Presentation 2 Spring 2013 Weeks 9 & 10: Finishing up the first project

Hello everyone,
Here's today's plan:

1. Finish your Self Introduction Presentations: copy and paste the text and record
2. Share your presentations with our Tsukuba Dai Presentation II Spring 2013 Voicethread Group.
3. Watch 5 of your classmates' presentations. Post a comment and ask a question on one slide of each of your 5 classmates' presentations
4. Go to your own presentation. Listen to your classmates' comments, make a reply, and ask a question.
5. Finally, go to English Central and get some more speaking practice.

You must finish all these tasks by tomorrow at 12 noon

Enjoy!!

Integrated English 1 2013 Week 8: End of term project

Your final project is a writing task. Please choose ONE of the following options:

• Write a short story (短編小説) about one of the characters in The Inverted Eagle. Create a story about the character’s life after the events in the Inverted Eagle, OR  
• If you don’t like any of the characters in the story, invent a character of your own, and write a story about him or her in the context of The Inverted Eagle.
• Write a new ending for The Inverted Eagle
• Write a review of The Inverted Eagle. Explain why you liked the story, or why you didn’t like the story.
• Write a review of Cup of Death. Explain why you liked the story, or why you didn’t like the story.

You must write at least 100 words. The top 3 stories will be published on this blog and the writers will win a graded reader. The top 3 reviews will be published on Marcus Benevides’ Teach Your Own Adventure Blog (http://www.cyoateacher.com/). Please be honest. Negative reviews have a chance of winning too.

Please click the link to read some of the previous winners' stories.

You must submit your final project by Thursday 20th June at 12:00 noon. Please submit one copy by e-mail, and one printed copy. Please put the printed copy in my mailbox (#FLC 23) on the fourth floor of the Foreign Language Centre, just outside Room CA403.

Finally, please click the links to download your style sheet and your writing error codes sheet.

Enjoy!!!

Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2013 Semester 1 Week 7: Final Exam Study Guide

iStockphoto

Hello everyone,
Well we've come to the end of the Spring Semester. Wow! That was fast!! The next time we meet it will be time for the final test. The final test will be:
Monday the 17th of June.
Please click the link to download your study guide.

Let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English Vocabulary. 
Next, let's review all blog posts from this semester. Please click the link:
Cross Cultural Awareness & English Spring 2013

By the way, I found something very interesting, a Konkatsu app! It's called Shall we date? "KONKATSU" for marriage. You can see a screen shot of the app in the image on the left. It's available in the American Apple App Store. Interestingly, I couldn't find this app in the Japanese App store.





Study hard! See you next week.

Integrated English 1 2013 Week 7: The Inverted Eagle Chapters 5 & 6 Review

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to find out whodunit!
First, let's study the chapter 5 and chapter 6 vocabulary. Please click the link.
Please look at the mind map on the left. A new suspect has been added. Look at the image and add more notes to yuor Detective's Notebook.


Now let's read Martina R's chapter 5 and chapter 6 summaries. Make more notes in your Detective's Notebook, using facts from Martina's summaries.

Finally it's time for our last 2 quizzes. Next week we will start our project.

Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2013 Semester 1 Week 6: Love and Marriage in Japan

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to start our last unit - Love and marriage in Japan. We will also start out final project.

First, let's review some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English Class 2013/2014.

Now click the link to download today's handout:
Love and marriage in Japan

Please submit your essays by e-mail by Thursday 6 June at 12 pm.

See you next week!

Presentation 1 2013 Week 7: Final Presentation preparation

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to start preparing for our final presentation.
First let's watch a video. What "tips" for a great presentation does the video give? There are eight tips.




 OK, next week is our last class. Have fun preparing your presentations!

Presentation 2 Spring 2013 Weeks 7 & 8: More about Voicethread

Hello everyone,
Last week we ran out of time, so let's register for VoiceThread today. Please click the link: Register a new account. After you have registered please watch this video: What's a Voicethread Anyway?

