The week before last, we focused on grammatical structures. This week we are going to start adding vocabulary to the mix. You are going to systematize and organize, perhaps even extend the vocabulary you've acquired up to this point/thus far. We are going to achieve that first by systematizing and organizing argumentative essay topics under their umbrella or overarching topics. You have to realize that your Matura argumentative essay topics are NOT at all random. They belong to some of the general areas of human knowledge and experience. Coincidentally 😉, these areas are also covered by your Insight course books (e.g. Unit 2 – covers the topics of education and remote vs urban living, Unit 8 – covers nutrition, etc.). The topic that you might be assigned will definitely NOT be overly political or controversial (so NO abortions, euthanasia, hard drugs, religious education in schools, prostitution). All the topics that did and will appear can be organized under one (or MORE) of the following fields. Of course, these fields, more often than not, overlap (*preklapaju se).
1. Some topics demand that you focus on providing (mostly) positive arguments like the one from last year: Some people prefer watching films in the cinema. Others prefer watching them at home. The same structure would apply to a more banal (but indisputably cuter) topic: Some people prefer cats. Other people prefer dogs. You would be in the wrong to provide arguments in support of cats in one paragraph and against cats in the other paragraph. You are supposed to provide arguments why people love dogs in one paragraph and why people love cats in the other. Of course, one of your arguments in support of dogs might be that people prefer dogs because they are more (overtly) affectionate than cats. 2. Some topics are quite restrictive in the way they are phrased. For instance, ‘Some people say that it is important to explore space. Others say it is a waste of time and money.’ You have the two argument against space travel already provided: a) a waste of time; b) a waste of money. They just need to be paraphrased (e.g. our time and money/ resources could be better invested somewhere else) and further elaborated. It would be wrong of you to say that exploring space is not important because we are not physically equipped for living in space. 3. Another way how your argumentative essay prompt could be expressed/phrased is: Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country. It would be wrong of you to argue (in the paragraph in which you are supposed to refute* negirat* this thesis) that education is not important at all for the development of a country. You could develop two arguments about other factors that also greatly contribute to a country’s development (e.g. economy and politics) and that without them, education wouldn’t be possible. What I’m trying to say is: read the essay PROMPT (what you mistakenly call the title of the essay) carefully. See what kind of arguments you have to develop depending on the restrictions put into the phrasing of the thesis/prompt itself. Stop calling this essay a pros/cons essay and start calling it an argumentative essay. For this week and a good portion of the next one (deadline 24 April), you’ll have to create and develop vocabulary mind maps. !!!! Guidelines
The list of argumentative essay topics/prompts can be found via:
For word lists/mind maps, I recommend, (in addition to using the collocations dictionary) among other things:
You can also go to quizlet and search for appropriate vocabulary lists that have already been assembled. However, these vocabulary lists seem a bit dry and out of context. You can use an online mind map creator or draw it by hand, whatever's easier for you. People swear by www.canva.com/graphs/mind-maps/ but if you're not tech-savvy I wouldn't recommend it. !!! GOAL: The idea is to familiarize yourself with different expressions and vocabulary items needed to have a relatively coherent discussion on any given topic. In addition, the dream is for you to become self-sufficient users of available online resources. The internet is a treasure trove of language. This short project will account for 1/3 of the grade that you’ll be given at the end of our online journey. ![]()
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We're going to take a short break from the two types of relative clauses (we're still going to use them, but we won't specifically concentrate on their form and function). We're going to look at how poetry has evolved and adapted to cover and address contemporary (suvremene) topics like technology. You must already be familiar with the slam poem Touchscreen that K. masterfully performed last year. I'm almost sure that she wouldn't agree, but we're all our own worst critics/enemies. Slam poetry is supposed to be performed live. It's a genre of spoken word poetry. It's rap's and hip-hop's first cousin. Although it originated in the 1980s, slam poetry can even be linked to Shakespearean times. Some claim that Shakespeare's works (poetry and plays) are not supposed to be read but listened to/ watched as they are being performed on stage. Before we continue, a quick pop quiz for you – do you think the quotes below are words from a hip hop track or Shakespeare play? Answers are at the bottom of this post… and may surprise you!
