Teachers
Peter Heymans (until 17/11)
[email protected]
Kris Mathay
[email protected]
= questions and answers
A press conference (with Q&A)
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/qa
Q&A
 Read your question: do you understand
it? (if not, ask me or someone else to
explain it)
 Walk around, introduce yourself and
ask everyone your question
Q&A
To deplore
To dislike something very much, often because you think it is immoral
A trait
A particular quality in someone's character
BEV
Is there anyone with Paid Educational Leave?
Course Material
 Book
English Unlimited: B2 Upper Intermediate
 Extra material: audio and video, pronunciation exercises, idioms ...
 Online workbook
 Powerpoint
On the blog: cvo-bec.net/blogs/e31b1/ (Monday)
cvo-bec.net/blogs/e31e1/
cvo-bec.net/blogs/e31d1/ (Thursday)
Required Work
 No final exam (but you’re encouraged to revise regularly)
 Portfolio: At least one listening report per semester
 Two presentation tasks (more info next week)
Required Work: Listening Report
 On the blog (see Portfolio) you will find three kinds of listening reports
1) informative: a news show or documentary
2) narrative: a film or play
3) persuasive : 4 commercials
 Watch or listen to a programme, then fill in the appropriate report.
 You have to complete one of the listening reports by the first week of
November
 Please type your answers, print out the document and hand it in in class.
 If you want to hand in additional listening reports of a different type
(informative, narrative, persuasive) in the course of the semester, you’re welcome
to do so.
Required Work: Listening Report
 In case of justified absence on the day of a listening test and if you can’t
take the test on another day, you can compensate for the missed test by
submitting an additional listening report (of a different type than the
one you might have already handed in).
 Pay attention: there are 4 listening tests programmed in the course of
the year and only one of them can be replaced by a listening report.
You will be evaluated on
 Your speaking skills in class
 Your presentation tasks
 Your listening reports and tests
 Your Online Workbook
Feedback
 First feedback session: end of 1st semester (no mark)
 Second and final feedback session: end of 2nd semester
Online Workbook
Registration
 Go to http://englishunlimitedowbs.cambridge.org
 Enter your access code
Online Workbook
Registration
 Go to http://englishunlimitedowbs.cambridge.org
 Enter your access code (see envelope)
 Enter your class code
Online Workbook
 After each class, I will tell you which exercises you have to fill in (you will
not have to do all the exercises, but you can if you want).
 When a unit is finished, I will give you a deadline by which you will have to
complete the exercises.
Absence Justification
Go to http://cvo-bec.net/site/?p=40&lang=en and fill in the form.
 If you have a sick note or a note from your employer, you should hand this
in as well.
 If you can’t make it to your normal class day, please try to attend one a
different day (Monday morning, Wednesday morning or Thursday evening). In
that case, please send me an email and we’ll arrange a date.
 In case of justified absence on the day of a listening test and if you can’t take
the test on another day, you can compensate for the missed test by submitting
an additional listening report (of a different type than the one you might’ve
already handed in). Pay attention: there are 4 listening tests programmed in the
course of the year and only ONE of them can be replaced by a listening report.
Important dates (Wednesday Class)
17/9/2014: First class
22/10/2014: Listening test
26/10/2014-2/11/2014: Autumn break
3/12/2014: Listening test
21/12/2014-4/1/2015: Christmas holiday
3/6/2015: Final class
Useful Websites: Listening
Ted Talks
www.ted.com
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short,
powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where
Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all
topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages.
Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities
around the world.
BBC Radio
www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
NPR (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/
Useful Websites: Listening
Guardian Podcasts
www.theguardian.com/audio
New York Times Podcasts
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/podcasts/
Find more podcasts: www.esquire.co.uk/culture/article/5508/21-essential-podcasts/
How can you improve your listening skills?
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv39.shtml
Useful Websites: Speaking
BBC pronunciation tips
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/
Useful Online Sources
www.macmillandictionary.com
www.thesaurus.com
www.englishpage.com
Useful Books
English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-intermediate and Advanced), by
Cambridge University Press
Advanced Grammar in Use, by Cambridge University Press
English Idioms in Use (Advanced), by Cambridge University Press
Practical English Usage (Michael Swan)
Useful Newspapers
www.guardian.co.uk
www.nytimes.be
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.thetimes.co.uk
Useful Places
www.sterlingbooks.be
Wolvengracht / Rue du Fossé aux Loups 23
1000 Brussels
02 223 62 23
[email protected]
Boulevard Adolphe Maxlaan 71-75
1000 Brussels
02 219 27 08
[email protected]
Useful Places
Muntpunt Library
www.muntpunt.be
Munt 6
1000 Brussels
02 278 11 11
[email protected]
How to study vocabulary?
