Month: April 2016

Johnny Cash’s ‘Hurt’ – Level 2 class notes 28th April 2016

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Objectives

  1. Slang matching – discover how to work out the meaning of words you can’t possibly know!

  2. Write a story using slang words

  3. Commas exercise

  4. Listen to a song & discuss

  5. Paired dictation to improve accuracy of listening, writing & reading.

Questions about the song for your first listen:

  • How old is the singer?

  • How old is the writer of the song? (songwriter)

  • What is the song about?

Now listen to the song (no video):

 

Play ‘You say we pay’ game.

Now watch the video and answer these questions:

How does the song make you feel?

What emotions does the song express?

The songwriter, Trent Reznor around the time he wrote the song:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_(Nine_Inch_Nails_song)#Johnny_Cash_version

Have a go hero – Level 2 Group 1 class notes 26th April 2016

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http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/who_whom/quiz3329.html

http://www.esldesk.com/grammar/practice/pronoun-who

http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/who_whom_1.htm

http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/clauses-2.html

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-relative-pronouns.php

http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ei079/esl-test.php

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/who_1.asp

Objectives:

  1. Who and whom review

  2. Read about dilemmas and give opinions and say what you would do in that situation

  3. Watch Blackadder’s trial and form an opinion

  4. Read and discuss dilemmas

  5. Read about Ann Timson

  6. Conditionals Kahoot quizzes

Today’s words:

To leg it = to run away

The courtroom:

if/when push comes to shove

if you say that something can be done if push comes to shove, you mean that it can be done if the situation becomes so bad that you have to do it Look, if push comes to shove we’ll just have to sell the car.

without a shadow of a doubt

and beyond the shadow of a doubt

without the smallest amount of doubt. I am certain that I am right, without a shadow of a doubt. I felt the man was guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt.

prosecution noun (LEGAL)

C2 [C or U] the act of prosecuting someone:A number of the cases have resulted in successful prosecution.Doctors guilty of neglect are liable to prosecution.

deceased adjective

C2 dead:the recently deceased Member of Parliament

  • guilty adjective (FEELING)

B1 feeling guilt:I feel so guilty about forgetting her birthday.She must have done something wrong, because she’s looking so guilty.You’ve got a guilty conscience – that’s why you can’t sleep.

defendant noun [C]

› a person in a law case who is accused of having done something illegal

  • sentence noun [C] (PUNISHMENT)

B2 a punishment given by a judge in court to a person or organization after they have been found guilty of doing something wrong:He got a heavy/light sentence (= he was severely/not severelypunished).The offence carries a jail/prison/life/five-year sentence.He was given a non-custodial/suspended sentence.

pronounce sentence

› (of a judge) to say officially what a punishment will be:The judge will pronounce sentence on the defendant this afternoon.

rash adjective

C2 careless or unwise, without thought for what might happenor result:That was a rash decision – you didn’t think about the costsinvolved.[+ to infinitive] I think it was a bit rash of them to get marriedwhen they’d only known each other for a few weeks.

doubt noun [C or U]

B1 (a feeling of) not being certain about something, especiallyabout how good or true it is:I’m having doubts about his ability to do the job.If there’s any doubt about the rocket’s engines, we ought to cancel the launch.The prosecution has to establish his guilt beyond reasonabledoubt (US beyond a reasonable) doubt.

coward noun [C]

B2 a person who is not brave and is too eager to avoid danger, difficulty, or pain:They branded her a coward for informing on her colleaguesduring the interrogation.


Many online writing & reading exercises – Level 1 & Level 2

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check your writing level- https://writeandimprove.com/

Three Plans for Writing Practice

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/

More writing work: http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/writing/makeover/archive.htm

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/strategy/

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/writing/

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/writing/express/index.htm

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/writing-1

planning your writing & writing an email quiz

Formal and informal writing advice

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/writing/writing-formal-letter

http://www.nln.ac.uk/preview.asp?mode=noodle&loid=%7BC21EB90C-B905-400A-8087-0B0383FB56A2%7D

Formal and informal style

http://www.nln.ac.uk/preview.asp?mode=noodle&loid=%7BC723EAC7-6AD2-4ABD-B7A8-444B205CA07F%7D

Formal writing, writing an email and academic English

Check Your Writing Assessment

Word power

Formal and informal style

Writing a college assignment

Writing an email

Academic Word List – This is a list of the vocabulary you need to know for Level 1 & 2, or IELTS.

Write about your past & IELTS writing

Look at writing a cv

IELTS writing

Write about your past

Word power –

Listen to people describe how they record vocabulary. Learn techniques for building your vocabulary.

Drafting Your Writing Assessment

See what your level is….

Oxford University Press Upper Intermediate TEXT BUILDER – writing and memory exercises

Text builder exercises

BBC SKILLSWISE ONLINE WRITING ADVICE & QUIZZES

Writing a letter

Planning your writing

Format and style

Building up paragraphs

Editing and proofreading

These pages may also be useful to look at:

Spelling

Formal and informal style

Recognise aspects of formal and informal language and practise writing a formal letter.

