CSIM Summer courses.

Hello, everyone.
Summer is on the way, and what better time to do that intensive course you've been planning?
All the information you need is on the link below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x14oawh8kubexr9/CIJ%2015%20DIGITAL%20EN.pdf?dl=0

If you think your friends might be interested, feel free to pass the information on.
See you in Summer.
Tom.

28/04

- WARMER: My dream job
- Oral Projects: CSIM NEWS
                          FIRST AIDS
- Review game: units 7 -10
- Board Game: Gerund/Infinitive

H/W
Extra practice 10.

Here's a link to an activity we will use in class today.
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/gerunds-and-infinitives-exercise-1.html

Gerunds & infinitives

Hi, everyone.
Here we have some links to keep working with gerunds and infinitives if you are interested in:

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/gerunds-and-infinitives-exercise-1.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/gerunds-and-infinitives-exercise-2.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/gerunds-and-infinitives-exercise-3.html

Tom has also strongly recommended English Grammar in Use, pages 53 to 68.

23/04

- Warmer: Draw your favourite family photo, and tell a partner.
- Corrected the homework: Extra practice 8, ex. 1,2,3.
- Listened to the O.P. of Mercedes, Paloma and Miriam.

H/W
Extra Practice 9. It is posted on the blog.

Extra practice 9 & 10.

Hello, everyone. These copies are from your SB, as you know, but since we've done some of the exercises in class, here's your chance to use them without the answers.

21.4.15

In this class we:
-Talked about our favourite films and film extras (Listening SB p.48 Ex 7b).
-Set the dates for our oral projects:
     G1. Carmen: Apr 28th Tuesday
     G2. Eugenio: Apr 30th Thursday
     G3. Mercedes: Apr 23rd Thursday
     G4. Gloria: Apr 30th Thursday
     G5. Luis. Apr 28th Tuesday
-Reviewed the homework and did Extra Practice 7 Ex 5 and 6.
-Reviewed the conditionals.

H/W:
Extra Practice 8A Ex 1, 2 and 3.

16.4.2015

Last class:
-Exercises 1 and 2 (extra practice 7) from the sheet that Tom gave us in class.
-We did an exercise about "productive suffixes" that Tom gave us in class as well. You can find a summary in page 158 (students book) of these suffiexes and their meaning.

Homework: 
-Exercises 3 and 4 (practice 7) - from the same sheet we used in class.

Interactive from The British Council.

Hello, everyone.
Here's a page to help you get your head out of the book. 

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/apps/learnenglish-audio-and-video

It's from The British Council, and it allows you to consult, practise, listen, read, watch videos or play games like the vocabulary game I've just been playing. You can use it on your phone too.
Try it, and let me know what you think.
Tom.

Listening: Very proper English.

 Listen to a few minutes of this, and tell me what you think. 
It's a BBC interview made in 1964 where everyone speaks very slowly and correctly, in accents that would be considered too upper-class today. The interviewee is a leading scientist of his day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pwnvh#auto

9.4.15 Class

Speaking activity: Quick review of modals, page 102

Tom returns us the last writings

Learning techniques: listening page 103

Guiving advice: page 103

Homework: Try one of our partner's suggestions about how to learn English

7.4.15 Class:

Modals of certainty
Adjective-noum collocation
Synonyms + antonyms
How to learn a language
Oral projects

Homework: workbook, page 51 and 5 and 6 from page 52

Free English film in CSIM on Friday at 16:00!

I've seen it, and I enjoyed it. I think you will too, and it's great for your English!

Inglés — "The Sapphires"

Proyección de la película, (musical-comedia-drama, Australia 2012) en VOS en inglés. 

Durante la Guerra de Vietnam de 1968, cuatro cantantes de una remota comunidad aborigen son descubiertas por un cazatalentos. Salen del anonimato y son bautizadas The Sapphires, la versión australiana del trío The Supremes, y las contratan para su primer concierto real – entretener a las tropas en Vietnam. Incluye actividad de introducción y de conversación al final de la proyección.

