Some Questions in The Meeting

A. Firt Information Meeting
1. What did you learn at the meeting?
2. Which things were the most important or helpful?
3. What other things would be helpful to know?

B. Starting and Ending Your Classes
1. Is your class too short or too long? Or just right?
Just right.
2. What is the best number of weeks for one class?
10 weeks for one class.
3. Do you think it is good that students can start or leave a class at any time?
Yes, I do.

C. Attending Classes.
1. Is it good for the school to have rules about coming to class?
No, I don't think it is good for the school to have rules about coming to class.
2. What do you think is the best rule?
I think the best rule is: speak English in the class.

D. Staying in the ESL Program
1. What helps you to keep coming to class?
The class has to be interesting.
2. Why do some students stop taking classes soon after starting?
Maybe they get a job or don't have time.

E. Making Progress in Learng English
1. In your class, what are you learning in English? How do you know?
Pronounce, grammar, reading and listening.
2. How do you know when you are ready to move to a higher level?
I feel like by myself or I can take a test well.

F. Using Computers in Learning English
1. Do you use computers in your English classes? What do you do?
Yes, I do. To get news.
2. Do computers help you to learn English?
Yes, they do. They help me to learn extra at home
3. What other kinds of machine do you use in class?
Hardwear, printer.

Practice Telling Story

I would like to have a chance to talk every morning. I would like the teacher give the topic to students to write a very short story in 10 minutes such as: my favorite hobby, the funiest story or what are your consider life's greatest gift, what are your consider life's greatest sorrow . . . And then the teacher calls up around 7 people to read their stories everyday. I think it is very helpful for us to practice talking.

My Suggestion

I feel like we learned a lot of grammars everyday, but we don't have a chance to practice. I think if the teacher keep to continue like this everyday. It doesn't work for us very much, because we have the idiom "You get out what you put in" but I don't see any get out. So, now I have some suggestions to the teacher and classmates:

After we learned the grammar. I'd likethe teacher give homeworks to students to write about 5 or 10 sentences which are using the grammar that we have just learned. I think the teacher do like this, it will work better than we just learned without practicing.

I would like the teacher slowdown little bit in teaching grammar. To rush to learn we don't have the depth impression in our mind. So, I think we have one day to learn and then the next day we practice. It is very good to remember.

I would like what I have learned, I'll stick in my mind forever.

I need classmates' ideas. Please give me some comments.

CAME BACK FROM VIETNAM

I came back to the United States a week ago. I was so tired after my flight that I took one more day off
to clean the house and wash clothes.

The next day I went to work. People at my work were
happy to see me. After 5 weeks, I was happy to see them, too. They asked me many questions
about Vietnam. I told them a lot of stories. At work I was so happy I forgot I was tired and sleepy. When I got home, I slept a lot. I didn't go to school. I was lazy. I am sorry about that. In Vietnam I
wrote 2 stories. I wanted to write more stories but I lost the address of the blog when I went to Saigon. I will write a story about Vietnam very soon.

See you guys tomorrow!
THANH

What Democracy Means to Me

Democracy is a system of government in which the people hold the ruling power.

Everyone has equal rights. If you don’t like a politician you can protest against him. Democracy sounds very good.

Sometimes when politicians want to be elected, they promise you whatever you ask for, but they may not do what they promise after they are elected. They can not do all that they promise. In fact, no one can be perfect.

Compare democracy to the dictatorship system.

A dictator has complete power over the country. People have to follow his orders, whether or not they like them.

I prefer democracy better.

What Democracy Means to Me

Democracy means equality. Everyone can speak or publish in freedom.

I like democracy, because I can criticize anybody in the public even though he is the president. Journalists can write whatever they like in the newspaper. Cartoonists can make fund of or imitate anyone. It is not a crime to do these things.

My country is a democracy, also, but it is different than here. People can not criticize the president even if the president does something wrong or he does bad things. Human rights are unequal. The rich people are always right and powerful.

