THis week's assignment!

Write 2 discussion questions about the movie "Twilight: New Moon" and post them to the precedent post. Also, comment on 2 questions of your choice from your classmates.

Dicussion Forum Simulation:
Come to class (in 2 Mondays from now) with an at least 100 word response to one of the questions you have chosen to respond to.

While writing your response, think about follow up question that will help the conversation continue when you or someone else is done talking.
Also think about little phrases that show you are interested in what others have to say while in a conversation (they are called rejoinders...)

Azar:
Do the unit on Pronouns and the Chapter Test!.

Have a great Easter break and see you in 2 weeks!

Post your New Moon Forum Dicussion Questions Here!

Here`s mine for next class:

Why is Jacob sometimes wearing a T-shirt when the other members of the wolf pack are not?

Assignment!

This week, all you have to do is the Unit "Asking Questions" in Azar and the chapter test!

The students who did not hand in their essay can do so until next Monday and they will only lose 25%. Essays handed in later than next Monday will not receive a mark according to the course outline.

Have a good week!

An Act of Courage

Title: An act of courage


Length: read the page 36 up to the paragraph ending with '' ... just beneath the facade. ''

Names of the team members: Léonie, Bianka and Joël



List of words:



lingering : flaner, se promener sans but précis

spooky : surnaturel, frightning

boisterous : tumultueux, fait avec désordre

weepy : mélodrame, crying

intricacies : complexe

strains : effort

roared : to cry as in shout or yell

turmoil : agitation, désarroi

faintest : softer, smallest

flickers : vacillation

bury : to put underground



Questions:

- Do you think this is a true act of courage?

- Do you think that the fact that her mother died affected her performance?

My New City p.75-77

Instructions: Read article and comment on both questions.

* Length : Read paragraph starting with the lines ''I've been trying...'' p.77 up to paragraph ending with ''...who had won'' p.77

2 discussion questions :

•  What did the Games provoke on the in Canadians?
•  Do you think the that Canada is in opposition to the United States or both countries are the same?

* Difficult words/expressions :

 lacking = stupid  missing, manquant

 greedy = when you want more that you have

 cauldron = the place thing in which where the Olympic flame is ligthed

 praise = say very good things about someone / mettre en avant ses qualités

 smiled so wide that = sourire forcé sourire tellement que

 cheered = say said something in a loud voice

 horns and cowbells = klaxons ou autres objets pour faire du bruit lors de manifestations ou évènements sportifs

 vicarious = vivre à la place d'un autre ou se mettre dans ses souliers


Team Members: Éline and Jérémy

Mid-Term Essay / Discussion Forum

Hi everyone,

Your mid-term essay and outline is due next Monday, March 22nd at 12 p.m.
Follow the instructions on Prof 2.

Azar:

Do 3/4 of the Present and Past Perfect Unit and the chapter test to that unit.

Reading/Discussion Forum Due by Next Thursday March 18th (students need time to answer your discussion questions):

Each team chooses an article from this week's Maclean's and is responsible for reading the article and sending me a MIO with:

- The title of the article, length, and the names of the team members.
- A list of difficult words/expressions with the definition for each one (can do half French half English).
- 2 Discussion questions about the article.
- Find good arguments yourself and also those from the article supporting your opinion on your discussion question and bring it to class next Monday for the discussion forum!!!

note: I will post your discussion questions on the blog for the other students to comment on.

THEN:

- You have to read the other teams' articles and contribute at least one comment for each discussion question.
- Bring your opinions with you to class for the discussion forum...

Have a good week..

Assignment

New Asignment due March 15th at 12 p.m.

Azar:

Do half of the questions for each of the units in the Future Time Chapter Contents and then do the Chapter Test.

Writing:

Following our class discussion on the Maclean's column "No More 'In All Thy Son's Command'?", continue recording your thoughts on the outline that you have started in class. Make sure to bring a complete, finished outline to class next Monday where you will start writing your essay.

Have a good week!

If I am forgetting something, I will MIO you!

Reading Week Assignments!

Hi everyone,

Here are the assignments for reading week:

Writing:

Write a 75-100 word paragraph following the instructions given in class (find them on Prof 2 - Writing a Paragraph). Complete the Essay Outline form and send it to me along with your body paragraph. Use the thesis of your choice or the following one: "My school needs improvements in certain areas."

