Month: September 2015

Objectives

1. Vocabulary – definitions & spellings of words used previously in class

2. Dictionary work – ‘How to Learn English in 6 months’ TEDx Talk

3. Finding a new flatmate listening

4. writing an informal email about where you live

How to learn any language in six months – questions about the video:

1. What is hypnopaedia? Does it work?
2. What is Rapid Language Acquisition? Can it work?
3. What is social dislocation?
4. What does the speaker mean by a) principles and b) modelling?
5. How have the limits of flight been expanded by watching the behaviour of animals?
6. What does the speaker mean by ‘immersion’?
7. “When you (first) learn a language you are like a baby” What do you think about this statement?
8. What does the phrase, “acquire unconsciously” mean?
9. What is a spouse?
10. Do you have a language parent?

Answers:

hypnopaedia

Words we have previously defined in class. You need to spell and define these words using a paper dictionary

1. diversity
2. octopus
3. superstition
4. notify
5. collaborate
6. harassment
7. radicalise
8. trend
9. stunning
10. punctual

Today’s words:

› a ​person who ​shares an ​apartment with another ​person

lodger noun [C]

UK   /ˈlɒdʒ.ər/  US   /ˈlɑː.dʒɚ/ (US also roomer)

› someone who ​pays for a ​place to ​sleep, and usually for ​meals, in someone else’s ​house:

landlord noun [C]

UK   /ˈlænd.lɔːd/  US   /-lɔːrd/

landlord noun [C] (OWNER)

B2 a ​person or ​organization that ​owns a ​building or an ​area of ​land and is ​paid by other ​people for the use of it:The landlord had ​promised to ​redecorate the ​bedrooms before we ​moved in.Housing ​associations are the ​biggest landlords in this ​area.

landlord noun [C] (BAR MANAGER)

› UK a man who is in ​charge of a ​pub or ​bar

speed dating

budget noun

UK   US   /ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/

B2 [C or U] a ​plan to show how much ​money a ​person or ​organization will ​earn and how much they will need or be ​able to ​spend:The ​firm has ​drawn up a budget for the coming ​financial ​year.Libraries are ​finding it ​increasingly ​difficult to ​remain within (​their) budget.B2 [C] the ​amount of ​money you have ​available to ​spend:an ​annual budget of £40 million

fortnight noun [C usually singular]

UK   /ˈfɔːt.naɪt/  US   /ˈfɔːrt-/ UK

B1 a ​period of two ​weeks:a fortnight’s ​holiday

few determiner, pronoun (SOME)

a few

More examples

A2 some, or a ​small ​number of something:I need to get a few things in ​town.There are a few ​slices of ​cake ​left over from the ​party.

several determiner, pronoun

UK   /ˈsev.ər.əl/  US   /-ɚ-/

A2 some; an ​amount that is not ​exact but is fewer than many:I’ve ​seen “Gone with the Wind” several ​times.Several ​people have ​complained about the ​plans.Several of my ​friends are ​learning ​English.

handy adjective (USEFUL)

C2 ​useful or ​convenient:a handy ​container/​toolFirst-time ​visitors to France will ​find this ​guide ​particularly handy.It’s a ​nice ​house and it’s handy for (= near) the ​train ​station.informal Don’t ​throw those ​bottles away – they’ll come in handy (= be ​useful) for the ​picnic next ​Sunday.

handy adjective (SKILFUL)

› [after verb] ​able to use something ​skilfully:Jonathan’s good at putting up ​wallpaper, but he’s not so handywith a ​paintbrush.Susannah’s very handy (= good at doing things that need ​skilleduse of the ​hands) about the ​house.

convenient adjective

UK   US   /kənˈviː.ni.ənt/

B1 ​suitable for ​your ​purposes and ​needs and ​causing the least ​difficulty:Our ​local ​shop has very convenient ​opening ​hours.A bike’s a very convenient way of getting around.[+ that] It‘s very convenient that you ​live near the ​office.[+ to infinitive] I ​find it convenient to be ​able to do my ​banking​online.What ​time would it be convenient for me to come over?

