More Than Words

By Amy Balogh

An anthology of works by Amy Balogh's ESOL students for the school year 2016-2017.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amy Balogh
• Release date: May 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370121441

Book preview

Foreword

This is the second year of my grand experiment of teaching a different way. I continue to by blown away by the creativity of my students. This year, I’m doing the book without my dear friend Buffy Hamilton and I am missing her help. Her fingerprints, however, are all over this book as a result of all our collaborating last year.

The works are organized by the units in the order that we wrote them. We started with poetry and ended with research.

Enjoy our celebration!. And to my students who will be reading this, perhaps years later, remember how proud I am of you, remember how creative and smart you are and remember to have fun with writing.

Last year’s book, Twelve Worlds, One Book is also available on Smashwords.

Amy L. Balogh

ESOL Teacher

Chattahoochee High School

*****

Table of Contents

Forward

Author Biographies

Chapter 1: Poetry

First Poem - Tal Krasnovsky

Concert - Roman Smieja

Crocodile Poem - Tal Krasnovsky

Dream - Briana Kang

Ducks in the Wind - Tal Krasnovsky

Eating a Crocodile - Ori Krasnovsky

Fourteen - Kinza Israr

Gateway to the World - Tal Krasnovsky

I Am Fifteen - Anastassia Vazquez Zuniga

I Am From Creole Tradition - Alexandra Delgado

I Love You - Rin Araki

If I’ll See You Again - Lucia Rutherfurd

Last Christmas with My Whole Joint Family in India - Nafisa Ali

Miss Death - Walter Costa

My 17 - Walter Costa

My Dad - An Nguyen

My First Handball Game - Kevin O’Neill

My First Kiss - Ashanty Pineda

My Mom - An Nguyen

Nature - Alexandra Delgado

Noodle - Kinza Israr

Rest - Briana Kang

Swimming in the Peninsula of Araya - Alexandra Delgado

The Butterfly - Yagmur Alhan

The First Day of School - Yagmur Alhan

The Gift - Maximiliano Estrada

Thinking out Loud - Walter Costa

When I became 10 - Ryo Shirane

Winter Days - Nafisa Ali

Chapter 2: Memoir

A Day with My Grandfather - Maximiliano Estrada

A Trip to the Arava - Ori Krasnovsky

Air Hockey with Saeff - Mako Hashimoto

A New Life in a Life - Kris Sonneveld

A Perfect Day - Kris Sonneveld

Beautiful Show - Briana Kang

Best Day - Max Shmuylovich

Birthday of the Day - Max Shmuylovich

Blowing in My Mind - Hyesun Kang

Crash - Kris Sonneveld

Dallas, Texas - Anastassia Vazquez

Days as a Farmer - Walter Costa

First Day as a Soldier - Walter Costa

First Day in the U.S. - Mako Hashimoto

First Day of School - Roman Smieja

First Flight - Roman Smieja

Georgia Aquarium - Hyesun Kang

Georgia High School Team Chess Championship - Ryo Shirane

Hit by a Car - Tal Krasnovsky

Holiday - Kinza Israr

Lazy Day - Briana Kang

My First Time - Lucia Rutherfurd

My First Kiss - Walter Costa

New Jersey - Briana Kang

On the Way to America - Andy Kang

Real Friends - Max Shmuylovich

Saying Goodbye - Roman Smieja

Stuck in Mexico – Anastassia Vazquez

The 1st Time I Lost My Glasses - Tal Krasnovsky

The Day We Got a Dog - Jesse Haarahiltunen

Chapter 3: Short Story

Another Move - Ashanty Pineda

Game World - Andy Kang

Ghost in My House - Nafisa Ali

Goblin Wife - Briana Kang

Grandmother - Rin Araki

The King of Mars - Maximiliano Estrada

The Memory of Murder - Ryo Shirane

Weapon Eater - Mako Hashimoto

When I Turned the Umbrella - Ryo Shirane

Chapter 4: Drama

Section1: Character Biographies

Esperaza - Beyhan Alhan

Ms. A. - An Nguyen

Smith - Andy Kang

Section 2: Monologues

Amy - An Nguyen

Ashley - Alexandra Delgado

Baker - Gabriel Vasconcellos

Delaney - Roman Smieja

Gatsby - Beyhan Alhan

Jack - Yoav Zemach

Luz - Ashanty Pineda

Rose - Roman Smieja

Smith - Andy Kang

Section 3 Plays

Cheating - An Nguyen, Roman Smieja, Yoav Zemach, Anastassia Vazquez Zuniga, Ryotaro Shirane, Joao Azevedo Coelho Costa, Mako Hashimoto

