MIDWEST LANGUAGE SERVICES - BLOG
Take a Trip to Japan with Fort Wayne's Top 5 Japanese Restaurants!
Japan has a variety of incredible dishes that you need to try. Why not start with some of the top Japanese restaurants in Fort Wayne?
Check it out here: Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Restaurants in Fort Wayne, Indiana
頂きます !
Top 4 German Restaurants in Indianapolis, IN
Are you looking to try new things? Check out the top 4 German restaurants in Indianapolis and try some kartofelpuffer or käsespätzle!
Guten Appetit!
Discover a New City: Columbus, Indiana [EN-FR]
It doesn’t come as a surprise that in Indiana, Indianapolis is a fairly touristy destination. Welcoming over 29 million tourists each year, Indianapolis is one of the most popular destinations in the Midwest. However, just under an hour south of Indianapolis is a small city known as Columbus, Indiana, a small town full of surprises.
In fact, Columbus is one of the best cities in the world for those interested in architecture. If you are a fan, you’ll love the bus tour, “Architectural Highlights.” This two-hour tour details how Columbus came to be the architectural hotspot that it is today. Some of the artwork comes from designers such as I.M. Pei, the architect who designed the Louvre and Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art.
Additionally, you can take a tour of the beautiful Miller House and Garden, a National Historic Landmark owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The Miller House was designed by Eero Saarienen, a Finnish-American architect, with the help of Dan Kiley, with whom he helped create the St. Louis Gateway Arch. With its modern design, glass walls, skylights, and vibrant colors, it is really a sight to see.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a calmer day, you can always take a stroll through Downtown Columbus. From shops and boutiques to different dining options to all sorts of other activities, there’s no shortage of things to do while you’re there!
Finally, you can take a glance at the Columbus Community Calendar, available on the city’s website: columbus.in.gov. There are always interesting events occurring that you won’t want to miss!
Take a couple of days to explore a new city and see what Columbus has to offer!
Découvrir une nouvelle ville : Columbus, Indiana
Ce n’est pas surprenant que dans l’Indiana, la ville d’Indianapolis soit une destination assez touristique. Accueillant plus de 29 millions de touristes tous les ans, la ville d’Indianapolis est l’une des destinations les plus appréciée dans la région du Midwest des États-Unis. Cependant, à une heure au sud d’Indianapolis se trouve une petite ville qui s’appelle, Columbus, une ville pleine de surprises.
En fait, Columbus est l’une des meilleures villes du monde pour les passionnés d’architecture. Si vous aimez l’architecture, vous adorerez le bus touristique, « Les moments marquants d’architecture ». Ce voyage en bus de deux heures vous expliquera comment la ville de Columbus est devenue le haut lieu touristique d’architecture aujourd’hui. Certaines d’œuvres d’art viennent même de I.M. Pei, l’architecte qui a conçu le Louvre et le Musée d’Art Islamique de Doha.
Par ailleurs, vous pouvez faire un tour à la Miller House, un site national historique géré par le Musée d’Art d’Indianapolis, Newfields. La Miller House a été conçue par Eero SAARINEN, architecte finnois-américain, à l’aide de Dan KILEY, avec lequel il a conçu la « Gateway Arch » ou « Arche Passerelle » à Saint Louis dans le Missouri. La conception moderne, les murs-rideaux vitrés, les fenêtres de toit et finalement les couleurs vives de la Miller House sont un spectacle à voir.
En revanche, si vous cherchez des activités plus calmes, vous pouvez simplement vous balader au centre-ville de Columbus. Au centre vous trouverez des magasins et boutiques, des restaurants et plein d’autres activités, il ne manquera pas de choses à faire pendant votre visite.
Enfin, vous pouvez jeter un œil au calendrier de communauté de Columbus, disponible sur le site de la ville : columbus.in.gov. Il y a toujours des évènements intéressants qui se passent qu’il ne faut pas manquer !
Prenez quelques jours et découvrez une nouvelle ville et voir ce que Columbus vous propose !
Moving Abroad and Dealing with Homesickness
Homesickness is something we all experience at some point in our lives; however, it can be quite intense if you decide you want to live in another country, and you’re not prepared. In all honesty, it’s inevitable, but there are things you can do to help yourself feel closer to home when you are hundreds – or even thousands – of miles away from your family.
Take items that remind you of home
When you finally move, make sure to take small items that remind you of your hometown and your family with you, so that you’ll always have a piece of home with you, no matter where you go. Some small things you can take could be photos or small gifts that you have gotten from your family such as a keychain, or other tiny trinkets.
