Nicole's Workshop

Chiao-ling - CV / Kim's Letter

2010-05-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Profile
I graduated in social work at the University of SEC in 2009. I have worked as a trainee during university vacations. I am interested in working for an organisation with a good reputation to help people to settle any problem.

Education
2004-2006 NHU senior high school
2006-2009 Diploma in Social Work, University of SEC
2009-2010 The University of Auckland English Language Academy
2007 (Dec-May) - MSH Junior High School: School Social Work Trainee
2008 (Summer) - Everspring Organization: Sensor Motor Integration Training Trainee

Key Skills
Fulent in Mandarin
English - Intermediate Level
Word, Exel, PowerPoint
Typing - 60 words a minute

Interests
Play piano, read books, swim

____________________________________________________________

I am a student studying Accounting and Finance at Kyunghee University. I'm writing to apply for the position of Financial Administratior, which you advertised in the website, seek.co.nz.

I've always been interested in the economy and finances from a young age. So I chose my major in Accounting and Finance and am studying English in order to deal with global markets. Whenever I study my major, I'm delighted to think of that. In addition, I'm qualified to be a Securities Consultant and have a word processor, at which I'm skilled. However, I am willing to consider any kind of work. Because I have confidence, I can do any work. Finally, I would never consider another company. I'm ready to work for your company. If I have a chance at working for your company, I will definitely be hardworking. I am available for an interview at any time convenient for you. I look forward to meeting you to discuss my application.

Yours sincerely,

_____ Kim

Homework Answers - Worksheet (unit 10)

2010-04-08T18:04:00.001-07:00

Vocabulary

1a
2 bluntly 3 con 4 cheat on 5 exaggerate 6 excuse 7 a fib 8 forgery 9 get away with 10 gossip 11 hoax 12 home truths 13 oath 14 perjury 15 rumours 16 spread 17 taken in 18 tales 19 testify 20 white

1b
2 exaggerating 3 oath/perjury 4 con/bogus 5 tales 6 got away with it 7 white lie 8 gossiping 9 bluntly / home truths 10 rumours 11 hoaxes 12 cheating 13 excuse 14 fibs 15 taken in

Patterns to notice

2
b asa long as you need
c as long as you want
d as much apsta as you want
e as often as we could
f as fast as he could
g as much as you can
h as many chocolates as you want
i as much work as she could
j as often as I can
k as long as we wanted/needed
l as fast as you want/like
m as soon as we can
n as much money as you want
o as often as I can
p as soon as they could

Grammar: noun phrases
3
2 the 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 the 7 the 8 the 9 a 10 a 11 A 12 0 13 a 14 The 15 the 16 the 17 the 18 a 19 the 20 0 21 the 22 0 23 0 24 a 25 the 26 the

Moment of Truth

2010-04-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

What are your thoughts on these quotes regarding relationships and trust? Do you agree? Why or why not?

http://www.about-personal-growth.com/trust-quotes.html

http://www.about-personal-growth.com/relationship-quotes.html

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/lessons/index.pl?noframes;read=917

Conversation questions on TV:
Are you going to watch TV tonight?
If so, what will you watch?
What did you watch on TV yesterday?
What is one of your favorite TV shows?
Why do you like it?
When is it on?
Does you father like it, too?
Do you like ___? (Insert the name of a TV show.)
Do you prefer listening to the radio or watching TV?
Do you think it is good for children to watch TV?
Do you think TV is educational?
Do you think that there is too much violence on TV?
Do you think that TV is a good thing?
If you could design a new television show to boost ratings, what kind of show would it be?
How often do you watch TV.
What are the advantages of watching TV?
What are the disadvantages of watching TV?
What do you usually watch on TV?
What kind of TV programs do you usually watch?
What kind of TV shows do you not like? Why?
What TV commercials do you like? Which ones do you hate?
What TV commercials do you like? Why?
What's your favorite commercial?
What is the purpose of advertising a product?
Do you think there are subliminal messages?
When you drive or walk, do you get distracted by advertisements on buses or billboards?
When you go food shopping, do you buy foods you've seen in TV commercials?
Do you like the _____ advertisements? If not, why? (You can substitute any company's name.)
Do you think it's right to see naked women in TV commercials selling beauty products?
What types of TV program are there?
Which type do you like best?
When do you usually watch TV?
Do you think that TV makes people lazy?
Do you think too much time is spent watching TV?
Does TV make a person passive? Does TV take away a person's ability to think for himself or herself?
Do you think that TV prevents people from communicating?
What do you think of TV shows that are designed to "discover new talent?"
If you couldn't watch TV at home but had to stay there, what would you do?
Could you live without TV for a week?

Paradise vs. heaven

2010-04-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

Essentially, these are the same.

Main Entry: heav·en
Pronunciation: \ˈhe-vən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English heven, from Old English heofon; akin to Old High German himil heaven
Date: before 12th century
1 : the expanse of space that seems to be over the earth like a dome : firmament —usually used in plural
2 a often capitalized : the dwelling place of the Deity and the blessed dead b : a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God
3 capitalized : god 1
4 : a place or condition of utmost happiness
5 Christian Science : a state of thought in which sin is absent and the harmony of divine Mind is manifest
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heaven

Main Entry: par·a·dise
Pronunciation: \ˈper-ə-ˌdīs, -ˌdīz, ˈpa-rə-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English paradis, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin paradisus, from Greek paradeisos, literally, enclosed park, of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan pairi-daēza- enclosure; akin to Greek peri around and to Greek teichos wall — more at peri-, dough
Date: 12th century
1 a : eden 2 b : an intermediate place or state where the souls of the righteous await resurrection and the final judgment c : heaven
2 : a place or state of bliss, felicity, or delight

— par·a·dis·ial \ˌper-ə-ˈdi-sē-əl, -zē-, ˌpa-rə-\ also par·a·dis·i·cal \-si-kəl, -zi-\ adjective
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradise
______________________________________________________
For discussions on this, check out the following links below. Please note that a lot of discussion around these terms leads to religious references.
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic37819.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19784728/Whats-the-Difference-Between-Paradise-and-Heaven

http://www.gotquestions.org/paradise.html

http://www.islamicbookstore.com/b7210.html

IELTS Writing Practice

2010-03-17T19:08:00.001-07:00

For guided practise on an exercise, click here. You may wish to attempt the question first before checking the model answer.

