The best word for this context ...

This year I have students who have so many difficulties in English that when I tell them to write a composition in English, they tend to write it in Portuguese and only then translate it into English. They like using the “Google Translator” to perform this task.

Although the “Google Translator” can be a help, they cannot trust it entirely because the same word can have many different meanings depending on the context it is used. It is a fact that the “Google Translator” has been improving much, but you need to check your work before you deliver it to be evaluated.

In the web, I have found excellent sites where words/ expressions are used in different contexts, so it could be a great help when you are unsure about the best word to use.

Here are some examples:

http://mymemory.translated.net/

http://www.linguee.pt/

http://pt.bab.la/dicionario/portugues-ingles/

http://www.infopedia.pt/portugues-ingles/

Grammar exercises - 7th grade

Hello!

Here are some exercises for my younger students (7th grade) and for anyone else who wants to try them ...

Past simple of the verb to be 

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?03

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-games/past-simple-verb-be

Past simple (to be, regular and irregular verbs)   

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises

 http://www.language-worksheets.com/past-simple-elementary.html

Comparatives (superiority)

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5979

Modal verbs

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-87468.php

Improve your grammar!

My students ( 10th grade- professional courses) are going to have a test in two days, so they have been asking me to tell them about online exercises so that they can study at home. Here is a possible list.
Try these and more ( the possiblities are endless)

Grammar

Past simple
http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-simple-past.php

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past

Present perfect
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_present_perfect.htm

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple

Connectors (elementary)
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3937

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=232

Comparatives
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2065

Superlatives
http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-29600.php

Comparatives versus superlatives

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-grammar-comparatives-superlatives.php

Reading

 Read about student exchange programs

http://exchangestudentworld.com/student/top-5-reasons-to-become-an-exchange-student/

Hello! Again ..

Sorry for not posting for a long time, but this school year I am been doing a different type of work. I have been trying to evolve and adapt.

I have two large groups of students, in a total of 140 students. On the one hand, I have a group of students who are much younger than the usual ( 7^th grade students) and consequently I had to adapt my teaching methods. On the other hand, I have a group of older students who are attending professional courses and whose curriculum is different from my  previous students. Many of these students have always had problems with English and consequently feel demotivated. I have been trying to motivate them and show them they can succeed if they really try. It hasn't been easy ...

However, I have been posting in my school’s blog together with another teacher of English.

The World of Work

We have been dealing with the topic THE WORLD OF WORK.

Initially, we talked about THE NEW WORLD OF WORK. We compared today's world of work with the past one. We did many exercises in class and we read some texts, for example: “Staying-at- home mums fit the bill”, “Multi- Tasking Madness”, etc. We also did vocabulary exercises and revised the grammar topic, relative clauses. As for videos we watched the music video “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.

 Vocabulary related to the world of work

 Telework:  pros and cons

Then we started talking about WORKING STUDENTS. This week, we have been talking about students who have a part-time job, students who work in their holidays, do volunteer work or try a gap year. Many students have never heard of the term "GAP YEAR" since this is something we do not try in Portugal; consequently we will read and listen more about it.

 Gap year: pros and cons

Volunteering

Multiculturalism

In class we have been talking about the topic multiculturalism. Below you have some questions I asked and some answers I got from my students.

Multicultural societies

Definition of multiculturalism (among many definitions) : The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country.

1.Can you name some of the most multicultural countries in the world?

Australia, the USA, Canada,  Argentina,  the UK, France, Luxembourg,  Switzerland, etc.


2. Why do people emigrate?
People emigrate to escape from:  unemployment, poverty, hunger, war, religious and political persecutions, natural disasters, drought, etc.
They are looking for:   better working and living conditions; better wages; a better education; political or religious freedom, family reunification, etc.

3. What sort of difficulties do these people face?

Discrimination, loneliness and distance from family and friends, difficulties in adapting to: a new language, new customs, rules, weather;  etc.

4.Should these people adopt the customs of the new country or should they keep their own traditions?

They can adapt to the customs of the new country but at the same time they should keep their own traditions.

5.  Let’s consider now the second and third generations. How different are they from their predecessors?

They are much more integrated in the new society but they often continue to be in contact with the culture of their parents/grandparents.

Reading comprehension exercises: “The British speak out – yes or no to multiculturalism”.

After reading
1.What are labels ? They’re sterotypes.  

   Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions.


2.What does this mean?    Labels are for cans not people- Anthony  Rapp

    3. Why do people label each other? They want to feel superior to others. Many times this attitude hides a feeling of inferiority.

    4.  Why are people discriminated against? People are discriminated because of their: sex, age, race, colour, social status, religious or political beliefs, nationality, etc. In short, they are different from the dominant group.

