Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, you will be working on three tasks.  First, I would like you to complete your goal statements.  Please take some time to reflect on your short-term and long-term goals and consider the steps you will need to take to reach your goals.  Don't forget to make SMART goals.

Once you've finished your goals, please add them to the 'About Me' section of your portfolio binder and don't forget to add this item to the inventory at the beginning of the 'About Me' section.  Next, please work on pp. 113-114 which I will give you when you're finished with your goals statements. This will give you a chance to do some work with collocations.  Collocations help to expand your vocabulary and give you greater accuracy and fluency in your writing and speaking.  Here are some online collocation dictionaries you can use to help you.

http://oxforddictionary.so8848.com/

http://www.ozdic.com/







If you finish both of these tasks, please work on your vowel sounds using the following websites:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/pron/unit1/start.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/pron/unit2/start.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/pron/unit3/start.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/pron/unit4/start.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/pron/unit5/start.shtml

Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

I have noticed from your work over the past few weeks that most of you have some difficulty putting what you hear or read into your words.  It's important that you can write about or talk about the ideas of others using your own words.  This usually involves using synonyms and changing the structure of sentences, so that the main ideas remain the same but the content looks noticeably different.

I would like you to go to the BBC: 6 Minute English website and choose 1 podcast that is interesting to you. There are lots to choose from. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/

You may listen several times if necessary.  While you're listening, please take notes.  Once you have enough information, please write a one paragraph summary of what you've heard in your own words.  I would like to see something that uses your word and your voice but includes all of the main ideas (don't worry about all of the details.)  DO NOT READ the transcripts.  I want you to improve your listening skills, so if you have doubts, please listen again.  Your writing is due at the end of class.  Please don't forget to include the title of the podcast you chose. 

Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 11th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This morning, you listened to the second lecture on dealing with stress.  This afternoon, I would like you to work with a partner (or partners if there aren't equal numbers) to evaluate what you heard in the two lectures about stress: 1. 'How to Deal with Stress' and 2. 'How to Make Stress Your Friend.' 

Using only yours and your partner's notes (this is not a research presentation), I would like you to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation considering the ideas you've heard and evaluating their merit.  I would also like you to consider whether you and/or your partner have alternative ideas for dealing with stress that might be more useful than the ones presented in the two lectures. Do these two lectures present similar ideas or are there some differences?  Are all of the ideas useful for everyone? 

Please create 5-7 PowerPoint slides to accompany your presentation.  Presentations will take place on February 18th during first period (no exceptions).  Don't forget that your presentation should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. 

Evaluation criteria:
I will looking for the following items when I evaluate your presentations:

• Are you prepared to present during first period on February 18th?
• Is the work equally shared between partners? 
• Do you make reference to both of the lectures?
• Do you evaluate the merit of the ideas and not simply summarize what you've heard?
• Do you put the ideas into your own words?
• Do you add some similar or different ideas from yourself and/or your partner for dealing with stress?

Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

Please begin by completing the learning reflection. Think about what you've done in January to improve your English skills and consider what you will do in the coming month. Please take some time to really think about your learning.  This will help you become a more independent learner which will be important after you leave CLB 7/8.

Please follow this link:

http://goo.gl/forms/hD2qRXzQNc

Next please revise your summaries from last week's TED Talk '5 Strategies for Learning Any Language."  Please remember to include only the most important ideas in your summary.  In the evaluation portion, please build your analysis to include a deeper evaluation of Sid's strategies.  You can include personal examples, but you need to do more than simply agree or disagree.

Please submit your work before the end of class with the completed the self-assessment portion of the rubric.  

Enjoy!