11.12 Thursday Pattern Practice, Travel, Star Free
Pattern Practice 2-3PM 3 Students
We spoke about expressing things with enthusiasm. "I think it's really___"
we spoke about the importance of speaking enthusiastically, and how to express thoughts on movies.
We spoke about the difference between being enthusiastic and being a "Maniac" which has a negative meaning.
Travel 3-4PM 3 Students
We spoke about directions, and we played a game where I gave directions and the students had to try and follow it on a map.
This made use of important phrases like "Where are we now?"
STAR Free Talk 6-7PM 2 Students
We spoke about lots of different foods, focusing a lot on food that is "stinky" but still tastes good, and we shared a lot about bizarre things that we have eaten such as a Century Egg, or Pickled Eggs, or Black Pudding, and we spoke about things we have never tried, like turtle blood (Which I am amazed to hear about being drank for energy!)
Pattern Practice 7-8PM 6 Students
We spoke about expressing things with enthusiasm. "I think it's really___"
we spoke about the importance of speaking enthusiastically, and how to express thoughts on movies.
I mentioned some of my research from our previous class, the week before, in which I was asked why we treat Heaven as a real place, when saying that we go to Heaven. And then we discussed Proper Nouns.
Travel 8-9PM 5 Students
We spoke about directions, and we played a game where I gave directions and the students had to try and follow it on a map.
This made use of important phrases like "Where are we now?"
We then spoke about roundabouts and how to use them.
Key Phrases:
How come?
Tenner
Quid
We spoke about expressing things with enthusiasm. "I think it's really___"
we spoke about the importance of speaking enthusiastically, and how to express thoughts on movies.
We spoke about the difference between being enthusiastic and being a "Maniac" which has a negative meaning.
Travel 3-4PM 3 Students
We spoke about directions, and we played a game where I gave directions and the students had to try and follow it on a map.
This made use of important phrases like "Where are we now?"
STAR Free Talk 6-7PM 2 Students
We spoke about lots of different foods, focusing a lot on food that is "stinky" but still tastes good, and we shared a lot about bizarre things that we have eaten such as a Century Egg, or Pickled Eggs, or Black Pudding, and we spoke about things we have never tried, like turtle blood (Which I am amazed to hear about being drank for energy!)
Pattern Practice 7-8PM 6 Students
We spoke about expressing things with enthusiasm. "I think it's really___"
we spoke about the importance of speaking enthusiastically, and how to express thoughts on movies.
I mentioned some of my research from our previous class, the week before, in which I was asked why we treat Heaven as a real place, when saying that we go to Heaven. And then we discussed Proper Nouns.
Travel 8-9PM 5 Students
We spoke about directions, and we played a game where I gave directions and the students had to try and follow it on a map.
This made use of important phrases like "Where are we now?"
We then spoke about roundabouts and how to use them.
Key Phrases:
How come?
Tenner
Quid
11.10 Travel, Pattern Practice, Presentation with Connor
Travel Class 2-3 PM 4 Students
We spoke about asking directions, and getting on a bus in England, and we also spoke about the typical London Double Decker, and the way that English people refer to money.
Pattern Practice 3-4 PM 4 Students
We spoke about plans, invitations, and typical British greetings (though there are many more! And I could likely talk a lot about American greetings too if it ever interests anyone.)
Keywords:
Centre vs Center
___-wise (eg, time-wise, clockwise, length-wise)
Pound, Penny, Pennies, Pence, P
Certainly
Absolutely
Can't complain
Presentation Class 4-5 PM 1 Student
The student picked both of the topics that I had set, and presented his thoughts on "The Scariest Moment in Your Life" -which was composed very well, and I was impressed by the choice of adding humour at the end of the presentation to make the topic light-hearted- and he also presented his thoughts on "What is Your Favourite Movie, and Why?" -this was a shorter presentation, but still had a good structure, and had some interesting insight on the medium of cinema.
If you wish to take this class, please know that you need only pick one topic from the choices.
Next week's topics will be:
What is the Happiest Moment of Your Life?
If You Had Three Wishes, What Would You Wish For?
and this week's topics of The Scariest Moment of Your Life, and What is Your Favourite Movie are open for any new-comers to pick also.
We spoke about asking directions, and getting on a bus in England, and we also spoke about the typical London Double Decker, and the way that English people refer to money.
Pattern Practice 3-4 PM 4 Students
We spoke about plans, invitations, and typical British greetings (though there are many more! And I could likely talk a lot about American greetings too if it ever interests anyone.)
Keywords:
Centre vs Center
___-wise (eg, time-wise, clockwise, length-wise)
Pound, Penny, Pennies, Pence, P
Certainly
Absolutely
Can't complain
Presentation Class 4-5 PM 1 Student
The student picked both of the topics that I had set, and presented his thoughts on "The Scariest Moment in Your Life" -which was composed very well, and I was impressed by the choice of adding humour at the end of the presentation to make the topic light-hearted- and he also presented his thoughts on "What is Your Favourite Movie, and Why?" -this was a shorter presentation, but still had a good structure, and had some interesting insight on the medium of cinema.
If you wish to take this class, please know that you need only pick one topic from the choices.
Next week's topics will be:
What is the Happiest Moment of Your Life?
If You Had Three Wishes, What Would You Wish For?
and this week's topics of The Scariest Moment of Your Life, and What is Your Favourite Movie are open for any new-comers to pick also.
11.5 Travel Class
8-9 PM 6 Students.
I asked if the students wanted hotels, or public transport, of which they opted public transport.
