Presidents Day Special

Presidents Day Special!
Today we will review the 96 questions and the 100 questions about President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. You can get a copy of the handout here.

For further info, visit:
ELCivics.com: Presidents Day
ELCivics.com: George Washington
ELCivics.com: Abraham Lincoln
A4esl.org: Presidents' Day Quiz - True or False

MLK Day Special!

MLK Day Special!
Today we will review the 96Qs (45) and the new 100Q (48, 84, 85, 100) related to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You can get the MLK Day handout here. Also check out the following links.

1. EL Civics: MLK
2. MLK Center
3. Simple Wikipedia: MLK
4. VOA News: MLK Remembered

Interview-10: Simple Citizenship Interview--Xuan Do

Interview-10
Today we will listen to our tenth practice interview from Xuan Do (Hanoi, Vietnam). These are simple questions are based on the N-400. You can get a pdf. of the Simple Citizenship Interview here

Thanksgiving Day Special!

Thanksgiving!

Today we will review the 96Qs (50, 53, 68, 69, 70) and the new 100Q (10, 58, 59, 87, 100) related to Thanksgiving.
Handouts:

1. Thanksgiving mp3
2. Q50 and 53 Class Handout
3. Q68-70 Class Handout
4. Thanksgiving Quiz: USCIS 96Qs & new 100Qs
5. Thanksgiving Quiz Answers (Qs with answers--perfect for practice)
6. Thanksgiving Cloze Essay

Dictation:

1. All people want to be free.
2. Many people come to America for freedom.

There are many links listed on the handouts. Of special interest are

ELCivics.com: Thanksgiving

ELCivics.com: The 13 Original Colonies

ELCivics.com: American Indian Tribes

ESLPodcast 91 – Thanksgiving

HeadsUp English: Thanksgiving

TimePage: 13 Original Colonies Time Line

VOANews: Thanksgiving Day: Filled With Family Traditions and, Oh Yes, Food

VOANews: American History Series: A Clash of Cultures in the New World

Not on the handouts, but still good practice:

1. Thanksgiving Quiz 1 - Thanksgiving in the USA (Charles Kelly) 35 medium to difficult multiple-choice questions
2. Thanksgiving Quiz 2 - The First Thanksgiving in America (Charles Kelly) 30 medium to difficult multiple-choice questions
3. Thanksgiving Quiz 3 - How Thanksgiving Becomes a National Holiday in the USA (Charles Kelly) 10 medium to difficult multiple-choice questions

VOANews: 25th Anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Wall

Last night, I listened to the VOA's Names Are Read to Mark 25th Anniversary of Vietnam Veterans Wall. All of a sudden I thought, "I wonder what happened to my POW/MIA?".

When I was freshman in high school, the Viet Nam war was coming to the end. A classmate, Molly Olds, who was an "army brat", convinced me, a Catholic "peacenik", to wear a POW/MIA memorial bracelet. The name on my bracelet: Richard R. Perricone.

I never knew what happened to this POW, so I "googled" Perricone. There he was on the POW Network--free and alive--living in New York with his wife. Wow! I hope he is in Washington DC this weekend with his fellow vets. I hope he knows peace.

The VOA story also brings to mind one of my students, Nguyen Kiem Long, formerly of the South Viet Nam Air Force and the Milpitas Adult School Senior ESL Class. He is currently in New York attending to family business, and I and his classmates miss him so much. He is a living example of a free and prosperous Viet Nam.

I also honor Do Ngoc Xuan, a farmer forced to flee the South and join the army. After working the night shift, he comes to the Senior ESL class every day in preparation for US Citizenship--the ticket to freedom for his relatives still in Viet Nam. His goal is shared not only by the Vietnamese students at our school, but by the immigrant communty at large.

On Veterans Day, let us remember the US service men and women, and our allied commrade-in-arms, fighting for the freedom of their own country.

Veterans Day and USCitizenPod N-400 Military Wikispace

My church, St Joseph's Cathedral, is located in the heart of downtown San Jose. As I was coming out of church this morning, I looked down the street towards the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. There were two fire trucks on either side of the street with their ladders fully extended skyward. Strung between the ladders was the largest American flag I have ever seen! Wow, it was amazing! Volunteers, city workers, and police were busily preparing the streets for the Veterans Day parade scheduled for later in the day.

I have assembled some podcasts and audio clips related to the N-400 Section 10 Part F (Military) and G (Selective Service) at US CitizenPod N-400 Military Wikispace. The mp3s are appropriate for Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The audio stories from NPR.org focus on the immigrant contributions to the US Military.

When you say "veteran" or "soldier," the words "grandmother, reservist, and anniversary" usually don't come to mind. Here is a story and video from the SJ Mercury News that shows a different veteran's face:
Capt. Susan Max comes home from Iraq to celebrate her 35th wedding anniversary
[Video].

