Let’s Talk about Thanksgiving and Practice Numbers!

All across the United States, people are preparing for one of our favorite holidays: Thanksgiving!

Families are planning their Thanksgiving dishes. Many people are buying ingredients for traditional Thanksgiving foods: turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet (orange) potatoes and yams, yellow and white potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, pumpkin and apple pies.

When is Thanksgiving? It is always the fourth Thursday in November.

For Beginner Students:

In English, we have cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers.

Cardinal numbers are used for counting things. They tell us “how many”.

READING 1

For example, Robin will cook for 8 people this Thanksgiving. She will need 4 pounds of sweet potatoes, 5 pounds of yellow potatoes, 1 pound of cranberries, 10 ears of corn, 1 pumpkin pie and 2 apple pies this year. We like to eat leftovers the next day!

Ordinal numbers tell us the order of things, or for a list.

READING 2

For example: First, Robin will cook the cranberries. Second, she will bake the apple pies. Third, she will bake the pumpkin pie. Fourth, she will cook the sweet potatoes with maple syrup, and make mashed potatoes. Fifth, she will prepare the corn. Sixth, she will take a break!

Exercise 1. Write the cardinal and ordinal numbers:

Cardinal Numbers, Ordinal Numbers, Abbreviations (= short form):

a. 1 = one, first, 1st

b. 2 =

c. 3 =

d. 4 =

e. 5 =

f. 6 =

g. 7 =

h. 8 =

i. 9 =

j. 10 =

You can check your spelling in the ANSWERS and our NUMBERS LIST below!

For a complete list of numbers and for more exercise practice, go to these links:

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/numbers-cardinal.htm

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/numbers-ordinal.htm

Exercise 2. Read the texts again. Practice your spelling. Write in the missing numbers and words.

Robin will cook for (k)__eight_ people this Thanksgiving. She will need (l)_____ pounds of sweet potatoes, (m)_____ pounds of yellow potatoes, (n) _____ pound of cranberries, (o)________ ears of corn, (p)_______ pumpkin pie and (q) ____ apple pies this year. We like to eat (r)________________ the next day!

Exercise 3. Now, answer the questions.

s. How many people is Robin cooking for this Thanksgiving?

t. What will Robin cook first?

u. How many pounds of sweet potatoes will Robin need?

v. How many pounds of yellow potatoes will she need?

w. What will Robin cook fourth?

x. How many ears of corn will she need?

y. How many pies will she bake?

z. When is Thanksgiving?

For Intermediate/ Advanced students:

READING 3

The first Thanksgiving was in November 1621 in Massachusetts. One group of colonists - the Pilgrims, who had fled Europe to escape religious persecution - had arrived the previous fall and barely survived the rough winter. In fact, about half of the original Pilgrims had died by spring. During 1621, their neighbors, the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans, had taken the desperate Pilgrims in hand and taught them crucial skills: how to grow food in the rocky Massachusetts soil, catch fish and hunt indigenous animals.

The Pilgrims survived in the New World due to the help of the Native Americans. So the Pilgrims wanted to thank the Native Americans. The two groups had a big meal together to celebrate gathering the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest. This three-day feast is considered the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Over time, Americans have developed the tradition of “giving thanks” for the good things in their lives on Thanksgiving Day. Some people start the morning donating time and energy at a homeless shelter to help feed people who are in need. Then we get together with family and friends and eat a meal. Many Americans go around the dining table and each person mentions one thing they are thankful for, such as good friends, close family, work and homes. We relax together. The next day, many of us enjoy Thanksgiving foods again – we love our leftovers!

Exercise 4. Read the text above. Answer the questions.

aa. In what year did the Pilgrims first arrive in the New World?

bb. Why did the Pilgrims come to the New World?

cc. What’s the best meaning of the idiom “to take in hand”? 1. to speak directly to; 2. to assume responsibility for; OR 3. to hunt animals.

dd. What’s a synonym for “crucial”? 1. negligent; 2. difficult; 3. essential

ee. What’s a synonym for “desperate”? 1. distraught; 2. inexperienced; 3. hungry

ff. What’s a synonym for “indigenous”? 1. nearby; 2. healthy; 3. native, not brought to the area from another place

gg. What are “leftovers”?