Grammar:

Do the Chapter test for the Present Tense Unit and the Past Tense Unit.

Here are the parts of the chapter that you want to focuse on. Choose to do half of the exercises of each section. These are good preparation for the Chapter Test.

Chart 2-1 Expressing Past Time: The Simple Past

Chart 2-2 Forms of the Simple Past: Regular Verbs
Chart 2-3 Forms of the Simple Past: BE
Chart 2-7 Irregular Verbs: A Reference List
Chart 2-8 The Simple Past and the Past Progressive
Chart 2-8 The Simple Past and the Past Progressive
Chart 2-9 Forms of the Past Progressive
Chart 2-11 Expressing Past Habit: USED TO

Skills Review

Grammar Kiosk:

Get ready to present your grammar rule and game for your first oral evaluation.

It looks like a lot but doing only half of the exercises greatly reduces the amount of time you will spend studying while still being preparing you well for the test!

Everything due Monday March 1st at 13:15 p.m.

Have a great Spring Break!!!!

Why the NHL Needs to be in the Games!

Post your comments on what you think about the controversy surrounding the NHL's plan to withdraw its players from the 2014 Olympic games and include a supportive argument. Do this before reading the article.

New Assignment!

Writing:

Use what we did in class to create an introduction. Send it to me by MIO along with your essay outline (you can find it on prof 2).

Reading:

Find an article from Maclean's. Give me a detailed description of the intro with title of the article. Use the essay outline to do so and send it to me by MIO.

Grammar:

AZAR - Do the first section with the text from the first section: Present Tense

Grammar Kiosk - Perfect explaining your rule: find a game to go along with it.

Go Canada!

Assignments for this Week!

This week I want you to focus on your Grammar Kiosk like we discussed in class, so no podcast, and no comments to be posted on the blog!!!

Writing:

1. AZAR/Grammar: Do the section of your focus for the Grammar Kiosk to get familiar with it.

Here is how to do it:

Register to AZAR using your access code (the one in the pamphlet I gave you in exchange for your bookmark. It's very long!)

DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP INTO MY CLASS!!!

Here is the course info on Azar: you might not need all of it but I give it to you anyway,

Course: SPEAK - Azar Develpoment Interactive 1

Section: SPEAK 604-101-03
Course ID: Larose033430A
 
IF YOU DON'T, YOUR ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE FORWARED TO ME!!!
 
2. Create a handout/chart explaining the grammar rule you are focusing on for your kiosk with a few commun mistakes.
 
You will be presenting this information to the class during your oral so make it clear and put some effort into it, it is not time wasted!
 
   
Speaking:
 
1. Practice explaining the grammar rule for you kiosk!
 
You can refer to your handout while doing so. Practice well, you will have to explain your rule to ME as a formative evaluation next Monday so that I can give you some feedback before the big day!!! So practice your pronunciation of the stressed and unstressed pattern and the voiced and voiceless th (Thz and Ths Power Point available on Prof 2)!!!
 
Note: I will replace the Facebook Group power point on Prof 2 (that didn't work) with a version that works for the students who wish to have a look and see if they understood what Christopher White had to say! (Although this is not an assignment.
 
Good luck everyone!!!
 
 
 

Three Little Piggies and Facebook Groups Assignment!

Hi everyone!

Here is your assignment this week:
Due date is Monday, January 8 - 1 p.m.

Writing

We had great discussions in class about many topics and you brought up some really interesting points.
Now I want you to expand on the "Three Little Piggies" discussion. Tell me if you believe that it could be the next craze and why! You can also comment on what you think will be one of the the next crazes!!! Your text should be at least 25 words. Make sure you prove your point and give a good argument to it!

Listening/Podcast

Another interesting topic was about Facebook Groups and their legitimacy as to a form of expression in supporting certain issues.

To complete this assignment, you need to download the "Q: The Podcast" application (in iTunes of simply the Mp3) on the CBC website (there is a link to it in the section of the blog called "Podcast Me Away"). Then, download the 07/01/2010 episode called "Facebook and Political Protest" show and listen to the interview between minute 14:43 to 21:00 where the Host interviews Christopher White, a university student and the creator of a Facebook Group that targeted Prime Minister Stephen Harper's move to prorogue parliement last year.

