http://english-phonics.blogspot.com.es/2011/01/level-2-picture-to-remember.html
http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/MED-Magazine/June2004/20-New-Word-Delia.htm
http://www.onestopenglish.com/esol/absolute-beginners/unit-1/
Friday, 6 February 2015
Estuve o estaba hablando?
A qué dos son son y nunca uno?
Una de los aspectos de mi trabajo que más me gusta es ir dandome cuenta de donde y debido a qué mis alumnos les cuesta aprender los verb tenses in English.
Muchos de vosotros confundís estuve con estaba cuando habláis en inglés. Veamos:
“Ayer estuvimos hablando de ella.” vs
"Ayer estábamos hablando de ella.... cuando apareció por la puerta"
"Ayer hablamos con ella"
Vale, para muchos veis el verbo, una perífrasis de dos palabras. Una “estar” y el verbo en gerundio. I was talking/speaking. Qué fácil! Claro como el agua. Pues no. Yo os pongo otra pregunta: decidme como decir en inglés “ayer estábamos hablando de ella (cuando apareció)”. También tenemos el “estar” y el verbo en gerundio. Pero es lo mismo “estuvimos” que “estábamos”? No exactamente, ¿verdad? Para más inri, hay el “ayer, hablamos con ella”. Pues la explicación es fácil pero no necesariamente de entender para nosotros. No nos podemos fiar siempre de traducir palabra por palabra y aquí hay un ejemplo. Vuestros cerebros procesan el be y el ing. Perfecto. Pero no hay bien interiorizada la idea que el past continuous (was/were+Ving) hace referencia a un momento concreto en el tiempo, especificado más o menos explícitamente en algún momento de la conversación. De ahí la famosa frase que se da siempre “I was having a bath when the phone rang”. Hay la idea de cuando una acción quedo interrumpida, de algún modo, por otra que indica este “momento concreto. Es como:
“ qué estabas haciendo ayer a las 7 de la tarde? V.
"que hiciste ayer?"
El “estuve hablando se refiere a un momento super concreto o no? No, verdad? Pues no va con “be+ing” sino como un simple past simple. Yesterday I spoke to her. Como el “Ayer hable con ella”. Believe it or not. ¿Por qué los dos iguales?, porqué en inglés no se diferencia este matiz que en castellano sí. El “estuve hablando” da la sensación de hablar más relajado, menos al grano. Si se quiere indicar esta cualidad pondríamos el “away” detrás del verbo pero esto merece otra entrada. Todos los verbos “past” ya sea simple o continuous indican una acción acabada en un momento del tiempo ya acabado. Todos. Es igual si es past simple o continuous or perfect for that matter. Esto hay que tenerlo claro. Luego, distinguimos entre la idea de en un momento concreto o en general. Si es general, si nada interrumpe a nada o al menos no lo mencionamos... usamos el past simple que tal como indica...es simple porque solo tienen una sola palabra. También podríamos hablar del hábito.. "antes hablaba mucho con ella" pero aquí pasamos un poco al “used to” porque puede referirse al hecho que ya no. I used to speak to her often - aquí no me voy a meter hoy, though. Si no es el caso, este “hablaba” también es un simple past simple. O sea que para el past simple inglés tenemos: estuve hablando, hablé y hablaba. Vaya tela, no?
En catalán la cosa se complica más porque el equivalente del past simple inglés tiene dos palabras: vaig parlar (hablé / I spoke), tres palabras del vaig estar parlant (estuve hablando/ I spoke), estava parlant (quan va arribar) ( estaba hablando / I was talking...when she arrived )...
Resumiendo, la idea es que a veces se puede confiar en traducir palabra por palabra y otras no. Hay que saber cuándo, y creo que es importante ser consciente de las similitudes y diferencias respecto a nuestros idiomas.
Una de los aspectos de mi trabajo que más me gusta es ir dandome cuenta de donde y debido a qué mis alumnos les cuesta aprender los verb tenses in English.
