Contents
=> “Do You Love Your Cell Phone?” - talk topics
=> “Cell Phone Usage” - a classroom survey
=> “Russian Festival” - Russia-in-America activity
=> Your Writing Wanted: educational experiences in the USA
=> Free Crossword Puzzle Maker
=> Answers to Russian Food Exercise
=> In the Next Issues

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Do You Love Your Cell Phone?
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I knew a student in Russia who was always checking her mobile phone. (You can also say cell phone). I once asked if she had ever forgotten it and left it at home. She had, once. She said it was awful. It was so awful that they she just had to leave the university, drive home, and get her phone.

So many students have and/or love cell phones. Here are some questions for students in pairs or groups. Write them on the board before class. They should generate some lively discussion. Everyone has an opinion on mobile phones.

1. Do you have a cell phone? If not, why?
2. How much time do you spend on your cell phone per day?
3. About how many calls do you receive or make?
4. Do you ever secretly send SMS messages during class time?
5. Does it bother you when other people’s phones ring during class, or at the movies, or in the library?
6. Do you ever sneak off to another room or check your messages? For instance, if you were on a date with someone.
7. Would it be hard to go through the day without your phone?
8. Do you need your phone?

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“Cell Phone Usage” - a classroom survey
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Take a classroom survey. Ask students to gather the results. The answers should be yes, no, or neither.

1. Do you find people yakking [talking a lot] on their phones a major irritation?
2. Should there be a law that prohibits people from talking on cell phones in public places: museums, movie theaters, and restaurants?
3. Are cell phones a safety hazard if used while driving?
4. Have cell phones made your life easier?

Ask students to gather the results and then present them in percentages. Then you can compare them with what Americans said in this study from the Univeristy of Michigan:

1. 60% found people yakking on their phones a major irritation
2. 40% said there should be a law that prohibits people from talking on cell phones in public places.
3. 80% said cell phones were a safety hazard if used while driving.
4. 80% said cell phones have made their lives easier.

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Saratoga Russian Festival: Russia in America
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On September 24, 2005 Saint Nickolas’ Church in Saratoga, California held its annual Russian festival (photo). During the day you could hear Dimitry Sokolovsky on button accordion, the Baika Balalaika Iinstrumental, and Rodnichek Children’s choir. In the evening, a Great Vespers was held in the chair.

There were also quasi-Russian crafts for sale, (photo) as well as food. It might be interesting for students in Russia to know what was on the menu, how it was described to Americans, and how much it cost.

Food Descripton Gap-Fill

Here you’ll find descriptions for the six food items sold at the Russian Festival. Try to guess the words that have been removed.

Reminder to teachers on classroom usage: (1) You can write a few of these on the board before class. (2) You can copy and paste this section of ETs into a Word document, then print. (3) You can dictate a few of the sentences.

1. Golubtsi __________ leaves stuffed with meat and rice and herb, cooked in tomato and sour cream sauce.

2. Borscht Vegetable-style __________ soup with large chunks of vegetables served with sour cream and bread.

3. Pelmeni Little pastas stuffed with meat, served in chicken __________ with sour cream and fresh dill and bread.

4. Piroshki Large size pastry __________filled with flavorful mixtures. Choice of 3 fillings: beef, potato, or cabbage.

5. Vinaigrette Vegetable salad with beets, __________, pickle, peas, and herbs.

6. Shaslik Marinated pieces of __________ or chicken, skewered, grilled, served over couscous. (2 skewers).

The Price is Right?
All of the above items cost $2, $3, or $4. Students should make predictions about the prices. Answers down below.

Writing Follow Up
Ask students to write their own descriptions of a local dish, as if it were for foreigners. Or they may rewrite one of the above descriptions to make it better relect their idea of the food.

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Writing Wanted: educational experiences in the USA
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If anyone has had experience teaching or learning in the USA, I would love to hear from you.

The texts will be used on a CD-ROM in support of a new textbook series to be published in Russia. All contributers will receive a copy of the CD.

What to write? Virtually anything. A personal essay, a poem, even photographs will be considered. What surprised you about educational life in the USA? Specifics, details, honesty and fearlessness are always appreciated.
Your piece can be a paragraph in length, up to a page. Deadline: ASAP (as soon as possible).

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Free Crossword Puzzlemaker
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If you want to make your own crosswords, eclipse (www.greeneclipsesoftware.com/eclipsecrossword/) is a creat free resource that you can download and keep on your computer. I can create and print a crossword in about ten minutes. Thanks to John Harrington, ELF in Ufa, who introduced eclipse to me last year.Food Descripton Gap-Fill

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Answers to Russian Food Exercise
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Food Desription Gap-fill

Other answers are possible, of course. But here’s what was written…

1. Cabbage
2. beet
3. broth
4. dough
5. potatoes
6. pork

The Price is Right

Gulbtsi = $4
Borscht = $3
Pelmeni = $3
Piroshki = $3
Vinaigrette = $2
Shaslik = $4

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In the Next Issue
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On November 13, Kevin and “Russian” Eddy (whom we’ve met in earlier issues) will attend the Mashina Vremeni concert in San Francisco. What the heck will the audience be like?

We’re not forgetting our non-Russian teachers. (It’s just that so many Russian things seem to happen in Northern California). So there will be a list of “Common 3-letter Verbs You Might Not Know.”

P.S. Kevin has never had a cell phone. Yuck.

Copyright Kevin McCaughey & I.M. Poosheesty