MLS Humanities, Vocabulary Review and Discussion

 By Nate Feldman

Complete the sentences with the words below.

bottom line   empathy   exemplary   fall into place   flaw   flee   

insight    introspection   quest   raw    sorry sight 

1. My friend is very smart, but a little disorganized.  This is his __________________.

2. If a hurricane comes to our area, we must __________________to a safer place.

3. A person who doesn't shower or comb their hair in the morning is a ___________________.

4. It is good to have ______________________for other people.  You need to care about how others feel.

5. If you want to correct your mistakes, you need some time for _______________________to realize what you have done wrong.

6. Living in another country for many years gives you _______________________to how the culture operates.  

7. Remember to cook the meat well.  ________________meat might make you sick.  

8. I'd like to believe my lessons have been ______________________and that you have gained a lot of knowledge.

9. I'm going on a _______________________to find hidden treasure at the bottom of the ocean, like a pirate.

10. The ________________________is you are here to study English.  Other things are secondary.  

11. I don't have plans for this weekend yet, but things will ______________________once I have a chance to think things over.

advocate    confrontation    consequence    gut punch    indignation   transformative 

1. I am an _____________________for four-day workweeks.  I support this idea.

2. The teacher always let the student in the front answer every question, so the rest of the students felt ______________________towards the teacher.  

3. Falling asleep in class is a _______________________of not getting enough rest at night.

4. Living overseas is a _______________________experience for people as they learn so many things they didn't know before.

5. There was a verbal ______________________between the teacher and the student after the teacher said the student was stupid in front of everyone.

Discussion:

1. What is a flaw of yours?

2. What place is a sorry sight?

3. When did you have to flee something?

4. Do you have empathy for teachers/educators?

5. What place is exemplary?

6. Have you gone on a quest before?

MLS Humanities, Vocabulary

 

*How have you grown and changed since you first started going to school?

 

Flee= to run away from something

Ex. When we heard the gunshots, we fled the area immediately. 

Flaw = a weakness or error in a person or thing

Insight = internal knowledge

Ex. I’ve gained a lot of insight about the life of American people while here. 

Introspection = thinking about one’s life or place in the world

Empathy = having feelings for other people’s situations

Raw = not developed; not cooked

Exemplary = a model or great example

Ex. You have exemplary behavior. 

Quest = going on a journey for a specific mission

Ex. I heard in Clark Park there is a magic cup that if you get it, it gives you great powers.  Let’s go on a quest to obtain it.

Compels = to force someone to do something

The bottom line = the most important thing

Ex. The bottom line is I came to the USA to learn English, so I will do that. 

Fall into place = people will find their suitable role; things will happen as they are supposed to

Ex. I don’t know exactly what we are doing on the trip, but I’m sure everything will fall into place eventually. 

A sorry sight = Something bad to look at

RW Pyramids of Giza

 By Nate Feldman

                                                                Is it Good to be a Workaholic?

 

                Did you or your parents work too much in your life?  There are some people in this world that dedicate themselves to working around the clock.  We call these people workaholics.  Probably 60% of the people in my country are considered workaholics.  However, is that a good thing?  Should people really be focused only on their work and not other things in life?  From my perspective, I think work is important, but it should not be your entire life. 

                People shouldn’t be workaholics because mental health is just as important as financial well-being.  What is the point of making a lot of money if you sacrifice your sanity to do so.  All of the money you earn will go to your psychologist, not to your family if you work so much.  Many people who overwork often complain of problems, such as depression, anxiety, and sometimes even suicidal thoughts. 

                Another reason people shouldn’t work so much is because we need social relationships with other people.  Recent studies have shown that 70% of divorces in this world are a result of a spouse not being at home because they are working all of the time.  Also, children suffer when a parent is not there to raise them and guide them.  The children raise themselves instead. 

                Some people say that being a workaholic can guarantee success in life.  The more you work, the more opportunities you give yourself to get ahead.  While it’s true that working more can lead to more money and opportunities, you should not give up more important things, like family and health for it.  You should work hard, but not overwork.  There is a big difference. 

                To conclude, it is important to work a lot for our careers and our family’s well-being.  However, I think being a workaholic has more cons than pros, so you should avoid this lifestyle.  Remember to take time and enjoy yourself every now and again. 

MLS Humanities, Class 11

 Pre-class Vocab. warm-up:

bombarded   bulwark   burden   distinguish   neglect   paranoia 

 restructured    sphere     superficial   thorny issue  

1. The teacher _________________________us with tons of assignments in class.  It was so exhausting. 

2. Hannah Arendt felt that school should be a _____________________, or protection, for young people against the challenges of the real world.   

