The Melbourne Cup

Week 5 + 6 / Week 7 +8 / Week 9 + 10 / VU21461 / Melbourne Cup / Comparing / Colours and Patterns / Odds and Statistics / Numeracy / money / second conditional / modals / percentages / If + Past Perfect / VU21458: Fomatted Texts / VU21462 : Explore Community Options : Culture

VU21461

"The race that stops a nation." It is Melbourne Cup time

ABC Website - Form Guide

Homework 1

Download my Melbourne Cup 2018 assignment you can use with the above site

Download the Comprehension Worksheet about the Melbourne Cup

Money, Money, Money

There will be lots of money splashing around Flemington Racecourse. But what do you know about Australia's banknotes?

Visit the Reserve Bank of Australia website for some great activities


Homework 2

Learn about Banknotes (Mathematics / History)

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VU21458 / VU21461 : Volunteering / Using Online Forms and In-site Search Engines

This fortnight let’s continue practising language skills that assist in gaining employment. Not all work, however, has to be paid and volunteering as we know provides an opportunity to develop skills, gain experience, make friends and contacts, all of which, can lead to getting a paid job.

Let’s use this site in class ...



Go Volunteer Australia

VU21458 : Read and Write Formatted Texts

They say "where you are born is a lottery". What do you think that means?

Grammar: If it were my home (2nd Conditional) +modals would or could / If +had been

Let's continue looking at the conditional and ways of speaking that are/were "unreal" or "hypothetical" (could /would have been)

There are advanatages and disadvantages being born anywhere in the world. Some countries (like Australia) are obviously luckier than others. Let's compare standards of living in other countries using the website ifitweremyhome.com

If you had been born in Argentina instead of Australia …

Homework 3

Compare AUSTRALIA with ...

Italy / Lebanon / Mauritius / Myanmar / Indonesia / Thailand / Eritrea / China

a) Go to the website. Choose three areas of advantage and two areas of disadvantage.
b) Can you create a table and organise the information so we can compare the information easily

Money, Money, Money (ABBA, 1976)

Download the lyrics





VU21462 : Art and Culture in Wyndham

Let us prepare for our visit to the Cultural Centre to see the "Overwintering Exhibition"

What is the "Overwintering Project"?  / Read about it here

Choose your favourite work of art here. Save the image to your device and talk about it with another classmember. What do you like about it? / Read about the artists here

What facilities are there at the Wyndham Cultural Centre?

Read about this other cultural venue ...

Saltwater Art Studio

Where is it? Contact details? What can you learn here?


VU21461 : Internet Safety : Tracking

Are you being tracked? Watch the video below .

Read the tutorial on tracking here. 
We will do some exercises in class before our assessment task Week 6




***https://govolunteer.com.au/

Job Interviews 2, Phishing, Wyndham History

Week 3 + 4 : VU21456 : Job Interviews / VU21461 : Internet Safety / VU21462: Community Service and Leisure Options (Services) / Grammar : IF +would (second conditional) 

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(Source: Briya Classes) 

This week we continue our study about job interviews. Watch the clip above.

Exercise 1: Make a list of all the things the girl in the interview does wrong.

Does she do anything right? How could she make a better impression?

Exercise 2 : Replay and pause the video. Write down the interviewer's questions

Exercise 3: Practice answering the questions with a partner

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Modern Times (1936)



Watch this clip from the Charlie Chaplin film, "Modern Times" (1936)

Have you worked in a factory or on an assembly line?
What do you think Charlie is suggesting about factory work?
What do you think about worker's rights?

Vocabulary : Owner / Manager / Superviser / Line Manager / Workers / time clock / production line / assembly line / exploitation / Capitalist / profits / wages / work conditions / labour / union

Grammar : If + would (2nd Conditional)

Homework 1 : Murphy (If + would)

If you had a million dollars …




...what would you do?

Here is an explanation and exercise for you to complete (Grammarbank.com)


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VU21461 : Internet Safety : Spam and Phishing

Spam and Phishing Assignment

Download this assignment to use in your email account

You can learn more by reading the tutorials and watching the videos on GCF Free Learn clips about internet safety

Homework 1 : Read through the tutorial and complete the exercises

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VU21462 / Using Google Maps : Services in Werribee - Assignment 6

In preparation for our last assessment task for this unit let's use Google Maps to find some useful services in Central Werribee.

Homework 2 / Classwork : Download and complete Assignment 6

History

Last week we visited the Wyndham Museum.
We saw many interesting displays about Wyndham, past and present.