Play - Walter Costa, Alexandra Delgado, Maximiliano Estrada, Andy Kang, Kinza Israr, Param Soni, and Gabriel Vasconcello

Chapter 5: Research

Section 1: Five Ways To…

How to Go to Backpacking Trip - Andy Kang

Five Things to Do Before Going to Finland and When You Are in Finland - Jesse Haarahiltunen

Five Things You Need to Do to Be Professional Soccer Player - Maximiliano Estrada

Five Ways to Be a Committed Basketball Fan - Kevin O’Neill

Five Ways to Deal with Conflicts - Alexandra Delgado

Five Ways to Having a Fun in Japan - Rin Araki

Five Ways to Improve in Super Smash Bros 4 - Ori Krasnovsky

Five Ways to Improve Your Body Language - Yoav Zemach

Five Things to Improve Your Soccer Skills - Roman Smieja

Five Ways to Reduce Your Stress - Gabriel Vasconcellos

Five Ways to Write a Song - An Nguyen

Section 2: Pick a Side

Abortion - Ryo Shirane

Abortion is Bad – Kevin O’Neill

Abortion is a Murder - Yagmur Alhan

Against Abortion - Lucia Rutherfurd

Changed Drinking Age - Andy Kang

Drinking Age - By Maximiliano Estrada

Drinking Age - Victor Costa

Drinking Age - Yoav Zemach

The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered - Gabriel Vasconcellos

For Abortion - Jesse Haarahiltunen

Section 3: Problem and Solution

Adoption - Roman Smieja

Corruption in Brazil - Victor Costa

Dealing with the Difficult People - Yagmur Alhan

EOCs and ESOL Students - Alexandra Delgado

How to Pay Tuition Fee without Stress - Andy Kang

International Students and Difficulties - An Nguyen

Minimum Wage - Hyesun Kang

Rape Culture - Victor Costa

Tattoos Social Discrimination - Maximiliano Estrada

The Relationship between North Korea and Japan - Ryo Shirane

*****

Author Biographies

Yagmur Alhan: It’s Yagmur. I’m from Turkey. I have been in the United States for a year. Regardless of what I do, as long as there are people I love, it is the work I enjoy most about doing. If we come to the subject of authorship, being a writer is a very difficult job. Thinking about things, writing our thoughts, organizing texts according to the reader's audience ... these are really hard to think about and hard to deal with. What I have learned at the end of this year is that you can forget something that you have to do when writing something and just do something as long as you write it as you can.

Shaikh Nafisa Ali: Hi, my name is Shaikh Nafisa Ali. I’m fourteen years old. I’m a freshman in high school. I came to America from India two years ago. I love art, sports, and any kind of adventure. I love traveling, I love taking pictures of Nature. I play soccer at Chattahoochee High School. Soccer is my passion, it drives me to be the best version of myself that I can be. But other than soccer I haven’t decided what I want to do when I grow up. I enjoy reading and writing. But it's not something that I love.

Rin Araki: I’m Rin. I’m from Japan. I came to Atlanta about 4 years ago. I really love this place and I want to live Atlanta forever. When I came to here, I hated school. I couldn’t understand any English. However, now I’m having fun at school. I was little worry about writing. I like writing something but I have to think whole story and write so, I took long time to finish the story. Now, I feel better than beginning of high school. I think I did good job for writing. I’m so happy to I’m better writing than when I was in middle school. I hope I can do better on next year.

Walter Costa: I’m Walter Costa, I was born in America but my parents decided to move back to Brazil, I lived there for 16 years and in 2016 summer we moved back to US. Even though I don’t like to write, I really enjoyed that experience of writing this pieces for the book. And since I have to say something I like, Açaí and coxinha these are my favorite food.

Alexandra Delgado: I am Venezuelan, from Creole tradition. I has been in the United States for a year. I enjoyed the peaceful four period with Miss B a great teacher. My hobby is drawing whatever give me inspiration to shape it in a white paper with infinite possibilities. I love to travel, meet new places, cultures and traditions, while I am with my family laughing and joking which is one of the most striking feature of each member of the group.

