Can I Vote?
You can vote in the November election if you…
- are a U.S. citizen*, and
- will be 18 years old by November 3rd, and
- are registered to vote
If you are not registered to vote, Massachusetts residents can register to vote in the November 3rd election until Saturday, October 24th. – But do it now.
For more information about voting, including for other states you can visit:
- Vote.org
- I Will Vote (Spanish Version)
Voting Information Phone: 833-336-8683
*Residents or Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are U.S. citizens, but they can not vote for president or congress members. Other particular restrictions may apply.
Kitchen Verbs
Here are things cooks do in the kitchen:
There are more verbs and a large kitchen picture dictionary at eslbuzz.com 
Translating in Your Head Before You Speak?
Here is a video from Rachel’s English with some suggestions for how to think more in English, and to help you speak more comfortably – without needing to translate from your native language first.
- Look at things around you, and say their names – in English – in your head
- Think in simple sentences
- Have small conversations with yourself in English
Sing Out Loud With Your Kids
Here’s a sweet song to sing with your young kids. Shake It, by Jono
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
A great, relaxing activity for the kids – and maybe you too. Every weekday, Mo Willems gives a short drawing lesson on YouTube, and it has become very popular. Here’s the first one:
It’s supported by the Kennedy Center, which also has an Activity Page for each video, that you can download. [Activity Page for Episode 1]
They also just added English Subtitles [CC] that you can turn on when watching in YouTube.
In case you’re not familiar with his books, here’s a reading of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus:
Quizlet – Vocabulary with English <> Your Native Language
Quizlet Flashcards are a great way to learn new English words. There are many flashcard sets that let you study English words – translated from your native language. Here’s a large set of flashcards (more than 1000!) with English and Portuguese:
If viewing on your phone, it may be better to use the free Quizlet App (Apple, Android).
Here is a vocabulary Quizlet set for Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian
You can find more of these – for any language – on Quizlet.com, or in the App, by searching for “Vocabulary English Chinese” (or whatever your native language is).
Pronouncing February
Is it FEB-ROO-ARY? or FEB-YOU-ARY? Both are acceptable, but it is more common to hear someone say FEB-YOU-ARY 
.
Here you can listen to a variety of people pronounce “February” on YouGlish.
And here’s a YouTube video about the different pronunciations…
Vacation Week Ideas
If you have kids out of school this week, or just have extra time for yourself, here are some places to go – to see more of Boston and MetroWest, have some family fun, and practice your English:
- Feb Fest at the MIT Museum in Cambridge – Feb 17-22
Lots of extra science activities
GPS: 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge - Vacation Week at Boston Museum of Fine Arts – Feb 18-22
Family Art Walk, Performances, Art-Making Activities, Kids’ Tours
GPS: 465 Huntington Ave. Boston
- Vacation Week Activities at:
- Boston Children’s Museum
Engineers week, Black History Month - Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston
- Discovery Museum in Acton
- Animal Adventures in Bolton
- Ecotarium in Worcester
- Boston Children’s Museum
- Untold American Stories – Black History Month
at the Boston Mapparium – Mary Baker Eddy Library Tuesday Feb 18th to Friday Feb 21st
GPS: 200 Massachusetts Ave. Boston - Kids’ Activities at the Boston Public Market
GPS: 100 Hanover St. Boston - Ice Skating– at the Frog Pond on the Boston Common – now open (Video)
- Children’s Winter Festival on Boston Common – Thursday Feb 20th from 11 to 2
- Places to go sledding in MetroWest
- Places to go skiing near MetroWest/Boston
- Places to go for a winter hike
- In MetroWest, there’s Callahan Park – and many others
- Some other good winter hiking places in Massachusetts
- A little farther away:
- Newport Winter Festival – in Newport, Rhode Island
now through Feb 23rd
Music performances, Food competitions, Lots of kids’ activities
Fire & Ice show, Princess Party, Beach Polo - Activities at Trustees of Massachusetts sites all around the state
- Newport Winter Festival – in Newport, Rhode Island
- Lots more to find on…