B2.2 Friday Jan 25 and Sat. Jan 26

In both groups, the class ended without my having time to ask a student to write a summary, so I will do it myself.

1. We corrected the quiz on p. 33, which I collected if done on a piece of paper.

2. We reviewed the vocabulary about feelings and recalled the content of the 2 listenings from the week before - p. 36 - recalling such colloquial vocab as taking the mickey out of someone, being full of yourself, ranting and strutting your stuff  as well as the words in bold on the page. I also gave the expressions  to be upset and/ or touched, are used as frequently as those in the book when talking about feelings.

3. We did the Speaking exercises on p. 37, which generated a lot of conversation and some more vocabulary teaching or clarification of words such as to scold, a fad, greedy, stingy or cheap, a glutton and wine cellar.

4. We studied the colloquial and figurative use of "I bet" to mean "I imagine" and the use of MUST (present) and must've (Past or perfect) to talk about a logical conclusion with a meaning similar to "I bet". ( Example: I bet she's happy  = She must be happy. I bet he was pleased by the news = he must've been pleased...... I clarified that MUST is actually used more in this way than as a synomyn of HAVE TO ( for obligation or necessity).  I explained the difference between SHOULD HAVE (an action  we DIDN'T DO  but wish we had) and MUST HAVE (logical deduction)  We will do a little more practice with this in the next class.

5. After the break, we went over the reading on p. 39 and did the related exercises in column 1 of  p. 38. We agreed that most of the activities presented were a bit weird! However, I told you that the expressions in B of the first column such as it's not my cup of tea are used a lot.
The Vocabulary exercise on nouns with "of" in the 2nd column was useful as well.

6. We spoke about distinguishing between noun + of + noun,(glass of wine) 2 nouns together ( a wine class) and the Saxon Genitive (Pedro's glass, Spain's best) We will also do a little more practice with this.

7. FINALLY  we played TABOO, which you seemed to enjoy. In the Friday class, students, didn't bring in many cards and we had to use mine, but in the Saturday group you brought in A LOT , some quite challenging!

Homework : Reading on books, p. 41

Conversation B2: Good link and course results

Hi Conversation Groups,

I have been told that I can't publish the Actas, without getting a permission from the students, like you had to give for the CSIM website to publish grades, so you'll have to go there to see the Acta after February 3rd.

BUT  I CAN write that everyone who took the exam has PASSED the course, the majority with a HIGH NOTABLE-  between around 8 and 8,7.

There were also 5 SOBRES - 3 in the Mon. -Wed. group and 2 in the Tues-Thursday group.
 There were more than 5 students with 9 in their presentations and participation, but in a few cases, the listening part of the exam wasn't quite good enough for a "sobre"; in other cases, the attendance wasn't quite at the "sobre" level. And in one case, the attendance was so low that I had to give an APROBADO.

I have enjoyed all of you as students, I hope we can get together after exams and that you have improved your English conversation as a result of the course.

If you want to know your exact grade or anything else, please email me at : kate@kseley.jazztel.es or

kateseley@gmail.com.

Finally, I have found a really fun and varied website. I KNOW YOU'LL LOVE IT!

 Click here

Unfortunately I wasn't able to copy it so that you can click onto it, but when you have a minute, copy and investigate. It's really good!

Keep in touch and looking at the blog: I'll keep posting interesting links!

:) Kate

All classes and students: Short video with ecological message

I have to confess that  I sometimes forget to take reusable bags into shops but this video is a good reminder of how important it is ... and good English practice!

I should have the grades up for the Conv. B2 classes and the summary (which I forgot to assign!) and homework for B2.2s by tuesday night.

Click onto sentence in blue under photo!

See The Music Video Parody That Deserves Both A VMA And A Nobel Prize

www.upworthy.com

Watch out Jay-Z and Alicia, these guys are GOOD.

B2.2Good summary of last Friday and Saturday's class

 Marta from Friday's class has made this summary valid for both groups.

The students who left at the break in the Friday class should pay special attention to what we did in Unit 5* and read the audioscript of the dialogues.

AND -- I FORGOT TO DO THE "TABOO" GAME REVIEW IN BOTH CLASSES. PLEASE MAKE 2 OR 3 CARDS EACH (see last week's Post ) and bring them in to play in the next class.  Kate

___________________________________________________________________________

      Firstly, we have practiced second and third conditional building sentences about some famous people like Michael Jackson, Zapatero, Rajoy, Belén Esteban, Infanta Cristina and completing in pairs several dialogues with conditional sentences. 

      After that we have corrected homework from the review (grammar A and B, language patterns and prepositions from page 34, and opposites and nouns from page 35) and we have evaluated ourselves. 

      Then we have done in groups the exercise about word families from page 35 and act or draw from page 33 where we have represented with pantomime or drawn each word for the rest to guess them.

      Later we have begun unit 5 with vocabulary* A and listening A and C.* 

      At last we have studied the expression strut your stuff that appears in page 37. *

      For next Friday we have to do the reading from page 39 and quiz from page 33. 

*Expressions like split your sides, stuffed, overwhelmed, tossing and turning, live up to something  and hype. A few like "in bits" and "off his head" are not used outside the UK. ( Americans say "in pieces" for very sad and destroyed and " plastered" or "wasted" for "drunk " - not off his head!

