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

Thursday, April 3 Group 1

Techniques for learning vocabulary
Words are related to situations and context. For example, you know words to describe your work because you need them to communicate in the office. But if, for example, you've never done kayaking you probably won't know many of the words to talk about it even in Italian. So today we're going to think of various situations and explore different ways of learning those words.

• sentences
• pictures
• maps
• flash cards
• synonyms

Thursday, April 3 Group 2

Present Perfect
For unfinished actions: How long have you worked here?
Vocabulary
How to remember words
Lists and flash cards

Homework
Make at least 20 new flash cards for Monday.

Tuesday, April 1, Group 2

Present Perfect
For life experience: Have you ever been to Paris? When did you go?
Music for life experience: U2 I still haven't found what I'm looking for
video: http://vimeo.com/73577436
lyrics with music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ISAntOom0


Homework:
Here's what some Internet users think about the meaning of the U2 song: meaning: http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/33691/
Read through them and add your interpretation of the song to this post as a comment.

Tuesday, April 1, Group 1

Techniques for learning vocabulary
Words are related to situations and context. For example, you know words to describe your work because you need them to communicate in the office. But if, for example, you've never done kayaking you probably won't know many of the words to talk about it even in Italian. So today we're going to think of various situations and explore different ways of learning those words.

• lists

Resources

dictionary: http://www.wordreference.com/

for pronunciation and synonyms: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Homework
Choose a topic you want to learn words for. In your learner diary make a table of these words like the one we made in class WITHOUT writing the topic. On Thursday we'll see if we can guess the topic based on your words.

Thursday, March 27th

Dear all,

I'll be back with you on Tuesday, but unfortunately I've fallen ill and will only be online intermittently tomorrow. I have, however, set up a series of tasks for you to do during your time in your lab. I hope you do them and that we can discuss them next Tuesday in the classroom.

Group 1
Carmen, Rossella, Tatiana, Valeria e Lara
You all know more than you think you do and you need to be more confident! Please, together with whoever is in the IT room, complete A2, Modules 2, 3 and 4. For homework, complete the modules and write a brief paragraph in your learner diary about what you learned. Un consiglio: be patient!

Viviana, Alessia e Elisa
Think about the future. I would like you to do A2, Module 2, 'This Christmas she's going to'. Please complete the full guided path. For homework, write a brief paragraph about your plans for the Easter holiday.

Group 2
Theoretically you all have understood that the simple past in English, for a finished action is ONE VERB (e.g. went) or one verb with DID in a question or DIDN'T in a negative. Now, let's move on to the more complicated present perfect, which does not exist in Italian so don't try to find an equivalent. Complete B1, Module 3, 4 and 5. For homework, write down all of your doubts and questions (in Italian or English) about these different verb tenses and we'll discuss them in class next Tuesday.

Keep on learning!

Sarah

Tuesday, March 25th Group 2

Review of the future forms.
Review of music & past forms through music:
click on this link. Download the doc or make a copy of it for you personally. Then complete the tasks. The last task includes making a comment to this blog post.

Tuesday, March 25 Group 1

Good morning everyone! Let's see if we can video conference using Skype or Google Hangout. As soon as everyone's in the IT room, send me a comment to this blog post and we'll see what can work.

If it doesn't work ... :-( today I'd like to focus on work vocabulary so that you can clearly and easily talk about what you do. Take some time in your learner diary to describe the following:

• what you do during a typical day
• the people you work with and interact with
• the institution and department you work for
• things around your office

I'll be observing you in your learner diaries as you write so I can provide support there.

Sarah

Thursday, March 20

In Class
Today in class, please work on the Learning Links activities below. I will continue to correct the work you did in your learner diaries over the weekend. Please work on the Learning Links activities in groups.

Group 1
Carmen, Rossella, Tatiana, Valeria e Lara
Some of you have already started working on the A1 Modules (Rossella, right?). Please complete them between now and next Tuesday. Follow the 'Guided Path' buttons.

Viviana, Alessia e Elisa
Review and complete A2, Module 2 and Module 3.

Group 2
Complete the tasks and activities in B1, Module 2.