There are 60 task 1 writing questions here, and they come with model answers. Please try by yourself first, before checking the model answer. If you prefer, you can hand in your writing to me (Nicole) in class - be sure to include the chart number, and I'll mark your work.

MODULE 3: VOCABULARY The AWL

2010-03-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for the workshop on the Academic Word List. If you're interested in business and the economy, try this reading. There are some gap fill exercises at the bottom of the page for you to try.

Have you seen your class photo?

MODULE 3: GRAMMAR: Commas

2010-02-24T16:24:00.001-08:00

Thanks for joining me in today's workshop on commas.

Today's presentation on commas can be visited here . It's called Conquering the Comma.

The comma quiz for today is located here.

For more practise, please click here for more worksheets with answers.

Play a game with commas by clicking here.

Some students asked about the correct order of adjectives and when to use a comma. For the correct order of adjectives, please click here.

EXTRA: a song about the Oxford comma.

Module 2: LISTENING - Pop Art

2010-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

For more on pop art click here.
For more on abstract expressionism follow this link.

Starters Class - Homework Answers

2010-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Practice Answers:
12a

3 has got/ 's got / has
4 have got/ 've got / have
5 has got / 's got / has
6 have got/ 've got / have
7 has got/ 's got / has
8 have got/ 've got / have
9 has got/ 's got / has
10 has got/ 's got / has
11 has got/ 's got / has
12 has got/ 's got / has

12b

Please remember:
has got = 's got = has
hasn't got = has not got = doesn't have

3 Jill has got....Jenny hasn't got
4 Jill hasn't got...Jenny has got
5 Jill hasn't got...Jenny has got
6 Jill has got....Jenny hasn't got
7 Jill has got....Jenny hasn't got
8 Jill has got....Jenny hasn't got
9 Jill hasn't got...Jenny has got
10 Jill hasn't got...Jenny has got

EXTRA:
GAME
My name's David and I'm from Scotland.
She always has a sandwich for lunch
British people drink a lot of coffee.
They often go to the gym.
That new car is my parents'.

Starters Class 3pm Friday

2010-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.manythings.org/lulu/i3.htmlhttp://www.manythings.org/lulu/i3.html

Module 2: WRITING - Summary Writing

2010-02-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me in today's Summary Writing Workshop. We focused on sections from the following article: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/08/26/f-vp-fatah.html.

As mentioned, a model answer for the first piece of writing is here:

According to the article at http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/08/26/f-vp-fatah, Indian-European and Indian-American women are flocking to Mumbai in summer and winter months to get cosmetic surgery, creating a huge increase in procedures. The trend is owed to treatments being cheaper, hired helpers being affordable and the anonymity of the overseas experience. (48 words)

The homework model answer is as follows.

According to http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/08/26/f-vp-fatah, India’s recent increased wealth amongst the bourgeoisie has caused a fashion where Western looks are the trend, with bleaching, nose surgery and Liposuction being most frequently requested. (30 words)

According to the article at http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/08/26/f-vp-fatah, the last ten years have seen increased wealth amongst the mid-upper sectors of society, causing the spike in surgery procedures. Western looks are the trend, with bleaching, nose surgery and Liposuction being most frequently requested.

For more advice on summary writing, please try here. For more practise with summary writing, try here. You can email this to me at nicolestoupe@hotmail.com.

UPPER-INT/ADVANCED Reading & Vocab. (Wed 17/2/10 3pm)

2010-02-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks for coming to the Reading & Vocabulary Workshop today. Here are the answers to the Vocabulary Exercises:

9b) 1 runs out of..
2 hold centre stage
3 the life of the party
4 burst into laughter

Grammar answers...
G1) 1b, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5b, 6a
G2) 1 Do you prefer chicken or fish?
2 Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?
3 Does this mobile phone belong to you?
4 Has your course been getting more difficult?/ Is your course getting more difficult?
6 Do you agree with him?
5 Does anyone know the answer to this question?
7 Have the students been learning about pollution this week? / Are the students learning about pollution this week?
8 Do your parents know how to send emails?

G3) 1c, 2a, 3b, 4b, 5a, 6c, 7a, 8b, 9c, 10b

KL) 1 very 2 vicious 3 work 4 trouble/problem 5 idea 6 situation 7 deal 8 solve

V1) 1 pace 2 appearance 3 cultures 4 charisma 5 vocabulary 6 nerves

V2)c 2 f 3d 4a 5g 6b 7e

Intermediate: Writing (Tues 16/02/10 - 3pm)

2010-02-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us today in the Writing Workshop for Informal Emails. Some good work was done. The class emails are below. If your work doesn't have any numbers [e.g. (1)] in it, this means your email is great! Please see below for comments.
_______________________________________________________
By Saori and Katsuyoshi:

Hi,

Thanks for your email. I'm writing because I got married.

How have you been recently?(0) Have you found a girlfriend? I hope you have already found a girlfriend and enjoy your life.

I've been travelling a lot recently. Why don't you come and visit us?

I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

Take care,
[writer's name]

_______________________________________________________
By Sakiko and Yang (with the striped shirt):

Hi Fata,

Thank you for having me and being very kind to me every day.(1) I'm sending this message to you because I'm really appreciative. (2) Every time you have cooked vegetarian food for me (3). Sometimes it's really hard (4) and I feel like I am a cow or rabbit. I hope you cook some meat. I'm sending some recipes for beef and pork.

