Today began with a meeting at 10am with AGADEA.
My dad will be starting some Alzheimer workshops on Wednesday and we needed to do some preliminary tests. More like a questionnaire than a test.
Back at home now, doing some work whilst listening to Keane in the background.
Class today at 19:30
Got a wee headache. Gonna take it easy for a little while.
Will read a book until it is time to go to class.
Back from class.
Today we spent most of the time with a couple of listening and comprehension exercises.
A couple of YouTube videos, then answering a few questions about each.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-tGX5gZJes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NySKjOTbHsU
There were very interesting videos, specially the second one.
I think that the main goal of the exercises was, more than just simply finding the literal answer to the questions, to answer them in your own words in a way that demonstrated that you did understand the answer and the points being made in the videos.
Also being able to 'discuss' the answers with your classmates.
We also talked at length about 'Lord of the Rings'! LOL (kidding)
Anyway, in the perchance that any of you, my esteemed classmates, is reading this ... I need help.
As some of you know, I commute to the classes from Boiro ... and someone mentioned that in Noia you have an 'English Speaking Cafe' or something to that effect; but it is a little bit out of the way for me.
The idea would be to start something like that in Boiro. An 'English Conversation Club' if you will.
So, is any of you aware of any similar activities in Boiro? Am I reinventing the wheel here?
How would you suggest I start publicising the club about?
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
:)
And one more thing ... the jobs of the future are the ones that have not been invented yet.
And the arts ... there is always space for the arts!
20190728
Last night I tried to go ahead and prepare lesson 1 from the book. Well, Unit 1.
As I mentioned in the previous post, each unit is divided in four main sections (A,B,C,D) and an extra one (E).
Took me a little while to decide on a set up, but I went with Google Keep in the end. Not the most intuitive and visually appealing, but I know it is compatible with my smartphone. Come to think about it again I should give Google Docs a try.
Then I started. Checking the book, reading the sections and taking notes.
I spent a little bit too much on the Getting Started section, but that was me being over enthusiastic.
So each one of the main parts is further divided into five sub-sections, numbered 1 to 5. These are each focusing on Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Speaking, Listening, Speaking, Writing ... or a combination of some of them.
And each one of those is also sub-divided into a few parts, between three and five, marked with letters a to e.
So you could be in Unit 1, Section 1A, Sub-section #3, part a.
It is like reading the bloody constitution! LOL
Anyway, each of the individual exercises is most definitely non-trivial.
Some require the input from other students, a bit like group discussions.
Some are more simple, like filling gaps in phrases.
Some involve listening to a short sound clip.
And so on.
Not a single one easy!
After a long while, and I am talking hours here, I managed to finish Sections 1A and 1B. And that is it!
Now, I also had to set up the online part of the book, and that took me a little bit.
And, I have a little bit of attention deficit ... well, I get distracted easily!
But I learned something.
I learned humility! This is not going to be a walk in the park!
20190927
I got the book from Amazon
- Cambridge Empower C1 Student's Book
When I first took it out of the packaging I though to myself: "That is very thin!"
And it is, no doubt.
But then I opened it and quickly browsed through it, I realised that they packed a lot in every page! There are hardly any gaps!
It looks a bit overwhelming at first glance tbh.
So I decided to look for help on YouTube as usual!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l43bhiDg0yM
The book is divided into 10 units and each one of them into 4 main parts (A to D) with an extra one each too (E), so basically 5 parts each.
Parts A and B of each unit seem to focus on Grammar and Vocabulary.
Part C seems to focus on Speaking and Pronunciation.
So it looks like the book comes with an online component to it. And after Part C of each unit there is a test to be taken online. It is called the Unit Progress Test.
Then Part D seems to focus on Writing.
A separate Part E focuses on something called Speaking Plus.
So there is a lot to the book! Definitely more than meets the eye!
- Cambridge Empower C1 Student's Book
When I first took it out of the packaging I though to myself: "That is very thin!"
And it is, no doubt.
But then I opened it and quickly browsed through it, I realised that they packed a lot in every page! There are hardly any gaps!
It looks a bit overwhelming at first glance tbh.
So I decided to look for help on YouTube as usual!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l43bhiDg0yM
The book is divided into 10 units and each one of them into 4 main parts (A to D) with an extra one each too (E), so basically 5 parts each.
Parts A and B of each unit seem to focus on Grammar and Vocabulary.
Part C seems to focus on Speaking and Pronunciation.
So it looks like the book comes with an online component to it. And after Part C of each unit there is a test to be taken online. It is called the Unit Progress Test.
Then Part D seems to focus on Writing.
A separate Part E focuses on something called Speaking Plus.
So there is a lot to the book! Definitely more than meets the eye!
20190926
Not feeling terribly well today.
Not sure what it is, a bit of anger and just general annoyance.
Anyway, I am sure tomorrow will be a better day.
I shared, very early in the morning, a YouTube video to the edmodo group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsn7_hKg7A
It is a lovely song by Tim Minchin. The video quality is rather bad, but it is what it is.
Love the bit when he sings towards the end about his brain: "I am not sure I've worked out how to work it ... It's not perfect, but it's mine ..."