Homework 3 : Use the Wikipedia website about Werribee to answer questions I give you in class

We have also visited the city's most famous landmark ... Werribee Mansion

Job Interviews, Centrelink, Shopping Safely Online

Week 1 & 2 Term 4 / VU21458.3/VU21458.4 Read and Write a Form / VU21456.2 Calling a Tradesman / Job Interviews / Grammar : Talking about what we have achieved in the past  / VU21461 : Internet Safety

Job Interviews


(Job Interview : I want to learn (ESL) ESL Learning.com)

Talking about past experience of work
Talking about what we are good at
Talking about the skills we have
Talking about the skills we need to develop
Talking about why we want a job
Talking about ourselves as people
Asking questions about a job we are applying for
Knowing how to make a good impression

We need the words to talk about all of these things confidently.

1) Watch the video above. How well does Mary go?
2) Brainstorm the parts of the interview with your teacher

Homework 1 : Look at this site (Common Interview Questions) - ThoughtCo.com
Complete the cloze exercise I give you in class. Preparation for a role play next week


Talking about Ourselves

We read stories about the achievements of Helen Keller, Charles Blondin and Amy Johnson.

Here is the clip from the movie, "The Miracle Worker" (1962) about Ann Sullivan, a great teacher who taught her pupil, Helen Keller. Helen later became one of the most famous teachers in the world.

Here is the clip we watched. Helen learns to associate touch and language ( warning: very moving!)



Grammar : Relative Clauses

Ann Sullivan was a teacher who taught deaf and blind people.
A school is a place where people learn.
Braille is a written language which blind people read through touch.

Possessive (whose)

The film is about a teacher whose student learns to communicate through sign language and braille.

Homework 2 : Unit 17 Relative Clauses : Murphy (I will give you in class) / Relative Clauses - Defining and Possessive


Reading and Writing : FORMS (Centrelink)

Let's practice reading and writing a range of Centrelink related forms (in preparation for our assessment task in Week 3)

Let's look at the first one or two pages of this Real Estate Details Form

Other Centrelink forms you can download

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VU21461 : Internet Safety

There are 14 Tutorials you can access.

Internet Safety Videos and Tutorials (GCF LearnFree.org)

We will look at 2 areas this week for our last assessment task of the year (Week 8)

Browser Safety ...



Online Shopping Advice ...

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Accidents Happen 2

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Cert 2 in EAL Weeks 9 and 10 homework / VU21458 Read and Complete forms / VU21462 Local Community : Recreational Facilities

VU21458 : Filling Out Forms / Accident Reports

In the last two weeks of our Certificate 2 class we looked at a number of accidents that happened - on the road and in the workplace

Here is a classic video from Worksafe showing an accident in a kitchen
(Warning: this video contains disturbing images)



Download /read the (fictional) inspector's Workplace Assessment Report about the accident here

The language is difficult but if you look for the key information we discussed in class, you should be able to answer these questions ...

Who had the accident?
Where did it happen?
How did it happen?
What were the kitchen hand's injuries?
Whose fault was the accident?
What are the inspector's findings?
What are the inspector's recommendations?

Other Worksafe videos can be viewed here.

What should have / shouldn't have happened?

In class we will use the report and your homework answers to complete an accident form.

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Listening / Watching / Reading Comprehension : Risks and Dangers : Le Parkour "Free-Running"

Sometimes we all need to take risks in life. But are some activities so dangerous we should not do them?

Exercise 1 - Viewing/Discussion : Watch the video. What is "Le Parkour" or "Free-Running"?



BENEFITS (eg. develop fitness)
RISKS/DANGERS (eg. break bones)

Review : Giving advice

What advice would you give to someone interested in starting this activity?

Practice using these openers in your discussion ...

*If I were you ...
*You should/shouldn't ... / You ought to / oughtn't ...
*It would be a good idea ...
*Don't ...
*Remember to ... / Don't forget to ...

***

Exercise 2 - Listening/Dictation/Vocabulary: About Free-Running

1) Download the fold/listen/fill the gap worksheet (fold the answers out of sight)

2)  Listen to the dictation "Free-Running" (Mp3 - 400k) here

3) Fill in the gaps
4) Check your answers on the fold/listen/fill the gap sheet

(Remember: you can right click on the Mp3 link to download the dictation to your computer. Keep it in your own listening text collection for future use)

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Exercise 3 - Reading : Free Running (from New Headway, Oxford Uni Press)

In class we read a story about one of the pioneers of Free Running or 'Le Parkour'. If you missed the class, ask me for a copy of the one-page story.

Download my Reading Comprehension Questions here

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VU21462 : My Local Community : Recreational Facilities

Do you like swimming?

Do you go to your local pool?

As we discussed in class, swimming centres now have many other activities apart from the pool.