Glad to meet you. Take care. Have a nice day. From your student,
Sakiko
_______________________________________________________
By Mihagi and Shuichi:

Hi Ruth,

I am writing beause I want to appreciate your helping me. I hope you are well. Are you still reading books every day?

I've got a new friend. My English is getting better, so I could make a foreign friend.

I can't wait to see you.

All the best,
[writer's name]
_______________________________________________________
By Kohei and Eiko:

Dear [my friend],

Thanks for your email. I am writing because I want you to know my circumstances. Sorry I haven't been in touch for a while, but I've been very busy with study.

How are you? I hope you are well. Please write soon. (5)

I've been travelling a lot recently. I'm attaching a photo of my travel in Auckland.[not finished]
_______________________________________________________
By Hitomi and Ayako:

Hi Shelly,

Thank you for your nice email. I'm so glad to have it from you. (6) I'm writing because I want you to know about my news.

How are things with you? I saw Mary the other day and she has really changed. She has red hair.

By the way, I have some news (7) to tell you. I'm studying English in New Zealand for a month now. So, I'm writing from NZ. I hope we can meet in three months. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.

Take care,
[writer's name]

_____________________________________________
By Sachie and Yang (with the grey t-shirt):

Hi Mother,

Thanks for your email. I am writing because I want to say I'm fine. Sorry I haven't been in touch for a while, but I'm busy studying English. (8)

How are things with you? Did you spend (7) the New Year holiday happily? (9)[not finished]

______________________________________________
Feedback for Saori and Katsuyoshi:

Good work.
How are you recently?- Please use “recently” with present perfect grammar.

_______________________________________________
Feedback for Sakiko and Yang (with the striped shirt):

Good work, although your structure is missing your news and questions for your reader.

.(1) Please note: your original said “I’m send the message to youbecause I’m really appreciate.” The correct version is: I'm sending this message to you because I'm really appreciative.

(2) Please note: your original said “Everytime you cooked the vegetable food to me.” The correct version is: Every time you have cooked vegetarian food for me

(3). Please note: your original said “sometimes I’m really hard and I feel like I be the cow or rabbit.” The correct version is Sometimes it's really hard (4) and I feel like I am a cow or rabbit.
____________________________________________

Feedback for Mihagi and Shuichi:

Excellent work! Please note the correct spelling for appreciate has an “e”.
_______________________________________________
Feedback for Kohei and Eiko:

Good work! Please note that “Please write soon” is usually in the position of “Take care” or “Lots of love” – at the end.
________________________________________________
Feedback for Hitomi and Ayako:

(6) Please use present perfect and the verb “receive” here. I’m so glad to have received it from you.

(7) By the way, I have some news to tell you. – Please don’t use “a news”, as news is uncountable.

_______________________________________________
Feedback for Sachie and Yang (with the grey t-shirt):

Hi Mother,

(8) I’m busy to study English is wrong here. It should be I’m busy + VERBing…

(7) Did you spent = wrong.
(8): Say the New Year holiday, rather than “’Happy New year holiday’
(9) We say “spend time” + ADV. Eg.happily

MODULE 3 Reading Workshop: Slim pickings

2010-02-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Answers:

1. What did research say about low-carbohydrate diets?
It can not be determined whether they are difinitively better than other types of diets, but "Maybe there is something there, with the emphasis on the 'maybe'...low-carbohydrate diets may be of some use for patients who need to shed weight - at least in the early stages of their treatment...The trials also failed to find signs that cutting carbohydrates rather than fats will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease..." (p2)

2. What is the only guaranteed way to lose weight?
By eating less calories "...if your energy intake exceeds your energy out-put, you will get fat whatever the proportions of fat, carbohydrate and protein in your diet...There's no getting round the laws of thermodynamics."(p3)

3. How much good scientific study has been done into dieting and exercise?
Not enough. More needs to bwe done. Searching for relevant terms relating to Atkins on literature databases resulted in a total of just 2,609 articles. (p2)

4. What does the article tell us about obesity in the USA?
2/3 of US adults are overweight and 1/3 are clinically obese. (p1)

5. Why is Robert Atkins famous? What do we know about his company?
He's a NY doctor who championed the low-carb approach and his company is successful. (p1)

6. What do health experts want to see more of?
They want to see an inclusion of research on the volunteers' health. (p2)

7. What were the results of the Samaha and Foster experiments?
That low-carb diets don't necessarily increase the presence of 'bad' cholestrol and that low-carb diets may be more effective in the initial stages of a diet.(p2)

8. Why should the results of the experiments not be accepted conclusively?
The studies were small (132 and 63 patients, with a minority seeing the studies through to the end). (p2)

9. What is the aim of Foster’s newest research?
To do a larger study (360 patients) and to find out about how their health is affected. (p2)

10. What criticisms are made of low-carb diets and their effectiveness?
That people may not be getting adequate nutrition and that people's expectations are unrealistic. (p2 - 3rd column)

11. What do studies in hospitals tell us about the different diets?
That weight loss is similar for diets containing the same number of calories, irrespective of the proportion of carohydrate, fat and protein. (p3)

12. What problem is there when researching people on low-carb diets?
That it is difficult to determine how many calories patients are consuming. It is also difficult to determine whether they lose weight due to fewer overall calories or whether they lose weight due to the type of food they're consuming.

13. What suggestion is made for future study?
That researchers should find common factors in success stories of dieters.(p3)

14. What are the 2 key factors in managing weight?
Behavioral factors as well as what people consume.(p3)

15. What is needed to solve the problem of obesity?
Governments need to promote the consumption of foods that are less energy intensive, because people are consuming more and more. (p3)

16. What is the doctor’s role in prescribing diets?
To tailor them to individuals, depending on their metabolic & behavioral characteristics. (p3)

MODULE 3: ESP Reading (Saturnz Software)

2010-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Please check back tomorrow (Tuesday) for the answers (1-10).

