english@sharonotoo.com

Book Openings...

2009-07-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

For this series of converation classes we will be discussing the first few pages of famous novels.
We will read them together, go through unfamiliar vocabularly, and then talk about them. The focus, as always, is on encouraging discussion...what do you think? What would make you want to continue reading this book? Or what reasons do you have for not liking the sound of it?

We will look at the first pages of...
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell, "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry and "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte among others...

Beginning 28th July...

2009-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Next Tuesday (28.07.09) the next set of conversation classes will begin...join us!

* Please email me to let me know if you will be unable to make a conversation class

Tuesdays, 08.15 - 09.10 and 09.15 - 10.15

1. 28.07.09
2. 04.08.09
3. 11.08.09
4. 18.08.09
5. 25.08.09
6. 01.09.09
7. 08.09.09
8. 15.09.09
9. 22.09.09
10. 29.09.09

Next Block of Ten Begins Today!

2009-03-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

For the next block of 10 lessons, we will be working with the BBC Learning English Website - Business Language to Go

* Please email me to let me know if you will be unable to make a conversation class and if possible, do listen to the lesson at home!

Tuesdays, 08.15 - 09.10 and 09.15 - 10.15

1. 31.03.09 - Part 1

Break: 07.04.09 & 14.04.09

2. 21.04.09 - Part 2
3. 28.04.09 - Part 3
4. 05.05.09 - Part 4
5. 12.05.09 - Part 5
6. 19.05.09 - Review 1 - 5
7. 26.05.09 - Part 6
8. 02.06.09 - Part 7
9. 09.06.09 - Part 8
10. 16.06.09 - Part 9

We will also be reading extracts from "A Very Short Introduction to EVERYTHING" collection of short articles (2006, Oxford University Press)

Jargon!

2009-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

If you got a letter saying that local officials 'wish to engage you as a stakeholder', who could blame you if you thought it was a marriage proposal or even an offer to employ you as a barbecue chef?! In this week's programme, William joins Yvonne as she finds out about an attempt at jargon-busting - getting rid jargon...

The listening comprehension for today...

Next set of English Conversation Classes

2008-11-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

The next set of classes will take place as usual on Tuesdays, 08:15 til 09:10 (Group 1) & 09:15 til 10.15 (Group 2)

4 November
11 November
18 November
25 November
2 December
9 December
16 December

The emphasis will be on building up vocabulary and getting fluent in speaking - ie you will be doing all the talking!

To help us, we will continue to use newspaper articles from the internet to discuss current affairs and we will also be reading and discussing short stories.

Today we read: "They're not your husband" by Raymond Carver in "Short Cuts" (c) Reclam 2001.

Two more lessons due to previous absence

2008-10-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

...we will be meeting again tomorrow (Tuesday 14 Oct) and there will be one more lesson following that...(Tuesday 28 Oct)

Next set of conversations...

2008-08-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

...begins today!

Tuesday August 5th until Tuesday October 7th (10 weeks)

During that time we will be reading extracts from:

"Brilliant Project Management"
by Stephen Barker & Rob Cole (2007)

And the grammar focus will be on:

Conditional Tense (If-Sätze)
Indirect Speech (Indirekte Rede)

Tuesday mornings 08:00 until 10:00 in the nice Coca Cola lounge :-)

Why did God make Mothers? A Reading Comprehension

2008-06-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

MOTHERS
The following are different answers given by school-age children to
the given question:

Why did God make mothers?

1.-She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2.-Think about it, it was the best way to get more people.
3.- Mostly to clean the house.
4.-To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1.- He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2.- Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3.- God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger
parts.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1.- We're related.
2.- God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1- God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and
everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2- They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string. I think.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1.- My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2.- I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty
bossy.
3.- They say she used to be nice.

How did your mom meet your dad?

1.- Mom was working in a store and dad was shoplifting.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1.- His last name.
2.- She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs
and YES to chores.

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1.- My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a
lot.
2.- She got too old to do anything else with him.
3.- My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

What makes a real woman?

1.- It means you have to be really bossy without looking bossy.

Who's the boss at your house?

1.- Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dads such a
goofball.
2.- Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the
bed.
3.- I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than
dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1.- Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just got to work at
work.
2.- Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3.- Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power '
cause that's who you gotta ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1.- Mothers don't do spare time.
2.-To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What's the difference between moms and grandmas?

1.- About 30 years.
2.- You can always count on grandmothers for candy. Sometimes moms
don't even have bread on them!

Describe the world's greatest mom?

1.- She would make broccoli taste like ice cream!
2.- The greatest mom in the world wouldn't make me kiss my fat aunts!
3.- She'd always be smiling and keep her opinions to herself.

Is anything about your mom perfect?

1.- Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the dentist.
2.- Her casserole recipes. But we hate them.
3.- Just her children.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1.- On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2.- Diet. You know, her hair. I'd dye-it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1.- She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get
rid of that.
2.- I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it and not me.

Some nice new idioms...

2008-05-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Gaud bless the English language and all who sail in her...

Why do we say "to sort the sheep from the goats"?
the German version is "die Spreu vom Weizen trennen" and it makes much more sense.

"To take the plunge" ladies and gentlemen is "den Sprung wagen" in German. Both of those sound sensible.

More very soon :-)

Group Lessons

2008-05-13T00:36:00.001-07:00

A new series of lessons begins this week.
During the next ten weeks the conversation class will be structured as follows:

i) Short grammar input
ii) Grammar practice / discussion
iii) Listening comprehension (using material from BBC Learning English Website)
iv) Vocabulary practice
v) Advanced reading comprehension (using material from Guardian Unlimited Online)
vi) Advanced discussion
vi) Book extract (depending on time)

During this series we will work with the following books:

"Grammar Spectrum 1. English rules and practice" by Ken Paterson (1995)
"The Tipping Point. How little things can make a big difference" by Malcolm Gladwell (2000)

In addition we will work on the following grammar topics:

i) Simple Past and Past Continuous
ii) Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous
iii) Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous

Tuesday mornings, 08:30 - 10:00 (13th May until 15th July)