Experimental School in California Has No Homework

    Khan Lab School is bringing back the one-room model to teach young students in Mountain View, California. The school is a laboratory for an experimental kind of learning. Silicon Valley, known for its technology companies, is also the birthplace of the school. Twelve-year-old Mishal Junaid loves the Khan Lab School’s untraditional methods. “When I wake up in the morning, I want to wake up, unlike my last school where I want to sleep in and not go to school...” Junaid and her sister’s reactions to the school surprise their parents. The girls’ father, Junaid Qurashi, told VOA: “Our children, they love going to school, to the point that even if they are tired or sick or have the flu,” they will not stay home from school. “To the point that we worry why kids come home so happy. Are they really learning things?” No homework Students ages 5 to 15 attend the experimental Khan Lab School. It has no grade levels and no homework. The students are in school from 8:30 in the morning until six o’clock at night. And, the school is open all year long, with small breaks here and there. Nine-year-old Holly Thompson enjoys going there. "You get to choose what you learn, and it's not just a teacher hands you a worksheet and tells you what to do. You get to set your own goals. You have a schedule. You go to different classes."   The school is the idea of Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy — famous for its educational videos. The videos are available on the internet free of charge and have millions of users around the world. Khan said he started Khan Lab School because he thinks the current education system has problems. He hopes to create a better learning model. “Where I see the future going is somewhat revisiting the past. There’s a lot of really good things about the one-room schoolhouse that you might have had in the rural areas that you still have today in a lot of places where you have mixed-age classrooms...” He said this system lets the older students take responsibility and help younger students. That means the younger children get a lot of help. They get the help of the teacher and the older students. Personalized learning Khan said students also learn the study material at their own speed through videos. And, they get more attention through one-on-one discussions with teachers. They also learn by doing projects. Malika Junaid noted a change in her daughters after they began attending the school. She said that, after six months, they seemed sure of their abilities. They are now not afraid to talk to adults and other students and now they always want to help. The school’s director, Dominic Liechti, said this way of learning better prepares students for the future. He said the duties of a teacher need to change from leading the class to being someone who guides students in their learning, and provides individual support. A teacher is also a life-long learner, he said, not just someone who gives presentations. Leichti also said the role of students is becoming more creative. Work in progress Salman Khan describes his Khan Lab School as a work in progress. “Like a R-and-D lab [research and development lab], the first time that you make the drug or the first time that you make the material,” Khan said. “It’s not scalable yet, but you need to make it the first time and say 'that’s a pretty strong material.' And then you can think about how do you make it so that it’s more affordable and more scalable.” Dominic Liechti says the community in the Mountain View area has been open to this new method to educating students. “Especially in Silicon Valley because that’s the culture that you can start something,” he said. “You can pioneer something, and people join that movement, and I feel that amongst my staff.” Liechti says he has that same feeling amongst his students and members of the community. I’m Alice Bryant.   Elizabeth Lee wrote this story for VOANews.com. Alice Bryant adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   flu - n. the flu, also called influenza, is  common disease that is used by a virus. It causes high body temperature, weakness, and breathing problems grade - n. a level of study that is completed by a student during one year scalable - adj. easy to make larger or more powerful pioneer - n. a person who helps create or develop new ideas or methods

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Lesson 41: Teamwork Works Best With a Team

