PERFECT PHRASES
for
ESL
Everyday Situations
Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases That Help You Navigate Any English-Language Situation in Your Daily Life
Natalie Gast
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ISBN: 978-0-07-177305-8
MHID: 0-07-177305-3
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Contents
Preface
A s an instructor and trainer to non-native English speakers, I have always understood the difficulties my English as a Second Language (ESL) students face. Adjusting to changea new country, a different culture, a foreign language, a new careeris challenging and may create a crisis. In December 2010, I actually became one of you. I walked in your shoes.
I moved my home and my work from New Jersey to Hollywood, Florida, both in the United States. Movingpacking, unpacking, and discarding meaningful items and memorieswas difficult, but I knew it would be. What I didnt realize was that moving within the United States, on the same coast, only two and a half hours away by plane, where the same language is spoken and the same career exists, would present so many situations in which I would feel frustrated, inadequate, and bewildered. I felt like a fish out of water. I often had the urge to withdraw.
Problem situations ranged from the silly to the serious. They included finding a good place to get a haircut, registering to vote, and researching doctors and hospitals in a new location. Learning rules and regulations of new living quarters, researching public transportation, and investigating employment opportunities became everyday activities.
Change can be risky, but it also presents opportunities. Change may be the opportunity to grow emotionally, linguistically, and in many other ways. What I have doneand urge you dois push through the feelings of discomfort instead of isolating myself and withdrawing. Take chances in your new environment and with your new language. Become an active language learner. Follow the ideas for active learning at the start of each part of this book and any other techniques you come up with. Dont be afraid to think outside the box. Happy learning!
Who Can Benefit from Using This Book
You can and will benefit from using Perfect Phrases for ESL: Everyday Situations if you are an adult learner of the American English language, whether you are learning English as a Second Language (ESL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). English learners, who are about to travel to the United States or have recently arrived, especially may benefit from phrases offered in the text because of the new situations with which they will likely have to cope.
In the chapters of , this book offers attention to the educational system in the United States, including choices for you to investigate for your children and yourself. There are numerous phrases you may hear during your search for learning opportunities. Additionally, there are phrases for you to say that will aid you when you call, visit, or inquire about these locations. The word choices present you with new vocabulary and idioms as well as sentences in which you can plug in your own specific thoughts.
provides phrases to use when inquiring about medically related situations such as visits to the doctor, dentist, hospital, and pharmacy.
Community resources are addressed as well. The chapters in , Around Town.
There are Active Language Advice activities at the start of each part as well as in the appendix. Learning a language, as we know, is a lifes work, and serious language learners are always open to additional techniques
