Tuesday, April 28, 2020

C1.2 assessment

Hey, C1 crew.

I have fresh news about assessment and how the last module (March-June) of this rather odd 2019-2020 academic year is going to be organized. I’ll try to break the info down as clearly as I can and I urge you to email me at mudachickn@hotmail.com should there be details you need further information about. Alternatively, if there’s more granular stuff you want to discuss, we can do so on Skype next Monday. I also would like  to warn you that there might be changes but I frankly don’t think we should be expecting major ones at this point. Granted,  if there’s one thing this whole situation has made clear is that no plans are set in stone. In any case, it seemed more than reasonable to let you know about all of this sooner rather than later.

This information may prove a bit tough to understand. I apologise if the explanation is a bit convoluted. According, to the instructions we have received, a student whose mark in any given skill was 50% or higher at the end of the second module, that is, on the lists I posted on this blog in late March and early April, has already managed to pass that skill. If you have managed to get a pass in all the skills in the second module, you have earned right to enrol in C2 although you will not be given a C1 diploma.

The third module will end in mid June and it’ll be assessed online. You most probably won’t go back to school till September. I’ll keep proposing tasks for you to complete and giving you feedback. Presumably, there won’t be a final exam so your mark for whatever tasks you didn’t  manage to pass in March will be an average of the tasks you need to hand in during this last module.

In order for you guys to obtain your C1 diploma you would need to sit the usual certification test that will only take place once this year in September. You would have to get a global mark of 65% to pass the test and get a certificate. If your global mark is in the range of 50%-65% you would be able to enrol in the C2 class that will predictably be taught in our school starting in Autumn this year. Should your mark for any of the individual skills be lower than 50%, you would have to retake the C1.2 course.

A2. Tercer trimestre.

Os informo a continuación de lo que se sabe por el momento sobre la tercera evaluación. Si alguien tiene preguntas sobre este asunto, os animo a mandarme un mail a mudachickn@hotmail.com.

Según las directrices que hemos recibido,  cualquier destreza que estuviera aprobada en el segundo trimestre, estaría aprobada a todos los efectos. Algunxs de vosotros aprobasteis todas las destrezas en marzo. Bien, según dichas instrucciones esxs alumnxs habrían aprobado ya.

El curso se podrá aprobar también durante este trimestre  por evaluación continua y por destrezas ya que no se prevé que haya examen presencial hasta la evaluación extraordinaria de septiembre.  En este tercer trimestre, aunque se esté trabajando sobre algunos contenidos nuevos, la evaluación se centrará en los contenidos mínimos del primer y segundo trimestres. Así que seguiré proponiendo tareas que servirán para que sepáis como vais y para daros una nota del tercer trimestre por destrezas a mediados de junio. En septiembre se prevé que haya un  examen presencial para aprobar las destrezas que no se hayan superado.

Monday, April 27, 2020

A2 Week 7 chats

A2 students!!! Whoever wants to get individual practice on Skype next week, just needs to leave their  Skype username in the comment section below. We’ll deal with one of the oral interactions tasks I asked to work on.

Tengo planeada una actividad de practica de interacción oral individual por Skype. Lxs alumnxs que quieran participar tendrán que preparar las interacciones orales de la uno a la diez y dejar su nombre de usuarix en los comentarios.

C1.2 week 7 chats

I’m planning to have short one-on-one Skype sessions next week. Whoever is interested just has to leave their Skype username on the comments section, click on the link below, watch the clip, take extensive notes and prepare to have a conversation about free will vs determinism.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

C1.2 Week 6

Textbook. Unit 8.1. Pages 92 and 93.


I've got a few of your anecdotes via email already. Keep sending them! By the way, I haven't heard from Ruth, Lorena, Eli or Rafa for a long time. Guys, you were by far the most active students in the C1 A class before the lockdown. It'd be great if you guys could leave a comment and/or send me your anecdotes. I hope you're doing fine.

A2 Week 6

This week you don’t have homework from the textbook. But I need you to keep working on your oral interactions the way we did with practical English in class. Try working on 3 different ones everyday.  This week you should at least practise 10 interactions.

Example:

Oral Interaction 1 A

Talk to your partner about the things you do in your free time (sports, exercise, music, etc.), and find out if you have something in common. Try to interact as much as possible and avoid monologues.

