect for her and to say thanks for having me and for raising me to become who I am today. When I was a child I made presents for my mother by myself. We did it in preschool and in kindergarten. We drew cards and made albums; we learned short poetry and read it for our mothers. All the words that we wrote in the cards or read were about love and words of thanks. It was a very beautiful time. I haven't made presents since I was a child. Instead, I buy them. But the point of my presents is still like it was in childhood: to say “I love you, mom, and thank you."

We all grow up, and our lives become very busy with all our very important to-do lists; we forget to say very important words to very important people in our lives. I think this is the point of many holidays: just to stop, take a deep breath and remember the people in our lives. The 8th of March is one of these special days.

Telling a story with new vocabulary!

When I talked on the phone with my friend, my sister often interrupted me, so I blamed her because I couldn't concentrate on what my friend and I were talking about. My sister and I talked about resolving the issue by not going to each other's room when one of us was talking on the phone with someone. This would benefit us because then we won't have to argue. I want to avoid being interrupted when I talk on the phone.

submitted by Hye Han Lee
class: Contemporary Topics 1

More vocabulary practice!

1. I don't want to give my doggy snacks more than three per day, but I always give in to my dog when he looks up at me with eager eyes.
2. If I don't get enough sleep, I can't concentrate in class.
3. He blames God for destroying his house during the tsunami.
4. The Libyan militia resolved the Libyan civil war by killing Gadhafi.

submitted by Sky Hanseul Lee
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Practicing English with more vocabulary

1. I'm trying to avoid smoking.
2. My boss has a positive approach for my career. I think I’ll move up in the company.
3. If I like the circumstances, I will accept that job.
4. My brother and I are having a conflict because he doesn’t agree with my ideas.
5. This year two major companies made an agreement. They are first-class manufacturers of carpet fabric.
6. I should concentrate more because I made a lot of mistakes in the last exam.
7. If you often interrupt your brother, he will get angry.
8. I don’t want to live with you. I have resolved to move to a different home.
9. I like your studying technique; I think I will apply it, myself.
10. I don’t want to confer with you; you broke my heart.

submitted by Deniz Atasever
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Using vocabulary to practice English

1. I couldn't concentrate during the lesson because I was sleepy.
2. I was giving my opinion when he interrupted the conversation.
3. We kept our minds calm when there were dangerous circumstances.
4. Even if everyone blamed me, my family was always on my side.
5. I wished to confer with you about my future.

submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Practicing more vocabulary!

1. Many people don't believe the theory.
2. He has been learning Chinese but I don't think he has acquired it yet.
3. I have a good motivation to learn English.
4. The evidence is critical in finding out what happened during the accident.
5. She didn't tell me the source of the fire.
6. It is obvious that she lied to me.
7. He is always the ideal person to go shopping with.
8. I'll make the dinner reservation for you.
9. Don't you think her sister is lively?
10. I don't remember that aspect of elementary school.
11. Her every word had an impact on me.
12. She lost weight because she suffered from sleep deprivation.
13. That computer function isn't needed by anyone here.
14. That's not a sensible answer.
15. Sometimes, she seems pessimistic but usually, she is optimistic.
16. Her style isn't normal, and it is rather conspicuous.
17. Inventions come from innovative thinking.
18. You should get a refund; the camera is not functioning properly.
19. The policeman is notorious for instigating violence.

submitted by Hyun Sil Lee

class: Contemporary Topics 1

Using more vocabulary!

1. Marriage is a very important decision. If you love the person, you should think about every aspect.
2. If you spend too much time with friends, you won't be able to function well at work or at school.
3. My friend got into a crash; she was injured.
4. You should click on a link; there is usually beneficial information.
5. There is a twenty percent discount on technological products this weekend.
6. I realized I can be so successful, but I should study hard.
7. I worked a long shift last weekend, from 10:00am until 09:00pm.
8. I sleep only 4 hours every day. I can’t concentrate. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem.
9. My friend is suffering from a serious toothache; she is feeling very bad.
10. I need immediate help; my dog is dying.
11. I took the drug an hour ago; it had a bad side effect.

submitted by Deniz Atasever
class: Contemporary Topics 1

More vocabulary practice!

1. Immediately after I get up in the morning, my brain's function is very slow.
2. When I came to NY, I realized my parents were very precious to me.
3. When I suffer from sleep deprivation, I want to go to bed early.

submitted by Lee Hye Han
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Practicing vocabulary

1. You should have immediately taken out the cookies from the oven.
2. A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject with words and phrases about the subject.
3. We need to see a different aspect of the problem.

submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Do children learn new languages more easily?

CHILDREN LEARN NEW LANGUAGES EASILY.
I agree with this statement. A few months ago, I listened to a lecture about children. I watched a video at this lecture. The video explained that children usually have an innate ability to acquire language. Because of this, they learn new languages more easily and quickly than adults.

submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

Thinking about our strengths

I think my strength is kindness. I don't think that this is true, but a lot of people say, "You are so nice!"  Sometimes, however, being kind to others can consume time. However, I don't think it would hurt to be kind to others. When I help someone, I feel happy and I can learn many things from that.

submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

A walk to the past in the Lower East Side

by Aiyma Yerkin

The Lower East Side is one of the oldest neighborhoods of New York City. It has long been a working-class neighborhood and often a poor and ethnically diverse section of New York. Today it is largely a Puerto Rican and Dominican community.

