Thursday, December 3, 2015

It's Almost Time To Go.....

The Song "Leaving On a Jet Plane" starts around 1:55.

The song was written by John Denver and sung by him and Mama Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas.

Here are the lyrics:

"Leaving On A Jet Plane"


All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside your door,
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye.
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn, the taxi's waiting He's blowing his horn.
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

There's so many times I've let you down, so many times I've played around,
I tell you now they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go I'll think of you, every song I sing I'll sing for you,
when I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

Now the time has come to leave you, one more time let me kiss you,
then close your eyes, I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come when I won't have to leave alone,
about the times I won't have to say:
kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, babe, I hate to go.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Hello!

Here's Adele's latest song, "Hello."  (The song starts around 1:20.)



Here are the lyrics.

"Hello"

Hello, it's me
I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet
To go over everything
They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing

Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet

There's such a difference between us
And a million miles

Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore

Hello, how are you?
It's so typical of me to talk about myself, I'm sorry
I hope that you're well
Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happened?

It's no secret that the both of us
Are running out of time

So hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, ooooohh
Anymore, anymore

Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart
Anymore


Writer(s): Gregory Kurstin, Adele Adkins
Copyright: Emi April Music Inc., Kurstin Music

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Attention: Level 4 Students



If you want extra practice for the Level 4 Listening and Reading tests go to Ventures.  Click on Level 2.  Click on Sort by Activity Type. Then you can click on Reading or What do you Hear? (Listening).

I'm Sorry!

Are you really sorry?  OK, then, I forgive you!  Now Listen to Tracy Chapman:




Here are the lyrics:

                                                           "Baby Can I Hold You"


Sorry
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like sorry like sorry

Forgive me
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like forgive me forgive me

But you can say baby
Baby can I hold you tonight
Maybe if I told you the right words
At the right time you'd be mine

I love you
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like I love you I love you

Thursday, November 5, 2015

A Crowded Room

Here's the funny clip from "A Night at the Opera",  How many things happen?

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween

 



Here's an old Halloween song (it starts at about 1.00).  Look at the singer's face.  He's very....interesting! 


And here are some easy things to read about Halloween:  http://www.elcivics.com/halloween.html

Enjoy and don't eat too much candy!






Sunday, October 25, 2015

What's your Favorite piece of Clothing?

Here's one of my favorite songs.  It tells a great story about an old shirt:

Here are the lyrics:

"This Shirt"

This shirt is old and faded
All the color's washed away
I've had it now for more damn years
Than I can count anyway
I wear it beneath my jacket
With the collar turned up high
So old I should replace it
But I'm not about to try

This shirt's got silver buttons
And a place upon the sleeve
Where I used to set my heart up
Right there anyone could see
This shirt is the one I wore to every boring high school dance
Where the boys ignored the girls
And we all pretended to like the band

This shirt was a pillow for my head
On a train through Italy
This shirt was a blanket beneath the love
We made in Argeles
This shirt was lost for three whole days
In a town near Buffalo
'Till I found the locker key
In a downtown Trailways bus depot

This shirt was the one I lent you
And when you gave it back
There was a rip inside the sleeve
Where you rolled your cigarettes
It was the place I put my heart
Now look at where you put a tear
I forgave your thoughtlessness
But not the boy who put it there

This shirt was the place your cat
Decided to give birth to five
And we stayed up all night watching
And we wept when the last one died
This shirt is just an old faded piece of cotton
Shining like the memories
Inside those silver buttons

This shirt is a grand old relic
With a grand old history
I wear it now for Sunday chores
Cleaning house and raking leaves
I wear it beneath my jacket
With the collar turned up high
So old I should replace it
But I'm not about to try

Monday, October 19, 2015

I'm not feelilng so good.....

 

 Hope you are feeling well!  But click here for vocabulary about illnesses and medical conditions.  Take the vocabulary test!



Sunday, October 11, 2015

Tom's Diner

Here's Suzanne Vega talking about and singing Tom's Diner.  The song starts at about 1:20.

Here are the words:



I am sitting
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner

I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee

And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue

He is looking
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 shaking
Her umbrella

And I look
The other way
As they are kissing
Their hellos


I'm pretending
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 turning
To the horoscope
And looking
For the funnies

When I'm feeling
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 trying
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 listening

To the bells
Of the cathedral
I am thinking
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


Sunday, October 4, 2015

Level 5/6 October 4

Hello!