MODULE 3: Listening (Multiple Intelligences)

2010-02-04T01:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me today for the listening exercises on Multiple Intelligences. For more on this topic, try listening to criticisms regarding the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The following comes from a radio programme, where you can find lots of other interesting radio stories:http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/07-08/may03.html

Listen to the radio show.
The radio show is around 15 minutes long.
A Dummy's Guide to Intelligence
This is an overview, but not the same information as the listening:

It's hard to think of an area of science that has caused as much debate as intelligence research. Just what it is and how to measure it has intrigued, puzzled and vexed researchers for well over a century. There are those who stick to classic IQ tests, arguing that, despite their substantial pitfalls, they're the best way of measuring someone's capacity for logic and reasoning. Other researchers feel that IQ tests paint only part of the picture and that, in order to really understand intelligence, we have to take into account things like social skills and emotional competence. And then there are the researchers pushing intelligence testing in a new and potentially even more controversial direction - scientists who want to use brain-imaging techniques to try to measure intelligence from the inside out.

Dr. Linda Gottfredson, a Professor of Education at the University of Delaware, argues that IQ tests are a valid and useful way of measuring intelligence. They're by far the most common tool we have for the task and they're decent predictors of academic success. Dr. Gottfredson is representative of researchers who believe that differences in IQ scores are caused by a difference in inherent mental capacity, or general intelligence.

Dr. James Flynn, Professor Emeritus at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand, argues that IQ tests tend to measure mental abilities that are shaped primarily by experience and cultural norms. Dr. Flynn has uncovered one of the most intriguing phenomenons in modern psychology, the Flynn Effect: the fact that, over the past 100 years, IQ scores have been going up with each generation. He argues these IQ gains have happened too quickly to have a biological explanation and, therefore, must be the result of cultural evolution.

Several researchers feel that the definition of intelligence that IQ operates under is too narrow. Dr. Mindy Kornhaber is an Associate Professor in Education at Pennsylvania State University and an advocate of Multiple Intelligences Theory. Dr. Kornhaber suggests that the kind of intelligence IQ tests measure is one among many, including musical intelligence, social intelligence and kinesthetic intelligence.

Along the same lines of thought, Dr. James Parker, a psychology Professor at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, suggests that we put too much stress on measuring cognitive skills and not enough on emotional skills. Dr. Parker has conducted studies that suggest the best way of predicting the academic success of first-year university students is to measure their emotional intelligence, not their IQ.

Dr. Richard Haier is forging ahead in a different direction, using functional MRI scans to visualize what's happening inside the brain when people take IQ tests. Dr. Haier is a professor of neurology at University of California, Irvine. Dr. Haier has found that people with higher IQs tend to have less brain activity than people with lower IQs. But he's also found that you can train the brain to be a more efficient solving problem machine.

Module 2: WRITING - Compound Sentences

2009-12-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me today in the workshop on compound sentences.

HOMEWORK ANSWERS:

We underlined MAIN CLAUSEs (=independent clauses) with a strong line in class. MAIN CLAUSEs are IN BOLD below.

We underlined DEPENDENT CLAUSES with a dotted line in class. Here they're in italics.

We circled the word that started dependent clauses in class. Here they're IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

3 Tyke became upset WHEN a caretaker walked behind her.
4 AFTER she picked him up, she threw him into the show area.
5 BECAUSE the show was just about to begin, the audience thought the attack was a part of the performance.
6 WHEN Tyke's trainer tried to rescue the caretaker, she crushed the trainer to death.
7 Tyke then wandered the streets for about thirty minutes WHILE police chased her.
8 BEFORE she could attack anyone else, the police cornered and shot her several times.
9 AS SOON AS the bullets hit her, she fell to the ground.
10 BECAUSE Tyke was suffering from the gunshot wounds, Honolulu zoo workers injected her with a deadly drug at the scene.
11 Animal rights supporters planned to sue the city of Honolulu and the owners of the elephant SINCE Tyke had previously been violent.
12 IN another incident on April 21, 1993, Tyke had reacted violently when someone walked behind her at a circus IN Altona, Pennsylvania.
13 IN that incident, she damaged a wall after she ran through an entryway of the circus arena.

P96 (Extra Practice)
Please note that there are several ways of combining the sentences with regard to punctiation, but there is only one correct match. Please come to Nicole any time in the teacher's room if you would like to check that your punctuation is correct.

Suggested answers:

1 Although many people believe animals don't feel human emotions, that is not true.
2 Because they are social animals, chimpanzees feel emotions like joy, sadness and love.
3 For example, whenever two friendly chimpanzees see each other, they clasp hands and call out greetings.
4 After her baby chimpanzee had died, Sheena became very sad.
5
6
7
8

(check back later today...to be completed)

MODULE 1: Describing people

2009-12-02T20:51:00.001-08:00

Thanks for joining today's workshop on Reading & Vocabulary. For more practise on describing people, click here.

Module 2: Compound Sentences

2009-12-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

For more practice on compound sentences, try this quiz. If you find that one easy, try quiz B and C.

Upper-Intermediate/Advanced Reading/Gr. (Wed 25/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me today. The answers for Ex. 8 are:

1 will form; 2 will have expanded; 3 will have become; 4 will publish; 5 will revolutionise; 6 will give; 7 will include; 8 will permit; 9 will have made

MODULE 3 ESP Reading (Mon 23/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

Find an article that is of interest to you. You should prepare a brief oral summary of the article and be able explain it to other students:

• http://www.nature.com
• http://www.newscientist.com/
• http://www.economist.com/
• http://www.accountancymagazine.com
• http://www.architectmagazine.com/
• http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/

Students whose subjects aren’t covered by the above could look at www.guardian.co.uk and then at the relevant section (Health, Environment, Science, Music etc.

