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.

03

November 2011
Do you speak English?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxUm-2x-2dM Why do you want to learn English? Do you think it would be useful on holiday? Have you ever had any problems making yourself understood? This is a little bit of fun... "Simon Pegg and the Big Train comedy sketch team perform a funny short on life of an English speaking tourist in France." ...

01

November 2011
Current News - Trick or Treat!?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://youtu.be/R-VRAemIvbI Halloween isn't just costumes and candy; it's a cultural holiday rich in tradition. Do you know why it is celebrated?! ...

28

October 2011
Oxbridge TEFL - Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9WO2B8uI "Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist describes the real differences between the left and right halves of the human brain. It's not simply "emotion on the right, reason on the left," but something far more complex and interesting." If your intention is to become a teacher, knowing a little bit more about...

28

October 2011
Friday Meeting 28/10/2011
by Radmila Gurkova
This weeks meeting focused solely on students. How to evaluate students? How many levels exist in English? and teaching students who don't want to learn. We often find that when lev...

28

October 2011
Oxbridge Madrid - 'Working Together, Sharing Experiences'
by Radmila Gurkova
 ...

27

October 2011
Breaking News - Eurozone leaders agree emergency deal
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDSauvALHk Eurozone leaders have reached a "three-pronged" agreement they say is vital to resolving the region's debt crisis. As part of the deal, banks have agreed to take a 50% loss on Greek debt. Read more here: ...

23

October 2011
Current News - Herman Cain on Obama's Race Card
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_YEj5P-Bv0 "Everytime someone disagrees with the President, one of his service men play the race card. If the policies aren't working that's not racial, that's just simply a failed policy." Herman Cain talks about Obama playing the Race ...

21

October 2011
Friday Meeting 21/10/2011
by Radmila Gurkova
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. ...

21

October 2011
Breaking News - An end to ETA violence?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCkyZ7dlq8 Basque separatist group ETA declared a ceasefire on Sunday in its bloody 42-year campaign for a homeland independent of Spain, vowing to give up guns and bombs to seek a democratic solution. Spain's prime minister has hailed the end of Basque separatist group Eta's arme...

19

October 2011
Current News - All we are saying is 'give pizza a chance'
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://youtu.be/Am4uhFH66HE As anti-capitalist protests spread in cities around the world, the number of people involved has been growing. Some demonstrators have been camping out in New York for several weeks, presenting the organisers there with plenty of difficulties for which they have had to find some very creative solutions...