What Are We Doing Here?
Thank you for visiting our blog. The blog is a lot of reading. Please take your time to read and understand.
Lately, it has been one bad news after another for American immigrants. We keep hearing stories of deportation and separation of immigrant families. We even read about naturalized citizens losing their citizenship. Immigrants can't seem to get a break.
Because I am an immigrant myself, I know what it takes to make it in this country. It is a great country, full of opportunities for immigrants who work hard.
I was lucky because I came to New York knowing how to speak English. That is not usually the case for many immigrants. Many don't speak English when they arrive. Many more get stuck at jobs that keep them from advancing and learning English. I know. Some of my students for the past twenty five years were studying English to move up at their jobs.
I created We Speak America at Harvard University in 2008 as a graduate student and leadership fellow at the Kennedy and Education Schools. I never got around to executing the organization until now. As mentioned on the front page, We Speak America is a social enterprise by immigrants for immigrants. It is in the spirit of community building--here we help those who will eventually help others to keep making keep making America great.
But how?
We are producing a series of English language and story-based video podcasts. You can learn English and also listen to storytellers share their stories of life in America. Storytelling empowers people. The English lessons are contextualized--that means you can choose a topic--let's say, "How to give directions" and in three minutes learn the English of asking and giving directions. The topics will be relevant so that you can use them as soon as possible.
If you have three minutes a day to spare while you're on the train or the bus, join us.
-Mr. Bino
READ WITH UNDERSTANDING
1. Study the sentence structures. Find the simple sentences (subject and predicate).
2. Find the subjects of the sentences. Find the verbs of the sentences.
For example:
Many don't speak English when they arrive.
What is the subject? What is the verb?