MIDWEST LANGUAGE SERVICES - BLOG
Eikawa English Conversation Group
Join us for a weekly English conversation group that will meet on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 beginning in March. The cost for each class is $12.50. We will meet at 735 Shelby St., Suite #106, Indianapolis, IN 46203. Class size is limited to five students.
Symbolism of the Parrot
“Linguists who were both translators and advisors for the king are important officials in the Akan royal court.” - object label at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana
It was a sunny, late-November afternoon when my husband and I went to the local museum and explored the African gallery at Newfields, formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art. I was captivated by the elaborate masks, intricate bead work, and other artifacts in the gallery. The particular artifact that prompted this post was the gold parrot that I saw.
According to the object cards describing the finial, the parrot was used by the royal Akan people of Ghana.
“Linguists, who serve as both translators and advisors to the king, are important officials in the Akan royal court.”
“Linguists carry staffs with gold-covered sculptural finials like this example.”
“The parrot signifies wisdom, benevolence, and language skills. Symbolism related to verbal prowess is particularly appropriate for objects belonging to these counselors, since they are expected to be masters of spoken arts.”
This parrot and many of the other art objects in the gallery were gifts of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg in the 20th century.
Telling the Story of Thanksgiving Using a Story Map
This is an example of a story map for Thanksgiving. Finding out what vocabulary the students know and introducing new vocabulary should be done before drawing the story map. Also, draw the map as you tell the story. This helps with comprehensible input. Drawing the entire map ahead of time may contribute to visual overwhelm and reduce comprehension of target vocabulary and ideas.
Today we learned about the first Thanksgiving and why the Pilgrims came to the New World. Before we began, I asked everyone what words came to mind when they heard the word, “Thanksgiving.” The words “turkey,” “family,” and “dinner” were called out by our students. I wrote these on the board.
As I told the story of the history of Thanksgiving, I drew pictures on the dry erase board to help illustrate key points I wanted our students to know and remember. In this case, I started with England on the right side of the dry erase board and moved westward, to the New World. New vocabulary was introduced and explained as we progressed through the story. We also paused for a three-minute video about Thanksgiving that included captions.
After sitting for a while, I asked everyone to stand up in a small group. Speaking doesn’t just happen when sitting in a classroom setting, after all. The students took turns sharing a sentence or two about the picture to tell the story in chronological order. I then challenged each student to tell the entire story independently.
Later, the students were given time to write their stories in their notebooks and have their teacher check them. Interestingly, the students repeated common errors when reading their stories aloud despite reading their own (corrected) writing; however, progress was still made. At first, when I asked what came to mind when they heard the word, “Thanksgiving,” only three words came to mind. Now they are able to talk about the history of Thanksgiving. One of the students commented that the story map was helpful for being able to talk about and write about this topic. Overall, I would consider this lesson to be a success!
Register for New English Classes!
Register now for our upcoming ESL classes!
Have you tried to contact us about English classes but were only able to book private lessons? Now we finally have group English classes that will start November 6 at our location in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Our address is 735 Shelby St., Suite #106, Indianapolis, IN 46203. It is inside the Switchboard building at the corner of Shelby Street and Hoyt Avenue.
We have a Level 1 class that will meet on Tuesdays 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
November 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2018
Here is the link for Level 1:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-1-english-grammar-and-conversation-tickets-51591759341
Level 2 will meet on Wednesdays 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
November 7, 14, 21, and 28
Cost: $99
Visit our Eventbrite page to register. Here is the link for Level 2:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-2-english-grammar-and-conversation-tickets-51592641981
Join Us for International Art Break Day!
Join us for International Art Break Day at 735 Shelby St., Indianapolis, Indiana on Friday, September 7 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM.
Current and prospective clients are welcome to join us for an art break on Friday, September 7, 2018 from 12:30-2:30 PM at 735 Shelby St., Indianapolis, Indiana. Midwest Language Services, LLC and Switchboard Indy are co-hosting this event on our porch.