Maximiliano Estrada: I been in the United Sates one year and 9 months, I’m from Monterrey, Mexico I’m the best student of miss Balogh when I came here I didn’t know any single word in English but after 6 months I understand what people was saying. After the 6 months, I star practicing talking to more people and making more friends. I star playing soccer again, when I was in Mexico I play soccer but I leave it for a little while but now I’m back again and I’m a sporty guy. I’m always doing exercise and my experience in United States is been amazing.

Jesse Haarahiltunen: I am Jesse Haarahiltunen, and I moved from Finland to Atlanta for a year, because my stepdad got a job here. I have lived here for about 9 months and I have about 3 months left. On my free time I like to play videogames and sleep. I like writing research papers more than poems, stories or memoirs.

Marko Hashimoto: Hello. My name is Mako Hashimoto. I'm from Japan. I came to America as an exchange student on July 30th. I was staying with my host family. Actually it was not simple year. I had very hard time with my first host family, but I learned a lot about my feature, my personality, people, English, difference and same things between America and Japan through this year. I don’t regret that I came here alone because I think if I came here with my family, it might not be able to experience all of these. I only had 10 months to learn those and make friends so I did my best this year. I decided to put my short story which is not short ;) and two memoirs. I enjoyed creating fiction story. When I heard that we were going to create own fiction, I got excited. Because I love Twilight, Divergent and the Hunger Game so I was like my short story is going to be Action and Romance. Actually I had couple nice plots one was my short story and another one was like there was a girl in the middle of desert and she doesn’t have memory. She also doesn’t have enough food. The things that she knows is her name and she has to go to place that is safe and serves food. It was my favorite unit. About memoir, I chose to put memoirs in my book because I wanted to take my memory in America to Japan. Besides, I wanted to share them with my family.

Kinza Israr: My name is Kinza Israr. I am from Pakistan. I came to America on february 2nd in 2016. I have lived in U.S. for one year. I like to play tennis. I am very glad about being in author. I hope you enjoy my poetries and short story.

Andy Kang: My name is Andy Kang. I’m from Korean. I live in U.S, 1 year and 11 month. My hobbies is play the game and see the movie. My favorite game is over watch and Gang Beast. And my favorite move is Transformer. And I don’t like romance movie because it was boring.

Briana Kang: Hi, my name is Briana Kang. I’m from South Korea. I have been America for 2 years. This is my Junior year for Chattahoochee High School. Last years I was hard to write my memories and short story. I feel very scary but now I was comfortable. Because this is the second time for write poem, memory, and short story. I like to write poems and short story. It was funny and help to learning English.

Hyesun Kang: Hi, I'm Hyesun I'm from south Korea. This is my second year in Chattahoochee. I live in the US almost 2 years. I like to hangout with friends. Being an author is a challenge myself I remember last year I made a book. It's really happy to make an own book. I want to give a big hand to Ms.B to give us a great experience. I'm in senior this is my last year. I'm glad to make my book again. I really try to speak English and now I success I did not scared about English. I hope you guys develop. Even I leave Chattahoochee I will remember I have the successful experience. I wish we will meet again!

Ori Krasnovsky: Hello, my name is Ori Krasnovsky, I am in 9th grade and I am from Israel. I moved to the United States a year ago. I like playing video games, and play on bass guitar. When I came to this school, Chattahoochee high school, I didn’t know what to expect. When I started to understand how to manage in this place, I could pay more attention to my classes and actually try to understand what to do. In literature class, one of my more interesting classes, I had to write, a lot. I didn’t think I could write in English, but I did it, and I think I got better. Now I hope it won’t stop me from doing anything in life, and I am happy I wrote because it is important to know how to do so decently at least.Tal Krasnovsky: Hey everyone. I am Tal Krasnovsky and I am from Israel. I like playing video games. I also work out. I moved to America about a year ago and I am now 17 years old.

Tal Krasnovsky: Hey everyone. I am Tal Krasnovsky and I am from Israel. I like playing video games. I also work out. I moved to America about a year ago and I am now 17 years old.

An Nguyen: Hi! My name is An, I’m from Vietnam. I’ve lived in the US for 1 years and a few months. I love playing songs, I can make a simple beat for them by my piano skill. I feel I’m still not fit in a America, although I’m very impressed in a flexible education of America. It helped me a lot during the days I couldn’t be in school. I used to be hate waffle, Mcgriddle and hash browns. It’s magical that I like to eat them every weekend, now. I must have 3 times to be a senior, it’s bored. But actually, I just have one more year to finish my high school. Hooray!