Angela Tirado sings a Star-Spangled Welcome to Citizenship

Star-spangled Welcome to Citizenship: Volunteer Leads Anthem At Campbell Ceremonies
By L.A. Chung, Mercury News 11/10/2007 [Video]

Angela Tirado has been singing the National Anthem for naturalization ceremonies since March 2006 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell, Calif.

A beautiful, inspiring story! This is the woman who leads my students in the Star Spangled Banner at their Oath Ceremony.

Vietnamese 100 Citizenship Questions: Những Câu Hỏi Mới Trong Kỳ Thi Quốc Tịch Hoa Kỳ

Here is a Vietnamese/English translation of the new 100 questions

USCIS.gov 100Qs--Vietnamese (added 9/11/2012) 
Các Câu Hỏi Được Gọi là Điều Khoản Miễn Trừ 65/20 (added 1/14/2013)
SPL.org, SFPL.org100Qs--Vietnamese / English  (added 2/25/2012)

(updated 01/14/2013)

Spanish 100 Questions: El nuevo examen de ciudadanía: 100 preguntas (espanol)

QR for PDF

QR for Page

USCIS en Espanol

• USCIS.gov/es: Sitio web oficial del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional
• USCIS: Compas Blog http://blog-es.uscis.gov/
• USCIS: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/uscis.es
• USCIS Recursos para la naturalización:
• Recursos: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/recursos-para-la-naturalizacion
• Spanish Resources https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/other-languages/spanish-resources
• USCIS Civics Practice https://my.uscis.gov/prep/test/civics/view?locale=es
• USCIS Ciudadanía Entrevista y Examen - #Español Subtítulos (video) https://youtu.be/i3v6iSVxmwM (09/08/2017) 
• GobiernoUSA.gov: Ciudadanía y naturalización https://gobierno.usa.gov/naturalizacion

Examen de Ciudadania Americana

• ·         USCIS Spanish resources http://goo.gl/GZ1trj
• ·         USCIS: Preguntas de educación cívica del Examen de Naturalización http://goo.gl/Enbyzi
• ·         USCIS: Educación Cívica: Preguntas para la Exención 65/20 https://goo.gl/ip40i5
• ·         USCIS.gov 100Qs--Spanish .mp3 http://goo.gl/5YQCMn  
• ·         USCIS.gov 100QS--Spanish red flashcards http://goo.gl/AzBgTp 
• ·         USCIS.gov100Qs--Spanish white flashcards http://goo.gl/UbmKlG  
• ·         Unavision.com 100Qs--Spanish http://goo.gl/zUyXE3 
• ·         SPL.org, SFPL.org 100Qs--Spanish / English http://goo.gl/wDWqzn 
• ·         American Dream: Examen de Ciudadanía Americana 2016 https://youtu.be/eb3H_a4dfms 
• ·         Richard Lloyd: Examen de Naturalización Prueba completa  https://youtu.be/dNdBot94lPU 
• ·         Telemundo: Examen de ciudadanía en español e inglés http://goo.gl/RQKppY  
• ·         White Eagle: Examen De Ciudadania Americana 2016 https://youtu.be/Sg5klxN4Czo

Información sobre el proceso de naturalización para convertirse en ciudadano.

• American Dream: COMO LLENAR EL FORMULARIO N-400 / SOLICITUD DE CIUDADANIA (video)
• https://youtu.be/WinPGCP1mTU
• American Dream: DOCUMENTOS A ENVIAR CON FORMULARIO N-400 (video)
• https://youtu.be/932bn75LXHo
• Citizenship Study Guide: Prueba de Ciudadanía Americana
• http://www.citizenshipstudyguide.com/member/citizenship-test-questions-quiz-in-spanish.php
• HIAS: USCIS M-638 Quick Civics Lessons English/Spanish
• http://www.hias.org/sites/default/files/spanish_civics_dcp_061314.pdf
• iAmerica: Guía de la Ciudadanía
• http://action.iamerica.org/page/-/2016/Workbooks/Citizenship%20Workbook%20SPA%202016.pdf
• ILRC: Annotated N-400 in Spanish
• http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/n-400-2016-_spanish_translation.pdf
• Ya Es Hora: Guia Para La Ciudadania
• http://ciudadania.yaeshora.info/admin/documents/files/NatzGuide_Spanish-2-15-11.pdf/

Recursos de la Ciudadanía en la Biblioteca

• ·         SCCL: Recursos de Ciudadanía en Español
• o   Bibliocommons Topic List by SCCLDcitizenship, Santa Clara County Library https://goo.gl/QksJrn
• ·         Inglés en 100 días para laciudadanía 428.3461 INGLES CD
• o   An intro to English for Spanish which offers one hundred brief lessons.
• ·         Ciudadanía americana ¡hecho fácil! SPANISH 323.62 ROQUE
• o   Preguntas típicas de historia y de la aplicacíon N-400.
• ·         Inglés sin barreras. 12, El curso de ciudadanía 428.3461 INGLES DVD 12
• o   El curso de ciudadanía [el video-maestro de inglés conversacional]
• ·         Su guía para ser ciudadano de los EE. UU SPANISH 342.7308 BIASE con CD-ROM
• o   Examen de ciudadanía estadounidense
• ·         LearningExpress Recursos para Hispanohablantes
• o   Resources for citizenship preparation, GED, and English as a Second Language study, in Spanish. Check if your library has a subscription to Learning Express. Note: First time users will need to create an account.

