Day 9 - Cows and sheep burping

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday many of you had a look at today's topic about cows and sheep. I'll give you a grammar task about it.

Also, you shall receive some very useful listening practice. I will play the first two minutes from side two of the assertiveness tape. I have eight questions for you to answer after you have listened to it twice.

I have a bonus site for you to explore today. It provides more than 800 short interviews especially for ESOL students. The only thing is that it doesn't ask you questions - but I can do that!

Tomorrow, the topic will look at an incident where neighbours fought! I hope that this will not happen to you in real life.

Site for today: Karin's ESL Partyland looks like fun. On the students site, click on quizzes for interactive grammar quizzes sorted by level. Click on Learning pages for theme related interactive lessons.

Day 8 Tourism quiz

The good news this morning is that most of you have passed your assessment last week. The not-so-good news is that the next assessment will take place on the 8th November :-(

But, because we have been starting off everyday with listening dictation, you have been preparing for this assessment all along. With our tape - Being More Assertive - I shall demonstrate what will be expected of you.

We have a tourism quiz to take part in today, and that will involve more listening. Next, I really must get our reading programme off the ground.

In the computer suite (it's been two weeks since we were there) I would like you catch up with the websites I'm giving you. Work backwards and take a brief look at all of the links I've provided for you this term.


Tomorrow's topic will be about cows and sheep burping.

The site for the day is English Page.com.

Day 7 Couple admit guilt

For today's assessment, it could be that you finish before the 40 minutes are up. In that case, I suggest that you read something. I have an article that you might find interesting.

Since we'll start the test at about 9.45, we'll have the opportunity to go over the asnwers to yesterday's two practice tasks.

FInally, after the break, we'll work on the news story that I gave you yesterday (though this blog). I'd like you to do some writing too, sometime during the hour, so maybe I'l get you to tell this story in your own words.

Tomorrow's topic is a tourism quiz.

Today's site is an old favourite for some of you: Manythings.org.

Day 6 Dubai's tallest building

Following on from the dictation - examples of under-assertive behaviour - I shall give you two advertisements to read. It is the last chance to practise this skill before the test tomorrow.

After the break we shall practise skills on the topic of the photo to the left: Dubai's Tallest building

Tomorrow's topic is called: Couple admit guilt.



Site for the day: ESOL Funland. It looks a little chilish, but it may be worth closer inspection. Click on ACTIVITIES (top left) for a list of useful activities/sites.

Day 5 English for artists

After a long weekend, we enjoy a short week. Make the most of it!

Here's the list for today:

• Dictation
• Read an advertisement
• Listening
  
• Writing 15 min (task: sustainability through sharing)
• General reading
• Conversation

Tomorrow let's visit Dubai's tallest building.

Site for the day: English Zone. In the For Students section click on whatever skills you would like to practice. Most of the activities are level specific, well set out and provide answers and detailed explanations.

Day 4 Farmers plant new crops

Today the Internet was down until just half an hour before class, so the order of some of our activities will be changed.

We'll persist with Dictation after which we'll dive straight into some assessment preparation. After that comes writing - the more you write, the faster you improve.

I see that I didn't include the hyperlink to today's topic, so I've corrected that omission.

Tomorrow we will look at English for artists.

Site for the day: Online English Grammar. Go to TABLE OF CONTENTS to see list of grammar points explained OR
Go to THE TEST CENTRE for some excellent quizzes!
NOTE: You need to get a MEMBER LOGIN first (It’s free and very quick)

Day 3 Fashion models

Good morning. I hope that more of you other than just Magda had a chance to prepare for today's topic: Fashion Models.

I know that we have looked at this topic before, but it is worth repeating. The site that I have used, www.breakingnewsenglish.com has excellent materials to improve students' English.

I have selected some and prepared a worksheet. There are activities for speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar etc.

Between 11 and 12 you will start some self-study. This is the time to select what you want to spend more time on. I shall work with a small IELTS group today. If you cannot find anything, spend some time on grammar or read (and make a note of what you have read in a log or journal).

Tomorrow the topic will be Farmers Plant New Crops.

Today's site: English Club. It look rather 'busy', but they have been online 10 years.

Day 2 - Hopes and Dreams

Yesterday was a fine start, even if everyone didn't turn up. Let's see who arrives today.

After our dictation (yesterday's results prove that all of you can benefit from this kind of listening) we'll do an activity or two about hopes and dreams before you work more on your writing. I shall give everyone feedback and ideas about how to develop the writing that they started yesterday.

After the break you will be having conversation for which Pariya will organize you.

The site for the day: Cutting Edge (it's similar to the Headway site)

Tomorrow's topic is about fashion models.

Day 1 - The final term

Hello to everyone, including two new students, both of who are interested in preparing for IELTS. Gylchella and maybe one or two others are also interested in that, so when I get the class to do individual work I may get you people to work in a group.

As for our class programme this term, I shall keep it quite simple, but interesting and useful. Everyday we'll be using a different topic. I shall tell you the topic the day before, and I shall also give you a link so that you are able to prepare (homework!) if you wish to.

Each day I shall also tell you about a different website for you to take a look at. Now, it can get rather overwhelming to see so many, so I suggest that you bookmark your favourite site and use it exclusively until such time that you feel like a change.

I shall use three sites: http://breakingnewsenglish.com/ , http://www.cdlponline.org/and http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/ We will need to check that the listening software to support these is on our class computers.

Mondays we will visit the computer suite for an hour (11-12). Tuesdays (11-12) we will have conversation for those who need to practise that skill. We'll start every day with 'dictation in context' using 'Being More Assertive'. If you arrive late, you'll miss out! We shall practise weekly for our assessment. This term you will read a complex advertisement (assessment 25 October) and listen to a media interview (assessment 8 November). You will have 8 weekly writing assignments, about 15 min per day. If there is time, I'll drag out previous activities that I have used in previous years' classes.

In short, we will be busy, but nicely busy. There will lots of stimulating material, and there will be plenty of opportunity to study English in ways that help you progress towards your goals. It is fitting, therefore that tomorrow we shall consider your hopes and dreams. Please visit the site beforehand.

And finally, today's featured website is called About.com: English as 2nd language. Although it doesn't look very interesting, there is a lot to do. Look at the sidebar on the left to find IELTS amongst the topics.

Remember to use Flickr!