For a complete list of numbers and for more exercise practice, go to these links:

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/numbers-cardinal.htm

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/numbers-ordinal.htm

ANSWERS:

Exercise 1.

a. 1 = one, first, 1st

b. 2 = two, second, 2nd

c. 3 = three, third, 3rd

d. 4 = four, fourth, 4th

e. 5 = five, fifth, 5th

f. 6 = six, sixth, 6th

g. 7 = seven, seventh, 7th

h. 8 = eight, eighth, 8th

i. 9 = nine, ninth, 9th

j. 10 = ten, tenth, 10th

Exercise 2.

k. eight; l. four; m. five; n. one; o. ten; p. one; q. two; r. leftovers

Exercise 3.

s. eight people; t. the cranberries; u. four pounds; v. five pounds; w. the sweet potatoes with maple syrup and the mashed potatoes; x. ten ears; y. three pies; z. the fourth Thursday in November

Exercise 4.

aa. 1620; bb. to escape religious persecution; cc. 2 – to assume responsibility for; dd. 3 – essential; ee. 1 – distraught; ff. 3 - native, not brought to the area from a different place; gg. extra food after you finish eating a meal – commonly eaten the next day

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers - Let's Go.jpg
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5 Easy and Fun Ideas to Help You Improve Your English

Happy New Year!

Do you have English goals for 2019?   (Goals = objectives, intentions)

Here are 5 easy and fun ideas to help you improve your English. Choose one, two, or all five. The most important thing is to make them part of your routine- part of your day, every day. Good luck!

1) Music in English: Listen, write, sing!

Lyrics = words of a song

We recommend these activities:

Choose an English song. Then…

  • Find the song on the internet. Search on www.YouTube.com

  • Listen to the song without stopping.

  • Listen to the song again. Pause (stop) when you want. Repeat.

  • If you understand all or most of the words, write them as you listen.

  • Then search YouTube or the internet for “song name + lyrics”

  • Read the lyrics as you listen to the song. Repeat.

  • Sing along with the song! Imitate (copy) the accent.

  • After you know the song very well, search “song name + karaoke” Now it’s your turn! Sing with the music!

For example: “Hey Jude” by The Beatles

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQER0A0ej0M

Lyrics: http://www.songlyrics.com/the-beatles/hey-jude-lyrics/

Song and Lyrics on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhXU8c8qwXs

Karaoke: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hey+jude+karaoke

2) Live more of your life in English!

Break the habit of translating into your language.

We recommend these activities:

  • Talk to yourself in English when nobody is listening!  In the shower, when cooking, when walking your dog, anywhere!

You may feel strange at first, but remember: nobody is listening. (You can sing in the shower in English, too!)

  • Change the language on your cell phone to English.

  • Read one news story in English every day. See if these are a good level for you:

https://www.newsinlevels.com/

http://www.thetimesinplainenglish.com/

  • Write about your experiences every day in an English diary. Don’t worry about your grammar and spelling, just write!

3) New words: make them YOURS!

Frequent = common; happens often

Frequency = the number of times that something happens during a period of time (High frequency English words are common.)

Flash card = a small card. One side has the new word; the other side has a picture, definition, or the word in your language.

We recommend these activities:

When you see or hear a new word:

  • Try to understand the word first, then check the dictionary.

  • Check the English frequency. Memorize common English words. In this online dictionary https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/learn/red-words.html, frequent English words are red and have 1, 2 or 3 stars to indicate frequency.

  • Write it in a personal vocabulary list. Keep the list in a small notebook or your cell phone. Write the correct pronunciation after the word. (Use the “pronunciation” button at www.macmillandictionary.com to hear the word.)