3. If you ___________________your studies, you will probably get bad results.  

4. Poverty and homelessness is a _________________________in our society.  

5. I am afraid to go out at night because I am afraid of being kidnapped.  I have a real ___________________about this situation.  

6. The saleslady acted so kind to me, but this kindness was all _________________________.  All she wanted was me to buy her product.  

7. We have ________________________the class schedule, and now we will start classes at 10:30.  

8. I don't mean to ____________________you with my problems.  It's just I need someone to open up with.  

9. It's difficult for me to _______________________between the different South American accents.

10. Arendt felt children were too young to be engaged with the political ____________________.

Discussion:

1. What are you bombarded with?

2. What is a thorny issue you want people to deal with?

3. What do you feel too many people neglect?

4. Can you distinguish between different American accents?

5. What do you have a paranoia about?

Further Discussion:

1. How can we teach children to love the world so that they want to engage with their society?

2. Do you think children are too young to deal with thorny issues in their society?  

RW Pyramids of Giza, Vocabulary

 

Enduring = continuing

Ex. Gun violence is an enduring problem here in the USA. 

Abandon = leave it and don’t come back to it

Extinction = when something is completely gone; died out

Ex. Dinosaurs are extinct.   Scientists believe an asteroid caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. 

Diversity = many types of something

Ex. The ELS student body has a lot of diversity/is diverse

Neglect = don’t pay attention to

Ex. I have a bad teacher.  He neglects the class.

 

1.      What is a place you know that has a lot of diversity?

*college campuses/cities

 

2.      Is there anything you think you neglect sometimes in your life?

 

3.      Is there something you need to abandon?

 

4.      What causes extinction?

 

Should we save dying languages? 

MLS Humanities, Class 10

 Class: MLS Humanities

Teacher: Nate Feldman

Class Objective: Reading and analyzing the text about Hannah Arendt 

Pre-Reading Vocabulary:

1.      Doomed to failure = something that will never work

 

2.      Engagement = being involved with someone or something

 

3.      Superficial = something fake

 

4.      Neglect = to not pay attention to something or someone

 

5.      Restructure = recreate

 

6.      Paranoia = an irrational feeling that bad things will happen

 

7.      Burden = to make something difficult for someone

 

8.      Thorny issues = difficult and complex issues

 

9.      To align with = to agree or be on the same level as someone or something else

 

10.  Distinguish = recognize the difference between different things

 

11.  Sphere = in this case area (i.e. political sphere)

 

12.  Bombarded with = to be given something (negative) repeatedly and endlessly

 

i.e. We are bombarded with schoolwork by the teacher. 

 

13.  Bulwark: something that protects people from something else

 

Read the passage on P.8-9.  Do you think that students should be burdened with the issues of the world? 

How do you think you can create a love of the world as Hannah Arendt wanted in the classroom?

Extra Words and Questions:

Filled with fright = scared

Dark spirit = an evil ghost

Floating around = suspended in the air/on top of water

Capturing = taking control

 

*When are you filled with fright?

*Do you believe in dark spirits?  Do you think they float around?

*What is something that has captured your attention here?

MLS Humanities, Class 9

Pre-class vocab warm-up

consequences    dared    depicts   gut punch   pursuit    sacrifice   self-sufficient  ubiquitous 

1. A person who can take care of themselves without the help of others is ________________________.

2. As a parent, you must ____________________time and effort you would use for other things to raise children.  

3. The story ______________________the protagonist as a kind, but naive person.  

4. The _____________________of knowledge is essential in finding our place in the world.  

5. The students ___________________to challenge the teacher when they felt the teaching methods were unjust.  

6. The students tried to change the system of education without fear of _____________________from the administration because they felt the changes were essential for their well-being.  

7. When the employees found out the company was laying off 100 staff members, it was a real ____________________for them.  

8. Going to school for education is something that is ______________________in all countries.

Vocabulary from the Monster Hunter's Story 

1.      To wipe out = to eliminate completely

Ex. We need to wipe out corruption

2.      A menace = a threatening or dangerous thing

Ex. Drug dealers are a menace to our society

3.      An eyewitness = someone who saw something happen (usually a bad thing)

4.      Shut-eye = sleep

5.      Fall foliage = the leaves changing colors

6.      Peak = highest point

7.      Gazing = staring

8.      Precocious = a young person whose behavior is older than their actual age

9.      Feral = undomesticated; lives in the wild

10.  Fangs = sharp teeth in the front of your mouth

11.  The hype = what everyone is saying (usually in an excited way)

12.  Mischief = bad behavior

Ex. My mother told me not to do any mischief. 