From: English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-Intermediate and Advanced)
How to study vocabulary?
How to study vocabulary?
How to study vocabulary?
How to study vocabulary?
www.memrise.com
Unit 1
Talented
Practice Makes Perfect? (p 6)
Practice makes perfect
If you do an activity regularly and you practise a lot, you’ll become very good at it
Practice Makes Perfect?
In groups of three, talk to each other and find out:
1. What each person in your group does (jobs and hobbies?)
2. Some things they’re good at, some talents they have
3. Would you go on a talent show like Britain’s got talent or The X Factor? What’s
your opinion on shows like these?
4. Do you agree with the following quote?
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
Is this an American or a British article?
American
Why? In the US:
Soccer
Football
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
Is this an American or a British article?
American
Why? In the UK:
Football
American football
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
What might account for this?
Explain
Deliberate
intended, not done by chance or by accident
A pursuit
the process of trying to achieve something pursuit of: the pursuit of happiness
Startling
surprising, or very unusual (to startle)
Overrated
Not as good or important as some people believe
Opposite?
underrated
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
A riddle
a question that seems impossible or silly but has a clever or funny answer
talk/speak in riddles: to say things that are confusing and difficult to understand
To assess
to carefully consider a situation, person, or problem in order to make a judgment
Cut-off or cutoff
a level or limit at which something stops
the cutoff date by which all applications must be received
Self-esteem
the feeling that you are as important as other people and that you deserve to be
treated well (self-confidence)
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
1. Setting particular goals, getting feedback straight away, concentrating equally on
technique and results.
2. Students should focus on the things that interest them earlier on, in order to get
more practice and feedback.
3. Because, in a team with players from a particular calendar year, the January-born
players will be older and therefore stronger.
4. They receive more training, practice and feedback, and therefore also have more
self-esteem.
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
1. set specific goals
2. get feedback
3. concentrate on results
4. possess talent
5. put in a lot of practice (spend a lot of time/effort doing something)
6. build up experience
7. have the will to succeed
8. follow your interests
9. receive training
10. have high self-esteem
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
Memorisation: Learner A chooses expressions from 1–10 at random and says the
second part of each expression. Learner B (book closed) listens and replies with the
whole expression. Then swap roles.
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
the ability to do
something well,
usually as a result of
experience and
training
Practice Makes Perfect: A Star is Made
Idioms: Effort
What is an idiom?
Idioms are expressions which have a meaning that is not obvious from the
individual words.
You’re not apologising for
speaking French
You’re apologising for
swearing (using vulgar
language)
Pardon my French, but he’s
really an idiot.
Idioms: Effort
What is an idiom?
Idioms are expressions which have a meaning that is not obvious from the
individual words.
A couch potato
a lazy individual, addicted to
television-watching.
Idioms: Effort
 In groups of five: every student receives two idioms (on the topic of effort
and practice)
 You have two minutes to learn these two idioms
 After two minutes: give your piece of paper back and teach your two idioms
to the other students in your group (ten minutes)
 A short test
Idioms: Effort
Idioms: Effort
..\Audio and video\2 Minute Countdown Timer.mp4
..\Audio and video\10 Minute Countdown Timer.mp4
Idioms: Test
 Fill in the missing words and sentences
 First on your own, then check with your group
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Idioms: Test
Scotland’s Referendum
..\Audio and video\BBC News Scottish referendum The background explained.mp4
When?
18 September 2014
Who is allowed to vote?
People that live in Scotland (that includes people from Britain, the Commonwealth,
Europe).
How old do you have to be to vote?
The voting age is 16
Who is going to win?
Currently: 49% says no, 51 % says yes
Scotland’s Referendum
England, Referendum
Great Britain, United Kingdom
Scotland’s
Scotland’s Referendum
A Scottish dish
Haggis
a Scottish food made from the inner organs of a sheep that are cut up,
mixed with grain, and pushed into a bag to be cooked. The bag is
traditionally made from a sheep's stomach.
Scotland’s Referendum
Sean Connery
Scotland’s Referendum
Scotland’s Referendum
Scotland’s Referendum
Bagpipes
a Scottish musical
instrument consisting of a
bag with several pipes
sticking out of it. You play it
by blowing air through one
of the pipes. Someone who
plays the bagpipes is called a
piper.
Scotland’s Referendum
A kilt
a type of traditional Scottish
clothing, similar to a skirt,
worn by men. Kilts are made
of woollen cloth in a pattern
called tartan.
Scotland’s Referendum
Online Workbook
Unit 1: Talented
1.1. Routes to success
1.2-1.3 Routes to success