D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 5

Class

1) Making requests and writing precisely BEC Masterclass p. 29

2) Simplifying contractual language and avoiding "legalese". For more notes and examples see: http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/25080245/Legal%20Writing%20In%20Plain%20English

3) Discussion - Christmas songs

Notes

Key to writing concisely:

Can you change:

adjectives and nouns to verbs?

negatives to positives?

passives to actives?

constructions with "of" compound nouns?

Corrections

Check the differences in verb structure and meaning between remember and remind

I remember something

Something reminds me of something else
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-remember-and-vs-remind/

Christmas songs

12 Days of Christmas - Traditional

Last Christmas - Wham

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

White Christmas - Bing Crosby

The Power of Love - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

The Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie

River  - Joni Mitchell

For the Spotify Christmas playlist go to: https://open.spotify.com/user/11142496185/playlist/7Cbt7FfPwVG11btvZvVlqt

Homework 

Our next lesson will be on 9th January. In the meantime keep up with your English with some enjoyable noticing activites using film, tv and songs in English.

D'Amico Shipping B1 Lesson 4

Class
The first conditional
unless/if
Free practice
New Language Leader p. 41

Scenario - language Training - Discussion and Listening
New Language Leader p. 42

Vocabulary
crash course = intensive course
go for a walk
go walking

Corrections
the next future - the near future

Pronunciation - Vowel sounds
walk /wɔːk/
work /wɜːk/


Homework

1. Do the extra practice exercises on p. 133 as revision
2. Read over the audio script again noting the following features:

• conditionals -  If we do that, what will happen?
• phrasal verbs - to think something through, to set something up
• idioms - up to our ears (in work)
• functional language for meetings - let's move on
• accepting and rejecting ideas & considering consequences (see exercise 4a on page 43)

D'Amico Shipping B1 Lesson 3

Class
The First Conditional 
     

Dictation exercise - Noticing how conditional sounds in fast connected speech.

Homework
Reading p. 41
Grammar p. 41, questions 7 and 8
Vocabulary
to proofread = to check a piece of writing for mistakes

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 4

Class

Reading Skills

Multople choice matching strategies pp. 24 - 25

Vocabulary

Word combinations

Adjective + noun

Overnight flight

Global economy

Cramped seat

Frequent flyer

Noun + noun

Time zone

Health risk

Jet lag

Noun + prepositional phrase

Perk of the job

Idioms

Flogging a dead horse http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/flogging-a-dead-horse.html

Banging your head against a(brick) wall http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/bang+head+against+a+brick+wall

Comparative and superlative forms

P. 26

Listening 

Telephone messages p. 27

Corrections

Pronunciation

Headache /ˈhɛdˌeɪk/

Suitable /ˈsuːtəbəl/

Homework

1. Listening follow up

Go through the audioscript on pages 141 - 142 making a note of any interesting and useful examples of phrasal verbs, fixed expressions and functional language.

e.g. I'm fixing up the next meeting = organise 

I'm getting back to you about,

I'll just get a pen/my agenda/diary/the document

By the way,

While you're on the phone 

Oh, one other/more thing

2. Listening Christmas Songs

Next week will be our last lesson before the holidays so I thought it might be fun if we introduced each other to our favourite Christmas songs. Choose a Christmas song and prepare a short presentation on why you like it. If you wish, you can add it to the following Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/user/11142496185/playlist/7Cbt7FfPwVG11btvZvVlqt

If you need some inspiration, have a look at the following blogs:
http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2014/12/scary-bradshaws-musical-advent-calendar.html
http://scarybradshaw.blogspot.it/2014/12/scary-bradshaws-musical-advent-calendar_16.html

D'Amico Shipping B2 Lesson 3

Class
1. Listening Skills - Using Podcasts
Losing Friends In A Club - Should you move around or stand still?
Listen again or download from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04hxmrg
The relevant story starts at 12:54 and runs until 18:04

Fixed Phrases & Phrasal Verbs
to bump into someone/each other
to stay put/still
to synch up
to smooth out
to cover (more) ground

Synonyms
steps/paces
friends/chums
move/roam around

Keep
Keep your head
Keep straight (ahead)
Keep going/walking
Keep the change

Lexical sets
Experiments
test a course of action
roadtest a theory
put in some legwork

Clubbing
have a night out
head to the bar
bar, entrance, DJ booth
spill a drink (over someone)
keep the change
a half, a pint e.g. "2 half shandies please."
to get chucked out (of the club)


2. Vocabulary Skills - Business Travel 
BEC Masterclass pp. 22 -23

Note that even synonyms might not have the same collocations - e.g. you can book a flight/a hotel/a room or a ticket but you can only reserve a room or a ticket.

recline your seat/reclining seat
lots of legroom
cramped
squashed

Corrections
Chance can be both countable or uncountable but be consistent with your use. See: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/chance_1
Convenient is a false friend. Do you want to emphasise that something is useful, easy and or quick to do or whether it is value for money?


Homework
Reading Skills
BEC Masterclass pp. 24 - 25, all questions

D'Amico Shipping B1 Lesson 2

Class
Speaking 
Business and People interview task.

New Vocabulary

• soundtrack
• punctual
• to settle down
• to run out of (petrol/money/time)

GET

What does get mean in the following sentences?

1. I get bored easily.
2. We got married in 2009.
3. I need to get my hair cut.
4. We got the house painted last summer.
5. The train gets in at 9.
6. Give me a call when you get home.
7. Hold on, I'll just get a pen to write this down.
8. I get what you are saying.
9. I really didn't get that film, I couldn't follow what was going on. 
10. I've got friends coming round for dinner on Friday.

n.b. get something done = have something done

Corrections

1. Tenses Check that you are using the present perfect simple and continuous tenses when talking about experience that is relevant now.
2. False Friends Actual/Current
3. Verb Patterns to regret doing something in the past (compare this with to regret to inform which means I regret to inform you now)

Homework

1. Reflection and Writing Reflect on today's speaking task. Where were the gaps (in vocabulary, structure) which prevented you from saying what you wanted? Were you confident with your question forms? Were you using present perfect forms to talk about experience? Come to the next lesson (Wednesday 14th December) with a list of language problems you wish to improve. 
2. Listening  I have added more songs to the Spotify Playlist, Phrasal Verbs, which you can access here: https://open.spotify.com/user/11142496185/playlist/5IN815vqsJHESck8r070SH 

I have now made this a collaborative playlist, so if you are Spotify user, you can add songs that contain phrasal verbs to help you practice. You can also go to http://genius.com to find the lyrics to the songs and join in the discussions on their meaning.
New additions to the playlist include:

• Hung Up - Madonna (which plays with the two meanings - to hang up the phone, to be hung up on someone) 
• Somebody I Used To Know - Gotye (Which includes cut off, make out, read into, to be hung up on someone, to screw over - a slightly vulgar slang term meaning to deliberately disadvantage someone)
• Help With My Friends - The Beatles (to get by)
• Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
• Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper (to fall behind)
• Runnin' Out Of Fools - Neko Case

Remember there is no lesson next week (8th December) but we will make this up with two lessons the following week on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th December.