Summary Anna meets with her boss, Ms. Weaver, for her yearly review. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to have higher numbers for the audience of her show. How will Anna make her audience numbers go up? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about sentences that include the words "if" and "will." These are called present real conditional sentences. Pronunciation When we want our listener to notice one or two words in a sentence, we can say them louder, or put more emphasis on them. Learn how to do that in this video. Conversation Anna: Hi. I am walking to work. Today my boss will tell me what she thinks of my work. Is it good? Or is it bad? Okay, time for work. I am going right now. Okay, okay, I’m going! Ms. Weaver: Anna, hello. Anna: Hello. Ms. Weaver: Sit down. As you know, at the start of a new year we have a work review. Anna: Yes. It’s time for mine. Ms. Weaver: Yes. Anna, this chart shows the audience of The Time Traveling Treehouse. If you look at it, you will see something bad. Your audience is going down, down, DOWN! Anna: Ms. Weaver, I think the chart is upside down. Anna: Here, let’s flip that around. Now, it’s right-side up. Ms. Weaver: Oh. If you look at this chart, you will see something good. Your audience is big. Anna: Good! Ms. Weaver: But not big enough. Anna: Not good. Ms. Weaver: I want to see these numbers go up, and up, and UP! Anna: How? Ms. Weaver: I have something -- idea posters! Anna: (whispers) Idea posters. Ms. Weaver: You really ought to think seriously about them. I like this one. Please read it. Anna: “If at first you SUCCEED; you will be a success.” Well, it's a cute cat. Ms. Weaver: Here’s another one. I like it. Anna: “WORKING HARD looks hard because it really is hard.” I see. It's another cute cat. Ms. Weaver: This is my favorite. Anna: “TEAMWORK works best with a team.” A team of cats. Look at all those cats! Ms. Weaver: So, Anna, do you understand what I want? Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I understand. Anna: Okay, team. There is a problem in the Treehouse. Amelia: Problem? What's the problem? Anna: Our audience is big. Bryan: But that's a good thing. Anna:  No, it is not big enough. Anna: Please don’t worry. I know what Ms. Weaver wants. Here’s the plan. (whispers) Bryan: Is that what she wants? Amelia: Are you sure? Anna: Yes. Let’s get to work! Anna: Good job, team. This is exactly what Ms. Weaver wants! Anna: Welcome to The Time Traveling Treehouse! Today you will learn about a very popular pet … cats! MINDY: Anna. Did I give you enough cats? Anna: I don’t know, MINDY. I think we need more cats! Writing In this lesson, what do you think Ms. Weaver wants? Do you ever have trouble understanding the advice that others give you? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice making sentences with "if." Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Use Selective Attention​.  When you are listening in English, sometimes we can't understand every word. At those times, you can listen for the important words and try your best to understand. In this lesson, Anna tries to understand Ms. Weaver. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to get a bigger audience. But Anna pays attention to the cats in the posters that Ms. Weaver shows her. She thinks Ms. Weaver wants to see more cats in The Time Traveling Treehouse. When you use selective attention, you may not always understand perfectly. But you can always ask a question to check on your understanding. Anna did not ask to make sure of what Ms.Weaver wanted. In real life, you should check your understanding when you use selective attention. Do you ever use selective attention? Do you think Anna made a mistake when she used selective attention in this lesson? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ​______________________________________________________________ New Words audience - n. the people who watch, read, or listen to something cat - n. a small animal that is related to lions and tigers and that is often kept by people as a pet chart- n. information in the form of a table or a diagram cute - adj. having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance exactly - adv. used to stress that something is accurate, complete, or correct flip - v. to cause (something) to turn or turn over quickly meow - v. to make a crying sound as cats do pet - n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure poster - n. a usually large picture that is put on walls as a decoration review - n. an act of carefully looking at or examining the quality or condition of something or someone right-side up - noun phrase. with the top or correct side facing up succeed - v. to do what you are trying to do:to achieve the correct or desired result success - n. a person or thing that succeeds teamwork - n. the work done by people who work together as a team to do something upside down- adv. in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice making conditional sentences. For Teachers ​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar: Future Real Conditional (If clauses) Topics: Asking for & giving feedback about job performance; Identifying ways to improve performance at work or school; Interpreting advice Learning Strategy: Use Selective Attention Speaking & Pronunciation: Pronouncing contrastive stress   ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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Immigrants Learn New Customs in New Lands