Homework Answers (worksheet - unit 14)

2009-11-18T18:01:00.000-08:00

This was Tuesday night's homework:

Reading
2 1) (social) expectations 2) significant phenomenon 3) voting patterns 4 consumer choice 5 (social) status

Vocabulary
3 1) unprecedented 2) overriding 3) penetrating 4) materialistic 5) radical 6) fundamental 7) autonomous 8) atypical

4 1) fundamental 2) penetrating 3) atypical 4) overriding 5) radical 6) autonomous

Grammar
5 1) When we exercise, we know that it is difficult to avoid such a situation.
2) There are a lot more questions that we require answers to before we can reach a verdict on such an important issue.
3 Finally, good relationships with the people around us is another factor in how far we achieve happiness
4) Rich countries should take more responsibility for helping the poorer ones.
5) Maybe for other people these things are not so important, but for me they are very important.
6) In my essay, I discuss the merits and demerits of the mobile phone.
7) Considering that Australia is a good place for jobs, this/it is quite an alarming trend.

6 1) All; which 2 each other 3 myself 4 ours 5 who 6 these; somewhere 7 it 8 those9 neither 10 someone; whom

Intermediate: Reading & Grammar (18/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me in today's reading workshop on peer pressure. Here are the answers to the grammar exercise on the worksheet I gave you.

1 f) We are seeking a counsellor to whom we can refer special cases.
2 e) Even the bullies were crying , which was unsurprising.
3 i) Kurt Lewis, who many see as the father of social psychology, fled to the USA from Germany.
4 h) Teenagers like to turn for advice to other young people who they sympathise with.
5 d) People who are easily influenced will follow someone else's lead first.
6 c) The type of peer pressure that leaves you feeling confused or hurt is never good.
7 g) Peers are the individuals with whom a child or an adolescent identifies most.
8 b) We took all the teenagers to the seaside, which made a good break for them.
9 a) The bullying problme(,) about which we had a lot of discussion (,) has now been resolved. (Note: #9 could be defining OR non-defining.)

For more practise on non-defining clauses, click here.

Intermediate: Speaking (Tues 17/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

For more practice on the 'th' sounds, please follow thislink. Focus on unit one & two.

One student asked about spelling and how different spelling determines pronunciation. Please go to the ELAB and take out the book called "Test your spelling/pronunciation" If you turn to chapter 26 & 27, you can check different spelling patterns and matching pronunciation.

Here are some more rules on spelling.
Rule One: Bossy e
You write Bossy e everywhere. You spell a word like mate by adding Bossy e to the end of mat. The e is bossy because it bosses the other vowel in the word to make a long sound or to shout out its name. Here are a few words that show Bossy e doing its thing: plate, mate, lake, Pete, scene, ride, hide, mine, rode, bone, hope, cute, mule and tune.

Listen to the difference between these words: plat/plate; mat/mate; pet/Pete; rid/ride.

When a vowel makes a long sound, it's the same sound as its name. Bossy e makes the vowel (in the word it tags onto) have a long sound or shout out its name.

Rule Two: When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking
When spelling words like neat and boat, remember: when-two-vowels-go-walking-the-first-one-does-the-talking. Most long-e sounds fit the two vowels rule. Long e is spelled either with ee, like in meet, seed, and weed, or ea, like in team, seat, and bead. The two vowels come side by side, but the first is the one that makes its long sound. A long-o sound is also often spelled with two vowels. The long o is spelled with oa like in boat, coat, and loan. A long-a sound can be spelled with side-by-side vowels, too. In words like pain and rain, think about the long-a sound with ai. See how the two vowels come together? Start them with the long vowel that he hears and then remember the partnership.

Rule Three: y behaves like a vowel
Without a doubt, vowel sounds are tricky to spell. That's why these four spelling rules are about them. Every time you hear a long-vowel sound, you must run through the options. The third option mostly has to do with long-e or long-i sounds that you hear on the ends of words. The y-behaving-as-a-vowel rule applies to vowel sounds on the end of words that are spelled with a y. In words like happy and sunny, use y to sound like long e. In little words like by and shy, use it to sound like long i.

What about words like system, cyst, and gypsy? In those words, you spell the short-i sound with a y. The words cyst and gypsy are soft-c and soft-g spellings (as well as spellings that use y to make the short-i sound) so.

You use y to make e or i sounds. Put y on the ends of longer words (like happy), it makes a long-e sound, and when she puts y on the end of short words (like by), it makes a long-i sound. Use y in the middle of some words (like gypsy) to make the short-i sound.
Rule Four: i before e except after c (when you hear ee)
All sorts of words have the long-e sound in them, and the i-before-e-except-after-c rule gives you a fourth spelling option. The question becomes: Should you write Bossy e like in Pete, or two vowels walking like in meat and meet, y as in happy, or ie as in niece? Whew. With ie spellings, be sure to help you learn the first part of the rule — i before e except after c — before helping her discover the except-when-you-hear-"ay"-like-in-neighbor part. Practice on words like niece, piece, and receive, and after you're at ease with those, tackle the tough words like neighbor and weight. (You hear ay, so you don't put i before e.)

Intermediate: Reading & Vocab. (Tues 10/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-09T19:10:00.001-08:00

Thanks for joining me today. We worked on opposites; the answers are as follow:
strict - liberal; progressive-traditional; formal-informal; disciplined-free; bully-victim; shy-outgoing; insecure-confident; unpopular-popular; confirmist-rebel

MODULE 4: ESP Reading: Understanding Communication & Change.

