Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Insurance 2 : Automobiles



Watch the video. In class this week we will explore automotive (car) insurance and what do if you have an accident -- or if someone damages your car.

Questions

What do you have to do when you have an accident?

What do the drivers exchange?


Does car registration cover the driver for the damage she caused to the other driver's car?

What does Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Insurance cover? What doesn't it cover?

What does the lawyer tell Maryam about paying?

What is Third Party Property (TPP) insurance? What does it cover? What doesn't it cover?

What does Comprehensive Insurance cover?


Role Play / Writing

Let's act out the accident situation above.

A. Write a similar dialogue with a friend.

B. Record your dialogue at Dale's TalkGroups in the discussion, A Minor Car Accident (voxopop.com)

Spelling/Vocabulary ( Week 1 and 2 combined)

insurance / registration / cover / third party / comprehensive / compulsory / property / policy / premiums / excess / accident / damage / police /

Dictation - An Accident

1) Download and print the fold / write / check worksheet from here

2) Listen to the dictation A Car Accident. Complete the dictation.

3) Add words you had trouble with your spelling / vocabulary book


WRITING An Accident

Write (or make up) a page about a minor car accident. Draft the copy. Send it to me by email and I will try and get it back to you as soon as possible so you can write a final copy.

Submit the final copy to me in class (or email it to me again)


GAME : WORDO

In class we played WORDO (like Bingo) with Common Dolch Words

Here is the grid for you to play at home.

1) Print out the grid and get players to write out the words in any order
2) Make some cards of those words. Use some other lists from your spelling / vocab book if you like..
3) Get someone to call out the words. Cross off each word as you hear it.
4) When you get a straight line of words (vertically or horizontally) call out "WORDO!"

Play the game with other members of your family!

SELF STUDY

Complete these chapters from your text books ...

English Grammar in Use (Murphy)  ... Unit 42 : He is supposed to / Unit 97 -ing and -ed relative clauses : The boy inured in the accident

Advanced English Vocabulary in Use (McCarthy) ... Unit 30 : On the Road - Traffic and Driving

We will correct one exercise from each next class ... you correct the remaining answers using the ANSWER KEY at the back of the book


READING FOR FUN - AESOPS FABLES

In last week we looked at some English Sayings. This week we read a Fable - The Dove and the Ant

Read some other fables here.

VOCABULARY GUIDE - CARS

Test your vocabulary about cars - inside and out - (pdfs from www.virtuallanaguageschool.com)


***













Saturday, August 25, 2012

Insurance 1 : Home and Contents




Using an online calculator (aami.com.au)

Click here or on the image to calculate your home and contents insurance.

(Note: please DO NOT submit or buy any insurance from this site - I take no responsibility if you do - the use of the calculator is for study purposes only)




In class this week we started studying insurance. How much do you pay for home insurance? What other sorts of insurance are there? We discussed and compared home contents insurance -- are you paying too much?

Use your dictionary to look up these words:

premiums

excess

fees and charges

installments

cover

Dictation - Insurance

1. Download and print the fold / listen / and write worksheet (available to all)

2. Listen to the dictation (Contents Insurance) and complete the worksheet (or try and write the whole dictation)

Spelling Resources
Here are 2 spelling list resources I handed out in class (you will need a gmail account and permission from me to download them - just send me an email!):

44 Phonemes of English chart pdf

Dolch Lists (common words) pdf

You can see me in class about the two books we are using this term for self-study -- English Grammar in Use 3rd Edition (Raymond Murphy) and English Vocabulary in Use Advanced (McCarthy & O'Dell). I will give you a copy of Dale's Sound Pattern Spelling Book.

Reading and Writing - English Sayings
Choose a couple of sayings and write what you think they mean.
  • Two wrongs don't make a right
  • Rome wasn't built in a day
  • Out of the fry pan and into the fire
  • Let sleeping dogs lie
  • Too many cooks spoil the broth

Join my Facebook page -- Dale Pobega's Free ESL Club -- find the posting about "English Sayings" and we will discuss your answers










ADULT LEARNING ACTIVITIES WEBSITE - HOUSING



This website is great for self study. Reading ---> Listening --->Vocab --->Spelling --->Writing

Read a story a day and do the activities.




Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Cover and Application Letters

***




By popular demand ... covering letters! Consider the format, common vocabulary and tips below, but remember there is no perfect way to write a cover or application letter.

Here is mine (based on what we looked at in class):

Dale's Covering letter


Start out by studying this simple tutorial, How to Write a Good Cover Letter, from an excellent Canadian reading, writing and spelling site, The Learning Edge .

Complete the reading, vocab and comprehension exercises. Print the model letter for your own reference.

FORMATS:

In class we looked at some Business Letter Formats : Full Block, Block and Semi-Block. Personally, I prefer Full Block formatted letters, but you can experiment by using the samples I gave you in class.

There are lots of samples on the internet (too many) ... search through these if you want to read more.

Dictation and Spelling:



Download the dictation-cloze sheet

Spelling words: apply, application, position, advertise, enclose, enclosure, resume, interview, forward, sincerely


TIPS: KISS RULE


Composing a good cover or application letter is the biggest challenge.