One question arises: Are Facebook groups a legitimate form of voter expression/engagement or simply some kind of online venting exercise.

Here is what you have to to:

1. Choose and define one expression from the following that was not defined yet by one of your classmates. These are expressions that are said in the interview so listen to the context to figure out the meaning! (You cannot define an expression that another student has already defined - BUT you can correct their definition if it is wrong and that will count as yours then. There are enough vocabulary words for everyone in class. Hey you can use google and check out howjsay.com to know how to pronounce the words!)

a) Canadians against proroguing parliement
b) vocal critics
c) anthropology grad student
d) online passive venting exercise
e) go through it in strides
f) canadians are apathetic about everything
g) big time activist
h) undergraduate tuition fees
i) 1st time I had written my MP
j) petty politics
k) real world actions
l) chapters in every major cities
m) a tool to help organize
n) there is a new poll out and the conservatives' numbers have dropped down a little
o) a petition that identify the constituency of the online Facebook members


2. Give 4 words with the STRESSED - UNSTRESSED pattern from the interview. (You cannot use a word that another student has already used/posted for an answer)

3. Discuss (write about in a comment to this post) whether university student Christopher White thinks that: Facebook groups are a legitimate form of voter expression/engagement or simply some kind of online venting exercise.
Give one argument that he puts foward and give the class your opinion. Your comment shouldn't be less than 25 words!

You can also listen to the following minutes 24:30 - 36:30 if you want to hear strong arguments made by 2 different critics. If you can figure out one of their arguments, you can use it as yours if you are of the same opinion! (I encourage the students who feel up for the challenge and confident about their English to listen to it!)

Christopher White is a young man and uses expressions young adults use. Listen carefully because this is how people your age would talk to you!

If you feel the task is hard, it is ok because it is hard. But as they say in English - No pain no gain! Log on chatroll and chat with me or MIO me with your questions. You could be surprised at how much I can help you...truly!

On that note,

Good luck everyone!

When Did You Get Lost in Translation? - Assignment

Please post your discussion and story for the Podcast Assignment as a comment.

I am sorry if somehow I thought or assumed that you would. I should have specified it to you. So please post your comment to this entry!

I have posted a discussion on Chatroll called "When Did You Get Lost in Translation?", asking anyone chatroll subscriber/fan to share their story with us! You will then have to contribute your story to the Chatroll discussion after I send it back to you with my corrections if you want the full marks for this assignment!

If you have any further questions, MIO me or post a comment to the specific assignment that you need clarifying with. I will answer it as quickly as possible and the whole class will benefit from your question!

Quote and Lesson Goal for Week 2

"Fitness is always changing and never stagant. Right now, your race-specific physiology is either improving or deteriorating depending on what you have done recently."

                                           - Joe Friel
                                             "The Triathlete's Traning Bible"

The same applies to your English, and everything else in life I guess!


The goal of the lesson was that you leave class with a renewed optimism in your capacities of learning English!


Did it work? Are you pumped about the course? Post your comments!

Someone Has an Idea for the Title of the Blog?

I used the course code (604-101-03) for the title of the blog for now but it somewhat reminds me of some online income tax invoice or something...

I am looking for another one. Any idea will be considered.
Post your comments.

Assignments Posted Online!

I will post your assignements and homework online and not in class. That way, if you UNFORTUNATELY miss a class for some very good reason I am sure, then you will know what you need to do for next class!

I will write ASSIGMENT in CAPITAL LETTERS so you don't miss it!

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Reading/Writing

This week, you have to respond to the "My Idea of What it is to Learn a Language" entry with a 50-75 word comment. You will find the instructions at the end of the entry!

2. Listening

Download DNTO's "When Did You Get Lost In Translation":

Directives:

Listen to the following excerpts from the show (below). Choose one story from the 6 that you will listen to and:

1. Discuss (explain) how the culture and/or the wrong tones, or both have had an effect in the people getting lost in translation (how culture/wrong tones contributed to the misunderstanding).

2. Tell the class about a similar story that happened to you, a friend, or that you have noticed in your life!!!

(There is no word limit, as long as you put your point across clearly. Make sure it is clear to everyone that will read your comment which story you are talking about.)

