Nursery Rhymes

I had a discussion this morning with a student of mine about English nursery rhymes. A nursery rhyme is a short poem or song for children. Here is an example of one of my favorite nursery rhymes:

All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel;
The monkey thought it was all in fun.
Pop! Goes the weasel.

A weasel is a small, squirrel-like animal. A mulberry bush is an American fruit bush. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, but there is a lively melody. In fact the melody for "Pop Goes the Weasel" is often played by ice cream trucks and carousels in the United States.

ELI Game Night

Last Friday, we had "Game Night" here at the ELI. Students, teachers, and tutors played card and table games including Jenga, Spoons, Mastermind, Boggle, Trivial Pursuit, Blurt, Bananagrams, Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, and--my own childhood favorite--Connect 4 (see above). The event not only let students have a good time with their friends but also taught them about games that have been a big part of American leisure for many years.

Personally, I enjoyed game night but wish I could have done better. I made it to the last round of the Jenga tournament but faltered when one of Ken's witticisms distracted me, and the tower came tumbling down. I also had an (unlucky) stint as a Tarot reader, and got gollywopped (beaten badly) in a game of Spoons.

Oh well, better luck next time.

Welcome Back!

As a new ELI session gets underway, this week I would like to welcome back returning ELI students and give a warm welcome to all our newcomers from countries diverse as Uzbekistan, Brazil, Kuwait, China, and Saudi Arabia.

New students can check the map below to see important ELI locations.


View Important Eli Places in a larger map

ELI Prom!

Just a reminder that this Thursday the 15th is the ELI Prom. Prom is a dance held once a year in American high schools. This dance is traditionally for high school juniors and seniors. The purpose of prom is to have fun, spend time with your friends, to dress up, and dance.

At prom, you will take pictures, listen to American music, and, if you're lucky, maybe slow dance with your date.

While at American proms it is customary to bring a date of the opposite sex, it's also equally ok to bring a group of friends.

A word on dress: Girls wear long, formal dresses with high heels. Guys wear a tuxedo and dress shoes. It is also customary for the boy to buy a corsage (a flower pinned to the dress) for the girl.
For more information see the official ELI prom webpage:

http://www.wix.com/eliprom2011/prom#!

Fashion Show

Just a follow-up to the last post to say that the ELI fashion show was a big success. More than 100 students participated, representing than 38 cultures. The UD review covered the event. You can read their article here:

http://www.udreview.com/mosaic/students-faculty-showcase-cultural-heritage-1.2713573#.TtfIBfJYWSo

Above you can see yours truly in his fancy Uzbeki Groom Wedding Costume.

Have you ever seen an international catwalk?

Runway or catwalk describes a narrow, usually flat platform that runs into an auditorium, used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show.

The International Fashion show is this Thursday, November 17th! It's at 7-9 pm in the Perkins Student Center. Students will walk the runway in traditional clothing from different countries.

It's a great way to show off our many personalities in many different styles of clothing from many different countries.


It should be an event to remember, so make sure you're there!

~CarolAnn (CE)

Why English only?

There's a reason why the password in the SALC, the policy in the student lounge, and the phrase that comes out of the teachers' and tutors' mouths is

"English only."

So what's the reason?

It's not because we're mean or that we don't want you to talk to your friends. It's because we want you to practice your English language - that's why you're here, isn't it? - and it's because we want you to make friends with your fellow ELI students, even if they don't speak your first language.

Imagine taking all these language classes, and then never speaking English. You'd lose all your English ability! I know this is true, because it happened to me when I was learning Russian. I was okay at it for a while because I had to speak Russian in class a few times a week, but as soon as I stopped, my Russian went away. Don't let this happen to you!

We care about you and we want you to do well. So when you're in the ELI, please speak English!
And remember to have fun!

~CarolAnn (CE)