Aug 29

Dear students,

We still worked on the past modals and learned expressions using the word LAW.

Can you remember them?

No one is above the LAW, except for the teacher (of course!)
Eliane has already gotten in trouble with the LAW.
Some teens are a LAW unto themselves.
Have you ever taken the LAW into your own hands?
Fernanda is always laying down the LAW.
The teacher's word is LAW!
We found out that some of the students were not LAW-ABIDING citizens....
By LAW, you must respect the teacher!
It is against the LAW to disobey and disrespect the English teacher!

Now, the test is just around the corner... Next Tuesday, September 6th. So start concentrating, focusing and studying. Don't open your books on the day of the test! Stop watching Faustão and profit from the beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon to study a bit.

My tips are the following links:

CTJ e-folder (focus on the QUIA Quizzes activities)

5B Webpage

This practice, together with the workbook and the extra handouts, are certainly more than enough!

Homework for Sep 1: reading page 84
Deadline for composition 2nd draft: Friday, Sep 3, until midnight

See you tomorrow.
Carla

Aug 25

Dear students,

Check the page I created for my final online course project. I did it having you as inspiration. I included some resources for Units 8 and 9, and I created a calendar so that you can easily visualize the important dates for our group.

Our Webpage

I'm waiting for your comments to let me know how that page could be even more useful to you.

Last class, I certainly laugh a lot with you guys.
We had a listening and discussion about legal wrangles, page 81. Then, we were presented with the idea of using modals to talk about the past (reporting speech, speculating/making deductions, and commenting/criticizing).

Homework: Student book page 82, number 4
Workbook page 46, n. 1, 2, and 3

I'll be sending soon the feedback on your compositions.

See you on Tuesday.

Carla

Aug 18

Hi, guys!

I loved our criminal class with so much interaction and learning going on. Do you still remember what a PLAINTIFF, CONTEMPT OF COURT, CROSS-EXAMINE, ARSON, LIBEL mean? If not, review the beginning of unit 9. There are lots of interesting legal words to practice and learn.

We had a new classmate joining our group! Welcome, Guilherme. Now, you are also part of a very nice group of excellent and funny students. You are a lucky guy to be among these special students!

Don't forget the homework: the vocabulary part of the matching I gave you in class (ex. 9A).

And the most exciting part: Composition!!! It's due to Tuesday, if you want the chance of a second draft, or Thursday, if you are going to have only one draft. The guidelines for it are on the workbook, page 45. Try to use some of the expressions suggested there, and do your best! I'm anxious to read your opinion about the most important invention of the 20th century. Remember, I love to receive compositions by email carlaarena@gmail.com

See you on Tuesday.
Carla

Verb Tenses Links

As requested by Mônica, here's a series of interesting links on verb tenses.

Tables with Verb Tenses

Tenses Frames

Worksheets on Verb Tenses at the Bottom of the Page

Verb Tenses Tutorial - Englishpage

Tons of Links to Practice each Verb Tense!


That's it, guys! Have fun!

Carla

Aug 16

Dear Students,

Well, we found out today that Monica likes to play card games on the computer, AS WELL as Luciana. Of course, we have those ones that we knew about... Like Paula, for example! It was the first time I heard about GTA. It is a game full of action, murder, sex. It MEANS THAT it is not really appropriate for kids!

We discussed about a a Korean guy that died because he played computer games for 50 hours. It was certainly more than he could take!!!

Read the news about him.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/game.death.reut/

Problems of the modern times, huh?!

Do you have an opinion about that? How can parents help teenagers understand the dangers of video games? Are there positive aspects about video games? I'll wait for your comments.

Well, in class we also worked with DISCOURSE MARKERS, Student Book page 74 and 75.

Remember, the ones that highlight DIFFERENCES: but now, but then
The ones that ADD SIMILAR INFO: but crucially, but then, it's true that, also, as well, not only
The ones that DRAW CONCLUSIONS: so in this sense, this meant that, it's certainly true that, after all

HOMEWORK for next class: Student Book page 75, number 5.

See you next class.

Carla

Homework - Aug 9

The future...In real life, it can be as we wish. In terms of grammar, it is predetermined by the moment in the future we are talking about.

Future Simple - a Specific time in the future.
Ex: In December 2005, I will graduate.

Future Continuous - An action will be taking place at a certain period in the future.
Ex: In ten years, I will be taking care of my children.

Future Perfect - An action will have been completed when it gets to a certain point in the future. Ex: By this time next week, all class 552 students will have mastered the future tense.

And how about your future? What will you be doing in ten years or tomorrow?!

I hope to read your comments here.

Homework: Handout - Exercise 8A

See you tomorrow.

Carla

Homework - Aug 4

Last class, we kept talking about the future. Also, we talked about the most useful and useless gadgets ever invented.

Stephen Hawking became Stephen Walking,and we got to know a little bit more about this extraordinary astrophysicist. I asked you to read his interview and work on the vocabulary part on the following page.

See you tomorrow.
Carla

Calendar for the Semester

Our calendar for the semester is:

TEST 1 - Units 8 & 9 - September 6

RECESS - October 13

MIDTERM ORAL TEST - Units 8,9 & 10 - September 22

TEST 2 - Units 10 & 11 - October 18

HOLIDAY - November 15

TEST 3 - Units 12 & 13 - November 29

FINAL ORAL TEST - Units 11,12 & 13 - December 1

PODCASTING

Hi, guys,

It was wonderful to see familiar faces and new ones in class yesterday! I'm sure this semester will be special for you and for me.

As I promised and as you were so curious about this new technological resource that is available on the Internet, the Podcasting, here's the link to learn more about it, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting

If you want to listen to those news that you listened to, go to the Technological Column. There, you'll find both listenings, the one on Podcasting and the new trends of Cell phones.

Does anybody know what WIKIS are?

Please, share your ideas on the effects of technology in our lives or any other idea that you think is interesting sharing in terms of technological trends.

By the way, Paula and Fernanda, thanks for your comments and I hope to see everybody interacting here.

See you tomorrow.

Have fun and a lot of learning experiences!
Carla