tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86276132319775864932024-03-05T09:36:50.901-08:00Can You Walk on the Rice Paper?Teacher interested in ESL methodology, IELTS, classic novels, music, and In Our Time with Melvin Bragg, based in Phuket, Thailand.
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-57145381224444164572016-05-30T17:59:00.000-07:002016-05-30T17:59:36.256-07:00Eveline<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eveline</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzwdSlkhZZs3LqBbTZmM-kCvSJC4U0SS858kiI6phMgWFhWxCBGdwCvCyqgvfwraspuNaSBIbhOn-dVpVmu1weum0SInHCHlsGdo2it-XsSqiQBxwjCwCz-yJM-LmOWfE-snxJxfUQ3X2/s1600/eveline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzwdSlkhZZs3LqBbTZmM-kCvSJC4U0SS858kiI6phMgWFhWxCBGdwCvCyqgvfwraspuNaSBIbhOn-dVpVmu1weum0SInHCHlsGdo2it-XsSqiQBxwjCwCz-yJM-LmOWfE-snxJxfUQ3X2/s320/eveline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-5f3ee823-044e-6413-da31-0f389bef4a77" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I just finished reading ‘Eveline’ from Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’, and I feel I must type a few words.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m sure you are both familiar with this story which can be summarised in one sentence: </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bored Dublin girl from a dodgy home is divided between whether to leave Ireland with a sailor to a live a life of sun, sea and sand, or stay at home and fulfil her dying mother’s request to take care of her family</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sounds easy. But when you dig a little deeper complexities immerge that, in true Joyce style, keep you guessing. </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Considering the story is only a handful of pages long, it covers a hell of a lot of ground. Joyce never ceases to amaze me with his mastery of the written form. In Eveline he hints, suggests, teases and nudges, leaving the whole shebang hanging in the air at the end.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plot-wise, Joyce plays it safe with three distinct phases: the first shows Eveline’s home and family; the second ushers in the major conflict of the story - Frank the sailor; and the third is the climactic boarding the ship scene.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story lets us peep into the inner world of a nineteen year old Dublin girl called Eveline, a young woman born into a world of relentless hardship and tedium.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We meet Eveline in the first line of the story: </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue”.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joyce introduces Eveline as a young lady, staring out of her bedroom window. Symbolically, she is isolated and framed off from the outside world. The use of the verb “invade” implies impending doom or threat giving us an emotional clue about the world in which Eveline lives. Her world is far removed from other 19 years olds. At this age people feel as if the world is their playground, a place full of fun, friendship and adventure Not so for Eveline. </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her memories allow the reader direct access into her past which overflows with responsibilities beyond her years: tending to the housework, looking after young children, coping with her father’s violence and drunkenness, all in the wake of her mother’s death. This death may have been the fault of Eveline’s father, with his blackthorn stick and aggressive temperament. A dripping wet, black cloud hung over the family's’ life, and most of the darkness a product of Eveline’s father. He’s portrayed as a sour old man, a kind of fairytale monster, fond of snarling at children and swiping at them if they come within his sight..</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Her father used to hunt them out of the field with his blackthorn stick.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, with premature death, alcoholism, poverty and lack of hope in Eveline’s life, it’s no wonder we feel sorry for her.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suspense in the story compounds around the ambiguity of Eveline’s character. She still feels a responsibility to heed her dying mother’s plea to look after the family. This is a heavy burden for a nineteen year old, especially considering her father appears bend on self-destruction, her mother and younger brother are dead, and her older brother is too busy with his church decorating business to be around. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joyce offers Eveline a way out of the mess by introducing Frank, a handsome sailor, a man of means who promised to take her away to Buenos Ayres.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their relationship starts off as a bit of fun, but then Eveline realises her feelings run deeper. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“First of all, it had been a bit of excitement...and then she had begun to like him.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Franks charms Eveline with his stories of far off lands and his suntanned smile.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on his head and his hair tumbled forward over a face of bronze.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eveline glows with confused admiration and begins to feel human. For the first time in her life she has a chance to win happiness.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frank offers to take her to Argentina.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should she go?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eveline begins to ponder how leaving Ireland would affect not only her but her father. She thinks back to a time when her father acted compassionately while she lay sick.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“When she had been laid up for a day, he had read her out a ghost story and made toast for her at the fire.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, her mind flashes back to a family picnic on The Hill of Howth when her father made the children laugh.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“She remembered her father putting on her mother’s bonnet to make the children laugh.