Internet Influence on Language

"To Google" has become a universally understood verb and many countries are developing their own internet slang. But is the web changing language and is everyone up to speed? The Internet's impact on society in general and on language in particular has raised opposing standpoints. Listen to the article and try to fill in the blanks in the activity in your course. You needn't send me any results. They will automatically appear in your grade chart.

I'm displaying the activity here in case some of you have some connection difficulties and need to do it in the blog and send me the results. Deadline: Thrusday 10th

Now I would like to know your opinion about the matter. You can do some research to try to answer these questions accurately: What do you think of the impact of Internet and mobile messaging on language? Language itself changes slowly but, do you think the internet has speeded up the process of those changes so you notice them more quickly? Do you think those changes are for the better or for the worse? Has the language you used on the Internet influenced your academic written language? Being English the lingua franca on the Internet, do you think there is a new linguistic imperealism that leads to the destruction of other languages or cultures? Do you ever use English in your social web interactions? ...





Deadline: Wednesday 16th

BOOK REVIEW

 

Follow these steps to give a book review.

• Introduction: give the title and author of the book.
• Body:

 1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
 2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
 3. Say something about the main characters.
 4. Say something about the content.

• Conclusion:

1. Comment on the book.
2. Let others know whether or not you liked the book.
3. Why do you like it? Why don't you like it?
4. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book interesting or boring etc.
5. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

Useful Expressions:

Title, Author: The book is written by ... 

Setting: The action takes place in ... (setting)

              The story takes place in...

Characters and Plot

The main characters are ...
The story is about ....
The novel tells the story of ...
In the course of the novel the action develops dramatically.
The novel begins with...
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of ... is ...

  Reaction  

I am impressed by
I highly recommend the book because...

I liked/didn't like the novel because..

I think ....
The book is terribly / beautifully written
What surprised me is ...
What I liked is...
What I didn't like is...

DEADLINE: Thursday 25th

NEWS

I know I'm running a bit late with your homework this week, but I'm sure you won't mind...

Your next task has to do with news. Luckily for students of English, nowadays there are thousands of websites where you can listen to real English. The one I am presenting today, CNN StudentNews, is especially interesting because it contains real updated news for students. And the good thing is that if there's something you can't understand you can always read the script.
Each one of you will listen to one piece of news for one particular day twice and will comment about it on the following VoiceThread so that the rest of us will also know about it. Record a one-two minute summary of your news and give your personal point of view about it. Use your own words. Do not read from the script.

Click on the following link for the news distribution.

I can't wait to hear about your news in the VoiceThread below: 

Deadline: Friday 8th February

OBAMA'S INAUGURATIONAL SPEECH

President Obama has just celebrated his second inauguration ceremony on Monday and this is a major events for American people and also for the rest of the world. It's always held on Janurary 20th unless the date falls on Sunday, in which case it's postponed to Monday.

You know it's his second and last term of office as USA Constitution clearly states. Many people have expressed hope and voiced their expectations for his second term, including moving health care forward and tackling issues like gun control, gay rights, the status of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

There are a lot of cool resources on his second oath but I would like you to have a look at the following.

• Presidential Inauguration Speeches from Nixon to Obama Word Cloud  Browse through it and see how it works and how words connected in different speeches. Choose a word and its connected words and create a short meaningful sentence with them below. Make sure any president could use your sentence in one of his speeches.

Created with Wallwisher

• The oaths from Washington to Obama Choose a couple of presidents and read about the details to their oaths. You also have the script to their speeches, which you will need for the last activity.

• Watch President Obama's inaugurational speech and read the script at the same time. Now read 6 lines out of his speech. Make sure you listen to your partner's reading and continue where he/she left it. Let's see if we can all together read his whole speech. Careful with intonation!

 

 

Check your marks and mistakes here. Highlights pronunciation mistakes whereas highlights intonation and stress mistakes

 Finally, look at these beautiful pictures of different moments of the ceremony.

 

Deadline: Sunday 27th

 

 

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

After having watched the film, I would like you to comment on some discussion questions I've come up with in the following VoiceThread.

• Is Eva responsible for creating a child she sees as a monster, or was he a monster all along? Was Kevin evil from the very beginning?
• Why is Eva suffering public reproof?
• Does Eva come to realize why Kevin would harm other children or does she give up trying to understand?
• Do you think Kevin's parents could have prevented his act of violence?
• Do you think Kevin was born evil or was he brought up to be evil?
• Why did he make use of a bow and an arrow to commit his heinous crime?
• Why do you think that he didn't choose his mother as one of his victims?
• Has Eva forgiven Kevin at the end of the film?
• Should Kevin be tried as an adult and sentenced to life imprisonment? What about to death penalty?
• Eva sees herself as a bad mother, was she one? 