  Over 1 million migrants arrived in Europe in 2015. Most were fleeing struggling economies and war in places like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and East Africa. Many of these people arrive in new countries and expect life to become easier almost immediately. After all, they just traveled months by foot and by boat just to get to a new country and start fresh. But when they arrive, the migrants face a world that can be confusing in many ways. Melissa Fogg is the program manager for the Philadelphia Refugee Mental Health Collaborative (PRMHC). The PRMHC is an organization that helps refugees entering the U.S. build their lives in their new country. The PRMHC teaches the refugees skills and helps them adjust to living in a different environment. Fogg told VOA that weather, language and safety issues are only some of the things that can cause problems. "A lot of immigrants and refugees … when they come, they have a very idealized version of the United States from movies, magazines, the media … And a lot of that is just not true. … Generally, our country is very welcoming and very accepting of immigrants. But it can be a tough environment to come into, with a lot of barriers." What seems normal in one country might be illegal in another country. For example, men and woman have equal rights under the law in the U.S. There are laws about gender equality in many countries. These laws can be hard for new arrivals to understand. But that is not the only confusing thing about being in a different country. Some laws and rules are written down. You can learn about them before you arrive. But there are lots of "unwritten rules," too. Unwritten rules are behaviors that no one talks about, but that most people understand. People in a host country might think their behavior is normal, while newcomers might find it offensive or inappropriate. Fogg said that these differences can make becoming part of a new culture seem impossible. "When people come to a new country, at first they’re very excited... Shortly after that, there is reality that sets in. America’s not a perfect country..." But, after some time and a lot of work, most new arrivals begin to feel like they belong, Fogg said. Also, it is important to know that not all differences are major. Often there can be small differences between places that share a border and a language. A person from Canada might find people in the United States are less polite. Likewise, Americans might find Canadians too reserved. Fogg and VOA worked together to create a list of five important issues any new arrival to the U.S. should know about. Be "on time." In some cultures, time is not a big issue. If you tell your friend to meet you at 2 p.m. and you arrive at 2:45 p.m., there is no problem. In the U.S., people feel that being on time is a sign of respect. If you are late by more than a few minutes, people will think you do not care. They will feel you are wasting their time. They will take your lateness as an insult. Being on time is even more important in a professional or formal situation, such as a job interview or when you plan to see a doctor. Be sure you always "tip." In many countries, after you eat at a restaurant, you only pay the amount shown on the bill. But, in the U.S., people who work in restaurants and bars often earn a low hourly wage. So, they try to provide excellent service, hoping the customer will give them a “tip,” meaning a little extra. Tips are extra money you pay above the cost of the meal. People in the U.S. tip between 15 percent and 20 percent of the bill. You also give tips to taxi drivers, hotel employees and the people who cut your hair. Be careful what you say. Any place you go there will be some things that are appropriate to talk about and some things that are not. Would you talk about how good you feel with a person who is very sick? Probably not. In addition, many people in the U.S. can feel strongly about some topics that people in other cultures have no problem discussing. Assuming that people have the same beliefs as you is a bad idea. In the past decade, people in the U.S. have become more open about discussing strong political and religious views. But it is still best to listen to people share their opinions first and then decide about sharing your own. Also, there are several topics you should avoid asking questions about: how much money a person makes and if they are married. But if a person offers this information, then there is no problem. Be aware of "personal space." Physical contact is the best way to show someone they are your friend or loved one in some cultures. Other cultures feel that showing affection in public is highly inappropriate. People in the U.S. fall somewhere in the middle on this issue. Two people usually do not kiss when saying “Hello,” unless they are family members or very close friends. Shaking hands is the most common thing to do when meeting someone. Also, people in the U.S. dislike it when strangers stand very near them. Be polite for the situation. People in the U.S. define being polite in very special ways. For example, waiting in line involves a strong set of rules in this country. You must wait until the people in front of you have done what they are waiting to do. When going through a door, the person behind you expects you to hold the door for them. Also, it is common for people you do not know to say some form of hello to you when passing you. But this does not always mean they are inviting you to stop and talk for a long time. Many times the person is just being friendly. If you don’t say hello back to them they may think you are being unfriendly. You should examine the situation and think about what you want to do next. I’m Dan Friedell. And I’m Pete Musto.   Dan Friedell and Pete Musto wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck and George Grow were the editors.   We want to hear from you. What are some situations you faced while visiting the U.S. that you were not prepared for? What are some things people should know about the culture before visiting your country? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   migrant(s) – n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work confusing – adj. difficult to understand adjust – v. to change in order to work or do better in a new situation tough – adj. very difficult to do or deal with set(s) in – p.v. to begin to be present or show something unpleasant or unwanted that often lasts for a long time polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people reserved – adj. not openly expressing feelings or opinions customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from a business assuming – v. thinking that something is true or probably true without knowing that it is true  

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China’s Contacts with Vatican Could Be Big Loss for Taiwan

