Favorite Narratives

My favorite story is Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, which was published in 1862 in France. The title of the story can be translated as ‘The Miserable Ones’, because many of its characters suffer greatly throughout the novel. The characters struggle with many difficult questions, such as “What is true justice?,” “What must a person do to right their wrongs?,” and “What is forgiveness?” The novel centers around the character Jean Valjean, a man who when he was very young and very poor stole a loaf of bread to feed his family. For this crime (which some would say was not a crime at all), he was imprisoned for decades. He escapes from prison and makes a new life for himself as an honorable citizen, but must reckon with his past for the rest of his life. I love it because it is a story about redemption.

What is your favorite story? Explain why you like it so much. 

Culture Shock

Maybe you have been in the USA a long time, or maybe you're new! Whenever we visit a new country, there's always a chance for culture shock.

Watch the two videos below to hear one international student's experience of when he moved to the USA:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPfB6GIjM9Q&list=PL430CBE42AC0F8F29
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H82IFq0HbTQ

After watching both videos, what do you think about what Dan has to say about moving to the USA? Did you have a similar experience or similar feelings? Write a paragraph about it under the comments.

Due by Sunday at 11:59pm

Nice to Meet You!

Hello 50 Written Communication! Welcome to our class blog. This is a space where we will share ideas and practice writing each week by responding to prompts and commenting on each other's posts.

This week's assignment: introduce yourself.

1. Tell us where you are from and why you came to CESL. Share some of your hobbies and interests. You may post a link or picture that shows your interests.

2. Read all and respond to at least two of your classmates' posts. A good response shows you have read their paragraph carefully. 

Complete this by Tuesday, June 18th at 11:59pm.


For example...

My name is Amy Sams. I grew up in Phoenix, but have lived in Tucson since 2004.  I love working at CESL because it combines my three favorite things:  language, culture, and people (and sometimes, if I'm lucky, travel). One of my favorite things to do in Tucson is eat, so if you need a good restaurant recommendation, I can help! My favorite restaurants are Wildflower Grill and The Hub. Since I love to eat, I also love to exercise. You can find me hiking Mt. Lemmon on the weekends and taking dance classes during the week. I also have a Jack Russell puppy who is one year old.  She loves taking me on walks and running around the house at lightning speed. She has a lot of energy! Here's a picture of her just doing her thing. I'm looking forward to writing with you this session!