Thursday, 23 December 2010

Our last session before Christmas and our ninth of this winter. Time flies when you are having fun. How was 2010 for you. What was the best that happened for you? What happened that you would rather forget? After this looking back at the year that was, we continued in our book with unit 14b on art and finished it. I have added the vocabulary list to unit 14 here and I will also hand out a printed version of it after the Xmas holidays. We finished with reading the text Controversy over Czech EU art together and we talked a bit more about what is art and what isn't.

Hope you will all have a wonderful Christmas and may the new year bring you nothing but joy, good health and happiness!

Thursday, 16 december 2010

We started with having a look at the text, Rollover Accident, I handed out last week and we talked about past experiences in driving and traffic accidents. We continued talking in the past tense discussing things that happened to us in the past week or month.
We then returned to our book to work on talking about favourite pastimes and what you consider to be art.
I ended the session by handing out a text about a controversy concerning an art work. You can read and listen to the text and vocabulary here. With this article, Controversy over Czech EU art, came a homework excercise. Next week we'll discuss what you think is art and what is not.

Thursday, 9 December 2010

How was your week? Did Sinterklaas bring you presents? Any other news you would like to share?
We finished unit 13 by having a look at the self study section which you prepared at home. We could then start unit 14 about Entertainment and Art. What do you like doing in your spare time? What do you enjoy?
We ended our session with reading Who's to blame, a poem about the difficulties and inconsistencies of the English spelling. More of those can be found at the site of The English Spelling Society

Thursday, 2 December 2010

Snow in abundance on this second day of December. We talked about the weather and the problems it causes in everyday life. Does it affect you? Do you enjoy it? We also discussed Sinterklaas. Will you be celebrating it? If so, how do you celebrate?
I handed out the vocabulary lists to unit 13 City Life. It can also be found here. You can import this list, and the other Let's Talk vocabulary lists I created, to your own account at wrts. Once imported you can add your own words and use the 'extra' option to listen to the correct pronunciation. How to import lists to you own account can be seen here.
To end our session we discussed the two texts I handed out last week and we prepared our homework for next week.

Thursday, 25 November 2010

We started off with a short review of the week. We then continued with our book, unit 13. After we finished the unit, we worked on a handout about cars and transport to help compile a wordweb or theme list about transport.
Next week I'll have a vocabulary list for unit 13. We'll finish the exercises about Cars And Transport and have a look at the text I handed out called New York City Cab Driver.

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Last week we talked about visiting a doctor and the hospital. Make a wordweb to make talking about this easier. Here's a video to help you get started:



Today's session once again started off with talking in the past tense. What is good about living in a city? Why would you prefer living in a town? We also discussed two news articles from last week.
We then did the grammar game Up, Down, Left, Right which we did before with two members of the group. Can you listen and follow instructions? Can you draw?
We ended with working in our book, unit 13.

Thursday, 11 November 2010

Welcome back to everyone! What happened? What did you do? We exchanged news from the last two weeks.
Today is Remembrance Day in Britain. We read a text about war and remembrance and poppies. You can listen to that text here. If you have difficulties with the link, you can go to the site and listen to it there.
We then finally started unit 13 on City Life.

Thursday, 5 november 2010

Due to illness and holidays there were only two members of our conversation group present this week. We first checked the puzzle on page 117 before we exchanged stories in the past tense with the use of past time expressions. We then played a memory game with English words and matching images. The session finished with the three of us making English sentences with 'flash cards'. Next week we'll start unit 13.

Thursday, 28 October 2010

The first session of the new season. We are down to a small group of seven in all and we have moved to a different venue for our weekly get-togethers.
I handed out the printed versions of the vocabulary list for unit 12 and we practised the pronunciation of the English words. It's important to know which part of a word has the stress. The wrts extra programme has the pronunciation too. Just try it if you haven't done so before.
We did the two first exercises of the self study section together. It deals with the past tense. The puzzle is set as homework for next week. We then used the past tense to talk about our summer, which had some sad events and some happy ones.
Next week we will start unit 13 on City Life.