Muchos de vosotros confundís estuve con estaba cuando habláis en inglés. Veamos:
“Ayer estuvimos hablando de ella.” vs
"Ayer estábamos hablando de ella.... cuando apareció por la puerta"
"Ayer hablamos con ella"
Vale, para muchos veis el verbo, una perífrasis de dos palabras. Una “estar” y el verbo en gerundio. I was talking/speaking. Qué fácil! Claro como el agua. Pues no. Yo os pongo otra pregunta: decidme como decir en inglés “ayer estábamos hablando de ella (cuando apareció)”. También tenemos el “estar” y el verbo en gerundio. Pero es lo mismo “estuvimos” que “estábamos”? No exactamente, ¿verdad? Para más inri, hay el “ayer, hablamos con ella”. Pues la explicación es fácil pero no necesariamente de entender para nosotros. No nos podemos fiar siempre de traducir palabra por palabra y aquí hay un ejemplo. Vuestros cerebros procesan el be y el ing. Perfecto. Pero no hay bien interiorizada la idea que el past continuous (was/were+Ving) hace referencia a un momento concreto en el tiempo, especificado más o menos explícitamente en algún momento de la conversación. De ahí la famosa frase que se da siempre “I was having a bath when the phone rang”. Hay la idea de cuando una acción quedo interrumpida, de algún modo, por otra que indica este “momento concreto. Es como:
“ qué estabas haciendo ayer a las 7 de la tarde? V.
"que hiciste ayer?"
El “estuve hablando se refiere a un momento super concreto o no? No, verdad? Pues no va con “be+ing” sino como un simple past simple. Yesterday I spoke to her. Como el “Ayer hable con ella”. Believe it or not. ¿Por qué los dos iguales?, porqué en inglés no se diferencia este matiz que en castellano sí. El “estuve hablando” da la sensación de hablar más relajado, menos al grano. Si se quiere indicar esta cualidad pondríamos el “away” detrás del verbo pero esto merece otra entrada. Todos los verbos “past” ya sea simple o continuous indican una acción acabada en un momento del tiempo ya acabado. Todos. Es igual si es past simple o continuous or perfect for that matter. Esto hay que tenerlo claro. Luego, distinguimos entre la idea de en un momento concreto o en general. Si es general, si nada interrumpe a nada o al menos no lo mencionamos... usamos el past simple que tal como indica...es simple porque solo tienen una sola palabra. También podríamos hablar del hábito.. "antes hablaba mucho con ella" pero aquí pasamos un poco al “used to” porque puede referirse al hecho que ya no. I used to speak to her often - aquí no me voy a meter hoy, though. Si no es el caso, este “hablaba” también es un simple past simple. O sea que para el past simple inglés tenemos: estuve hablando, hablé y hablaba. Vaya tela, no?
En catalán la cosa se complica más porque el equivalente del past simple inglés tiene dos palabras: vaig parlar (hablé / I spoke), tres palabras del vaig estar parlant (estuve hablando/ I spoke), estava parlant (quan va arribar) ( estaba hablando / I was talking...when she arrived )...
Resumiendo, la idea es que a veces se puede confiar en traducir palabra por palabra y otras no. Hay que saber cuándo, y creo que es importante ser consciente de las similitudes y diferencias respecto a nuestros idiomas.
Advanced lesson: Middle East
Middle East conflict, key players interactive map
Understanding the Middle East
Elicit or pre-teach:A rump state is the remnant of a once-larger state, left
with a reduced territory in the wake of secession, annexation, irredentism,
occupation, decolonization, or a successful coup d'état or revolution on part
of its former territory. Source:
Wordreference.com
Elicit info on the conflict, make notes on the board or paper
Elicit info on Islam if possible
As it's an advanced group I don't often pre-teach vocab. There are few words worth doing though for weaker advanced groups.
BBC Newsnight: 5 reasons why the ME is in crisis
The 5 reasons explaining why the Middle East is in Crisis are listed
clearly. Can you give a brief summary of each of them?
Pause and play, discuss meaning with others.
Up to reason 3:
How was the Middle East
formed?
When Europeans were there, was
the region as unstable as it is today?
Wha has ME failed in?
Islamism is the gateway
for...what?
Finish the sentence... The new
wave of Islamic politics is a threat.....
Arab springs are achieving
results
What’s the issue about borders?
What do Kurds want?
What’s the role of colonial
powers here?
How is Israel defined in point
3 (3.48)?
Who sells weapons to the
Middle east? (one word – you can expand)
Phrases to help students follow the video and learn words they might be unfamiliar with. In chronological order, from left to right.Also, some may be new words or unfamiliar to them. Check pronunciation.
Design sat on the
foundations Ottoman empire ministries that did provide be
in turmoil is
in crisis
chaos
caused by mutation in political Islam (0:40) first
point in understanding this.