1. You should listen to the poem and follow the text/lyrics in your books (p. 115) 2. Focus on: a) the repetition (doesn't it feel good to touch), b) rhyming scheme, c) word play (puns) - E.g. tweeting has two possible meanings (cvrkutanje - the sound that birds make and posting on Twitter), the yellow highlighted words in the text d) alliteration (repetition of sounds at the beginning of words) E.g. iPod, iPhone, iMac, I can do all of these things without making eye contact e) the questions in task 2 - because you'll have to answer them :) 3. Go to our favorite communication/feedback platform and answer a couple of questions about the poem by 24 April . ----Link: forms.gle/xGXCrojwuDJM3Rsu9 Via the same form, compare the poem above ("Touchscreen) with the one below: ***Key to Shakespeare or hip-hop:
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences and why should be even care? 1. My brother , who lives in Zadar, is a student. 2. My brother who lives in Zadar is a student. The speaker of the first sentence has ONE brother, the speaker of the second sentence has MORE THAN ONE brother. In both sentences, “who lives in Zadar” is a relative clause. 1. In the first sentence, the relative clause serves the purpose of giving the reader extra information about the subject (my brother). This is known as a NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. It is simply “plugged in” the sentence as extra information. Note that non-defining relative clauses are always separated by commas. Because non-defining relative clauses are not necessary, they can always be removed without hindering the comprehensibility of the sentence. Thus, removing the clause leaves us with “My brother is a student.” From this, we can conclude that the speaker has only one brother. !! We also NEVER use the relative pronoun THAT in NON- DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES 2. In the second sentence, the relative clause is a DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. Defining relative clauses (surprisingly enough) provides essential information about the subject or object (i.e. the sentence NEEDS the clause - it cannot be removed/omitted). Thus, in this case, we can infer that the use of a defining relative clause serves to determine WHICH brother is a student. (ex: My brother who lives in Zadar is a student, and my brother who lives in Karlovac is a firefighter). In summation: Try to avoid mixing the two types of relative clauses up, especially if you go to a school with: GRAMMATICALLY CONSCIOUS BULLIES Your assignments: 1. Regardless of your learning style, you should definitely check the Grammar Reference in your Workbooks (page 121) and try to complete the two tasks. They key will be provided for you next week on 21 April. You don't have to submit anything, however, you CAN practice relative clauses (defining and non-defining) through these exercises (there are 3 exercise with an instant feedback and explanation): test-english.com/grammar-points/b1/defining-and-non-defining-relative-clauses/ 2. There's a presentation attached below this post, so I advise you go through it. If you are more of an audio-visual type of a student, definitely check the video below. ![]()
Dear students, after our short break, we're continuing with our study of relative clauses. Today, we're going to focus on reinforcing your already advanced ;) knowledge of defining relative clauses and relative pronouns. We have the rest of the week to focus on non-defining relative clauses and how they differ from relative clauses. But first things first:
In your workbooks page 69, you have some neat exercises with defining relative clauses. However, instead of completing the tasks in your workbooks, you're going to complete them via this worksheet by this Friday. You can, of course, ALSO complete your workbooks in hard copy. I believe this is enough for one lesson - the rest of the assignments for this week... to follow. Stay tuned. Regrets come hand-in-hand with mistakes. Many people live by the motto “No regrets,” but sometimes we need to express at least a minor regret or mistake in English. How do we do that? There are several phrases/expressions/structures (5, in total) in English to express regret about something that we did or didn't do: 1. I wish / if only + Past perfect Examples (there's no difference in meaning between I wish and If only):
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
![]() 5. I'd rather/sooner I + HAD/HADN'T PAST PARTICIPLE Examples (there is no difference in meaning between I'd rather and I'd sooner): I'd sooner I hadn't talked to her like that. I really hurt her feelings.
E.g. I could have gotten a job at the French embassy, which is of course a very prestigious place to work at, if I had invested more time in studying French. **Shoulda, woulda, coulda… If you do start expressing your regrets in English, you’re likely to hear ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’ at some point. These words can pop out in any order – one of the few times word order is flexible in English. ‘Shoulda, woulda, coulda’ is an English speaker’s way of telling you not to think about the things you ‘should have’, ‘would have’, or ‘could have’ done in any situation. It’s how we tell people not to worry about things they can’t change, and not to look back. This video covers 3 out of 5 possible forms for expressing regrets.