Thursday April 15, 2010

The last session of the series for this year. We started off by looking at This link which will get you to a site which has Dutch news in English. Today we read two of their articles. One on how the volcanic eruption on Iceland today has disrupted air travel in northern Europe and the other about the dune fire near Bergen aan Zee. Had you heard about these two items? What happened? What are your views?
The Dutch News site is a great way to read English to study the language instead of just catching up on the news. Just visit from time to time, read an article and, if you like, make a word web on the subject you have read about.
We finished unit 12 and and set a date to meet for a meal out together.
I posted the vocabulary of unit 12 here at wrts and will hand out a printed list as soon as possible.
Have a good summer!

Thursday April 8, 2010

As usual we started the session with talking about ourselves. What happened to you last week? How was your holiday? How is your mother? How is your health?
We then discussed what you do at home on a daily basis to help save the environment. Do you use renewable energy, for instance?


We finally closed the book on unit 11 by having a look at the self study section on pp. 114-115.
We started unit 12a Good news! on news and current events.

Thursday April 1, 2010

How was you holiday? Have you experienced anything this week you would like to share with the others in our group? Who watched the video on 2 liter bottle recycling? If so, what was your favourite tip out of the eight mentioned?
After the usual introductory chat we read a text on how to reduce your global footprint in your own garden. This text, and other information on global warming and what you can do to help, can be found at this website by WWF. Again, have a look round by clicking on links. So what do you do to save the environment?
All this talk about the environment finished unit 11. We looked at the self study section on pp. 114-115. The vocabulary list for unit 11 can be found here. Download it to your own account at wrts, if necessary add to it and start practising!

Thursday March 25, 2010

Tell us something about the past week or the future. Once again we began our session by talking about ourselves. What did you do on the first day of spring? What will you be doing this weekend or your next hoilday?
After this we continued with our book Let's Talk 2, unit 11b called Protecting our environment.We also had a closer look at the text and vocabulary quiz on the subject I handed out last week. I then gave everyone a new text about recycling paper and glass. It is from this website on recycling by the Guides Network. Have a look round by clicking on links. The text of the handout I gave you can be found here by clicking on the speech balloons.
Next week I will have a vocabulary list for unit 11 but make sure you create and keep working on your own wordweb.
As an extra, here is a video with eight great ideas to recycle a 2 litre water bottle.

Thursday March 18, 2010

This week's session we continued practising using the future tense. What are you doing tomorrow, this weekend, next week, this summer?
We then returned to our book, unit 11a on animals. For fun, you can train your knowledge of animal vocabulary with this video on YouTube. Look, listen and repeat:



To introduce unit 11b on the environment I gave you a handout with useful words to talk about this subject. You can also find the vocabulary, the text and the quiz here

Thursday March 11, 2010

"What are you doing this weekend?". After practising the past tense and asking each other questions, we will focus on the future tense for a few weeks. We are going to talk about the future. Today's session began with describing plans for next weekend.
We then had a look at the self study section you had all prepared at home. The grammar exercise about 'should' and 'have to' proved to have been a bit difficult but it all worked out nicely.
We started unit 11 on the environment by talking about animals.

Thursday March 4, 2010

Again we started today's session with asking one another questions. We talked about the difference between the questions 'Did you vote?' and 'Have you voted?'. We also got to talk about the differences between men and women.
I handed out the vocabulary list for unit 10. You can also find the list here and upload it to your own wrts account to practice. We finished the unit on gadgets and inventions. Please continue work on your wordwebs.
Homework for next week is the self study section on pp. 112 (part A and B) and 113. The grammar on page 112 deals with modal verbs of necessity (have to) and suggestion (should).