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eveline’s father’s kind and humorous actions perplex her. Perhaps her father’s behaviour can be changed. Maybe it’s his age or a stage he’s going through. Surely, if he was sweet once, he can do it again.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her mind contorts in eddies of confusion.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“She sometimes felt himself in threat of her father’s violence.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eveline feels life wrapping a noose around neck and tightening it slowly.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the story unfolds, we see the world from inside her head. Eveline’s inner thoughts and memories sketch a vivid picture of her world, and by the end we’re forced to interpret her final decision not to leave Ireland with her sailor man.We, the reader, has to decide if Eveline makes the right decision. Joyce puts the cards into the reader's hands and challenges us to make a judgement call. This is pretty cool and creates endless interpretations. </span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After much thought, Eveline decides not to board the ship with Frank. Instead, she reverts to what she knows best, a life of poverty, drudgery and repetition. You may say this is unwise, but maybe she does the right thing. Perhaps her decision was born out of self-awareness. Frank seems sincere enough, but you never know. If all goes tits up, being alone in South America sucks for a insecure Dublin girl. What would she do? How would she get home? </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While waiting in the line to board the ship, Eveline get the fear.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“A bell clanged upon her heart...All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown her.”</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe this is a bit harsh. Frank could have been her model man. There’s nothing about his character in the text to suggest his motives are impure. Maybe, he fell in love with Eveline. She could be the one. Again Joyce leaves this question dangling in the air. Frank is perfect: handsome, gentlemanly and attentive. However, he is a sailor, and we know what they get up to, the dirty devils. So, maybe Eveline makes the right decision after all. Her father leaps on the stereotype.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I know these sailor types.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regardless of her father’s opinion Eveline hangs on to the railings as Frank urges her to follow. She presents a final image of blankness.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love of farewell or recognition.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why does Eveline behave this way? Maybe she did it for Frank, her brother or herself? Maybe all three? Joyce could be hinting at the destructive power of routine. Who knows? What we do know though is her sense of identity has a pulling effect as does her history. So Joyce points out brilliantly the difficulty we have in choosing between the familiar and the unknown. The former appeals because our sense of self is wrapped up ideas of social class and the familiar. We associate these with being ‘me’. The latter is a step into the Twilight Zone, a place full of insecurities and challenges to self identity. People get homesick when they can’t speak a language and the weather is weird, and these insecurities lead to fear and from there to doubt. Is there anything worse than doubting who you really are?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, finally fear wins the day and Frank returns to the sun. Eveline, sadly, lets him go and with him the chance of new life. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did she do the right thing? It’s up to you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M</span>Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-36364805563140599372013-10-09T19:50:00.000-07:002013-10-09T19:53:35.452-07:00The Plight of Phuket's Working Animals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLag_Nh3xqeOUuv4IvW3xCtLAep1aVvPhpYsaxfikXbITIcoqc-s6DGe0o3gEharG0UQvesfZ8OvUYlxP0D0ZqiAzhnjnc_56hp6lZHyGtvTb9zWwu1P4metW991VOyKhXFCdaf2rJbzl3/s1600/phuketnews_Rihanna_poses_with_a_slow_loris_a_protected_species_in_Thailand_duri_22307_tDuPqkbdSf_jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLag_Nh3xqeOUuv4IvW3xCtLAep1aVvPhpYsaxfikXbITIcoqc-s6DGe0o3gEharG0UQvesfZ8OvUYlxP0D0ZqiAzhnjnc_56hp6lZHyGtvTb9zWwu1P4metW991VOyKhXFCdaf2rJbzl3/s400/phuketnews_Rihanna_poses_with_a_slow_loris_a_protected_species_in_Thailand_duri_22307_tDuPqkbdSf_jpeg.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Photo from the Phuket Gazette</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Pop star and self-self styled Sefie queen, Rihanna, caused a kerfuffle in Phuket </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">recently when she took a photo of herself with a Slow Loris. The subsequent </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">outcry made newspapers around the globe and highlighted the treatment of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">animals in Thailand's premier tourist destination.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">‘Rihanna's Instagram selfie with slow loris leads to the arrest of two poachers in Thailand</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">.’ (Daily Mail: </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2429374/Rihannas-Instagram-selfie-slow-loris-leads-arrest-poachers-Thailand.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2429374/Rihannas-Instagram-selfie-slow-loris-leads-arrest-poachers-Thailand.html</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Thai animal keepers arrested after allowing Rihanna to take selfie with </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">protected animal</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">.’ (NME: </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nme.com/news/rihanna/72816">http://www.nme.com/news/rihanna/72816</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rihanna's and her entourage had barely time to shake off their hangovers before local authorities swooped and scooped the Slow Loris perpetrators. