Halloween Dance Party

While the little children go trick-or-treating, Nomen Global students have treats of their own! We had a great evening last Thursday with tons of food, great costumes, and competitive dancing!

We started the evening with Dance Dance Revolution for Xbox. We laughed as we watched fellow students (and teachers!) tried to lay their moves on the dance floor in some very elaborate costumes! Then we stormed the common room and danced the night away with DJ Manuel. The best part of the night, however, was seeing each other dressed up for Halloween. Take a look at some of the pictures we took. Which costume do you think is the best?










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To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we offer, visit us on our website or on Facebook.

Speaking Strategy: Scary Stories

Are you in the mood for some scary stories? For years both children and adults enjoy reading classic scary stories like Frankenstein, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Dracula. Many people also enjoy curling up to watch a horror film. Perhaps you are interested in creating your own scary stories. In fact, that's exactly how many of our favorite scary stories came to us today!

Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, came up with her idea when she was with her friends. She, her husband, and two other friends were telling ghost stories to each other to pass the time during a cold and rainy season. Shelley told the story of a scientist who created a monster! Now Frankenstein is one of the most popular stories around Halloween.

This Halloween, get together with your friends and create a scary story together. Use one of the following story starters to get ideas, then take turns adding to the story. Who knows? Maybe in 100 years, everyone will be telling your story around Halloween.

  1. It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly all of the lights went out . . .
  2. One night as I was getting ready to go to sleep, I heard my dog barking. But tonight, his barking sounded strange. I looked out the window, but instead of seeing my dog, I saw . . .
  3. I had never believed in ghosts. Not until . . .
  4. After I finished with my pumpkin, I was proud of the nice face that I carved. But when I put a candle inside, my pumpkin was no longer smiling . . .
  5. When I opened the door, hundreds of bats came flying at me. I could not believe what I heard next . . .
  6. My friends and I always enjoyed exploring the attic of my house. That is, until we found a mummy . . .
  7. They say that if a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck. Well, last night a black cat walked in front of me. You would not believe what happened next . . .
  8. I had always like my neighbors. They came over for dinner, brought me to movies, and gave me treats. But they never invited me inside. Last week, I found out why . . .
  9. Right after I turned off the light, I noticed my shadow on the wall. But my shadow did not look like my own. It was then I turned around and saw . . .
  10. I was having fun when I walked into the haunted house. But then the door slammed behind me, and I couldn't see any of my friends . . .

To learn more about Halloween, speaking, and telling stories, visit us at Nomen Global.

Student Spotlight: Junior Gomes


Junior Gomes is from Brazil. He has studied English for many years, but he plans to study at Nomen Global for just one semester before he prepares to go to an American university. Junior enjoys Nomen Global because it is overall a great school, but he especially enjoys his grammar class.

Junior is involved in many things in his life. He has recently completed serving a mission for his church; he considers this honest service his greatest success. Junior also plays soccer, dances, and hangs out with his friends. His favorite food is pizza.

Junior has already accomplished many of his personal goals, but he hopes to reach a few more after studying English. Junior would like to study at LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah. After he earns his degree in the US, Junior hopes to get a great job. Finally, since family is the most important thing to him, he hopes to get married.

Get to know Junior and other active students like him at Nomen Global.

Mini Golf and a Scary Movie

Miniature Golf
Miniature golf is a popular activity enjoyed by children and adults alike. Last week, Nomen Global students trekked up to Cascade Golf Center in Orem to try our hands at 52 different holes. Take a look at some of the pictures we took. 







Scary Movie
In celebration of Halloween next week, we watched a scary movie, Insidious (2010). The night began with eating pizza and sitting in the hot tub. Then we piled in front of the big screen TV to watch the movie together. We had a great time! Check back for pictures!

***UPDATE***
October 31, 2011

Here are just a few pictures from our scary movie night.




Upcoming Activities
Costume Party/Dance
Come to Nomen Global this Thursday in your best costume (but don't forget your dancing shoes)! Don't miss this favorite Halloween tradition!

DI Fashion Show
Bring $1 on Monday for our trip to Deseret Industries. Your group will combine their money to buy the best costume! We will put on a Nomen Global fashion show to judge the costumes.

To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we offer, visit our website.

Independent and Dependent Clauses

While I was walking to school this morning. After my class started. As soon as I get home this afternoon.

These sentences do not make sense because they are incomplete sentences. One of the most important skills in both speaking and writing is producing a complete sentence. Knowing the difference between a dependent and an independent clause can help you effectively communicate your ideas.

Independent Clauses
What does "independent" mean? In the United States, a person becomes legally independent at age 18. People who are considered "independent" can provide for themselves. They earn their own money, they make their own food, and they drive by themselves. An independent clause is very similar. Just as an independent person can cross the street alone, an independent clause can communicate a complete idea alone.

An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea.

I fell on the sidewalk.
My teacher collected our homework.
I will eat lunch.