  China and the Vatican have held talks in recent months. Observers say the talks could lead the two sides to re-establish diplomatic ties. But if this happens, the Vatican would likely have to give up its existing ties with the government in Taiwan. China watchers say this would be a big loss for Taiwan, which currently only has official ties with a handful of small, mostly poor countries. China considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of Chinese territory, not an independent state with rights to establish foreign relations. The Chinese government bars countries it has diplomatic relations with from having official ties with Taiwan. The Roman Catholic Church operates from an independent territory within the Italian city of Rome. The territory is called Vatican City or the Holy See. It is recognized internationally as an independent state with its own government.   China cut off relations with the Vatican in 1951. This was two years after Communist forces won China’s civil war. The end of the war sent the Nationalists fleeing to Taiwan, where they set up a government. Catholics can now legally attend religious services in China. But they can only attend government-approved churches that are not controlled by the Vatican. China and the Vatican disagree over who should have power to appoint bishops. During talks between the two sides, each has sought more power to choose top church officials. Over the years, the government has closed religious centers and imprisoned some clergymen, according to reports from China. About one-third of the country’s estimated 12 million Catholics worship at underground churches. Last month, the government’s head of religious affairs met with leaders of the official Catholic Church in China. He expressed hope that the Vatican would try to improve relations with the government by trying to adapt to Chinese society.   Recent reports from Taiwan and Beijing have described Pope Francis as being interested in establishing relations with China. The Catholic News Agency reported in October that this had become a “major effort of this papacy.” But the Vatican’s current ties with Taiwan could hurt its moves to re-establish ties with the government in Beijing. A possible China-Vatican agreement was set back because of the activities of a bishop who had been excommunicated by the Catholic Church. The religious leader, who was supported by the Chinese government, helped fill leadership positions in the church. Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen recently described the island’s current relations with the Vatican as “normal.” “I think (Vatican) relations with Taiwan are continuing to develop in a stable way.” Chen added that he understands that China is also holding talks with the Vatican on improving ties. He said it is “quite important” for every Catholic to seek to “have the Vatican’s blessings.”   Some experts see Beijing’s latest efforts to seek closer ties with the Vatican as a result of worsening relations between Taiwan and China. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen angered Chinese officials after her election in May by not agreeing to see Taiwan as part of “one China.” China was also angered when she called Donald Trump after he won the American presidential election. China watchers saw the call as a sign of possible closer ties between Taiwan and Trump’s administration. I’m Jill Robbins. Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional material from Reuters. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bishop – n. high official in some Christian religious group worship – v. to show respect for god by praying or attending religious services excommunicate – v. to bar someone from being a member of the Catholic Church blessing – n. approval by a person or group to a certain course of action adapt – v. to change or make changes  

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Skier Rescues Friend Caught on Chairlift

This is What’s Trending Today. Mickey Wilson set out to have fun skiing on a Colorado mountain. But he wound up saving a man’s life. Wednesday night, Wilson used social media to report on his story of rescuing a friend. The images and video were published on Facebook and Instagram. They have been shared thousands of times in the past 24 hours.  Wilson said his friend became caught on a chairlift. Chairlifts carry people from the bottom of a mountain to its top so they can ski down the hill. Wilson’s friend was wearing a backpack. When it was time for him to get off the chairlift, the backpack became caught and he could not get off. The lift circled around and started bringing him back down the mountain. The man was hanging from the chairlift, with the bag wrapped around his throat. Wilson said his friend was not able to breathe. Other skiers gathered under the man’s chair and tried to think of a way to reach him. But they could not get him down. Wilson had an idea. He climbed up a tall, nearby structure and then climbed across the lift’s guide wire to reach his friend. He used a knife to cut the backpack strap that was caught. His friend fell a little over three meters into the snow, where rescue workers helped revive him. They brought him down the mountain and took him to a hospital. Wilson told a Denver newspaper it was one of the most frightening things he had ever seen. Wilson said he was confident he could help his friend because of his experience as a competitive slackliner. Slacklining is an acrobatic activity where a person balances and does tricks on a narrow strap tied down at both ends.  And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of Wilson’s daring rescue? Let us know in the comments section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   backpack – n. a bag for carrying things that has two shoulder straps and is carried on the back strap – n. a narrow and usually flat piece of a material that is used for fastening, holding together, or wrapping something revive – v. to make (someone or something) strong, healthy, or active again confident – adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something : having confidence acrobatic – adj. used to describe a difficult and dangerous act skiing – n. the sport of sliding and jumping on skis

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What Is Your New Year's Resolution?

