Conversation continuation course – Tuesdays

Lesson Four

The notes from yesterday’s lesson are here: Notes and vocabulary from Lesson 3 (050526) | Sarah’s Blog

Vocabulary: Please work through alone/lonely and high/tall (in the notes)

We talked about co-operatives and communes in class last night.  Here is an article about the history of the cooperatives, which are British in origin it turns out: How co-operatives began | Co-operatives UK  Please share anything interesting that you found out when we next meet.

British co-operative movement – Wikipedia

Check out our word of the evening: PROMPT | English meaning – Cambridge Dictionary

Before next lesson:

Please choose an article / presentatation/ audio from a website of your choice to present in class on Tuesday.  Suggested sites:

 

 

Lesson Three (28/04/26)

Please read through the notes from Tuesday : Notes and vocabulary from Lesson 3 (28/04/26) | Sarah’s Blog

Please choose an article / presentatation/ audio from a website of your choice to present in class on Tuesday.  Suggested sites:

If you’re feeling really ambitious you could listen to King Charles’ speech to Congress (it’s half an hour long, but a lot of that is spent waiting for the chamber to stop applauding. It’s had a lot of praise, even from people who don’t even support the idea of monarchy.

charles speech congress – YouTube

Here are some questions to guide you if you wish:

What happened in the news?

  • What is the news story about? Why did you choose this story? What is your opinion about it?
  • Where and when did it happen?
  • Who is involved?
  • What caused this situation?
  • Why is it important right now?
  •  What might happen next? How might this affect people in your country or globally?
  • Choose 1–2 useful new words or expressions you learned and explain what they mean in your own words.
  • Ask your classmates one discussion question related to your news story.

 

Article from SvD 

I’ve added it since this has been a discussion topic.  If you have time and interest to read the article, here are some questions we could consider tomorrow:

  1. What is a housing cooperative (brf), and how does it work?
  2. Why does the writer feel stressed about participating in the brf?
  3. Are you or would you feel comfortable being part of a housing association? Why or why not?
  4. Do you think people today are less willing to take responsibility in their communities?
  5. Why do conflicts often happen in shared communities like brf?
  6. How should communities deal with people who don’t contribute?
  7. Do you think rules or penalties (like fines) would increase participation?
  8. Why were brf systems created, and how have they changed over time?
  9. Is the brf model outdated in modern society, or does it still have value today?
  10. Do you think brf should become a thing of the past? Why or why not?
  11. What could replace the brf system, and would it be better?

 

Lesson Two

Please read through the notes from yesterday: Notes from Lesson 2 (21/04/26) | Sarah’s Blog

Here is the video I mentioned about living longer and staying healthy.  Please watch and listen and make notes about her various points regarding diet, physical activity, friendship etc and see if you agree with her. Is there anything you would add? If you read the DN article, does this tie in with their findings?  How to live longer, according to science – BBC News

Here is the link to the actual Yale article itself if you would like to read it: New study challenges notion that aging means decline, finds many older adults improve over time | Yale School of Public Health

Do something this week that ties in with the advice given in either the video or the study. Stay young😊

Some more Swenglish for you. Can you correct the errors?

  1. There is a chocolate fabric in Upplands Väsby.
  2. He won first price in the competition.
  3. My wrists are sore after my long walk.
  4. I got a recipe from the doctor for antibiotics.
  5. Napoleon was a big man.
  6. It is difficult to adopt to local customs.
  7. The pigeon is a symbol of peace.
  8. I go up at 7 o’clock every morning.
  9. NK is a fashionable warehouse.
  10. It is very comfortable to live so close to the centre of town.

 

Lesson One Tuesday 14th April

Before next lesson, please go to the website of your choice and read and/or listen to something that interests you, whether it’s general interest, or an event in the news.  If you would like to explore more positive stories in the news, I can recommend this website: Positive News | Good journalism about good things – Positive News

Swenglish – I handed this out in the lesson last night, and will email a copy

See you next Tuesday!

 

Notes from the lesson:

absent  – present

1782  the eighteenth century

the 1700s

the 21st century

I was alone at Easter.  She lives alone  (not an emotion)

She didn’t feel lonely because I had friends and family around me.

The greatest problem amongst the elderly is loneliness

Our family is spread out around Sweden

six siblings = sisters and brothers

Gymnasiet = upper secondary school

A further education college (one option)  An F E college

To go to primary school

My mother came over to our place.

She loves a beautiful table setting.

We have a special tablecloth for Easter.

They live in a bungalow  (one floor) – a warden controlled bungalow/flat

one storey house

to mow the lawn

I need to do the weeding

Weed the flower beds, to cut back the rhododendron

a naprapathy

to crack the joints, he cracks his knuckles

Keep moving!

to stay supple – flexible

Lebanon

a landslide victory

The UK has the first past the post system

Sweden has proportional representation

his cronies  –  a crony

I cancelled my newspaper subscription.

to take out a digital subscription

the fewer the subscriptions, the higher the fees

I subscribe to Netflix.

my apartment block

the Sunday supplements

You can supplement your diet with vitamin pills.

She’s missed a year

 

  • How was your Easter? Was it different in any way this year?
  • Introduce another student to us. What do you remember about them?
  • Has anything changed since we last met?    (life, work, studies, opinions etc)
  • One thing you’ve learned recently that surprised you.

 

Course design

  • What situations do you need English for now? (work, travel, presentations,  etc.)
  • What do you find most difficult at this level?
  • What would you like to do that’s similar? Anything different?

 

 

social talk

vocational language, terminology

a vocational course

I used to talk   I am used/accustomed to doing something

It has taken my daughter some time to get used to speaking English