Also look out for the unfamiliar vocabulary that I highlighted for you from each of the excerpts and remember Teacher Joe and pay attention to English rhythm! The vocabulary is in chronological order, so if you hear the 2nd word without hearing the 1st one, it means that you have missed it...

Remember to use howjsay.com to hear what English actually sounds like and practice or see for yourself the stressed and unstressed pattern of the English Language!

**note: If you downloaded Google translator that comes with the Google taskbar (see Useful Links section of the blog to the right), simply put your mouse over the words to get a translation! In the case of phrasal verbs or compound nouns (verb and nouns that have more than one word), first highlight the group of words that you want to translate and then put the cursor over to get a translation! Otherwise you only get part of the answer! For longer expressions, Google them!

Listen to these passages:

1. Swedish Cornflakes? (0-2 mins.) 2 mins
Helpful voc: rudimentary, show off, taken aback

2. Chinese Tones (2-4 mins) 2 mins
Intro by host Sook-Yin Lee
voc: Lazy Susan, stunned, I have eaten enough, death (tough/fast pronunciation)

3. Virgin Slovak Marie (21:45-24:20 mins) 0:30 mins
voc: mother-in-law, polite Slovak, fiancé, turned out, future mom-to-be, ouch!

4. L’Homme Qui Vit Dans... (21:45-24:20 min) 1 min
voc: try as she may, bless her soul, bring over, Rene Levesques, ambled over, nasty French

5. Ukraine Poop! (21-54-24:20 mins) 1 min
voc: shorten version, I thought (ought sound like “aut” in the French word “auto”, translator

6. Moving back to Pakistan! (24:20-28:00 mins) 3:40 mins
voc: move to Canada, share of loss, melt down, sleep over, rite of passage, you’ve made it, Pakistani immigrant, slang phrase, take English literally, broke down in tears, flush that out with her, language taken literally, thinking back, navigate through cultural references, take for granted.

Total Listening Time:

Only

10 mins 10 secs!!!

The directives look scary but it's only the first time you do this. Give yourself a chance, be optimistic, and do it. You will see that it is easier and more fun than it looks like!

3. Speaking/Pronunciation

Check out the video/youTune clips that are in the SPEAK UP! section to the right of the blog. Teacher Joe is somewhat of a corny guy but what he says makes sense! Practice as much as you think you need to in order to be ready for next Monday with Anita! It's all about English Rhythm!

4. Azar

I will notify eveyone by email and on the blog when I will have set up a student profile for you in Azar and I will give you more details then. You will probably have to do the whole first section. It's all review stuff that should be easy and help you get back into it!

Podcasts!

Podcasts are amazing!

What it is.
Hey! Podcasts are amazing! You can listen to them anywhere: in your car on your way to school, while brushing your teeth or even on the treadmill while pulling a hard workout! Then, there is the endless possibility of pressing pause and rewind until you finally understand what is going on. Fill up those little gaps in your life with great conversations on great topics, learn English, and work on your assignents at the same time! Now that's what I call being EFFICIENT!

I have landed upon a gold mine of free podcasts with the CBC Radio. They are real live shows that discuss current topics ranging from news, arts, politics, technology, the world, music and more! Nothing like the overformatted-miserably acted-English as a Second Language (ESL) tapes that we usually use in ESL classes.

Weekly Feed.
I will try to link each of our weekly readings and opiniated discussions to a discussion on a similar topic that one of the radio shows broadcasted! I will add a few questions for you to answer and fuel the debates that started in class! Although some shows generally are lentghy, I will direct your attention to a specific time in the podcast (and limit it to 5-15 minutes max!) where you will have to focus your listening, maybe get some help (chat with me and classmates online) and post comments.

How it works.
We will only work with the CBC Radio Podcasts. In the "Podcast Me Away" rubric to the right of the class blog, you will find a link to the CBC Radio Podcasts Website. There you can see all the shows that have podcasts (all of the CBC show have them).

The easiest way to get a podcast is to subscribe to the specific show that made it using iTunes (If not everyone in class has it you can download it for free on the Apple website). Just click on the iTunes icon under the description of the radio show featured that week and it will automatically upload the content that you can download in iTunes. Then (on iTunes) all you have to do is look for the show assigned for the week. Click GET, put it on your iPod or other Mp3 device, and let yourself be taken away!