  • Practice A LOT.

    Listen to and imitate the pronunciation. Repeat many times.

Write it 5 times.

Use it in a sentence.

Make flash cards. Carry them with you! Practice your new words when you take the subway or bus, wait on line at the supermarket - whenever you have a few minutes.

4) Writing: practice gratitude in English!

We recommend this activity:

  • Every night, write 5 sentences in English: “I am thankful for _________.”

You can be thankful for something that is important, small, funny, or serious – you choose.

5 things that we at Let’s Go Speak English are thankful for:

1.    We are thankful for our awesome students.

2.    We are thankful for hot coffee.

3.    We are thankful for the beautiful parks in New York City.

4.    We are thankful for the opportunity to help English learners in our great city.

5.    We are thankful that you are visiting this blog!

5) Practice English in the real world!

We recommend this activity:

  • Study with a private tutor who will help you learn and practice English while enjoying New York City. Contact us!

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Let’s Go Bake Robin’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread!

Do you enjoy baking? We do! Let’s talk about baking together!

Last week we gave you some interesting reading and exercises to practice your English and learn about pumpkins. You can see it below!

We also promised to share Robin’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe. You can make it with cooked pumpkin, butternut squash or acorn squash. It makes 2 big loaves, or 4-5 small ones. These make great gifts! Bring a loaf to a friend’s house for Halloween, Thanksgiving or the December holidays. Or just enjoy it yourself! Here we go....

We have written important vocabulary words in CAPITAL LETTERS. Let’s match these words first - a little extra English practice:

VOCABULARY

___1. converting

___2. fluid

___3. ingredients

___4. to mash

___5. room temperature

___6. to steam

___7.  to measure

DEFINITIONS

a. the foods that are put in a particular dish

b. to cook food by heating it over boiling water

c. not chilled or heated, just at the temperature of the room

d. to take an exact quantity of something

e. changing from one measurement to a different one

f. liquid

g.  to crush food into a puree

ANSWERS: 1.e    2.f    3.a     4.g    5.c   6.b    7.d

Let’s Bake!

The first important thing to notice is that in the United States, cooking MEASUREMENTS are written in FLUID ounces, pints, cups, teaspoons and tablespoons. We do not use the metric system. So it’s very important to read the recipe carefully!

Changing metric measurements to the U.S. measures is called CONVERTING. If you need help converting your own recipes to U.S. measurements, here’s a useful link to do that:

https://www.infoplease.com/science-health/weights-measures/us-metric-cooking-conversions

It’s always a good idea to measure and organize all your INGREDIENTS before you start baking. This is called “mise en place”.  Yes, that’s French!  Thank you to our French friends!  It means, “put in place.”  You need to put everything in place first.  Now you know that you have everything you need. (Sometimes I need to run out to buy something that I’m missing!  Luckily, in New York City, some supermarkets are open 24 hours every day.)

The ingredients should all be at ROOM TEMPERATURE. So take the butter, eggs and juice out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to start baking.  MEASURE your ingredients carefully.  STEAM your pumpkin or squash, MASH it, and then let it cool a little. You don’t want to add eggs to hot pumpkin – the eggs might start cooking!

For extra help with baking actions, you can go to this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RKYwD7wuFw

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!!!!

 

Robin’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread

This is a moist, sweet bread that keeps well and may also be frozen.  Delicious!

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup butter

2 ½ cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin or squash (2 cups mashed = about 2½-3 pounds before you take off the skin)

1/4 cup orange juice, apple cider, or water (juices are recommended!)

3 1/3 cups sifted flour (Sift the flour FIRST, then measure 3 1/3 cups.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup raisins (optional)

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

(If desired, sprinkle another ½ cup chopped walnuts on top before baking.)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (Fahrenheit).

2. Cut off the skin, throw away the inside seeds and pulp. Cut the pumpkin or squash into chunks. Steam until very soft. Mash them.