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'I have asked police to check the area in Patong beach after Rihanna posted her picture on Friday night with a slow loris,' said <span style="background-color: white;">Local district chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told AFP news agency.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reactive policing like the above does little to save face for the police, who walk down Bangla Road every night and somehow miss the peddlers waving endangered animals in tourists' faces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Local English language newspaper, The Phuket News, has throw their weight behind the issue, making a video highlighting the abuse. Watch it here: </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-news-tv-the-slow-loris-campaign-oct-09-42268.php" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-news-tv-the-slow-loris-campaign-oct-09-42268.php</span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Phuket Zoo has also come under a lot of flack on Tripadvisor for its treatment of animals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are its Tripadvisor ratings:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">(</span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g293920-d1018243-r58543920-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html">http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g293920-d1018243-r58543920-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html</a><span style="line-height: 115%;">):</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excellent<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very good<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terrible<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One recent vistor to Phuket Zoo said the following about their visit to the zoo:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“THE WORST LEGAL ANIMAL CRUELTY! DO NOT GO”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three words to describe this hell hole... concrete, chains and steel bars. Not to mention cruelty towards to animals from the keepers and the underfedanimals. All the animals have tiny, poor maintained cages, and the tiger is clearly drugged! When the monkeys and the tiger did not do as they were told, there were hit with a stick. It is simply a place exploiting animals to gain money, which by the conditions of the enclosures and the look of the animals, barely any of the funding reaches the animals. You can clearly see the elephants bones!!! i do not understand how this place is still running! Something needs to be done. Do NOT go and fund this cruelty!! not pleasant and the images stuck in my mind!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The company’s website says the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Visit Phuket Zoo during your stay and enjoy a wonderfully different type of zoo. Lush tropical gardens invite you to stroll around in the shade of giant trees across bridges onto islands containing all kinds of strange animals.’ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.phuketzoo.com/">http://www.phuketzoo.com/</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visitors have pictured this ‘wonderfully different type of zoo.’ Snapshots of chained monkeys and sullen gibbons show a different picture. Many also report seeing physical abuse from staff, drugged tigers and underfed animals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g293920-d1018243-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html"><img alt="Photos of Phuket Zoo, Phuket" height="239" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/74/7b/ae/phuket.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This photo of <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g293920-d1018243-Reviews-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html">Phuket Zoo</a> is courtesy of TripAdvisor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g293920-d1018243-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html"><img alt="Photos of Phuket Zoo, Phuket" height="239" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/74/7b/b0/phuket.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This photo of <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g293920-d1018243-Reviews-Phuket_Zoo-Phuket.html">Phuket Zoo</a> is courtesy of TripAdvisor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The title of a recent </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand paper states </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">that </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">''Phuket still hell for protected wildlife." One one evening </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">23 protected</span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> animals were spotted in Patong, and this is set to continue. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">(</span></span><a href="http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-animal-exploitation-hits-record-numbers-patong-17628/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-animal-exploitation-hits-record-numbers-patong-17628/</a><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">The shameful kickbacks and lack of ethical concern drive those with a </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">conscience to despair, but for those lacking in moral fibre, it's business </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">as </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">usual. </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></div>
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-84678247065432886892013-10-06T06:52:00.001-07:002013-10-06T06:52:51.065-07:00The Lady's Silence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last night I
watched The Lady, a film documenting the rise of <span style="background: white;">Aung San Suu Kyi from Oxford housewife to Burmese freedom fighter. It’s
difficult not to be touched by the passion, bravery and sacrifice she
shows for the Burmese people, who suffered not only the indignity of
over a century of British colonial rule, but also decades of brutal military
dictatorship, which continues to this day. The actions of Suu Kyi have resulted
in millions of Burmese looking to the future with hope, rather than trepidation.
