Thursday, 15 March 2012

The last session of this series of our conversational get-togethers.
I handed out the vocabulary list for unit 5 which you can also find here. For more information about what to do with these lists, click on the 'tags' vocabulary lists and useful links underneath this message.

Thursday, 1 March 2012

Luck by Mark Twain can be listened to here.
We finished unit 4 by correcting the homework you did in the self-study section on page 101. I then handed out the vocabulary list with unit 4, which can also be found here. You can import this list, and the other Let's Talk 3 vocabulary lists I made before, to your own personal account you can create at wrts. How to import lists to your own account and answers to other FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) can be seen here. We read the vocabulary list together to mark the stress in each word. This helps with pronouncing them correctly. 
We then started unit 5 about Education and learning with 5A called School days We finished the session by reading the first page of Mark Twain's story Luck.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

One of our group returned after a three week absence. We asked question about his holiday in Austria. Did he have snow? Has he broken any arms or legs? How was his journey? Why was he not present at last week's session? I then handed out the vocabulary list with unit 3, which can also be found here. You can import this list, and the other Let's Talk 3 vocabulary lists I created before, to your own account at wrts. How to import lists to your own account and answers to other FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) can be seen here. We then finished unit 3 by discussing page 98 of the self-study section. Page 99 is to be prepared for next week. We answered the comprehension questions with stave 3 of A Christmas Carol and to round things off we had two rounds of 'My holiday packing list', one for a skiing holiday and one for a cruise.

Thursday, 12 January 2012

I handed out the vocabulary lists to Let's Talk 3, unit 2, Expressing yourself. Once again it can also be found here. You can import this list, and the other Let's Talk vocabulary lists I created before, 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 your own account can be seen here.
We finished unit 2 by having a look at page 97 and we started unit 3 on Crime and punishment. Unit 3A deals with crime and criminals. We talked about how we personally judge the severity of different crimes and we talked about suitable punishment. Activity 3A and 3B should be prepared at home for next session.
We ended by talking a bit more about A Christmas Carol. I handed out a list with comprehension questions with each stave of the book and we agreed to discuss staves 1 and 2 next week.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

The first proper Autumn week although it's still quite warm outside. As usual we started of our session with some talk about last week by asking each other questions. We spent quite some time on this.
I then handed out the vocabulary lists to Let's Talk 3, unit 1, Getting Acquainted. It can also be found here. You can import this list, and the other Let's Talk vocabulary lists I created before, 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 your own account can be seen here.
Next week we will finish unit 1 by looking at the last activities we prepared at home and by working at the self-study section with unit 1.

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Our very last session of the year 2010-2011 already and it is very clear that Winter has ended too. The crocuses are everywhere and we had a first week in which we could actually go outside without a coat on.
As there were only four of us, Steven took over the session by giving an account of his 28-day trip to New Zealand last year, illustrated with a map of the country and a slide show of beautiful pictures. We will tie up the final strands of Let's Talk 2 at the beginning of next season.
I did hand out the vocabulary list with unit 16 which you can also find here. Import this list, and the other Let's talk vocabulary lists I created before, to your own account at wrts. How to create an account, import vocabulary lists and use the programme to practice and/or listen to the correct pronunciation of the words, can be found here.
Next week we will have our communal end of year dinner party at 7pm. I hope to see you all there and to see you all back alive healthy and happy in Autumn.

Thursday, 17 February 2011

Two more presentations about Dutch tourist sites to start us off. We then finished unit 15 with the self study section. I handed out the printed version of the vocabulary list to unit 15 which can also be found here. Import this list, and the other Let's talk vocabulary lists I created before, to your own account at wrts. How to create an account, import vocabulary lists and use the programme to practice and/or listen to the correct pronunciation of the words, can be found here. After a short look at the next unit on Comedy and humour, we ended our session with another installment of Cat In The Hat. For next week you can underline all the past tense verbs in the text so far.

Thursday, 13 January 2011

Once again we started our session, the first session of 2011, with updates about the group members. What did you do during the last three weeks? Did you do anything special for X-mas or for New Year's Eve? How did you celebrate? Did you go away during the holidays?
Do you have any New Year's Reolutions? Do you believe in New Year's Resolutions?
I handed out the vocabulary list for unit 14 you can also find here. You can find information on how to import this, and the other lists, to your own wrts account so you can practice your vocabulary with it in my blog entry of 2 December 2010. We finished the unit by having a look at the self-study section and we then moved on to the penultimate unit of our book, unit 15, which deals with The Past.

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, 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, 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, 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 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 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 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 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 November 19, 2009

I handed out the vocabulary list for unit 7 and we finished unit 7b by playing two word games: 'Endings and Beginnings' and 'Word Associations' (p. 33). The latter is a great way to build wordwebs. Remember to regularly make wordwebs for themes you want or need to talk about in English.
The self-study section with this unit on pp. 106-107 is the homework for next session.