Celebrate the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to English Language & Culture in the U.S. (Book + Audio)

ISBN-13: 9780738611945

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Research & Education Association

Publication Date: 09-18-2015

Pages: 256

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

Age Range: 3 Months to 18 Years

Series: English as a Second Language

About the Authors Sheila and Jane have been colleagues and friends for… well, let’s just say a long time. As English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers, they worked together on lots of projects… and had lots of fun as they worked. A partnership was born! Together, Jane and Sheila have teaching credentials in several states and two continents. With years and years… and years… of experience (they just don’t want to count them all, ha!), they have taught ESL to little kids, big kids, university students, adults, company executives, and other teachers in the U.S. and Europe (both online and in regular classroom settings). Both Sheila and Jane have served as members of the New Jersey Department of Education Advisory Committee for ESL/Bilingual Education. They’ve facilitated online ESL training courses for teachers through the NJ DOE professional development program. Sheila has held several leadership positions scoring teacher candidate responses for an international testing company, and Jane has written ESL test questions and rated English as a Foreign Language exams for another internationally recognized testing company. (They teach, they test, they score!) They have won many awards for excellence in teaching, including two Teacher of the Year awards, and corporate citations for excellence. They’ve given numerous presentations and have written curriculum and syllabi for diverse ESL populations. Add to this some fun teaching projects in Spanish, public speaking, drama, writing… and, we’re not kidding, even soccer skills and you’ve got two writers who know how to have a good time writing a book! Jane is now the Director of ESL Services for Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia. Sheila is a lecturer in the English Language Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and continues to teach, write and consult in New Jersey and New York. Although they live several states away, both are happy to find time to work together on fun projects… like this book!

Read an Excerpt

How This Book Works

The emphasis is on fun in this lighthearted guide to language and culture in the United States.

Celebrate the American Way takes you on a year-long journey through American social customs, highlighting the meanings behind the U.S. holidays and special events celebrated in each season. Learn why Americans mark Independence Day on July 4th, discover the history of Thanksgiving, get tips on wedding etiquette, find out how to carve a jack-o-lantern, and more!

Each section is chock-full of vocabulary and informal language related to the season or occasion. Wacky idioms, verbs, and slang expressions are shown in bold as they’re introduced in the text and then listed at the end of each section with a simple definition or explanation.

Throughout the book, look for “Your Turn” practice exercises. Quiz yourself with these fun fill-in and matching activities as you learn about commonly confused words, adjectives, and synonyms. You’ll find that these are great ways to check your understanding (and memory ).

Good luck, and have fun!

Table of Contents

Winter
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
A Winter Holiday for Everyone
Holidays of Light! Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year
Valentine’s Day
Winter Review

Spring
Spruce Up—It’s Spring
St. Patrick’s Day
Springing into Nice Weather Holidays
April Fool’s Day
Cinco de Mayo
Spring Review

Summer
It’s a Heat Wave
Memorial Day Weekend
Independence Day/Fourth of July
Weddings
Summer Review

Autumn/Fall
Back to School
Columbus Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Autumn/Fall Review

Answers to Exercises
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn/Fall

Appendices
Appendix A: Audio Transcripts
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn/Fall

Appendix B: Vocabulary

How to Use the Audio