Merry Christmas

Wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my students and followers of this blog. Thanks for your hard work and support in 2014 and I look forward to working with you again in 2015.

Sean

Post CPE - Special Video Lesson

Lesson 11

1. Using film & video http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442630/Film%20Lessons
2. Kath & Kim Accents, Australian English, Slang http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442641/Kath%20And%20Kim

Note the use of malapropisms for example when Kim says she's ravishing (very beautiful, enchanting) when she really means she is hungry - a mistaken combination of  famished and ravenous. 

Holiday Project
Choose a film that you like and that you think could help you with your English. Write a brief blog post or review (not a plot summary!) about it then analyse a short (3 - 5 minute scene). What are the language (grammar/vocabulary) or pronunciation features you notice? Pay particular attention to idioms, slang, accent, intonation and fast connected speech.  In our first lesson after the holidays (10th January) we will discuss your findings.

Post CPE Group Lesson 10 - Bumper Christmas Edition

Lesson 10

• Idioms: For today's examples & a link to the article discussing their etymology see: http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/90347408/Idioms
• Discussion: Christmas in literature, film and song. For more examples of yuletide tunes have a look at this blogpost  http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2014/12/scary-bradshaws-musical-advent-calendar.html or go to my spotify playlist spotify:user:11142496185:playlist:7Cbt7FfPwVG11btvZvVlqt
• Writing feedback and register/vocabulary exercise.

Pronunciation

subsequently

purchase

Going Further:

(1) On Kermode & Mayo's Film Review this week listen out for a listener's question regarding watching films on trains (1:27 - 1:29) followed by Mark's review of the documentary Merchants of Doubt in which he uses today's idiom sleight of hand several times.

(2) Throwing Shade is one of the terms used in Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingstone's documentary on Harlem's drag balls of the late 80's.

(3) If you are interested in idioms and their etymology, have a look at Michael Quinion's book POSH Port Out Starboard Home and Other Language Myths (Penguin 2004) in which he explodes some language myths like posh - which first appeared in Punch Magazine in 1918 and did not refer to cabins on P&O ships travelling from Britain to India. (Sorry Bruce).

Post CPE Group - Feedback On Writing

I have now had a chance to look over the writing exercise from last Saturday. While I intend to give individual feedback in the next lesson, I thought I would take the opportunity to make some general comments and observations now.

• All the letters were clearly structured and contained a good range of vocabulary including a natural use of fixed phrases and collocations
• Verb Structure: There are some persistent errors with verb structure, so this is an area of grammar that we need to review in the new year. E.g. Intend to do something/have the intention of doing something, prevent someone from doing something
• Vocabulary - Word Choice: Start exploring connotation and register when choosing your words. Several of you used uncivil when describing rude or bad mannered behaviour. Did you intend to be that restrained in your criticism?
• Vocabulary - Verb/Noun + Preposition Collocations: Think of these as fixed phrases rather than little bits of grammar. to be in the limelight, a threat to someone/something, to be pregnant with her first child 
• Sentence construction and style: Work on developing a lean, succinct style of writing - eliminate repetitive or redundant words, "throat clearing"phrases and get straight to the point. Think about your use of discourse markers and how you could join clauses and phrases without using conjunctions. 

Post CPE Lesson 9

Lesson 9

• Discussion - Film Reviewers: Mark Kermode, Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael.
• Recommended Films: The Prestige, Memento, Boyhood, The Hours, Life In A Day

• Pet Peeves: New Vocabulary plight, conductor, validate your ticket, curb, chill out, chillax
• Letters To The Editor - Mobile Phone Use
• Writing Exercise

Corrections

• I noticed quite a few mistakes today with negative prefixes - especially the overuse of 'un' instead of incorrect, impolite, inappropriate.
• Verb suffixes: variate → vary
• Verb structure: make someone reasoning → make someone reason
• Countable/Uncountable: Money are is never enough

Homework

Next week's discussion is on how Christmas is presented in popular art and literature. What books, short stories, films or songs about Christmas are particularly resonant for you? Here are some suggestions to get you thinking: 

