Monthly Archives: April 2016

Movie Study

Despicable Me

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Despicable Me-AmazonLink

Vocabulary

Story Synopsis from IMDB: In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes
About

What’s This All About?

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We are here to assist those who desire to make their English language use better.

Both Georgina and I are highly experienced ESL teachers. Each of us worked for Kaplan International Language Schools for many years. Georgina also held the position of English tutor for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In September of 2015 we moved from NYC to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our home is now in Portland Oregon.

Making English Your Second Language (MEY2L) is the name of the ebook we wrote a few years ago.

Connected to the book is, Learning English With Me and My Cat which is a new ESL video series that will be presented on this site, on Facebook and on youtube. All of the videos are free for everyone to view.

Connected to both the book and the videos are the MEY2L online seminars. They will begin soon and we’ll let you know all about them, including a cost so low that you will be amazed. Everyone attending a seminar will receive a free copy of the book.

The MEY2L site, then, is our way of continuing our ongoing commitment to teaching the language.

BTW: In case you haven’t already figured it out yet, we absolutely love doing this work.-)

Sign up: Article Use – September 13th

Movie Study

Crazy Stupid Love

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CrazyStupid-AmazonLink

Vocabulary

Story Synopsis from IMDB: Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) gets the surprise of his life when he learns that his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) cheated on him with a coworker, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon), and wants a divorce. After moving into his own apartment, Cal begins frequenting a bar night after night, talking loudly about his divorce, until he attracts the attention of a young man named Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a womanizer who successfully beds women each night, although a young woman named Hannah (Emma Stone) recently rejected his advances. Taking pity on Cal, Jacob agrees to teach him how to pick up women. Jacob takes Cal shopping, outfitting him with an entirely new wardrobe and begins teaching him the art of seduction.
Movie Study

The Breakfast Club

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BreakfastClub-AmazonLink

Vocabulary

 Story Synopsis from IMDB: Beyond being in the same class at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson and Allison Reynolds have little in common, and with the exception of Claire and Andrew, do not associate with each other in school. In the simplest and in their own terms, Claire is a princess, Andrew an athlete, John a criminal, Brian a brain, and Allison a basket case. But one other thing they do have in common is a nine hour detention in the school library together on Saturday, March 24, 1984, under the direction of Mr. Vernon, supervising from his office across the hall. Each is required to write a minimum one thousand word essay during that time about who they think they are. At the beginning of those nine hours, each, if they were indeed planning on writing that essay, would probably write something close to what the world sees of them, and what they have been brainwashed into believing of themselves.
Movie Study

The Butcher’s Wife

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The Butcher's Wife

Butcher's Wife - AmazonLink

Vocabulary 

 Story Synopsis from IMDB: A clairvoyant thinks she’s met her husband to be because she’s seen him in her dreams. They marry quickly, and return to the husband’s (“the butcher”), home in the city. She has a big impact on everyone she meets by anticipating their questions and actions and advising them on their love life. Her interference then brings her into contact with the real man of her dreams.