(updated 06/15/2016)

Sobrato CET Citizenship Day 11/10/07

CET (Center for Employment Training) has helped many Mexican immigrants acqire permanent residence and citizenship.

Besides having job training, ESL, and Citizenship classes, CET hosts a huge Citizenship Fair in March

CET will have Fall free Citizenship workship on Saturday, November 10 9am-3pm. Lawyers, paralegals, and translators in nearly twenty languages will be available to guide people through the naturalization process.

For further information, contact Sobrato CET Center701 Vine StreetSan Jose, CA 95110 408-287-7924.

Good job, CET!

SJ Mercury News: 70% of California's Mexican population are U.S. citizens

My hometown newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News, just published an interesting article (with accompanying video) about the high rate of citizenship among California's Mexican population. See:

Census figures show 70 percent of California's Mexican population are U.S. citizens 11/04/2007
Summary: For the first time in the most current wave of immigration, U.S. Census figures show that 70 percent of California's Mexican population are U.S. citizens, blunting widespread belief the state is overrun by illegal immigrants.

[VIDEO] A ceremony for 450 new U.S. citizens at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell, Calif., on Wed., October 24, 2007.

USCitizenPod Goes Wiki!

USCitzenPod has a new wikipage dedicated to keeping track of all the links mentioned in the blog and class handouts. Check out: http://uscitizenpod.wikispaces.com/

Students who want to bridge the gap between Citizenship preparation and "real life" can listen to podcasts that "talk" about N-400 topics: personal information, addresses, jobs, marital status, etc. Each N-400 section has a link to podcasts from:

ESLPod

Randall's ESL-Lab

SimpleEnglishNews

BreakingEnglishNews

VOANews Special English

NPR

Three New Documents from USCitizenPod

Here are three new documents from US Citizenship Podcast:

1. The Constitution .ppt
2. Citizenship ABCs .ppt
3. Maria and the Rude Examiner

VOA News: New Civics Questions for US Citizenship Test

I really appreciate the work of Voice of America and I have used the print and audio stories from the Special English Broadcasts. Here is VOA's report on the new Citizenship Test.

New Civics Questions for US Citizenship Test
Officials announce the 100 questions (and answers) about history and government. The newly redesigned naturalization test will be given starting next October.

1. Article
2. Print the Article
3. MP3 - Download Audio
4. Listen to MP3
5. Listen in RealAudio

Spend some time exploring the exciting features of VOA's Special English site. Of particular interest to a Citizenship student is the Making of a Nation, a fifteen-minute program in a series about American history broadcasted every Thursday. Good Job, VOA!

For even more information concerning the development of VOA Special English Broadcast, see Voice of America : a history by Alan L. Heil, Jr. and Oracle bones : a journey between China's past and present by Peter Hessler.

Q38-39: USCIS 96 Questions 38-39: Speaker of the House, Chief Justice

USCIS 96 Questions 38-39

Today we will listen to Questions 38-39 plus M-638 comments. You can download the Class Handout 38-39 to deepen your knowledge of US History and Politics and broaden your English language skills. Look for new vocabulary, grammar structures, and idioms.

Note the key words--these words will help you remember the questions and answers. The key words for 38-39:

1. Speaker of the House
2. Chief Justice

Dictation Sentences

1. The House and Senate are parts of Congress.
2. The people have a voice in government.
   

You can get more info about the Speaker of the House and the Chief Justice from

1. ELCivics: The Capitol Building
2. EL Civics: The Supreme Court
3. Simple Wiki: Speaker of the House
4. Simple Wiki: Supreme Court
   

Q36-37: USCIS 96 Questions 36-37: Capital, Governor

USCIS 96 Questions 36-37

Today we will listen to Questions 36-37 plus M-638 comments. You can download individual State Handouts 36-37 (see below) to deepen your knowledge of US History and Politics and broaden your English language skills. Look for new vocabulary, grammar structures, and idioms.