“Art Break Day is a global art initiative created by Art is Moving to make art more accessible and inspire daily art making.” Making art together is a great way to make new friends and communicate with others. The focus is not on the art, but of the connections between individuals. www.ArtBreakDay.org
ESL Class at the International Marketplace Welcome Center - Introduction to Basic English
CLASES DE INGLÉS
en el International Marketplace
Precio: $149
Martes y miércoles de 15:30 a 17:00 hrs
26 de junio - 1 de agosto de 2018
info@midwestlanguageservices.com
(317) 296-7997
ESL Introduction to Basic English (Beginner-A1):
Students will learn the basics of English. This will include simple grammar and build vocabulary to describe daily life. They will learn to speak in the present tense, form questions and talk about daily routines.
Some topics to be covered are:
- Introductions and Greetings
- Numbers and Time
- Family and Occupations
- Around the City
- Daily Routines
- Adjectives (descriptive words)
Cost $149
Tuesday and Wednesday 3:30-5:00 PM June 26-August 1, 2018
The class will meet at the International Marketplace:
3685 Commercial Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46222
The class will meet two days every week for six weeks. Each lesson will be 90 minutes.
Please send an e-mail to info@midwestlanguageservices.com call (317) 296-7997 if you have questions.
Language Class Interest Survey
Do you want to communicate more clearly with other people in your community?
Are you planning a trip to another country?
Are you interested in learning a new language?
Hello. We are going to be offering classes at the International Marketplace Welcome Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Please complete the survey. This information will help us with knowing what languages you may be interested in learning. It will also help us know what days and times are convenient for our prospective students.
Thank you.
New ESL Classes
Here is an introduction to some of our new classes that are available at our Indianapolis office.
Beginner/Basic Communication:
This class is for students that already have very basic communication skills. If you can speak in a simple way about routines and already know some frequently used expressions, this course will be beneficial. The focus will be on perfecting grammar and increasing vocabulary. (CEFRL A1-A2)
Intermediate:
This class is for students who would like to practice conversation and improve their grammar. We will learn to speak about a variety of topics using various verb tenses in past, present and future. Some topics include hobbies, goals and plans for life. (CEFRL B1-B2)
Casual Conversation (MeetUp Style group):
This group is to give non-native English speakers an understanding of daily conversation, which can include anything from get-to-know you conversations, cultural differences, or current events. There will be a range of abilities in order for students to be able to hear and learn from others. Topics will be provided for discussion, but ultimately it is up to the students to determine where their interests lie and what they want to discuss. (Intermediate to Advanced, CEFRL B1-C1)
Monday
9:00 AM-10:00 AM - Beginner
10:00 AM-11:00 AM - Beginner
11:00 AM-12:00 PM - Intermediate
1:00-2:00 PM - Intermediate
2:15-3:15 PM - Casual Conversation
3:30-4:30 PM -Casual Conversation
5:00-6:00 PM - Beginner
6:15-7:15 PM - Intermediate
Tuesday
3:30 - 4:30 PM Beginner
5:00 - 6:00 PM Beginner
6:00 - 7:00 PM Intermediate
7:00 - 8:00 PM Conversation
Wednesday
3:30 - 4:30 PM Intermediate
5:00 - 6:00 PM Intermediate
6:00 - 7:00 PM Conversation
7:00 - 8:00 PM Intermediate
Thursday
9:00 AM-10:00 AM - Beginner
10:00 AM-11:00 AM - Beginner
11:00 AM-12:00 PM - Intermediate
1:00-2:00 PM - Intermediate
2:15-3:15 PM - Casual Conversation
3:30-4:30 PM -Casual Conversation
5:00-6:00 PM - Beginner
6:15-7:15 PM - Intermediate
Testimonial from Pablo Da Rosa
Thank you to Jeff Burnham for your excellent work for Midwest Language Services, LLC!
“I was very happy with the service provided by Midwest Language Services. They are very flexible and able to offer different types and meeting times for classes, including teaching at my home, which was very convenient. My instructor was very experienced at teaching. I took the Accent Modification Training and I learned lots of techniques and exercises to help me improve in this area in addition to some grammatical explanations.”