Lesson 26: This Game Is Fun!

Anna: This is the Roosevelt Memorial. Where is the symbol?

Anna remembers that Dan said: You have to find things that aren't really there. ... When you find an American symbol, you win points and a Fun Fact about a U.S. President.

Anna: Yay! I found Uncle Sam and I won another 40 points! What is the Fun Fact?

Voice: Franklin Roosevelt was the first to fly in a plane as president!

Anna: I didn't know that. This is a really beautiful memorial.

Anna: This is the Lincoln Memorial! Where is the symbol?

Anna: I found it! The Statue of Liberty! Please give me my Fun Fact.

Voice: Abraham Lincoln was a great wrestler!

Anna: I didn't know that. Lincoln wanted freedom for all people. So, the Statue of Liberty works well.

Anna: And I won 20 points! Time to find the next symbol.

Dan: Hey! Look out!

Anna: Sorry. Hey, it's you! Now, I should be more careful.

Dan: That’s okay.

Anna: This game is a lot of fun. Hey, what’s your name?

Dan: Dan. What’s yours?

Anna: Anna.

Dan: Like Americana!

Anna: Yeah, I guess so.

Dan: Did you find any symbols?

Anna: Yes, I found three and won 120 points!

Dan: Me too. But, did you find the bald eagle?

Anna: No. Did you?

Dan: No. First one to find it wins?

Dan: Anna, look out for that tree!

Anna: I learned a lot about presidents with this game. But I ought to be more careful. Until next time …!

Writing

Are there any memorials to famous leaders in your town or in your country? Tell us about them. Do you admire the leader? Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about sports with a friend.

Activity Sheet Lesson 26

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Associations. When we think of connections between things we are making associations.
In this lesson, Dan makes an association to help himself remember Anna's name. After Anna tells him her name, he says, "Like Americana!" The name "Anna" sounds like the end of the word "Americana" to Dan.
Can you find another example of making associations in the conversation? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Lesson 25: Watch Out!

Summary

Anna learns about a new game, "Catch Americana." She walks around the memorials to U.S. Presidents and learns fun facts by playing the game.

Speaking

In this video, you can practice saying the new words and learn how to make recommendations using "should."

Pronunciation

This video teaches about past tense contractions, like "didn't."

Conversation

Anna: Hello from Washington, DC! This city has many monuments and memorials.

Anna: Today I am visiting the ones built in memory of our Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt.

Anna: I want to learn more about them.

Anna: Hey! Watch out!

Dan: Sorry! I didn't see you.

Anna: You were not looking. You should be more careful.

Dan: I know I should be more careful. But this game is really fun.

Anna: What kind of game?

Dan: You have to find things that aren't really there.

Anna: How can you find things that aren’t really there?

Dan: They're in your phone. See?

Anna: I see. It’s like a scavenger hunt.

Dan: That’s right!

Anna: I don’t have time for games. I want to learn about U.S. presidents.

Dan: Then you should play this game! When you find an American symbol, you win points and a Fun Fact about a U.S. President.

Anna: I have time for this game!

Dan: Here are the symbols that I caught: the Statue of Liberty for 20 points, Uncle Sam for 40 points and the American flag for 60 points.

Anna: What symbol are you looking for now?

Dan: I am looking for the bald eagle. That is 100 points! It should be near the Washington Monument.

Anna: This game is awesome.

Dan: You ought to buy the app right now. It’s called “Catch Americana.”

Anna: Got it. Catch Americana.

Anna: Thanks! Good luck!

Dan: Good luck to you too!

Anna: This is the Jefferson Memorial.

I know that Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence! Now, where is that symbol?

Anna: Here it is! My first one. It’s an American flag! I won 60 points!

Anna: An American flag works well for Thomas Jefferson. I see lots of American flags on Independence Day!

Anna: Where is my Jefferson Fun Fact?

Voice: In his lifetime, Thomas Jefferson wrote about 19,000 letters!

Anna: I did not know that. Where is the next symbol?

Writing

In this lesson, Anna learns about a new video game. What games do you like to play? Write to us to tell us about the video games or other games you like. Send us an email or write in the Comments section.
Use the Activity Sheet to play a game that helps you practice talking about games, sports, and leisure activities.

Activity Sheet - Lesson 25

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Associations. When we think of connections between things we are making associations.
In this lesson, Anna connects the picture of an American flag in her mind with President Thomas Jefferson. She sees the flag in the game and says,
"I know that Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence! Now, where is that symbol?"
"Here it is! My first one. It’s an American flag! I won 60 points! An American flag works well for Thomas Jefferson. I see lots of American flags on Independence Day!"
Anna is making associations between the flags and President Thomas Jefferson. What associations do you make when learning new things in English? Is there something in this lesson that you can associate with the new words? Maybe the association will help you remember them. Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.

Listening Quiz

Check your understanding and practice your listening skills with this quiz.

Review of Lessons 20 - 24

Introduction

 

We get many comments and emails from our friends online who use this course to learn English. In the video this week, we answer some of your comments.

Asif writes that he spends lots of time on different websites to practice English. But he doesn't know how to be a regular on VOA. He says "Please can you help me to be regular?"

The important thing in learning a language is to practice it regularly. Decide on a time every day when you can listen to English and practice speaking. You can set an alarm on your phone to remind you.

Another learner, Muneer, writes: The most important things here for me are the pronunciation and speaking parts.

Muneer, you learned that you can play the Speaking Practice video and repeat each new word. Do you record yourself on your phone or computer? When you do, you can listen to see if what you say matches the native speaker's words. After you watch the Pronunciation Practice video do you use the new expressions in your conversations with friends? You should!

