Classes 11-12. Monday-Wednesday 27-29/10

Hello

This week we finally organised our debates and you were really great! You prepared well watching a video and reading the articles! Good job!

We started a new topic this week "Hollywood versus History". We talked about different genres of films and programmes (biopic, docudrama, science fiction, mystery, disaster etc.)
Here´s a link where you can read about film genres:
Film Genres Link

Choose one genre and write about a film you like of this genre. Explain why you like it. (Write in your comments below).

So, are Hollywood films accurate about history? Let´s do a quiz and find out how good you are at it:
Fact or Fiction Quiz

Choose a fact or fiction from the quiz that you find the most amusing or interesting and be prepared to tell about it in the class!

How do actors prepare for their roles when they play famous people?
Here´s a short video from Jimmy Fallon´s show where Helen Mirren was talking about her meeting with the Queen. What is "Queen-itis"?
Video Link

Your homework is to do the vocabulary exercises in your copies, revise Present Perfect vs Past Simple.

Classes 9-10. Monday-Wednesday 20-22/10

Hello!

This week we revised the vocabulary from the topic "Family" (family roots, mother´s side, inherit, godmother, classmate etc.).

We´ve also watched a short video where people were talking about their families:
What do you know about your family?
How similar are you to your parents/siblings?
What do you know about your family history? etc.

Also we were talking about gendre differences. We discussed some gender stereotypes and talked about a video. By the way, if have troubles to watch the video from the link, I´ll upload the link again:
Documentary Video
If you still have problems, here´s a title of the video that you can find in Youtube:

"BBC Horizon Is your Brain Male or Female" 

 At home you have to prepare for a Debate Class on Monday. We´re going to discuss a controversial topic: "Are our differences innate or shaped by the world around us?".

Use the vocabulary copy for it, watch the video again and prepare your arguments to defend your opinion. You may want to study some vocabulary to give your opinion. Here´re some links:

Giving your opinion  

Expressing opinions

Also study the copies with expressions for agreeing and disagreeing!

To make a point in another language is difficult. You need to express the idea, control your grammar and vocabulary and still try to sound polite! It´s important to learn to do it little by little. Here´s a BBC Learning English programme where they teach you some useful vocabulary, intonation and situations to express your point:

How To Make a Point - Listening Link

Good luck!

Classes 7-8. Monday-Wednesday 13-15/10

Hello!

This week was a tough "grammar" week. We did a lot of grammar and learnt a lot of things.
For example, stative verbs and their use, verbs that can be stative and dynamic with the change of meaning (see, taste, think, weigh, enjoy etc.).
What do you think - will the weather be good this weekend? What are you thinking of doing this weekend?
If you still have doubts or would like to practise more, here´s a link:
Dynamic and Stative Verbs Exercises

We also practised asking questions and here´s your task:
Choose a piece of text in English (an article, a story, a dialogue), prepare 10 different questions to it. Bring the text to the class and be ready to do this activity with your groupmates.

We started discussing a very interesting topic last class - male and female brains. Are they different? If yes, then how? There´re a lot of men and women stereotypes, like men are better at sciences and women - at humanities. Men can read maps better, but women can remember the details better etc.
Here´s a link of an article about some funny stereotypes that we face every day while talking about the difference between men and women:
List of Gender Stereotypes
Read it and choose the stereotypes you find funny/ridiculous or that have some sense.

Also here are two more articles with the research results that contradict each other. Read them and take notes of the main points (later you´ll need this information for our future debate class):

Men and women do not have different brains, claims neuroscientist

The differences between male and female brains: time to reconsider the value of stereotypes?

The text in our copies is based on the BBC research. Here´s a link of its full video documentary:

Is you brain male or female? - Video Documentary

Watch a video and take notes of its main points. Make up a short summary.

Classes 5-6. Monday-Wednesday 06-08/10

Hello again. Hope you´re ok, looking forward to the weekend:)

This week we were talking about relationships and family. We learnt a new concept "idiom" - expressions that are not taken literally. (If you´d like to know more about idioms, visit this webpage - Idiom Examples).
We learnt some idioms about relationships:
to put one´s foot in it
to have a heart of gold
to keep other people at arm´s length
a shoulder to cry on
to get on one´s nerves etc.
We also watched a short film "Head over heels" and discussed its message and meaning. If you´re interested in watching it again - here´s a link "Head over heels" short.

We talked about our families and family histories. Here´s some new vocabulary:
ancestors, roots, immediate family, extended family, to take after, to inherit, to be related to etc.

We read a text about an interesting project on BBC "Who do you think you are?" about different family histories of British celebrities. Here´s a link to the programme, choose a couple of videos that you like and be ready to talk about them in the class:
"Who do you think you are?" - BBC One

We started revising verb tenses and talked about four of them: Pr.Simple, Pr.Cont, Past Simple, Past Cont. What are "stative verbs"? You have to find out some information about stative verbs and find examples where they can be used in continuous changing their meaning. Here´s a useful link:
Stative Verbs Link.

Your homework is to do the exercises in the copy and write out the examples with stative verbs.
Have a good weekend!

Classes 3-4. Monday-Wednesday 29/09-01/10

Hello and welcome a new student to our class!

This week we continued talking about happiness and relationships. We read a text "Measuring Health and Happiness" and talked about different ways of measuring happiness.
What categories are important for us: How much do you earn? How safe do you feel? Do you have many friends? etc.

Here´s a link for one interesting project by Adam Shell and Nicholas Kraft "Pursuing Happiness".
Read about it and watch the videos. Which story of happy life do you like most? Why? 
(Write in the comments below).

We also learnt some vocabulary - different expressions with the word "feel":

• expresssing emotions - I feel happy/sad/angry.
• expressing physical state - I feel sick/unwell.
• expressing opinion - I feel this project will be successful.
• expressing wish to do smth - I feel like going out today.

We also revised some grammar - Past Simple, the use and pronunciation of regular/irregular verbs.
Here´s a good link of an exercise to practise irregular verbs:
Irregular Verbs Task

Your homework is to look through the copies and translate the idioms and set expressions.