However, her silence in recent years in relation to the Rohingya situation in
the country’s north has left me perplexed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In
her youth, Suu Kyi left Burma to study in the UK, and while at college met her
husband, Michael Aris. They settled in Oxford and lived a comfortable life, but
everything changed in 1988 when Suu Kyi visited her dying mother in Burma and
discovered her political calling. This period saw the first tentative steps forward
for The National League for Democracy, with Suu Kyi flexing her leadership
muscles, while molding her philosophy of non-violent political change. Many
influential meetings ironically took place in the family home, the very place where
her father dreamed of a free Burma half a century before.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Suu
Kyi's father, Aung San, played a </span>pivotal<span style="background: white;"> role in securing independence from the British,
but his assassination just six months before the historic handover meant the
father of modern Burma never tasted the sweetness of political autonomy. Suu Kyi followed in her father's footsteps and
attempted to instill dignity and belief into a wounded people, stoking the fire
of hope within the nation's heart. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In
the eyes of the Burmese people, Suu Kyi overflows with goodness, and her
persona, which is gentle but firm, is a potent catalyst for change. She represents a flame of hope burning
brightly in the face of governmental cronyism and ineptitude. This
manifested itself in her landslide victory in the 1990 election, the first
democratic election since 1960. However, her win was anathema to the
military elite who laughed in the face of the country's collective will and
placed Suu Kyi under house arrest, where she remained for the next fifteen
years. At the same time, influential members of the National League of
Democracy languished indefinitely in Burma’s jails. Their only crime was
instigating change in a land where misrule had robbed generations of a future. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is little
doubt that The Lady, as <span style="background: white;">Suu Kyi is
affectionately known in Burma, acted with drive and forethought, attempting
to fulfill her father's destiny and propel Burma forward towards a
better future; however, in the wake of her dominance of Burmese politics, her
failure to speak out about the plight of the Rohingya Muslims in the countries
north east has tarnished the image of the N</span>obel peace
laureate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In recent
years, Rakhine state in Northern Burma has been rocked by ethnic violence
between Buddhists and Muslims. The severity of the situation, combined with the
fact that many Muslim monks are hiking up tension with incendiary comments, led
me to consider a number of questions: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why is this
upholder of the good, this embodiment of compassion not saying more? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suu Kyi's
silence strikes a chord of unease in the heart of human rights activists,
many of whom are beginning to question her motives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is she being
politically expedient? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps <span style="background: white;">Suu Kyi is widely tipped to win the 2015 election and
become the leader of the country; thus, a show of support for the Rohingya
could infuriate Buddhist voters, who in turn might punish her at the ballot
box. </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In June, 2013,
Suu Kyi broke her public silence on the <span style="background: white;">Rohingya
issue when she condemned the government’s two-child policy, which puts a cap on
the number of Rohingya offspring</span> per family. The junta state
overpopulation as justification for the policy; however, it’s a Muslim only
policy and doesn’t apply to the country’s 90% Buddhist majority. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who knows what
the future holds for Burma, The Lady, or the embattled <span style="background: white;">Rohingya minority. Memories of what happened in Ruanda are still vivid
in the minds of international observers, and to prevent the unspeakable
happening, Suu Kyi might have to speak out more often to prevent a catastrophe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-28254145313617982332013-09-30T21:35:00.000-07:002013-10-15T00:04:38.289-07:00Oral Narrative Lesson <br />
Level: Intermediate/upper intermediate/advanced<br />
<br />
Language: Past narrative tenses/would/emergent language<br />
<br />
Materials: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz0rt8HIl0s">Award Winning Short Film - The Shoe</a><br />
<br />
Time: 90 mins<br />
<br />
Extras: Digital Voice recorder (many students now have these on their smartphones)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Warmer:</i></b><br />
<br />
Tell student to close their eyes and imagine the coldest day imaginable. Snow is falling gently in a large city. The roofs of the houses and a large cathedral are covered in white. It's bright and clear winter's day.<br />
<br />
Speaking: Students talk to partner.<br />
<br />
1. How would you feel if you were in the city?<br />
2. What would you do on a day like this?<br />
3. Do you think everyone is happy when the weather is so cold?<br />
4. What problems might some people face living in such cold weather?<br />
<br />
Group Feedback and focus on emergent language and lexical chunks.<br />
<br />
Brainstorm the type of clothing needed to survive is such a climate. Write on WB.<br />
<br />
In groups, using the brainstormed language on the WB, students decide on the three most important items of clothing and justify their answers.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Video/Oral narrative:</i></b><br />
<br />
Show the video to 0.19 and ask students to speculate on the characters and where they live.<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. Are they rich or poor? How do you know?</i></b><br />
<b><i>2. What you you think the father of the girl does for a living?</i></b><br />
<b><i>3. Do you think they have a good relationship? Why/Why not?</i></b><br />
<b><i>4. Compare your house with the one in the video.</i></b><br />
<br />
Now put the students into small groups and tell them they are going to create an oral narrative together using a digital voice recorder. (this might be a good point to review past narrative tenses - past simple; past continuous; past perfect)<br />
<br />
Draw student attention to their senses (sight/hearing/smell/touch/taste)<br />
<br />
Tell the student that they need to think about the senses when telling their narrative.<br />
<br />
Play the video until 0.46 and pause.<br />
<br />
