Improving your English every day?

[Ralf]

today in L course:

- brief review of tenses. everyone seems to be able to identify and use 7 of the main tenses now

- describing characteristics

- analysing job ad

- writing a CV

- writing a covering letter

homework: finish covering letter (ran out of time in the end)
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[Torsten]

Hi Ralf,

Many thanks for your update. With the D-group it will be good to ask them about their work placement plans. After all, the purpose of this program is to improve the job chances of the participants. To that end it is necessary to analyze the different forms of employment and how to create a social and professional network. Yes, our job is to 'teach' English but the number of state funded English courses is constantly decreasing because there must be a better way of spending that money. So, we can decide what role we want to play in that new system that is emerging.

Please, have everyone in the group write down a key word list describing the job they want to do. Who has been trying to find a work placement? What are their plans for the next few weeks? Ralf, you are from Ireland, a country that has a very high employment rate. What are the differences between the German and Irish labour markets? What can we do to generate more jobs in Germany?
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[Ralf]

- made people examine a job ad with respect to requirements and job characteristics

- asked them what they expected their ideal job to be like

- made them collect a keyword list

- explained vocab

- had them write an application for this job

- corrected individual letters

- discussed findings
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[Torsten]

Hi Ralf,

You are right on track, many thanks for your update. We should also talk about how the various ways of finding a job and building networks. We can run a project: to compile a list of companies in our area that have a bilingual web presence. You have translated German site contents into English and
localized' websites so it will be a useful and productive exercise.

More on that soon,
Regards
Torsten
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[Roberto]

Hi Ralf&Torsten,

Here I am again and I apologize for my silence in the last days.
As for yesterday's D class:
We had a lot of fun in the class room again, despite the inviting sunny weather outside the class. I introduced new business vocabulary (freehold, leasehold, premises, green-field site, warehouse, relocate, store, staff, complex, acre, firm, derelict, run-down etc...), then we did some exercises using the new words.
Everyone had the chance to write some sentences on the white-board (as a dictation). We were very interactive. We read a business letter, talked about its style and then we translated it into German. All of them were attentive till the end. I was also surprised that they decided to speak a bit English in the breaks.

We did some exercises about deriving words by using prefixes and suffixes ("How to enhance your vocabulary"). After the lunch break we wrote the lyrics of a song (Across the lines: Tracy Chapman).

Verb exercises (Present perfect and simple past)

Today's class in Leipzig:
Business vocabulary: Applying for a job, CVs.....Vocabulary exercises (lease, freehold, premises, complex, relocate, staff, requirements, etc....Written and oral exercises and more exercises).
Verbs: Present perfect continuous.

Song: Tracy Chapman, Across the lines. Words contained in the song: riot, tracks, dare, their use.

Opinions.
False friends/Differences between Britisch and American English.

Money and currencies. The development of money, barter system.

Learning new vocabulary in English. Suggestions......
Etymologies: hound, hunt, bloom, flower, Wednesday, work, Energy, adult, old, spend, money, name, etc.....
Dictation: a business letter (different from the one in Delitzsch). We tried to be self-critical.

Bye,
Roberto

P.S I could teach practically every day (I don't mean that I would teach all of the five days, I mean I could teach e.g. on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday next week and on Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday after next week,
so I am flexible but it depends on the intensity of my translation work). I will tell you more details in the run of this week.

Bye,
Roberto
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[Torsten]

Hi Roberto,

Many thanks for your update. Could you please do the D group on Monday and I'll do Leipzig. Ralf returns from Dublin on Monday and he'll do the D group on Tuesday, so the schedule looks like this:
D on Monday: Roberto
L on Monday: Torsten

D on Tuesday: Ralf
L on Tuesday: Torsten

D on Wednesday: Roberto
L on Wednesday: Ralf

D on Thursday: Ralf
L on Thursday: Roberto

D on Friday: Roberto
L on Friday: Ralf

Let me know if this is OK with you. As for the Leipzig group today, we did a brainstorming exercise to come up with key words related to each person's industry and occupation. Everyone will do a follow up on this using the top key words of their list for further reading in Wikipedia. In addition everyone will do some research on job portals such as totaljobs.com to get an idea of the structure, features and language. Then we discussed the fact that a large percentage of all jobs are not advertised in public places like the Internet or newspapers.

