Thursday, 10 March 2011

Because there were only three members of our group present, we switched round our program a bit. Whatever you had prepared for this week will be discussed next week. First we made a wordweb with 'W-questions' (what, why, where, when, who and... How). We listed a few example sentences with each question word. After that we played a Grammar Game with W-questions. I all turned out to be a surprisingly educational session. Next week we will resume our normal schedule.

Sir Paul McCartney tells a joke. Can you understand it?

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 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 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 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 December 3, 2009

We continued with unit 8a from Let's Talk 2. We revised comparatives and superlatives with the text 'Comparing Transport' I handed out last week. We also had a look at a wordweb on transport by playing the Word Associations game.
A fun way to learn new vocabulary is by using wrts
Subscribe by giving an email address and a password and the program will explain how to use it in Dutch. You can import the vocabulary list I gave you for unit 7 from this page. Use it to play with the wrts program. You can also add to this list and/or create your own lists. Enjoy!

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.

Thursday November 12, 2009

We continued unit 7 and talked about sports with the aid of wordwebs. So far we did a wordweb on house and sports. We read last week's text on the retractable roof over Wimbledon's Center Court. As an introduction to unit 7b on games, I handed out the rules for the party game of Charades.