13.  Scaly skin = similar to an alligator or reptile’s skin; with scales

RW, Should Humans and Monsters be Friends

 

Should humans and monsters be friends?

>>Monsters can attack and kill humans

>>Monsters are dangerous

>>Monsters can’t analyze humans; they don’t have a mind

>>it’s unsafe to be around monsters

 

>>Yes.  Maybe, we just need to understand them better. 

 

Some people say monsters can’t analyze humans.  While it is true that some monsters can’t think, such as zombies, there are monsters, such as witches, that in fact are more intelligent than humans because they have the power to manipulate nature to their benefits. 

 

Vocab:

1.      Haunted = possessed by a ghost

Ex. A haunted house

2.      Doomsday = the end of the world

3.      A witch = a woman with magic powers

4.      Conflict = fighting with others

5.      Wipe out = to eliminate

6.      To rid yourself of something = to eliminate it from your life

7.      A menace = something threatening and scary to you

8.      A spate of (something) = a series of bad things that happen in a short period of time

Ex. There have been a spate of shootings in the last week. 

9.      The outskirts of a town = just outside of the town

10.  Without a trace = nothing left behind

11.  Wandering = walking with no destination

12.  Dragging = pulling from the ground

 

MLS Humanities, Class 8

 Pre-Class Vocab. Activity

advocate    confrontation    consequence    gut punch    indignation   squandering   transformative 

1. People who don't study hard here are ____________________a great opportunity to improve their English.  

2. I am an _____________________for four-day workweeks.  I support this idea.

3. The teacher always let the student in the front answer every question, so the rest of the students felt ______________________towards the teacher.  

4. Falling asleep in class is a _______________________of not getting enough rest at night.

5. When I failed the final exam and had to repeat the level, it was a real ______________________for me.

6. Living overseas is a _______________________experience for people as they learn so many things they didn't know before.

7. There was a verbal ______________________between the teacher and the student after the teacher said the student was stupid in front of everyone.

Discussion:

1. What are you an advocate for?

2. What has been/was a transformative experience for you?

3. What was a real gut punch for you?

4. When have you felt indignation towards someone?

5. Where did you have a confrontation (either physical or verbal) with someone?

Listening and Discussion:

“He valued the pursuit of knowledge as a means of moving beyond the restrictions of society towards a self-sufficient greatness.”

*Self-sufficient = able to take care of oneself with limited help or assistance

“Nietzsche dared to challenge societal rules without regard for consequences.”

 

1.      Do you think knowledge helps us move beyond the restrictions of society?  Do you even want to move beyond the restrictions of society?  Do you want to challenge the status quo?

RW Pyramids of Giza, Unit 3 Vocab and Model Essay

 By Nate Feldman

Linguistic: related to language

Constitute: make up; are a part of

Ex. Here at ELS, many nationalities constitute the ELS student body. 

Considerably: by a large amount

Ex. NYC is considerably more expensive than other parts of the country. 

Pennsylvania is a big state, but California is considerably larger. 

Acquire: to gain or get something

Ex. While at ELS, I have acquired a lot of knowledge about the English language and the United States. 

Lead to: causes something to happen.

Ex. Mr. Nate said a bad thing about me.  This led to a fight.  Smoking too much may lead to lung cancer. 

Competence: the ability to do something correctly

Competent: a person who does things correctly

Ex. You are a very competent writer. 

Incompetent: unable to do things correctly. 

Anticipate: you expect something to happen

Ex. The weather reporters anticipate that the weather will be sunny throughout the week.

Native language: your original language

Furthermore: more than that

I am happy for two reasons.  The weather is very sunny.  Furthermore, the temperature is quite cool and relaxing.

Expand: to become bigger

We should expand the ELS day from 7 hours to 9 hours.

Dominate: control someone or something

The English language dominates the United States. 

 

                                      Should People Speak English?

 

          Have you ever tried to learn English?  According to the book in class, 611 million of the English speakers around the world are non-native speakers.  That’s more than any other language!!!  For a long time, English has been considered the international language, so people try to learn it.  But, is this a good idea?  Should people study English?  In my opinion, people study English for a couple of reasons.

          The first reason people should learn English is because it can help you find a better job.  Because of the strength of the American economy, many jobs around the world need English speakers.  Also, because English is a lingua franca for people from many countries, if you do business with another country, often you will need to know English for that. 