Remember the KISS rule : "Keep it simple, stupid!" :-) A covering letter is just "a letter in support of your application" -- and that is what you must try and write.

DON'T just repeat information that is already in the application form or your resume;

DON'T ramble;

DO emphasize (i) your strong points : qualifications, experience that fit the job description. Be brief, clear and firm.

Keep one question in mind as you write: Why are you right for the job?

GRAMMAR

We came across the confusing issue of (Phrasal) VERBS that take -ing vs. Verbs that don't (eg. to look forward to doing something)

Look up and study these units from Essential Grammar 3rd.ed, Murphy:

Unit 53, 54, 55C and Unit 60


(We will look at Unit 60 in class next week)

***

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Meetings 2

Reading Text: The Nurses' Strike

In our meeting last week (see below) you decided you would like to read, discuss, write about and learn about issues related to the current Nurses' strike here in Victoria.

Click here to read the article (ABC)

Click here for the (listening) comprehension sheet (we will do an exercise in class)



Focus questions:

What is industrial action?

What is protected / unprotected industrial action?

(Look here for the answers)

What is Fair Work Australia? (look here : http://www.fwa.gov.au/)


Dictation and Spelling:The World of Work and Unions



(Adapted from The World Times, Vol.2, No.7, 1993 - VALBEC)

Print out the cloze/listening exercise here (fold, listen, write and check)

Spelling words and patterns: union / fair / unfair / awards / agree / disagree / agreement / employment / unemployment

(we will focus on prefixes and their meanings this lesson)


1. Minutes

Last week we watched a meeting and learnt about the role of the Chairperson. Yannick took minutes (notes of what was said at the meeting)

Click here to see Yannick's minutes

2. Actions

Some of the actions to be taken (if I remember rightly were) ...

* Inclusion of the following for learning (rest of 2011 / & 2012 ...

newspaper articles / formal letters / resume writing / creative writing / grammar/ continue with Dictation / continue with Spelling

3. Grammar

At our meeting you agreed to study the following items from Essential Grammar in Use (3rd Ed), Murphy :

Past Modals

Would have (pg.83)

Could have (pg.65)

Should have (pg.79)

Note: Check your answers at the end of the book!

We will review the use of Past Modals in class. Still unsure how to use Past Modals? Look at this review at ESLGold.com

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Meetings 1

***



Watch this video about a meeting. Compare your notes from class.

Print out the activity sheet (Exercise 1, 2 and 3 below) or follow here ...

Exercise 1 (Spelling and Dictionary work): Here is the vocabulary from our last class (use your dictionary if you are unsure of their meaning). Learn to spell ...

agenda / chairperson / apologies / secretary / minutes / correspondence / treasurer / finances / manager / officer / board of directors / committee of management / Annual General Meeting (AGM) / business arising / quorum / to move / a motion / to second (a motion) / point of order

tip: Add words to your sound pattern lists (eg. -ai- /-ies / -ence / - ea- / -ei- / etc )

Exercise 2: (Notetaking) : Watch the beginning of video again (the meeting from start to finish). Note down the key phrases used by the Chairperson.

1. Has everybody got a copy of the agenda?
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Exercise 3 (Comprehension):

1. What is the objective of the meeting?

2. What is the reason for running the meeting in a formal way?

3. What does "without further ado" mean?

4. What does "I'd like to open it up for discussion" mean?

5. What is a "motion"? What is another word for "motion"?

6. What does "all those in favour" mean?

7. What does "all those against" mean?

AGENDA - A Class Meeting

Here is a copy of the agenda for our next class. Print it off and bring it to class next week. Also bring your five items for discussion.

Meeting Agenda for 17 November, 2011 Class


***


***

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Report Writing 3 : Accidents

***


In class this week we looked at Accident Reports using the example of the fitter and turner being injured while using the lathe. (See Beisler, Sheeres and Pinner, Communication Skills , 2nd Edition, 1985).

Here is the Dictation based on that exercise for you to practice again:



Here is the cloze text for you to print, fold, practice and check.

GUIDED WRITING

You applied the model to the situation shown in the Worksafe Video above.

You are an Inspector employed by Worksafe to investigate the accident.

Here are the Notes we took together and used.


In pairs you used the Notes and Report model to write a report. (Excellent!)

Here is my final version of the report for you to compare your own:



How similar or different is your report? Have you followed the model? Have you included:

Terms of Reference
Introduction
Procedure (interviews)
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations

NOW YOU WRITE A REPORT ON YOUR OWN

1) Watch the video below.



2) Submit your final version using the form



***

Monday, October 24, 2011

Report Writing 2 : Cats and People



Cats and people dictation text (Print, fold, fill in the gaps ... and check your answers)

Spelling : Playing with words ...

We have started organising spelling lists in class. Congratulations! Now take some time off studying to have fun practicing your spelling with these games and activities ...

Here is a list of the 500 most commonly misspelled words.

Want to improve your typing skills? Type against the clock using the first 125 words.


For fun (super easy) ... X-Ray the suitcases at an airport (practice simple common words)


***

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA Chart)


This chart can help you sound out words using a dictionary




***

Phoneme Checker


Confused about letter sounds and sound combinations in English?

Click here for small letter sounds and combinations