I have created a Voicethread group for us. Please click the link to join the group:
Tsukuba Dai Presentation II Spring 2013 Voicethread Group.


Now, lets learn how to comment. Please click the link and watch My Self Introduction. Then please make a comment and ask a question on each slide.



Next, let's upload our slides. I will come round and show each of you.

Next week we will finish our Voicethread presentations!

Integrated English 1 2013 Week 6: The Inverted Eagle Chapter 4 Review

Hello everyone!
Today we are going to review Chapter 4 and do the Chapter 4 quiz.
Look at the image above. The image is a mind map showing the suspects, their motives and their lies. Using information from the mind map, make notes in your Detectives Notebook.

Let's review some vocabulary from Chapter 4. Please click this link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 4.

Now look at the comments on the Week 5 lesson blog post. Who did the most students choose as the number one suspect? What were the reasons they gave for their choice?

Next week we will review Chapters 5 and six. We will also do the Chapters 5 and 6 quizzes. Please read Chapters 5 and 6. Please solve the puzzles. Also, don't forget to make good notes in your Detectives' Note Book.
Enjoy!

Presentation 1 2013 Week 6: The Comparative presentation & how to write an introduction

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to do our comparative presentations. Then we'll start working on our final presentations. Today we'll talk about introductions.

Please click the link to download your final presentation worksheet.

Next week we will talk about the body and the conclusion.

See you!

Presentation 2 Spring 2013 Week 6: Introduction to Voicethread

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to do a lot of speaking practice. First, let's do some speaking practice using English Central. If you haven't joined our class on English Central, please click the link for your class:
Presentation 2: Tuesday 5th.
Presentation 2: Wednesday 3rd.

Now you are member of the class I set up on English Central. Please choose a video and do some speaking practice. While you are using English Central I will come round to each of you and check your PowerPoint Presentations. After I have checked your PowerPoint presentations, please make the changes that I have requested.

Next, let's register for VoiceThread. Please click the link: Register a new account. After you have registered please watch this video: What's a Voicethread Anyway?

Now, lets learn how to comment. Please click the link and watch My Self Introduction. Then please make a comment and ask a question on each slide.

That's all for today. Next week you will make your own VoiceThreads.

Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2013 Semester 1 Week 5: Love and Marriage in Bangladesh

Hello everyone, Today we will continue discussing Love and Marriage. Look at the picture above. This is a picture I took of a Bangladeshi bride and groom at a wedding reception I attended in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In the photo below you can see me with my colleagues. The men, including me, are wearing a traditional Bengali shirt called a "panjabi". This shirt is called a Kurta in India. We were a little embarrassed because all the Bangladeshi men wore European business suits. 


 


Let's listen to two people talking about Love and Marriage in Bangladesh. Some people in Bangladesh have arranged marriages. Let's listen to a conversation about arranged marriages on my friend Todd Beukens' great website English Listening Lesson Library Online (ELLLO). Please listen to the conversation and do the quiz. 

Next, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross cultural awareness and English vocabulary.

Now, let's learn more about Bengali weddings. Please click the link. Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What is a Ghotok?
2. What are the parts of the Bengali wedding?
3. What is Gaye holud? 
4. What is the Mahr?
5. Who arranges the wedding ceremony?
6. What do many of the wedding ceremony traditions revolve around?
7. Who arranges the reception?
8. What is the "flower bed" ceremony?

Finally, please leave a comment. What do you think of Bengali wedding traditions?

Presentation 2 Spring 2013 Week 5: Making slides

Death by Powerpoint (and how to fight it)

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to learn about making good slides. So many presenters make very bad slides that we have a new expression in English: Death by Powerpoint. Click the link to read a Japanese blog post about Death by Powerpoint.

You can get some great FREE tips from Garr Reynolds' website too.