Kevin O’Neill: I am Kevin O’Neill I was born in May 7th I like to play soccer and sleep. I have four brothers nd they all live in Puerto Rico. My English teacher is the best. My mom and my dad were born I Puerto Rico. My best friend is Max Estrada.

Ashanty Pineda: I am Ashanty Fioreli Pineda, I am 16 years old, I am Mexican. I have lived in the United States now. I like watching movies, spending times with friends and family, I love drawing and writing about things that I am attracted to.

Lucia Rutherfurd: Hi, I am Lucia Rutherfurd, I am 16 years old. I am from Peru, I have been here in the United States since two years ago. My hobbies are listening to music, play the guitar, and sleep. I love nature and all the animal but I hate mosquitos and bumble bees. Writhing to me is a little bit hard to me because I have many ideas but I don’t know how to organize them, but with the practice it become easier.

Max Shmuylovich: I am Max Shmuylovich. I’m called Max 2 in school. I am living in US for 2 years. These were really long years, mostly the first one. The second year in High school was better because I found friends. About me, I like to walk at night, listen to audiobooks, watch movies. I do not like to be an Author because it doesn’t interest me. This school year in this class was very hard for me because I don’t like to write.

Ryo Shirane: I’m Ryo Shirane. I have lived in the US for 2 years. One of my favorite things to do is play chess. Over the course one year I managed to master Java cript. In fact I even made my own game using it. First and foremost when I first came this class, I didn’t know how to write in English. But I refused to allow that to stop meffrom accomplishing my goals. Though my persseverance I wrote an entire essay little knowledge of how to write using the English language.

Roman Smieja: My name is Roman Smieja. I’m a sophomore at Chattahoochee high school. Two years ago I move from my country Ethiopia from the capital city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the Horn of east Africa. We have 80 and above language, but the main language called Amharic. That is what I’m speaking. Many people think it is a hard language to learn. From Ethiopian I like the food because it is a family style. The best thing that I like from my country is we have our own Ethiopian calendar. In Ethiopia it is 8 years behind and 8 days behind European calendar. In Ethiopia it is 2009 and in America it is 2017. Only two African countries that are not colonize are Ethiopia and Liberia. I like to learn new languages and try new cultures, I like listening music and singing, and I like nature. Thanks for Ms.B for guiding us truth the year.

Kris Sonneveld: I’m Kris Sonneveld and I’m a foreign exchange student from Amersfoort in the Netherlands. My stories are about things that happened in my life. I’ve been here for about 9 and a half months and this journey has made me realize a lot of things and made me a different person. I arrived the 28th of July 2016 and I’ll be leaving the United States on the 27th of June 2017. I currently live w a Host family in Alpharetta Georgia. I loved my experience here and I love that we can look back on this year with the book.

Gabriel Vasconcellos: Hi, I am Gabriel Vasconcellos, I’m from Brazil (Guarulhos , I living in U.S about 4 months, I like to play soccer, and I’m very proud to make part of this book.

Anastassia Vazquez: Hi! My name is Anastassia Vazquez. I from Mexico, Porto Valeadra, and I moved in United States. Since I was little, I moved to San Diego, California. San Diego was my favorite country, my little sister was born there, so my dad go transfer to Altanta GA, he works at 4 season hotel. I have a little problems with my English, I do speak good, but I don’t understand. I moved a lot of the school, and it’s hard for me to make a friends. Now I’m here in High School in Chattahoochee High School. I have friends, but she moved. I like to draw, read manga, and watch anime. I like to take my dog for a walk, and play video games in Gamecube, PS3, PS4, and wii.

Yoav Zemach: My name is Yoav Zemach and I came from Israel to GA on October 28th, 2016. On my free time, I like to listen to music and workout. I am playing football OLB/TE, and wrestle. Parties and food are my favorite hangouts with friends. I want to thank to Ms. B that helped me all this year to improve my English and that did not give up on me.

*****

Chapter 1: Poetry

1st Poem

Tal Krasnovsky

Alarms were blazing.

And no one feared, except me.

Even in my nightmares,

I couldn’t believe

That I wouldn’t find you when I need you the most.