Dear 1st graders, hope you had time to find your bearings last week. We're continuing our work with the future. I'm going to give you the whole week's worth of assignments so you can complete them at your own pace. (deadline 22 April)
1. Watch and listen to the video with the explanation (key) of the assignment you were supposed to submit via liveworksheets last week (or the week before that, to be exact). Link: youtu.be/uOyGWxawuxA 2. Next, please complete this google form which consists of 2 listening tasks 3. Then, go to game.educaplay.com/ and use the pin: 818366 to complete the challenge on the future of travel 4. Finally, complete 5 tasks in your workbooks related to future tenses (heading 3C, from task 1 to task 5); I'm going to provide the key for these tasks next week. And that's all folks! By the end of the week, you can expect to see some new grades in your grade book. :) Salutations! :) This week you'll get the opportunity to catch up on the work and deadlines you might have missed during the two previous weeks. Most of you were quite consistent and diligent (*marljivi) in completing your assignments. However, some of you have some catching up to do. After this week some of you will be adequately rewarded for your work. If you have any issues (technical or otherwise) with completing your assignments, please drop me a line (i.e., contact me via email). Some of you have already done that. By now, you were supposed to upload 2 short audio/video files on two topics. 1. your 1st assignment is available here 2. your 2nd assignment is available here New deadline for these two assignments - 11 April When you complete these 2 assignments...you can relax till 20 April when we continue with our work. Till then...keep safe and learn to speak like a true Londoner :). Salutations! :) This week you'll get the opportunity to catch up on the work and deadlines you might have missed during the two previous weeks. Most of you were quite consistent and diligent (*marljivi) in completing your assignments. However, some of you have some catching up to do. After this week some of you will we adequately rewarded for your work. If you have any issues (technical or otherwise) with completing your assignments, please drop me a line (i.e., contact me via email). By now, you were supposed to complete 2 google forms and one quizziz assignments. 1. voting below the age of 18 - express your opinion via this google form 2. a quizziz overview of target vocabulary (you have to use your real our name and surname as nick) - open joinmyquiz.com and enter this code 186851 3. religion and politics/protest songs - listening/reading/discussion - google form Please, when you complete these google forms, use your gmail account address so I can send you feedback on your work. In addition, please check your language setting on the device you primarily use to submit your work. If you manage to switch the language setting to English, there's a feature that will underline your misspelled words. That's a neat way to help you learn how to spell correctly. It points out where you made a mistake before you submit your response. Finally, in order to ease our future communication, join the google classroom I've opened up (use your @gmail.com account and NOT skola.hr accounts, if possible) . Loomen isn't always user-friendly so google classroom in combination with this site is our best bet to bring this school year to a close as painlessly as possible. When you complete these 3 assignments and join the google classroom...you can relax till 20 April when we continue with our work. How to join our google classroom (in 3 steps): You must be signed in to Classroom before you can join a class. Unsure if you’re signed in? Learn more about how to sign in to Classroom. Join a class with a class code
3. Enter the class code lbitzdp and click Join
Dear 2nd graders, I hope you're all well, as much as it can be expected under the circumstances. Next week we'll focus on repetition and catching up with assignments from previous weeks that you might not have had time to complete. You'll also receive feedback on your google forms work but only if you had submitted your work under a gmail account. If you submitted your work under your @skole account, don't worry, I still received your work but I can't send you an automated feedback. You'll have to wait till next week. For this week's last lesson, we'll focus on defining relative clauses and relative pronouns. 1. Watch the video above as your short intro into what relative clauses are. 2. Go to your books to page 110; there you have short text about Maggie and Tessa, two lovely old ladies. The words that are highlighted yellow are relative pronouns. Please complete task 2. 3. If you need additional explanation be sure to check your workbook page 120 (or/and) download the powerpoint presentation that explores this topic (the ppt is attached below this post) 4. Next, instead of completing tasks 5 and 6 (p. 111, SB) in your books and tasks 1 and 2 (p. 120) in your workbooks, you'll complete them via these liveworksheets so I can check your comprehension of the subject matter. Of course, before you submit your work to yours truly :), you can click on the button that automatically checks your work so you can make certain revisions before I do (i.e. you can change your answers) link: www.liveworksheets.com/rc115679be 5. Oh, one last thing ...if you want to remember relative pronouns once and for all, be sure to listen/watch the video below. :) ![]()
1st Grade - 8th & 9th - session - Vocabulary and Grammar reinforcement & Future time clauses3/31/2020 1. Hopefully by now you are masters in tenses we use to express the future, but in case you’re not, it wouldn’t hurt to go through some basic concepts again. Please watch the video above to reinforce your knowledge of some of the tenses we use to talk about the future. 2. In addition, we should definitely check your answers to tasks 7-13 (page 37, SB). You’ll be provided the key through this video. I also discuss how and when we’ll deal with the subject of the exams held before the school was closed. 3. Finally, this week we are going to explore the concept of (future) time clauses (p. 39, p. GR 9, tasks 10-11). You have several resources available here to take charge over your learning process, tailor it according to your preferences and learning styles. There’s a PowerPoint presentation attached below that explores future time clauses. You can also watch a video on the topic. ![]()
What isn’t negotiable is you completing this digitized worksheet (those are the same tasks as the ones from your book – pages 38 and 39 – but made to fit our current circumstances). When you provide your answers within this worksheet be sure NOT TO USE contracted forms (so no won’t, isn’t, aren’t, doesn’t, etc.). You can check how well you did before you submit your work to your teacher, i.e. ME by selecting the option “check my work” (after clicking on the FINISH button). Link: https://www.liveworksheets.com/at104000dr
4. The last assignment is writing 4 to 5 sentences based on the picture prompts from task 12, page 39 (SB). You have the model already provided. You should use as many different forms and tenses to express your predictions about one of the characters portrayed in the photos. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, you can even select an image of a person that isn’t from your book and make predictions about him/her – but then, you also have to upload the photo you used as your starting point. I just want to check if you have mastered the wider scope of forms used to express the future. Please submit these sentences by 10 April (deadline) via this link (use your google email accounts – not skole.hr) : https://forms.gle/hNCpQbdhEobdT2CL8
We will devote this lesson to learning or, to be precise, to systematizing the knowledge we've already acquired about the future in the past (although we haven't use this specific term by now).
