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Alumni Village English Class is Making a Movie…

October 30, 2011 By Scott 3 Comments

Walking by ghost

Our first test shot

The students in Alumni Village’s English class are making a dramatic short movie. The plot outline is complete and we are now doing storyboards and writing the first scene. Students, please add a comment to this post to add your version of the first day (from getting off the bus to in the apartment).

Rather than a wiki or discussion board, we can just use posts and comments for now.

We should also be thinking of a title for the movie.

If you want to see pictures from the Twilight Zone episode we saw in class to get more ideas, click here.

See you next Sunday!

Filed Under: Alumni Village, Featured

Alumni Village Class on Sunday

September 16, 2011 By Scott 2 Comments

Registering for the class web site

Everyone who came to the first class (with the exception of three people) should have received an email on how to register for the Alumni Village English class site. If you did not receive this email, or you have had troubles registering or using the site, please let me know by sending an email to the address on the business card I gave you. If I did not send you an email, it’s because I could not read your email address on the sign up sheet and you did not register on this site.

What we will be learning this Sunday

We will have a full class this Sunday! The first hour will be spent learning more about the 44 sounds of the English language. In the second half of the class, we will begin to learn the rhythm of the language and some of the ways native speakers combine words (like “donchawanna” instead of “Don’t you want to?”). Practicing this lesson will help you sound more like an American English speaker and it will also help you listen to native speakers more easily.

See you there!

Filed Under: Alumni Village, Featured

Free English Tutoring in Tallahassee – LVLC

September 5, 2011 By Scott Leave a Comment

Literacy Volunteers of Leon County (LVLC)

From time to time, I will highlight local organizations that are providing English lessons for free or very low costs for people who don’t speak English as their first language.

The first organization I will highlight is Literacy Volunteers of Leon County (LVLC), because I have been a volunteer there for several years and I’m currently on the Board of Directors. LVLC is a nonprofit organization located on the 3rd floor of the main Leon County Public Library. Funding for this group comes from Leon County, United Way, and donations from local groups and individuals.

Services That You Can Use

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is one of three areas of emphasis for LVLC. They train volunteer tutors at training sessions that are held periodically throughout the year. You can go to their office (see this map and click on Literacy Volunteers of Leon County (LVLC) on the left hand side to see the location of the main library) to sign up for a free tutor. Sometimes it is a long wait (up to 3 or 4 months), so it pays to sign up as soon as you can.

The best thing about LVLC, besides the fact that their services are FREE, is that you are assigned a tutor for one-on-one sessions that are arranged when you both can meet. This means that you don’t have to be at a classroom at a certain day and time, and the tutor concentrates only on what you want to learn. In addition, Karen Gotti will give you an initial assessment of your English skills to help you and your tutor find materials that are suitable for your English level.

Karen is the ESOL coordinator for LVLC. She can be reached at (850) 606-2645. If she does not answer the phone, she may be out helping someone else or may not be in the office. If she doesn’t answer, you can call (850) 606-2644 and someone will be available who can tell you what steps you need to take to get started. If you call because you saw this post, please let them know that Scott sent you. They will take good care of you!

I highly recommend this program as another way to get better at English!

Filed Under: Featured, Learn English in Tallahassee, Florida

Toastmasters can help advanced ESOL learners

September 5, 2011 By Scott Leave a Comment

If your biggest problem with English is confidence, Toastmasters can help!

“What is Toastmasters”, you ask? It is an international nonprofit organization (over 260,000 members in 116 countries!) that is dedicated to making its members better public speakers and better leaders. There are 22 clubs in the Tallahassee area alone. Most clubs meet once a week, so you are bound to find one that is near you and fits into your schedule.

“Well, how does it work…how will Toastmasters make me a better speaker?” I’m glad you asked! You start out by making 10 speeches out of a Competent Communicators manual. Each of these speech assignments is only 5-7 minutes long and concentrates on one aspect of speech making. One addresses speech organization, another discusses how you use gestures to reinforce your points, yet another speech project emphasizes vocal variety, that is, varying your voice to make your speech more interesting to your audience. By the time you have finished these 10 speeches, you earn the Competent Communicator award and are ready for advanced manuals.

“Advanced manuals?” Yes! There are many advanced manuals that each contain 5 speeches that are generally a bit longer than 5-7 minutes. They let you tailor your training to what you want to do. For instance, there is an advanced manual on giving Technical Speeches, which concentrate and give tips on how to present technical data to different audiences (like your bosses). There is another that focuses on Speeches by Management that includes briefings and conducting meetings. You get the idea, you can tailor your learning to what is right for you.