Note the key words--these words will help you remember the questions and answers. The key words for Q36-37:

1. Capitol
2. Governor

Dictation Sentences

1. The United States of America has fifty states.
2. There are fifty states in the Union.

You can get more info about State Capitals and Governors from

1. ELCivics.com: 50 States
2. State Maps: 50 states
3. Wikipedia: List of US Governors
4. Wikipedia: State Capitals (detailed!)
5. Simple Wiki: State Capitals

Individual State Handouts for Q36-37:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Washington

Check back for more states. If you need a state handout quickly, email uscitizenpod@gmail.com. Thanks!

News Stories about the New Redesigned Naturalization Test

New USCIS 100Qs Bulletin

News Stories and Comments about the new USCIS Redesigned Test:

AP: Divulgan nueva lista de preguntas para ciudadanía de EE.UU. 09/27/07

BBC: US unveils new citizenship test By Emilio San Pedro, BBC News, Miami. 09/28/07

HoustonChronicle: New citizenship test more star-spangled than ever: Emphasis is on things that make the U.S. 'what it is' By MICHELLE MITTLESTADT and CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA. 09/28/07

ICIRR: New Citizenship Test: Final Brick in the Second Wall. 09/28/07

LATimes: New citizenship test is unveiled: The 100 questions are more abstract, relying less on rote memory. Some say they're also harder. Nicole Gaouette, Los Angeles Times. 09/28/07

MiamiHerald: Citizenship test to focus on principles: Concepts that illustrate American values will be emphasized in the new citizenship exam starting next year. 09/28/07

Salon.com: True confessions: On barely passing the new U.S. citizenship test by Tim Grieve, War Room. 09/28/07

NYTimes: New Test Asks: What Does ‘American’ Mean?. 09/28/07

WashingtonTimes (editorial): English, civics and immigration. 09/28/07

More info on the Redesigned Naturalization Test (New USCIS 100Qs)

New USCIS 100Qs Bulletin

Who takes what test when?

1. A legal permanent resident who is (1) eligible for Naturalization; (2) applies BEFORE October 1, 2008; and (3) is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview BEFORE October 1, 2008, will take the current test.

2. A legal permanent resident who is (1) eligible for Naturalization; (2) applies BEFORE October 1, 2008; and (3) is scheduled for his or her naturalization interview AFTER October 1, 2008, he or she can choose to take the current test or the redesigned version.

3. A legal permanent resident who is (1) eligible for Naturalization; (2) applies AFTER October 1, 2008 will take the redesigned version.

3. A legal permanent resident who is (1) eligible for Naturalization; and (2) scheduled for his or her naturalization interview AFTER October 1, 2009, (regardless of when he or she applied), will take the redesigned version.

Here is a list of the documents supporting the newly Redesigned Naturalization Test (New USCIS 100Qs).

Redisigned Naturalization Test: Main Page

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
The Redesigned Naturalization Test

Redesigned Naturalization Test Informational Brochure
A brochure outlining the content and guidelines for the redesigned naturalization test.

Redesigned Naturalization Test: Civics (History and Government)
Items List of 100 history and government items for the redesigned naturalization test.

Redesigned Naturalization Test: Vocabulary List for the Reading Test
Vocabulary list for the reading portion of the redesigned naturalization test.

Redesigned Naturalization Test: Vocabulary List for the Writing Test
Vocabulary list for the writing portion of the redesigned naturalization test.

Content Comparison: Current vs. Redesigned Naturalization Test
Side-by-side comparison of the current questions and the redesigned questions.

Honestly, I shouted for joy when I saw that the writers standardized the questions with the 5Ws. I deeply appreciate the re-organization of the questions, because it is easier to teach and learn material in right-relation. I feel that the infomation is much more reflective of what a US citizen "needs to know" about US History, Politics, and civic culture. And I swooned when I saw the Comparison pdf between the old 96 Qs and the new 100Qs.

Thanks to the USCIS for the extreme care and effort taken during the revision of the of the new USCIS 100 US History and Government Questions. Thanks to the examiners and interviewees who tested the Pilot Questions. A special thanks to writers, document designers, and webfolk who prepared the documents that support the newly Designed Test. The process of the Redesigned Naturalization Test is a great example of "democracy in action". Congratulations USCIS!

The New USCIS 100 Questions!

New USCIS 100Qs Bulletin


Get the new 100 Questions here! More info coming soon!

Q34-35: USCIS 96 Questions 34-35: Constitution, Bill of Rights

USCIS 96 Questions 34-35

Today we will listen to Questions 34-35 plus M-638 comments. You can download the Class Handout 34-35 to deepen your knowledge of US History and Politics and broaden your English language skills. Look for new vocabulary, grammar structures, and idioms.

Note the key words--these words will help you remember the questions and answers. The key words for 34-35:

1. The Constitution
2. Bill of Rights

Dictation Sentences

1. The Constitution is the supreme law of our land.


2. He knows how to a ride a bike.
   

You can get more info about the the Constitution and the Bill of Rights from

EL Civics: The US Constitution
NCC: Explore the Constitution
Simple Wiki: The US Constitution