Auggie Wren's Christmas Story by Paul Auster from the film Smoke (Wayne Wang 1995)

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz (Bill Melendez 1965)

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote (Frank Perry, 1966)

The Fairytale of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty McCall (1987)

For more song suggestions see: http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2012/12/scary-bradshaws-christmas-playlist.html?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=38

Post CPE Lesson 8

Lesson 8

(1) Inequality Discussion

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/70326019/Mind%20The%20Gap%20-%20Note%20Taking%20Outline

Going Further:

The Equality Trust

Criticism of the Spirit Level research

(2) Problems With Hypothetical Distance

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/49720439/Hypothetical%20Distance%20-%20Error%20Correction%20Task

(3) The Problem With Translation

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442650/Sentence%20Structure

(4) Creating an Editing Checklist 

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/37583119/Correction-Checklist-For-L1-Italian-Speakers

New Vocabulary and Corrections:

too much expensive (too + adjective/too much + noun)

richness → wealth
sons → children
fiend, fiendish, fiendishly
Pronunication: fund/found, rung/rug, hygiene

Listening Practice
Movie Review Podcast
Mark Kermode discusses the latest film releases with Simon Mayo. Lively, controversial and unmissable movie discussion. Broadcast live on Fridays at 2pm (U.K. time) on BBC Radio 5 live.
Click on this link to listen to Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo's Film Reviews
or subscribe via iTunes (it's free).

Below you will find Kermode's recent review of Interstellar and, in keeping with the inequality theme, his  legendary rant about the film Sex and the City 2.

Interstellar Review

Sex and the City 2 Review

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 20

Lesson 20

• Presentations
• The problem with translation http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442650/Sentence%20Structure
• Creating an editing checklist http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/37583119/Correction-Checklist-For-L1-Italian-Speakers

I hope you have found the presentation and feedback sessions useful and I hope you see the feedback as suggestions rather than just criticism. After all, this is not a "test" but an opportunity to try things, ask questions and take risks. If you were unhappy with your presentation, you can always do it again (in whole or in part) to try to improve it, or try something new. The standard of the presentations has been excellent and you all have great potential as public speakers in English, so don't give up!

Corrections
preparate prepare (verb suffixes)
before to go going, try to calling (verb structure)
my best worst problem (superlatives)
Pronunciation
suitcase, especially, cause, audience

Homework
Try to keep in contact with English over the break. While it might be difficult to find 90 minutes once a week, 15 minutes 5 or 6 times a week is not only more realistic but actually more useful.
Start by reviewing the grammar and vocabulary from unit 2 using the worksheet I distributed in class. Answers to the exercises can be found here: http://seansstudypage.blogspot.it/2014/10/damico-shipping-b2-revision-answers.html. Also build on all the good pronunciation work you have done this term by listening to English regularly.

We are now two thirds of the way through the course. We have 10 more lessons together, starting from 7th January 2015. In the first lesson back  Mirta, Stefano and Luigi will have an opportunity to give their presentations and Angela will present her song of the week.

Goals and Foci For 2015
Speaking skills - meetings, telephone, video conferencing
More error correction
Improving range and choice of tenses

Post CPE Group Lesson 7

Lesson 7

• Discussion "What If" Counterfactual History http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/13/counterfactual-history-what-if-waste-of-time
• Conditionals & Pronunciation - the features of fast connected speech. http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/32174148/Conditionals%20and%20Pronunciation

Corrections

• The choices I have done made (Collocation)
• It remembers reminds you of a certain time (Commonly confused verbs)
• I suggested him going there going there/that he go/goes/went there (Verb structure)
• It is composed by of two things (Verb + preposition collocation)
• I didn't know anything about the place so I phoned to have news to get some information (Vocabulary choice)
• an accommodation, fundings (Countable & uncountable nouns)

Homework

Following on from our discussion over lunch, I thought you might be interested in watching this documentary from last year, which raises many of the issues that we were talking about concerning inequality. The documentary lasts 46 minutes but you could break it up into sections and watch a little bit each day. In the link below you will find a note taking outline to help you focus on the main points. From a listening point of view, it will help you practise with different accents including standard New Zealand, Australian & British as well as varieties of Asian English from Bangladeshi and Chinese L1 speakers of English. 

http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/70326019/Mind%20The%20Gap%20-%20Note%20Taking%20Outline

Key Terms

Can't make ends meet - can't afford to pay your bills

WFF - Working For Families - benefit for poor families

A state house - housing owned by the government, which poor people can rent at a reasonable rate. 