 

Deadline: Sunday 13th January

What are you thankful for?

Listen to the instructions given on the VoiceThread below and act accordingly.

Due Date: Tuesday 27th

USA CONSTITUTION

Last Thursday Emir gave you a talk about the US Constitution, which I hope you enjoyed. Anyway, I felt really proud of you when I saw you there listening and taking notes. You should congratulate yourselves on how far you've got.
What you did is part of the key competences in the educative system, a very important one, in my opinion. Being able to follow, take notes and then retell what you heard is something you'll have to do at any time in your life. Moreover, you were doing it in a foreign language!!!
I'd like to thank Emir once more for making all this possible and for bringing a small piece of American History closer to you.

Now it's your turn to make a short summary of the talk given on the VoiceThread below. Make use of your notes to organize your speech. Try to speak clearly and slowly. Focus on pronunciation and grammar accuracy.
Deadline: Tuesday 20th November






And for those of you, lucky you! that went to Austria on the Comenius Project, I would like you to tell us all about it, about the experience, the people you met, the places you visited, the workshops you took part in..., how you felt...

NEW ENGLISH ASSISTANT!!!!!

Surprise!!! It was all out of a sudden, but eventually we are going to have our English assistant this year too!!! And he will be helping you, APLE 1, with your English speaking skills.

Now you know something about him and I would like you to tell me what you've learnt from his talk in the VoiceThread below. Please listen to my VoiceThread and do as I tell you.
For those who haven't used VoiceThread before, please follow the instructions below:

     DEADLINE: SUNDAY 7TH OCTOBER





Instructions for using VoiceThread:

When you click on "Comment" you will be asked to sign in. Once you have signed in, you will be able to make your contribution. To comment click on the "comment" link. There you will have the choice of either recording your voice (microphone icon), typing your words (letter "A" icon), or using a web camera (camera icon). This time you will be using the mic. If you are happy with your recording, be sure to save. If not, hit cancel and you may re-record as many times as you wish. Please no inappropriate commenting.


 
FEEDBACK ON YOUR VOICETHREAD

4th ESO: FINAL ORAL ASSIGNMENT

In the VoiceThread below you have to answer 10 questions orally. The questions are related to the topics studied in the student's book along the year. They are divided into three different sections and you must answer at least two questions in each section to complete a total of 10 questions.
Try to anwer the questions in correct English. Try to speak as much as possible using the structures and the vocabulary studied this year. Speak slowly and clearly. Be careful with your pronunciation and don't get nervous!!! It will be me just listening to you...!




Deadline: June 9th

FINAL VOICETHREAD FEEDBACK

3ºESO: ORAL FINAL ASSIGNMENT

In the VoiceThread below you have to answer 10 questions orally. The questions are related to the topics studied in the student's book along the year.
Try to anwer the questions in correct English. Try to speak as much as possible using the structures and the vocabulary studied this year. Speak slowly and clearly. Be careful with your pronunciation and don't get nervous!!! It will be me just listening to you...!

Deadline: Friday 3rd June

3º AB FEEDBACK 

3º CD FEEDBACK

1ºBTO: SPEAKING ASSIGNMENT

For your speaking marks this term you need to comment on the following VoiceThread about honesty. There are five different slides with five different statements about honesty which you must agree or disagree about. Give reasons for your answers or give examples to clarify your point of view.




Deadline: May 31st

FEEDBACK ON YOUR VOICETHREAD

YOUR IDEAL JOB

As preparation for your job interview I would like you to make your comments about the suggested topic in the Voicethread below .
Needless to say, all these final assignments are really important for your final marks, so try to do your best.
Deadline: May 4th










Check the feedback here.

These are most of the questions you will be asked at the interview. You can think about the answers while waiting to be interviewed.

2ND TERM ORAL ASSIGNMENT

Make a 1-2 minute comment on the topic suggested in the VoiceThread below. 
Deadline for your comments: March 5th







You can see feedback on your voicethreads in the documents below. Please have a look at the mistakes and not only at the marks. Remember how important it is to learn from your mistakes to improve your English.

Marks for 3rd ESO STUDENTS

Marks for 4th ESO STUDENTS

2nd TERM ORAL ASSIGNMENT: PRONUNCIATION

You have to pronounce the verbs in the VoiceThread below, but before make sure you revise the -ed pronunciation rules in the following video.











