LISTENING PRACTICE FOR APLE2

This week's assignment is on improving your listening skills.
Go to your virtual course and complete the listening task there. It consists of 5 different parts. You can listen to each audio track twice. Bear in mind that you have a time limit to carry out this activity and you have an only attempt. So make sure you've got those 40 minutes you'll need to complete the listening. Good luck!

Deadline: Friday 4th April

VIDEO PRODUCTION

TASK: You must record your own video. It can be about anything: from a TV chat show or interview to an advertisment.

FINAL PRODUCT: You must create the script and film it. It must be about 5 minutes long and you must create a .jpeg, .asf, .avi, .mp4 file to hand in. Pay special care to audio and make sure the video can be heard properly.

IDEAS: Most of you have spent a few years at the High School and now that you are about to leave, you could make a programme focusing on special moments at IES Galileo Galilei, what it has meant to you.... You could role play any funny situation that took place at any time in the years you have spent here, you can interview other students or teachers... You can make a chat show where you exchange opinions about your time here....

Here you can have a look at what other students have done.

I'll update this post with information on deadlines

GRADUATION SPEECHES

The end of the school year is getting closer for you and in a few weeks you'll be saying goodbye to some classmates, teachers and the school where you've spent part of your life.

You are about to embark on a new adventure, a new beginning. Sooner than you may think, you will step into the world to forge your own paths in life, which I am sure you will find, however difficult you might find it now.

However, before that, I would like to set one final assignment, which definitely will have an important weight in your final grades.

You have to write and give your Valedictorian or Graduation Speeches! 

The term Valedictorian is an anglicized derivation of the Latin vale dicere ("to say farewell"), which is basically what you will be doing.

Let me give you a few hints to make the task easier.

A Valedictorian or Graduation Speech is a closing or farewell statement or address delivered at a graduation ceremony. Its aim is to thank, exalt, stimulate to action, motivate, to affect and touch, even to raise to a higher emotional level, and finally to say farewell. You do most of these by reflecting on the past years and putting special emphasis on some events, especially meaningful for you.

Try to think back and recapture those moments which will stay with you for ever. You could think of how you felt when you were the new freshmen at the school and how you feel now that you are about to leave. You might like to reflect on your good or bad moments....You could write about any anecdotes or memories you have of all these years and give advice to the newcomers who will read your letters.

As you see, writing your speech is not difficult. I am sure ideas will start flowing in easily. Be sharp and short: no more than 3-4 minutes is enough for delivering your valedictorian speech topics.

Anyway, you can find a skeleton and structure to use in your virtual course

DEADLINES

• You will upload your first drafts in your virtual course by March 28th.

• Redrafting will be possible until April 4th.

• Speeches will start on May 5th.

Remember to use rich language and structures, be yourselves and most of all, do not use a translator or copy from the Internet.

Surprise everyone by dressing up for the occassion. It will add up to your marks. "Suit up!"

You can watch and listen to some speeches delivered by some well-known people below.

Here is the speech by Shakira at Oxford Union.

Here you can watch Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey at Harvard University




and Charles Chaplin in the final speech at The Great Dictator

LET IT ALL OUT

Now that you're done with exams, at least for a short while before starting the third and last term as secondary students, let all the stress out and get ready to cope with your finals.

It might not be much comfort but students all around the world also get all stressed out about different matters. Listen to them.


What stresses out High School students?






Does it get any better in college?




What can you do about it? How can we cope with stress?



Now forget about all your worries and allow yourself a few minutes of relaxation with the help of this website below. Choose your nature theme and indulge yourself into a guided calm session!

TO READ OR NOT TO READ

March 5th is World Read Aloud Day in 2014 and I know you are quite stressed up right now, but I'm just asking one minute of your time, no more no less.

Select one of these Read-Alouds from the New York Times and read an extract of it for a minute.

Be really careful with pronunciation, but also with intonation, which is as important. Try to enunciate your voice and give your text the correct pace and rythm. Send me a voicemail before the week ends.

You can always check how to pronounce a few words here