I remember seeing him in Glasgow at the Armadillo, a lovely venue by the river ... whatever river goes through Glasgow, I don't know, let me check it ... the River Clyde of course!
It was a lovely show.
The next day we went to see Peter Kay next door at the SEC Centre, a much bigger arena.
Brexit and Trump in the news. I think that might be what is annoying me.
Later in the day Manuel uploaded a couple of things to the edmodo group.
A couple of documents that we discussed in the last class and an Andrew Neil interview of Jeremy Corbyn from a couple of years ago.
Always enjoyed Andrew's style of interviewing, very BBC but with added confrontation ...
Jeremy Paxman used to interview like that too, miss him on the Newsnight program.
Both Andrew and Jeremy have an appetite for blood ... as soon as they notice a small chink in the armor, they pounce on it and won't let go. Riveting television.
In the interview Manuel shared, Andrew is making hay of the fact that Jeremy Corbyn is well known for decades for his anti-nuclear weapons view, but now he has just been elected as leader of the Labour Party and in their annual conference the party approved a policy document that included a renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear system.
A very interesting contradiction, since he personally opposed it for years, but his party's policy is to renew it. And he has to follow party policy.
Almost funny.
....
Not sure what it is, a bit of anger and just general annoyance.
Anyway, I am sure tomorrow will be a better day.
I shared, very early in the morning, a YouTube video to the edmodo group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsn7_hKg7A
It is a lovely song by Tim Minchin. The video quality is rather bad, but it is what it is.
Love the bit when he sings towards the end about his brain: "I am not sure I've worked out how to work it ... It's not perfect, but it's mine ..."
I remember seeing him in Glasgow at the Armadillo, a lovely venue by the river ... whatever river goes through Glasgow, I don't know, let me check it ... the River Clyde of course!
It was a lovely show.
The next day we went to see Peter Kay next door at the SEC Centre, a much bigger arena.
Brexit and Trump in the news. I think that might be what is annoying me.
Later in the day Manuel uploaded a couple of things to the edmodo group.
A couple of documents that we discussed in the last class and an Andrew Neil interview of Jeremy Corbyn from a couple of years ago.
Always enjoyed Andrew's style of interviewing, very BBC but with added confrontation ...
Jeremy Paxman used to interview like that too, miss him on the Newsnight program.
Both Andrew and Jeremy have an appetite for blood ... as soon as they notice a small chink in the armor, they pounce on it and won't let go. Riveting television.
In the interview Manuel shared, Andrew is making hay of the fact that Jeremy Corbyn is well known for decades for his anti-nuclear weapons view, but now he has just been elected as leader of the Labour Party and in their annual conference the party approved a policy document that included a renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear system.
A very interesting contradiction, since he personally opposed it for years, but his party's policy is to renew it. And he has to follow party policy.
Almost funny.
....
20190925
Class later today @19:30
Very early in the morning I shared a YouTube link to the edmodo class group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3gyQLgr8m8
Its by Foil Arms & Hog ... been a long time since I saw a video of theirs. Quite funny!
Subscribed to their channel.
The video is about regional English accents, and it includes plenty of Irish ones too.
Then in the afternoon Manuel shared/created a quiz on edmodo.
It requires watching a YouTube video about the Finnish Myth of Sampo and then answering 9 multiple choice questions about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fLFOjruFc
I missed two answers, in questions 5 and 6.
I disagree with question number 5, I maintain I got the correct answer.
Question number 6 I consider a trick question. I can read the question in two ways.
Q: What was Ilmarinen's reward for making the sampo?
You can interpret that as:
#1 What reward was promised to Ilmarinen for making the Sampo?
#2 What reward did Ilmarinen get for making the Sampo?
I took meaning #1 ... yet the correct answer is for meaning #2
Anyway, it will teach me to slow down with the quizzes in future.
___
OK, class done now ...
We went through the Myth of Sampo quiz as an example of how these tasks will work in the future.
We discussed all the answers and Manuel realised that Q5 was indeed wrongly marked. So my final test result is 8/9.
I still think that Q6 was slightly unfair and it is more of a trick question than a tricky question.
Anyway. Moving on!
Then we discussed the merits of a learning diary/blog and we went through the motions of setting a simple one in Blogger.
There was a little group discussion about the differences between B1/B2/C1/C2 ... not too dissimilar to what we had discussed in the first class.
Back at home I tried to do the 'Puzzle' that Manuel had shared in Edmodo ... but I am not sure if I need to connect Edmodo to EdPuzzle or something; because it was not saving my progress at all.
And it also has a 'correct' answer incorrectly marked as correct in Q6.
Listening to the news on BBC whilst I write here. Trump is so full of crap!
Enough for today...
Very early in the morning I shared a YouTube link to the edmodo class group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3gyQLgr8m8
Its by Foil Arms & Hog ... been a long time since I saw a video of theirs. Quite funny!
Subscribed to their channel.
The video is about regional English accents, and it includes plenty of Irish ones too.
Then in the afternoon Manuel shared/created a quiz on edmodo.