Thanks, Marta

Con B2 and B2.2 An incredible video clip

Cristina Camacho from B2.2 Saturday has sent me an amazing video clip for you all to see. Here is the link:

http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/watch-the-worlds-ugliest-woman-blow-your-mind-video/

Conversation B2 both classes: last day stuff and cute videoclip about a child genius

First, congratulations on all you presentations.

Second, I forgot to tell the Mon. Wed. group to bring any Word Webs or lists or false friends and errors you may have done during the course. Or if you didn't do these, but took neat and complete notes, I would like to see them. You get extra credit for showing me that you have taken the time to compile material you can look back on.

Third, please send me your recipes if you haven't done so. And try to bring some dish to the last class if appropriate.

Fourth, this is a cute and short video clip about a child genius.


   http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=44336

B2.2 Friday and Saturday: Politics and Review

Marta from the Friday class has promised to do the summary, but I have wanted to post a clip that illustrates US political humor similar to that of "Gran Wyoming! in Spain. I had mentioned that I would do it over the break but forgot. However, since some students find the humorous side of politics much more interesting than talking about political systems, elections, and related vocabulary, I wanted to do it immediately.  I hope you get the humor and enjoy it!

Click here:

For the homework this week, I asked you to do the Review on pp.34 5: 

Grammar A + B, Language Patterns and Prepositions , p.34 and 

Opposites, nouns and word families on p. 35.

ALSO, EACH STUDENT SHOULD TAKE 2 VOCABULARY WORDS FROM ONE OF THE FIRST 4 UNITS AND MAKE A CARD TO PLAY THE GAME "TABOO" WITH. THIS MEANS THAT UNDER THE WORD, YOU MUST WRITE 4 WORDS THAT CANNOT BE USED IN THE DEFINITION BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE IT TOO EASY.

Ex.                             VIBRANT

busy       exciting          city   lively

Now to wait for the summary!                            

 

B2.2 Fridays and Saturdays: Study of the use of the conditionals

Hi Classes,

We will be seeing each other in either 20 or 40 hours and probably most of you will not be looking at the blog before class, but in the next class we will be looking at the conditionals, concentrating on the "2nd" and ·"3rd" conditional, so I am posting a good explanation / reference sheet:

Click here

Please study it and print it out if possible.

Conversation B2 : Material connected with Jobs and Job Interviews

Hi Conversation Groups,

It's amazing how quickly the holidays fly by! I hope you are well rested and motivated to begin classes again. I believe that before the holidays, a majority of you expressed an interest in devoting a class to  jobs and job interviews.

Here is some material, which I hope some of you will be able to print.

Job Motivation Click here



Tricky Questions for Job Interviews:     click here

Finally, if time, a short scene from a movie:

Working Girl : click here

Welcome Back!!!

B2.2 Friday and Saturday: clarification about homework and great summary form Friday class -but which didn't mention homework either!

Hi classes,

Hicham kindly wrote this comment about the homework:

Hi Kate and José Pedro,

Kate, as far as I remember,I think you gave us two written homework:
1. Describing a famous politician using the vocabulary learnt in unit 04.
2. What we think about politics comedy shows and whether they are beneficial or harmful/damaging /detrimental in social and political life.

Regards and happy new year to all.

Hicham.

I guess José Pedro sounded so happy with the idea that there was no written homework that in my desire not to take away his happiness, I convinced myself he was right!

Now for Miguel's summary: we did one more activity than in the Saturday group and had brownies instead of cookies. Couldn't make them for both groups! ( Sorry, Saturday group: I owe you!)
______________________________________________________

Hi group!
Kate was surprised because she though we´ll be less students. She also told us the most important errors she could see in the writings.

We started the class talking about the personality of the politicians, and we almost agree in everything. Then we corrected the reading in page 28 in groups of three. After this, we played a game, Kate show us different actions that were represented in a paper and we have to say the phrasal verb that is related to it. When we finished this, we made pairs and we have to create a story with the phrasal verbs that Kate has given to us. 

We did the exercise in page 25 about developing conversations. We made pairs and we talked about the situations that were described on a piece of paper. 

We did a break and Kate advised us not to buy something to eat because she has a surprise. 

When we came back to the class Kate gave us a delicious brownie, everyone wanted to eat more!! 

In the first part of the second half os the class we did a listening. We listened three jokes and we had to complete the sentences. It was tricky because the words were not so common. At the end of the class Kate gave us the lyrics of a carol and played it and the people who know it sung. 

It was a productive class! Kate thanks for the brownie!!!!

Have a nice holidays! And a Happy New Year! 

Miguel Muñoz

P.S: Be careful with the grapes!!

B2.2 and Con B2: Jr TED talk about food and healthy eating

B2.2, we will not discouss health until Unit 10 toward the end of the course, and Conversation B2, we probably will not have time to discuss this as a topic in detail.
But the topic is interesting: how is the food we eat produced? What is wrong  with it? And the young speaker is very cute and smart.

So please watch. It's only 5 minutes.

http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/gmos-frankenfood-mycoplasmas-prion-disease/whats-wrong-with-our-food-systembirke-baehr.html