Entrada libre hasta completar el aforo. Viernes 10/04 - 16:00. Aula 404 / Facultad Filología A.

Oral Project form. Return by Mon 13.4.15

Hello, everyone. Here's the Oral Project form I handed out in class today. I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but to summarise, you should form groups, agree on a project, and decide how you want to organise it. Each group should fill out a copy of the form for me by Monday 13th, and each member of the group should have the same information on their own form. 

Enjoy your break.

Naomi Klein environmental video.

Naomi Klein spoke to a packed house in Bellas Artes last night, to present her latest book, on the topic of climate change, This changes everything.
Here's an interesting, if challenging, video she's made on climate change which I hope you will enjoy. Most of the participants speak slowly and clearly. 

Some terms you may not be familiar with are:

Tar sands = sand from which Canada is extracting oil.
First nation = Native canadian indians.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/video/2015/mar/06/this-changes-everything-naomi-klein-oil-video

Happy viewing.
Tom.

Class 24.03.2015

Today in class:

We started with the QUICK REVIEW exercise in SB pg  99 (Subject/Verb agreement).

After that, we did a listening activity, SB, page 98, exercise 7. 

Then, we talked about potatos and salt and completed, by groups:
            - SB, page 107, exercise 9
            - SB, page 110, exercise 9

Homework for thursday: WB, page 50, exercises 5+6

Homework for Easter holiday: Writing (150 words) ''The history of...''

BBC Women in Erdogan's Turkey.

Having read so many interesting essays in your progress test on the subject of women's rights, (and not only from the women in class), I think you'll be interested in this. 
The women interviewed are turkish, bilingual,and academics, so they speak better and clearer English than most english, (or irish), people. 
I think you'll enjoy it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02kq0hm

See you in class.
Tom.

Class 17.03.2015

In this class we studied SB pg. 96-97

We read the text and corrected the exercises of these pages.

Grammar:  accord subject-verb : ex: The police were blamed for....// The police force was recognised

Speaking: How have animals been helpful to mankind?


Homework: WB Pg 49. + 50. :ex. 4

Progress test review: Extra practice 8 & 9.

As promised, here are Extra practice 8 & 9.

DVD Rom Upload file

Hello, everyone. 
Today, we're going to talk about the DVD Rom, so for those of you who haven't been able to access it yet, one of my students in B1.3 has offered a little help.

Here is the link for you guys Face2Face_DVD . It´s a big file... (~1GB!). I hope you can download and install easily (unzip and click CambridgeApplicationInstaller, the olny application file which you´ll see when you open the folder). 

A big thanks to Juan-Mi.

Class 26.02.2015.

In this class we studied SB P.92-93

Grammar:
Countable or uncountable?

SB P.92, Ex. 9.
SB P.93, Ex. 3b.

WB P.46, Ex.3.

Reading:
SB P.93, Ex.3.

Speaking:
-Newspapers are more politically objective than TV.

-Papers have an editorial policy/line. They are all biased.
Depending on the paper / It depends on...
We are not objective too either.
He promoved support/set up a TV channel.

-SB P.92, Ex.10.
To raise awarness of...
(Choose an issue and decide how)

Homework:
WB P.47 (Whole page).

Class 24.2.2015

In this class we studied SB P.90-91

Grammar:
Productive suffixes (come from words with real meaning)

SB P.90, Ex. 4.
SB P.90, Ex. 3c (Check).
SB P.91, Ex.6.

WB P.46, Ex.1.

Reading:
SB P.91

Pay:
in cash
by credit card
via/through Internet

Speaking:
Productive suffixes (put 2 words in context + ask questions)
Explain each others part of the reading

Homework:
WB P.46 Ex.2.

By special request.

Here's the link to the Yanis Varoufakis press conference.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/feb/16/greek-bailout-finance-minister-yanis-varoufakis-talks-video

It begins:
'We were offering to refrain from, effectively, implementing our own programme..'