Arab
regimes... failed on the security front prosperity absent of some form of channel get
involved Islamism as the only gateway ideologies
embodied caliphate sweep new
wave is a threat to elites and states
across the region
There’s-.....
Drop another western construct liberal democracy in the current caldron this so-called Arab springs is going nowhere
......Be
trumped by
the politics of identity old authoritarian ottoman model ruled by .... resilience
in the strong men swept away fragmentation has followed borders
coming into question erasure of border by Isis proclaims its new Kurds go in the act too pushing forward historic quest for statehood Libya in danger of fragmentation
ancient .... largely separate are states contrived...doomed leaders who aspire to
control some rump state state as a prime of identity state survived hangover of British rule 100-year argument about its existence and
borders conflict can inflame the
whole region
New alliances forces come into play outsiders are happy to power brokers regional players are key made itself the guardian of the Shia forming a power block the rump state of Iraq SA
champions...pouring resources into cash
?? cash a client of the Arab fighting
over control over the middle east the
US disengaging binary conflict Qatar
...Makes
its own rules too Take sides ally with the Saudi block
steer well clear deeply
worried turmoil likely
to stay that way for foreseeable future trouble of turning leading
to the birth of Al-Qaeda transnational
jihadi a charter
flight bite Europe specially hard
growing chaos in Libya
could raise energy prices hit
economic recovery refugees in Syria flee to airspaces becoming unsafe in big chunks of the region ungoverned space that is also opening
up in potential home for piracy, extremism
and perhaps even the next 9/11
follow up: use the phrases above to complete the sentence,
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
recommendations: absolute beginners
http://busyteacher.org/12158-how-to-teach-absolute-beginners-esl-zero-to-hero.html
Been teaching many years. So many it's kind of scary to look back now. 20. 20 years ago I was asked to help a school girl catch up with the English she'd need in secondary school when she'd always studied French before. Complete beginner. A few others followed at the time. However, now, low levels is not something I enjoy or know how to do.
Some will argue that absolute beginners is now a false notion, that everyone has had English lessons at some point in their lives. No. I teach francophone Africans in conflict areas and coming across absolute beginners is not uncommon. Of course, they've heard English but that doesn't mean they can say things in English.
This is my new challenge this year. A South American man in his mid 50s who can't speak but can understand some basic written English. And an African francophone who can't even read basic sentences. The odds are that this is going to become a important part of my job this year.
I have noticed throughout the years I have been doing skype with developing countries is that their spelling tends to be a very weak area, and that our western methods of teaching don't always work. Giving them a photocopy and relying that they'll know how to do the exercises by reading the instructions is often an ambitious task. They often need to be told, orally, what to do, slowly and very clearly. One thing at a time.
Yesterday I was on the British Council Kenya website, the Ugandan one too, teh problem is that these are English speaking countries too.
I really want to help these people and do my best.
No se puede dar por supuesto que saben que es un verbo o un verbo en pasado o que entiende o quizas se acuerden de algo. Two days ago, I said that came and began were the past tense of come and begin and this was very enlightening for the man! Can you believe how astounded I was that he was so happy to have learned that this word he saw all the time (came) meant "vino"?
Been teaching many years. So many it's kind of scary to look back now. 20. 20 years ago I was asked to help a school girl catch up with the English she'd need in secondary school when she'd always studied French before. Complete beginner. A few others followed at the time. However, now, low levels is not something I enjoy or know how to do.
Some will argue that absolute beginners is now a false notion, that everyone has had English lessons at some point in their lives. No. I teach francophone Africans in conflict areas and coming across absolute beginners is not uncommon. Of course, they've heard English but that doesn't mean they can say things in English.
This is my new challenge this year. A South American man in his mid 50s who can't speak but can understand some basic written English. And an African francophone who can't even read basic sentences. The odds are that this is going to become a important part of my job this year.
I have noticed throughout the years I have been doing skype with developing countries is that their spelling tends to be a very weak area, and that our western methods of teaching don't always work. Giving them a photocopy and relying that they'll know how to do the exercises by reading the instructions is often an ambitious task. They often need to be told, orally, what to do, slowly and very clearly. One thing at a time.
Yesterday I was on the British Council Kenya website, the Ugandan one too, teh problem is that these are English speaking countries too.
I really want to help these people and do my best.
No se puede dar por supuesto que saben que es un verbo o un verbo en pasado o que entiende o quizas se acuerden de algo. Two days ago, I said that came and began were the past tense of come and begin and this was very enlightening for the man! Can you believe how astounded I was that he was so happy to have learned that this word he saw all the time (came) meant "vino"?