It requires watching a YouTube video about the Finnish Myth of Sampo and then answering 9 multiple choice questions about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fLFOjruFc
I missed two answers, in questions 5 and 6.
I disagree with question number 5, I maintain I got the correct answer.
Question number 6 I consider a trick question. I can read the question in two ways.
Q: What was Ilmarinen's reward for making the sampo?
You can interpret that as:
#1 What reward was promised to Ilmarinen for making the Sampo?
#2 What reward did Ilmarinen get for making the Sampo?
I took meaning #1 ... yet the correct answer is for meaning #2
Anyway, it will teach me to slow down with the quizzes in future.
___
OK, class done now ...
We went through the Myth of Sampo quiz as an example of how these tasks will work in the future.
We discussed all the answers and Manuel realised that Q5 was indeed wrongly marked. So my final test result is 8/9.
I still think that Q6 was slightly unfair and it is more of a trick question than a tricky question.
Anyway. Moving on!
Then we discussed the merits of a learning diary/blog and we went through the motions of setting a simple one in Blogger.
There was a little group discussion about the differences between B1/B2/C1/C2 ... not too dissimilar to what we had discussed in the first class.
Back at home I tried to do the 'Puzzle' that Manuel had shared in Edmodo ... but I am not sure if I need to connect Edmodo to EdPuzzle or something; because it was not saving my progress at all.
And it also has a 'correct' answer incorrectly marked as correct in Q6.
Listening to the news on BBC whilst I write here. Trump is so full of crap!
Enough for today...
20190924
Big news from the UK Supreme Court
Parliament prorogation declared unlawful, void and of no effect.
Word of the day
Justiciable: Adj. subject to trial in a court of law
Also, f. franco made the news again. Hopefully the saga will end soon.
Manuel's suggestion on edmodo:
TED talk ... 10:45
The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová
https://youtu.be/o_XVt5rdpFY?t=504
Find effective methods which you can use systematically over a period of some time in a way which you enjoy
Brexitcast (podcast)
31:40
One Hale Of A Ride
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07p6mvr
Chris and Adam at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton
Katya in Brussels
Laura in Westminster, London
Parliament prorogation declared unlawful, void and of no effect.
Word of the day
Justiciable: Adj. subject to trial in a court of law
Also, f. franco made the news again. Hopefully the saga will end soon.
Manuel's suggestion on edmodo:
TED talk ... 10:45
The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová
https://youtu.be/o_XVt5rdpFY?t=504
Find effective methods which you can use systematically over a period of some time in a way which you enjoy
Brexitcast (podcast)
31:40
One Hale Of A Ride
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07p6mvr
Chris and Adam at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton
Katya in Brussels
Laura in Westminster, London
20190923
First class today.
So, we need a book that costs about 28% of the cost of the course.
Someone is definitely laughing all the way to the bank and it is not me!
Anyway. What did we do today? We went through some admin basics, visiting the EOI website and learning about the Edmodo app (class code w8ay45)
We also introduced ourselves briefly to the class and listed our reasons and objectives for doing the course.
Then we elaborated on the definition of C1, with all of us listing ideas of what being an English C1 level meant. We also looked at the 'definition' given by someone a few years ago in some official paper.
So it turns out that C1 is being able to communicate in English fluently and spontaneously.
The thing that 'scares' me the most is all that grammar malarkey. I know my grammar, but hate to have to memorise verb tenses and all that shit.
We also discussed the differences between C1 and C2 and it looks like the key difference is the word 'total'.
An English C2 level should be able to communicate in English with total fluency and total spontaneity. So, someone will have to decide when a person is fluent vs totally fluent.
I am not teacher, but that distinction looks very difficult to measure to me.
We were 10 at class today, but we were told that we are supposed to be 14.
Quite a difference in speaking fluency I noticed. Some are v good, some good and ... ... . IMO of course!
I already ordered the book:
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/8490362807
what else ... nothing that I remember now.
I am actually quite looking forward to the second class.
So, we need a book that costs about 28% of the cost of the course.
Someone is definitely laughing all the way to the bank and it is not me!
Anyway. What did we do today? We went through some admin basics, visiting the EOI website and learning about the Edmodo app (class code w8ay45)
We also introduced ourselves briefly to the class and listed our reasons and objectives for doing the course.
Then we elaborated on the definition of C1, with all of us listing ideas of what being an English C1 level meant. We also looked at the 'definition' given by someone a few years ago in some official paper.
So it turns out that C1 is being able to communicate in English fluently and spontaneously.
The thing that 'scares' me the most is all that grammar malarkey. I know my grammar, but hate to have to memorise verb tenses and all that shit.
We also discussed the differences between C1 and C2 and it looks like the key difference is the word 'total'.
An English C2 level should be able to communicate in English with total fluency and total spontaneity. So, someone will have to decide when a person is fluent vs totally fluent.
I am not teacher, but that distinction looks very difficult to measure to me.
We were 10 at class today, but we were told that we are supposed to be 14.
Quite a difference in speaking fluency I noticed. Some are v good, some good and ... ... . IMO of course!
I already ordered the book:
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/8490362807
what else ... nothing that I remember now.
I am actually quite looking forward to the second class.
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