I then gave the choice for UK or US public transport, of which they picked US.
And so we looked at US buses, as explained from my experience of using them in Michigan.
We roleplayed someone who was looking to get from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, taking the chance to highlight the left over Native American names, that may be hard to understand or read, such as "Ypsilanti."
We spoke through asking which bus to take, how to board the bus, and how we know which is the right bus.
We spoke about tipping in America and when you should, and when you shouldn't and the moral conflict of tipping for bad service.
We ended on discussing abstract concepts once more, and also we discussed about the terminology for ticket barriers, aka turnstiles.
Next week: The Greyhound!
I asked if the students wanted hotels, or public transport, of which they opted public transport.
I then gave the choice for UK or US public transport, of which they picked US.
And so we looked at US buses, as explained from my experience of using them in Michigan.
We roleplayed someone who was looking to get from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, taking the chance to highlight the left over Native American names, that may be hard to understand or read, such as "Ypsilanti."
We spoke through asking which bus to take, how to board the bus, and how we know which is the right bus.
We spoke about tipping in America and when you should, and when you shouldn't and the moral conflict of tipping for bad service.
We ended on discussing abstract concepts once more, and also we discussed about the terminology for ticket barriers, aka turnstiles.
Next week: The Greyhound!
11.5 Pattern Practice
7-8 PM 5 Students.
We spoke about the basic prepositions To, In, Into, At, and a little bit about On.
(I will research why we travel on a bus, but in a taxi for next week's class ;D )
We spoke about the basics of each, and some of the more subtle nuances, such as "I go abroad" or "I walked into the chair" vs "I go to the store" and "I walked into my office" respectively.
We then discussed which preposition should be used, and where via some short conversations I had created, that had missed out the preposition, and sometimes had a trick space put in.
We spoke in detail about some more "abstract concepts" that arise from what would normally be basic grammar.
(I will research why we say "Go to Heaven" even though it is an abstract concept such as "outdoors")
Hope to see you next week, where I will answer those tricky questions!
We spoke about the basic prepositions To, In, Into, At, and a little bit about On.
(I will research why we travel on a bus, but in a taxi for next week's class ;D )
We spoke about the basics of each, and some of the more subtle nuances, such as "I go abroad" or "I walked into the chair" vs "I go to the store" and "I walked into my office" respectively.
We then discussed which preposition should be used, and where via some short conversations I had created, that had missed out the preposition, and sometimes had a trick space put in.
We spoke in detail about some more "abstract concepts" that arise from what would normally be basic grammar.
(I will research why we say "Go to Heaven" even though it is an abstract concept such as "outdoors")
Hope to see you next week, where I will answer those tricky questions!
11.4 Free Talk
7-8 PM 2 Students
We spoke at length about skiing, and the type of snow that is near Gifu, as there is a machine that allows you to ski from early November, and I mentioned that I was interested in snowboarding more in the future as I have done it once in Andorra, and I believe skiing and snowboarding in Japan is popular. We spoke about the landscape of North America, and how it is either incredibly flat, or very mountainous, and we drew up maps of the US on the whiteboard to demonstrate our understanding of the geography.
We then spoke about baseball, and the atmosphere of watching an American game. The students discussed the Japanese players that now play for American teams, and their constant moving from team to team.
Seattle was mentioned so we spoke about Starbucks and it's changing logo, and the queue to get into the original Starbucks cafe.
We continued to talk about baseball and the various team names for some time.
8-9 PM 2 Students
I asked the students about their experiences with Christmas, as I have noticed that Christmas music is already being played in shops, and we spoke about the traditions, and more importantly: the cake.
We spoke of the difference between the way that Japan, England, and America each write the date, stating that sometimes at a glance it can be confusing, and that the same thing happens for addresses.
We then talked about the progression of slang and language in general for quite some time, stating that the meaning of words is forever changing, and that a foreign speaker will often learn the most grammatically correct as oppose to what is actually spoken (I always try to teach a comfortable in-between) and that it is often best to just take the time to listen to learn.
We spoke briefly about which country would be better to see; England or America, agreeing that the former would be better for "traditional" sports, while the latter is best for weather.
We spoke at length about skiing, and the type of snow that is near Gifu, as there is a machine that allows you to ski from early November, and I mentioned that I was interested in snowboarding more in the future as I have done it once in Andorra, and I believe skiing and snowboarding in Japan is popular. We spoke about the landscape of North America, and how it is either incredibly flat, or very mountainous, and we drew up maps of the US on the whiteboard to demonstrate our understanding of the geography.
We then spoke about baseball, and the atmosphere of watching an American game. The students discussed the Japanese players that now play for American teams, and their constant moving from team to team.
Seattle was mentioned so we spoke about Starbucks and it's changing logo, and the queue to get into the original Starbucks cafe.
We continued to talk about baseball and the various team names for some time.
8-9 PM 2 Students
I asked the students about their experiences with Christmas, as I have noticed that Christmas music is already being played in shops, and we spoke about the traditions, and more importantly: the cake.
We spoke of the difference between the way that Japan, England, and America each write the date, stating that sometimes at a glance it can be confusing, and that the same thing happens for addresses.
We then talked about the progression of slang and language in general for quite some time, stating that the meaning of words is forever changing, and that a foreign speaker will often learn the most grammatically correct as oppose to what is actually spoken (I always try to teach a comfortable in-between) and that it is often best to just take the time to listen to learn.
We spoke briefly about which country would be better to see; England or America, agreeing that the former would be better for "traditional" sports, while the latter is best for weather.