Recommendations for Self-study: beginner
Recomendaciones básicas:
Para aprender des de cero o casi
cero un idioma de adulto requiere mucha
disciplina, encontrar su método
y no tener expectativas de hablar como un nativo. Además, hay que congratularse de cada paso, ser muy consciente de lo que se va aprendiendo para
mantenerse motivado y ...repasar a menudo lo que se haya hecho. Ser
constante es importantísimo. Se llega mucho más lejos si trabajamos media horita cada día
que tres horas de golpe un día a la semana.
Presta mucha atención a como se pronuncian
y se escriben las
palabras, a menudo pronunciación y ortografía no van de la mano en inglés, a
diferencia del castellano. Ser consciente de esto, no solo hará que se te
entienda mejor sino que te resultará más fácil entender lo que se te
dice. Sabéis más de lo que creéis pero a menudo tenéis una pronunciación
asociada a una palabra que impide que la entendáis cuando la oís.
También debo insistir en tener
unas buenas bases. Si aprendes bien
la estructura, des de un punto de vista de gramática y
entiendes bien sus usos, te resultará
muchísimo más fácil aprender e integrar aspectos más avanzados. Hay áreas del
inglés que resultan difíciles a todos por lo diferentes que son del castellano (o
lenguas latinas en general) aunque con esfuerzo y paciencia, todo se puede
aprender e integrar, Créeme. No hay que
desanimarse. Y sino... tampoco pasa
nada, lo importante es hacerse entender!
Qué he identificado para los que son debutantes pero con un mínimo exposure
errores
-s plural for adjectives
- I'm speak
- no it , no subject even if you tell them
- people of a certain age or country may not be familiar with the meta language of teaching languages (what's a noun, adjective, an infinitive, etc)
Qué he identificado para los que son debutantes pero con un mínimo exposure
errores
-s plural for adjectives
- I'm speak
- no it , no subject even if you tell them
- people of a certain age or country may not be familiar with the meta language of teaching languages (what's a noun, adjective, an infinitive, etc)
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Advanced lesson: Validation video
Objective: to discuss the topic, learn language about praise
watch this video at home tonight or tomorrow before class because it's 16' long.
http://vimeo.com/2485018
VOCABULARY you want to elicit and teach IN CLASS:
TO pay a compliment to someboday / to compliment somebody on their LOOKS/APPEARANCE, ABILITY and POSSESSIONS
you are complimented, you feel good, you puff up.
to give recognition, to praise, to give credit
You praise somebody''s work = you say how well done something is in public
You give credit to somebody for having done something good. = somebody is credited with havind done xxx.
In class they asked about....
I never get round to doing... = nunca me pongo a hacer... / I finally got round to doing...= finalmente me puse a hacer...(algo que nunca encontraba el momento para hacer)
it's a feel good film / it's an uplifting short film / this films cheers you up.
Something grabs your attention, / something draws you attention
You look scruffy today- unshaved, dishevelled hair, ...
You're missing the point (not losing)
You can't deny that she is...great
He's not bothered (about)... pasa de que...= no le importa
Remember too that you can write a summary or the story line of the Validation video in your own words. Or maybe your opinion, but whaterver you do, don' t mix the two types of texts.
You can do one more viewing and you can write the compliments and put them within one of these three "groups":
a. Subject + to be + (so) adjective
you are awesome
b. You've got (such a) +adjective +Noun
You've got beautiful eyes
c. verbs
That shirt matches your eyes
If you think you need further practice on any of the structures provided, you can ask me or go to google and search for "how to compliment someone" and see what you come up with. Notice the use of "compliment" as a verb.
watch this video at home tonight or tomorrow before class because it's 16' long.
http://vimeo.com/2485018
VOCABULARY you want to elicit and teach IN CLASS:
TO pay a compliment to someboday / to compliment somebody on their LOOKS/APPEARANCE, ABILITY and POSSESSIONS
you are complimented, you feel good, you puff up.
to give recognition, to praise, to give credit
You praise somebody''s work = you say how well done something is in public
You give credit to somebody for having done something good. = somebody is credited with havind done xxx.
In class they asked about....
I never get round to doing... = nunca me pongo a hacer... / I finally got round to doing...= finalmente me puse a hacer...(algo que nunca encontraba el momento para hacer)
it's a feel good film / it's an uplifting short film / this films cheers you up.
