LIKE!

I have been working diligently with all of the students on their oral communication.  It is important on a daily basis, not just when doing formal presentations.  We focus on word choice on a regular basis:  mean what you say and say what you mean, is our motto!  They now know the difference between:  "Can I go to the bathroom?" and "May I go to the bathroom?", for example.  We also continue to work on the correct usage for the word "like".  They now know that the word "like" can be used as a verb that means you enjoy something (ex. I like your new coat.) or when comparing things, such as in a simile (ex.  the boy ran like the wind).  They are being discouraged from using "like" as a time filler when trying to think of what to say next (... and like, um, I  mean...), when using it in the place of the verb "said" (I'm like, "Let's go to the movies.") or almost every other word in a sentence (Well, like I went to like WalMart and bought like some new markers like.).  They really are becoming more aware of this and are working hard to think before speaking.  Many students are finding this quite a challenge!