Do you know where the two main swimming pools in Wyndham are located?






Download VU21462 Assignment 4 : Recreational Activities and complete for homework (Wyndham students only)

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Accidents Happen

Conversation Class Weeks 2 and 3 / EAL Cert 2 Weeks 7 and 8 homework / VU21456.2 transactional exchanges VU21458 Forms / Workplace Accidents / Road accidents / Reading workplace accident reports / Giving Advice / Modals of lost opportunity "should have" / advice imperatives/

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(Source: What's the Law? Legal Aid Victoria)

What do you do if you have an accident -- or if someone damages your car?

Spelling/Vocabulary:

insurance / registration / cover / third party / comprehensive / compulsory /accident / damage / police /

Watch the video and discuss or answer the questions ...

Questions

1) What do the drivers exchange?

2) Does car registration cover the driver for damage to another car?

3) What does Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Insurance cover? What doesn't it cover?

4) What is Third Party Property (TPP) insurance? What does it cover? What doesn't it cover?

5) What does Comprehensive Insurance cover?

Transcript of the video story

Watch other video stories about the Law here (Legal Aid Victoria)

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Grammar

*Should (advice)
*Should have (regret) ...

SHOULD (level 1)

What should you do if you have a minor car accident?

First of all, you should stay calm. You should make sure the other driver is ok. What else should you do?

Try this cloze exercise/dictation (Word)

What other advice would you give someone in these situations ...

*Your friend's wife leaves him for another man
*Your son wants to start his own business but has no money
*Your neighbours have parties everynight and you can't sleep

Try this Grammar exercise (Should/Shouldn't) about healthy living (Oxford Uni Press)

SHOULD HAVE (level 2)

Using "should have" is quite different to using "should".

"Should" is for advice. eg. You should stay calm
"Should have" is for regret. (something you did not do in a past situation and now there is a bad consequence) eg. You should have stayed calmed (instead you got angry and now everyone is upset)

Try this exercise (BBC)

Here is a video about "should have" and some other "modals of lost opportunity" ..."would have" and "could have" ... (expressoenglish.net)

Conversation Class Week 1 and 2 : Getting to Know You

Welcome

I'm Dale, your teacher. I wonder what questions you are going to ask me (and I will ask you?)
You can find out a little bit about me here :-)

When you meet someone for the first time what questions are OK to ask?
What things are OK to talk about? Which things are not OK to talk about?

Exercise 1

Decide if these questions and comments are POLITE (OK) ✓or IMPOLITE ✘(not OK) when you talk to someone for the first time ...

• What do you do for a living?
• Why don't you have any children?
• Tell me a little about yourself
• Whereabouts do you live?
• What's your street and house number?
• How old are you?
• Have you visited any other countries?
• Do you play or follow any sports?
• You're really good looking, you know.
• How long have you been in Australia?
• What shocking weather we're having!

Download this worksheet for you and partner to complete

***

Exercise 2 : Practice Dialogue : Making Conversation (OUP)

Click here or on the picture above to visit the OUP site.

We will use this dialogue in class but you can also use it at home for your own practice.
Print the dialogue and change it to talk about you in your local area.

Exercise 3 : Watch Our ESL Soapie for the Semester ...

"Sisters and Brothers" (Living English / Australia Plus) 

Pay attention to what people say when meeting one another for the first time ...

 

Spelling Names

Watch these people introducing themselves and spelling their names ...



You can do some simple exercises about the video here. (from Real English - Lesson 6)

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Grammar : Past Simple for Talking about Ourselves
This week and next we will focus on the Past Simple for talking about ourselves just in the way Maria and Carmen did in the stories we read (Passages to English 2)

We need to know how to form the past with regular verbs (using -ed / d)

We need to know some irregular past verbs (eg. make ---> made)

We need to know how to form questions (using the helping verb "Did / Didn''t ...?"

Lots of exercises here (just do a few) (First English Org)

Many people new to English find the correct pronunciation of -ED difficult because it changes depending on the final sound of some verbs --- /id/ /t/ /d/

Here is a chart to help you ... (Woodward English)

Watch the video if you need to practice more ...


That's it ... see you next Wednesday!

My Wyndham

Weeks Five and Six Homework / VU21456 : Assessment E.1 / VU21458 : Assessment E.1 and E.2 / VU21461 : Assessment E.3 (Write and email) / VU21462 : Locating Services and Leisure Activities in the City of Wyndham

VU21461 / VU21462 : Walking in Wyndham

I am new to the city. You, my students, are teaching me. Thank you! I am quickly learning that Wyndham has many wonderful walks and sites to visit.