Each group should brainstorm together and then one student from each group speaks the narrative into the voice recorder. Set a time limit. (2/3 mins depending on the level)<br />
<br />
As a group speculate on what is going to happen next.<br />
<br />
Play the video until 1.34 and pause.<br />
<br />
Ask the following questions:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. How do you feel towards the young girl? Why?</i></b><br />
<b><i>2. How do you think she feels about her life? Justify your answer.</i></b><br />
<br />
Group brainstorm and record narrative.<br />
<br />
Play the video until 2.21 and pause.<br />
<br />
Ask the following questions:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. Describe the relationship between the young girl and her father.</i></b><br />
<b><i>2. How does her father feel when she sees her drawing on the wall?</i></b><br />
<b><i>3. What emotions are the young girl and her father feeling while looking into the shop window?</i></b><br />
<br />
Group brainstorm and record narrative.<br />
<br />
Play the rest of the video and ask the following questions:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. Is the man a good father? Why/why not?</i></b><br />
<b><i>2. Is the girl a good daughter? Why/why not?</i></b><br />
<br />
Group brainstorm and record narrative.<br />
<br />
Follow up questions:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. Do you think you would have been satisfied if your father had given you a 'doll shoe' when you were a child? </i></b><br />
<b><i>2. Does the movie tell us anything about fatherhood/childhood?</i></b><br />
<b><i>3. What adjectives describe the love the young girl and her father show to each other?</i></b><br />
<br />
Now the groups have completed their oral narratives. Groups swap and listen to each other narratives noting useful language. Complete for all groups. Students will now have a large bank of emergent language in their notebook.<br />
<br />
Group feedback.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Writing task: </i></b>Students now use the new emergent language to write the narrative.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Homework: </i></b>Student make an oral narrative telling the story of their relationship with their father on a typical day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-28351623795509410632013-09-12T19:54:00.000-07:002013-09-12T19:54:02.535-07:00Short Story - Alcoholic Case by F. Scott. FitzgeraldIn the story An Alcoholic Case by F. Scott Fitzgerald, an
idealistic young nurse is assigned a case with an alcoholic cartoonist. Her
role is to assist him overcome his addiction, but after a short time, a
lingering threat of violence causes the nurse to walk away.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Suddenly she dropped it like a torpedo, sliding
underneath her hand and slithering with a flash of red and black and the words:
Sir Galahad Distilled Louisville Gin. He took it by the neck and tossed it
through the open door into the bathroom.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her boss agrees with her decision and attempts to find a
nurse with more experience dealing with alcoholics. However, her efforts are in
vain. The nurse, inspired by reading about Mary Nightingale, decides to be a
hero and return to the man as without her he has nothing. When she arrives back
at his home, he is perky and full of life, but this mood is short lived. The
topic of booze arises, and the man’s facade vanishes. In the final harrowing
lines, the man makes up his mind that he wants to die, and the nurse knows she
is powerless to prevent his demise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“She knew death – she had heard it. Smelt its
unmistakable odor, but she had never seen it before it entered into anyone, and
she knew it before it entered into anyone, an she knew this man saw it in the
corner of his bathroom: that was standing there looking at him while he spat
from a feeble cough and rubbed the result into the braid of his trousers. It
shone there crackling for a moment as evidence of the last gesture he ever
made.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This short story shows that some obstacles in life are
insurmountable. Fitzgerard, being an alcoholic, was painting an admission of his
own inability to kick the bottle. As sad as the demise of the man is, it’s a poignant
reminder of the vice-like grip that alcohol has over many in society, and the
premature end it delivers to those who fall under its spell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enjoy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/fsf/AN-ALCOHOLIC-CASE.html">Read the story here</a></div>
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-1042948212654835462013-03-01T21:38:00.000-08:002013-03-01T21:38:54.997-08:00ESL Picture Story - A Lexical Approach<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNWFe4AOwYnpsWqSMMuV4VynAY8qUHhg55Kzr-5dLloHzs-YvLBmWkegHc1C4hkQEjSnmmrI4S1fofW6rLWxn4TjF5TInkuvIQSG89OwGpZVJB3Qlrvu81C6-EgMh3lYy44CIHNzENL7Q/s1600/eric-the-engine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNWFe4AOwYnpsWqSMMuV4VynAY8qUHhg55Kzr-5dLloHzs-YvLBmWkegHc1C4hkQEjSnmmrI4S1fofW6rLWxn4TjF5TInkuvIQSG89OwGpZVJB3Qlrvu81C6-EgMh3lYy44CIHNzENL7Q/s200/eric-the-engine.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Picture from The British Council</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this lesson, I used Eric the Engine picture cards from the British Council's Learn English Kids site in order to generate lexical chunks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find the pictures here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/eric-the-engine">http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/eric-the-engine</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simply log into the site, download the PDF picture story and cut up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, you can use any pictures for this activity. Even stick men drawings would suffice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 1</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shuffle the cards and place them face down in front of the students - one set per group.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 2</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Divide the white board into 7 squares.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 3</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A student turns over the first card and then discusses the picture (encourage students to be as descriptive as possible) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 4</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feed back as a class and write emergent lexical chunks, single nouns, verbs, adverbs on the white board. Elicit to fill any holes in language. After card 1 has been discussed, note this language in box 1 on the board. Repeat for all seven pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 5</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the eliciting and noting is complete, students discuss the story order. Then rub out and correct the box numbers on the board. Encourage students to justify the order. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why do you think that picture comes next?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 6 </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In pairs students tell the story to each other incorporating the lexical chucks and other language on the board. Set a 3 minute limit per student.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stage 7</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students make a storyboard </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TM</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-80604120581306359742013-02-01T21:30:00.000-08:002013-02-01T21:44:09.778-08:00Reverse Reading Revisited <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.987500190734863px;">Jackie McAvoy supplier the main thrust of inspiration for this lesson.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15.987500190734863px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15.987500190734863px;">If you want to check out the original, you can here: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15.987500190734863px;"><a href="http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/writing-through-reverse-reading">http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/writing-through-reverse-reading</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">I have modified it slightly and added a visual element.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Level: Pre Intermediate and above</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Time:</b> 50 minutes</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Vocabulary:</b> Detective, blow up, bridge, gold bullion, criminal, enemy, thunder and lightning, picturesque, waterfall, nature reserve, evil, magician, poisonous snake, lethal, arrest, jail </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Materials: </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students - Notebook and pen </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher - Download the following images:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHBWqn6PnsWpBBYDW4CJD1kuB7oppSi-4AM60F_4ojHryqT7WmozVE4Ak9k8x34P6sDEQ2YxmYOB0fa1lbg8LNmjh6lXYUwyvQCj7TIfd6ddWyn7_rqfjkmT-XQ_3_C-Ik-ccUarF6mrA/s1600/spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHBWqn6PnsWpBBYDW4CJD1kuB7oppSi-4AM60F_4ojHryqT7WmozVE4Ak9k8x34P6sDEQ2YxmYOB0fa1lbg8LNmjh6lXYUwyvQCj7TIfd6ddWyn7_rqfjkmT-XQ_3_C-Ik-ccUarF6mrA/s320/spy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://eagnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/spy.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://eagnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/spy.jpg</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BiynbdWmN9dJ8QRKKxpdL-HKcvOPCyHihD96AOT0yqL-1117Pj8eCHheU9PzRFOgmcGCIqqhsz8vNzE-Bxl9JCfEb-G1GD6dL17LIzD7yQ3HH6mPKno039-KgzTHS0hmtuD04_s9lLxw/s1600/1228pod01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BiynbdWmN9dJ8QRKKxpdL-HKcvOPCyHihD96AOT0yqL-1117Pj8eCHheU9PzRFOgmcGCIqqhsz8vNzE-Bxl9JCfEb-G1GD6dL17LIzD7yQ3HH6mPKno039-KgzTHS0hmtuD04_s9lLxw/s320/1228pod01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/media/1228pod01.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://online.wsj.com/media/1228pod01.jpg</a><br />
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<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01383/police_arrest_1383846c.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01383/police_arrest_1383846c.jpg</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 1:</b> Explain to students that something terrible happened to you this morning. Student speculate on what this might be. Feed back and note any emergent language. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 2:</b> Tell students that you had a story prepared to read to them, but sadly your dog ate it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 3:</b> Tell students that that they are going to predict what the story was about. Dictate the past tense questions that relate to Mr Jones 'interesting' day.</span><br />
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<ol style="color: #333333; line-height: 15.989583015441895px; margin: 0px 0px 1.33em; padding-left: 2em;">
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was Mr Jones's job?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was he going to do?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was the weather like?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What did he decide to do after that?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What didn't he want to do?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why?</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was the surprising end?</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 4:</b> Students predict the answers. Encourage students to be as imaginative as possible and use dictionaries. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 5:</b> Monitor and check grammar and spelling</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 6: </b>Students mingle and share their prediction with other students</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 7: </b>Tell students that you have some clues that show what really happened (the pictures downloaded above directly relate to the 8 prediction questions) Show each picture in turn and elicit as much detail as possible. Push students to be as descriptive as possible and write emergent language on the board.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 8: </b>Student write the real story by using the picture prompts and the new language on the board.