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!

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

Most of you have already completed your autobiography for your portfolio.  Please make sure to print the final good copy and add it to your 'About Me' section.  Don't forget to complete the inventory at the beginning of the 'About Me' section.

This morning, we listening to the TED Talk by Sid Efromovich entitled "5 Techniques to Speak Any Language."  I would like you to use your notes to create a summary of the information that you heard in your own words.  If you use Sid's words, please be sure to use quotation marks. Include the main ideas and important details. The summary can be in one paragraph.  In a second (or subsequent) paragraph, I would like you to evaluate what you've heard and decide whether you think his strategies are effective.  Use the handout from Monday '13. The Hidden Truth' for vocabulary to help you critically evaluate his strategies.  You don't have to disagree with him, but I expect you to be able to explain your opinions and give supporting evidence whether you agree or disagree.  Please submit your work by the end of class.  

As it's end of January, I would like you think about what you've done this month to improve your English skills and consider what you will do in the coming month.  Please follow this link:

http://goo.gl/forms/hD2qRXzQNc

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

This afternoon, I would like you to begin by completing the final copy of your autobiography. This will be the first item in the 'About Me' section of your new portfolio.  Once you're finished, please print it and add it to your binder.  Don't forget to out the inventory page at the beginning of the 'About Me' section.

Senait, Ileana, & Peter, please follow this link to complete the CLB 7/8 needs assessment from a few weeks ago. (The rest of you have already completed it)

http://goo.gl/forms/MP5mJmcJOC

When I was reading your autobiographies, I noticed a few things that you could all use a little more practice with: articles, punctuation, and verb tenses.  Please refer to the following pages in the 'Helpful English' section of your portfolio binder: verb tenses, pg. 44-47 and punctuation, pg. 49. Here are some additional resources and exercises.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

http://www.englishpage.com/articles/a-vs-an.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1456_gramchallenge24/

http://www.englishpage.com/articles/a-an-vs-the.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/articles/advanced-articles.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1113_gramchallenge30/

http://chompchomp.com/terms/commasplice.htm

http://chompchomp.com/csfs01/csfs01.htm

While you're working on these tasks, I'll record you reading the pronunciation passage individually.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 14th, 2015

Good afternoon CLB 7/8,

Feeling a little like this? I am!  This afternoon, you're going to be working on a few tasks.  

First, I would like you create your autobiography.  As part of your portfolios, which we will talk more about next week, you will need to include an autobiography.  This should be several paragraphs which include information about where you’ve come from, where you are presently, and where you’re planning to go in the future.  Please use the information from the two videos this morning to help you organize your information.  

You autobiography should include the following parts: 

• Information about where you came from, and what you did in your country? (work, study, etc.) You can also include a little information about your family if you wish. 
• Information about what you’re doing at moment.  This will of course include our class, but you can also include information about work, volunteering hobbies, etc.
• Information about your goals for the future, both short-term and long-term goals.  This should also include information specifically related to language learning goals.  (For example: specific benchmark requirements, language tests (TOEFL/ IELTS), professional exams or accreditation, etc.)

Write only what you’re comfortable sharing with me.  Your portfolio will be your own private document that you will show to me and future instructors.  It will be your decision if, when, and how much you share with your fellow classmates.  Your autobiography should be organized in paragraphs like an essay.  Please give specific details about your goals and how you will achieve them.

You will submit a first draft before the end of today’s class (via email or shared via Google Drive). I will give you some feedback, but I’m not going to correct everything.  The autobiography should be an example of your individual voice and writing ability. The final copy will be the first document in your portfolio.

When you've submitted your autobiography, follow this link for some additional practice with the AWL words from list 1a and 1b.

http://goo.gl/forms/VYI6T9Tkex

If you have any time left, I would like you to practice the 'Pronunciation Diagnostic' passage.  I'm going to have you record yourself next week, so that I can see what we need to work on in pronunciation (consonants, vowels, word stress, sentence, stress, intonation, etc.).

Enjoy!