We have been using the Walking Maps Website to find walks around Wyndham and the areas where we live.

• How long does the walk take?
• How far is the walk?
• How difficult is the walk?
• What are the main points of interest along the walk?

Download our comprehension worksheet and then find a walk close to where you live (Word doc)

Tell your classmates
about it!

Mini-Excursion ...at lunch time we walked from class and completed part of the Werribee Central River Walk on a sunny Winter's afternoon

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VU21456 E.2 : Simple Transactions : Going to the Hairdresser or Barber

Introduction : When you go to the hairdresser what do you say ...?

Let's talk about hair, haircuts and hair styles.

Do you like your hair? Where do you get your hair cut? Would you like a new hairstyle?
Would you like highlights or a new colour? 

Maybe like me (a man) you just want a "No.2 all over and tapered up the back" :-)

 You can read and study the video script here (Learning English Essentials)

VOCABULARY: long, short, medium length, bald, blond, brunette, red head, curly, straight, permed, dye, tint, highlights,shaved, trim, layered, tapered, fringe, side-burns around the sides / on the top / up the back / combed / blow dried / shampooed/

READING / LISTENING 1: 

Listen and/or read the story about Susan.

Exercise 1 : Download and complete this comprehension exercise

Exercise 2 : Listen to the story and complete the dictation. (Fold / write / check)

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GRAMMAR : The Causative (Having / Getting something done )

We use this voice to talk about many situations where we pay or ask someone to do something for us. It is like the passive voice. We do not care so much about WHO does something for us ...we just want the job done!

examples...

• I got my hair cut yesterday
• They're getting their house painted next month
• He had his car serviced two days ago

Try some online exercises using the Causative here (Perfect English Grammar)

We also looked briefly at when to use the Past Simple and Past Continuous ???

Try this online exercise (Perfect English Grammar)

There are lots of other grammar exercises you can choose from here.

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VU21461/VU21462 : Locating Services in the City of Wyndham

Go the Wyndham City website here

Wyndham City has a great website. You can find out about all of the services the council offers, pay your rates online, find out when your bins are collected and even contact the Mayor and Councillors in the Ward where you live

Download our websearch assignment and discover services in Wyndham (Word doc.)


VU21468 / VU21458.2 : Read and complete a form  : A Missing Bin!

"My bin's gone mising!"

So what can you do?

Download this FORM from Wyndham, read carefully and complete





VU21458.2 : FORMS : An Accident Report Form

We are now reading and learning to complete many types of forms. In class we looked at an "Accident report Form" you would find in a workplace.

Use the form I gave you in class to report on these accidents ...




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VU21468 / VU21458 : Reading / Discussion  : Pets and Neighbours



Do you think someone should keep 130 cats in a house or flat?

What problems would this lady have living with 130 cats in Wyndham?

What does your local council say about pets?

Read the local council regulations for keeping pets here 

Download the Keeping Pets in Wyndham Brochure from the same page. Read it with your teacher.

Remember the article we read in class, Love Your Neighbour? Sometimes it can be difficult!?

We discussed these problems:

They talk loudly.
Their babies cry all night.
They have noisy parties.
Their dogs bark.
They watch TV late at night.
They move furniture.
They play the violin.
They argue with their partner.

Roleplay: Requests - Asking your neighbours to change their behaviour

Use the situations above. Practise kindly asking your neighbours to change their behaviour.

eg. "Could you please turn down the TV? It's late. I have to get up early.
eg. "Would you please stop moving your furniture. My kids can't sleep.



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Watch Brothers and Sisters - Episode 3




...our EAL Soapie Continues! What will happen next?

Maps, Charts, Invitations and Emails

Weeks Three and Four Homework : VU21456 - Nice to meet you / VU21461 - Werribee Zoo Site / VU21458 - Read and Write Emails slideshow / VU21462 - Your Local Area  : MAPS and Assignment 2 : Neighbours / VU21456 - Invitations  / VU21456 - Living English Ep.2  / Pronunciation - BBC website , using chart and dictionary / 44 Phonemes of English for spelling

VU21462 - Exploring Your Local Area (2)

MAPS

Can you find where you live on this Google Map?

Do you know how to use Google Maps?

Do you know how to use directions?

Mini task 1: From WCEC's main building at 20 Synnott Street ...

... how far is it to Melbourne's GPO, Bourke St?
... how long does it take to get there by car? By train? By bicycle?

Write down directions for taking the train.