3. In a separate bowl, sift the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.  Add to the sifted flour.  Mix well with a whisk.

4. Cream shortening and sugar for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.

5. Beat eggs into the butter/sugar for 2 minutes.  

6. Stir pumpkin and juice (or water) together, then blend into the wet ingredients.   

7. Blend in the flour mixture for 1 minute.

8. Stir in nuts and raisins, if desired.

9. Spoon batter into 2 greased, lightly floured loaf pans (8 ½ inches x 4 ½ inches). Or use 3-5 smaller pans. Fill each pan half to two-thirds full.  (You can see the photo of our different size pans and breads below.)

10. Bake in preheated 350° oven until they are lightly brown and slightly firm to the touch. A toothpick or cake tester should go in and out clean without any batter on it.

Baking times:

Tiny loaf: 25 minutes

Small loaf (5 in x 3 in): 38 minutes

Medium loaf (7 in x 3 ¾ in): 42 minutes

Large loaf pan (8 ½ inches x 4 ½ inches): about 50-60 minutes

Enjoy! And Happy Halloween!

Let's Talk about Pumpkins - Autumn in New York City!

Do you have pumpkins in your native country?  We love them here!

Pumpkins are everywhere in New York City in the fall.  We play with them, decorate them, drink them, and eat them.  Big pumpkins and very small ones.  We have pumpkin carving contests, pumpkin festivals, pumpkin coffee lattes, pumpkin beer, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie!

Now, at Let’s Go Speak English, we’re English teachers – not botanists – but big orange pumpkins are squash or gourds. And they are actually not a vegetable – they are a fruit!

Want to learn more about pumpkins and practice your English?

First, read the online article at this link:

https://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/food/fruit/pumpkin-fact-file.html

Second, do the exercises below to check your understanding. (Answers are at the end.)

And check back next week for Robin’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe!

Exercise 1. Match the vocabulary words with their definitions.

__E__1. crops                                                  

_____2. cultivated

_____3. popular

_____4. native

_____5. nutrients

_____6. edible

_____7. varieties

_____8. to carve

_____9. settlers

_____10. medicinal

_____11. ailment

_____12. to banish

A. you can eat it

B. a lot of people like it

C. people who go to live in a new place where there are only a few or no people

D. to cut something in a special way, such as into a picture

E. plants that are grown for food

F. types, kinds

G. produced or existing naturally in a particular area

H. a sickness or illness

I. things that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow

J. to make something go away 

K. raised, grown

L. used to prevent or cure sickness, like a medicine

Exercise 2. Fill in these missing words.

Thanksgiving Jack O’Lantern crops settlers popular

tribes edible varieties encourage carve

Many parts of the pumpkin are (a)_____________________; in other words, you can eat them.  Some (b)____________________ of pumpkin are better to eat and some are better to (c)__________________.  If you carve a face into a pumpkin and put a candle inside, it is now called a (d)__________________________________. 

Native American (e)____________________ lived in North America before European (f)_____________________ came here. The Native Americans grew different (g)________________ to eat, including pumpkins.

Pumpkin recipes are (h)____________________ in the United States through December and the New Year.  We enjoy them during the Halloween, (i)________________________ and Christmas holidays.  Robin’s favorite pumpkin recipe is below. It is sweet, moist and delicious! We (j)_____________________________ you to try it and let us know if you like it!

Answers:

Exercise 1:   1. E    2. K    3. B    4. G    5. I    6. A    7. F    8. D    9. C    10. L    11. H    12. J

Exercise 2:  a) edible   b) varieties   c) carve   d) Jack O’Lantern   e) tribes   f) settlers   g) crops   h) popular   i) Thanksgiving   j) encourage 

How did you do? We hope you can find a pretty pumpkin for yourself and some delicious pumpkin foods. Remember, check back here next week for Robin’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe!

Jack O'Lantern!

Carve a pumpkin and add a candle - now it’s a Jack O’Lantern!