  And now Words and Their Stories -- a weekly program from VOA Learning English. Our show explores the roots and modern uses of expressions in American English. Today we talk about the word “resolution.” Resolution is a word with more than one meaning. However, when talking about a New Year, a resolution is a promise people make to themselves to be better. The person decides to make a serious effort to do something over the next 12 months. Many people use the start of a new year as a time to try something new or change something about themselves. This use of resolution dates back to the late 1700s. These earlier resolutions were usually of a religious nature. However, these days, New Year’s resolutions are usually about living healthier, having more success and finding greater satisfaction in life. So, some common New Year’s resolutions are to: lose weight, exercise more, keep in contact with family and friends, stop smoking, save money, go back to school, cut back on alcohol, or get more or better sleep. Some people may make a New Year’s resolution to improve only one area of their life. Others may feel they need to completely change everything. These people may use the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf! Turning over a new leaf means to make a change and behave in a more responsible manner. At the start of a New Year, you can wipe the slate clean. This means you can simply wash away all the mistakes you made from the past year, as one would remove chalk from a school black board. Just remember that before you start from a clean slate, learn from the mistakes you made. If not, you may find yourself going back to square one. Some word historians say this expression comes from a board game called Snakes and Ladders. In this game, you begin on square one and win by climbing the ladders to the last square. However, landing on a snake could send you back to the first square, or the very beginning. The expression back to square one could have come from the game Hopscotch. This game also begins on a box marked with the number “1.” If your plans for the New Year are not working out at all, you may have to go back to the drawing board. This means that your plan or method is not working. So, you have to go back and develop a new solution to the problem. People who draw images, such as cartoonists, use a drawing board. The phrase go back to the drawing board comes from Peter Arno, who worked as a cartoonist for New Yorker magazine. In 1941, he made a cartoon showing military men running toward a crashed plane. The designer of plane is seen walking away with his designs under his arm. The caption says, "Well, back to the old drawing board". So, for many people the New Year is a good time for a fresh start. Still, many people do not make New Year’s resolutions. They do not want to put added pressure on themselves. Or they are happy with what they are doing and how their lives are progressing. And some people may think that there is no reason to try so hard to change yourself. They may agree with the old saying that a leopard never changes its spots. This means you are born as you are born and no amount of effort can change that. After all, change can be hard. Getting up early to exercise every day is hard. Setting aside time every day to learn a new language or musical instrument is not easy. As we get older, it might be even more difficult for people to change their behavior. Maybe that’s way we say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I’m Anna Matteo. Have a Happy New Year! Let’s turn over a new leaf. And baby, let’s make promises that we can keep and call it our New Year’s resolution. Otis Redding and Carla Thomas sing “New Year’s Resolution.” Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow edited the story.   Here are some other photos of New Year's celebrations around the world!                                                                             __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story slate – n. a tablet (as of slate) used for writing on cartoon – n. a drawing in a newspaper or magazine intended as a humorous comment on something caption – n. a sentence or group of words that is written on or next to a picture to explain what is being shown

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English in a Minute: Sugarcoat

Have you ever tried to "sugarcoat" some news or information? Watch this week's English in a Minute to learn all about "sugarcoating" things.

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Michelle Obama: Last Official Speech as First Lady

First Lady Michele Obama gave her final speech at the White House Friday. It was a ceremony for high school counselors who demonstrated leadership skills. It's part of the First Lady's "Reach Higher" program to promote education. She spoke of the importance of a college education and hope.

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Few Kenyan Students Are Successful in University Entrance Exam

  Many Kenyans were surprised after the education minister released results of the country’s 2016 university entrance exam. Just 15 percent of the more than 500,000 students who took the exam passed it. The results are much lower than last year. Some people believe the results are lower because officials took action to reduce cheating on the test. The number of students who received the highest test grade in 2016 dropped by 95 percent compared to one year earlier. In one school, with 202 students, everyone received the highest grade in 2015. But in 2016, only 141 students in the entire country did. The test results were released two months earlier than expected. Kenyan media reports say education officials released the results early after some school officials pressured them to give their students high grades. Some principals have been accused of offering payments of $100 to $160 to examiners to give their students high grades. John Mugo works at a non-profit group called Twaweza East Africa. He says education officials will be forced to answer a lot of questions because of the test results. “Questions are being raised on whether those, those heads or the management, should be brought to account to the public. What happened? If they were involved in massive irregularities, then I think we should not just keep quiet. They should be made to account. But then, then the other question that Kenyans have is quality. Are students really learning or have we been drilling them to just pass the test, such that when the test changes slightly, then they all fail?" Education expert Tomkin Baraza says the university entrance exam is now credible, and the test results believable. But there is another question that must be answered. “But now, we look at how many students who were affected, where are we going to have them? The ministry should come up with a way to ensure that at least the majority of the students at least go somewhere...” George Magoha is the chairman of the Kenya National Examinations Council. He says students can be successful even if they do not have high grades. Kenya’s ministry of education said it will take a close look at the problem after the shocking test results. I’m Lucija Millonig.    Mohamed Yusuf reported this story from Nairobi. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   entire – adj. complete or full; not lacking or leaving out any part brought to account – expression held accountable or responsible; blamed irregularity – n. something that is not usual or proper and that usually indicates dishonest behavior (usually plural) drill – v. to teach or train (someone) by repeating a lesson or exercise again and again demoralize – v. to cause (someone) to lose hope, courage, or confidence; to weaken the morale of (a person or group) twisted – adj. harmed; negatively affected; strange and unpleasant; not normal