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 19

Lesson 19

• Business Advantage p.30 pay (uncountable) payment (countable),  collocations with incentive (n), incentivise (v) and pay (n). Discussion on how to motivate staff.
• Presentations
• "Get" What does get mean in the following sentences? 

1. When I get your email, I'll send you the invoice.
2. It's easy to get sick in this changeable weather.
3. I'm just going to get a pen.
4. I get your point.
5. I'm going to get dinner.
6. You need to get your hair cut.
7. I've decided that I'm going to get a car next year.
8. I got 82% in the exam. 
9. We should get there by 7pm.
10. Try to get some sleep, you've got a busy day tomorrow.

Phrasal verbs with get are numerous and should be learnt in context.

Transport
get on/off a bus/train/plane

get/in/out of a car/taxi
Relationship

get along with someone very well
They seem to be getting on alright. 

Note that phrasal verbs can also become nouns:

We are having a bit of a get together on Friday.

When learning phrasal verbs, it's also important to learn the structure that they take: transitive/intransitive? separable/inseparable?

Some songs with get 
What does get mean in each of these? 

The Stranglers: Get A Grip On Yourself

Pretenders: Don't Get Me Wrong

Daft Punk: Get Lucky

Corrections:

I am agree

Depends for on

Check the difference between employers and employees

Choose/choice

Pronunciation

Remember your ed endings /t/ /d/ and /Id/

linked, composed

Vowel sounds: launch, fruit, tastes, variety

Wine

Thanks to Andrea for his very presentation on wine. If you are interested in New Zealand wine, have a look at these websites. 

http://www.nzwine.com

http://www.cloudybay.co.nz

http://manowarvineyards.co.nz

Next week will be our last lesson for the year. We will have 10 more lessons together starting on 7th January 2015. Next week we will discuss strategies for maintaining your English during the break, also Mirta, Stefano, Martina and Luigi will be giving their presentations and Angela will present the last Song Of The Week for 2014. 

All Students: To Dub Or Not To Dub?

This week we have been talking about the pros and cons of watching films dubbed into another language.  Another phenomenon which is sometimes more perplexing is when a film is given a title which is completely different from its original. Did you know that Grease was called Vaseline in Argentina for example? The Big Liar does however seem rather appropriate for a film about Richard Nixon.


Have a look at the link below for the 50 funniest movie title translations.
Do you know of any others?

http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/50-funniest-movie-title-translations#gallery-6

Post CPE Lesson 6

Lesson 6 

Here you will find the material on conditionals from today's lesson:

• Open or Hypothetical Conditionals? http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/32379905/Hypothetical%20versus%20Open%20Conditionals
• Consumer Rights & Conditionals Overview http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442621/Conditionals

New Vocabulary
Click on the links for definitions and examples.
short shrift
quibble (check pronunciation)
money box (or piggy bank)
pencil case

Homework

(1) Have a look at the notes on alternatives to if on the above link

(2) The best way of getting to grips with hypothetical and conditional forms is to notice how native speakers use them. Look out for these forms when you are reading and listening and think about what situations they describe. Click on one of the links below for examples of how second, third and mixed conditionals are often used:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/18/what-if-star-wars-never-existed

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/13/counterfactual-history-what-if-waste-of-time

(3) Note how conditionals are used in the following poem by Rudyard Kipling and song from R.E.M. 

IF you can keep your head when all about you 

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Films to Watch:

The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 

Director: Michel Gondry

"The wisdom in "Eternal Sunshine" is how it illuminates the way memory interacts with love. We more readily recall pleasure than pain. From the hospital I remember laughing nurses and not sleepless nights. A drunk remembers the good times better than the hangovers. A failed political candidate remembers the applause. An unsuccessful romantic lover remembers the times when it worked."