The examples of the "FUTURE IN THE PAST" are those underlined sentences on page 48 in your books. I will provide 2 videos (one above and one below) as well as a powerpoint presentation (attached below this post) which will (hopefully) elucidate the concept of "the future in the past". You can always check the elaboration of this grammatical term in your workbooks (Reference and practice 4.2, WB p. 116)
***Check your understanding of the FUTURE in THE PAST via https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b2/future-in-the-past/. Please complete all 3 tasks. When you check your answers, you will be provided with additional explanations.
Furthermore, I have digitized task 6 from your books (p. 49) into a simple drag-and-drop task. So, please complete it below. And that's all folks for week 3 of online classes! Keep safe.
Drag-drop future in the past, an interactive worksheet by dunjaopa
liveworksheets.com ![]()
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process does not become a monster himself." (Friedrich Nietzsche) This week we're going to focus on one literary figure - Mary Shelley - and her best-known creation the novel Frankenstein (which Marry wrote at the age of 18 being basically stuck indoors for days on end due to a volcanic eruption - SOUNDS FAMILIAR, perhaps?). Some might not be aware of this fact but the titular figure Frankenstein is not the name of the reanimated monster but of the doctor who created him/it. Dr. Victor Frankenstein did not name the person/monster he created. He recoiled in fear and disgust when he saw what he had created and spent the most of the novel's plot trying to destroy "the monster" (see Nietzsche's quote above) who had done nothing (at the beginning) to deserve such treatment from the person who brought him to life, who gave him life. Since the novel was written, it has been adapted for theatre, television and cinema countless times. Due to these adaptations, we usually imagine the monster as having greenish skin, angular face , with bolts coming out of his neck though he/it did not look like that at all as you'll see based on the excerpt from the novel. The novel is written in an epistolary form while events are recounted from the perspective of various characters (even the Monster himself) which of course leads you to sympathize (*suosjećati) with his plight. 1. Watch the video above. It offers a relatively thorough introduction into the subject matter. Then, go to your books (page 48) and read extract A. Answer the questions in task 2. 2. Extract B is an adapted passage from the novel itself. I advise you listen to this audio while you read the text (page 49). The audio is based on the original text so there are some differences between the two texts (the audio one and the written one in your books). Don't let that distract or confuse you (listen till min 4). The audio uses much more complex vocabulary. 3. Listen to/read the text again, but before you do, go through this quizlet with the target vocabulary from the lesson on Frankenstein. You can also utilize the function "LEARN" within the quizlet platform.
4. Complete task 3 (1-6) on p.48 in order to incorporate these new words into your vocabulary. 5. Finally, as your feedback on the lesson on Frankenstein, go to google forms (please use your gmail accounts and not @skole.hr so I can track your progress more easily) and answer the posed questions. (deadline 8 April) : forms.gle/bEo749QfHgBBgQYA9
We continue with our work on mistakes. Some mistakes are more serious than others and are difficult, if not impossible, to rectify (*make right). We'll start this week's lesson with one such mistake withfar-reaching consequences.
1. Do watch the video above as a warm-up and then go to your books p. 96 Mistaken identity/Hospital mix-up (9 D). If you left your book at school, no worries - you can download it via the link I sent you on your class email. I have also attached the accompanying audio with the target vocabulary. After you read and/or listen to the text, you will have to prove that you have understood thegist of it. You will do this by answering the 7 reading/listening multiple-choice comprehension questions via this link (p.97, t.4) * If you enjoy stories about twins and mix-ups (conspiracy theories that have turned out to be true), I recommend you watch the award-winning documentary "Three Identical Strangers". It is truly a fascinating account on the nurture vs nature debate. 2. Next, we'll focus (yet again) on language mistakes, specifically translation mistakes, false pairs and the impact they had on the world. The bottom line is that even skilled translators have to be very careful when translating from one language to another. There are many pitfalls when it comes to translations - from contextual to linguistic limitations. The relationship between a translation and its original is never 1:1 - it is at best 1,1: 1 if languages are very closely related (e.g. Serbian and Croatian ;)). It is especially tricky when you have words in both languages that sound familiar but have entirely different meanings (i.e. false pairs).
Nowadays, it is very important, perhaps more than ever, to distinguish between these two words and use each of these items appropriately. You wouldn't want somebody to believe that you eat soap or wash your hands with soup, would you?
!!! What you have to do is compete the open cloze text (by adding one word in each gap) that gives 7 accounts of famous translation errors. After you complete this worksheet, click on the button FINISH! and then "send it to my teacher" (send it to [email protected]) . Don't use nicks but your real names and surnames. Of course, before you send this worksheet, you can check your answers (beforehand) but keep in mind that the last task that relates to false pairs will probably be marked as incorrect since there are certain variations when it comes to translations that an AI (artificial intelligence) cannot foresee and it has to be graded "by hand" (i.e. by a human being, me).
