21 October 2011 / by Radmila Gurkova

Friday Meeting 21/10/2011

This weeks meeting focus is on telephone classes, the S1 beginners’ course, Legal (Law course) and P4 structure material. Although we’ve had positive feedback on most issues covered in the meeting, we still need to improve in some areas.

This year we began teaching low-level (P2) telephone classes and although at the beginning it was a bit tough because most of the time was spent on explaining each activity done, now the teachers have created new activities which make it more teacher friendly to teach over the phone. However, there is still big room for improvement and we want to know how we can teach an effective 30 minute class.

We’ve just opened up a new Legal course and wanted some feedback on how to begin the course. Where do we start? How can we incorporate our method to this course? Next week we will cover this topic more in-depth.

 

The S1 beginners’ course is still underway and so far we have reached the half way mark, and as the weeks go by the S1 course is modified and changed slightly with all the feedback that teachers give in these meeting. More flashcards are being added to aid the student to fluency at this level

The P4 structure material this week has been a bit repetitive. We’ve had the similar structure activities focusing on reported speech. On the one hand, this is a great way to practice a structure in different ways in class (if it is a low-level P3) however, for a P4 or P5 (high and advanced levels) we need to think of different structure material that we could use in class as repetition leads to boredom in class and this is what we want to avoid.

27

January 2012
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by Radmila Gurkova
Pretty has many different meaning depending on how it is used. Adjective Adverb Verb Noun ...

27

January 2012
Try something new for 30 days…
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc Matt Cutts was “stuck in a rut” with his life so he took the advice of a fairly modern American philosopher – Morgan Spurlock – which was to, “do something new for 30 days”. So he thought of doing something straightforward that he has always wanted to try and add it to his life but for ...

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January 2012
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN7-EvgKAsk&feature=relmfu The Friday posts about the history of English continue with this video about the impact of the King James Bible. Have you heard any of these terms and phrases? Why not try using some of them to talk about contemporary events. ...

24

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpIhzFh0yw8 Can you say the English alphabet? This musical video helps you to remember and pronounce the alphabet. ...

20

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I am rowing... subject + 'ing'
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The present continuous We use the present continuous to talk about actions in progress: I am reading I am swimming I am eating ...

20

January 2012
Roz Savage – Rows across the Pacific and embraces another big adventure
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqPaHQp4Xw Roz Savage rows solo across many oceans – the Atlantic and the Pacific to name a few. She has rowed over 8,000 miles and taken over three million oar strokes and spent more than 312 days alone on a 23 foot rowboat. Roz has a love hate relationship wi...

20

January 2012
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by Radmila Gurkova
The preposition across talks about movement from one side to another, usually two-dimensional lines for example Room, or a River. How are we going to get ...

20

January 2012
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by Radmila Gurkova
Therefore is a connecting adverb that can be used instead of SO, it is formal.  It can come at the beginning of the clause or after the...

20

January 2012
If you read this post, you will understand the zero conditional
by Radmila Gurkova
We use the zero conditional when we talk about something that's generally true. For example. If I study, I will pass the exams. if +...

20

January 2012
€4,000 For a child's birthday party?
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn9B9cwZY4Y&feature=related Stephanie Kaster of Manhattan set out to plan the birthday party of a lifetime for her daughter. Little three year-old Sophie, had not have many birthday parties to compare to, so after careful deliberation and her mother Mrs Kaster saying: "I just thought,...