Click Formal and informal style link to launch learning object.

L2 Exam practice Writing

Rewrite an application letter using formal language. Write a paragraph to summarise experience using formal language.

Click L2 Exam practice Writing link to launch learning object.

The Great Padiham Pie Robbery – Level 2 class notes – 21st April 2016

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Objectives

  1. Proofreading

  2. You say, we pay game

  3. The Great Padiham Pie Robbery

  4. Hot-seating, interviewing, perspective/point of view, direct speech, indirect speech

  5. Write a 1st person report from the crime scene

Pie Robbery DNA

 

Today’s words:

Mousy brown hair:

scouring pad:

conveyor belt at a supermarket checkout:

cash register (cash till / the till)

apple pie:

meat and potato pie:

  • confidence noun (SECRET)

› [C] a secret that you tell someone:They talked endlessly, exchanging confidences.

  • boast verb (SPEAK PROUDLY)

B2 [I or T] disapproving to speak too proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own:He didn’t talk about his exam results in case people thought he was boasting.Parents enjoy boasting about their children’s achievements.

incident noun

B2 [C] an event that is either unpleasant or unusual:an isolated/serious/unfortunate incidentA youth was seriously injured in a shooting incident on Saturdaynight.

culprit noun [C]

› someone who has done something wrong:Police hope the public will help them to find the culprits.

strew verb [T]

› to spread things in an untidy way over a surface, or to be spread in an untidy way over a surface:They marked the end of the war by strewing flowers over the graves of 18,000 soldiers.Wine bottles and dirty dishes were strewn across the lawn.Her clothes lay strewn on the floor.

  • scour verb [T] (CLEAN)

› (also scour out) to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough:You’ll have to scour out those old cooking pots before you use them.

  • scour verb [T] (SEARCH)

› to search a place or thing very carefully in order to try to findsomething:The police are scouring the area for the missing child.I scoured the shops for a blue and white shirt, but I couldn’t findone anywhere.

accomplice noun [C]

› a person who helps someone else to commit a crime or to do something morally wrong

expend iconexpend iconThesaurus

colloquial adjective

› (of words and expressions) informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing:colloquial speech

forensics noun

› [U] scientific methods of solving crimes, that involveexamining objects or substances related to a crime:Using cutting-edge forensics, they can analyze material samplesfor traces of suspicious chemicals.a forensics expert

› [plural] objects or substances related to a crime, that are scientifically examined to help find out who committed it and how:The forensics clearly pointed to his guilt.

 

 

Money, relative clauses and Elvis Presley! – Entry 3 Group 2 class notes 20th April 2016

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Objectives

  1. Money makers.

  2. Progress review test

  3. Irina’s presentation on Elvis Presley

What do these slang terms for money mean?

dough    fiver   grand    monkey    quid      score       tenner    ton

Money quiz answers:

Monopoly in different languages:

The largest ever Banknote:

dekhttp://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1914560_1914558,00.html

The world’s most expensive phone:

Goldvish Le million

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2007/05/21/goldvish-le-million-1000000-dollars-540540-pounds-guinness-books-of-records-most-expensive-phone/

Somalia coins shaped like guitars:

One trillion dollar Zimbabwe banknote:

smallest ever banknote:

The first ever cash machine (ATM) in Enfield, North London in 1967:

First ever banknote in China:

Today’s words:

ancient adjective

B1 of or from a long time ago, having lasted for a very longtime:ancient civilizations/rights/lawsancient monuments/ruins/woodlandsthe ancient kingdoms of MexicoPeople have lived in this valley since ancient times.History, ancient and modern, has taught these people an intensedistrust of their neighbours.

› informal very old:He’s got an ancient laptop.

convenient adjective

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 bankingonline.What time would it be convenient for me to come over?

Opposite

inconvenient

possession noun

C2 [U] the fact that you have or own something:The possession of large amounts of money does not ensurehappiness.formal I have in my possession a letter which may be of interestto you.formal He was found in possession of explosives.

B2 [C usually plural] something that you own or that you are carrying with you at a particular time:Please remember to take all your personal possessions with you when you leave the aircraft.

Exam practice!!! Level 1 & Level 2 class

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Level 1 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Me and My Community

Level 1 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Health and Safety

Level 1 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Me and My Community

Level 1 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Creativity 

 

Level 2 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Me and My Community

Level 2 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Creativity

Level 2 ESOL Skills for Life Reading – sample onscreen test – Health and Safety v2

https://www.easyenglish.com/tests.asp  – choose medium or difficult

Decoding meaning. Activity based around the use of words in text to influence meaning.

Finding information Activity about using organisational features in text to aid reading.

Identifying main points Activity about identifying the main points of a text using sub-headings and careful reading.

http://xtlearn.net/NLN

 

Take a Level 1 & 2 Reading test: EdExcel tests here