So there I was, incapable of moving,

Searching for you with my eyes.

There was little time left.

I tried and tried,

But alas, I couldn’t change the future,

And now you sit notebookless in Ms. Balogh’s class.

*****

Concert

Roman Smieja

I was in the middle of the class

My phone start making a sound

I pick my phone and start watching it like a television

I can’t believe what the text said

I stand from my sit

Make a big sunshine smile

Like I got some diamond in my hand

I tell for my friend Helen

She was so happy for me to here that I get happy

I can go to the concert

I was so excited to get home

And to start roll the road

We get there by the train

We walk for a long time

We see a line from far far away

The line was long like a snake

We ate chic-a-fil-a in the CNN center

The chicken was hot and coca was cold

I went with a British soccer coach

We have a lot of fun

That was my first concert in America

We saw drake, usher and his futures

And other two peoples we went back home 2am

That was one of my best day!

*****

Crocodile Poem

Tal Krasnovsky

Even the most fearsome

Animal can be brought down

Eventually.

I was evident of that fact when there was a crocodile

Resting peacefully, dead on my plate.

It was a good taste, being served only on the cleanest plate.

It tasted like chicken, but also like fish,

And was surprisingly tasty.

My father was in the same opinion, my brother, however,

Despised it very much. When I asked why?

He said that he dislikes it because it tasted quite like chicken but also not unlike fish.

*****

Dream

Briana Kang

When the star was sleeping at the night.

The moon rises alone to the sky.

The moon comes down to the window.

The shine make me a dream.

She’s dreaming she’s dreaming.

The moonlight dyed dark to the sky.

In dream, he snuck up on me.

He hugs me and we got a smile.

She’s dreaming she’s dreaming.

The night dyed dark at moonlight, it’s only we are time.

Everyone disturb one’s sleep.

The end of midnight.

You vanish in to thin air.

The midnight comes again.

You hold the dream comes down to me.

But the morning is coming.

I wake up quietly

Dream is buried in oblivion

*****

Ducks in the Wind

Tal Krasnovsky

Ducks in the wind,

Flying in the wrong direction.

Gray as storm clouds,

They flew and didn’t stop at all.

The skies were dark, and I watched them

And laughed at their attempts.

Although, when I tried to talk,

I barely could.

I again, laughed. This time from embarrassment.

In my defense, and the ducks’

This was a strong wind, very strong.

And I thought to myself go ducks!

*****

Eating a Crocodile

Ori Krasnovsky

About 3 years ago,

I ate a crocodile.

Just thinking about it

Make me feel uncomfortable.

It was in Vietnam

My family and I traveled there for two months.

On the second week

We went to a restaurant

Named The Spot

It was a nice place.

We started ordering stuff

And then my dad had this idea,

To eat a crocodile

When we got the food

My dad tasted it

And he liked it

so did my big brother

But I thought it was weird

And bad.

It was like eating a combination of

Chicken and fish in one piece of meat.

It was terrible. Also it tasted way too salty.

This may have been fun to taste but

I HATE IT

*****

Fourteen

Kinza Israr

My name is Kinza Israr.

I am Fourteen years old.

My life is hard because I don’t understand English.

I don’t have phone.

Chattahoochee high school is very big so I am so confused.

My life is easy because my mom and dad is very nice.

My mom and dad love me.

My brothers love me.

I love you mom, dad, and my brothers.

My life is so easy, because I am very lucky.

I like America

I like tennis and bat ball.

I like pizza.

I like Chattahoochee high school.

I don’t like burger.

I don’t like my room, because my room is share to my brothers.

I don’t like dog.

I don’t like my bed, because my bed is so small to me.

I am from Pakistan.

Pakistan is very beautiful country, but its small.

I love Karachi.

Karachi beach is very nice.

My father born Karachi.

My mother born in Sialkot.

My brothers and me born in Sialkot.

Sialkot park is very nice, because is very beautiful.

I love Sialkot.

My idea is Pakistan, America and Canada is very ice countries.

My idea is pizza, chicken and macaroni is very good thing.

My idea is tennis is very good sport, because is very enjoy, so I like tennis.

My idea is this school teachers is very nice and beautiful.

*****

Gateway to the World

Tal Krasnovsky

I found my gateway to the world,

On a golden shore in Vietnam.

It was sealed.

Protected with a cover. Waiting to