Nordhausen course

[Torsten]

Hi everyone,

Here is a summary of the first two Nordhausen days:

So far, there are five participants in the group all of whom learned English at school (for a period of 3 to 6 years). I dictated the following questions which we then translated and everyone answered them on a separate sheet of paper:
1.) Did you learn English at school and if yes, for how many years?
2.) Have you ever been to an English speaking country?
3.) Why do you want to learn English/improve your English?
4.) What do you think is the best method to learn English?
5.) Do you have access to the Internet at home?
6.) How often do you travel abroad?
7.) How much time do you spend watching TV every day?
8.) What other languages in addition to German and English do you know?
9.) Please describe your profession/job with at least 10 keywords.
10.) What exactly do you expect from this English course?

Then we took turns in reading out the questions to each answer and we discussed them.

After that we completed the Official TOEIC Sample Test (both the listening as well as the reading sections) and discussed the answers. This took the second part of the first day and the morning of the first day. On the second day we reviewed some of the basics (international alphabet, personal pronouns, possessive adjectives, object pronouns) and then every student registered on the forum. After creating a forum account, every student took some of the tests. You can see the results on their progress report pages here:
http://www.english-test.net/progress_report/index.php?user=17333
http://www.english-test.net/progress_report/index.php?user=17334
http://www.english-test.net/progress_report/index.php?user=17332
http://www.english-test.net/progress_report/index.php?user=17335
http://www.english-test.net/progress_report/index.php?user=18308

Next week we'll start using "Head for Business", Intermediate Student's Book, Oxford and "Business Basics", New Edition, Oxford.

Regards,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Torsten]

Hi Uli,

Thanks a lot for sharing the Nordhausen course with me. To get onto the Schachtbau premises you'll need a security card which I'll drop into your mailbox Wednesday night so please pick it up from there.

Below you will find a list of questions I introduced and practiced with the group. Please use some of those questions on Thursday. Pick a question at random and ask one student to answer it as fast as possible.

When did you call your boss last week?
Where did you spend your holiday last summer?
Why did you ask me so many questions?
What time did their plane leave?
Were there many people in the shop?
Whose shoes are those?
How long was the seminar?
What time did your husband get home last night?
When will you start your new job?
Why did you close the window?
How often do you go to the petrol station?
How long did you stay there?
Did you wait for the train long?
Does your friend work for Powertrain?
It's raining today, isn't it?
How much time do you need?
Did you spend much money?
What time does the store open?
Will you be here next week?
Would you like some tea?

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What do you prefer -- credit card or cash?
Which laptop is yours?
Where does your colleague work?
May I use your pen?
What time does the train arrive?
Where did you buy that dictionary?
This was your idea, wasn't it?
Do you know how to use the Internet?
Does this store sell clothes?
How many letters did you get/receive last month?
And how many of them did you answer?
How much is a litre of diesel in the Nordhausen area?
She works very hard, doesn't she?
How long was your trip to Vienna?
These shoes are very comfortable, aren't they?
No, I don't think so.
Our new colleague is often late but the boss is usually on time.
Unfortunately you didn't read the directions carefully.
His new job is very important, isn't it?
Where can I park my car?
What kind of job does he have?
How far is the post office?
Did she have to work late?
Did you find your dictionary?
Do you have plans for tomorrow?
Did you buy a first class ticket?
Did you enjoy the party last night?
Is there any petrol left?
How long is your trip to work?
How did your boss look yesterday?
How many companies are there in Nordhausen?
How much water is there in the bottle?
Is there a cinema in Nordhausen?

In addition, I'll have the group come up with questions they are going to ask you on Thursday morning. Please remember that the group has "Business Basics, New Edition" which you can use with them too. Also, please give them time to go to our site and take some more interactive tests.

Let me know what you think.
Regards,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[RimcMullen]

Hello Uli. My name is Richard McMullen from Canada. I am hoping to do some work next month in Delitzsch and/or Nordhausen and I was wondering if you could provide me with some leads for a cheap pension or something?

Many thanks.

Richard

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten,
the Nordhausen Ladies Group is very motivated to learn business English.
Katharina - the new lady - is quite experienced in communicating......
Regards,
Uli

[ThuyLinh]

Hi Torseten,
What is " Nordhausen" ? It seems to be class of learning English. If so, I would like to learn in the class.But I'm not quite clear about it. I want to have some information, can you help me?

Thanks.
ThuyLinh

[Torsten]

Hi ThuyLinh,

Nordhausen is a medium sized town in central Germany. We are running a government funded English course there for people who want to find a new job. To take part in this program, you need to be an EU citizen who meets a number of requirements.

Regards,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Torsten]

[Torsten]

[ThuyLinh]

Hi Torsten,
What a pity!...when I'm not an EU citizen in order to reciving the governmet's help. Anyhow, I'm your student. I believe that my English will be improve quickly.
Thank you for your information.
ThuyLinh

[Torsten]

Hi ThuyLinh,

Yes of course you are my student too and you can improve your English using all the materials and tools on our site. By the way, have you seen the 30/30 Challenge assignment yet?
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[ThuyLinh]

Hi Torsten,

" The 30/30 Challenge assignment?" What is that? I have never seen it. Tell me please!
Thanhks.
Linh

[Torsten]

Hi Linh,

Please read and start The 30/30 Challenge.