Something grabs your attention, / something draws you attention
You look scruffy today- unshaved, dishevelled hair, ...
You're missing the point (not losing)
You can't deny that she is...great
He's not bothered (about)... pasa de que...= no le importa
Remember too that you can write a summary or the story line of the Validation video in your own words. Or maybe your opinion, but whaterver you do, don' t mix the two types of texts.
You can do one more viewing and you can write the compliments and put them within one of these three "groups":
a. Subject + to be + (so) adjective
you are awesome
b. You've got (such a) +adjective +Noun
You've got beautiful eyes
c. verbs
That shirt matches your eyes
If you think you need further practice on any of the structures provided, you can ask me or go to google and search for "how to compliment someone" and see what you come up with. Notice the use of "compliment" as a verb.
Advanced lessons: The middle east
Objective: that they are able to learn new language, understand more vocabulary related to this issue and debate it.
Student gives a sort of presentation on the issue as she has a fair amount of knowledge on it
Discuss.
Visual support of
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/07/23/weekinreview/20060723_MIDEAST_GRAPHIC.jpg
Student gives a sort of presentation on the issue as she has a fair amount of knowledge on it
Discuss.
Visual support of
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/07/23/weekinreview/20060723_MIDEAST_GRAPHIC.jpg
and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/middle-east-explained_n_6056786.html
Discuss, click on various countries, look at vocabulary, review pronunciation of countries and nationalities,etc.
5 Reasons why Middle East in crisis video. Bbc Newsnight
elicit potential ideas. Ask them to focus on the key idea of each of the reasons presented. Warn about complexitiy of issue and language.
watch video one time
discuss
watch a second time, with cues (phrases), pause and play, check understanding, replay, etc. Help them learn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgfnS7qKCI
Follow up after discussion, writing the ideas of the video in their own words, transcribing bits of it using the phrases as cues, listing collocations, etc.
Phrases (in a Word doc):
Discuss, click on various countries, look at vocabulary, review pronunciation of countries and nationalities,etc.
5 Reasons why Middle East in crisis video. Bbc Newsnight
elicit potential ideas. Ask them to focus on the key idea of each of the reasons presented. Warn about complexitiy of issue and language.
watch video one time
discuss
watch a second time, with cues (phrases), pause and play, check understanding, replay, etc. Help them learn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgfnS7qKCI
Follow up after discussion, writing the ideas of the video in their own words, transcribing bits of it using the phrases as cues, listing collocations, etc.
Phrases (in a Word doc):
- The 5 reasons explaining why the Middle East is in Crisis are listed
clearly. Can you give a brief summary of each of them?
-Pause and play, discuss meaning with others.
- What countries seem to be involved?
Design
sat on the
foundations Ottoman empire ministries that did provide be in turmoil is in crisis chaos
caused by mutation in political Islam (0:40) first
point in understanding this.
Arab
regimes... failed on the security front prosperity absent of some form of channel get
involved Islamism as the only gateway ideologies
embodied caliphate sweep new
wave is a threat to elites and states
across the region
There’s-.....
Drop another western construct liberal
democracy in the current caldron this so-called Arab springs is going nowhere
......Be
trumped by
the politics of identity old authoritarian ottoman model ruled by .... resilience
in the strong men swept away fragmentation has followed borders
coming into question erasure of border by Isis proclaims its new Kurds go in the act too pushing forward historic quest for statehood Libya in danger of fragmentation
ancient .... largely separate are states contrived...doomed leaders who aspire to
control some rump state state as a prime of identity state survived hangover of British rule 100-year argument about its existence and
borders conflict can inflame the
whole region
New alliances forces come into play outsiders are happy to power brokers regional players are key made itself the guardian of the shear forming a power block the rump state of Iraq SA
champions...pouring resources into cash
?? cash a client of the Arab fighting
over control over the middle east the
US disengaging binary conflict Qatar
...Makes
its own rules too Take sides ally with the Saudi block steer well clear deeply
worried turmoil likely
to stay that way for foreseeable future trouble of turning leading
to the birth of Al-Qaeda transnational
jihadi a charter
flight bite Europe specially
hard going chaos in Libya
could raise energy prices hit
economic recovery refugees in Syria flee to airspaces becoming unsafe in big chunks of the region ungoverned space that is also opening
up in potential home for piracy, extremism
and perhaps even the next 9/11
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