    5. How does one person discriminate against another?

By excluding that person, by making fun of him/ her, by creating caricatures; by ignoring him/ her, by humiliating him/her, etc.

See the label multiculturalism (on the right) and find many more posts about this topic

Definition of love ....

Go to Camilo English Corner and find out what  students wrote about love.

Ethics in advertising

How can consumers protect themselves from misleading advertising?

Consumers should:

• Be attentive to advertising messages;
• Get informed before they buy;
•  Distinguish between advertising messages/pictures and reality;
•  Talk to their children about the tactics used by advertisers;
•  Complain when they feel misled/ fooled/deceived;
•   Read labels and “the small letters”;

Video:  Food ad tricks: helping kids to understand food ads on TY

What should authorities do?

-          Should they allow advertisers to do whatever they want?

-                                               establish laws against misleading advertising?

-                                                 ban commercials that influence people to behave in an unethical manner?

-                                               ban commercials aimed at children? 

Videos 

               Funny Toyota Rav4 Murder Ad Banned Commercial 2011 Carjam Radio Show  
            Effects of junk food advertising on childhood obesity.        

After watching the second video, answer these questions:

1-     What are the chronic diseases caused by fast food?

2-      Who profits from children´s obesity?

3-      How do advertisers target kids?

4-      What can society do?

A debate on consumerism

On February we are going to have a debate/ role play on consumerism.
Students are going to work in groups of four or five and are expected to perform the role of the following  characters.

Groups of four:
A shopaholic, a psychologist; an advertiser and defender of the consumer society; an activist against consumerism.

Groups of five:
A shopaholic, a psychologist; an advertiser and defender of the consumer society; an activist against consumerism; a friend or a relative of the shopaholic.

  Get prepared!

Consumerism and advertising

http://images.channelone.com/img/life/consumerism-l.jpg

We have been talking about the topic, Consumerism, which is divided in 3 different sets.

In the 1^st set, we discussed the following topics:

·         the impact of the media in our society;

·         the difference between reality and the pictures conveyed by the media;

·         the making of a celebrity;

·         today’s focus on popularity and success;

·         the perpetuation of the impossible “thin” and eating disorders;

·         Body idioms and expressions;

·         Grammar: Infinitives and gerund;

In this unit we used lots of videos such as:  Billionaire (Bruno Mars),  Celebrities before and after photoshop,   Less than perfect (Pink )

In the 2^nd set, we talked about:

• the impact of advertising in our society;
• commercial and non-commercial advertising;
• goals of advertising (AIDMA)
• what makes a good print ad;
•  xamples of advertising in our daily life;
• the differences between slogans and advertising messages;
• grammar: modals
• grammar: IF clauses type 3

We used videos such as, Emmy 2011 best commercial nominees ; Movie segments to assess grammar goals;


In the third set, we have been talking about:

• ·         the ethics in advertising;
• ·         examples of unethical/misleading advertising;
• ·         protection against misleading advertising;
• ·         aggressive advertising techniques;
• ·         effects of junk food advertising on childhood obesity.

We have been using videos such as, " Food ad tricks;  "Effects of junk food advertising on childhood obesity ;

Europe's biggest Live Nativity Scene

      In Priscos, a small village about 6 kilometres away from Braga, you can find “Europe’s Greatest Live Nativity Scene”. The parish community of Priscos and its inhabitants are responsible for this magnificent event, whose preparation takes nine months.

      This event takes place during the festive season of Christmas and it intends to strengthen the feeling of congregation among its participants, making the people of Priscos a true community. This project is open to all faiths, because every human being seeks for happiness and for the true meaning of life.

      “ We live in a time when opinions abound but when there are no ideas, a time when one often speaks of crisis, so it is urgent to restore the autonomy of thought, the sense of critical thinking about the meaning of life, history, eternity, and our relation to others.” See more.

      The Live Nativity of Priscos is an opportunity to make a trip to the time of Jesus. A trip with voices, music, smells, tastes, sounds, homes, shops and markets, and which is made possible with the help of  600 participants who give life to a story both ancient and new.

      The largest nativity scene in Europe encompasses almost 30,000 square kilometres with 60 scenarios representing Egyptian, Jewish and Roman cultures.

Camilo English Corner: a school project

Have a look at Camilo English Corner. We have been posting many messages recently. Have a look at these:

- Virtual friends! Good or bad?
- Looking for alternative lifestyles
- Speaking time
- Tips for learning vocabulary and grammar

Camilo English Corner makes part of Camilo Multilingue, a school project which involves some of the languages taught in our school.

