assignment updates

Wishing you the very best for 2009.

Here's to a very good year, and one to look back on with fond thoughts and memories.

A reminder that the second batch of oral presentations are scheduled for Wednesday 14th January. There will be a final class assignment on Monday 19th January (without dictionary). This will be an entry for a blog - a discursive piece of writing.

A reminder that the are 3 units in the course book, (3,8,10), which you need to be working through, doing all the exercises in both workbook and course book. You need to show me you have finished these at the end of the semester.

We will be setting off in January with unit 11 and preparation for the class assignment.

See you Monday 4th. Have a great New Year's celebration!

class assignment 2 - Monday 15th December

A reminder to you all of the class assignment on Monday.

It is a narrative/story. There will be four choices, themes open, for example:

"Write a story beginning or ending with the words....."

There will be some references to the stories you have been reading.

Check narrative tenses, linking words, descriptive language. See Pages 132 and 133 as a starting point.

English-English dictionarires can be used.

2 hours.

Lisbon Players address

Location: The Lisbon Players venue,

Estrela Hall, is located at:

Rua da Estrela 10, Lisboa 1200-699

If you are walking, go from RATO metro and allow 25 minutes. it's an uphill walk.

Us this detailed map with the OTHER ONE I ahve already posted.

See you there 9.10 latest.
my number in case: 967693386

repost tips for presentations

theatre visit - ESTRELA HALL, RUA DA ESTRELA , 10

The performance starts at 9.30. Be at the theatre for 9.15 at the LATEST!

UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,UPDATE,

Just spoken to the play's Director. PLEASE NOTE the following:

Suggested donation value is 7.00 euros, but offer what you can afford. If it is less than the suggested value, then so be it. Please do NOT come because of the price. The more the merrier.

Bring money to class on WEDNESDAY 3RD.


Here is the map.

Tips for giving presentations and criteria for assessment

Take a note of the dates for the coming assignments in the previous post.

Each group will have 20 minutes MAXIMUM. Timing is VITAL. 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for discussion.

Decide on a topic and your roles in the group of 3s as soon as possible; something of interest for your audience.

assignment dates etc

Take note:

- Class assignment 3: December 15th - Narrative - with dictionaries(English/English).

- First group of presentations December 17th (in 3s). See tips and evaluation criteria in next post. You need to have chosen your groups by Wednesday 26th November.


Trip to see Dracula - Thursday December 4th. 9.00 at Lisbon Players theatre - details coming soon.

Ecotourism - research Monday 24th

Don't forget to do some research on ECOTOURISM in Portugal, to bring to class on Monday.

Find a place which sounds interesting and exemplifies what ecotourism is, its objectives and how it functions in Portugal.

Assignment 2 - due Monday 24th November

No lesson 3rd November

Apologies to all but there will be no lesson on Monday 3rd November
Please inform your colleagues.

Please bring How could a mother on Wednesday.

Allyson

Working towards assignment (2) - due 24th November

Scriptwriting: a synopsis of a spoken interaction text (reported speech) followed by the transcript of the interaction. I will give you the specific task on 10th November.

To work towards this we will be looking at:
– natural spoken English – discourse markers (unit 8D), substitution and referencing (unit 1C)
– reported speeach (unit 4B)
– how to write a synopsis

Reading: How could a mother? How to be an Expat, Smooth Aparatus,

and a bit of humour! Katherine Tate and Tony Blair sketch

You may like to record some of your dialogues. Have you got an MP3 recorder? Can you use audacity to record dialogues?

I know this isn ´t class related so forgive me, but could someone tell me the address of the fcsh fund raisers. Thanks!

Assignment 1 - digital story

Preparation for assignment 1 - for Monday 13th Oct.

TELLING LIVES
RESEARCH (this is PREPARTION, NOT THE ASSIGNMENT!

1. Look through the digital stories and select one which you find particularly interesting.
Keep a note of the link and be prepared to explain the following in class on Monday.

DIGITAL STORIES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiovideo/sites/galleries/pages/digitalstorytelling.shtml

TELLING LIVES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/tellinglives/

Why did you choose this particular story?
What did you find interesting?
What did you find out about the life/community of this person?
What did you find out of cultural interest?
Are there any similarities between you and this person?
Any language you could steal?

Watch the videos and read the stories.
(You may need to watch videos in REAL PLAYER if it says “unavailable in your area.”)

Looks like we are finally a group!

Congratulations for having arrived in this blog, let alone to Turma A!

This class blog is where I will post assignments, resources and information relating to the course. You can also post in the blog.

Eventually you will be setting up your own blogs in small groups, where you will post your work and creativity.

Look at the links on the right. They are to help you with your language development. Find one link that you think may be of help to you.

The coursebook and preparing for assignment 1 - personalised writing:

LEARNING TASKS for Monday 6th October
1. Look at p.126/127 in the student's book and work your way through the tasks.
2. Start to collect vocabulary, phrases, expressions and collocations that you like and could use in your own writing, from the texts I will be giving you over the next few lessons. Begin to create your own vocabulary 'charts' from the article 'How my pals learnt that I was a bastard' and bring to Monday's lesson.

Guidlines for e-mailing

Use these tips when sending e-mails:

1.Give message a title – NEVER leave blank. It will get deleted
(by me,anyway).
2. End message with your name.
3. Safer to be polite and put name e.g. Hi Allyson

Attachments

1. Put your name, assignment or task title and Turma on attachments – anything to identify this work is yours and not anyone else’s.
2. Avoid large typeface – think of the paper to be saved!
3. Avoid all text in bold – save ink! My ink, by the way, and oh yes, my paper. Only use bold for headings.
4. Repaginate the page setup so the margins are as small as possible.

Save the planet! Spend the money saved on something useful!


My e-mail: allyson.roberts@mail.telepac.pt

Course assignments

Course overview

What makes a good learner?

Read the article 'What makes a good learner?' and identify the main areas.

Now think about your English language learning and think about your strengths as a learner and what you need to improve. There will be a task in week 2 related to your reflections.

Welcome to the blog!

Welcome to your class blog.


Where to start? Right here by getting to know each other. So, for me, Allyson - your teacher, home is near Torres Novas. This is the view from home at night, with some creative adaptation! It takes me quite a while to get to the faculty - almost 3 hours! When I worked in London I thought 45 minutes was a long time. But I love the contrast of Lisbon life and living in the country. I live with my partner Jonathan, and Jaffa and Jinga. You will find out about them sooner or later!

I started learning to paint last year. One of my goals is to paint fabulous skies. Another is to play jazz piano. My favourite place is floating in a hanging chair, feet off the ground. My favourite meal is either a really good, home-made Italian pasta ( I make my own pasta), or a huge plate of vegetables with couscous. I lived in Algeria, hence the influence. My favourite place in Portugal is right here in Adofreire. That is another story! Looking forward to working with you this semester. Tell us you have safely arrived by replying to this message with some news about yourself.