Thursday, May 8th

Good morning dear students, welcome to our last lesson.

I have decided to come to you in voice even if I can't be there in person. Instead of adding written comments to the work you have done in your learner diaries (Alessandro, Anna Maria, Gianna, and Rossella), I have provided you with audio feedback. So today you have a challenge ;-)

Please read my instructions below carefully and follow them carefully.

Group 1

1. One person go to the computer I used in the IT room. Log on and make sure that the audio is working.
2. Open the blog. Click on Rossella's learner diary. Scroll down to the bottom.
3. Open another window. Copy and paste this url: https://kaizena.com/doc/hd06izx You should see image 1 below.
4. Click on the highlighted 'Hello' and listen to my message (see image 2 below).
5. Follow the instructions in image 1 to listen to my corrections to Rossella's text.
6. Go back to May 7th ('audio tasks for all of you' in image 1) and complete the activities there.
7. Write an entry in your learner diary providing sincere, honest feedback about what you liked about the course, what you didn't like, and what you think you learned or didn't learn. You can do this in Italian if you want to.

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

Group 2

1. Follow steps 1-4 for Group 1 above.
2. Listen to the feeback for Alessandro, Anna Maria, and Gianna. (I have put links but you can find these links in the Comment section of your learner diaries on the upper right hand corner). Please do this together and try to understand my feedback. Write comments to this post about any feedback you do not understand.
3. Follow steps 6-7 above. Listen to my story about Easter and try to complete the Spelling exercise.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best,

Sarah

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Hello all and welcome back!

For today's lesson, I'm going to ask you all to do a written task. I can't be available this morning, but I am going to be available during our last classes on Thursday where I hope to discuss what I am asking you to do today.

We have skipped two weeks of class for three main Italian holidays:

• Easter 
• April 25th
• May 1st

These are not necessarily commonly celebrated holidays in other parts of the world. Therefore, I would like to ask each of you to write a text (200-400 words) in your learner diaries on Google Docs on one of these holidays. Here are the types of things you could write about:

• Easter: Why it's an important holiday in Italy and what the traditions are (using lots of present simple); what you did during the Easter holidays (using lots of simple past).
• April 25th and May 1st: Why are these national holidays in Italy? What do they symbolize? (using a mix of the general, factual present simple and simple past to talk about the history) or What did you do for these holidays and how is this part of Italian tradition? (again a mix of the present simple and simple past)

Please pay close attention to:

• sentence structure: Subject + Verb + Object + ...
• vocabulary (use word reference)
• verb tenses (make reference to the work we've done and to Learning Links)
• (and if you are in the classroom together, please help one another!)

I will correct your texts on Wednesday and then we can discuss them together on Thursday.

I will be online later in the day tomorrow so please don't hesitate to write me an email or make a comment to the blog if you have questions or are confused.

I look forward to reading your texts!

Sarah

Happy Easter Monday

Hello all!

I heard that the weather was not so great in Padova today, but I have to say that it was absolutely fantastic here :-) Even though it's still chilly, we were able to play outside. The flowers have not come up yet, but they're trying!

We never really talked about post-Easter dates, but I think it's better if we put our next lesson off until Thursday since the Academic Calendar has the University off until April 24th and then, of course, April 25th is a holiday. So, I'll be in touch for Thursday.

Best holidays to all!

Sarah

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Hello everyone!

Thanks to those of you who completed the tasks I assigned for Tuesday. I have corrected and commented on all of the new updates in your learner diaries. Please look at them together and let me know if you have any questions regarding my corrections.

Here in New York it was Spring two days ago and last night it SNOWED! This is the view from our apartment this morning. I hope it's not so cold in Padova. We were planning excursions for this weekend and I took Monday and Tuesday as vacation days (here in the US religious holidays, except for Christmas, are not national holidays), but if it's this cold I don't know what we'll do! 
Anyway, back to us. I won't be online during class time tomorrow or next Tuesday, but I certainly will be for our final lesson next Thursday. So below you'll see the tasks for this Thursday's lesson. In the meantime, I can't but wish you all a very happy, relaxing long weekend filled with friends, family and food (the 3 F's in English ;-) even if, of course, the last one is better in Italy!)

Remember that before any of the links below work, you must first be logged in to Learning Links.