2009-11-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me today in our reading on Understanding Communication & Change. If you're interested in speed reading exercises, please go to the bottom of the page.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
These questions relate to the entire document (p28-39):

True or False:

1) People generally think of communication as being a complicated thing. (p29)
2) Heath and Bryant believe that communication is a process. (p29)
3) Current theory on communication supports the idea that we are always checking the other person during an interaction. (p30)
4)Modern communication models place greater importance on reception rather than interaction. (p31)
5) Active listening is the singular task of hearing what the other person is saying. (p32)
6) Language is used to evaluate experiences and helps people to survive. (p33)
7) Bluebond-Langner's (1978) research on sick children showed that children didn't completely understand their illness and the fact that they were dying. (p33)
8) Some of the differences in verbal styles can be accounted for by the variations that different people have in expressing their emotions. (p34)
9) A number of individuals experience difficulty in talking about grief or trauma, according to Reiter (2000). (p34)
10)Some researchers state that it is impossible to be competent in cross-cultural communication. (p35)
11)Silence is regarded as a non-verbal skill. (p36)
12)Non verbal process are connected to both actions that we intend to make and actions that we don't intend to make. (p37)
13) Morris (2006) argues that there isn't a great deal of difference between male and female, or between cultures in regards to communication cues. (p38)
14) The "o" in SOLER stands for "Open posture". (p39)

ANSWERS:
1) People generally think of communication as being a complicated thing. (p29) =F ["Communication is so fundamental to our survival and our well-being that we tend not to think about it as a complex skill..." - top of page]
2) Heath and Bryant believe that communication is a process. (p29) =T ["More recent understandings of the anatomy of communication highlight that communication is a process..." see last paragraph on page]
3) Current theory on communication supports the idea that we are always checking the other person during an interaction. (p30) = T [" ...it is now acknowledged that we constantly monitor the other person and adapt verbal and non-verbal responses...in that exchange" - 2nd paragraph]
4)Modern communication models place greater importance on reception rather than interaction. (p31) =F ["Current communication models are emphasising interction rather than transmission & reception" - see last paragraph on page]
5) Active listening is the singular task of hearing what the other person is saying. (p32) = F ["When we listen actively, we are both hearing what is being said, and communicating back to the other person that they are being heard." - the last paragraph before verbal communication processes]
6) Language is used to evaluate experiences and helps people to survive. (p33) = T [see the first paragraph under "social variations.]
7) Bluebond-Langner's (1978) research on sick children showed that children didn't completely understand their illness and the fact that they were dying. (p33) = F [...chilcren did not lack an understanding and a language about their illness and their dying... - last paragraph.]
8) Some of the differences in verbal styles can be accounted for by the variations that different people have in expressing their emotions. (p34) = T [ Other variations in verbal styles....experiences... - see the first sentence under "emotional variation"]
9) A number of individuals experience difficulty in talking about grief or trauma, according to Reiter (2000). (p34) - T [see the paragraph at the bottom of the page starting with "Many people..."]
10)Some researchers state that it is impossible to be competent in cross-cultural communication. (p35) = T [...some authors suggesting it is actually impossible to be a culturally competent practitioner... - last paragraph on page]
11)Silence is regarded as a non-verbal skill. (p36) - F [ Silence can be regarded as a verbal skill... - see the second-to-last paragraph at the bottom of the page]
12)Non verbal process are connected to both actions that we intend to make and actions that we don't intend to make. (p37) = T ["...non-verbal cues relate to both the voluntary and involuntary physical reactions and responses... - see the 2nd to last paragraph on page]
13) Morris (2006) argues that there isn't a great deal of difference between male and female, or between cultures in regards to communication cues. (p38) = F [ ...these cues are recognised as being highly culturally and gender specific... - see the last paragraph on the page]
14) The "o" in SOLER stands for "Open posture". (p39) = T [See the paragrph under the text box]

Please ask me if you have any questions regarding this text. You can find me in the teacher's room most afternoons until 2.30pm. My workshops are generally on Mon 2.30pm, Tues 2:30pm & Thurs 2.30pm, so I'm often available in the teacher's room after them.

SPEED READING
As mentioned in class today, it's important to improve your reading speed in order to be able to handle longer texts like those you get at university.

There are some basic principles of speed reading technique when reading test papers and text books.

Here are some speed reading tests. Module 4 students should be aiming to read at the speed of 300 words/minute at a minimum level of 8. If you find you're not comprehending texts adequately (you should be getting close to 100%), choose a lower level but keep your speed up. Regarding the answers, please note that correct answers are marked with green crosses "x" and that incorrect answers are given as a red "x" - just in case this causes confusion.

Youtube also has some valid information and tips on speed reading, if you prefer visual media.

INTERMEDIATE Speaking & Vocab. (3/11/09 2.30pm)

2009-11-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks for coming to the Intermediate Speaking & Vocabulary. A question came up in class today about "can't stand". Here's a list to help you.

This list includes can't stand, and says it must be followed by the gerund (i.e. I can't stand cooking). If you'd like to practise, here's a quiz.

If you're interested in practising the "th" "r" or "l" sound, check out this site. I recommend it for improving your pronunciation on words like "three months" and "really"!

Intermediate: Reading & Vocab. (Tues 27/10/09 2.30pm)

2009-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Click here for more information on Abagnale and the movie, Catch me if you can.Click here to read another interesting story about a burglar.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) is based on the true story of trickster and graphic artist, Frank Abagnale Jr. Using a battery of design techniques, including transferring Pan-Am stickers, solvents and radiograph pens, Abagnale is able to exploit the cheque processing and electronic banking system.

Upper-Intermediate/Advanced Writing (Wed 21/10/09 2.30pm)

2009-10-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

It was great to have you along to the workshop today on Writing (Describing Information on a Table).

WRITING HOMEWORK QUESTION

Click here for the question. Please note that this link helps you plan what to write - please use this help by answering questions if you have problems getting started. Note that at the last stage (the writing stage), you can't proceed on this link. That's okay - just email me your answer or hand it in.
As I mentioned in class, please email your answer to nicolestoupe@hotmail.com or give it to me in the teacher's room. My desk is the second-closest one to the door.