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Follow up:</b> Students can make a story board for homework</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1008728565"></span><span id="goog_1008728566"></span><br /></span>Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-91569807180425858972012-12-22T02:20:00.004-08:002012-12-22T02:20:33.196-08:00Santa's Story - Videotelling Lesson (revisited)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've made some adjustments to my Videotelling lesson from yesterday, as after refection I felt it needed a bit of a re-shape. Actually, if I am truthful, it wasn't wonderful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read it here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>http://canyouwalkonthericepaper.blogspot.com/2012/12/santas-christmas-videotelling-lesson.html</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this spirit, I have modified Jamie Keddie's (<b>http://lessonstream.org/</b>) technique slightly in the story telling stage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead of students responding to the teacher eliciting orally in the story telling stage, they write down their answers and then check these while watching the video. (Teacher should have 10/15 questions prepared for this task. Questions should be open ended if possible pushing students to be as creative as possible) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The reason for this change is that sometimes shy students lose out in the oral eliciting stage, overshadowed by the more confident members of the group. Thus, with this slight adjustment, the former can get creative without the fear of their spontaneous responses being wrong or inferior to their classmates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is not to say that shy students are discouraged from speaking, far from it; all students are given the opportunity to share their creative ideas with the class in a group feedback session after the video has been watched. At this stage, the teacher can really take the students' ideas apart and fully expand the emergent language to its fullest potential. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those of you who are not familiar with Jamie Keddie and Videotelling, I suggest you do. Below is a great example of his technique.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wMVTcq7ZX8</b></span><br />
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<br />Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-84823996224329197052012-12-21T00:20:00.001-08:002012-12-21T00:20:34.659-08:00Santa's Christmas - Videotelling Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSzYfgXMHPzIsFUMiVIabJbnFv7MDuLCaXXyCjdySvyrxKjQY2If4hhw_uQflNAdXJvtigd-MKBsmcbKJYImYXSRIhJM5yvAJA19AvtILb-j9VKOkEz-ETufa9ILsir24EpCKd5PkH24I/s1600/santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSzYfgXMHPzIsFUMiVIabJbnFv7MDuLCaXXyCjdySvyrxKjQY2If4hhw_uQflNAdXJvtigd-MKBsmcbKJYImYXSRIhJM5yvAJA19AvtILb-j9VKOkEz-ETufa9ILsir24EpCKd5PkH24I/s320/santa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;">Santa’s Christmas</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Language Level: Elementary - Pre-Intermediate </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Learner Type: Young teens</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Time: 45 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Topic: Christmas; kindness; love</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Language: Christmas vocabulary; past tense</span><br />
<br />
Preparation, materials and equipment<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">For this activity you will need to ‘</span><span class="long-title" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; line-height: 115%; padding: 0cm;">Santa's Christmas: Learn English with subtitles
- Story for Children</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; line-height: 115%; padding: 0cm;">’ </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><b>From YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwdM8mBUxjM)</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Decide how you are going to show the video to
the class.</span><br />
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><b>Part 1: Introduction</b></span><br />
<br /><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Tell the class that you watched a visually
interesting video about Christmas on Youtube. Get the students to speculate on
what they think the video might be about.</span><br />
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><b>Part 2: Visualisation</b></span><br />
<br /><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Tell the class that you want them to use their
imagination to visualize what you tell them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Say the following:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“I want you to imagine that you are in the
middle of a traditional Christmas scene”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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What sights, sounds and smells do you imagine?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;">After feedback, tell the students the following:<br />
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">There are snow covered trees, and the sky is a
brilliant blue like a tropical ocean. In the background of the video there is
small wooden building. Is has a chimney on the roof <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Why are chimneys important
in cold countries?” (To provide warmth)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What comes out of a chimney?” (Smoke)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Where does the smoke come
from?” (A roaring fire in a fireplace)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside the house two animals
are playing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What animals are playful?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inside the building there is
a large bed and a fire burns in the corner of the room<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">“Does that mean the house is
going to burn down? No? Why not?</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">” (It’s in a
fireplace)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bird sits on a set of drawers beside the large
bed, and a bird sits glumly on it (Concept check ‘glumly’)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What kind of bird do you think it is?” (Owl)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Why do you think the owl is so glum?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Give the students a clue: beside the owl on the
drawer is a thermometer and there is a man in the bed. Beside the bed is a
large sack which is overflowing with unread letters<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Who do you think the man is?” (Santa)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Why is the owl glum? (Because Santa is too sick
to deliver presents)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask the students how Santa feels and how
children around the world will react when they find out this terrible news<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>At this point tell the students to orally summarise
the story so far with their friend (1 minute on the stopwatch)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell the student that Santa hears a noise
outside<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What has caused this noise?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Something is out of breath (concept check)
outside the window; something that is of vital importance to Santa every year.”