We came up with reasons for this and strategies to use this fact to our advantage. Waldemar mentioned that he has been using OpenBC.com to generate new business contacts and build a professional network. We also talked about the advantages of one's own website and how to register a domain and upload files onto a server.

Please continue with creating a professional summary outlining personal strengths and giving tangible examples that illustrate those characteristics. It is important to ask questions about plans for the next few weeks and months. What is the group going to do after the course ends?
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[Roberto]

Hi, Torsten, Hi Ralf
here I am again before this week is over again.
The folks in Leipzig were enthusiastic as usually and they want to learn more. So, it is a pity that times flies so fast. We had a lot of pleasure and fun. They are a very dynamic, energetic, positive class.

As usually we did a lot of spelling exercises (writing dictations: one of the group dictates a sentence or more and another one stands up and goes to the front of the class and writes this on the whiteboard). I said to them it
is important to be self-critical and to learn to accept one's mistakes as a force to improve one's language skills and make progress).

We spoke about some political topics; so I tried to engage them in a discussion (one of these was insurrected organizations in Latin America).
Besides these topics of general character (countries, nationalities, people, economy, important words, associations with different cultures), we had a short discussion about body language, communication skills, the differences
of culture awareness (specially restricted to some idiomatic expressions in English) in Great Britain, USA and other European and Asian countries.
After the lunch break we decided to be more active regarding business terminology. So I tried to brush up with them some business vocabulary and introduce new words: The main points (to be continued tomorrow): Getting a job, moving up (career ladder), prospects for one's job, applying for a new position etc....
Grammar: Tenses (simple past, present perfect; simple future; short explanation of the other future tenses, passive voice, the use of you/they or passive voice for German "man"; false friends; yet etc...; the use of prepositions with verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs etc...).

Have a nice day, Torsten/Ralf. improve one's language skills and make progress).

We spoke about some political topics; so I tried them to engage them in a discussion (one of these was insurrected organizations in Latin America).
Besides these topics of general character (countries, nationalities, people, economy, important words, associations with different cultures), we had a short discussion about body language, communication skills, the differences of culture awareness (specially restricted to some idiomatic expressions in English) in Great Britain, USA and other European and Asian countries.
After the lunch break we decided to be more active regarding business terminology. So I tried to brush up with them some business vocabulary and introduce new words: The main points (to be continued tomorrow): Getting a job, moving up (career ladder), prospects for one's job, applying for a new position etc....
Grammar: Tenses (simple past, present perfect; simple future; short explanation of the other future tenses, passive voice, the use of you/they or passive voice for German "man"; false friends; yet etc...; the use of prepositions with verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs etc...).

Have a nice day, Torsten/Ralf.
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[Roberto]

HI, Torsten,
thank you very much for the ideas you proposed in your last posted message.
Of course, I see the advantages for posting my messages here on the forum.
Today in Leipzig I also asked one of them what they are planning to do after the course. I'm trying to talk with the class more about this and how their prospects look like.
I am really pleased with both classes, although I find that the L-class far more active and dynamic is than the D-class.
I like to see that their motivation for learning English is o.k or (perhaps) has increased so far. Waldemar told me he would take part in an English course in a Maltese language school (course fees: 8.000 euros for six weeks!!).
So, Torsten, have a nice day. Your suggestions for next week are o.k!

P.S As usual. I wrote in an E-mail as usually....
Bye,
Roberto
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[Roberto]

Hi, Torsten, hi Ralf,
I have just found out that I messed up the appointments for next week! I thought I would have to do the L-class on Monday, so the class thinks now I am coming next week on Monday. The trouble is that they are arriving at eight o'clock and not at ten o'clock, as you wanted them to do.
Sorry!
Today in Leipzig was very satisfactory. We worked a lot.
We learned a lot about strengths and weaknesses in people's personality (a great deal of adjectives describing character etc. useful for application letters, e.g.). We did exercises about business vocabulary (continuation of Thursday's class): Moving up, career ladder, hard times in life, being out of job, resign, apply, facing a new challenge, happier times, getting a raise, a promotion, prospects for a job, retirement, etc...
And grammar: We treated simple past and present perfect again (specially exercises where they had to decide on one of these two main verb tenses); passive voice; simple future tenses (will-, be going to- future). We read also some funny sentences where they had to use these two usual future tenses).I introduced briefly the meaning of the conditional tenses. They want to practice more grammar.
Again, the participants were active and did a lot of writing, speaking, reading and listening exercises.