          Another reason people need to learn English is because it has become the language of science.  If you want to acquire scientific information, quite often you need to know English for that. 

          Some people say that learning English is not necessary because in fifty years Chinese will dominate world languages.  While it is true that Chinese is becoming more important, we still in the present time need English for the things I mentioned.  In fact, you probably should learn both English and Chinese. 

          To conclude, English is an important language to know for many reasons, and people will continue studying it for a little bit more.  So, prepare to go to places like ELS and meet Mr. Nate.  Thank you.

MLS Humanities, Class 7

Class: MLS Humanities

Teacher: Nate Feldman

Class Goal: Discuss Vocabulary and analyze Audios

Pre-class warm-up:

meaningful    noble   object    outlandish    passive learning    protagonist   reflection

1. The _______________________of a story is the main character, or the one you support.

2. I __________________to people trying to achieve their goals through deceptive means.

3. Mr. Nate came to class dressed as a clown.  I found this so _______________________and complained about it. 

4. ________________________is taking in facts without using them for anything specifically.  

5. My time at ELS has been a ______________________experience for me and I have gained a lot from it. 

6. Taking care of needy people is a ____________________thing to do. 

7. I like to go to the woods for ______________________so that I can think deeply about my life.

Discussion:

1. What is something you find outlandish?

2. What is something you object to?

3. Do you have a favorite protagonist in a story?

4. What has been a meaningful experience for you?

5. Do you often reflect on your life and the world around you?

New Vocabulary:

Squander: to waste something

Don’t squander this nice weather! 

Sacrifice: give up something for something else

*As a parent, you must sacrifice time for the children. 

*Some soldiers sacrifice themselves for the country. 

Confrontation: a fight with someone

*verbal confrontation

*physical confrontation

Indignation: feeling of anger about something you think isn’t right or fair

Consequence: a negative result

An advocate: supporter of a person or thing

To advocate: I advocate people being able to smoke weed if they want

*I’m an advocate for …..

Transformative: something that changed your life

*Living in another country is a transformative experience. 

RW Pyramids of Giza, Vocab Review

 By Nate Feldman

Complete the sentences with the words listed below

emphasizes   gesture   nevertheless   

propose    publication   reliance   statistics   universal 

1. A heart is a _____________________symbol of love. 

2. I __________________that we have classes four days a week instead of five.  

3. This book is a ______________________of National Geographic Books.  

4. Giving thumbs up is a positive ___________________.

5. The teacher _______________________that we study every day.

6. I am tired this afternoon. ___________________, I must be in this class.  

7. Young children have ____________________on their parents for food and security.

8. ___________________say that 80% of students here do not have a car.

Sentence Structure rules and examples:

Introduction:

*Background of the subject

*Should we do this?

*My opinion (Thesis Statement)

 

Body Paragraphs: Reasons why I think this

 

Argument/Counterargument: Some people say that peanut butter is too heavy.  While it’s true it’s kind of heavy, it has good qualities that make it healthy if you don’t eat too much.

Conclusion: Summary of the main idea (repeating the thesis)

*To conclude, people should eat peanut butter because of its good taste and its nutritional benefits.  So, go eat some peanut butter today!  Yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

                                     

 

Have you ever eaten peanut butter?  If not, where have you been?  Peanut butter is a famous snack people eat with……

 

                                                Four Sentence Types

1.      A Simple Sentence

I am a teacher at ELS.  I work with many students.  I have a good time here.

 

2.      A Compound Sentence

I am a teacher at ELS, and I work with many students. 

I like peanut butter, so I put it with everything. 

I study a lot, but my grades are bad.

You can eat peanut butter with fruit, or you can eat it with vegetables.

I don’t eat peanut butter, nor do I eat cheese. 

She didn’t come yesterday, nor did she come the week before.

I am not confident, nor am I friendly.

 

3.      Complex Sentence

If you study hard, you will do well.

After I come, I have a snack.

Before I leave my house in the morning, I shower.

When I get home, I take a nap. 

As soon as I finish class, I leave the building. 

Whenever I have a bad dream, I can’t fall back to sleep. 

 

4.      Compound-Complex Sentence

*If I fail the test, I will get a bad score, so I will study tonight. 

*When I get home, I drink coffee, and that relaxes me. 

*When I am in class, the teacher makes me write a lot, but I hate that. 

*When I add peanut butter to different things, it makes those things taste better, and I really love that.