Duration: 3 or 4 minutes.


Step 1. Try to think about 5 to 10 questions related to the topic.

1. What do you do in your free time?
2. What do you do for fun?
3. Do you enjoy practising sports?
4. What sports do you practise?
5. How often do you listen to music?
6. What about reading? Do you like reading?
7. What kinds of books do you like reading?
8. Are you interested in art?

Step 2. For each of the questions write down just one or two words to help you remember it.

1. free time
2. fun.
3. enjoy practising
4. sports practise?
5. listen to
6. what about.
7. kinds.
8. interested in.

Step 3. Ask and answer the questions out loud without reading from your notes.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

A2 Week 5

Textbook. 

Practical English. pages 104 and 105.

Blog.

Work with these two clips.

1. Listen and write down interesting vocab.
2. Listen again and stop the recordings after each question. Try to remember the answer and say it out loud.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc7M_tbCv-8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2xWg2ckKHI

Challenge.

Just watch this one about some briliant and some terrible dates. How much do you understand?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j9nei1ECv0

C1.2 Week 5

Textbook.
Pages 88, 89 (minus 5A, 5B and 6B) and 90.

Blog.
1. Watch the clips below and choose one.
2.  Jot down vocab you may want to use when retelling one of these anecdotes.
3. Email me your 250-word first person retelling before Tuesday, 27 of April.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu-DHRYM0Js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWwDeqorbH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkcVEQDStPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-GyolJZcAo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioSI3KsE2_k






Sunday, April 12, 2020

C1.2 week 4

Textbook.

Pages 85, 86 and 87.


Blog.

Work one of the following clips.

1. Watch all of the of the clips below and choose one to work with.
2. Select C1 combos in your anecdote and jot them down.
3. Retell the story or anecdote you chose making sure you use the slick new lexical gold you've just dug from the clip and striving to sound like the person that tells it


(0:30-6:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfmjmDnTbHQ

(2:25-4:01)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYRS0aXaBC8

(4:15-5:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sZH-psg9yE

(whole thing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEhiIr-dveE

(2:37- 4:34)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnqEFt8PTLg



A2 week 4



Textbook. Unit 7C. Pages 102 and 103.

Blog.
How to order drinks in a UK pub.

1. Listen and write down interesting vocab.
2. Listen again and repeat.
3. Listen again and stop the recording after each question. Try to remember the answer and say it out loud.
4. If you really want to challenge yourself, try to reproduce the whole conversation role playing all the characters involved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x47LCM_qkPk


More of the same. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkSp-aolM7o


How to order food in the U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6lArkT15l8

Same deal in Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUMPULuwdLI

How to ask for and understand directions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKLhepR2KY4

Monday, April 06, 2020

A2 redacción

Good afternoon, A2 people. 

You can email me your written pieces (page 203) until April 16 at mudachickn@hotmail.com. 

Have a lovely break.

C1.2 Easter Challenge

Have lovely break

Monday, March 30, 2020

C1.2 A and C1.2 CAL WEEK 3

textbook. Pages 82, 83 and 84. As an alternative to the poem by Roger McGough on page 83 I propose either these lyrics by Gareth Liddiard from the Australian band The Drones:
https://genius.com/The-drones-to-think-that-i-once-loved-you-lyrics

or  these ones by NYC-based producer and singer-songwriter Laetitia Tamko
https://genius.com/Vagabon-water-me-down-lyrics

Here are the clips in case you want to watch them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XibHLDrlUls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzFb1z_-Cvw


blog. As regards the review on page 82, you are free to deal with a film, series or piece of music you adore or loathe. You may want to check out some of these brill youtube channels to help you find the right pitch and vocab.

film. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSysjsNQHVM
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjQTkqdSMJxBBXnjKGqwcHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UemG7ofeOU&list=PLtDQTpmZVt5q14WIt9Mjgu_H7_uBTSMaq
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGciYgiR4atH8QsGhN4e8tOH0jrv3mJb3

(slightly mad) series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viZ378W15sQ&list=PLo1TdazaYsop1MOoBz87-Y_iWeNOMX4Fw&index=2


music. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp9fhaTIpUQ&list=PLrIyFAtNxiQZ6g7_4VEcG7BVag6KeHv2r
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDLuFyMR91wdF1E1w0ajdRMweyvcUUnnA


Friday, March 27, 2020

A2E and A2G

Good afternoon, A2 lot.