Kind regards,
Roberto
Let's try to solve this "problem" on Monday! Unless you can get there at eight already..
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[Torsten]

Hi Roberto,

Many thanks for your update, as for Monday morning, it's actually even better if they arrive at 8.00 so they'll have some time to prepare for their presentations. I'll be there at eight and we can use the time review the techniques we talked about earlier this week so just keep the schedule as it is and I'll follow up on what you did with them today.
The D course went were very well too, everyone created a short professional summary describing their strengths and how they can be translated into benefits for a potential employer. Then we talked about how to find a work placement and how to build a network. We also did a number of TOEIC listening comprehension tests and practised the use of the tenses.

More soon, enjoy the sun.
Torsten
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[Roberto]

Hi, Torsten, Ralf,
Monday's D group:

We started reading a text about strengths and weaknesses, quality traits, professional skills. What should a candidate for a position answer regading this question?

Every participant had the chance to read a piece of the text. Then we did some reading comprehension exercises.
New vocabulary was introduced describing trait qualities of a person, positive and negative ones. We made a lot of fun analyzing the qualities of the participants born under two chosen signs of Zodiac (Aries and Libra).

We did more grammar exercises: Future tenses (will-, be going to, be doing-future). They have made a lot of progress in this aspect.

We introduced some important separable phrasal verbs, how to use them etc.. And more exercises.

Bye,
Roberto
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[Ralf]

D class, may 16

as suggested, worked on general conversational skills:

- basic conversations, idiomatic turns of phrase

- short review of basic tenses

- present perfect in contrast to simple present+past

- characteristics: describing people, peoples and animals

- cultural discussion: humor in germany and abroad
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[Torsten]

Hi Ralf,

Welcome back to Germany and thanks for your great work. Today we practised the tenses, everyone created a couple sentences in the simple past, the past contininuous and the constructions that contained both tenses. Then one person read out their one sentence and their neighbour had to make that sentence negative and then read their statement. So, was like a chain reaction and we tried to build up speed. We then did a dictogloss using TOEIC based texts. Those texts were the basis for a listening comprehension test we did afterwards.

Could you please practise the tenses again and incorporate some business situations. Have the group come up with companies they want to work at. Create a glossary related to the activities those companies do.

Also, you might want to ask Dieter to give a short presentation on how to convert negative phrases into positive ones and how language can impact our thinking. He prepared a presentation today and put phrases on the whiteboard but we couldn't finish it. (you might have to ask if you can use the same room we were in today, at least for the first 30 minutes).

Also, we have to schedule the work for next week. (It'll be only 4 days in D as the L group finishes this Friday.)

Best regards
Torsten
PS: Roberto, thanks a lot for your update and excellent work too!
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[Ralf]

hi torsten,

thanks a lot for your mail and your guidance. i will consider your suggestions. as for next week, i would like to do tuesday and friday, if that's ok. if need be, i could do the D class on monday and wednesday as well.

have a good night!

ralf
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[Roberto]

Hi, Ralf, hi Torsten,
Today's D-class:
- We picked out a participant (Kathrin) and we described this person by using some information given about her sign of Zodiac (Gemini). Thus we practiced and brushed up many adjectives and nouns related to personality, quality traits etc. We kept a vivid conversation.
Then we spoke about the origin of some days of the week, their relationship to other languages in Europe. We did some vocabulary and grammar exercises (present perfect versus simple past). We were active in the morning repeating the three forms of the irregular verbs (verb games) and writing down some useful sentences.
And phrasal verbs + idiomatic expressions.
We joked our way through the "English present perfect": puns, metaphors etc and had some small talks such as:
Polygamy versus monogamy; death penalty, crimes, adultery, also some political aspects, etc..
In the afternoon: more grammar exercises: Simple future with I hope, I think, I expect, I'm sure, I don't think, probably etc...
And more business vocabulary: gain experience, get a rise (or raise), move up, promote, internship, trainee, earn, synonyms for "job" etc..
Have a nice Wednesday
Best wishes,
Roberto
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