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Pumpkins in NYC - ready to carve, cook, eat!

OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN NEW YORK CITY PARKS – LET’S GO!

The weather may still feel like spring, but outdoor events are starting!  If you enjoy music, you can listen for free - or play yourself! Two special events in June: 1) FREE concerts by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, 2) 51 "Sing for Hope" pianos are available to the public on NYC streets.

1) The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks take place in all five NYC boroughs from June 12-17. For the exact schedule, visit their website:

https://nyphil.org/parks

All performances begin at 8:00 p.m. except the Free Indoor Concert in Staten Island, which begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be fireworks after the performances in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.

2) "Sing for Hope" will put 51 artistically-decorated pianos on the streets of New York City! Go play one yourself or listen to someone playing! The first piano will be available on June 4 at 12:00 noon at 28 Liberty Plaza.  For a complete schedule of the piano locations, visit this website: 

https://www.singforhope.org/pianos/2018-artists-map/

You can enter your zip code at the site to find a piano near you!

And to learn more about this event, visit this website:

https://www.6sqft.com/51-stunning-sing-for-hope-pianos-will-hit-the-streets-of-nyc-this-summer/

 

Let’s learn and practice some vocabulary to talk about these events!

(You can download a copy of these exercises - go down to the black button at the bottom: DOWNLOAD PDF.)

 

INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED English learners: Go down to Exercise 2 below for a more difficult activity.

 

BEGINNER English learners:  Exercise 1.  Choose ONE correct word to fill-in-the-blank. (Answers are at the bottom of the page.)

1. Every _______  (winter / January / June), people can go to FREE concerts in New York City parks.

2. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra plays ________ (baseball / classical music / soccer).

3. The FREE concerts are outside! Bring a _________ (blanket / car / computer) to sit on.

4. You need to pay _________  ($10 / $20 / nothing) because the concerts are free.

5. If you want to eat during the concert, bring _________ (picnic foods / a restaurant / nothing).

6. If you want to drink a ________ (hamburger / beverage / hotdog), bring some water, juice or soda.

7. After the concert, they have a noisy and pretty display of ________ (paintings / fireworks / books).  Beautiful!

 

INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED English learners:  Exercise 2.  Write in the missing words.  Choose from the list below.  (Answers are at the bottom of the page.) 

 

beverages   fireworks   no matter  opportunity  performs   picnicking   popular   recommend   sets   rain or shine

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra ____________(8)  free concerts in NYC parks every June.  This provides a very special _____________(9)  to sit outside and hear classical music by a world-class orchestra.

We ____________(10)  that you go early to get a good place to sit.  The concerts are very _______________(11), so they are usually very crowded.  They do place speakers around the area so you can hear reasonably well ______________(12)  where you sit.

Do you enjoy eating outside while sitting on the ground?  This is called _____________(13).  Bring food and _____________(14) to the concerts and have a picnic with your friends.  The music will wash over you as the sun ________(15).  And by the way, the concerts usually take place ______________________(16), so bring an umbrella if rain is expected!

Immediately after the 90-minute concerts, in all boroughs except Staten Island, there is a display of ______________(17) as a grand finale! 

Have a wonderful time at the concerts! Go play or listen to some of the 51 pianos!  Free music in NYC - let's go!

And check back here soon to practice your English and learn about more summer events in NYC!

ANSWERS: 1. June  2. classical music  3. blanket  4. nothing  5. picnic foods  6. beverage  7. fireworks  8. performs  9. opportunity  10. recommend  11. popular  12. no matter  13. picnicking  14. beverages  15. sets  16. rain or shine  17. Fireworks

NY Philharmonic on the Great Lawn in Central Park!

NY Philharmonic on the Great Lawn in Central Park!

Sing for Hope Piano 2018
Sing for Hope Piano near Lincoln Center and West 62nd Street

Sing for Hope Piano near Lincoln Center and West 62nd Street

Sing for Hope Piano 3