Visit our different blogs. There you´ll find news written in different languages.
Portuguese 
English
Spanish
French

Fado has become part of the "Intangible Heritage of Humanity"

Fado (in English destiny) is a Portuguese music genre which celebrates the Portuguese soul.

"Fado is often called "Portuguese Blues", somewhere in the emotional landscape between African drums, Spanish and Arabian ballads, and Delta confessionals". MORRICONE

The silence and mystery of the night is the best moment to listen to this melody. Fado is about suffering, about missing someone (Portuguese:saudade), about love, tragedy, fate, jealousy, the sea, anything that stirs our emotions…

Amália Rodrigues was the most famous singer of the 20th century. She continues to be an inspiration for a new generation of singers who are giving a new burst to fado.


Mariza

Mariza (with English subtitles)

Ana Moura

Amália Hoje

Camané

Cloning

What exactly is cloning?

Cloning is the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another. This means that every single bit of DNA is the same between the two.    Read more

Interactive explore: Try to create a clone

Some pros and cons of cloning

Our surrounding world

Next week my students are having their first written test this year.

Contents for the test

1. Reading comprehension and text production about the topics:
Block 1: Our World
Set 1:  A endangered planet
Set 2: Saving our Earth

Learn about the environmental situation by reading the site ThinkQuest.
Practice vocabulary at Learn English Today

2. Grammar:
  Connectors, past  tenses, prepositional verbs and comparatives.

Don't forget to study.

11th Form: our surrounding world

Hello! I have prepared a video about our environmental situation. It was my first video, I hope you like it!

A happy new school year!

My school

Hello!

School has started! I haven't posted anything recently because I have been very busy with the beginning of the school year. 

This year I have 81 students in the 11th grade and 45 students in the 10th grade (of a professional course).

I have been preparing new materials I may share with you later on.

Right now I am using these materials with my students. 

Best wishes,
Conceição

A journey to the past ...

Santa Maria da Feira’s castle

I have recently read the historical novel The White Queen (by Philippa Gregory) and have just started reading the second novel of this series, The Red Queen. Surprisingly, the English versions are cheaper than the Portuguese translations, so I decided to read these novels in English.

I am glad I have opted for these books. Firstly, I can remember some historical events of the British history which I studied a long time ago, but which were somehow forgotten. Secondly, I have access to two fascinating and thrilling novels, full of complex rivalries, loves and hatreds. Finally, I can practice my English skills and enhance my vocabulary.

Although there is fiction in these novels, much of it was thoroughly researched and studied by this established historian and writer. I have discovered this is a fantastic way to learn about history and remember it. 

Last week I went to a medieval fair in Santa Maria da Feira and for a while I was transported to a time of castles, knights, kings, queens, jousts,  artifacts and street merchants. In Portugal many different medieval fairs can be visited throughout the year. Portugal is a country with a rich historical and cultural heritage, consequently the perfect scenery for a journey to the past.

I find these fairs really exciting ... And you?

Lessons have finished ...

A picture I took in Lisbon. Lisbon is so wonderful. I am glad I revisited it ....

It has been a while since I last wrote in this blog. However, I have been so busy, I couldn't find the time or motivation to write.

Lessons have finished, but that doesn’t mean that the work at school has finished. Students in the 11th and 12th are still doing national exams and many meetings are taking place. Nevertheless, the work now is different and less stressful. Students demand a lot from us and we always need to be in a good physical and mental state. They give us no break. Moreover, temperatures are extremely high (above 30 degrees) at the moment, so it would be very difficult to make them work under such conditions.

It´s time for us to write all the reports we are supposed to write at the end of the school year, evaluate our work and prepare the new school year.

Right now I need a break so I am dedicating myself to reading a novel ...

Teens: a group work

This week my students have had their listening and written tests on the topic: young people in a global era.

Next week they are going to present their group works. Each group is going to talk about one of the following topics.

• Peer pressure
• Relationships
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Smoking
• Eating disorders
• Bullying
• School pressure
• Generation Gap
• Teen pregnancy
• Depression

My students are expected to talk about causes, consequences and possible solutions to these problems.  The aim of this group work is to make them think about these issues and find possible ways of handling with them.
I have also been searching about these issues and I have recently discovered the site, Radical Parenting, which I find much useful because teens write about their own issues.

An article which deals with the question whether peer pressure is always the reason for starting an addiction/bad behaviour:
http://www.messengersindenim.org/2011/05/peer-pressure-isnt-always-reason-for.html

An article about teen pregancy:
 http://www.radicalparenting.com/2011/05/24/teen-pregnancy-fad-still-going-strong/

It's all for now. I have much work. I have to correct my students' tests.