Me han informado de que os tengo que dar vuestras notas de la segunda evaluación antes del final de la semana que viene. Subiré los resultados (apto/no apto) por destrezas aquí. Por supuesto, una vez que volvamos a clase tendréis la oportunidad de ver vuestro examen. 
Aunque no diera tiempo a realizar esa prueba, se me exige que tengáis también una nota de ‘speaking’. Me basaré para darla en los resultados que obtuvisteis en diciembre y mis impresiones del día día en clase. Para quien lo prefiera existe la posibilidad de realizar una prueba individual por Skype. (Quien prefiera esta opción deberá dejar un comentario y su nombre de usuari@ de Skype antes del martes que viene)

Have a nice weekend.

C1.2 A and C1.2 CAL

Good afternoon, C1ers.

I’ve been informed that I  have to let you know how you did in your last test next week.. I ll be posting the initials (we’re not supposed to post lists with your full names) of the students that sat the test and a grade for each of the skills assessed. Of course, you’ll get to see your exams and get proper personalised feedback once things get back to normal. As for the speaking mark, which I am also supposed to give you feedback on, I can bear in mind the speaking grade you got in the December test and/or my informal observation in class.Alternatively, those of you who choose to can take an individual test conducted through Skype. Whoever wishes to take the test must let me know by next Monday at the latest. (Leave a comment here and make sure include a Skype username).

Have a nice weekend.

Monday, March 23, 2020

A2 week 2

Hello! Ground control to A2 students. Cat got your tongue? Doesn’t anyone have comments or questions or remarks to make?

Textbook. Unit 7A First day nerves. Pages 98 and 99.

Blog.
Work with these two videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpIQnLllZx0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnXk2h-fjJ8

1. Listen and repeat.
2. Listen again and stop the recording after each question. Try to remember the answer and say it out loud.

Work with these other two videos. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRA2v7GSaOw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xl8PD9gbF8&list=PLA5UIoabheFM281dIr4ojw9xOVoo9dOtw&index=2


1. Listen and repeat.
2. Write down interesting expressions

Week 2 C1.2

. Hey! Thanks a lot for your comments! Keep up the good work.

Textbook.
6.5 lookback page 78
7.1 Happy Ending? pages 80 and 81

Blog.

Work on an excerpt (20:20- 23:35) from an interview with economist Jeffrey Sachs. I’m posting the transcript to this section in the comments.

1. Listen to the excerpt while you read the transcript. Do it again and try listening and repeating simultaneously this time. Pretend you are Jeffrey Sachs.
2. Select C1 combos and jot them down.
3. Play the first question Mehdi Hasan asks and listen to Jeffrey Sachs answer. Stop the recording and improvise an answer using the lexical gold you dug.
4. Do the same with the rest of the questions.
5. Repeat 3 and 4 without resorting to the transcript.
https://theintercept.com/2020/03/12/capitalism-vs-the-coronavirus/

Work on an excerpt (7:22- 11:56) from an interview with economist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasión-Cortez and  professor Stephanie Keaton I’m posting the transcript to this section in the comments.

https://theintercept.com/2020/03/20/deconstructed-podcast-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-coronavirus-economy/

Same deal

Stay put!

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Week 1. A2

Hi, everyone.

Here’s what I suggest you may do this week.

New English File.
6C: pages 88 and 89
5&6 revise and check: pages 90 and 91 

Listen and repeat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXCLMdUEW9c


Week 1 C1.2

Hi, there.
As you all know regular classes were suspended last weekend. I hope everyone is doing fine and feeling up to keeping their English on point, though. Here's what I propose for this week:

Textbook:
Continue working on unit 6
6.3 Pages 74 and 75 
6.4 page 76

Blog:

Watch this clip. Make a list of 20 adjectives and 20 lexical collocations.

Watch this ted talk twice. Take notes. Sum up the talk orally.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

CAE listening comprehension sample tests galore

https://engexam.info/tag/cae-listening-test/