Category Archives: Life in the United States

Majority Minority

Posted on Thursday - August 14, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

There was an interesting article in the newspaper this week about changes that are taking place in the U.S. population. According to a new report published by the Census Bureau (the part of the federal or national government that counts … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 8 Comments

Writing a Blog as Medicine

Posted on Thursday - August 7, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

There are many types of blogs. The ESL Podcast Blog is one for learning. Other kinds of blogs are confessional, where people tell others about something they’ve done, often things that was a secret and/or wrong in some way. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 8 Comments

What a Font Says About You

Posted on Tuesday - July 15, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

A font is the size and style of printed letters and words, like these: The latest trend (fashion; something new that many people are doing) for important people or celebrities is to commission (hire someone to make or create something) … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 14 Comments

Shoe Store and Bakery?!

Posted on Monday - July 7, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

We’ve all seen places where two business are run out of the same storefront (outside view or entrance to a store). There are a lot of strange combinations and sometimes it is difficult to see how the two business complement … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 7 Comments

Jury Duty II

Posted on Wednesday - June 11, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Well, it happened: I got called in for jury duty on my last day (Friday). As I described in my previous post, here in Los Angeles you are on call for jury service for one week. Here’s a little diary … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 6 Comments

Jury Duty

Posted on Wednesday - June 4, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

This has been an unpredictable (uncertain) week for me so far, mostly because I am on jury duty. A jury is a group of people (usually 12 in the United States) who decide whether someone is guilty or innocent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 8 Comments

Memorial Day

Posted on Monday - May 26, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

Today is a federal (national) holiday. Memorial day is celebrated the last Monday of May each year and commemorates (remembers and shows respect for) Americans who have died while serving in the military (being soldiers). This holiday began after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 6 Comments

Remove Me From Your List (Please!)

Posted on Tuesday - April 22, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

If you’re like me, you have friends, family, and co-workers who forward (send to other people messages that were sent to them) email jokes, chain letters, and other messages that you probably don’t want. Chain letters are letters that tell … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, Technology | 11 Comments

Win One Million Dollars from ESL Podcast!

Posted on Tuesday - April 1, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I have an exciting announcement to make: ESL Podcast will be giving away one million dollars this week to one of our lucky listeners. That’s right – $1,000,000! All you have to do to win is post a response to … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 35 Comments

Annotated English: Gun Parties for Women

Posted on Wednesday - March 19, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Here’s another news article with comments and vocabulary using the SharedCopy website. It’s an article from Voice of America about a strange new type of party for women, where they get together to buy guns! Take a look here. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 8 Comments