 

 

 

 

MLS Humanities, Class 6

 Class: MLS Humanities

Teacher: Nate Feldman

Goal: Discussing Philosophies of Education

Pre-class vocab:

behemoth  defies labels   docent    enthusiast   innate   

mastermind    rote memorization   unequivocally   

1. I ___________________do not support any form of cheating.

2. The __________________of the attack is still hiding from authorities.  

3. Philly is a big city, but NYC is an absolute _____________________of a city.

4. Something ___________________is a natural talent you have.  

5. I am an art ___________________.  That is why I paint all of the time.  

6. A __________________is someone who shows you around a museum. 

7. You should learn information by analyzing facts, not just by ______________________where you just repeat what the teacher tells you.  

8. My friend ______________________.  He is not just part of one group.  He is quite unique. 

Vocabulary:

Protagonist = the main character of a story; the good guy

Antagonist = the villain; the bad guy

To object = to be against something

Reflection = deep thinking

Passive learning = just learning without any active thinking

Outlandish = ridiculous

Noble = honorable; worthy of respect

Meaningful = something important or of great value

Ex. I hope this was a meaningful experience for you.

 

Discussion Question: 

*What are your feelings about passive vs. active learning?  Is criticism and reflection essential for good learning?

*Do you believe going out in the world is essential for developing a person’s mind?  

MRW, Pyramids of Giza, Vocabulary

 By Nate Feldman

To plot: to make a point on a map

An incident: an event (usually an abnormal one) happening

An angle: a perspective or way of seeing something

Strategy: how you do something to accomplish something

Context: a specific situation

Ex. We use the same word with different meanings depending on the context

Universal: found everywhere

Ex. A heart is a universal symbol of love

Propose: to suggest an idea

Ex. I propose we have class outside

Nevertheless: it doesn’t matter

Student: Mr. Nate, I’m tired I want to go home.

Nate: Nevertheless, you must stay for the class.

Publication: newspapers, magazines, books

Statistics: numbers about certain facts

Ex. Statistics show that 78% of our students are from….

Have to do with: something’s relationship with something else

Ex. Mr. Nate is angry at the other teacher.  This has to do with a fight they had. 

Emphasize: to put a lot of energy or attention into something

Reliance: depending on someone or something

Ex. I have reliance on my parents for help with things.

Gesture: communication with hands

MLS Humanities Class 5

Class: MLS Humanities

Teacher: Nate Feldman

Goals: Using Emphatic Language

Warm-Up: Here is a video of an activity I did last weekend (August 11).  I went to a museum here in PA.  I totally recommend you visit places like this.

For discussion: 

1. What places did you visit this last weekend (August 17-18) 

2. What are activities you strongly recommend people do on their weekends either here or in your country?

3. Are there any activities or place you utterly oppose people going to?  

Vocabulary Activities:

*The Art Tribe group is for art enthusiasts. 

*Broadway is for theatre enthusiasts. 

*I am a soccer enthusiast. 

*I’m deeply sorry about what happened to you and your family.

*I deeply regret traveling to Jakarta. 

*I freely admit that I am not good at building things with my hands.

*I freely admit that I have a bit of a temper.

*I fully appreciate everything you do for me.

*I honestly hope you do well. 

*I sincerely hope you do well. 

*I readily accept your opinion about the class. 

*You undoubtedly are the greatest student I’ve ever had, and I honestly feel so grateful to know you, and I sincerely hope you return soon. 

 

 

*What is something you sincerely hope will change soon?

>>I sincerely hope that we change the computers in LTC very soon. 

*What is undoubtedly true about Philly?

>>Philly is undoubtedly the greatest city in the world! 

*What is something you freely admit about yourself?

>>I freely admit that sometimes I get too angry.

*What is a mistake you deeply regret from your life?

>>I deeply regret listening to stupid people when I was younger.

 

 

Eating, not eating

>>Eating breakfast is good for you.  Not eating breakfast will make you hungry all morning.

>>I enjoy coming to class.  I enjoy not coming to class. 

>>I’m tired of listening to this nonsense.  I’m tired of not having free time to do things I want.

 

Defy labels = impossible to describe

Pioneer = the first in a field or area

*The Wright Brothers were pioneers of aviation. 

Mastermind = the main person behind an action

*Mr. Nate is the mastermind behind Nate’s classes.

Innate = something natural to you (like a talent)

*Something innate is in Nate. 

Rote memorization = memorizing by repeating many times

Depict = show something

*A lot of people depict Philadelphia as a dangerous city. 

Ubiquitous = found everywhere

*A heart is a ubiquitous symbol of love

Mystical = coming from supernatural things

Scandalous = bad behavior

Unequivocally = without doubt

*I unequivocally support your right to do what you want