“OK, that sounds good, but how much does it cost?” If you join Toastmasters, there is a one-time joining fee of $20. That includes the Competent Communicator manual, a Competent Leader manual and other materials to help you get better at speaking. In addition to that one-time cost, dues for Toastmasters International are $36 every six months. Each club may have their own small amount that they add to that (my club dues are $4, making the total cost for me $40 every six months). When you consider the benefits of becoming a better communicator and leader, I think you’ll agree you could do far worse than to join Toastmasters.

I have been in Toastmasters since 2004 and am currently the Area 83 Governor (there are 6 clubs in my area). This is part of the leadership track I mentioned, that is also a great way to learn and improve your chances for a better job.

You are welcome to visit club meetings to see if it would be something you’re interested in. The best thing about the club is that you get to speak in front of a group who are all there to help each other become better. If you have a speech you have to give for your work, you can try it out in front of the club and get pointers on what you can do to make your speech even better!

Please let me know if you have any questions about Toastmasters. You can ask me at one of my classes, or use the contact form that I will put on this web site in the next few days.

Thanks,

Scott Keller

Filed Under: English Tips, Featured, Learn English in Tallahassee, Florida

Free or Low Cost English Learning in Tallahassee

August 31, 2011 By Scott Leave a Comment

Google Map of All the English Classes listed below.

Scott’s English Class at Alumni Village:This is a free class for residents of Alumni Village. This class will focus on speaking and listening, as well as functional English literacy such as going to the store or talking on the phone to get a repair made to your apartment. All of my students from last year could speak passable English, but were new to the United States. We do activities that give you opportunities to practice your English skills, while at the same time meeting some of your neighbors in Alumni Village.

Scott’s English Class at Tallahassee Chinese School: This class is $25 per semester, which will be paid to the Tallahassee Chinese School to pay for the classroom we use at Florida State University. I will not make any money from teaching this class. This will be geared to educated Chinese adults who want to improve their English to get better jobs or to communicate better with their English speaking colleagues. As I got into teaching English by trying to learn Chinese, some of the lessons in this class will target specific challenges Chinese face when they learn the English language. Examples include confusing “he” and “she”, trouble in figuring out when to use “many” or “much” (count and non-count nouns), and the many tenses that we use in English. However, just because this is at the Chinese School and some content will be geared to Chinese English learners, anyone who is trying to learn English as a Second Language is welcome to attend!

Literacy Volunteers of Leon County (LVLC): Free tutoring in English. LVLC is a nonprofit organization that trains volunteer English tutors and matches them with people who want to learn English. They are located in the main county library on the 3rd floor. The English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) program coordinator is Karen Gotti. To learn more, ask me or call Karen at 606-2645. A couple of advantages of LVLC are: 1) you can work one-on-one with a native English speaker who wants to help you and 2) you can find a tutor that can meet when you have free time. I (Scott Keller) have been a tutor at LVLC for over four years and also serve on the LVLC Board of Directors.

Leon County Adult and Community Education (ACE) classes: English classes that are $30 a semester for in-state tuition, $120 a semseter if you don’t qualify for in-state tuition. If you have more time to learn English, ACE is a great place to do it. I am not as familiar with the ACE program, but I have heard good things about the classes from those who have attended classes. The web site offers all the information you need to decide if ACE is right for you.

ESOL Classes at Tallahassee Community College (TCC) Like the ACE class, English classes at TCC are $30 a semester for in-state tuition, $120 a semseter if you don’t qualify for in-state tuition. I’m not familiar with the program at TCC, but the web page offers enough information to get you started.

FSU Friends of Internationals: This semester, the FSU Friends of Internationals will have free English classes on Tuesday and Thursday. I used the link to the first class on their calendar, which gives information about when and where they will offer their classes.

First Baptist Church of Tallahassee: Janice and Marty Smith teach free English classes at the First Baptist Church. If you look at the last paragraph of the linked page, it will give you their phone number and a link to their email so you can find out more information. In the past, they have picked up students from Alumni Village to take them to class. Also, Marty and Janice helped me with several classes at Alumni Village last year.

As you can see, there are many people in this community that care about our guests from other countries and want to help you get adjusted to life in the United States and, in particular, Tallahassee. I encourage you to take advantage of these classes to get better at your English!