Opposite

inconvenient

B1 near or ​easy to get to or use:a very convenient ​bus ​serviceOur new ​house is very convenient for (= near to) the ​kids‘ ​school.

Writing exercise

write an email to another student in class describing your current living situation. Include information about:

• the place where you live
• who you live with
• how you found it
• how you feel about it

Objectives:

1. Vocabulary – personality words

2. How to ask polite questions

3. Listening – direct and indirect questions (difficult!)

4. writing an informal email about where you live

idioms dictionary:        http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

Cambridge dictionary   http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

more idioms: http://english-the-easy-way.com/Idioms/Night_Owl_Early_Bird.html

words

Objectives

1. Adjective order revision

2. Vocabulary stretching game

3. Life in Level 2 psychology & grammar exercise

4. Presentations ideas

5. Using Prezi

1. Opinion: beautiful, ugly, nice, etc.
2. Size: big, small, medium, etc.
3. Age: old, new, young, etc.
4. Shape: round, square, etc.
5. Colour: black, blue, white, etc.
6. Origin: French, Chinese, etc.
7. Material: leather, wooden, plastic, etc.
8. Purpose: planting, fishing, riding, etc.

GENERAL opinions are adjectives that can be used to describe almost any noun while SPECIFIC opinions are adjectives that can only describe certain nouns.
General opinion:
attractive, awful, bad, beautiful, good, excellent, lovely, nice, strange, cute, best, big
Specific opinion:
brilliant, delicious, comfortable, intelligent, mean, dedicated, polite, confident
In addition, there are some adjectives that can only be used in front of a noun. Some examples are:

Adjectives of direction: north, south, east, west
+ indoor, outdoor, countless, occasional, eventful
#She lives in the affluent western part of the city.
There are occasional problems with the computer system.

class notes

class notes will be at: esolmark.wordpress.com we will use this online dictionary:

dictionary.cambridge.org

to practice pronunciation, synonyms and to learn new vocabulary.

Level 2 Group 2

Objectives

1. Meet your new classmates

2. Start induction

3. Diagnostic tests

Find out 2 interesting facts about your partner.

for example:

Francis thinks that sweets and chocolates are the easiest to give up, because they are not healthy.

He loves fruit.

Abdel is afraid to become ill, because if he is ill he can’t do anything.

He can’t live without his mobile, because he can’t communicate with his friends, however, I never make a call in Mark’s class because I am an excellent student.

What do we have in common?

a type of food we both dislike: octopus

an actor or actress we both admire: Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean)

something  very expensive we would both like to have: a Ferrari

something you find very difficult about learning English:

slang, accents, grammar, listening, writing, EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a famous person from the past:

a superstition you have both heard of: something you are afraid of:

superstition noun [C or U]

a city you think is beautiful:

1. Think of an animal you would like to be.
   Don’t tell anyone what the animal is.
   Now I want to you to write three adjectives that describe the character of the animal.
   Don’t write adjectives that describe how the animal looks.

For example
Dog – you could write
Loyal, clever, funny
DON’T write BEAUTIFUL, FAST, BIG-EYED

2. This is a psychological test to show (apparently) how you see your ideal self. How you want to be, so:

Rula is funny, smart and helpful.

Efrem is lovely, friendly and helpful.

Amanuel is strong, tolerant and king of the forest.

Sarah is not crazy, slow or gluttonous.

Sylwia is confident, strong and admirable.

Amina is free, warrior-like, and proud.

tolerant adjective (ACCEPTING)

C1 ​willing to ​accept ​behaviour and ​beliefs that are different from ​your own, ​although you might not ​agree with or ​approve of them:

a duck

an eagle

#

If you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you choose and 3 good reasons why you pick it.