You can also individually download each podcast using the web page (not in iTunes) but they take forever to download and you cannot always take them with you on your iPod or other Mp3 player.

This Week's Podcast. (ASSIGNMENT)
This week we will listen to DNTO's "When did you get "lost in Translations"" that hit the air January 2nd, 2010!

I will give you further information about the specific interviews that I want you to listen to shortly.

Live Chat!

Hi everyone!

I am thinking of holding a live chat hour each week so that you can ask me questions live and get timely feedback during the week and not only on Mondays when I can be at my office at the College. We will have to set a time that will work for everybody.

How it Works!
All you have to do is use the Insight Live Shoutbox! above and chat away! You will be able to ask me questions, read my replies, and I think that you can also drop in on conversations and join me and other students as we converse on a particular subject that might be of interest to you! So watch from a distance and drop a line whenever you feel like it, or when you see someone online! Talk about the assignments at hand and help each other when I am offline!

You can pop-out the Insight Live Shoutbox! to a new (bigger) window by clicking the "pop-out" icon (furthest to the right) under the Live Shoutbox!

The Quality of English During Live Chat!
I will accept internet/text/msn lingo such as "lol", "sup", "u", "r", and "ttyl" (that respectively stand for "laugh out loud!", "what's up?", "you", 'are", and "talk to you later"), etc... I believe that the Live Chat Shoutbox should be used to promote communication in English and these expressions are very contemporary, culturally rich, and a good way to learn the phonetics (sounds!) of a language!

What About Skype Office Hours?
Would holding my office hours on Skype be a good idea as well? Skype is a free online video phone for those of you who didn't know. Downloading the app is free and you can call anyone in the whole world, anytime, for free provided that you have a Skype account, that your computer and the app (the Skype app-lication or program) are turned on!
Any thoughts?


Post your comments about the Insight Live Shoutbox and Skype Office hours and let me know what your think about it, honestly.

My Idea of What it is to Learn a Language.

Learning a second language is a very humbling experience. In fact, the word “second” in “second language” should be omitted to purify and humble the process of language learning. I explain.

My Definition
To me a language (with the help of a my buddy Merriam-Webster) is a system of symbols or codes or signs: pictures and sounds (words) that, when put together in a coherent way, represent the idea of something, the something as perceived by the mind, the something as perceived by the culture.

The ultimate goal when using a language is to communicate. When put together the symbols of a language act and interact in a coherent and meaningful way so as to communicate ideas.


Language is a Cultural Product – It’s All Rhythm!
The “putting together” is important rhythmically, grammatically, and culturally. A language is a cultural product. It needs an audience that understands its rhythms, grammar (syntax), and cultural ideologies.
In other words, you need to get the codes (sounds) right, and how to put them together in the existing cultural linguistic system of the listener or reader (your audience) for him or her to understand. What is important is not that you understand, but that your audience does. It’s all rhythm!


You Are Your Language and Your Language is You...
As you communicate your ideas through a language, you create and communicate an identity within your cultural world: from how the language comes alive through you you tell your story, who you are and where you stand. You embody the language as much as the language embodies you and is you: you are culturally and socially through the language.


Translate Yourself?
It scares anyone to leave one's strong language and identity to try and communicate in another language that you do not know! Can you translate yourself? Actually, I doubt that you can fully translate yourself. I believe that as you experience the new language, the new culture, and play with the words, you inevitably create another identity for yourself! If not, a least you are not to the native speakers of your second language what you are to the speakers of your own language, be it only the cultural difference! Hey, that does not mean that you lose the other identity! It's just a plus!


Try Modesty!
To learn a language one must be modest or humble though. If we look at the natural way we learn a language when we are children and compare it to learning a language as an adult, we come to very different processes but often we want the same results and we are frustrated when those results take time to happen.

ASSIGNMENT!
Think about the differences between learning a language as a child and as an adult (This information is not in the blog, although some points I discussed can help, you have to come up with your own ideas!). Highlight the most important ones (2 or 3 differences) and discuss how they affect the adult learner of a second language in a 50-75 word comment to this blog entry!

Do it fast so that you can put your ideas forward before others do. Remember they need to be your ideas and not those from your classmates' comments.

Good luck!