Little Translation Mistakes That Changed The World, an interactive worksheet by dunjaopa
liveworksheets.com ![]()
This week we're going to focus on the relationship between politics and religion (specifically in Northern Ireland). Norther Ireland is a part of the UK to the much chagrin of the Irish. This disputed territory, under British (Protestant) rule, has been been a stage for numerous violent altercations. To learn more about the background of this conflict please watch the video above. The situation in Norther Ireland has inspired many artists to write protest songs, including the famous band U2. Their song Bloody Sunday refers to an incident, told through the eyes of an observer, when the British troops shot and killed 14 unarmed civil rights protesters. 1. Listen to the song at the lyricstraining platform and, as you listen, try to complete it with the words offered. There are 4 levels of difficulty that you can choose from. 2. Next, go to your books p. 39 and read the text about Northern Ireland. You'll also have to complete the listening task (6 and 7) as well as answer the comprehension questions in relation to the text (task 4) via the google forms sheet. 3. Through the same google forms sheet, you'll share your opinion about John Lennon's protest song titled Imagine (which you can also listen to via the lyricstraining platform) 4. Select one protest song from the list - what does the song criticize? Does it envision a better world, a better future or (just) criticize the current state of affairs/things? To what does the song talk about? Why did you chose this particular song? Provide your answers via google forms. (deadline 6 April) !!! Upon submitting your answers via google forms, please use your google email addresses NOT @skole.hr!!! I full-heartedly recommend you read the guidebook prepared for the graders of your matura exams (it is attached below this post). There you'll find examples of corrected scripts (i.e. essays) with assigned points. You'll also be able to see which criteria is applied when assessing how many points your script gets for each category (4 categories - Grammar, Vocabulary, Task Completion, Coherence & Cohesion). This week, we'll focus on the category of Grammar and how to get the maximum number of points by using complex structures (subordination, modals, auxiliaries and participles* - terms explained below). The following is stated in the graders' guidebook: You might ask yourself, and rightfully so, what are simple and complex structures or subordinate clauses that your graders are interested in. The explanation offered is: Although you have been using simple, coordinated and subordinated structures, modal and auxiliary verbs, as well as participles for (at least) 3 and a half years of your education, I'm sure that to some these linguistic terms don't mean much. Watch the video below to find out which of your sentences can be considered simple and which complex. !!! If you used one of the ("simpler") conjunctions that you can remember through the use of the FANBOYS acronym (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So), your sentence is a coordinated simple sentence. The trouble begins when you have to use complex structures: 1. SUBORDINATION 2. MODALITY/ AUXILIARIES 3. PARTICIPLES 1. First things first, subordination - HOW DO WE/I ACHIEVE SUBORDINATION??? A subordinate clause—also called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun. Here is a list of subordinate conjunctions and relative pronouns (this is not an exhaustive list): ![]() So, do you know how to form CONDITIONAL sentences? How about RELATIVE sentences? If you know how to do that, then you've used subordination! Let's try to combine two simple sentences with the word in the brackets and, THUS, achieve subordination. a) My wife hit that dog with the car. The dog was very old. (2 simple sentences) ---- That's the dog _________________________ the car. (whom) - relative pronoun ----- That's the dog whom my wife hit with the car. --- subordination, complex sentence, relative sentence b) I signed the contract. My lawyer was there. (2 simple sentences) ---- I _________________________________ my lawyer had been present. (unless) - negative conditional conjunction (E.g. Unless you study more, you won't get a passing grade) ---- I wouldn't have signed the contract unless my lawyer had been present. --- subordination, complex sentence, 3rd conditional. 2. Secondly, modality and auxiliaries (*pomoćni glagoli) - WHAT'S THAT? So, do you know how to form PASSIVE sentences (formed with the variations of the auxiliary verb to BE) or perfect tenses (formed with the variations of the auxiliary verb to HAVE)? If you do, you know how to use auxiliaries. Do you know how to form the past tense with modal verbs (should, ought to, would, needn't, might, could...)? Great. Prove it. Combine two simple sentences with words in brackets. c) We had to go up the stairs. Someone was using the lift. (2 simple sentences) Since the lift .............................................., we had to go up the stairs. (being) - auxiliary verb Since the lift was being used, we had to go up the stairs. - complex/ passive sentence, subordination d) Mr. Diamond lives in Abu Dhabi. He moved there in 2010. (2 simple sentences) Mr. Diamond _________________________________2010. (has) - auxiliary verb Mr. Diamond has been living in Abu Dhabi since 2010. - perfect tense/complex structure e) I went to the office. I then remembered it was my day off. (2 simple sentences) I ________________ to the office as it was my day off. (needn't) - modal verb I needn't have gone to the office as it was my day off. - past modality, subordination, complex sentence 3. Finally, we have participle clauses as our last example of complex structures. There are 3 kinds of participles : present participle (--ing form), past participle (usually ends in --ed, if the verb is a regular one), perfect participle (having + past participle) Let's try to combine two simple sentences with the help of participles and, THUS, achieve subordination. f) I saw an accident ahead. I stopped my car. (2 simple sentences) Seeing an accident ahead, I stopped my car. -- present participle clause, complex structure g) I hadn't had a shower for two days. I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (2 simple sentence) ______________a shower for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (having) Not having had a shower for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom.--- perfect participle clause, complex structure. The first step in activating our latent grammatical skills is through sentence transformations. Then, when we remind ourselves of the variety of (complex) structures that exist in the English language, we should try to put them in practice. Go through this quizlet to reactivate the knowledge of certain (grammatical) structures (quizlet.com/_8989hk?x=1jqt&i=ol6mm), then make a list of grammar structures you have mastered and are confident about using (the so-called checklist of structures you want to integrate in your writing) and write a short paragraph (100 words max) using these structures on the topic of how adults can influence young people's behaviour. !!! Download the document (*ways to integrate grammar into your writing) below where a step-by-step tutorial of what you're supposed to write is provided (along with a model). Upload your short piece of writing together with the list of grammatical structures you've decided to use (min 6 different structures) till 4 April. ***If you find it easier to study along with an audio-visual stimuli, do watch the video below that discusses various ways and provides examples how we can transform sentences. ![]()
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4th Grade - 27.3. - Using online resources (digital literacy) in foreign language acquisition3/26/2020 Ladies and gents, in today's lesson we'll be focusing on your autonomy as a language learner. I'll provide you with a couple of resources and methods that you can use to enhance your language proficiency. I advise you to go through them and select those that you might find useful. 1. I've recently discovered this lyricstraining website that focuses mostly on music but you also have ted talks on various topics. You can also use it to practice other languages. I've been using it to study French. You can choose from 2 types of exercises and 4 different levels. There is an Android and IOS app. 2. Not all learners realize how important the good old Google search can also be in checking grammar, idioms or common word combinations (collocation). In fact, Google is by far the largest existing corpus of online text and can, with experienced use*, provide answers to virtually every question about the English language. Imagine, for example, that you want to know whether you should write: a) "at the beginning of the book" or b) "in the beginning of the book". In google search, you will get 331,00 hits for the first and 121,00 for the second. You can thus deduce that both expressions are possible but that "at the beginning of the book" is the safer choice. (don't forget to put the phrase in quotation marks). As you can see below, google translate is not the best tool to use when trying to figure out which preposition to use. However, what you should do is put the part of the sentence that you are sure is correct within quotation marks (" ") and replace the part of that you are not sure of with a so-called wildcard * placeholder. ![]() 3. Google can also be consulted if you want to figure out which collocation is the stronger one in the following word pairings:
You enter the words or phrases in the input box and click Search lots of books. Google returns your search as a graph, showing the relative popularity (or use) of the words in the books that Google has digitized. Watch the video below to find out more about how to use the Ngram Viewer. It can and is used for so much more than figuring out which collocation is stronger. 4. After experimenting with the Ngram viewer - please complete this Collocations quiz. http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/choose/colloc1.htm
The reason why I'm pestering you with these collocations is because there are no collocation rules that can be learned. The native English speaker intuitively makes the correct collocation, based on a lifetime’s experience of hearing and reading the words in set combinations. The non-native speaker has a more limited experience and may frequently collocate words in a way that sounds odd to the native speaker. 1st Grade - 6th and 7th online lesson - Future forms (How we talk about the future?) + Kahoot3/25/2020 1. First things first, to get your mind in the right headspace for learning and practicing tenses which express the future, watch the video above. If it is easier for you to study by watching and listening to videos I also recommend you watch this one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtTFAMF1SUk 2. After that, download the PowerPoint presentation attached at the bottom of this post about (already familiar) tenses that we use to express the future: present simple, present continuous, going to future and future simple. You can also check the grammar reference in your books (p. GR 8 and 9) 3. Go through the PowerPoint presentation and try to solve a couple of online exercises which also offer you feedback (an explanation) if you answer incorrectly: When solving these grammar tasks, try to keep an internal monologue going which would (ideally) sound something like this: "What am I expressing with this sentence?"
4. Then, download the second PowerPoint presentation that focuses on future perfect and future continuous and solve these online multiple choice exercises: If you find it easier to study along with videos do watch the ones produced by BBC English about future continuous (www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bFhZXEOiVk&t=93s ) and future perfect (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd2WfMgapws). 5. When you start feeling comfortable with using these different forms and tenses, go and solve this Kahoot! kahoot.it/challenge/0622397?challenge-id=9e5a4d4c-98d2-48e7-948e-a00fed04c18a_1585254793604 . Please use your real names and surnames as nicks since I'll monitor your attendance and activity through this challenge. (!!!!due date 4 April) ![]()
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We're finally moving onto Unit 9 that focuses on technology.