This is a different video from the first one posted, though it contains some of the same elements, so the original questions are no longer appropriate.

Class 19.2.2015

In this class we studied SB P.88-89-90

Speaking:

Warmer- 'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of travelling without any money'. P.90 Ex. 1a  

Work together- Make a list of 'things you have bought and experiences you've had' P.89 Ex. 11-12  

Listening:

'Listening and Speaking'. P. 88-89 Ex. 6-7&8

'Listening and Vocabulary'. P. 90 Ex. 1b-1c-1e

Homework:
H/W WB P.45 Ex. 3&4 (Not all are obvious on No. 4, but at least one of each pair is)

Watch the video 'Satish Kumar video: human nature' posted on the blog 19.2.15 , and try to make a list of the positive and negative qualities he mentions. (Instructions are on the blog)

Satish Kumar video: human nature

Here's a talk by Satish Kumar on human nature, and how to improve ourselves.
Try to make a list of the positive and negative qualities he mentions. 
Don't worry if you don't understand all the gardening vocabulary he uses as a metaphor at the beginning, but if you're feeling ambitious you can also try to list the positive and negative plants he mentions.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWq83Gnxyus

I hope you enjoy it.
Seee you in class.

Class 17.2.2015

In this class we studied SB P.87-88

Speaking:

Warmer: Discuss the questions on SB p.87, Ex. 3b using the sentences on P. 85 "Real World: Explaining choices"

Grammar:

Simple v continuous

SB p.88, Ex. 4a, 4b and 5a

Check grammar P. 159, Preview (Simple v continuous /activity and state verbs) & 9.1 (Simple v continuous: Verbs with different meanings)

Homework:

Watch the video of the Greek Minister of the economy Yanis Varoufakis (posted on the blog 17.2.15), and try to answer the questions.

Yanis Varoufakis, Minister of the Economy.

Here's a link to today's BBC News page, including an interview with the greek minister of the economy, explaining why he has not been able to sign an agreement with the EU.

It has implications not only for greeks but for all europeans, especially those heavily burdened with debt, such as Spain, (and Ireland.)

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31499815

Scroll down the page to the video, and use it to answer the questions below. 

What was his government elected to do?
What were they not interested in?
The UE offered 'some flexibility.' What does that mean?
What possible interpretations does Mr. Varoufakis offer?
What was the greek government offering?
What has been the result?
What happens next?
What does the greek government want?
What will they agree upon?
What does the minister say noone has a right to do?

See you on Thursday.

Class 12.2.2015

In this class we studied SB P.86 - 87

Speaking:

"Tell your partner who you´d like to be if you weren´t yourself, and why" 

"Thrill seekers: examples of people you know or heard about"

SB p.86, Ex. 1a

Vocabulary:

H/O Complete the story (suffixes, word building: verbs, adjectives and adverbs)

SB p.86, Ex. 1b (expressions with price or cost) 

Homework:

WB p.44, Ex. 1a and 1b

Class 10.2.15

Progress test: Units 8+9 (Not 9+10)

In this class we studied SB P.84 - 85

Speaking: 

SB p.84, Quick Review: "Wherever, whoever, whatever, etc."

SB p.84, Ex. 1

Listening:

SB p.85, Ex. 5b (Speakers 4, 5 and 6)

Vocabulary:

SB p.85, Ex. 7 (using expressions below "Real World")

Homework:

SB Reading p.86/87

SB p.87, Ex. 3a

Progress test date.

Hello, Everyone. 
This is to let you know that I've just received the dates for the next round of progress tests. 

Ours is on Thursday, March 12th., and will cover units 8 & 9. 

Please put the date in your diaries now to avoid booking that holiday in the Carribean just when you have a progress test.

See you in class.
Tom.

