Week 4, Term 3: What is it used for?

Look at these Japanese inventions.

What are they used for?

Do you think they are useful?



Have you got one of those things you use for ...?
Have you got some of that stuff you use for ...?

Often we do not know the name in English for something. Even native English-speakers do not know the names of many tools, instruments or products they may need.

It helps if we can DESCRIBE the object we need the best way we can.

Remember the ORDER OF ADJECTIVES we studied last week? (opinion -> size -> age -> shape -> colour -> origin -> material -> purpose). These can also help us describe something we do not know the name of so someone else can guess and help us.

eg.

Person A: Have you got some of that black, sticky stuff you use for cleaning shoes?
Person B : Do you mean 'shoe polish'?
Person A: Yes, that's it! Have you got any? Can I borrow some?
Person B: Sure! Here you are.
Person A: Thanks a lot
Person B: You're welcome.

PAIR WORK:

With a friend create some dialogues like the one above. Pretend you do not know what these objects are:

PLIERS
AN EGG FLIPPER
CHOP STICKS
A SET OF SCALES

With a friend record a DIALOGUE at Voxopop in the discussion called BORROWING THINGS / ASKING FOR STUFF ... CLICK HERE

PASSIVE VOICE:

In class we have been using the ACTIVE VOICE to describe objects. However, we often use the PASSIVE VOICE INSTEAD.

eg. ACTIVE VOICE :

You use a set of scales for finding out how much you weigh.

PASSIVE VOICE:

A set of scales is used for finding out how much you weigh.

We use PASSIVE VOICE when we are more interested in what the OBJECT does rather than who the SUBJECT of the action is.

CLICK here to do an exercise on WHAT THINGS ARE (USED) FOR

ACCESS 2 & 3

A CAR FOR EVERYONE?

Would you like this car? It's from India. What is it's name? What type of car is it?




CLICK HERE FOR THE WORKSHEET. PRINT THE WORKSHEET AND WATCH THE VIDEO AGAIN. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.

We studied the following in class:

Used for / used to (purpose)
used by (person)
to be used to (accustomed)
used to (remote past tense)

Study the difference in meaning.

Exercise 1:

Do this exercise Used to do or Be Used to. Click here.

Exercise 2 :
Write a short paragraph in the COMMENTS section below.

Tell me what you think about the REVA Electric car? What do you like about the car? What don't you like? Are there problems with REVA , especially driving here in Australia?

Week 3, Term 3: Describing People and Things

This week in class we are DESCRIBING PEOPLE and THINGS. Watch the fashion show above. Do you like the clothes?

What clothes can you see : skirts? jackets? ... What colours are they? ... What are they made of?

What do you think this English expression means: CLOTHES MAKETH THE MAN

Do you think fashion is important? Is beauty important?

What do you think this English expression means: BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER


MR WORLD 2007



Do you like beauty contests? Here is Mr.World 2007, Juan Garcia from Spain.

Can you write a short paragraph about him using full sentences? Leave your description in the COMMENTS section below.







Name:
Age:
Clothes (colour, material):
Hair (length, type, colour):
Height (approximate):
Weight (approximate):

Level 2 and 3 ...

For more information about Juan go to: http://www.mrworld.tv/index.php/en/mr-world

*What are Juan's interests?
*What is his job?
*What is he studying?
*What is his life goal?

Here is Juan winning the award in 2007. Do you think he is the most handsome man in the World?



GRAMMAR: Order of Adjectives

In class you learnt the formula : opinion -> size -> age -> shape -> colour -> origin -> material -> purpose

Click here to find out about the correct order of adjectives in English. Read the explanation and do the exercises.

Exercise #2 : Click here to do an exercise that teaches you the correct/incorrect order of adjectives.


SPEAKING : What do you look like? What are you wearing today? Tell the class at VOXOPOP.COM (click here).


FOR FUN ... take a look at these 'bloopers' on the catwalk :

Week 2, Term 3: Where were you ...?

Where were you 40 years ago when the first man walked on the moon? What were you doing? Did you watch the event on TV or listen on radio? Did you read about it in the newspaper?

This week we have been talking about important historical events.

Level 2 and 3 students will give short talks, some of which we will video and record.

Choose one of the 'big events' in your lifetime. We discussed the following in class (but you can choose something different if you like).

1. The end of the Soviet Union (1990)

2. September the 11th terrorist attack (2001)

3. Democracy comes to Portugal (1974)

4. The fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

5. The assassination of John F. Kennedy (1964)

6. the Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004)

QUESTIONS:

(i)Where were you when the event happened?
(ii) What were you doing?
(iii) How and when did you hear about it?
(iv) How did you feel? What was your reaction?

Watch the videos and do some research using Google search - web and images. You can use pictures in your class talk if you like.

RECORD YOUR TALK / INTERVIEW WITH A FRIEND AT VOXOPOP IN THE DISCUSSION 'WHERE WERE YOU...? IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENTS IN OUR LIFETIMES'. CLICK HERE.

Please feel free to contribute to the Voxopop discussion - even if you are a teacher or outside follower of this blog. We appreciate your contribution.

We are also looking at the use of FOR / SINCE / AGO. Click here to do some online exercises.

Week 1, Term 3: Singing in the Rain

What's the weather like?



CLICK HERE FOR THE LYRICS TO 'SINGING IN THE RAIN'



Click here to get the weather forecast where you live.

Do you like hot or cold weather? What's the weather like where you live? Is it likely to rain? Is the weather in Melbourne like the weather in Sydney?

The word 'like' in English has many uses. It can be very confusing. Do you understand the difference between:

to like
to be like
to be likely

What does the expression "like father, like son" mean?

INTERNATIONAL WEATHER - WHERE IS IT LIKELY TO RAIN?

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE INTERNATIONAL WEATHER FORECAST


In class we discussed the use of TO BE LIKELY / UNLIKELY. Click the link below and using the 0-50% (unlikely) / 60-100 % (likely) formula list 5 countries where it is likely to rain.

(ii) Choose one of the international cities and tell a friend or your teacher the weather forecast for the coming week.

Level One : Telling the time (Matching Games)

There are two types of clocks - analogue and digital. We can tell the time in different ways. We practiced this in class, now let's play some fun matching games ...

CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE 'TELLING THE TIME' MATCHING GAMES














LISTENING : Telling the time - Clocks and Watches


CLICK HERE TO DO A LISTENING EXERCISE ABOUT TELLING THE TIME