Stay in touch
This may sound obvious, but for some people it can be hard depending on where you move. You can run into different problems such as time differences or lack of communication services. If you move to a different country, you’ll need to get a new phone number, and the price of international calls and texts can add up very quickly. Luckily, there are quite a few apps out there that can help. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and even the messaging features on Instagram and Twitter can help you connect with your friends and family from a distance.
Send each other postcards
You live in a new and exciting city; your family will surely want to see what it’s like. In return, your family can send you postcards as well, reminding you of your hometown. Even better is adding a short, personalized message with your postcard to show them that you’re thinking of them.
Make new friends
Nobody can replace your friends back home but making new friends and exploring your new city with them can help you deal with the feeling of loneliness that you may experience when moving abroad.
Homesickness is normal, but hopefully these suggestions can help you adjust to life in your new city or country. Don’t feel bad about missing home – it’s normal. Just do your best to stay connected to those from your hometown and don’t forget to visit them from time to time as well!
Reverse Culture Shock
Culture shock is a term that a lot of people are familiar with, but there is also a less familiar phenomenon, known as reverse culture shock. Most know that when we travel abroad, we need to be prepared to see and do things that may be considered strange in our home country. However, what may not think about is how staying abroad for long periods of time can affect our view of our home country.
What is Reverse Culture Shock?
Reverse culture shock is a term used to describe the feeling of disorientation that one experiences upon returning to their home country after months, or even years, abroad. It’s something I’ve experienced, and it’s definitely strange. I’ve lived in France for the past three years and coming home has been quite an interesting experience. There are so many little things that I’d never thought of as weird or different, but now I do. It’s like seeing the world again through a brand-new set of eyes, it’s a feeling that almost can’t be described – it has to be experienced.
The way I’m talking about it makes it seem like a bad thing, but it’s not at all. It’s just different. One of the major differences for me was, of course, the language since I didn’t go to an anglophone country. After speaking exclusively French for the past few years, I had to readjust to speaking my native language. Even though I’ve been back for a few weeks, I still draw a blank every now and then. However, the longer I stay here, the easier it will get.
Another adjustment was the way of life. In France, it seems much calmer, whereas in the United States, I’m under the impression that I’m constantly running around trying to do ten things at once. The two countries have a very different pace as well as a different outlook on life and readjusting to it has been a challenge. Neither one is good nor bad, they are just two very distinct cultures.
The last change that I’ve noticed are the changes to my daily routine. I had started to adapt to the French lifestyle while I was over there and coming back and so trying to fall back into my old routine after returning has been a struggle, in fact.
How Do You Deal with it?
It is possible to reduce the effects of reverse culture shock upon returning to your home country. The more you communicate with people back home, the more of a connection you have to that culture and the less likely you are to be disoriented when you return. Additionally, if you frequently travel between both countries and adapt to both cultures, the differences will ultimately become less shocking over time.
Just remember that reverse culture shock is an adjustment, neither good nor bad, and you just need to take the time to fall back into your old routine.
Engaging International Employees
Business English language training is a necessity for international companies who need and want improved cross-cultural communication, efficiency, and employee engagement. Midwest Language Services, LLC has been providing business executives and their families language training since 2006. Our team of seasoned teachers can help your team improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Contact us today about how we can help your organization.
Do you want a more efficient and effective workplace that helps employees feel more connected and invested in their work?
Business English language training is a business necessity for international corporations to work more effectively and efficiently. It is essential that employees are able to listen, understand, and respond to requests, make requests, learn industry-specific terminology, and be active participants in meetings. Business English also includes composing e-mails and other writing that coworkers are able to understand.
Midwest Language Services, LLC has been helping business executives communicate more clearly and effectively since 2006. Contact us about a business English language training program for your company.
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Moving to the United States from France
Audrey Ruel is a journalist from France who now lives in the Midwestern United States. In this article, she shares her expectations of life in America and some of her observations along with a bit of advice. The article has been shared with Audrey’s permission.
Audrey Ruel is a former journalist from France who takes one of our English conversation classes. I asked her about her expectations about moving to the United States and what the reality has been. The following is what she shared with us:
Living in a foreign country since January 2019 has been a new experience for me. It was on my dream board to have the opportunity to spend more than vacation time outside of France. We have had this opportunity thanks to my husband's work. We moved with our two young daughters. We thought it would be a good experience for them too, and speaking English will help them throughout their entire lives. We moved 3 months before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we were lucky because living in the countryside during this period has been easier than it would have been in the big city where we previously lived in France (Nantes).