Dependent Clauses
"Dependents" are children or other people for whom an independent person is responsible. Dependent people need someone else to feed them and drive them places. A dependent clause is similar. Just as a child (a dependent person) needs a parent (an independent person) to help him or her cross the street, a dependent clause needs an independent clause to make sense.

A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but it also begins with a subordinating conjunction.

I fell on the sidewalk while I was walking to school this morning.
My teacher collected our homework after my class started.
I will eat lunch as soon as I get home this afternoon.

Subordinating Conjunctions
When you imagine a child crossing the street with a parent, the child and the parent are usually holding hands. This connection makes sure the child can safely cross the street. A subordinating conjunction is a similar connection between an independent and a dependent clause. Here are some examples of subordinating conjunctions:

after
although
as
because
before
even though
if
since
than
that
unless
when
where
while

To learn more about clauses and other grammar topics, visit us at Nomen Global.

Student Spotlight: Mia Sorensen


Mia Sorensen is one of our advanced students from Denmark. She has been studying at Nomen Global for 2 months and will continue to be here for another 6 months. Mia is currently enrolled in the College Preparation course.

Mia is always looking for new and exciting adventures. She decided to move to the United States to experience something new. Although her English is already advanced, Mia believes that there is always room for improvement.

In the future, Mia hopes to develop a good marriage and to maintain a successful career. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and hanging out with friends. The most important thing to her is friends, family, and love.

Meet Mia and other dedicated students like her at Nomen Global!

A Halloween Treat

What are some of your favorite Halloween traditions? Halloween is a long-celebrated holiday in many countries, and Nomen Global students got a hint of some of our favorite traditions.


Jack-O'-Lanterns
Pumpkins have many uses, including making pies, soups, and jack-o'-lanterns. While watching our favorite scenes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we carved faces of all kinds into fresh, orange pumpkins. Our jack-o'-lanterns ranged from happy, smiling Harry Potters to cobweb-covered vampires. Our International Recruiting office then voted on the best jack-o'-lantern!

Cookie Decorations
What is a good holiday without food? We couldn't let a Halloween party pass without homemade cookies, frosting, and candy! Students had the chance to make and eat some festive confections.

Halloween Games
Vampires, werewolves, zombies . . . which monster will be called out next? Our students had to listen carefully to hear whether they needed to move seats in this fast-paced, seat-changing Halloween game.


Scary Stories
"It was a dark and stormy night. We heard the footsteps coming closer . . . closer . . . closer . . ." What do you think will happen? Scary stories are a favorite tradition among Americans who celebrate Halloween. One particular author, Edgar Allen Poe, wrote many eerie stories that fit in with the ghosts and goblins running around this time of year. Today at Nomen Global, our students listened to one of Poe's most famous stories, The Tell-Tale Heart.

Find out more about Nomen Global and the activities we offer on our website and Facebook page!

Upcoming Activities
Miniature Golfing
Come test your putting skills for just $1! We will go to Cascade Golf Center in Orem for 18 holes of miniature golf.

Costume Party/Dance
One of the favorite Halloween traditions in America is dressing up. Come to Nomen Globall's Halloween costume party and dance to show off your costume.

DI Fashion Show
Bring $1 to Provo's favorite thrift store, Deseret Industries. Groups will combine their funds and their efforts to purchase the most exotic costume. Then we will judge who did the best job in our fashion show after the trip!

Pronunciation Practice: Word Stress

Did you know that one sentence can have many meaning depending on which words you stress? It's true! American English speakers often stress different words in order to emphasize different meanings. For example, let's look at the following sentence:
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
The meaning seems pretty clear: A girl owes me money. However, watch how the sentence takes on new meanings as we stress different words:
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    It was a specific girl rather than another girl or boy.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    This takes place in the past time rather than the present time.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    I expected rather than demanded, wanted, or needed, the money.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    The action is giving, not taking, borrowing, or lending.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    I
     am the recipient, not another person.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    I expect ten dollarsno more, no less.
  • She was supposed to give me ten dollars.
    I don't want dimes, quarters, or even apples. I want dollars!
See if you can figure out the meanings of the following sentences.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
  • I don't want the cookies that he baked.
Learn more about pronunciation and other aspects of American English at Nomen Global.

Student Spotlight: Alejandra Garcia


Alejandra Garcia is from Mexico City and has been at Nomen Global for one year. She will continue to study English for another semester before she begins applying to LDS colleges. Alejandra is studying English to prepare for higher education in the United States. She enjoys the classes and the activities, but she loves the teachers most of all!

Alejandra is a great student who is kind to everybody. Her daily motto is "to be better today that I was yesterday." A few of her other goals include going to BYU, becoming a doctor, playing volleyball at BYU, doing service, and getting married to a wonderful man!

In her spare time, Alejandra likes to play volleyball, to learn about the guitar (and other instruments), to sing karaoke, and to visit new places. Obviously, Alejandra loves Mexican food (mole, beans, and rice with chicken), but she also loves Chinese food.

The most important thing to Alejandra is that she doesn't forget who she is. She always strives to figure out the thing she wants most, make a plan, and do it.