The answers to #6 on the second page of our worksheet are as follow:
Paragraph 2:

Hong Kong airport, [delete however]...approximately [delete 4 million]three and a half million tonnes of cargo
an impressive [delete 51%] 5.1% in comparison with 2005

Paragraph 3:

Frankfurt airport....It transported [delete 21,127,979] 2,127,797 tonnes of cargo

Paragraph 4:
At [delete both airports] Beijing Capital Beijing International Airport

Paragraph 5:
with freight [delete up only] down 2.8%

GE: Intermediate Vocabulary (20/10/09 2.30pm)

2009-10-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining me in today's Vocabulary workshop. Here are the answers to the worksheet that we didn't cover today:Test 79 Education: University
79.1
1 psychology 2 architecture 3 politics 4 philosophy 5 chemistry 6 engineering 7 medicine 8 agriculture 9 law 10 sociology

79.3
1 go 2 did/got on 3 took 4 passed 5 get 6 do/study 7 lasted 8 got 9 doing/carrying out 10 give

Test 78 Education: School
78.4
1 Geography 2 History 3 Science 4 Maths/Mathematics 5 French 6 Music 7 Information Technology 8 Religious Education

MODULE 3 Grammar - Reporting Verbs (Mon 19/10/09 2.30pm)

2009-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today we studied reporting verbs. Here's the information on today's handout:

Reporting verbs
When introducing references into the text (citing) you should choose suitable 'reporting' verbs as these can:
• strengthen the arguments you are presenting
• help the reader understand why the source is relevant.
Some verbs are neutral:
• Smith (2004) describes...
• Jones (1999, p 3) states...
• Green (2002) defines...
Some verbs draw attention to the author's viewpoint:
• Harris (2001) argues...
• O'Neill (1997) disputed...
• Jackson (2003) conceded...
Some verbs give information about the author's work:
• Holmes (2000) investigated...
• Church (1998) evaluated...
• McColl (2002) estimated...
Some verbs highlight the author's viewpoint:
• Brown (2001) believes...
• McAllister (1996) recognised...
• Smith (2004) predicted...
Other useful reporting verbs (use present or past tense as appropriate)
• analyse/analysed
• compares/compared
• comments/commented
• concludes/concluded
• criticises/criticised
• demonstrates/demonstrated
• discusses/discussed
• illustrates/illustrated
• indicates/indicated
• notes/noted
• observes/observed
• points out/pointed out
• reports/reported
• shows/showed
• suggests/suggested
• validates/validated
• verifies/verified

For a practice quiz, click here.

For advanced questions, try this.

MODULE 4: Summary Writing (Thurs 15/10/09, 2.30pm)

2009-10-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today's workshop was on summary writing.

The first summary we created was on leisure activities in Britain:
The most favoured pastimes in Britain are home-based, with television being the most popular, including video, followed by listening to the radio.

We worked on the article about Laliberte, the creator of Cirque du Soleil. The main points of each paragraph were as follow:
1. Libertes background: Born in 1959. Background in street performance and entertainment.
2. Cirque’s origins: In 1980s applied for and received funding from Quebec government to put on a series of events to celebrate Jacques Cartier’s arrival in Canada. Was very successful. Cirque du Soleil was born from this.
3. Cirque’s early success: Was a public and critical hit at LA Arts Festival in 1987.
4. Cirque’s establishment of permanent venues: Sold out shows throughout late 1980s and early 1990s led to establishment of permanent circus venues – mostly found in Las Vegas but also around the world.
5. Spectator and employee numbers: Almost 100 million people have seen Cirque du Soleil and employs thousands of people all over the world.
6. Details of finances and family background: First contract from the Quebec government worth $1.5 mill, spent the Cirque's savings to perform at Los Angeles Festival, spent $35 million to be Canada's first space tourist. 2009 is Cirque du Soleil's 25th anniversary; Liberte is 50. He has 5 children and is engaged to former model Claudia Barilla.

EXTRA:

Click here for some tips on summary writing.
Here is some advice for writing longer summaries.

TODAY'S ARTICLE IS BELOW:

Often credited with reinventing the circus for modern audiences, Guy Laliberté was born in Quebec City in 1959. As a young man, he decided to pursue a career as an entertainer. After dropping out of college, he supplemented his skills as an accordionist by studying with street artists and buskers in Quebec and in Europe, picking up such talents as fire-eating, juggling and stilt-walking.
While performing with a troupe of talented but rag-tag street performers in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984, the confident, entrepreneurial Laliberté convinced the Quebec government to fund a series of shows to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Canada. His newly named Cirque du Soleil incorporated the excitement, theatricality and intimacy of busking with the acrobatics, artistry and drama of the circus, doing away with animals and the divided three-ring setting. His musical mélange proved a winning formula.
Building on accolades received across Canada, in 1987, Laliberté gambled on securing the prominent but expensive first-night slot at the Los Angeles Arts Festival. It was a smash and paved the way for a sold-out run in L.A., a movie deal, a special theatrical award and widespread critical praise.
Other sold-out tours followed, and in 1993, Laliberté realized another element of his bold and expansive vision: permanent circus venues. Though most are located in Las Vegas, as of 2009, Cirque du Soleil has 10 "resident" shows in venues around the world, in addition to eight currently touring internationally.
Since its humble beginnings in 1984, close to 90 million people have taken in a Cirque show. Laliberté now employs more than 4,000 people on five continents, and his company has turned its headquarters of Montreal into a circus arts hub.
A well-known poker fan, Laliberté has long been a high-stakes player, from scoring that first $1.5 million contract from the Quebec government to draining the Cirque's savings to secure the 1987 Los Angeles Festival gig to, most recently, spending $35 million to be Canada's first space tourist. 2009 marks Cirque du Soleil's 25th anniversary; it's also the year Laliberté turned 50. A father of five, Laliberté is currently engaged to former model Claudia Barilla.
Jessica Wong, CBC News
(356 words)

MODULE 3: GRAMMAR: Commas (Mon 12/10/09 2.30pm)

2009-10-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

GRAMMAR: Relative Clauses 5/10/09 (2.30pm)

2009-10-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt, who is married to a famous actress, is a well-respected actor.

Thanks for joining me in today's Grammar Workshop on Relative Clauses (defined and undefined).

For a powerpoint presentation on information we covered today (and more), click here.