Group 1: Let's compare
During class, or on your own time if you don't go to class, complete the following exercises in the order below.
Learning Links, A2, Module 7, "It's more laid-back here"
Grammar Reference for Basic Comparatives
Comparison Exercises 1
Comparison Exercises 2
Comparison Exercises 3
Grammar Workshop: Comparing places
Learning Links, B1, Module 1, "Things are slower than here"
Grammar Reference for Advanced Comparatives

Homework: Compare Padova and New York City. Use, for example, Wikipedia (Padova, New York). Write a paragraph (at least 5 sentences) in your learner diary comparing the two cities. Remember that both have their merits!

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Group 2: Love your auxiliary verb
Possibly one of the main indicators of proficiency in English is how well you use the auxiliary verb. We use it for:

• questions
• negatives
• short answers (Yes, I do.)
• question tags (You're Italian, aren't you?)
• showing interest (A: I went to India. B: Did you?)

Basically, the auxiliary verb needs to be your friend ;-) Work on these tasks in Learning Links. 

Learning Links, B1, Module 2, "Really?"

Learning Links, B1, Module 2, "Your mum's nice, isn't she?"

Homework: 

Copy the following statements into your learner diary and respond with interest using an auxiliary verb.

e.g. "The public transportation in New York is great!" - "Is it?"

"It snowed in New York." "..."

"There are more than 10 million people in New York." "..."

"The average person in New York speaks more than 1 language." "..."

"Housing in New York is so expensive." "..."

"Many people in New York have never been outside the US." "..."

There are several things you know about me that are in the following statements. Copy the statements into your learner diary and make statements with a question tag based on what you know about me - and remember to use the auxiliary verb as in the example.

e.g. (You know I'm American.) You're American, aren't you?

(You know I have been to India.) "..."

(You know I have two children.) "..."

(You know I came to Padova in 1996.) "..."

(You know I love Italian food.) "..."

(You know I am coming back to Padova in June.) "..."

Tuesday, April 15, Group 2

Dear Group 2,

I’m sorry I can’t be with tomorrow, but I’m confident you will follow my lead and continue learning. Last Tuesday we started investigating hypothetical situations. Below I have added links to the parts of Learning Links where you can practice what we did together. I suggest that those of you who come to the IT room actually go through these tasks in order to have a better understanding of the grammar. For homework, which is more important as I will correct it…see below.

First conditional – very possible in the future

Learning Links, Level A2, Module 8 – If you take a plane …

Second conditional – possible

Learning Links, Level B1, Module 3 – What would you do?

Third conditional – impossible, because it didn’t happen

Learning Links, Level B1, Module 1 – If she hadn’t come to Italy

Homework

In your learner diaries, write at least 3 sentences for the following hypothetical situations:

• Things you didn’t do and how your life would be different if you had done them (e.g. If I hadn’t come to Italy, I wouldn’t have met my husband.)
• Things you would like to happen, but have no control over (e.g. If I had more money, I would travel first class.)
• Things that will happen if you want them to (e.g. If I watch more films in English, I will improve my listening skills in English ;-)

I won’t be online on Tuesday, but I will be during class on Thursday. If you want to be in touch with me at any other time, do not hesitate to contact me via email or Google Hangout.

Sarah

Tuesday, April 15, Group 1

Dear Group 1,

I’m sorry I can’t be with tomorrow. Thank you so much for the warm goodbye you gave me. I hope that you are continuing to create new flashcards. I also hope that you did the homework I assigned you about uses of the future. I am assigning you an activity today with the idea that you are in the IT room together. I would like you to do the following:

·         Plan an excursion for all of you for Easter Monday.

o   In groups of 2-3, write dialogues discussing this planning (write the dialogue in one student’s learner diary only).

o   Remember: using the going to form or present continuous for plans, but if you decide something at the last minute and offer to do something, use the will form, e.g. (I’ll bring some wine.)

o   Refer back to Learning Links for the grammar and use your flash cards for the vocabulary!

·         Write me an email (as a group) inviting me to the excursion.

Your only homework is to complete these tasks (and to keep making new flash cards!).

I won’t be online on Tuesday, but I will be during class on Thursday. If you want to be in touch with me at any other time, do not hesitate to contact me via email or Google Hangout.

Sarah

Tuesday, April 8th

In-class, Group 1: Different ways to talk about the future

Learning Links, Level A2, Module 6, "This Christmas she's going to"

Learning Links, Level B1, Module 1, "I'm going on holiday" and "I'll check it for you"

Pronuciation
Shania Twain "I'm gonna getcha good"
Song Lyrics