Showing posts with label communicative skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communicative skills. Show all posts

Sunday 7 October 2012

British Council Elementary Podcast Episode 6

TEFL Vocabulary, Grammar and Communicative Skills.



If you are a beginner (A2 CEFR level) these British Council Podcasts are excellent for getting you started.  As the week progresses I will post up other related work which will be appropriate for different levels of student ability.  If you are an Intermediate level of student you may want to use this resource to revise and then extend your knowledge.  Advanced students may just want to dip into the additional and other resources added during the week.

Go to: 




Find the audio link (MP3) right click and save it so you can listen to it whenever is convenient for you. The podcast comes with a support pack and transcript which is 22 pages long.  Use this link:
Download and do the exercises.

Main Contents of Podcast This Week

  • Telling a story - 'being late'.
  • What famous person would you like to meet and why? Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican painter
  • Vocabulary quiz - words beginning with (single consonant sounds)
  • Kazakhstan - a comparison of 'old' and 'new'.  Astana (capital city) versus traditional mountain scenery.  'Berkutchy' - a traditional eagle keeper or modern occupations.
  • Expressing an opinion - how 'green' are you?
  • Dialogue of Carolina from Venezuela when she is at university deciding what societies and clubs to join.
  • Telling/retelling a joke
Here is a summary of the main language points of the podcast. Try to get more practise with these language points during the week if you can:
  1. Use of the word 'like' as a verb, preposition and informal conversation filler.
  2. Informal language and phrases.
  3. Giving information to others.  For example: phone numbers, addresses.
  4. Use of the phrase 'as well'
I will follow up with work that is related through the week.  This work will be graded for different levels of student ability.

Sunday 9 September 2012

British Council Elementary Podcast - 4



TEFL Vocabulary, Grammar and Communicative Skills.



If you are a beginner (A2 CEFR level) these British Council Podcasts are excellent for getting you started.  As the week progresses I will post up other related work which will be appropriate for different levels of student ability.  If you are an Intermediate level of student you may want to use this resource to revise and then extend your knowledge.  Advanced students may just want to dip into the additional and other resources added during the week.



Find the audio link (MP3) right click and save it so you can listen to it whenever is convenient for you. The podcast comes with a support pack and transcript which is 22 pages long.  Use this link:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/sites/podcasts/files/learnenglish-podcasts-elementary-01-04-support-pack-transcript.pdf

Download and do the exercises.

Main Contents of Podcast This Week

  • How are you feeling? Enquiring about somebody's health after they have been ill.
  • What famous person would you like to meet and why? Bob Marley
  • Vocabulary quiz - nouns and verbs
  • China - Cheung Chau Bun Festival
  • Expressing an opinion - Do you prefer to read a book or watch a film?
  • Dialogue of Carolina from Venezuela on the train on her way up to Newcastle.
  • Telling/retelling a joke
Here is a summary of the main language points of the podcast. Try to get more practise with these language points during the week if you can:
  1. British money - pounds and pence vocabulary
  2. informal phrases - what do you fancy, this ones on me, stuff
  3. phrasal verbs - it depends on
I will follow up with work that is related through the week.  This work will be graded for different levels of student ability.





Sunday 2 September 2012

British Council - Elementary Podcast 3



TEFL Vocabulary, Grammar and Communicative Skills for Beginners.



If you are a beginner (A2 CEFR level) these British Council Podcasts are excellent for getting you started.  As the week progresses I will post up other related work which will be appropriate for different levels of student ability.  If you are an Intermediate level of student you may want to use this resource to revise and then extend your knowledge.  Advanced students may just want to dip into the additional and other resources added during the week.



Find the audio link (MP3) right click and save it so you can listen to it whenever is convenient for you. The podcast comes with a support pack and transcript which is 22 pages long.  Use this link:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/sites/podcasts/files/learnenglish-podcasts-elementary-01-03-support-pack-transcript.pdf

Download and do the exercises.

Main Contents of Podcast This Week

  • Is that a new shirt that you are wearing?
  • What famous person would you like to meet and why? Jonathon Ive
  • Vocabulary quiz - colours
  • South Africa - football matches and the Vuvuzuela
  • Expressing an opinion - Why don't more people watch women's football?
  • Dialogue of Carolina from Venezuela at lost luggage and in the underground.
  • Telling/retelling a joke
Here is a summary of the main language points of the podcast. Try to get more practise with these language points during the week if you can:
  1. use of 'could you' to make a request in a more polite way
  2. pronunciation - silent letters and linking of sounds
  3. friendly gestures from older people - 'love' and 'dear'
  4. phrasal verbs - to look at, to look for, to look after, to look forward to
  5. use of 'the' with the names of musical instruments
I will follow up with work that is related through the week.  This work will be graded for different levels of student ability.





Tuesday 28 August 2012

Challenging Perceptions on Disability

Life Rolls On 

Event at Venice Beach in 2011

I have come acrross some very good video resources from a website called www.explore.org.  With the soon to start ParaOlympic Games in London I thought they were rather topical.  They will cover a variety of different issues and are referred to on the website as 'The Differently Abled Series'.

The first resource relates to young people with spinal injuries and an organisation called 'Life Rolls On'. 
                           
A PDF document with resource links to download is on the TEFL Global Resources Communication Page. 

I truly believe this organisation is really challenging people's perceptions of 'disability' and that is excellent news.

Friday 24 August 2012

Renoir's Life and Paintings - TEFL Global Resources


The Life and Paintings of Pierre Auguste Renoir



Renoir was a French Impressionist painter. He painted many portraits of children, beautiful women, friends; as well as colourful, busy events dances and parties; rural and urban landscapes and still lives. For me Renoir was an excellent all round painter. I love his work.

To explore Olga's Gallery and more Renoir paintings click this link.

Renoir learning resources for teachers and students are at TEFL Global Resources - Communicative Page

Sunday 19 August 2012

TEFL Global Resources - Elementary Podcasts from the British Council


Introducing TEFL Vocabulary, Grammar and Communicative Skills for Beginners.



If you are a beginner (A2 CEFR level) these British Council Podcasts are excellent for getting you started.  

Just, go to 

Find the audio link (MP3) right click and save it so you can listen to it whenever is convenient for you. The podcast comes with a support pack which is 22 pages long.  Use this link:

Main Contents of Podcast

  • phrases to introduce friends
  • what famous person dead or alive would you like to meet and why?
  • vocabulary quiz - kitchen and bedroom words
  • Central Park, New York
  • is it a good idea for celebrities to do work for charities- the arguments for and against
  • dialogue of Carolina from Venezuela at immigration control
  • telling/retelling a joke


There is a summary of the main language points. Try to get more practise with these language points during the week if you can:
  1. use of 'going to' and 'intend' tense to talk about future plans (informal v formal)
  2. use of the salutations 'goodnight' and 'good evening'
  3. use of the term 'dear' to name somebody (usually from an older person to a younger person)
  4. use of the phrase 'it depends'. Often followed by a preposition. For example - it depends if, it depends on etc
I will post follow up work.