About Me

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After living in Portugal for 15 years and teaching English in various capacities there, including at the University of Aveiro, I moved back to the United States in 2019. Returning for our church was the best decision we have ever made and God has been so good to us. Reading the Bible everyday and trying to keep the commandments of Jesus are my priorities, along with loving my family and all the people God has put into my life. Helping people is something I enjoy doing, and meeting the individual needs of students who want to learn English is important to me.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Idioms

(1:18) "He comes on the king tide."

King tide is a colloquial term for an especially high spring tide, such as a perigean spring tide. "King tide" is not a scientific term, nor is it used in a scientific context.


  • perigean spring tide is a tide that occurs three or four times a year when the Moon's perigee (its closest point to Earth during its 28-day elliptical orbit) coincides with a spring tide (when the Earth, Sun and Moon are nearly aligned every two weeks).





Answers - I Love Lucy English Exercise

  • at a girl- a phrase of encouragement.  Short for "that a girl."
  • sunk in- was understood.
  • stay in their place- they do what they're supposed to do and don't try to go beyond that.
  • you've got the vote- you're able to vote; you're allowed to vote.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Monday, April 24, 2017

Idioms- Running solo

0:08) "Agent Valerian, you'll be running solo."
Running solo- doing something alone




Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Idioms- "Dead men tell no tales." 0:27

"Dead men tell no tales." 0:27- The dead don't speak, so they died with any secrets they might have known in life. Or, they can't speak or tell others how they have died.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

English- Evolving or Devolving Language?

Is English an evolving or devolving language?
As I use clips from various television programs for student exercises, I find students having more difficulty understanding what people are saying in recent shows, as opposed to older television programs.  Speech from older programs seems to be more intelligible (understandable).  I've chosen two clips from two programs- one is from Mike and Molly which is a very recent program, and the other is from I Love Lucy which was produced in the 1950's.


  •  Please watch the two clips below and leave comments as to which was easier for you to understand.
Sorry your comments are not showing up!  I am going to have to work on this and fix it.  Thank you.

Which video can you understand better?  I Love Lucy or Mike and Molly?




Monday, January 9, 2017

ANSWERS- The Big Bang Theory- Did You Hate My Short Hair

1.     What did Sheldon head-butt?
The water fountain
2.     What did Sheldon mean to do?
Punch the water fountain.
3.     The girl says she can’t imagine Sheldon being violent.  His friend says to just picture what?
The three stooges
4.     What does Sheldon say is completely illogical?
Jealousy
5.     What is Roger jealous of?
Two of the couples having happy relationships.
6.     What does Roger’s family have that people are jealous of?
Money
7.     Sheldon’s girlfriend has been envious of what since she met Penny?
Penny’s looks
8.     She was happy when Penny did what?
Cut her hair off.
9.     Penny asks if they liked her hair cut, and one girl says she thought it was what?
Brave
10. Penny asks why no one is talking about Howard’s what?
Dopey haircut