Tuesday, January 17, 2017

A New Year and New Hope in 2017

Why do we celebrate the passing of the old year and beginning of the new? Do our lives really change when a new year begins? Can they change?
I would like to believe that our good intentions on New Year's Eve have the ability to transform our lives through hope and good will. When we bid farewell to the old year  with the traditional Scots song "Auld Lang Syne" (which means "days gone by" or in a word-for-word translation "old long since"), we usher in the new year with hugs and kisses for family and friends and with plans for the future. I hope that the new year will be better not only for me but also for all of you. Happy New Year!

Vocabulary
intention(s) (noun) - plan(s)

transform (verb) - change
hope (noun/also sometimes a verb) - wanting something to happen
good will (expression) (adjective + noun) - kindness
bid farewell (expression) verb + noun) - say goodbye
usher in (verb) - mark the start of something

Vocabulary Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word.
1. When my mother leaves tomorrow, we will ______   ______________ .
2. The barber gave him a new hairstyle and _______________ the way he looks.
3. My _______________ is that my sick friend will feel better.
4. As a teacher, I like to ___________  ___ the new semester.
5. My family has the good  _______________ to adopt a cat.
6. New Year's Eve is a time for __________   ___________ towards friends and family.

Grammar Point
The personal pronouns in English include:
I/me/my
You/your
We/our
He/him/his
She/her
It/its
They/them/their

Grammar Exercise:
Which personal pronouns do you see in my paragraph? Write three sentences using personal pronouns.







13 comments:

Amanda Agarenzo said...

I like the vocabulary words and expressions that you chose to teach your readers.

Unknown said...

I think that we celebrate the commence of the new year to signify new beginnings. It is to set fourth a new mind set, reflecting on the time that has passed. Speaking from my own personal experience I do believe lives change. It may not be as drastic and sudden as people may hope it to be, but little but little and with a positive mindset things begin to change for the better.

Jess Goldberg said...

Dr. Nenchin,

I enjoyed reading your blog. I think it's great that you included a song in this entry. I believe that including little things like that make the blog feel lighter and make the reader want to keep coming back! I also think that this post was perfect for January because everyone recently celebrated New Years. It will definitely allow readers to relate this blog to many of their own thoughts about the holiday, while learning at the same time.

Unknown said...

I really enjoy the meaning behind this post, the new year is full of opportunities and such an exciting time. I also find the vocabulary words used very interesting, definitely words that would enhance an English language learners vocabulary.

Alyssa DiBello said...

I believe that it is important to teach ESL students the way that we celebrate New Years. I also like how you included a song into your blog.

Unknown said...

Dr. Nenchin,
I really enjoyed reading your blog. The title "A New Year and New Hope in 2017" has engaged me. Asking questions, and providing a song before the article is very unique. I also enjoyed your vocabulary and exercises.

Justine Levy said...

I love that you included the YouTube video of the song so we (students) can follow along with the words, especially those who may not be familiar with the song. I will keep this in mind for my blog, as added multimedia makes the blog more interesting.

Mandy Multani said...

I really enjoyed reading your blog. I like the fact that you included a song in your blog. This entertains the readers and makes them to look at your blog over and over again.

Miss K's Learning Blog said...

I love how positive this blog is. It gives hope for the upcoming New Year. The song was a cute addition to have, I enjoyed listening to it. I think your vocabulary words as well as the exercise is great and very engaging.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I agree with you, The New Year is about new hopes and new beginnings. I really like how you had the children do an activity about pronouns, find them in your paragraph and then come up with their own pronouns to use.This is very engaging and students will understand pronouns as they are identifying and creating their own pronouns.

Ms. Faele's ESL Blog said...

I really enjoyed this blog. I love New Years. I really like the song included. I think it is a way to engage people into your blog and want to continue visiting and reading your blog.

Anonymous said...

This is such a great blog post! Some cultures do not celebrate New Years like we do in America. This post is a great way for students from other cultures to understand and learn about how Americans celebrate the New Year! The song is a fun way to get the students engaged in the topic. I love this!