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Showing posts from September, 2017

Poetic terms discussed in 1AGA/B class

Epithet Metonymy Hyperbole Synecdoche Litote

In the Snackbar, possible essay questions.

•     How does Edwin Morgan's «  In the Snackbar   » express both compassion and indignation   ? •     How does Edwin Morgan take us on a physical and philosophical journey in his poem, «  In the Snackbar   » ? •     How does Edwin Morgan  make you feel emotion/sympathy/admiration/ empathy/compassion for his old blind man   ? •     How does Edwin Morgan make his reader think in a different way about the hardships of being disabled in modern society   ?

Short Video 1

5 minute exercise: summarise the story the children's newsreporter is telling.

2AGB Theatre

Take 5 minutes and describe a memory of going to the theatre... In pairs, work through and start acting Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett!

1AGA + 1AGB: In the Snackbar

Read Edwin Morgan's " In the Snackbar " Identified literary and poetic technicques. Acted out the scene. Analysed the poem, in groups of 3.

That or Which

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A good question in class today: should I use that or which? I usually say trust 'that' unless your brain really wants to say 'which' but that's not a very technical answer... This answer, which is from Writer's Digest , is more complete: The battle over whether to use  which  or  that  is one many people struggle to get right. It’s a popular grammar question and most folks want a quick rule of thumb so they can get it right. Here it is: If the sentence doesn’t need the clause that the word in question is connecting, use  which . If it does, use  that . (Pretty easy to remember, isn’t it?) Let me explain with a couple of examples. Our office, which has two lunchrooms, is located in Cincinnati. Our office that has two lunchrooms is located in Cincinnati. These sentences are not the same. The first sentence tells us that you have just one office, and it’s located in Cincinnati. The clause  which has two lunchrooms  gives us additional information,

Present Perfect - past action, with a result in the present

We can also use ' present perfect ' for an event in the past, which has a result or consequence in the presence. Have you done your homeowrk? Yes,  I have (done my homework). Here it is! Do want a sandwich? No, thanks, I have just eaten (and so I am still full.). This page contains a resumé of the uses we've seen. Now, create a list of five past actions, with a result in the present using present perfect;

1AGA and 1AGB

Take 5 minutes and write 5 things YOU HAVE DONE THIS WEEK (or TODAY) Then, write the corresponding 5 things YOU DID THIS WEEK (or TODAY), adding the necessary detail to signify it was in the past. Eg: This week, I have been kayaking I went kayaking on Saturday.
Imagine that you are eighty years old and have completed a bucket list in your lifetime. Write a letter to your grandchild, who is 15 years old. Describe your life, your experiences and what you have learned. Use a variety of tenses (past simple, present perfect, future...).

NCYMUN - MUN experiences

Interested in doing MUN? Have a look at MUN display on first floor and take time to visit last year's NCYMUN blog !

Choosing to do CAE or FCE

The Cambridge website does a great job of helping you choose which exam FCE (B2) or CAE (C1) would be best for you. Try and complete the FCE/CAE preparation material and see which one best fits your current language level. The listening exercises can 'show' you which level you are the most quickly...

AGA/B - opening Notebook post

Please take ten minutes and write down 10 things you HAVE DONE in your life. Use present perfect (unfinished time, as your life is unfinished) to describe the event/activity/thing. Eg: I have been to Japan, China and Germany. Then, use past simple (finished time/ event) to describe the date and details. Eg: I went to Japan in June 2014 and it was fantastic.

2AGB - opening your journal

Welcome to your second day of class. Can I ask you to take ten minutes and write about .. a) 2 things you have done this year (present perfect, unfinished time or action, or past simple)) b) 2 things you did you last year (past simple, finished time or action) For example: This year, I have been to the cinema two times. The first time I saw X film and the second time I saw Y film. Last year, I went skiing in the Alps.

Strasbourg Short Story Competition

If you are interested, every year there is a short story competition right here in Strasbourg!! Just let me know if I can be of any help :-) Mrs C ps/ The competition opens on   Friday, December 1, 2017 . All entries must be submitted by  midnight,   Saturday, February 17, 2018 . The 2018 Awards Ceremony will be held on  Saturday, April 14, 2018 , at the Munsterhof in Strasbourg.

Reading Comprehension and Summary Work

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Bucket Lists: Reading Comprehension 1.  Describe your vision of John Goddard in 3 or 4 sentences. 2. What trend does the film The Bucket List explore? 3. What 2 things does Philippa Perry, cynically perhaps, believe about the creation of “bucket list”? 4. Do you agree with the author, Kira Cochrane, that we are living “in an age when we are all encouraged to brand ourselves, to treat our Facebook pages as a shop window for our achievement-rich lives”? Do you feel like you need to advertise a version of yourself to others? Explain. Note: Here's the trailer for the film, The Bucket List .  Jack Nicholson  as Edward Cole Morgan Freeman  as Carter Chambers https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bucket_list / A " Red Herring " definition. John Goddard's list of life goals .  Additional Task: What is  Kira Cochrane ' s opinion of bucket lists? Write a summary of Kira Cochrane's article, drawing attention to whether she is for or ag

First day of Class. Part Three: bucket lists

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Bucket Lists                                                     Embarrassing photo, number 1 In English, the idiomatic expression "to kick the bucket" means "to die". That is, before I kick the bucket, I'd like to live a long and happy life. However, the expression "to have a bucket list" is much more optimistic. This one means to have a list of things you would like to achieve before you "kick the bucket". For example, visiting Iceland is top of my bucket list, but there are many other items waiting in line too. ------------------ bucket list noun informal a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. "making this trip is the first thing on my bucket list" ---------------------------- This is one person's bucket list for Scotland. Can you remember all 10 items? I'll quiz you at the end. Here'

First Day of Class. Part Two.

Welcome to our English class,   I'm really very pleased to welcome you to my class. This year will be full of hard work and team work and words, lots of words. Often this class will seem more like a workshop than a typical class. All going well, we'll have a pretty creative year together: writing fiction, discussing literature, making posters and magazines, and working with this blog. I’ve now been teaching English to native and non-native speakers for 20 years and, in that time, I’ve learned a great deal. Consequently, my goal is to help you learn, better, what I am in the process of learning and understanding myself! To get us started, some basic rules: Presence This year, I will expect you to be present in class. Now, I don't just mean I want you to be present in your seat. I mean I want you to participate and to share your presence with the class. Sharing your ideas will be simple for many, for others (and that might include you) speaking in class w

First day of Class. Part One.

Dear Class, For those of you who are fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , this blog will hopeful serve as your travel guide for the months ahead. For those of you who don't know the film a)go watch the trailer and b) if in doubt, the answer is always 42. The idea is that, at the beginning of every class, we'll take 15 minutes to explore a new blog post. Sometimes we'll look at a grammar point (because those things are important), sometimes we'll consider something in the news (an upcoming nuclear war... terrifying, right???), and other times we'll describe and debate topics evoked by images and documents. Your side of the deal is to come to class with an A4 notebook/cahier (24*32cm) which is clearly labeled with your name, my name, the year and your class. I will try and have the page ready for you when you come into class.. so you can get started as soon as you're seated. I'll collect your notebook and assess it at the end of ea