23 September 2011 / by Radmila Gurkova

Friday Meeting 23/09/2011

Developing the S1 Beginners Course

Teaching Beginners in any language can be a daunting task, which is why this week, a group of teachers set up a workshop in order to improve the S1 course. We came up with the idea of ‘building blocks’ - common vocabulary that will be incorporated in practically all the classes. Each class taught will cover the contents from the previous class meaning that students will be continuously learning without actually skipping any material.

WORKSHOP SUMMARY  

After a very intensive meeting at Oxbridge we are pleased to report the following:

  • The S1 course is almost completed with 25 classes (previously 16)

  • The material and content is easier to follow making it teacher friendly

  • Classroom activities are not repeated but used for revision purposes in the following class.

  •  The first couple of lessons will be focused on instructions, introducing yourself and others and allowing students to not only interact which the teacher but also freely interact with other students. (At this stage we are making the students feel comfortable with the language and the class itself).

  • Each class will consist of the same format as the other levels, meaning  formatting 4 activities per class. Each class will start with a revision of the previous contents so that the students retain all the vocabulary used and put it into practice for the duration of the course.


Now, it would sound too perfect if I told you that this week has been a total success which in many ways it has, but many language issues were raised, for example some common verbs and in which order they should be taught, should they be incorporated into the same class or taught separately? How do we teach certain verbs? Are they suitable for absolute beginners? Or are we confusing students at this stage? (To go, To like, To want, etc)

Another important issue for the S1 beginners course is of course the transition to P2 level. How can we incorporate everything covered in the S1 course to P2 transition? We understand that vocabulary and simple structures are the foundation of all learning so at this stage we want our students to have a basic concept of English.

We will start the preparation of the new classes soon. We’ll keep you posted.

14

June 2012
Are you an early riser?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wROodqZT0qk Scientists in Britain have found that the average English person sleeps for seven hours and 21 minutes a night before they begin work at 8.50am. However the Germans – famous for RISING early get up before DAYBREAK to make sure their towels firmly secure their sun beds for a day LOUNGING by the pool...
Read More...

14

June 2012
Vampires DO exist!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sbkuvd3-G8 Have you heard of the recent news that Vampire skeletons have been found in Bulgaria with Iron Steaks through their hearts? Archeologists in Bulgaria have found two MEDIEVAL remains that they think are vampires. Piercing through their hearts were two Iron RODS that were supposedly to pr...
Read More...

07

June 2012
No Pollution! No Cars!
by Radmila Gurkova
Have a look at this video... ...
Read More...

07

June 2012
Is graffiti vandalism or street art?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNkM3WUTAB0 Madrid has witnessed an increasing amount of Graffiti in the city recently. TAGS – are the names given to the graffiti we see – they are the initials of the artist and cover many walls, buildings and doorways of most cities, but not more recently so than in Madrid....
Read More...

30

May 2012
Coffee is good for you!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTLrKXl16ug A recent study lasting for over 14 years in America, involving more than 400,000 people found that coffee is good for you!People who were studied had been drinking more than six or more cups a day. All people were middle-aged ranging from 50 to 70 years old. Research fo...
Read More...

29

May 2012
The Queen of Disco is dead!!!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3zwUBtuieg&feature=related Donna Summer - the Queen of disco died recently at the age of 63. Suffering from Lung Cancer she became a LEGEND and a leading star of the seventies and eighties disco music. The woman who transformed the dance floor into a GLITTERING BALL...
Read More...

29

May 2012
A Diamond Celebration
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSCm4QXcwnw On the 5th June this year the Queen will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee; 60 years as a REIGNING MONARCH.In 1977 the Her Majesty celebrated her Silver JUBILEE – which marked her 25th...
Read More...

24

May 2012
Aliens - The truth is out there...
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI7Pb_VVqFo Commercial divers have stumbled upon an incredible find. A U.F.O! A group of divers in the Baltic Sea were making their final run to the bottom of the ocean with a ‘sonar fish’ - a sensor when it suddenly showed what looked like the shape of a U.F.O. The image was about 60 meters across, which is...
Read More...

19

May 2012
Information is food!!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A1LvXRnpVg JP Rangaswami – innovator and chief information officer for many leading financial businesses likes to think that food and information are the same thing and that energy and data are similar. He believes that monkeys can learn faster than humans because their brains are larger and their stomachs a...
Read More...

19

May 2012
Mexican children speak out!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze7T3eNhoRA Children in Mexico have assisted in making a publicity movie to help promote a serious point about the political climate in their country. The video shows street scenes of corruption, illegal immigration and mugging. Children play all the parts as adults and it has been labelled as a ''mockumentary...
Read More...
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20