Thursday February 25 , 2010

We started off by reading a text on electronic gadgets. Six people talk about their favourite gadgets. You can listen to the text here. If you are having problems listening to it via the link, go to this webpage and get it straight from the source. You can also do the basic quiz online there. Read the instructions and it will all work out well.
We then proceeded by asking each other questions. Remember to use two verbs in most cases to ask a question in English. Do you understand what I am talking about?
We continued with unit 10 on page 45. Next week I will hand out a vocabulary list for unit 10. Remember to work on your own word web or vocab list too!

Thursday February 18 , 2010

We started off with the Kiwi Adventure text we had not been able to read together before. Then we heard some more about Australian road trains, termite hills and Ayers Rock or Uluru. We practiced asking questions in English. We then started unit 10 on gadgets and inventions, a unit we will discuss at a somewhat faster pace than the last one. Prepare pages 45 and 46 for next week and think up 3 questions you can ask another group member.

Thursday February 11, 2010

The question "How was your week?" was again the kick-off for this week's session. We then finished unit 9 by discussing tourist attractions in The Netherlands. We also had a look at the self study section and I handed out the vocabulary list. You can also find that list here if you want to upload it to wrts to practice. Do not forget to make or add to your word web on holidays.
We ended the session by reading and discussing 'Kiwi Adventure', the text I handed out two weeks ago.

Thursday February 4, 2010

"How was your week?" Again we began the session with talking about last week using the past tenses. After that we discussed when to use the 'gerund' and when to use the full verb in sentences. If you want to read more about this subject ask and I will give you a handout from this site.
We had a look at the 'Connecting Flights' cartoon and used it to add to our wordwebs on holidays. Keep working on your themed wordwebs! Remember that wordwebs are always personal. We cannot create a group web.
Next we continued with unit 9b and talked some more about holidays and travel.

Thursday January 28, 2010

Like last week we started the session off with the question: "How was your week?". Several people told us about something that happened to them and they answered questions from the group. Next week it will be someone else's turn to talk about their week so be prepared!
Next we finished unit 9a by talking about your perfect vacation and I handed out a cartoon with hidden pictures on 'Connecting Flights'. Please complete for next week.
We then had a closer look at last week's (listening) text about Denise Lester who is holidaying in Marbella, Spain.

Finally I asked you to listen to, or read, tips on what to see when visiting New Zealand. You can listen here New Zealand tips but I also gave you the printed text with a little quiz. I would prefer it if you listened without reading along. Restart the audio clip as many times as you like. If you have not got the right audio player on your PC, go to this web page and get it straight from the source. Click on the little loudspeaker icon but, again, hide the text.

Thursday January 21, 2010

We had another look at the wordweb for 'transportation' by playing a few rounds of the Word Associations game. We then started unit 9a on holidays. We talked about and listened to people talking about holidays while we created a wordweb on the subject.

I handed out a text from the BBC's Learning English site about a lawyer from London at her favourite holiday spot in Marbella, Spain. The best way to work with this text is by listening to it here and do the accompanying excercises online too. If, for some reason, that proves to be impossible, you can just work through the handout with the printed text. We will look at it next week.

Thursday January 14, 2010

We finished unit 8b on transportation, including the grammar section. I handed out the vocabulary list for unit 8 which I also uploaded to wrts. You can access the lists I uploaded here (click on the blue, underlined link).
The wrts programme is not very complicated. You have to create an account by giving an email address and a password and after that it is more or less self-explanatory. How to work the programme is in any case explained in Dutch. Just give it a go and play around with it. You can not do anything wrong, really.

Thursday January 7, 2010

Only our sixth meeting due to (mostly) unforeseen circumstances. First of all a Happy and Blessed New Year to you and your loved ones! I hope 2010 and the new decade will bring you love, health and happiness.

Last session had to be cancelled because of the wintery weather and we have had snow and ice for a few weeks now. Today we talked about this and other traffic and transportation problems after reading the text 'Cabinet finalises kilometer tax plan' I handed out on December 3rd.

• What are your views on kilometer charge?
• What problems does it intend to solve?
• Can you think of any other solutions for those problems?

Then we started unit 8b.
The self-study section with unit 8 on pp. 108-109 is the homework for next session on 14 january 2010.