Meet Alejandra and other great students like her at Nomen Global!

American Football

Fall weather, spirited cheerleaders, an entertaining marching band, dedicated fans, and a flying football: College football is what thousands of Americans look forward to each fall. American football allows men and women, young and old, to cheer on their favorite teams. For fans in Provo, Utah, the college football team of choice is the Brigham Young University Cougars.

Nomen Global students experienced this unique aspect of American culture last Saturday night. We met at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the university's outdoor stadium that seats over 63,000 fans. After the Cougar Marching Band introduced the national anthem (The Star-Spangled Banner), we welcomed the BYU Cougars to the field! The players quickly took control of the game, and BYU won with 26 points; San Jose State, 16.

For many of our students, this football game was a night of firsts! Take a look at a few of the pictures we took.










A few of our ambitious students studied the rules before the game to ensure a great evening! Do you know all the rules to American football? Read about them here! For a slideshow of official pictures from the game, click here.

Upcoming Activities
Halloween Extravaganza
What are some of your favorite Halloween traditions? Nomen Global will show you some of ours, including pumpkin carving, cookie decorating, story telling, and much more!

Costume Party/Dance
One of the favorite Halloween traditions in America is dressing up. Come to Nomen Global's Halloween costume party and dance to show off your costume.

To learn more about our English-enhancing activities, visit us at Nomen Global.

Phrasal Verbs

When students set out to learn English, they are usually held up by phrasal verbs. We have to make out the meaning of most of these idioms (phrases that don't make literal sense) in context because we usually can't look them up in the dictionary. You may feel like you want to put off learning these words, but don't give up!

Did this paragraph make sense to you? If not, you were probably held up by all the phrasal verbs!

What is a phrasal verb? 
Phrasal verbs are everywhere! Phrasal verbs are verbs made up with a verb and a particle (usually a small preposition). When these parts are put together, the result is a brand new word that has little or no relation to its parts.

For example, we know the word give and we know the word up. However, the phrasal verb give up has nothing to do with gifts or the sky; give up means "to quit or abandon hope."
  • give + up = give up (quit)
  • call + off = call off (cancel)
How do I learn phrasal verbs?
To learn phrasal verbs, we just have to memorize them like normal vocabulary words. There are thousands of them, but continue to learn them one-by-one, just like you learn new vocabulary. You can find many lists of phrasal verbs (like this one) online to help you study.

How do I use phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are used almost the exact same way that regular verbs are used. They come after the subject. The trick to learn is whether or not to separate the verb and the particle. For example, we can say, "Turn off the TV" or we can say, "Turn the TV off." Be careful, though: Some phrasal verbs cannot be separated! We can say, "We ran out of food" but we cannot say "We ran of food out."

Although phrasal verbs are somewhat difficult to learn and remember, you will have fun discovering all of their new meanings. To learn more about phrasal verbs and other idioms, visit us at Nomen Global.

Student Spotlight: Jae Hwan Jhong


Jae Hwan Jhong is an advanced English student from South Korea. He has been studying at Nomen Global for several weeks and will be here until January. Jae understands all the advantageous opportunities available in his country if he knows English, so he is diligently studying to become more fluent. When asked about his favorite aspect of Nomen Global, Jae responded, "I love this place! The teachers, students . . . everything."

After Jae finishes his English study, he plans to travel around the United States for one month. With a solid understanding of English, Jae can visit the most popular American destinations easily. He will then return to his home country to prepare for other life plans.

Jae is an extremely optimistic person. He is always happy and always working hard. When he passes tests, Jae feels a great sense of accomplishment. He loves sports, especially tennis and baseball, and he loves people. Because he works so well with others, he hopes to be a teacher one day. Obviously, Jae's favorite food is Korean food, but he also enjoys Japanese and American food.

Get to know Jae and other optimistic people at Nomen Global!

Life Science with Monty L. Bean

Edwin Powell Hubble reminds us that man, "equipped with his five senses, . . . explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science." Nomen Global students had a chance to be real scientists this week at the Bean Life Science Museum. We used our senses of touch, sight, and sound to explore animals from all over the world. 




The Monty L. Bean Life Science Museum is located at Brigham Young University and houses hundreds of different species of plants and animals. Right now, Into Africa: Exploring Nature's Interactions is the new exhibit that shows visitors about Africa's different ecosystems, or environments in which plants and animals coexist.



Once we finished our museum scavenger hunt, we followed a guide to the auditorium for a private presentation on ecosystems. We learned about the four ecosystems in the world: grasslands, forest, desert, and wetlands. We even got to meet a few of the animals that originate from these ecosystems. Monty is a ball python who lives in the rain forest and Otis is a tortoise who lives in the grasslands.








Upcoming Activities
BYU Football
Rise and shout with us this weekend for BYU's homecoming football game against San Jose State! Enjoy a truly American experience at this favored sporting event.

Halloween Festival
Carving pumpkins, decorating cookies, and learning about American Halloween traditions will surely make some fall memories.

To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities that we plan, visit our website.