Regards,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten,
Yesterday and Today Friday, 17th October we have managed excellently with the Nordhausen Ladies group.
The group is very thankful that we are preparing them for the TOEIC test examination.
We have managed some English-test-net tests (f.i. with finish vs end & something vs anything…)
We have reviewed the numbers,
the simple present
(positive,
negative,
questions),
the question words,
how to tell the time,
basic adjectives,
adverbs etc.
The Ladies were very motivated and cooperative.
Best regards from Mrs Thomas who will be on holidays next week.
Next Monday a new lady (also an “Industrie-Kauffrau”) will join the group.
May be a young Gentleman will be integrated in this group, too.
I have deposited your chip card for entering the Schachtbau area with the door keeper.
Best regards
Uli

[Torsten]

Hi Uli,

Here is a summary of what we did on Monday:
- explaining words in English/vocab review (I created 8 cards with 7 words on each and handed one card to each participant. The person had to choose the 'easiest' word on their card and explain it to the group in English. All the words I wrote on the cards we had covered before -- they either occurred in the Business Basics books, in How to Prepare for the TOEIC Bridge Exam (Paperback) or somehow during the program.)

- review of the present continuous (We used the two chapters on Present Continuous in the new Murphy Grammar in Use book which I left for you in the classroom.)
- brainstorming commonly used verbs (I asked everyone to write down on a sheet of paper all the verbs they can come up, then when the three minutes were up, everyone took rounds telling their verbs and I added some sample sentences and other information such as 'regular/irregular', 'homophone', 'opposite' etc.
- listening comprehension (We used the Business Basics CD and I played the track with questions about a company profile). Apparently you already did that with parts of the group so it was review to them and it was something new to the three newcomers).
- creating a company profile (I told the group that with your help they will start to create short profiles of Nordhausen based companies following the examples in "Business Basics".)
- Read Alan's short story "Doing Time". (First we listened to the first part read by Brandee Sweesy, then we read the text together, translated it into German and went through the make/do expressions.) We did this because two group members asked if I could explain the differences between 'make' and 'do' so they will get better results in the 'make/do' test. I told them that Alan has written the 'make/do' story with contains a lot of those expressions and that it might be best if we read it together. At first I thought everyone was quite happy with that idea but then it turned out that two group member found the sentences in the story too long and complicated so I decided to do only the first part and then go through the expressions again.
- preparing for Nordhausen sight seeing walk tomorrow (So far, the only Internet text on the city of Nordhausen available in English is the Wikipedia article. The official website of Nordhausen doesn't contain any information in English. Since tomorrow we are going to do an English language guided tour through Nordhausen, we read the Wikipedia entry to make sure we'll understand everything tomorrow. After the tour we'll visit the historic Nordhäuser historic distillery.

Uli, here are my suggestions as to what you might want to cover with the group this week:
- On Wednesday morning, please start by having them explain words to each other. Create 8 cards (we have 8 participants now) and on each card write 4 to 7 words. Please try to use words the group already is familiar with. Here are some examples: company, office, mobile phone, arrive, leave, opposite, newspaper, founder, CEO, shop, money, currency (this might be new), subsidiary, competitor, employer, decision (might be difficult to explain though), car, supervisor, salary, etc. Please make sure that each card contains some simple words and some more difficult words as well as a balance of verbs, nouns and adjectives. Have the group first think of how they would explain their words in German so it'll be easier for them to explain them in English.

Once we are finished with the words, please split them into four pairs. Each pair has to create a short report/presentation on what they learned and saw on Tuesday. Let them decide if they want to create a report in the simple past or a presentation in the simple present. To get them started, please give them key words related to both the city of Nordhausen (population, location, economy, infrastructure, education, entertainment, shopping, etc.) and the distillery.

Also, please allow them time to take another online test. Please select a particular elementary test in advance and give them some explanations before you have them take the test. Alternatively, you can go to the forum explanations, print off the questions as well as the answers and read them together with the group. It's very important for us to help learn how to use our system so that when they course is over they can continue using the site on their own as thousands of people from around the world do every day.

Please download the following document, print it off and photocopy it for the group: www.english-for-winners.com

If possible, please print off the entire document and photocopy at least the first pages for all course participants. Hand out those first 5 pages and read one page with them every single day. Before you read the text with the group, please go through the text and write down key words that might be new to them. The following keywords should be given and explained to the group BEFORE you hand out the text:

typical statements
delve into
the vast majority of
remove
occur
continue
result
language
a small minority
happen
progress
success
further
belong to
take a closer look at
an ongoing process
yield
expect
instead of making adjustments

Please make sure everyone in the group understands every of the above keywords -- this means you'll have to explain the words and phrases as well as translate them into German.

Once the group are comfortable with the new words, start reading the first page with them. After reading the text, please split the group into four pairs and have them translate the text. Walk around as they work and give them a hand with their translations. When they are finished, have one pair read out their translation and discuss it within the group.

Also, please continue to do the exercises in Business Basics and please write down the pages and numbers of exercises you are covering so you can post them here on the forum to keep me up to date.

Let me know what you think.
Regards,
Torsten
PS: Yes, October 31 is a bank holiday in Thuringia too so no class next Friday!
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[RimcMullen]

Hi Torsten,

so I am looking into arriving in Nordhausen on the evening of the 4th of November - that's the last day of the conference which ends at 18:00 (I have to pack up after that) so if I can find a train leaving after 19:30 I will catch it and go to the Avena. Otherwise, I will have to arrive the day after.
I will keep an eye on the tests and progress reports.

MFG
Richard