Homework
Man mano che fate gli esercizi in Learning Links, dovreste avere aperto anche il vostro learner diary. Puo' darsi che sembra fastidioso, ma copiare nel learner diary vocaboli, regole e strutture nuovi e' utile. Inoltre, sicuramente a volte ci saranno cose che non capite oppure avrete delle incertezze. Usate il learner diary anche per questo. Piu' scrivete nel learner diary, piu' posso capire come indirizzare le lezioni. 

Tuesday, March 18, Group 2

What are your plans for the Easter holiday?

For homework, you reviewed various forms to talk about the future. In pairs or groups of three, compose a dialogue in which you discuss the theme 'What are your plans for Easter?' Take your time, use your online resources (Learning Links Grammar Reference, Google Translate, Google Fight, etc.) to write a dialogue in which you discuss what you are planning to do for Easter-April 25th-May 1st holidays. A dialogue means that there is interaction, which means QUESTIONS (Are you going to stay home or go away?) and answers (I can't afford to go away so I'll just meet up with friends. How about you?) and question (I'm not sure. What are you going to do with your friends?)

Please work together to develop the dialogue in one of your learner diaries. When you have completed the dialogue, reply to this post with a comment letting us know whose diary you used to write the dialogue.

Homework for Thursday
As I've encouraged you so far, you need to do something, anything to practice your English outside of class. This could be 'giving directions' in your mind as you drive, listening to English-speaking radio or watching a DVD in English. Please make an entry in your learner diary describing what you have done or plan to do to practice your English outside of class.

As always, if you have questions, write a comment to this post or write me an email.

Sarah

Tuesday, March 18, GROUP 1

What did you do last weekend?

For homework, you reviewed (or studied for the first time!) the past simple. In pairs or groups of three, compose a dialogue in which you discuss the theme 'What did you do last weekend?' Take your time, use your online resources (Learning Links Grammar Reference, Google Translate, Google Fight, etc.) to write a dialogue in which you discuss what you did last weekend. A dialogue means that there is interaction, which means QUESTIONS (Where did you go?) and answers (We went to my sister-in-laws house for dinner on Saturday night.)

Please work together to develop the dialogue in one of your learner diaries. When you have completed the dialogue, reply to this post with a comment letting us know whose diary you used to write the dialogue.

Homework for Thursday
As I've encouraged you so far, you need to do something, anything to practice your English outside of class. This could be 'giving directions' in your mind as you drive, listening to English-speaking radio or watching a DVD in English. Please make an entry in your learner diary describing what you have done or plan to do to practice your English outside of class.

As always, if you have questions, se non capisci qualcosa, write a comment to this post, scrivi un commento al post, or write me an email.

Sarah

Grammar and Speaking: Future Forms

In-class, Group 2: 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

Homework, Group 2

Complete Learning Links, Level B1, Module 1

Write a comment to this post with something that you learned and/or did not understand in Module 1

Grammar: Present Simple and Simple Past

In class, Tuesday March 11
Learning Links Reference: Level A2, Modules 2 and 3
Simple Past:
Module 2, "She travelled the world", 3 pages
Module 3, "We flew to Liverpool", Guided Path up to 14/49, then 21/49-30/49
Present Simple:
Module 3, Guided Path 17/49-20/49

Homework Group 12.30-2.00 for March 18, 2014
Complete all of the Learning Link activities above. Write a comment to this post if there is something you don't understand. When you are finished all of the tasks write in your learner diary about something you learned while doing these tasks.

Giving Directions - Accuracy

In class, Tuesday March 11
Listening and learning: Learning Links, Level A2, Module 1, "Excuse me, where's"? pages 1 and 2, Guided Path 30/43
Speaking Learning Links, Level A2, Module 1, Giving Directions, Guided Path 33/43

Homework for Group 12.30-2.00
As a comment to this post, give directions from the IT room where we have class to somewhere in Padova.

Giving Directions

Learning Links, Level A2, Guided path 30/43-34/43.

Welcome to the online learning space for English for Administrative Assistants at the School of Law. This is where I will post notes I take during class, where we will do some homework activities and where you have links to important resources and your learner diaries.

Since this is a blog, if you have questions, just write a comment to this post and we'll try to answer them!