We're first going to discuss implications of being (overly) dependent ON or addicted TO social media and how certain people behave online. 1. Go to your books, to page 108-109. Read and complete the text with the sentences in task 3 and do the vocabulary exercises (tasks 4,5,6). When it comes to the target vocabulary covered in this text, you can use this short quizlet for self-study just to check your overall understanding of key words and expressions. For fast finishers, you can go through flashcards that offer a comprehensive overview of the entire vocab covered in Unit 9. You'll see it's not very demanding or complex. 2. You are considered digital natives. You have probably never owned a phone that was not a smartphone device. Different generations prefer using different social networks and they use them for different reasons and purposes. Watch the video on that topic and do the related exercises. https://en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/how-do-you-use-social-media-0-100 3. Answer the discussion questions that relate to various aspects of social media use by 3 April. You have more than enough time. (forms.gle/ZKzLWm63sp8J1w4u5 ) How are things in your *NECK of the woods*? I'm sure that all of us have itchy feet by now and daydream about the day we'll be allowed to travel again. Nowhere fancy. Even visiting Delnice would be a nice change of scenery.
2. https://www.educaplay.com/learning-resources/3948661-bodyidioms_10_s_n_f_unit_1ex_1.html
The expression we're looking for is "a doctor's office/surgery".
However, sometimes you cannot get the treatment you need at a doctor's office. For example, if your liver is failing you might qualify for a liver transplant and for that you need to go to hospital. And how might doctors go about getting you an organ transplant? They first SCREEN your closest relatives if they are a match. If they are not, then you are put on a waiting list and wait for a donor or a match. Aside from human donors, is there any other way to acquire a suitable organ for transplant? Go to your WB p. 30 (tasks 2 and 6) to reveal the controversial issue being discussed.
Dear students, today we are going to think about the reasons why some people decide to go under the knife or undergo plastic surgery. We'll look at two people, Justin Jedlica and Vanilla Chamu, or the so-called real-life Barby and Ken. 1. First, watch the video above to get a better impression of the kind of people we're talking about and then download the audio (below this post) that relates to the listening exercise in your books (page 46, task 2). Please complete task 2. 2. Secondly, this audio is filled with interesting idiomatic expressions related to the body. I'm sure most of these idioms are already familiar to you and if not, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with them. Check your understanding of the expressions that appear in the attached audio via tasks 4 and 5. (page 46-47) Idioms usually have an interesting story behind them, such as the idiom "warts and all". The story goes that Oliver Cromwell, who was Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the 1600s, was having his portrait painted. However, he didn't want the painter to beautify anything about his appearance as was the practice at that time - #nofilter :). He wanted to be portrayed as realistically as possible -- "warts and all" --- and oh, did he have warts. 3. There are numerous idioms with body parts :), even in Croatian. E.g., nositi (imati) glavu u torbi (vreći) = riskirati, izlagati se opasnosti (ENG equivalent - Throw caution to the wind). držati jezik za zubima = šutjeti (ENG equivalent - keep your mouth shut), zaljubiti se preko ušiju = jako se zaljubiti (ENG - fall head over heels with someone). Your task is to select 4 idioms (CRO frazemi) with body parts from the image below and find their translations into English. Keep in mind that idioms are culture dependent and can almost never be directly translated (but sometimes they can). 4. Finally, we can conclude today's lesson with a short video quiz. You'll be given the key for these tasks by the end of the week. ![]()
Dear students, watch the video above to get into the appropriate mindset. Then, go to your books page 106 and 107. We'll do tasks 2, 5 and 6. You can find the audio for task 2 attached at the bottom of this post. Tasks 2 and 5 (reading and listening comprehension) will be checked via google forms (deadline: 31.3.) : forms.gle/nzmT7QDZg3uJEFVS7 However, I'm also very interested in task 6 because it checks your understanding of almost all basic grammatical concepts. The key for task 6 will be provided by the end of the week. In addition, please complete one online exercise about the history of braille available at: www.educaplay.com/learning-resources/5286770-the_history_of_braille.html ![]()
Dear students,
we'll continue our work on Unit 3, specifically 3b (page 37). There are a couple of things you'll be required to do this week: 1. Watch the video above to get you in the mood of thinking about the future of nutrition. 2. Open your books on page 37 and look at the table in task 7, then click on this link and collaborate with your classmates on creating an exhaustive list of food items (notice how words for certain kinds of meat and veggies come from French). 1.F docs.google.com/document/d/1YI_PfJx3DyNMA5B9eTNAT2LiV1nuO_srW7IZpmRg68w/edit?usp=sharing 1.B docs.google.com/document/d/1-0XBCKyybsRK7WiaTaMkJpQgmF7xIQIwjnoxpllUV0A/edit?usp=sharing
3. After hopefully learning some new vocabulary items related to food (perhaps even from your classmates or on your own via your new best friend Google ;)), go back to your books and complete the tasks (from 8-13) on page 37. Make use of all the available resources to arrive at the correct solutions. If you're not sure which words to use, you can follow the same search pattern as shown in the example below for task 8 (use quotation marks " ___ " and an asterisk * as a stand in for word/s you're not sure of). Words follow certain strict patterns and there's a limited number of words that can come between the word "people" and "a diet". As you can see, the most common word that comes between the word "people" and "a diet" is the preposition ON but FOLLOW is a close second. 4. After completing page 37, go to Padlet where you'll see 4 questions and one model answer to these 4 questions. Plan out your responses to these 4 questions, record yourself speaking (for min 60 secods) and upload the audio to Padlet. You are required to sign your audio response (i.e., write your name and surname or at least initials and grade). You have sufficient time to submit your audio assignments (1 April). If I had a penny for every language mistake I have made over the years, I would be rich. Filthy rich, at that!
