Music and Language Education
Vocalist - Spanish & English
Blog
Spelling Bee - Meet the latest and YOUNGEST contestant here!!
Posted on May 29, 2016 at 8:42 AM |
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Since we have incorporated spelling bees into our summer classes at St. John's University/The Language Connection, this clip about a National Spelling Bee participant should prove to be very interesting. What do you think? |
Effective Writing: Emails to Essays
Posted on May 16, 2016 at 9:17 PM |
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Hello class of Summer 1, 2016! What a pleasure to meet you all today. I look forward to a wonderful 7-week session where we both learn and explore various topics to write about. This is an updated post where we can continue communicating with each other. Best regards and Happy Writing! ~ Prof. Leslie |
Vocabulary in Use - Student Feedback
Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:50 PM |
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During a classroom exercise today after the lesson was complete, students were given a writing assignment to help demonstrate and assess knowledge gained. The question was posed to which each student was required to write his or her response using at least two or three of the vocabulary words from the lesson. Question: How do you identify with Leslie as your teacher? Of my 14 students, here are a few choice replies. "She is an amiable, open-minded teacher who is the epitome of a good, inspiring ESL educator." "I like your amiable personality. I consider it as a happy occasion that our encounter took place today. It is great how you are trying to make all students involved. And your candy gift for everybody is a good way to absolve the atmosphere. Personally, I think you could be the perfect epitome for most of the teachers here." "Leslie was very friendly and amiable, good professional teacher. She absolved us of shyness and static. Leslie is the epItome of good behavior and manners. |
Desperately seeking Harmony
Posted on March 31, 2013 at 11:56 PM |
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This year's TESOL 2013 International Convention theme of Harmonizing Language, Heritage & Cultures was materialized for me personally during a casual dinner at a local Dallas steakhouse. As I joined two of my friendly colleagues for dinner, we encountered a German-French entrepreneur who at first, appeared to be a wine connoisseur . He was shocked to find that I used many French vocabulary words during my informal conversation. His surprise was enhanced as I further explained how my fiance and I had exchanged love letters written in French during our engagement. My fillet mignon was getting cold and I was becoming a bit perturbed by the need to prove myself, again! He could not accept that apparently my use of certain words of French origin was a normal part of American culture. As the four of us became more comfortable during what became a jovial exchange over our respective meals and glasses of red wine, the Frenchman revealed his motivation and efforts to learn English. He talked about the tactics of his private tutor. He shared a few of his partner's study techniques and then he gladly displayed his homemade flash cards from his back pocket; those from which he would study independently. Quite handy, I thought! The flash cards helped him during business trips to America such as those held in Dallas that week. I am sure that each of us pondered our differences at one point or another, not only in language, but also in our respective heritage and cultures. Between us, we spoke French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and English; the global language! Most importantly, by the end of this impromptu dinner at the Dallas steakhouse, we each acknowledged the many ways that harmonized English and French languages, along with the heritages and cultures. We found our common ground and saw that although we carried our German, French, Peruvian, and African American cultures with us everywhere we went, true (momentary) harmony between and among us was eventually achieved. From our dinner together where originally, he ridiculed our use of "his" language, to the moment when he gladly refunded my cash and picked up the tab, to the moments we posed like children in various settings of threes for the photographer of choice, until we walk together to our hotel where along the way, he shared that visiting the JFK museum gave him goosebumps. Finally, during breakfast the next morning we ladies reciprocated the invitation. True harmony won! |
TESOL International Convention 2013
Posted on March 25, 2013 at 5:14 PM |
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Connecting through Music and Art!
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 12:54 PM |
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International Center in New York Moves Downtown!
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 5:14 PM |
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Two weeks ago we found our new home at 80 Maiden Lane under the auspices of Catholic Charities of New York. |
Language learners celebrate as 2012 comes to a close
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 3:58 PM |
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