Benefits, Risks, Dangers, Relationships

 VPAU 505.4 - Write a descriptive or narrative text 



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

(In class or with a friend at home) make a list of its ...

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 ...

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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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Exercise 4 - Writing (Opinion): 

What do you think about Free-Running (First draft)

Write a first draft in class. Use your Benefits/Risks/Dangers list (Exercise 1) as well as your completed worksheet (Exercise 2) to help you.

Bring your draft to class for the writing workshop. You can then write your final copy and choose how you submit it to me.
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Grammar : Order of Adjectives

eg. A talented, French free-runner
eg. A beautiful, antique, mahogany wardrobe
eg. An eerie, dark Winter's night

Do you remember the general rules for ordering adjectives in English? (See Murphy, Grammer in Use, 3rd Edition, Unit 99)

Knowing about this order of adjectives can help with writing descriptions.

The best rule is to keep your descriptions simple - no more than 2 or 3 adjectives when describing a person, thing or situation.

Activity:

Play games and exercises to review this grammar (British Council)

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Speaking: Describing People 

Discussion : With a friend spend a few minutes ...

...describing yourself

...describing your partner or a friend

Viewing: (Real English)

Watch the video ... what do people say about each other. Focus on one or two couples only



Exercises : Complete the comprehension exercises for this video at the Real English website

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JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP!!!

If you are an ESL student you can apply to join Dale Pobega's Free ESL Club Facebook Group

This is what has been going on recently ...

Messages, Notes, Risks and Dangers

LEVEL 1 and 2

Last week we studied instructions - what to do in an Emergency.

In the video Mr. Bean visits the Emergency department at a hospital.

What is his problem? How would you help him? How does he try to get to the front of the queue?

LEVEL 1

Read this note and answer the questions:


11.15 am

Fred

Grandma is in hospital. Don't worry, it's not serious. I'm going there now. She is in the Queen Victoria Hospital in Carlton. She is on the 4th floor in Room 409.

See you there.

Susan

P.S I've taken the car

Who wrote the note?
Who is the note for?
What is the message?
What time was it written?

LEVEL 1 : Assessment Task - Listening and Speaking VPAU 493.3/493.4

TAKING NOTES

Listen to the phone discussion. CLICK HERE.

1. Take notes from the conversation you hear ...

HOSPITAL:

FLOOR:

ROOM:

VISITING HOURS:


What happened?

Is he alright? Yes / No

If yes, how do you know?

What was he wearing?

2. A FRIEND OF YOURS HAS HAD AN ACCIDENT. WITH A FRIEND WRITE A DIALOGUE. RECORD IT HERE AT VOXOPOP.COM

CLICK HERE TO READ AND PRINT SCRIPT OF THE CONVERSATION

Teachers: Here is a copy of the VPAU 493.3 Assessment Task


LEVEL 2 and 3: Dangerous Sports : Taking risks



Watch the video above to get an idea about the "exciting" new sport of Free Running (also known by its French name, Le Parkour)

Boxing / Skydiving / Karate / Footy / Diving / Free Running (Le Parkour)...

We talked about these sports in class.

1. Which sport is the most dangerous? Why?
2. Which sport is the least dangerous? Why?
3. Is Boxing more or less dangerous than Free Running? Why?

Now ask your friend what she thinks? Use REPORTED SPEECH and tell me your answers:

eg. Teresa said Boxing was the most dangerous sport because people get brain damage.

Grammar Exercise : Reported Speech (Click here and complete)

LISTENING - LEVEL 2 and 3

DANGEROUS ANIMALS

Which animals are dangerous in your country? In Australia we have sharks and crocodiles, snakes and spiders --- but are they really dangerous?

CLICK HERE to hear from Jingwei and Joseph from Singapore. Which animals do they think are dangerous? Note: Click VIDEO QUIZ on the right hand side ofthe page to complete the listening exercise when you have finished listening to Jingwei and Joseph.

READING ... Are Sharks Really Dangerous?

Facts about Sharks ... CLICK HERE

Read and take notes about sharks from this website to answer the question.

LEVEL 3

The Letters of Rachel Henning ... Life in a Foreign Land

In our reading of the novella last week we discovered that Rachel does not seem to like life in Australia very much. She complains about many things and seems very homesick for England.



CLICK HERE to visit the Permanent Australia Collection at the Ian Potter Gallery (NGV) Melbourne.

Find some paintings of early Australian life to show to the class and discuss with your classmates

Level 1

APPOINTMENTS

We listened to people making appointments last lesson. Here is Mr. Bean trying to get to his Dentist appointment on time ...