OK, let's make some great slides now! Please use your own photos and images, or if you don't have your own photos and images please use only photos and images with a Creative Commons licence. You can read about Creative Commons licences here: クリエイティブ・コモンズ. You can find Creative Commons Images on Flickr, or by doing an advanced search in Google.
Please finish your slides by the end of the class.
Next week we will learn about Voicethread!

Integrated English 1 2013 Week 5: The Inverted Eagle Chapter 3 Review & Quiz 3

Hi everyone! Today we are going to review Chapter 3.

Illustration by Yuji Tachikawa. CC V1.0 Some rights reserved

First, let's review some vocabulary. Click this link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 3 Vocabulary.

Now let's read a great summary of Chapter 3 by Martina R., a student in Stuttgart, Germany:

Chapter 3 – The Hospital

The first lie: Judith told Ellie that she lied concerning the combination of the wall safe, she gave the numbers to Kevin. Because of her age, Judith forgot, that she also gave the combination to Miguel. After this, Ellie wanted to hear the whole story. Judith started to tell the story which had begun a month ago with the purchase of a beautiful stamp.

At the end of the conversation between Ellie and Judith Reed, Yokota, a colleague of Ellie, and Kevin entered the room. Ellie saw Kevin and she accused him of lying to her.

The next steps: Elle checked the stories of the involved people and wanted to search the house from the top to bottom.

After that, Ellie drove to the hospital where Evan and Nancy Reed were staying. Nancy was sleeping  and Even was telephoning someone with his cell phone. Ellie stopped in front of the door and tried to understand the call between Evan and the other person. The words (which) she heard were “Brian … investors …. excited about the project – to get money together”. ...a few seconds after the  call, Ellie went into the room and introduced herself to the Reeds. Then she told the Reeds a part of her investigation. It was surprising, that Evan accused his son of committing the robbery, because the Reeds wanted that Kevin tried to find a job and they had informed him that they were stopping his monthly allowance. Later, Ellie asked the Reeds to describe the occurrences which happened last night separately?

At the end of the Chapter, Yokota called Ellie and told her that there might be a new motive ….

You can read Martina's entire review of  The Inverted Eagle on Karenne Sylvester's great blog Kalinago English.

Finally, please post a comment. Who do you think  dunit? Click the link to learn how to post a comment.

Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2013 Semester 1 Week 4

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to review last week's class and then talk about Jewish wedding traditions. 

First, let's review some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English Vocabulary.

One of the Greek wedding traditions we learned about last class was the tradition of throwing rice at the end of the ceremony. Sophia Mavridi, a teacher in Athens, told me that this tradition has been officially banned in many places because some people over did it and disturbed the ceremony. Throwing rice or confetti is a tradition at some weddings in Canada too, but many churches have banned throwing rice and confetti because confetti is difficult to clean up, and people can slip and fall on rice.

Let's listen to a mantinada. The song is called
Ο ΥΜΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΑΝΑΣ - ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΖΕΡΒΑΚΗΣ . 
Please click the link.

Vicky Loras tells us that the title means, "Hymn to Mother". The singer says that there are many kinds of love in the world but the one kind of love that stands out is love for one's mother. Why do you think that a man might sing a song about his love for his mother at his wedding?

Here is a mantinada shared by Christina Markoulaki,  a teacher in Heraklion, which is the capital of Crete:

Σιγά-σιγά μη βιάζεστε κι η πόρτα μας θ’ ανοίξει, γιατί έχει η νύφη αδέλφια και γονείς να τσ’ αποχαιρετίσει. 

Christina says, "...this mantinada warns the guests not to hurry because the bride will take her time to say goodbye to her family." This matinada shows the very strong connection between the couple and the family, which Christina says is,"... an entirely Greek phenomenon!"

Let's listen to this mantinada now.

 Ok, now let's turn to p.135 in our text book. Let's read about Jewish wedding traditions.
See you next week.