Watch this interview on the Ellen show with one of the most popular British stand-up comedian – Jack Whitehall. Think about the differences between Jack’s British accent and Ellen’s American one.
What happened when Jack was going by plane to the US?
What does Jack say about the difference with going to a shop in the UK versus the US? How did he feel when entering Apple Store in Los Angeles?
Group 2: (v 49) Hanna Magnström Klara Rönnegård Amanda Matsson Andrén Amanda Lindsjö Nora Göransson Filippa Lewenhagen
The rest of you read your books and...see below: Change of plans regarding book discussion: To use time more wisely and to give us an opportunity to do something more "X-masish" in the classroom before the holidays you will...
...record a voice memo with your reflections either with your own phone/computer (röstmemo) OR in Lingoteket (ask me). You discuss/give your view on the questions I gave you. You record this , save it as a file and mail it to me.
By doing this you will be able to show that you have read and understood (or not understood) the novel. Also, this is something you can do individually as soon as you have finished the novel. You do not need to wait for everbody else. You can do this either at home or in school.
When you have sent me your voice memo and delivered your presentation, you have completed all the English tasks for 2014!
More help? Have a look at this You will do this in groups of 7-8 students. Your presentatation should take about 3-5 minutes. The rest of the class will be given another assignment during these lessons. Wednesday week 48 The first group will give their presentations. The rest of the Group will read their book. Group 1: (Wednesday week 48) Erik Berg Karl Kristensson Madelene Heikkinen Melinda Granberg Hannah Persson Edit Varghans Malin Daniels
Feedback - texts about Freedom - what can we learn from feedback?
Read through your texts, your feedback. Take help from a friend if needed.
Kunskapskrav för betyget E i engelska 5:
Eleven bearbetar, och gör förbättringar av, egna framställningar.
How to improve your writing: Learn from feedback
Consume the written word! Pick up a good book or ten. Read and understand the works of great and influential writers to learn what is possible with the written word.
Read magazines, newspapers, and everything else. Literature isn't the only place to get ideas—the real world is filled with fascinating people, places and events that will inspire your writerly mind.
When writing:
Think: Introduction, main text and conclusion. This is the way almost all written assignments are built (essay, letter to the editor, letter of complaints, formal letter etc.).
An introduction: Should give a hint on what your text will be about. It should make the reader curious and make him/her want to continue reading. A main text is usually two or three (depending on type of task) paragraphs where you present/discuss one argument/idea in each paragraph. A conclusion is the last paragraph where you summarize what you have written. You should not present a new idea in this part of the text. You should just draw some kind of conclusion from the examples/ideas you have already mentioned. A conclusion usually begins like this: In conclusion...., All in all....., To summarise......, On the whole...To sum up.....Altogether.....etc. "Kill your darlings" (To let go of any element of our writing that is not essential). Good writing is simple, clear and direct. You don't get points for saying in 50 words what could be said in 20. Good writing is about using the right words, not filling up the page. It might feel good at first to pack a lot of ideas and details into a single sentence, but chances are that sentence is just going to be hard to read. If a phrase doesn't add anything valuable, just cut it.
Try not to repeat the same word over and over unless you are trying to build a rhythm with it. Look for synonyms.
If you start writing in one tense. Keep this tense throughout your text.
Use paragraphs. It makes your text easy to read.
In most written tasks formal language is required. Learn a few linking words and use them. They will make your text more formal.
Edit, edit, edit. When you are done, give it another read, and maybe Another (if you have the time...).
Do not! Do not plagiarize! Presenting the words or ideas of others as your own is a serious offense in academics, journalism and fiction. Just don't do it.