DEADLINE 3rd AB: Friday 16th December

READING ALOUD: A KISS BEFORE DYING by 1st BTO STUDENTS

In this oral assignment you have to choose a 15-line extract of "A Kiss Before Dying" and work on its pronunciation and intonation. Listen to it on the CD until you learn the pronunciation of all the words and the correct intonation. Then read it aloud into the VoiceThread below.


If you have never done a VoiceThread before, you will need to Register. Just fill in the information with your name, surname and email address. Customize your profile with a picture!!!







Deadline: December 10th


FEEDBACK ON YOUR READING

READING ALOUD: K'S FIRST CASE BY 3rd ESO STUDENTS

In this oral assignment you have to choose a 10-line extract of K's First Case and work on its pronunciation and intonation. Listen to it on the CD until you learn the pronunciation of all the words and the correct intonation. Then read it aloud into the VoiceThread below.


If you have never done a VoiceThread before, you will need to Register. Just fill in the information with your name, surname and email address. Customize your profile with a picture!!!






Deadline: December 9th

FEEDBACK ON YOUR READING

THE VELVET REVOLUTION

Tereza has told you about The Velvet Revolution and I'm sure you have learnt lots of things you didn't know before. Now it's time for you to tell me all about it in the following VoiceThread.



Deadline: November 22nd

Feedback on The Velvet Revolution Voicethread

THE POWER OF A PHOTO

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” More than the mechanical recording of events, photography has the power to convey a mood or share our insights with others. It has the power to capture not only our perfect moments of love and happiness, but also searing images of cruelty and poverty. It has the power to preserve in a rectangular frame the beauty of a thousand sunsets, the joys of parents seeing their child just learning how to walk on its own, and the sublime happiness of students graduating after years of hard work and sacrifice.

In the VoiceThread below you are going to watch a video about how a picture made a difference. Watch the video and answer the questions orally.

Instructions for new students on how to use VoiceThread:

When you click on "Comment" you will be asked to sign in. Once you have signed in, you will be able to make your contribution. To comment click on the "comment" link. There you will have the choice of either recording your voice (microphone icon), typing your words (letter "A" icon), or using a web camera (camera icon). This time you will be using the mic. You can listen to your comment before saving. If you are happy with your recording, be sure to save. If not, hit cancel and you may re-record as many times as you wish. Please no inappropriate commenting.





Deadlines: 
4thB: Sunday 30th October
4thA: Friday 4th November

FEEDBACK ON YOUR VOICETHREAD


4thA
4thB

LISTENING TO AND TELLING STORIES

Today, each one of you is going to listen to a story as many times as you need for comprenhension. Take notes while listening because you will have to retell your story to the rest of your classmates as detailed as possible using your own words.
Choose one of the following stories:


1.- The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne:




2.- Doctor Heidegger's Experiment by N. Hawthorne:





3.- A Municipal Report by O'Henry:




4.- The Exact Science of Matrimony by O' Henry:




5.- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by W. Irving:




6.- The Devil and Tom Walker by W. Irving:




7.- Luck by Mark Twain:




8.- The Californian's Tale by Mark Twain:




9.- The Lady in Black by Eleanor Porter:




When we finish the activity you will read one extract of your story aloud (the first 15 lines, for example) in the VoiceThread below:








I hope you liked the activity. I think most of you really got to tell your story quite accurately and indeed you were speaking for a while, so I'm very satisfied with the outcome of this activity. I would like to know about your impressions. Please write a comment with them.

Now that we have finished with the first part of the activity, you can read the script of your story and read the first 15 lines aloud into the VoiceThread above in PERFECT ENGLISH!!!

Deadline:  Monday Nov 8th

FEEDBACK ON YOUR READING

TERESA'S LESSON: THE CZECH REPUBLIC

As you all know, this year our school has a new assitant teacher as part of the Commenius Project we are involved in. She is going to help the English Department develop the oral competence in our students. 
You need to report to me about the lessons you have with her to make sure you know how to make the most of them. This time you just need to make a short comment on the voicethread below. Listen to my instructions.


Instructions for new students on how to use VoiceThread:

When you click on "Comment" you will be asked to sign in. Once you have signed in, you will be able to make your contribution. To comment click on the "comment" link. There you will have the choice of either recording your voice (microphone icon), typing your words (letter "A" icon), or using a web camera (camera icon). This time you will be using the mic. You can listen to your comment before saving. If you are happy with your recording, be sure to save. If not, hit cancel and you may re-record as many times as you wish. Please no inappropriate commenting.







Deadline: Thursday 14th October

Now listen to your classmates and make a comment about the voicethread you liked the best.