It's another beautiful sunny day (boo, hiss; we need rain!)

Just in case you have nothing else to do, you can review some of last week's vocabulary here.

If you want to listen to the story about Josh & his mother, click here

While you're there, check out other stories. 

Level 4 -- Starting Week 8 Already!

Wow!  I can't believe that we are about to start  Week 8.  This semester is going by fast!  (going by = moving very fast).  Here are some words that we talked about this week.  Remember if you can't use the premium activities sign in as a teacher:

Name: deniselleck@sbcglobal.net
Password: 750eddy


Friday, September 18, 2015

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed with All the Vocabulary?



Jim Borgman How Are You Feeling Today Art Print Poster

Click here for a vocabulary list of Emotions.

Some pronunciation rules

English is an easy language, right?

No!!!!!!

Pronunciation is very difficult because many words are not pronounced the same way they are spelled.  

Words ending in "ed" (both past tense verbs and adjectives) can be pronounced 3 different ways:




1.    The final sound is pronounced “t” after the sounds f, k, p, s, ch, and sh

Example:  laughed, raced

2.     The final sound is pronounced “d” after the sounds b, g,  dg, l, 
         m, n, r,th, j, ng, v, z and all vowel sounds.


Example:  judged, banged

3.     The final sound is pronounced “ed” after the sounds t and d.

Example:      wanted

Where do these words go?

Rested, argued, lived, wished, watched, massaged, cooked, knocked, exited, carried, looked, snowed, instructed, tied, occurred, missed, cleaned, texted, apologized, attended, played, mixed, celebrated, slipped, pulled, introduced, hugged, laughed, erased, dictated, chatted

               T
                 D
               ED

















 We use "S" for plural nouns and present tense verbs for he, she, and it.  Here are the rules for pronouncing "S."


Use “s” for words ending in the sounds of f, k, p, t

Example:  Laughs, Books, Tops

Use “iz” for words ending in the sounds of sh, ch, s, and z

Example:  Brushes, Catches, Noses

Use “z” for words ending in the sounds of b, d, g, l, m, n, r, v, and all vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

Example:  Tubs, Bugs, Tears, Snows, Eyes
 

I'm sorry that English is such a crazy language!


Friday, September 11, 2015

Time in A Bottle






Jim Croce


If you want to get sad or depressed, listen to this song!


There are more after that one.  They are pretty easy to understand, but they are all kind of sad.  Sorry!

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Level 5/6 Week 3 Vocabulary

Click here to practice the vocabulary from Black Cats and Broken Mirrors and a few other words from last week.  If you have trouble getting into the premium games you can sign in as deniselleck@sbcglobal.net and use the password 750eddy.

Also, scroll down below to Level 4 Week One Review (posted on August 22) to see pictures of beard, mustache, ponytail, bun, pigtails, etc. And you can review most of the idioms we've studied so far on the post below this one.

Have fun!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Idiom Review

Hi everyone!  Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Here is a link to vocabulary practice with some idioms we've done in Level 4.  We've done most of these in Level 5/6 too.  There are a few new ones, but I know you will be able to figure them out!  :)

If you can't get into the premium games sign in as deniselleck@sbcglobal.net and use the password 750eddy. 

If you have any problems, email me at dselleck@ccsf.edu. 

Have fun!

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Level 5/6 "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" (Song)

Here's a link to "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," by Mary Chapin Carpenter, the song we did in class on Friday.  The worksheet we did is below:







Fill in:  (present tense verbs)
She ______ his coffee, she ________ his bed
She _______ the laundry, she ______ him fed
When she was twenty-one she wore her mother's lace
She said "forever" with a smile upon her face
She ______ the car-pool, she PTAs
Doctors and dentists, she ________ all day
When she was twenty-nine she delivered number three
And every Christmas card showed a perfect family
Everything ______ right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He _______ he'll keep her
Everything _____ so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you _______ your mind. He thinks he'll keep her
She _________ his suitcase, she __________ and __________
With no expression upon her face
When she was thirty-six she met him at their door
She said I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore
Everything _________ right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it ________. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything _______ so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He ________ he'll keep her
For fifteen years she had a job and not one raise in pay
Now __________ in the typing pool at minimum wage
Everything ________ right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it __________. He ________ he'll keep her
Everything ______ so benign, safest place you'll ever find
At least until you _______ your mind. He _______ he'll keep her