Ederson in Brazil writes, "The course is excellent! I have done all activities and can easily read texts in English. However, I still find it very difficult to talk in English."

Ederson, you should find a friend nearby who is also studying English. Get together for coffee on a regular basis to talk in English. Try watching an episode of Let's Learn English and then act out the conversation with your friend. The words to each video are on the web page, so you can read them aloud easily. Make your learning of English fun and you will be able to keep up a regular practice schedule.
One way to study every day is to get our podcasts and daily emails.
For the Learning English podcast, click the link on the web page to go to the Learning English Broadcast and click on "View in iTunes." Then, click on "Subscribe." Then when you connect your phone or iPod to the computer, choose to automatically update the podcast. Now you can listen when you are out of the house, walking, riding on a bus or train, or running. Listening while your body is active helps your brain work well.
We hope you return every week to Let's Learn English for a new lesson.
I'm Jill Robbins.
Here are links to the podcasts and mailing list pages:

• Daily Emails of New Learning English Stories: Check the box, put in your email and click on "Subscribe."
• Click the link to go to the Learning English Broadcast and click on "View in iTunes." Click on "Subscribe."
• For all of VOA's podcasts, open your iTunes app and go to the VOA page.

______________________________________________________________

Review Quiz

In this quiz, you can test your listening skills. Watch a short video and answer each question.
​

Lesson Review

Lesson 20 What Can You Do?
Grammar focus: Expressing ability; Can & Can't; Contractions
Topics: Occupations and skills; Helping friends
Learning Strategy: Identify Problems​
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Asking clarification questions; Pronouncing can & can’t

Lesson 21 Can you come to the party?
Grammar focus: Have to, Can, Can't, Contractions
​Topics: Invitations​, Apologizing, Hobbies & Personal Skills​, Expressing Obligation​
Learning Strategy: Cooperate
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using then to talk about a result; Using have to or reduced hafta to express obligation

Lesson 22 Next summer…
Grammar focus: Talking about a sequence of events using going to to talk about future events
Topics: Vacations; Seasons
Learning Strategy: Planning
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Talking about plans; vacation activities; shadowing and summarizing

Lesson 23 What Do You Want?
Grammar focus: Using want to express desires
Topics: Asking the time; Counting back change; Time and Punctuality
Learning Strategy: Respond
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Counting change, Reduced form of "out of;" Reduced form, "whaddaya;" Informal agreement using "yep."

Lesson 24 Yesterday Was Amazing!

Grammar focus: Regular past tense verbs

Topics: Festivals and cultural traditions

Learning Strategy: Substitute

Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Voiced and voiceless past tense pronunciations; Substituting one word for another

Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of these lessons.

Related

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Lesson 20: What Can You Do?

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Quiz - Review of Lessons 20 - 24

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Lesson 21: Can You Come to the Party?

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Lesson 22: Next Summer...

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Lesson 23: What Do You Want?

Let's Learn English is a new course for English learners. Certified American English teachers designed the course for beginners. The course continues for 52 weeks.
Each week, there will be a new lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. The lesson includes instruction in speaking, vocabulary and writing.
There are also printable worksheets, assessments and lesson plans for individual learners and English teachers. We encourage you to follow the weekly lessons and share your progress with us through comments and email.

• 
  

  
  

  
  

  Introducing Let's Learn English

Lesson 24: Yesterday Was Amazing!

Summary

Anna discovers a festival - the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. What does she learn there about Basque culture?

Speaking

Learn to pronounce the new words for this lesson. You also learn about the words people use in English when they cannot remember a word, or they do not know a word.

Pronunciation

Use this video to learn about three ways to pronounce the past tense ending of regular verbs.
Anna: Yesterday was the most amazing day. I want to tell my friend back home about it. So, I am writing her a letter!

Anna: Dear Penelope,

Life in Washington, D.C. is interesting. I see something new every day -- like yesterday. Yesterday started like a usual work day.

Anna: I said, "Yesterday started like a usual work day."

Anna's voice: I was at work. And I wanted a break. So, I walked and walked … and walked. Then, I saw something! It was a festival -- a big festival!

Anna: It is the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Anna's voice: Yes. It was the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Every year the festival shows different cultures. This year one of the cultures was the Basque culture.

There was dancing and food and games!”

Anna: I am dancing a traditional Basque dance.

Anna's voice: At the festival, I danced a traditional Basque dance!

Anna: They are cooking traditional Basque food.

Anna's voice: They cooked a lot of traditional Basque food.

Anna: They are playing a game. It’s a kind of handball. What do they call it? They call it pilota!

Anna's voice: They played a game with their hands and a small ball. It’s a kind of handball. But this game is called pilota.

Anna: This is beautiful! This is traditional Basque art.

Anna: They are making a traditional Basque ship. This festival is a lot of fun!

Anna's voice: The whole day was a lot of fun!

Anna: Who said that? I want to write my friends and tell them about my day!

Anna: … So, I wanted to tell you about my day! Please, my friend, come visit Washington, D.C. soon. There is a lot to do! Until next time … Anna.

Writing

Tell about a party or festival in your town. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend.

Activity Sheet Lesson 24

Learning Strategy

Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Substitute. When we are speaking a second language, we often do not know a word. That is the time we can substitute a phrase or another word, and continue speaking.
In the video, you can hear Anna telling about the game. She does not remember the name at first.

They are playing a game. It’s a kind of handball. What do they call it? They call it pilota!

Anna uses a phrase, "It's a kind of handball," to tell about the game. She is substituting that phrase for the Basque name. Then she remembers the name, pilota.
How about you? Do you sometimes substitute a word or phrase for an English word you do not know? Write to tell us how you use this strategy in an email or in the Comments section. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more on how to teach this strategy.