Mini task 2: Find these places on the map...The local library / Wyndham City Council / Police Station / Werribee Open Range Zoo / Werribee Outdoor Pool / Werribee Mercy Hopital / 

ASSIGNMENT 2 : NEIGHBOURS (VU21458) - DOWNLOAD HERE (if you did not get a copy in class last week)

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VU21461 - Locate information using the internet

Let's do an exercise in class navigating the Werribee Open Range Zoo websitex

Download the worksheet to use in class

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PRONUNCIATION

Last week we started using the phonetic chart and our dictionaries to help us with improving pronunciation ...

Over the Semester we will do some Pronunciation work and create a pronunciation list.
You will slowly learn use the International Phonemic Chart and  your dictionary to improve your general English pronunciation.

BBC The Sounds of English

Introduction

The Sound of English - Dipthongs 1

The Sound of English - Dipthongs 2

SPELLING

Download this chart The 44 Phonemes of English to help with spelling. It lists all of the ways you spell or write the major sounds in English words. A good study tool.

We will play a game with this chart in class.





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VU21456 : Talking about the weather 



We have listened to neighbours and others talking about the weather. Do you remember the expressions we learned?

LISTEN : TS and SP chat about the weather in Asia (Mp3)

VU21456 Listening / Speaking : Invitations (Certificate II)
Listen to some conversations by students from our class. We are concentrating on 1) openings 2) turn taking 3) clear communication 4) confirms time, day, date, etc 4) the use of some colloquial expressions 5) good pronunciation 6) Closings ...and fun (of course)!

1. Invitation to a Wedding  (Speakers : CS and ND) - MP3 (45 secs)

2. Invitation to a Party (Speakers : JP and HH) - MP3 (50 secs)

3. Invitation to a BBQ Speakers : GZ and DP) - MP3 (1m 06 secs)

4. Invitation to a Party (2) (Speakers : SP and TS) - MP3 (33 secs)

You be the judge! Listen to the conversations ...

DOWNLOAD this worksheet and give the conversations a score

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VU21458 : Reading and Writing an informal email : Inviting someone to morning tea

Here is a slideshow to help you remember the stages for planning, drafting and writing an email. This one is on the theme of inviting someone somewhere

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VU21456: VIDEO: Brothers and Sisters (Living English, Episode 2)

The next installment of our ESL soapie!
(You may need to view in Internet Explorer if you are using Windows 7)

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Nice to meet you!

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Week One and Two Homework : VU21456 - Nice to meet you / VU21461 - Dale's Blog and Setting up a Google Account / VU21458 - Read and Write Emails / VU21462 - Your Local Area / VU21456 - Making Conversation (OUP) / VU21456 - Living English Ep.1 / 

Welcome! Let's use this site and its links for study in and out of class.

VU21456

Let's start with introductions (and spelling names)
Watch these people introducing themselves ...



You can do some simple exercises about the video here. (from Real English - Lesson 6)

I'm Dale, your teacher. I wonder what questions you are going to ask me?

You can find out a little bit about me here :-)

When you meet someone for the first time what questions are OK to ask?
What things are OK to talk about? Which things are not OK to talk about?

Exercise 1

Decide if these questions and comments are POLITE (OK) ✓or IMPOLITE ✘(not OK) when you talk to someone for the first time ...

• What do you do for a living?
• Why don't you have any children?
• Tell me a little about yourself
• Whereabouts do you live?
• What's your street and house number?
• How old are you?
• Have you visited any other countries?
• Do you play or follow any sports?
• You're really good looking, you know.
• How long have you been in Australia?
• What shocking weather we're having!

Download this worksheet for you and partner to complete

Listening 1 (in class)

Let's listen to two people meeting for the first time (WCEC students only)

Mp3

Quiz

Vocab

Script

Exercise 2 : Practice Dialogue : Making Conversation (OUP)

Click here or on the picture above to visit the OUP site.

We will use this dialogue in class but you can also use it at home for your own practice.
Print the dialogue and change it to talk about you in your local area.

Exercise 3 : Watch Our ESL Soapie for the Semester ...

"Sisters and Brothers" (Living English / Australia Plus) 

Pay attention to what people say when meeting one another for the first time ...

 

VU21458 / VU21461

VU21461 : Internet and Email - Set Up a Google Account

Personal safety and privacy are important in "real life" and online. 

This week we will create google accounts so we can learn to write, send and reply to emails and also to use some other google tools. We will do this together in class.

GCF Learnfree : Setting up a Google Account

Make sure you create a strong password. Watch this video ...

VU21462 - Explore Community Options : Assignment 1 : You and your area

Assignment 1 My Area (WCEC students only) - Reading and Writing

This week we also start our Elective Unit, Explore Community Options.

Where do you live? What is the name of your Local Government Area (LGA)? What do you like about your area? What don't you like about your area?