Allergies and Genetically Modified Cow's Milk

Milk Allergies in Human Babies

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/6min_20121005-1300a.mp3

This BBC podcast is concerned with genetically modified food and allergies.  Minor to severe allergies are described.  For example; hay fever, nut, egg and cows milk allergies in babies. The resource is suitable for advanced TEFL students.

James Gallagher has studied the immune system, body cells and allergy culprits. The podcast is based on his scientific report.

In baby cow milk allergies, the protein 'beta lacta globulin' has been found to cause RNA interference.  

Cows in New Zealand are now injected with a substance to stop them from producing the protein.  Their milk is therefore genetically modified but deemed suitable for babies to drink.

What do you think about genetically modifying cow's milk for babies?

Do you think it is a spectacular or unethical practise?

Listen to the debate on this podcast and form your own opinion.

If you need an online dictionary please use one of the following links:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://oxforddictionaries.com/

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

Learning English - Words in the News - Life's big questions?

Learning English - Words in the News - Life's Big Questions?

Why have I been born?
- ponder life with a drink in a chair which utter words of wisdom







Click the title link and watch this interesting video story from a bar in Corigliano d'Otranto, Italy and become familiar with new English vocabulary. 

Vocabulary

philosophy, ponder, utters, in demand, catch on

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://oxforddictionaries.com/

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

Shawshank Redemption “Cadena Perpetua” « TEFL Iberia

Shawshank Redemption “Cadena Perpetua” 

« TEFL Iberia

An excellent film about men serving 'life sentences' and their lives inside a US prison. 
Click on the title link and listen to Morgan Freeman's speech about 'rehabilitation'. 

Check out the meaning of the words in 'italics' using these online dictionary links.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://oxforddictionaries.com/

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

• In your own words, explain what a 'life sentence' is.

• What does a 'rehabilitation programme' involve?

• Find out what are your friends, colleagues, teachers and relatives views on 'life sentences', 'prisons' and 'rehabilitation'?

• Do you think that a life sentence should mean that the sentence lasts for life or is there ever a case for 'early release on the grounds of good behaviour'?

• Do you agree with the 'death penalty'? Explain your reasons.

• What crimes do you think 'warrant' life sentences and what crimes do not? Complete two lists.

Click on the title link and think again about Morgan Freeman's response to the question of whether he thinks he has rehabilitated.

• Do you think prison rehabilitates a person? Or do you think a person can feel that 'remorse' for himself or herself in his own time?

• Does prison have other purposes such as a punishment, isolation .......? Discuss with your colleagues, family and friends.

Finally, think about the phrase 'prisoner of war'.  What does it mean?

"A famous prisoner of war was François Mitterrand. He was a French president who was captured during the Second World War in 1940".

How many times do you think he escaped before arriving home in December 1941?

Play online, learn online and feed the hungry | Freerice.com

Play Online, Learn Online and Feed the Hungry | Freerice.com

A win/win learning activity.

Test your English vocabulary and help donate grains of rice to feed the world's hungry

Multiculturalism - EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Multiculturalism - EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

David Deubelbeiss

Culture

Find out what young people in the UK think 'culture' is.  Follow the title link and listen to young adults/teenagers from London (a multicultural city) express their opinions on multicultural issues, stereotyping and culture in a video. 

Make yourself up a mind map to summarise the video.

Then, make your own mind map up in English to develop and expand your vocabulary awareness around this topic. Explore what you think 'culture' is. 


Talk to your friends and parents and define culture from their viewpoint. 

Are their definitions the same or different to yours?

MyWordBook

MyWordBook

Click on the title link  above and download the above mobile learning application from the British Council.

An Invaluable Tool in Improving Vocabulary Knowledge

• Learn, practise and quickly review your English vocabulary knowledge daily.
• Use MyWordBook 2 every day to build your vocabulary and improve your English. Add new words as you meet them so you never forget them
• Create your own flashcards and add images, sounds, notes and translations.

English for Medicine - A Doctor's View

English for Medicine - A Doctor's view

Another excellent resource from the Learn English British Council website.

Listen to an interview with a retired doctor, Rajan Mehta, about his life working in the UK.

What do you think a paediatrician is?

Follow the title link

• do the preparation task and match the words to their correct descriptions
• put the questions in the order they were asked in the interview
• listen and locate specific information from an audio file 
• rewrite a postcard that Doctor Mehta sent to India in 1967

Biotechnology

Biotechnology

An excellent resource from the British Council Learn English website in which two students, Ann and Frank debate their opinions on genetically modified food.

• familiarise yourself with technical/scientific vocabulary associated with biotechnology and more complex words and phrases from an academic debate.  

• listen to an audio transcript of a conversation between 2 students, Ann and Frank.  

• answer true/false questions on the information you have listened to or read.

• do a comprehension task to test your understanding of the audio script and written text.

What do you think about vegetables with a higher vitamin content or bananas with vaccines built into them?  

Do you agree with the manufacture of genetically modified food?

Past Continuous and Past Simple

Past Continuous and Past Simple

An exercise to introduce you to two forms of the Past Tense.  The exercise is a gapfill one where you convert the designated verb to it's past form (continuous or simple). This resource is suitable for A2 CEFR students.  Grammar support points are on the right hand side of the web page.

TEFL Global Grammar Resources

The Simple Past Tense - Regular and Irregular Verbs

Grammatical information on the context, form and uses of verbs (regular and irregular) in the Simple Past Tense.  There are also exercises to practise skills and a short reading and writing task in each resource.

The Past Simple Tense and the Verb - 'to be'

The Past Simple Tense and the Regular Verbs

The Cat That Walked By Himself

The Cat That Walked By Himself

Which pet do you prefer? A cat or a dog.

A lovely poem by Rudyard Kipling which rhymes, has rhythm and a theme already introduced in the podcast comparing cats and dogs. 

Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary, read and listen to the poem and test your understanding of what you have read through the comprehension activities.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs

A list of approximately 60 or so irregular verbs with the base form, the past simple tense and the past participle in table format.  This resource could be used as a reference tool or you could start trying to memorize the verbs as they are commonly used in English.

There is also an exercise to do here.  Again keep your eyes out for news of my new website where I will incorporate a lot of this type of materIal.