So, to me, democracy means freedom of speech and equal human rights.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is for people to celebrate love or a special relationship with people whom we love or like.

On Valentine's Day most people like to give flowers or chocolate candy with a card. These are popular gifts. Some people give other things, also.

On Valentine's Day most young people like to go to a movie. Some couples like to travel to romantic places. People who are married go out for a family dinner. Some kids they give presents or cards to their teachers or friends.

My country doesn't have Valentine's Day so people don't have a special holiday to celebrate the relationship between husbands and wives.

Many Asians who have lived in the United States for a long time don't do anything on Valentines' Day. They don't think this holiday is important. A few Asians follow American traditions. They do somethings special on Valentine's Day. They think Valentine's Day is an important day, also.

I think Valentine's Day is very good, because it reminds people to warm up their relationships, especially between husbands and wives.

The American Life Style

Many people think American life is stressful and competitive. This is perfectly true!

Everybody knows that America is a rich society. Everybody wants cars, a house, entertainment, fun games, nice clothes, good food and an opportunity to travel. People work hard for these things. Some people have to work two jobs for what they want in life.

Every month we have to pay for the rent, PG&E, phone, car insurance, medical, food … Oh! There are too many bills! American life is stressful.

American life is not easy if we don't have a stable job or we can't afford payments for the house. How can we survive if we get laid off. It's indeed stressful!

In my country life is less competitive than here. People don't have to work so much. They can relax more than here.

In my country almost everybody owns a home. Thus, people work just for food and some miscellaneous needs. In a family just a few people work. This can support the whole family.

Anyway, American life is better. If we work hard, we can enjoy the American life style.

New Year in Ha Noi

This year I enjoy New Year in my hometown. I was very busy, butI really happy. Before New year four days, I was help my Mum make cakes. We made 12 cakes. It was coast about 10 pounds rice, 6 pounds bean and 4 pounds meats for make cakes. I don't know call the English name for this cake. It's a tradition cake of my country.The cake only has to make for New Year' days. Ten years ago, every family made this cake when New Year caming. Now, many familys don't make cake, they go to markets to buy the cake. You can buy it everyday.
Same Christmas' days in United States we decorated our house with flowers and light. Eve New Year's day my Mum cooked big dinner have expecial foods. Every member in my family had to go home ate dinner together. Eve New Year's night I with my brother went to center city to see firework.
THE END PART I

I am missing adult school

Dear Teacher Richard and All

Maybe you do not remember me but I still want to apology for my disapearing.

I am now learning in Laney College and I am re-writing this Vietnamese fable on the ocasion of Vietnamese Tet holiday. I hope you will not delete my name in this blog


INTELLIGENCE OF HUMAN BEING
One day, a tiger was about to eat a buffalo. The farmer, who was also the buffalo owner, passed by and noticed the buffalo in danger. As the buffalo helped the farmer plow his land, the farmer tried to think of a way to rescue the buffalo. He begged the tiger not to eat the buffalo: "Please release my buffalo and I’ll give you my intelligence in return". The tiger was curious about "intelligence" and said to itself: "what is intelligence?, I have never seen it in this world, ok, I’ll get his intelligence then I’ll eat this stupid farmer and his buffalo". Then the tiger accepted the exchange. Pretending to gorget something, the farmer said: "Oh, I left my intelligence at home and I am afraid that while I am going back home, you’ll eat my buffalo. "Can I just tie you to a tree so that you can't eat my buffalo" he proposed. Being impatient for getting intelligence, the tiger agreed. The farmer started to tie the tiger with a rope. he go around the tree, one round, another round and another round... the tiger got tied more and more tightly. Finally, it could not move. The tiger was very angry and shouted at the farmer: "Why are you tying me so tightly? why don't you go home and get me your intelligence". The farmer bursted in to laugh: "Ha ha ha, now I am showing you my intelligence" then he set the tied tiger on fire until all the rope was burnt down and the tiger ran away with fear. Nowadays, we still see stripes on tigers' fur because their ancestor was burnt by the farmer.