I didn’t expect there to be a big gap between French and American cultures because we are both Western and we know about each other, but I was wrong! If you spend more than vacation time in a foreign country, you will understand the way of life of the local population, and I can now say that it’s really different here from my country!
For example, my husband and I were really surprised at the beginning to see people going to restaurants at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. In my country, dinner time is from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. American people wake up earlier, eat earlier, and go to school earlier, (and consequently go to sleep earlier), compared to France.
Before moving, I was anxious about not speaking English well. I knew that the American accent was hard to understand, and I thought I could stay alone a long time or stay only in the French community, but I can now say that it’s really easy to form new relationships with American people. You can easily find a club or association where you can volunteer your free time and meet nice people. School is also a good place because they hold a lot of events with students and parents. You also have opportunities in your church community. My Hoosier neighbors are such nice people that I really enjoy having small talk with them.
Living in America
We asked Audrey to share her expectations of what it would be like to live in the United States, the reality, and any advice she might have to newcomers.
Another big challenge when you move to the USA is to buy or rent a house. Real estate prices are really high compared to Europe and for less quality. Take your time to find a good place. Hopefully, we will be here for more than one year. We really enjoy our place. My family and I adore traveling in this huge and wonderful country.
If I have advice to give, it would concern official documents. As a foreigner, there are a lot of documents to be careful with. If you can have a new passport when you move, that can help, because when the passport expires, you have to ask for a new visa, etc. If you don’t want to have immigration problems, take care of all those forms, and be as smart as possible.
My last point is about electricity! In Europe, it is 220 volts, and in the USA it is 110 volts. You have to be aware of that point when you are packing all your stuff if you come from Europe.
Midwest Language Services was On-the-Air with Julie Metz
Julie Metz, Executive Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, interviewed Tanya Hoover, President of Midwest Language Services on Giant FM, 106.5 in Shelbyville, Indiana.
Tanya Hoover, President and Founder of Midwest Language Services, was invited to talk about her business on a radio show this morning that aired on 106.5 FM, The Giant. Executive Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, Julie Metz, invited Ms. Hoover to speak on the Chamber Chat radio show. While Tanya is not new to Shelby County, Midwest Language Services, LLC is. She started English as a Second Language teaching adult students from Yuma Industries when she started her business as a sole proprietorship nearly fifteen years ago.
A new English as a Second/New Language (ESL/ENL) class is being offered by Midwest Language Services in Shelbyville, Indiana that will meet on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon for non-native speakers of English. For more details about this and other services Midwest Language Services provides, such as sign language (ASL) interpreting, document translations, and other interpreting services, please contact us at info@midwestlanguageservices.com or call (317) 296-7997.
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.
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!
Field Trips and Experiential English in Columbus, Indiana
Experiential learning gives ESL students the opportunity to learn what they have learned in class to help them become independent members of their community.
One of our ESL students found a book about interior decorating.
It was time for a change in our English class routine. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and some of our students met at a local library to learn where to find books they would be interested in reading. We prepared for this day last week when we reviewed vocabulary related to libraries. We tried using these words in sentences and with help from their instructor, they practiced key phrases they would need to be able to find books and check them out.
Last week, the students talked about topics they would like to learn more about. One student likes sports and is interested in marathon running. Another likes interior decorating and has experience with this in her home country. Our other student was interested in books about places to travel within the United States and abroad.
There are lots of books about running and marathons.
An ESL student chooses a book about travel in the United States.
Before we checked out our books, we sat at a table together and shared what books we decided to check out. It was a good opportunity to share and learn more about our classmates. Afterwards, we took a tour of the library that was designed by architect I. M. Pei and then went next door to the visitor's center where we saw glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly.
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
Letter to Newcomers from a Current Student
One of our students, Akiko, will be be returning to Japan very soon. After teaching a class about phrases used to offer advice and suggestions, I asked the students to write to a letter to people who would be moving to the United States. This gave an opportunity for Akiko to use her English skills while leaving a legacy here for newcomers who might look for advice about things to do while living in Indiana. Here is her revised letter.
Dear New Friend,
My name is Akiko and I’m from Japan. I’ve been in Columbus, [Indiana] for three years. I would recommend going to watch sports such as baseball, basketball, and football. There are many professional sports teams in the U.S.A. Live games are exciting.
My favorite game is basketball. Any team is fine, but I like the Indiana Pacers. You should check the Pacers home page [so] that you can get information about where you can watch the games, get tickets, and ticket prices.
You should take an English class or workshop. Don’t stay in your house alone. I would recommend Midwest Language Services.
Best regards,
Akiko S.