Beckie Loewenstein

As many earthworms live in my garden, I can easily bring a few in an envelope to my English lessons with children in Istanbul. I dedicate this lesson to Rita because she always expresses her curiosity about nature and gently handles the insects. Earthworm in the dirt in Istanbul on May 27, 2014

I frequently use this listening activity in private English lessons in Istanbul because it consistently sparks dynamic discussions about how to keep relationships strong. As usual, the listening tasks given depend on the level of the student. For example, I would ask the more advanced student to listen for the specific answers to all of the questions with a maximum of three listens. Listen to this one minute Scientific American podcast Movie-Watching Together Strengthens Marriages , and answer the questions below:

What's up? Ne haber? Whatsapp proves an incredibly popular and useful communication tool. My Turkish students actually introduced me to this app, and now I arrange almost all of our English lessons in Istanbul this way. After reading a few of my chat transcripts, I noticed how this technology raises expectations for (1) immediate contact, (2) wide availability, and (3) flexibility to change both the time and location of meetings at a minute's notice. Maybe a phone call would be faster but who receives or gives phone calls anymore? Instead of phone calls or SMS, almost everyone writes on Whatsapp from smartphones. This either speeds up or slows down communication, depending on the person's proclivity to act on their words.

Then, I said, let us begin and create in idea a State; and yet the true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention. The Republic, Book II, Plato English lessons give us a chance to discuss and possibly innovate ways to address our needs in Istanbul. Innovation demands creativity, and creativity requires a unique perception of our needs and challenges. Let's start with our perception of innovation in Africa: Listen for the answers to these questions while listening to the TED talk, Toby Shapshak: You don't need an app for that :

Kabataş - Üsküdar ferryboat on May 9, 2014 Yellow grate on ferryboat Çengelköy Kahvaltı Immense gratitude, A warm feeling that fills me up Like a hot air balloon, Lifts me into the rain clouds Above Istanbul. At this height obstacles -- A motorcyclist swerving on the sidewalk and A taxi driver madly turning the corner -- Appear surmountable. Rain washes All of these worries away Down the drains. On the Kabataş ferryboat With its mustard yellow painted door, I send photos of the speedy ride Across the Bosphorus to Anatolia To my brothers and sisters in the USA As if to say, I feel grateful to be here. Fog scatters the morning light And blurs the mosque minarets of the skyline. We touch down in Üsküdar. Descending the slick boat prow, We step over the gap, Ignoring the water depths below. Opposite the dock, A blue minibus fills up: Inside blue LED lights Illuminate us like deep ocean fish; Our warm breath fogs up the Submarin...

Hanife hn merhaba, Sizden aşağıdaki işen yapmanızı rica ediyoruz Selin'in odasının temizlenmesi (camlar silinecek balkon yıkanacak, yerler silinip tozlar alınacak, dolapların içleri silinecek) Salonun camlarını silinecek Selin'in odasındaki perdeler yıkayıp, yeniden yerine asılacak Teras iyice yikanacak Salondaki koltuk silinecek Girişteki camlı kapının camlan silinecek Giriş silinecek Teşekkürler!

Turks relax in hammocks at the Polonis restaurant in Polonezköy, Istanbul, on Thursday May 1, 2014. I greatly enjoyed a Turkish village breakfast at the Polonis restaurant, walk in the forest, and English lesson with my student A. and his family in the historically Ottoman and Polish village of Polonezköy, Istanbul, on Thursday May 1, 2014. With the blocked streets and cancelled public transport on Labor Day, I felt especially grateful to escape the European side for the calm village on the Anatolian side. In green, calm Polonezköy, the sounds of nature, the taste of delicious food, and the coolness of a shady forest all relaxed and inspired us for English and Turkish language learning.