Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

Following up on our conversation from the other day about language families, here's a diagram of the Indo-European family, which includes most of the languages in our class. In the bottom right corner, you will see 'Finno-Ugric/Uralic.'  Some linguistics believe that Turkish belongs in the same family as Finnish, Hungarian, and Estonia (to name a few), but other linguistics are not so certain, thinking that it belongs to the 'Altaic' family.  

For today, we're going to work on some listening and speaking exercises.  Please begin with the handout.  In the handout, you will begin with a reading task before moving on to listening and speaking.  

Here's the link for the podcast: http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/eal/media/nov16_2011.mp3

Here are some more strategies for listening and note-taking. 
http://www.northshore.edu/support_center/pdf/listen_notes.pdf

The final part of the handout mentions a short speaking task which will be completed on Monday, November 24th.  If you choose another topic, please check before you begin your preparations.  

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

                                      

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,


This afternoon, I would like you to revise your responses from last Wednesdays on 'Stress.' Please think about what we talked about this morning and use the example questions to help you reach from the level of 'analyzing' to 'evaluating.'  It is important for you to be able to evaluate all the sources of information you have and decide whether are valid, useful, and appropriate for your purposes.  

Once you've completed your revisions, please submit your writing.  

Then, you can continue to practice working on the sounds we've been practicing this week:

http://evaeaston.com/sh-zh-pattern.html

http://evaeaston.com/ch-dzh-pattern.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/con_voiceless_3.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/con_voiceless_8.shtml

Some more tongue twisters:

1. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.                                                                        
2. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?                                                                                                                           
3. Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?                                                                                                              

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, I would like you write a short response to information that you've heard on Monday and this morning about stress.  I would like you evaluate the value of the warnings and the validity of the suggestions and recommendations that you heard for managing stress. Do you agree with everything you've heard?

Please use your notes from this morning.  If you'd like to listen to the podcast from Monday again, here's the link.

http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/eal/media/nov27_2008.mp3

It's not necessary to write more than a paragraph or two. What I'm going to be evaluating is your ability to "understand communication intended to persuade (such as extended warnings, threats, suggestions, recommendations and proposed solutions) in situations related to personal decisions."

Please refer to specific details, recommendations, and strategies you heard in the podcast and lecture.Submit your response before you leave.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 29th 2014

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, you will be listening to the podcast that I previewed on Monday 'Mind Your Language- Part 1' and 'Mind Your Language- Part 2.'  Please listen to each of the podcasts (listen. Do NOT read the transcript!) If there are any words, you don't know, you can use the glossary or one of the online dictionaries.   Please complete the review quizzes and vocabulary exercises.  Prepare your responses to the discussion questions for Monday afternoon's class.

http://www.businessenglishpod.com/quiz/360-Tone1/player.html

http://www.businessenglishpod.com/quiz/360-Tone2/player.html

For some more practice with the consonant sounds we've been working on, please follow these links. I've tried to include something for everyone.

f/v: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron1.htm

b/p: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron11.htm

sh/ch: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron26.htm

r/l: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron41.htm

v/w: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron56.htm



Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

Since we can all use a little practice talking about graphs and charts, I'm going to collect some data from you to create my own graphs and charts.  Then, next Monday, I'll present my graphs and charts and show you what I mean about analyzing rather than describing.

Please answer the five questions from my Google Form. This will be the basis of my data.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZO7KBQPG2r294X5C7gGOhMCAKJbqj8rxcm027B0xd9g/viewform?usp=send_form

Once you've completed the survey, I'd like you to continue working on your note taking and summarizing skills.  You all seemed to do better with the note template that we used on Monday morning.  There's another method of note taking, called "Cornell Notes."  You might find this easier to use.  Please look at the outline and sample notes using the Cornell notes style.

http://lsc.cornell.edu/LSC_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf

Now, go back to your summary from Wednesday, October 8th "On the Art of Choosing." Try listening again using the Cornell notes template (I will give you one to use) to take your notes and create your summary.  Please remember to include only the main ideas. You also need to put the summary into your own words.  You can use your previous summary to help you, but you may find it easier to start fresh with the new notes.  

When you're finished, I would like you to submit your previous summary and this week's summary for feedback.   For those of you who have just joined us, you'll only need to submit this week's summary.

http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing?language=en&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_medium=on.ted.com-facebook-share&utm_campaign=&awesm=on.ted.com_e0SUb

Here's the link to register for the Communication in the Workplace for Internationally Trained Professionals:

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e9womfhoc7a506d4&oseq=&c=dc1b8fe0-5297-11e3-8d79-d4ae529a8786&ch=dc7aedf0-5297-11e3-8dfd-d4ae529a8786

Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, we're going to continue working on analyzing research findings and graphs/charts.  In the presentations you completed earlier this month, you did a good job collecting survey data and expressing it in chart form.  However, the analysis of the data wasn't as strong as it could have been.  

Please begin by going to this website and completing some exercises.  We're not going to be focusing on writing about graphs, but the language you would use to write about graphs can also be used to speak about graphs.  What I would like is for you to have the ability to identify and analyze the main ideas and major trends in any graph, whether you're writing or speaking about it.

 http://writefix.com/?page_id=713

Try the exercises in these two sections: "Graphs: Getting the Main Idea" and "Graphs: Grouping Information."  If you would like some additional practice, you can also have a look at the other sections: "Graph: Vocabulary" and "Types of Graphs."

Once you've learned a little more about analysis, please go to the Statistics Canada website. I have selected a list of tables by subject.  With a partner of your choice, choose one of the topics from the list and look for some trends in the information provided.  On Monday, I'm going to ask you to report on the information you've researched.  You and your partner will give a short 5-10 minute presentation of your findings.  You don't need to create your own graphs and charts, but you may need to refer to the source of your information during your presentation.   

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/z01/cs0002-eng.htm

Please try to apply what you've learned fromWritefix.com.

Here's some additional information about the 'Baby Boom' in case you're interested. 

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/baby-boom/


Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Good afternoon, CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, I'm going to have you listen to a TED Talk.  Before you listen, here are some words from the talk that might be unfamiliar to you.  Please look them using one of the dictionaries from the 'Useful Links' section.  DO NOT use Google Translate! 

• procure
• anagram 
• vegetative
• imposition
• disparate
• disseminate

Here's another word that you won't find in the dictionary,  'gai jin.'  This is a Japanese word for foreigner.

Take notes while you listen to the talk.  After you've listened and understood the main ideas, please write a short summary of the main ideas.  Also, please consider this question and include your response in your summary: does choice empower us or hold us back?

Submit your summary before the end of class.  

http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing?language=en&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_medium=on.ted.com-facebook-share&utm_campaign=&awesm=on.ted.com_e0SUb

If you finish early, please continue to practice the consonant sounds we've been working on together: /b/, /p/, /t/, /d/, /g/, /k/.

http://evaeaston.com/consonants.html


Enjoy!