Learning Mountain

Week 1 / Week 2: Term 1 / Assessment tasks: Level 1 VPAU 501 Plan Language Learning with Support / Level 2 VBQU117 Develop and Document a Learning Plan and Portfolio with Support

Welcome back to Duke Street! I hope you enjoyed the Summer holiday?

Let's think about Learning.

Learning English is like climbing a mountain ... it can be very difficult! But if you have good training and tools it can be a lot easier.

Discussion Exercise 1: What do you need to learn another language well? What tools do you need? Order these from 1-8 in importance:

motivation / dictionary / a teacher / other people to practice with / computer and internet / textbooks / a class / CDs, tapes and videos

Can you think of two other "tools" you need?

Discussion Exercise 2: Learning Mountain

We study Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking skills in our English class. Which skill is the easiest for you? Which skill is the most difficult?

1. Print out this Learning Mountain exercise
2. Fill it in by yourself - from easiest (base) to most difficult (peak)
3. In groups of 4 compare your Learning mountain. Are your feelings / opinions the same or different?

Download Learning Mountain worksheet (PDF 60kb)

Now compare your Learning Mountain about learning English to my own learning mountain about learning Spanish. Are your feelings / opinions similar to mine?

Download Dale's Learning Mountain worksheet (PDF 72kb)

Grammar: Adjective / Comparatives / Superlatives

easy --> easier --> the easiest

difficult --> more difficult --> the most difficult

the same --> the same as

different --> different to/from

similar --> similar to

Game: The Adjective Detectives

Learn more about Comparatives / Superlatives with this fun interactive game.

From The Childrens University of Manchester.

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Level 2 : Relative Clauses : ... who ..., ... which/that ..., ... where, ... what

Here is a simple mini-lesson for explaining how to use Relative Clauses (using guessing game quizzes)