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January 6, 2017

A look at the best news photos and the most interesting photos from around the world.

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First Somali-American Lawmaker Begins Work in Minnesota

Ilhan Omar made history this week when she began her term as the first Somali-American lawmaker in the United States. Omar was sworn into the Minnesota House of Representatives on January 3, the opening day of its 90th legislative session. Few people thought a campaign like Omar’s would be possible this election year.  Muslim-Americans had been at the center of a strong political debate about immigration and terrorism. A historic day for Muslim-Americans Many supporters filled the Minnesota State Capitol for Omar’s first historic day. They were there to support Omar as she took her ceremonial oath of office. Asad Zaman was one of the supporters present. He is the executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota. "The Muslim community needs a win…the ethos of America that can embrace a Somali-American, hijab-clad Muslim woman as their representative, I think that says something amazing about America." An image of hope Omar was born in 1982 in Somalia. But after a civil war began, she fled with her family to a refugee camp in Kenya.  She immigrated to the United States in 1995.  ​As an adult, Omar worked on several legislative and city council campaigns. She later became the director of policy & initiatives for the Women Organizing Women Network in Minnesota. Omar is now an image of hope for Muslims, and particularly Muslim women, around the world. Nausheena Hussain is with an organization called Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood of Empowerment, or RISE. She spoke to the crowd of Omar supporters gathered at the state capitol building. "We may not have shattered that glass ceiling in electing a president or head of state in our country, but for me, and the thousands of Muslim women, and women of color, Ilhan Omar is that ceiling that’s been shattered for us,” Hussain said. A “glass ceiling” means a barrier, usually affecting women and minorities, to how far someone can grow in their profession. America’s 2016 presidential election campaign included calls from some politicians to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the country.  However, Omar views her role in the national conversation about Muslim-Americans as a positive one. "It sort of provides a counter narrative to say that all is not bad. That there is good, and if someone like Ilhan, who has all the odds against her, can succeed, then we are able to see that, as a country, we do have a balance of both good and bad and we just have to figure out a way to come together and make sure we are amplifying the voices of good." Going outside the community for support Ilhan Omar appealed to many different types of voters.  She did not win a majority of the Somali-American votes in her district. More Somali-Americans voted for her opponent, Mohamud Noor. He is also from Somalia. But Omar won more votes from people outside the Somali-American community. Asad Zaman explained that Omar practiced “inclusive politics.” “She’s been able to put forth a candidacy that is attractive to a largely white liberal group of voters and she has convinced them that she is the best candidate." Omar’s election is giving others outside of Minnesota hope that anything is possible. "Hearing about young people who are running for elected office in Kenya and in Somalia because they were inspired by my race…I think messages like that … truly put things into focus.” Omar says one of her biggest goals now is meeting the expectations and hopes people have for her, as she begins her work in Minnesota’s House of Representatives. Zaman says that many people outside of Minnesota will be following Omar’s journey and progress.  “This is a big deal and I think the whole world is watching what we are doing here today." I’m Phil Dierking. This story was originally written for VOAnews.com by Kane Farabaugh.  Phil Dierking adapted this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. How do you think Ilhan Omar’s journey will inspire people? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story amplify – ​v. to increase the strength of attractive – ​adj. having a pleasing appearance counter narrative – n. an argument that disputes a commonly held belief or truth. cycle –  n. a repeating series of events or actions focus – n. a subject that is being discussed or studied glass ceiling – n. a barrier, usually affecting women and minorities, to how far someone can grow in their profession. historic – adj. famous or important in history hijab – ​n. a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women.   qualify – v. to have the necessary skill or knowledge to do a particular job or activity shatter – ​v. to break suddenly into many small piece

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