Want to practise on using linking words and a more formal style of writing? Here are some links:
********************************************* Instruct/present - the presentation
Here are the groups and when the presentations will take place: Group 1 - Wednesday week 48 (November 26th) Group 2 + 3 - Wednesday week 49 December 3rd) Group 4 - Thursday week 49 (December 4th)
Group 1: (v 48) Erik Berg Karl Kristensson Madelene Heikkinen Melinda Granberg Hannah Persson Edit Varghans Malin Daniels
Group 2: (v 49) Hanna Magnström Klara Rönnegård Amanda Matsson Andrén Amanda Lindsjö Nora Göransson Filippa Lewenhagen
Group 3: (v 49) Anna Oskarsson Christoffer Knuts Mathias Nykvist Lilliehöök Axel Elg Ida Nikula Frida Martinsson Julia Bergman
Group 4: (v 49) Ebba Geldern Harald Hilding Mattias Matz Victor Blomkvist Moa Gustafsson Lisa Scargill Anton Lundin
Homework next week: Read page 260-262 in Context about differences between American and British English. Also do Quick exercise and Quick task on page p 261 and 262.
Context:
City of Angels
Page 65-69 B. Reading between the lines - write answers C. Beyond the text: Uncreative Tourists- discuss D. Vocabulary: Given half a chance...speaking E. Sweet or just semi-sweet? 1)speak 2) write G. Speaking! H. Speaking I. Write (not in Context though)
Time left: Read your novel
Thursday
This lesson the class will be divided in two groups/two rooms. We will do speaking exercises/continue in Context + read novel. 40 minutes/group/activity.
OBS! Homework for next Wednesday: Pick 15 words from the text "City of Angels". Write them in English translate into Swedish and put them in a correct English sentence (like you did before, but this time you write by hand...). Hand in to me Wednesday next week.
OBS: The text "Freedom" is due on Friday!
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Next Wednesday: Bring novel!
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During the lessons the following weeks we will also focus on this (extract from course description in English 5):Muntlig produktion och interaktion av olika slag, även i mer formella sammanhang, där eleverna instruerar, berättar, sammanfattar, förklarar,kommenterar, värderar, motiverar sina åsikter, diskuterar och argumenterar. Each one of you will beasked to explain/instruct/inform your friends on a topic of your own choice. You could for instance bring a T H I N G to class. A t h i n g could be a l m o s t anything that is possible to bring to school: technical device, parts of various equipments (sports, music, computer, cooking, other hobbies etc etc). Something that interests you! Your task is to explain what this is? What do you use it for? HOW do you use it? Explain step by step.... Give example/-s. Instead of a "thing" it could also be a process, which you may illustrate on the whiteboard. Describe a process step by step. You will have to find appropriate vocabulary and look up how you pronounce different words and we will learn a lot of new things by listening to the others. A brief (ca 5 minutes) but clear explanation/instruction. Watch this clip for tips on useful vocabulary when giving instructions:
More help? Have a look at this You will do this in groups of 6-7 students. We will use one Wednesday and a few Thursdays between week 47-50 for presentations. The rest of the class will be given another assignment during these lessons. Here are the groups and when the presentations will take place: Group 1 - Wednesday week 48 (November 26th) Group 2 + 3 - Wednesday week 49 (December 3rd)
Group 4 - Thursday week 49 (December 4th) What are the grade guidelines for this task? ***************************************************** City of Angels - Context
One World Trade Center (former Freedom Tower) - tallest building in the western hemishphere (1,776 ft (541.3 m)
Wednesday
Intro. novel
After that: Write text/Start reading your novel
OBS: The text "Freedom" is due on Friday!
Your task:
During the following weeks we are going to read the novel "How to build a house". You will receive discussion questions based on the content of the novel. When you have finished the novel we will discuss these questions together in small groups. You will be able to read a few lessons here in school, but the main part of the book you will have to read at home. In week 49 we will start discussing the book, so by then you must have finished it!
Why do we do this?
Well, we do this because reading books is the best way to improve your language skills when it comes to both vocabulary, grammar, general writing skills, reading comprehension. You get a sense of HOW you can express yourself in English in certain situations and when the book is set in an English speaking country you get a better understanding of English/American culture as well.
We also do this because in the English 5 course description it says that we should discuss:
Innehåll och form i olika typer av fiktion. - When discussing the novel you do this!
It also says that you should read:
Skönlitteratur och annan fiktion. - This is what you are about to do now.