The Lower East Side is perhaps best known as having once been a center of Jewish culture. It is especially remembered as a place of Jewish beginnings in contemporary American Jewish culture.

I liked visiting the Tenement Museum on Orchard street the most. The museum's exhibits including the restored apartments are said to depict the lives of immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard street between 1863 and 1935. The museum also has an extensive collection of historical archives and provides a variety of educational programs.

The movie we watched in the visitor's center told us the stories of immigrants from different countries. It showed their life in tenement apartments in the 19th and 20th centuries. Starting with how they arrived in New York, their way of life, their work, the difficulties they faced at that period of time, and ending with the successes in their lives, which they deserved. Their success is being able to find happiness living as citizens of the United States.

class: Explore NYC

A letter of complaint (imaginary)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to complain about a short holiday I had recently which was organized by Citibreaks. I was dissatisfied with several things.

First, your advertisement promised a hotel in a central location, whereas in fact, the hotel was a long way from the city center. You also said that all the rooms would have a river view, but my window just looked over the parking lot, which was very noisy. I also had to pay extra for dinner although the advertisement had stated that it was included in the price. To make matters worse, I had no choice about which show to go to. I had wanted to go to a new musical, but the only ticket offered to me was for one which I had seen already.

I had been looking forward to my holiday very much, but it was completely ruined by these problems. I therefore feel that you should refund half the cost of the holiday in compensation for my disappointment.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Gamze Avci

class: Contemporary Topics 1

Using vocabulary with some imagination

Ali and I
I went to the place where Ali and I first met a decade ago. I drank coffee because he liked coffee. I closed my eyes, and I imagined him. Suddenly, one hand touched my shoulders. I knew his touch. Certainly, it was Ali. He came! This was incredible. I was shocked and I felt weary. Ten minutes later, wine came to the table from the cellar. He brought red wine. Ali was sure I liked wine so much. Later the food came. I was delighted and ate dinner. I looked at him and then I asked a question.

"How did you come?"

"I resigned from my job," he said. I didn`t believe him. This job was very important to him.

"Why Ali? Why did you resign?" I asked.

"I don`t want to work anymore," he answered. "It's now time to reveal my secret. I want to live with you forever. I want to be with you only. I don't want to be far away anymore." I smiled and he held my hands. "I know tomorrow is your birthday, and I have a surprise for you," he said.

He took me to the pet store to buy a puppy. I saw one with two different color eyes who was trying to breed with one poor white puppy. I liked him because he was trouble. Now we can live together as a family.

"Life begins again," we said together.

submitted by Gamze Avci

class: Contemporary Topics 1

Talking about body parts

He was in a car accident yesterday. His chin, right elbow, both calves and right knee were bleeding for 30 minutes. When he went to the hospital, he had a headache, so he applied constant pressure on his temples. He had a mustache and a goatee but his chin was slashed so his goatee had to be shaved completely because his chin had to be sutured.

submitted by Lee Hye Han
class: Contemporary Topics 1

A Letter for a Gratitude Visit

A Gratitude Visit is an exercise developed by positive psychologists to help individuals increase their level of  happiness, albeit temporarily. In this exercise, the writer thanks someone through a letter. However, instead of sending it in the mail, the writer visits the person he or she is thanking and reads the letter to the person. 


Positive psychologists believe this activity increases the person's level of happiness because it enables them to feel connected and allows them to give something. Giving in itself, psychologists believe, makes people feel better, which then increases their level of happiness.


This letter was written by Lee Hye Han for her cousin, Regina.

Dear Regina,

Hi! What's up? I'm glad I came to the U.S. to stay with you for a while. And thank you for hanging out with me very often. You know when I came to New York, I didn't have friends. So I was glad I spent time with you.

Do you remember when I came to New York 7 years ago? I didn't speak English as well as now. My English has improved a little bit. Anyway, we had many problems when we talked. But now I'm studying and trying to speak English much better than before, and we can talk about a lot more things.

I appreciate everything you've taught me. When I needed to learn something, you taught me very kindly. Thank you for that.

And on my birthday, your family gave me a present. Thank you for my birthday present and the nice cards. I was thankful that you remembered my birthday. I'd like to stay in New York with you. When I go back to Korea, I can't forget being here and your kindness.

I feel gratitude toward your family. I wish you a lot of luck and happiness in life. Thank you, sweetheart!

With love,
Han

class: Contemporary Topics 1

Having fun practicing vocabulary. Who knew?

1) He has faith in the other people in his company.
2) This movie is so dreary. I know because I watched it a year ago.
3) She handed in her resignation last week.
4) He betrayed his nation for his own interests.
5) I didn't sleep well last night, so I feel weary today.


submitted by Ji Hye Park
class: Contemporary Topics 1

More vocabulary!

1) My sister got yelled at by her teacher for her bad attitude.
2) In the old days, people had a strong connection with their neighbors, but these days they don't have that strong connection anymore.
3) I feel gratitude toward my parents because they supported my studying in America.

submitted by Ji Hye Park

class: Contemporary Issues 1

Practicing vocabulary

1. I can achieve my goal depending on how I try to do it. 
2. I feel gratitude toward my aunt because I'm living in her house.
3. One of the methods that I use to improve my English is reading books.
4. Speaking English is very relevant to living in New York.
5. I try to study hard to achieve my goal.


submitted by Hye Han Lee
class: Contemporary Topics 1