Unit 7 - Additional Activities

To have some extra practice on Unit 7 in which we learned about changes, here is a link to an interesting article about the happiest place on Earth:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5172254.stm

Also watch the following video which provides information about Butan, also considered the happiest country on Earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivomu5DJvqQ

How to Learn Vocabulary

I think that one of the most useful tools to become a competent user of a foreign language is a wide vocabulary. Vocabulary learning is not only about words, it is also about the correct way to use the words, it involves semantics (meaning) and also syntax (correct combination of words). As we learn vocabulary, we are also learning which word is a verb, a noun, an adjective, an adverb, etc.

As I mentioned in class, it is a good idea to create a vocabulary log, or diary, to note all the new words you learn, what you think they mean, the actual meaning from an English-English Dictionary, other word forms, possible use in a sentence, synonyms, antonym, play with the word, etc.

Here is also a link to an article which I found and I think could be very useful for you. 

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/vocabulary_tips.htm

Have fun with words!

Past Tense - Regular and Irregular Verbs / English Pronunciation

Past Tense - Regular and Irregular verbs

Hi everyone!
The simple past tense in English refers to completed actions. We use the simple past with time expressions such as yesterday, a minute ago, last week, in 1930, etc.

The regular verbs in English are those formed by adding "ed" or "d" to the base form of the verb. When verbs end in CONSONANT + "Y", it is necessary to drop the "Y", change it to "I" and add "ed", for example: carry - carried. However, if a verb ends in VOWEL + "Y", you only add "ed" like in the verb "play" which becomes played in the past. Here is a link where you can find a Word document with a list of regular verbs.
 cefire.edu.gva.es/mod/resource/view.php?id...
 
Another important thing you have to consider when learning about regular verbs is the pronunciation of the final "ed". When a verb ends in a "t" or a "d" sound, the final "ed" is pronounced as a separate syllable, for example: start - start-ed, accept - accept-ed, while arrive - arrived  (ə-rīvd′).
 
You also NEED to learn the irregular verbs, here is a link for you to practice:

http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html

This link has a list of irregular verbs in alphabetical order, flashcards for study and practice and excersises.

You may also want to try this game. You can either play alone or with a partner.

http://www.quia.com/cb/8111.html

Pronunciation 
It is important to get familiar with the Phonetic Alphabet. You can find it in the Active Disc included at the end of your book.

Here is an excellent free resource where you can check the meaning of words as well as their pronunciation. It will be of great help to start using it:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

If you are interested in learning more about the Phonetic Alphabet, try this link which will provide you with more useful information:

http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm

Here is a very useful video which explains in an easy and clear way how the English alphabet has different sounds. The title is "Why are phonetics important?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhIUePCepL8

Finally, here is a page by the BBC which I think is great, visit it, 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

Good luck during this course and don't forget that hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard!

On Education....What about learning without computers?

I mentioned to you in class about an article I read which describes a school in Sillicon Valley where children learn without computers..."teaching philosophy focused on physical activity and learning through creative, hands-on tasks. Those who endorse this approach say computers inhibit creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans."

I invite you to read this very interesting article and to post your opinion after you read it. I hope you find it as interesting as I did!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=0

"Engines of our Ingenuity" or ..the story of progress..

I told you in class about this excellent web page. I really recommend you to visit and read about those inventions which you have curiosity to learn more about. You will be able to practice reading comprehension, listening, and learn many new things about the development of technology and other human achievements.

The link is:

http://www.uh.edu/engines/  

and if you want to access the list of episodes, click on:

http://www.uh.edu/engines/epiindex.htm

I hope you like it!

Class Exercise - Answer Key

Sentences order: 8, 4, 11, 1, 5, 12, 9, 6, 2, 13, 7, 10, 3.

Class Exercise

Here is the exercise we did in class last Saturday. Read the sentences carefully and observe the punctuation and capital letters, also make sure the paragraph is organized and makes sense:

 When you are finished, check the answer key, I am posting it separately.