Class: Wednesday, 20^th March 2013

Unit 10: Health and Illness

Can-Do Objectives: Make comments about past and present situations

 Describe medical conditions and their symptoms

Pages: 74 and 75

Grammar: Modal verbs

Vocabulary: Medical conditions: leprosy, asthma, bulimia nervosa, vitiligo, autism, diabetes, narcolepsy, post-traumatic stress, migraine, gluten intolerance, Tourette’s syndrome, eczema

Homework: Work on Oral Project; Course book pg. 145; Workbook – ALL of Unit 10 including the Composition

Remember: Our first class after the holiday will be on the 3^rd of April. We will start 15 minutes early.

Class: Wednesday, 13^th March 2013

Unit 10: Health and Illness

Can-Do Objectives: Show you are not being exact when you describe things

                              Describe medical conditions and their symptoms

Pages: 71, 72 and 73

Grammar: Imperatives

Vocabulary: stiff neck, sore muscles, itch(y), hay-fever, allergy, mumps, polio, chicken-pox, smallpox, lice, bite, sting, injection, (booster) shot, vaccine, syringe, vomit, be sick, to throw up, nausea, dizzy, car-sick, sea-sick, burp, braces, retainer, veins, arteries, blood vessels, blood clot, to have one’s period, stretcher, grumpy, to moan, demeanour, mood(y), to be in the mood for smtg., to dwell on smtg., shrug off, supple, crouch, to drift, to shudder, to wipe, to clutch, to clench, fist, to flutter, to glare, to stroke, to frown, to grin, to pat, to nod.

Homework: Workbook pg.57 ex D

I found the following video on diabetes. It’s clear in every sense: the narrator speaks slowly and pronounces very well (British English); and, the animation supports the content very well.

 

Animation about diabetes and the body

You might also want to take a look at Dra. Shora’s latest blog entry in El País on sugary drinks. She has included several videos (in English). 

http://blogs.elpais.com/la-doctora-shora/2013/03/la-batalla-sanitaria-contra-los-refrescos-azucarados.html

Class: Monday, 11^th March 2013

Unit 10: Health and Illness

Can-Do Objectives: Describe different medical and surgical procedures

Pages: 70 and 71

Grammar: use of kind of, somehow, something, or so, when being vague

Vocabulary: Myopia /mʌɪˈəʊpɪə/, dioptre /dʌɪˈɒptə/, nearsighted, shortsighted, wisdom tooth, saliva, filling, root canal, cavity, cold sore, to be sore, to numb, to undergo, to thrash, severed, a drip, incision, scalpel, catheter, operate on, diaper/nappy, to fast, limb, womb, liver, lung, kidney, skin graft, tumor, stem cell, microbiota, cold chain, steroid

Homework: Course book pg. 71, Vocabulary; Reading pg, 72 – 73.

A TED Talk for you:

http://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes.html

Class: Wednesday, 6^th March 2013

Unit 9: Work

Can-Do Objectives: Interview a candidate for a job

                              Respond naturally to interview questions

Pages: 66 and 67

Grammar: Adverbs and Question formation

Vocabulary: barrage, slacking, MBA, company culture, dubious

Homework: Workbook pg. 52 - 56

Remember Calendar stuff: Starting on the 11^th of March we will start class 15 minutes earlier, at 13:15 for the 13:30 class, and, at 19:15 for the 19:30 class, to make up for my absence. (Sorry.) We will do so for 6 classes: 11^th, 13^th, 20^th March and 3^rd, 8^th, and 10^th April. No class on the 18^th March (San Jose). No class from the 22^nd March to 1^st April both dates included, (Easter).

Class: Monday, 4^th March 2013

Unit 9: Work

Can-Do Objectives: Discuss issues related to dismissal and tribunals

Pages: 68 and 69

Grammar: Reported speech

Vocabulary: crèche, perk, compassionate leave, voluntary redundancy, collective bargaining, crackdown, swingeing /’swɪn(d)ʒɪŋ/, neglected, embraced

Homework: Understand the meaning of all the question of the interview hand-out and choose 10 you will ask as the interviewer in next class’s activity.

Job Interview in English: Watch all, some, at least one of the following videos before Wednesday’s class. It will help you to prepare for the interview you will have next class.

If you search on youtube, you will find an infinite number of videos with advice on how to answer interview questions. One of the most common questions, which we discussed in class, is Tell me about yourself. The following is, in my opinion, one of the best. The language is a bit difficult but you can watch it over and over.

Dice TV: Tell me about yourself

The following is not much of a video. It is all text with background music but the advice is good. (Just like the advice I gave you in class.)

Answers to 5 toughest job interview questions

This last video, longer than the previous two, is quite good. The speaker is very clear and provides a good example of how to handle oneself in an interview. I will admit that it is ‘a bit American’ but what we are trying to learn is how to face a job interview in English.

Toastmasters to Learn More about job interviewing