Class 29.1.15

In class we corrected the homework from the previous day p41: 1 & 2; p42: 6 WB.
We talked about the changes we would do in our area and how would we do it (exercise 1 p83 SB)
We did exercises 2, 3 & 4 p83 SB. We learnt about cause/ effect linkers.
We discussed the questions of the exercise 5 p85 SB.
We made the listening of the exercises 5 & 6 p85 SB.

For homework:
Write a web posting of 150 words, following the instructions in Ex.5, SB p83. Complete Ex. 1- 4 for help with ideas, spelling and vocabulary.
Remember to write on your computer, not by hand, and with double spacing.

Class 22.1.15

In this class we did exercicies 8d, 9 and 10 (SB p.82)
We red: "The Pros and Cons" and did exercice 2a (SB p.84)

For homework:

WB p.41: 1 & 2

       p.42: 6

English courses in the 2º cuatrimestre.

Hello, everyone.
Here's the information you need if you, or someone you know, is interested in doing any of the courses the CSIM offers this second term.

http://www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/80-2015-01-12-horarios2%C2%BActm2015.pdf

Thanks in advance for passing the information on to your contacts.

See you in class.

Tom.

Class 22.1.15

In this class we practised words in pronunciation
We review exercices 2 and 3 (SB pag 80)
We corrected exercices 5 and 6 (SB pag 81)
We did exercices 7 and 8 (SB pag 81-82)
We did exercice 5 (WB pag 42)

For homework:

WB pag 41, Ex 3 and 4; pag 42 Ex 5b

Class 20.1.15

In this class we red "Feel the fear"(SB page 80) and we did the exercices 2 and 3
We practised words in pronunciation
We did a list of personal adjetives (about our novels)
We talked about the first chapter of novel for our classmates and made questios about it

For homework:
SB p.81. EX 5 & 6
Review the summary

Class 15.1.15

In this class we studied SB pages 78 - 80.

We met the admirable Hazel Henderson in the listeing in Ex.8, and went on to discuss what admirable people we'd like to invite to dinner, and what questions we'd like to ask them. (Get ready...Get it right! (Ex.11 & 12)

We also practised linking words in pronunciation, and saw how those strange native speakers insert sounds to make linking easier, in this case /j/ and /w/. (Ex.10)
See also previous post, 15.1.15, 

Pronunciation: Linking sounds..... for dummies.

a version of which we saw in class.

For HW, do WB p.40, Ex. 4 & 5.

Come prepared to sumarise the first chapter of novel for your classmates.

See you on Tuesday.

Tom.

Pronunciation: Linking sounds..... for dummies.

Pronunciation: Linking vowel to vowel..... for dummies.

These people don't know the phonemic alphabet as well as you do, but the explanation is really clear.

https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/linking-3.htm

Linking Vowel to Vowel

When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, we link the words with a sort of W or Y sound.

If our lips are round at the end of the first word, we insert a W sound:

oo | o	We write it like this: too often who is so I do all We say it like this: tooWoften whoWis soWI doWall

If our lips are wide at the end of the first word, we insert a Y sound:

oo | --	We write it like this: Kay is I am the end she asked We say it like this: KayYis IYam theYend sheYasked

Class 13.1.15

Class 13.1.15

We have revised the exam in class.
We did the exercise of the council meeting.

The deadline for writing the review is on Thursday 15th January.

Homework:

Be ready for next Tuesday to report orally on the first chapter of your book.

Class 8.1.15

Class 8.1.15

We did the exercises 2 & 3 of page 121 from the student's book.

The sheet of the council meeting has been prepared for the next class.

The deadline for writing the review we had to present in this class is on Thursday 15th January.

Speaking: 
What I really want from 2015

Homework:

SB p.121, Ex. 1

WB p.40, Ex 4 & 5.

Bring your book.

Hello, everyone.

I hope you had a great break, and that even the people with exams coming up found time to celebrate. Happy New Year to you all.

I'm writing to remind you to bring the novel you've chosen to our first class on Thursday.

See you there.

Tom.