Roger Ebert

Song of the Week # 7: John Legend - All of Me

Thanks to Valerio for choosing this week's track, All Of Me the 2013 single by John Legend. This piano led ballad was released last summer and features on Legend's album, Love In The Future. Think about how the song could help you with your English - look at the vocabulary (especially fixed expressions, metaphors, idioms and collocations), the pronunciation features (rhythm and rhyme), the meaning, importance, background to the song or what the song means to you personally.

This song is particularly interesting for its use of phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions. 




[Verse]
What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

[Bridge]
My head's underwater
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

[Chorus]
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

[Verse]
How many times do I have to tell you
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you

[Bridge]
My head's underwater
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

[Chorus]
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh
Give me all of you, oh oh

[Bridge]
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts
Risking it all though it's hard

[Chorus]
Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you

I give you all of me
And you give me all, of you, oh oh oh.

Songwriters
Gad, Toby / Legend, John

Published by
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC

Read more: All of Me Lyrics - John Legend | MetroLyrics 

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 18

Lesson 18
Class
Presentations

Well done Angela, Valerio & Ilaria, I hope you found the feedback useful. Also thanks to Stefano for such a thorough presentation for Song of the Week. 
Next week Mirta and Andrea are scheduled to speak, Luigi and Martina, when would you like to give your presentations? There is one slot left on 19/11 and another on 26/11.

Corrections
Vocabulary/Collocation
Publish a book but release music/an album/cd/a song etc
Pessimist, optimist (person) pessimism, optimism (concept)

Verb Structure/Verb + Preposition Collocations/Structure & Word Order
Think to about
Introduce someone to someone else
We are going to discussing
Our values are five There are five values/We have five values
What do we mean with by…
Tell someone something
Talk about something

SignpostingLanguage
I will be very pleasure pleased to answer your questions
Outline your points in the introduction, sum up your points in the conclusion
Move on to the next point
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them now.
I'd like to present introduce myself
Now I'm going to end that brings me to the end of my presentation…

Pronunciation
Consonant clusters at the end of words
concepts
Silent letters
higher
Vowels
trivial
identification

Homework
Write a brief paragraph explaining what you learned from giving/observing the presentations today.

Post CPE Group Lesson 5

Lesson 5
In this week's lesson we looked at modal auxiliaries. For a copy of the work sheet and extra links go to: http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/11442644/Modals

Homework
As with tenses, the best way to practice is to notice how other people use models and ask questions about the choices they have made. Find a short text (written or spoken) and highlight all the modals used. What are their various functions in the text and why do you think the writer/speaker has chosen to use those and not others?

Video Listening Practice
1. Comedy
Vicky Pollard was a popular character from the sketch show, Little Britain. What do the performers/writers say about the way she speaks and the way language has changed?

In this sketch, the humour comes from a number of sources as well as the speed and incomprehensible quality of Vicky's speech.

• vocabulary mistakes e.g. malapropism (the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one), spoonerisms, egg corns and mondegreens.
• cultural differences between the U.K. and the U.S.
• generational differences

What examples can you find?

2. Accents

This week we talked about accents in movies and on T.V. Meryl Streep is perhaps the most acclaimed actress of her generation, principally for her facility with accents and languages. Watch the montage of clips below. Which accents do you find the easiest to identify and understand? What do you think of her Italian accent in The Bridges of Madison County?

Song of the Week #6 - Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie

Thanks to Stefano for choosing this week's track, Under Pressure the 1981 single by Queen & David Bowie. The song was a number one hit all over the world and features on Queen's album Hot Space (1982) and David Bowie's greatest hits album, The Singles Collection. Think about how the song could help you with your English - look at the vocabulary (especially fixed expressions, metaphors, idioms and collocations), the pronunciation features (rhythm and rhyme), the meaning, importance, background to the song or what the song means to you personally.

Some things to think about:

• What does the multi-word verb to come up with mean?
• What is the difference between the verbs slash and torn?
• What is the difference in meaning between to see/watch someone do something and to see/watch someone doing something?

Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets

It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people people on streets

Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor

These are the days it never rains but it pours

People on streets 

People on streets 

It's the terror of knowing

What this world is about

Watching some good friends

Screaming 'Let me out'

Pray tomorrow - gets me higher higher high

Pressure on people people on streets

Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work

Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn

Why - why - why?

Love love love love love

Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking

Can't we give ourselves one more chance

Why can't we give love that one more chance

Why can't we give love give love give love give love

Give love give love give love give love give love

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word

And love dares you to care for

The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night

And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of

     Caring about ourselves

     This is our last dance

     This is our last dance

     This is ourselves

     Under pressure

     Under pressure

     Pressure

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 17

Lesson 17 
Presentations - Listening For Signposting Language
http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/32233573/Presentations
For extra examples of signposting languagesee: https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/presentations-lang.htm

Presentations 12 - 26 November

Prepare a 5 minute presentation on a topic of your choice. It might be helpful to speak about a subject that you know well or that you are used to talking about in your line of work. Also be prepared to answer questions from the group at the end of your talk as this is an important part of giving a presentation. Don’t think of it as a test but an opportunity to get up on your feet and practice your presentation skills. It is also a chance to put into practice all the work we have been doing on pronunciation this term. 

I will give personal feedback on each presentation based on the following criteria:

• Content
• Organisation
• Language
• Pronunciation
• Presentation Skills

Your peers will also give you feedback on your presentation from an audience’s perspective. 

If you weren’t at the lesson today please choose one of the remaining presentation slots below 

Date	Presentation 1	Presentation 2	Presentation 3
12/11	Ilaria & Valerio	Angela
19/11	Mirta	Andrea
26/11		Lavinia	Stefano

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 16

Lesson 16
Input for Presentations:
Preparation & Delivery for notes and listening files go to: http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/32233573/Presentations
For extra examples of signposting language see: https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/presentations-lang.htm

Corrections:

• economic/economical  What's the difference?
• difficult (adjective) difficulty (noun)

I have difficult
I have difficulty with this area or It's a difficult area.

• Depends of on 

Homework:

In the last 3 lessons this term (12th/19th/26th November) you will have a chance to give a presentation. Next week we will talk more about the importance of organisation and signposting language and decide when you want to present. In the meantime start thinking about your topic.  It might be helpful to speak about a subject that you know well or that you are used to talking about in your line of work. Also be prepared to answer questions from the group at the end of your talk as this is an important part of giving a presentation. Don’t think of it as a test but an opportunity to get up on your feet and practice your presentation skills. It is also a chance to put into practice all the work we have been doing on pronunciation this term. 

Song of the Week:

Valerio will choose the song for next week. Please post the title and artist in the comment box below.

Post CPE Group Lesson 4

Lesson 4
Thought Experiments - Discussion
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/aug/01/philosophy
Pronunciation continued:
Pronunciation of words & connected speech, stress, intonation, tone.

Corrections:
Proofs Proof  (uncountable)
Think to about (verb structure: verb + preposition)
Distillate Distill (verb forms/suffixes)
Percept Perceive (verb forms/suffixes)
Go back to the nature (zero article)
Operas Works in a gallery (over translation)

Pronunciation: carved (ed ending) figurative (word stress)

Homework:
(1) Find a short extract from a video, podcast, interview or presentation. Listen to it several times and try to identify what words are stressed, what happens to the unstressed words and how the tone changes (rise, rise-fall, fall, fall-rise).
(2) Watch this sketch from The Victoria Wood Show a popular British comedy series from the 1980s. The sketch is a parody of a low budget daytime soap opera complete with bad acting and wobbly sets. What happens at 1:25? What is it about the actress's line reading that causes people to laugh? What does it tell you about tone?

Remember you can always post your comments below.
(3) Next Week is Halloween. Why not mark the occasion and practice your English by watching a scary movie? You'll find some suggestions from previous years here: http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2013/10/scary-bradshaw-on-scary-movies.html?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=42
http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2009/10/horror-horror.html?updated-min=2009-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=27