English Improvement Course at UNAL
This blog is a space created to support you in your English language learning process. Remember our learning process depends not only on our classes, but also on our own motivation, curiosity, and practice.
Pages
- Home
- Grammar
- Life Changes
- Phrasal Verbs
- Fulbright Scholarship 1
- Writing Tips
- Homework
- September 25th - 27th - Activities
- Fulbright Scholarship 2
- Pronunciation 1
- Pronunciation 2
- Giving Opinions 1
- Giving Opinions 2
- Making Our Planet A Better Place
- Cause and Effect
- Giving Advice
- Giving Advice / Expressing Regrets: Part II
- Building an Argument: Intro
- Building an Argument
- Building an Argument: Exercises
- Teen Pregnancy
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Speaking Strategies
1. The first rule of improving speaking skills is to speak, converse, talk, gab, etc. as much as you can!
http://livemocha.com/
http://polyglotclub.com/?session_langue=eng
http://www.sharedtalk.com/
2. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Try to understand why you consistently make a certain kind of error.
3. Try to think in English. Practice silently in the foreign language.
4. Improve your pronunciation. Listen carefully and repeat aloud after your teacher or a native speaker. Make a list of words that give you pronunciation trouble, and practice them.
http://unalmedeic.blogspot.com/p/pronunciation-1.html
5. Use whatever you know to get your message across. Paraphrase, use synonyms, use gestures to express your ideas, and use hesitation fillers. Let your listener know you are thinking. Use fillers like well, let's see, you know, etc.
6. Imitate the rhythm and intonation of the language you are studying.
7. Increase awareness of how you speak through the use of audio and videotaping.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Writing Strategies
1. Use what you know. Use familiar words, phrases, and sentence patterns you have learnt or seen in target language texts.
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/
2. Avoid excessive reliance on the dictionary.If you have to look up a half-dozen words to write a ten-word sentence, there is a high possibility that the sentence will not be comprehensive.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
3. Check your grammar. Sometimes grammar mistakes can make your writing difficult to understand, for example, if you use past tense instead of future.
http://www.englishpage.com/
4. Learn punctuation rules and apply them.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation_rules.asp
5. Plan, revise and have someone else look at your writing. Writing does not begin or end with one draft. Revise at all levels.
6. Imitate. Imitate native speakers’ writing. For instance, in writing a response to a personal note, look at the format, the way in which the writer of the note addressed you, how he started and ended the note, etc.
Adapted from: Rubin & Thompson (1994). How to be a more successful language learner.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Listening Strategies
1. Listen
regularly. In addition to language tapes, make a regular effort to listen to
the foreign language outside the classroom. Listen to the radio, attend
lectures, and watch TV and films.
Video Exercises: http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_intermediate.php?id=8974
2. Choose appropriate materials. Find materials specially prepared for teaching listening comprehension such as textbooks and videos. Then try finding authentic material such as radio and TV programs, lectures, films and plays.
Listening Comprehension Exercises:
2. Choose appropriate materials. Find materials specially prepared for teaching listening comprehension such as textbooks and videos. Then try finding authentic material such as radio and TV programs, lectures, films and plays.
Listening Comprehension Exercises:
http://englishteststore.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11388&Itemid=389
3. Choose material that you will enjoy. If you are interested in sports, watch sports on TV or listen to sports reports. If you enjoy comedies, watch them in the foreign language.
3. Choose material that you will enjoy. If you are interested in sports, watch sports on TV or listen to sports reports. If you enjoy comedies, watch them in the foreign language.
Exercises
The Big Bang Theory
Adapted from:
Rubin & Thompson (1994). How to be a more successful language learner. Boston :
Heinle & Heinle.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Reading Strategies: Skimming and Scanning
Theory
http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~pkanchan/html/skim.htm
Scanning game: Who killed Angela Spelling?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en05skim-game-the-big-scan
Skimming Exercise
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp1.htm
Scanning Exercise
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp3.htm
http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~pkanchan/html/skim.htm
Scanning game: Who killed Angela Spelling?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en05skim-game-the-big-scan
Skimming Exercise
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp1.htm
Scanning Exercise
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp3.htm
Friday, November 2, 2012
November 6th - Homework
Hi dear students,
I hope you are having an excellent weekend.
This is your homework for our next class (November 6th)
This Tuesday you will become senators for a day in order to sponsor
a new bill.
Your objective
is to write an argumentative paragraph
drafting a new bill to improve the quality of life in our country. For
example, “High school students should receive free condoms every week to prevent
teen pregnancy”. You can come up with serious proposals or with crazy ones; the
most important thing is to be prepared to support your ideas with strong
arguments. (Print a copy for me please)
That day, the
Senate will debate and vote on the new bills.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Alejandra
Monday, September 3, 2012
Welcome
Welcome to this
advanced course or improvement course which is provided by the language center as
part of a university project to be held between 2010 and 2012. Our main goal
with this program is to give you the possibility to practice
your language skills through different activities addressed to improve your communicative skills .
I hope we learn a lot while having fun!
TOPICS
Sep 11th
1. Life Changes
Sep 12th
2. Writing Tips
Sep 13th
3. Fulbright Application
Homework: Keep filling your application at home. Then save your file in flash drive or send it to your email. Bring it for our class Sep 18th. DO NOT PRINT YOUR APPLICATION YET!
Activities Sep 25th - Sep 27th
Listening/ Reading / Writing Exercise
Pronunciation Practice
October 2nd
4. Peer reviewing exercise.
Homework October 3rd
Listening Exercise
5. 10 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
6. Pronunciation
Pronunciation exercise
October 4
7. Interview
October 9th
1. Giving Opinions 1
October 16th
2. Giving Opinions 2
October 17th
1. World problems
October 18th
1. Cause and effect
October 23rd
1. Giving Advice
October 24th
1. Language of Love - Exercise
October 25th
1. Expressing Regrets
October 30th
1. Building an Argument Intro
2. Building an Argument Theory
3. Building an Argument Exercises
Sep 11th
1. Life Changes
Sep 12th
2. Writing Tips
Sep 13th
3. Fulbright Application
Homework: Keep filling your application at home. Then save your file in flash drive or send it to your email. Bring it for our class Sep 18th. DO NOT PRINT YOUR APPLICATION YET!
Activities Sep 25th - Sep 27th
Listening/ Reading / Writing Exercise
Pronunciation Practice
October 2nd
4. Peer reviewing exercise.
Homework October 3rd
Listening Exercise
October 3rd
6. Pronunciation
Pronunciation exercise
October 4
7. Interview
October 9th
1. Giving Opinions 1
October 16th
2. Giving Opinions 2
October 17th
1. World problems
October 18th
1. Cause and effect
October 23rd
1. Giving Advice
October 24th
1. Language of Love - Exercise
October 25th
1. Expressing Regrets
October 30th
1. Building an Argument Intro
2. Building an Argument Theory
3. Building an Argument Exercises
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