01.06.21
In this lesson, we spent some time looking at how mixed conditionals are formed and used. We also looked at the expressions and metaphors we can use when
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises D-F on conditional structures.
- Study the words and complete the accompanying exercises in 17 Home style, lifestyle.
- Read the short story Genesis and Catastrophe: A true story by Roald Dahl.
- Watch the TedTalk, and be prepared to share your thoughts on it next week.
- Be prepared to talk about something that that means something to you. You can speak about anything – a place you’ve enjoyed spending time in, a picture you particularly like, an item or gadget that’s made a difference to your life – absolutely anything!
And, here is this week’s TedTalk:
It’s presented by a cognitive scientist who gives tips on how to make better decisions.
I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on all of these things when we next see one another. Until then, enjoy the rest of the week and have a lovely weeken – and take care!
25.05.21
This week, we reviewed the structure and use of conditional sentences. We then went on to look at words that often confuse many English speakers because they are similar in form but not necessary in meaning.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on conditional sentences.
- Study the words and their definition and complete the accompanying exercises in 90 Words easily confused
- Read the short story The Verger by Somerset Maugham.
- Watch the documentary, and be prepared to share your thoughts on it.
In the lesson, I mentioned a documentary on gun culture in America and here is the link to it:
I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of the week and take care.
18.05.21
In this week’s lesson, we discussed many things ranging from art and the value placed on some weird and wonderful artefacts to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and the deforestation of areas in Sweden. We went on to look at the language, particularly the collocations used when talking about environmental issues.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on word building.
- Complete the vocabulary exercises on verbs and their opposites.
- Study the collocations and do the accompanying exercises in 33 Our Endangered World.
- Read the short story The Mouse by the English writer, Saki.
- Watch the TedTalk, and be prepared to share your thoughts on it.
This is the TedTalk I mentioned in the lesson – I hope you enjoy it.
Don’t forget, if you should come across anything of interest you would like to share and discuss with the group, please don’t be shy!
I hope the rest of the week goes well and you have a wonderful weekend!
11.05.21
In this week’s lesson, as well as looking at the etymology of some everyday words, we also discussed the language we can use when discussing visual images. Of course, these adjectives can be used in many situations and are not confined to the world of art.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on phrasal verbs.
- Complete the vocabulary exercises in The Visual Arts.
- Read the short story An Alpine Divorce by the Scottish-Canadian writer, Robert Barr.
- Watch the TedTalk, and be prepared to share your thoughts on it.
As we were looking at ways of describing art, I thought the following talk might be of interest:
The psychologist Paul Bloom asks why it is that we like an original painting better than a forgery.
Here’s the link to the article on the aim of one very wet Swedish city:
The World’s Best Rainy City – Göteborg
Be ready to share your opinion on this, the TedTalk and the short story in our next lesson. Don’t forget, if you see or hear anything that you’d like to share and discuss with the group, please don’t be shy!
I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of the week and take care.
04.05.21
In this week’s lesson, we looked at the key points in the formation of phrasal verbs and also discussed the somewhat varied vocabulary we can use when making comparisons.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on phrasal verbs.
- Complete the vocabulary exercises in Spot the Difference: Making Comparisons.
- Read the short story Way Up To Heaven, Inc by Roald Dahl.
- Watch the short TedTalks and be prepared to share your thoughts on them next week.
I’d like you to go to the following links:
We spoke about unwanted intrusions when we use the internet; this TedTalk is presented by a technologist who looks at something which affects us all: internet tracking.
Plant-based milk was also mentioned in the lesson (what an eclectic group we are!) and I came across the following Ted-Ed animation:
I’ll be interested to hear your opinion on both the talks and the story. Don’t forget, if you come across anything – in the news perhaps – that we could talk about in the lesson, please tell us next week.
Enjoy the rest of the week, have a wonderful weekend!
27.04.21
In this week’s lesson, we looked at how phrasal nouns are formed and at what was voted the most boring conversation subject: the weather! But, there are some rather nice weather and climate metaphors – those expressions which equate two things not because they actually are the same, but for the sake of comparison or symbolism.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on phrasal nouns.
- Complete the vocabulary exercises on weather and climate metaphors.
- Read the short story Marionettes, Inc by Ray Bradbury.
- Watch The History of English in Ten Minutes.
- Watch the short TedTalk and be prepared to share your thoughts on it next week.
I’d like you to go to the following link:
In the lesson, I spoke about the following Open University video, which manages to squeeze 1,600 years of history into 10 one-minute bites!
Welcome to my blog – I’m afraid you won’t encounter anything very exciting here, but you will find details of what we did in the lesson, the homework and some useful links. It was very nice to see you all yesterday; thank you for helping the course get off to a good start.
In the class, as well as getting to know one another, we spent some time talking about items in the news, and we also started work on collocations – the words which frequently go together and make us sound fluent.
The homework for this week is to:
- Complete the exercises on phrasal verbs.
- Complete the vocabulary exercises.
- Read the short story “The Umbrella Man” by Roald Dahl.
- Watch the Ted Talk below.
- Optional homework is to write a summary of the Ted Talk or a critique of the story. If you decide to do this, please send it to me.
This is the Ted Talk I spoke about yesterday:
It’s commonly believed that all human behaviour tends to be guided by a moral code; in this talk, Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal shows that it isn’t just confined to humans.
I’ll be interested to hear your opinion on both the talk and the story. If you come across anything – in the news perhaps – that we could talk about in the lesson, please tell us next week.
Enjoy the rest of the week, have a wonderful weekend!