And you know what? I am glad I have messed up so many times, because without those mistakes, I would not be the person I am today. I remember believing that "family" and "always" were spelled *familly and *allways and I recall my high school English teacher correcting these errors. I did get a lower grade due to these mistakes but I do hope that you don't necessarily have to be 'penalized' for each mistake you make to remember it. Mistakes are a valuable tool that you can use as guidance in learning a foreign language and although each of you has a different weak spot (for some, it's spelling, for others it's prepositions, etc.), there are certain mistakes that almost all of you made (or still make) at some point. This week, we'll focus on identifying and recognizing the types of mistakes that students make with the hope that you'll avoid some of them in the future. I don't have to emphasize the fact that exam makers know very well where you are the weakest and like to exploit these language weaknesses in order to test your proficiency in English so don't indulge them. Some of these mistakes are: 1. NOT using perfect tenses correctly (I *didn't go* to the cinema since. By the time we finish, he *will already arrive* home. They *have discovered* the vaccine in 2009. ) 2. misusing articles (using articles with uncountable/abstract nouns and not using articles with countable nouns - We should protect *the* nature) and quantifiers (We should have *less* subjects in school) 3. negative transfer/interference from your native tongue (mostly visible when you misuse prepositions -e.g. "Okreni ovu stolicu ZA 90 stupnjeva." - "Turn this chair *FOR 90 degrees." - whereas it should be "BY 90 degrees", and when you attempt to translate directly from CRO into ENG - "..kad napunim 18 godina", "when I *become/fulfill* 18 *years*", whereas it should be "when I TURN 18..", "voditi dnevnik" , "*lead* a diary" vs "KEEP a diary", Svi su u školi" -- "Everybody *are* at school." vs "Everybody IS at...") 4. lacking awareness of collocations and language nuances (e.g. materinski jezik - is not *mother language* but MOTHER TONGUE, pisati ispit - we don't *write* exams but we TAKE or SIT exams; The flowers had a special *smell* - vs SCENT ) 5. using wrong verb forms with unreal past and subjunctive mood (I wish I *have* more money; I suggest you use 6. not acknowledging the use of conditional structures (If we knew that we were making mistakes, we *won't make* them in the first place. ) 7. word order when using relative WH-pronouns and reporting questions in affirmative sentence (I don't know what *did he do*. vs I don't know what HE did.) 8. misspelling words that are homophones (deer vs dear, it's vs its, break vs brake, etc.) 9....and many more... We'll focus on some of the mistakes and how to rectify them via google forms. Most questions will include a feedback message that explains why a certain answer is the correct one. Your attendance will be recorded automatically by collecting your email addresses. You have to complete this form by 2 April. forms.gle/Gak2QkeMFah3q4VM6 Hi guys and gals! Hope this post finds you in good heath and spirit. Well, at least as much as it's is possible under these conditions.
We'll continue with Rebecca Black and her "Friday" hit single (whether it was a mistake for her to make it) and transition to other types of mistakes, specifically, those that foreign language learners make. As they say, to err is human. What I ask of you is to go to the google forms quiz which records your attendance and activity and where you'll listen, watch and answer a couple of comprehension questions. (forms.gle/FxqLJTrDUbrFSh16A) Your deadline for completing this form is Tuesday (7.4.) CONVERSATIONAL English Elective class - 20.3. (FAK) - THE STORY OF STUFF/THE STORY OF US (project)3/23/2020 Dear all, I hope you are all well!
Since our classes are moving online, we’re going to do them a bit differently. Here are the instructions for the project "The story of stuff, the story of us": 1. Take a photo of an object in your home that has an interesting story behind it. It can be a personal story or a history of an object (or even both). The object you choose can be anything, ranging from a pair of jeans, a football, a book, a trophy, to toilet paper. 2. Think about what you want to say -- plan your speech accordingly and make an audio recording of you delivering the speech. 3. Upload the photo and the audio file to your computer and merge the two into video format via: https://imagetovideo.com/ (go to Convert Audio file to Video section where you 1st upload the audio and then select the background image, that is, the image of the object. When the two are merged, download the video.) 4. Go to the link below and upload your work: https://padlet.com/dunjaopa/ljl8qaapkgcs You have 2 examples/ models provided at this link (The Surogat painting and The invention of the telephone ) 5. Write the title and a short caption. Add your initials at the end. Possible issues: some phones record audio in formats other than mp3 or wav, so you might have to convert it into an mp3. You can use this online converter to do so: https://online-audio-converter.com/ The deadline is next Monday (30 March). Have fun! |
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