ON THIS PAGE YOU CAN FIND:
1) ..the story about Raphael and Cecilia that we did in class. It's at the end of the presentation (above).
2) ..the worksheet exercises and answers we did in class (below).
3) ..the suggested answer for the story about Raphael and Cecilia (below).

GRAMMAR WORKSHEET:
1. Albert Einstein was a high school dropout. The world recognizes him as a genius.
2. As a young boy, Einstein had trouble in elementary and high school. He attended these schools in Germany.
3. He did poorly in subjects. He disliked them.
4. The only subjects were mathematics and physics. He loved them.
5. He developed theories. We use theories to help us understand the nature of the universe.
6. Einstein is best known for his General Theory of Relativity. He began to develop this theory while living in Switzerland.

7. Finding reasonably priced housing in big cities is a problem. Many young people are concerned about the problem.
8. Affordable apartments are scarce. Young people would like to live in them.
9. Of course, many young people share apartments, but they have to choose roommates carefully. They will share living space and expenses with these roommates.
10. In many countries, young people continue to live with their parents in the same house. They grew up in that house.
11. In the United States, young people don’t want to live with their parents. They typically declare their independence from their parents at age eighteen.

12. First National Bank tries to attract female customers. The bank’s president is a woman.
13. Companies conduct market research to discover trends among consumers. Consumers’ tastes change rapidly.
14. A manufacturer can offer lower prices. Its costs are lower because of mass production.

Example: Maya Angelou, whose poetry we have been reading in our English class, is one of America’s most famous female poets.

15. William Shakespeare lived and wrote 400 years ago. High school students struggle to understand his English.
16. Nike is a sporting goods company. Most people recognize the company’s “swoosh” symbol.
17. The actress has starred in several films. I can’t remember her name.
18. There is a chain of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The most charming of the islands is Puerto Rico, “The Land Enchantment.”
19. Puerto Rico attracts thousands of visitors. Many of them come for the sunny weather, the beautiful beaches, and the Spanish atmosphere.
20. Puerto Rico’s economy is growing. The most important sector of the economy is clothing manufacturing.
21. Puerto Ricans have strong ties to the United States. All of them are U.S. citizens.
22. Puerto Rico has three political parties. One of them favors Puerto Rico’s becoming a state.
23. Germany had been divided into two countries since 1945. It was defeated in World War II in 1945.
24. 1989 was the year. The Berlin Wall was torn down in that year. In 1990, Germany became one country again. East and West Germany were united in 1990.
25. There was anxiety in places. People fear losing their jobs in some places.

GRAMMAR WORKSHEET (POSSIBLE ANSWERS):
1. Albert Einstein, who was a high school dropout, is recognized as a genius.
2. As a young boy, Einstein had trouble in elementary and high school, which he attended in Germany.
3. He did poorly in subjects which he disliked.
4. The only subjects were mathematics and physics, which he loved.
5. He developed theories, which we use to help us understand the nature of the universe.
6. Einstein is best known for his General Theory of Relativity, which he began to develop while living in Switzerland.

7. Finding reasonably priced housing in big cities is a problem that many young people are concerned about.
8. Affordable apartments, which young people would like to live in, are scarce.
9. Of course, many young people share apartments, but they have to choose roommates carefully, who they will share living space and expenses with.
10. In many countries, young people continue to live with their parents in the same house that they grew up in.
11. In the United States, young people don’t want to live with their parents, who they typically declare their independence from at age eighteen.

12. First National Bank, whose president is a woman, tries to attract female customers.
13. Companies conduct market research to discover trends among consumers, whose tastes change rapidly.
14. A manufacturer whose costs are lower because of mass production can offer lower prices.

Example: Maya Angelou, whose poetry we have been reading in our English class, is one of America’s most famous female poets.

15. William Shakespeare, whose English high school students struggle to understand, lived and wrote 400 years ago.
16. Nike, whose "swoosh" symbol most people recognize, is a sporting goods company.
17. The actress, whose name I can’t remember, has starred in several films.

18. There is a chain of islands in the Caribbean Sea, of which the most charming is Puerto Rico, “The Land Enchantment.”
19. Puerto Rico attracts thousands of visitors, many of whom come for the sunny weather, the beautiful beaches, and the Spanish atmosphere.
20. Puerto Rico’s economy is growing, the most important sector of which is clothing manufacturing.
21. Puerto Ricans, all of whom are U.S. citizens, have strong ties to the United States.
22. Puerto Rico has three political parties, one of which favors Puerto Rico’s becoming a state.

23. Germany had been divided into two countries since 1945. It was defeated in World War II in 1945.
24. 1989 was the year that the Berlin Wall was torn down. In 1990, when East and West were united, Germany became one country again.
25. There was anxiety in places, where people fear losing their jobs.

Suggested Answer: Story about Raphael and Cecilia
My two best friends from high school were complete opposites. Their names were Rafael and Cecilia. Rafael, who lived in a small house down the street from us, was an introverted, studious, dependable friend. His mother was divorced. Cecilia, who lived next door to us, was on the other hand extroverted, not at all studious, and totally undependable.
The house next door, where Cecilia lived with five siblings, was very noisy. Music blaring from at least two radios fought constantly with noise blasting from the TV, which was always turned on. The six Garcia children, who often invited me over to play, each had lots of friends. As a result, there was always a group of children at the Garcia’s. I went over to Cecilia’s house sometimes when I was bored and lonely.
Rafael’s house, where it was calm and peaceful, was in total contrast to Cecilia’s. I used to go there on evenings when I needed to study. Rafael and his friends, who were quiet types, spent most evenings doing homework together or surfing the Net.
Mrs. Garcia, Cecilia’s mother, never seemed to mind fixing snacks for fifteen or twenty kids. She loved to cook. Mrs. Menendez, Rafael’s mother, was always too busy to fix us snacks, but she didn’t mind if we made our own. She owned a small bookstore, where she worked every day. She often did her book keeping at night, when she came home.
Cecilia, Rafael and I were good friends during all of our high school years. I still don’t understand how people who are so different from each other could be friends.