Grading: I will not put a grade on the actual discussion. However, Reading the novel and taking an active part in the discussion is a compulsory part of the course. This is also good practise for the reading/writing parts of the national test and will improve your English skills in general. Remember, practise makes progress!
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'How to Build a House: A Novel' by Dana Reinhardt By Susan Carpenter, LA Times'
"How to Build a House" isn't really about how to build a house, though a house does get built over the course of this new young adult novel from Los Angeles author Dana Reinhardt. "How to Build a House" is really the story of 18-year-old Harper Evans as she comes to terms with her father's divorce from her stepmom and the emotional devastation that has been wrought.
The book opens with Harper in flight -- literally, on an airplane. She is headed for Bailey, Tenn. The small Southern town has been struck by a tornado, leaving the place looking "like toys knocked over by one gigantic, clumsy toddler." Harper is headed to Bailey not only because she's an altruist but also because distance breeds perspective. Or so she hopes. Like the tornado that struck out of nowhere, her parents' seemingly happy marriage disintegrated without warning, leaving Harper estranged from her stepsister/best friend and the only mom she has ever known. Now she's trying to figure out why it happened.
1400s Zulu and Xhosa tribes establish large kingdoms in the South African region
1652 The Dutch establish the port of Cape Town. They are the first Europeans to settle in South Africa.
1852 The British take control of Cape Town.
1899-1902 Dutch settlers fight the British in the Boer Wars. Britain eventually gains control of South Africa.
1910 South Africa becomes an independent nation.
1918 Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela is born on July 18 in a small village in South Africa. A teacher later gives him the English name Nelson.
1948 Apartheid is introduced. Laws legally and physically separate different racial groups.
1952 The African National Congress, a black civil rights group, begins a Campaign for Defiance of Unjust Laws as a protest against apartheid. Nelson Mandela is one of its leaders.
1960 1960:s In the town of Sharpeville, 67 Africans are killed while protesting against Apartheid.
1962 Mandela is arrested for plotting against the government. Though he stays active politically, he will spend 27 years in prison.
1990 President F.W. de Klerk announces the end of apartheid. Mandela is freed from prison after serving 27 years.
1993 De Klerk and Mandela are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1994 South Africa holds its first election in which all races can vote. Nelson Mandela is elected President.
1999 Mandela steps down as President.
2013 Nelson Mandela dies in his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95.
After...
Inspired or discouraged? After you have watched the film your task is to write a text in English. In this text you will practise to write in formal English (sometimes also called academic English).
Language - as a means of communication - in order to persuade/influence/inform/argueL anguage is power! And those who master it can persuade us all... Or!?
Persuasive language is all around us in our daily lives. In the media; newspapers/magazines, internet, television, radio. In political speeches and commercial. Even songs and literature are ways to influence/persuade.
--------------------------------------------------------------- Persuasion in political speeches
When giving a political speech, which purpose is to convince/influence - communication skills are vital!
Have a look at the this clip about president Obama:
Language techniques - (political) speeches:
Transcendence (the ability to take the listener to another place: using vivid and descriptive language)
Repetition – very common in political speeches.
Gestures and voice (paus – give the listener time to think, gives impact to what you just said)
Appearence
Body language - powerful words can be neutralized by a body language that lacks confidence. If you are nervous, you can still appear confident by standing tall and proud. Hold your head high, speak load and clear. Be prepared, try to stay calm and focused.
How YOU can benefit from being familiar with especially persuasive language techniques: 1. You become more aware! When you are aware of why people communicate in a certain way you can decide whether you agree or not, whether you want to buy something or not. YOU DECIDE - and you do not let anyone else decide for you! * You can learn to write in a convincing and argumentative way. You can write for example essays or letters to the editor in order to change things you do not agree with.
* You can learn to speak in a persuasive way in order to convince people. This might come in handy when giving speeches or talking to people in more formal situations. Or when just trying to persuade or influence people in general!
20 words Going steady Grammar ------------------------------------------- Thursday