(Reindeer)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What’s wrong with the reindeer? Why are they
out of breath?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell the students that there is something behind
the reindeers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“What are they pulling?” (</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Sledge</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell the students that inside the sledge is
something surprising (Kids)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Why are the kids in the sledges?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Explain that Santa hears all of these strange
noises outside his bedroom window<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“How does Santa feel?” (Curious)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell the students that Santa opens the door and
in front of him stands a little girl<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What do you think she wants?” (To give Santa a
gift)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“She gives him something soft and cuddly. What
could it be?” (Teddy bear)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell student sthat the children come one by one
(concept check) to give Santa a present<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What other presents do you think they give to
Santa?” (Tree, cookies, socks, jigsaw etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“How do you think Santa feels?” (Over the moon –
concept check and explain what an idiom is)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Santa gets all the kids to stand in a big
circle, and one little girl asks him a question<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What do you think the question is?” (What
present do you like best?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What is Santa’s reply?” (Santa says the kid’s
love and kindness is the finest gift of all)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What do you think Santa does next?” (Gives all
the children an big hug)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7. Now show the video to the class.</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Follow up 1<br />
Students are given a list of key words from the story and have to recreate the
story in the past tense<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Follow up 2</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Higher level students could write an opinion
paragraph on which is more important: love and kindness or gifts? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Follow up 3<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students can write a diary entry for Santa on the
events of that day</span></span><span style="background-color: #ffefef; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-63278619242133520192012-11-23T20:44:00.000-08:002012-11-23T20:44:57.789-08:00Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Thailand 2Being only a stones throw from my house, I often go to Nai Yang on my day off. It's such a lovely place to relax and listen to the waves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpuXlLYxL9zIxzrhXp-M_grfvuQ_wtq8-4ZE_4eogcPrebL7o1b2SBj8VpS8x74UbWO-ObF4vZX8TByH8LNYzLFIz0q51eRfwPUV0rliqboUFTQMZ1xhL2RN8mYy6iTYwaKjqxqOJBZfC/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpuXlLYxL9zIxzrhXp-M_grfvuQ_wtq8-4ZE_4eogcPrebL7o1b2SBj8VpS8x74UbWO-ObF4vZX8TByH8LNYzLFIz0q51eRfwPUV0rliqboUFTQMZ1xhL2RN8mYy6iTYwaKjqxqOJBZfC/s400/DSC_0010.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Coral on driftwood<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-hS-f_8-2gvOKdjy8QC5gf_HV-eHuOPnO_GAOVTbubd2z3uMLOm-bWT9749EkcOkEO1eezO3md69LSJbWakG50_OuQhua_osF8KmX06sNrNWR02M-y3Mpqo3Eszk1t5KtlMMY6dsaG6Q/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-hS-f_8-2gvOKdjy8QC5gf_HV-eHuOPnO_GAOVTbubd2z3uMLOm-bWT9749EkcOkEO1eezO3md69LSJbWakG50_OuQhua_osF8KmX06sNrNWR02M-y3Mpqo3Eszk1t5KtlMMY6dsaG6Q/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The crabs roll intricate patterns of sand balls. I thought some time ago that they were eggs, but I have been told otherwise by a man in the know. Cool all the same. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KO0vQEm2tCy1OXm3nXyjdeGtgo_HRTIlEw4U-6q1YA4vBnDgxJweuLhm3WH8J_NFsgJzFaMQYhcceYptHcq9gVXskSq-kw82Dw3R9w-V0xLW9ZAW1N7PzJmmVdLA8l7n6yWtEbtdSf6Z/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KO0vQEm2tCy1OXm3nXyjdeGtgo_HRTIlEw4U-6q1YA4vBnDgxJweuLhm3WH8J_NFsgJzFaMQYhcceYptHcq9gVXskSq-kw82Dw3R9w-V0xLW9ZAW1N7PzJmmVdLA8l7n6yWtEbtdSf6Z/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" /></a></div><br />
God, he said quietly. Isn't the sea what Algy calls it: a grey sweet mother? The snotgreen sea. The scrotumtightening sea. (Ulysses - Joyce)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q20eTPKKP4jfDFUJtNB4fywsmZuAvkZ_ht23UmQwPxxHr5vHc81DgIq6jWX26bFb-VZKBbpRzJvG1CNb9yMuKMG3nDF1Ys72S5ht87CVhjZYYREdlMFXH8E6mCGzC2BynoAKilEH8iy2/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q20eTPKKP4jfDFUJtNB4fywsmZuAvkZ_ht23UmQwPxxHr5vHc81DgIq6jWX26bFb-VZKBbpRzJvG1CNb9yMuKMG3nDF1Ys72S5ht87CVhjZYYREdlMFXH8E6mCGzC2BynoAKilEH8iy2/s400/DSC_0042.JPG" /></a></div><br />
You could catch some tasty dinner in one of those babies. <br />
<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-71300633841129833022012-11-17T23:50:00.000-08:002012-11-17T23:50:18.456-08:00Collaborative Writing and Peer Correction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLCEUZH63fpo_5Kxhss6K1V56WcKIK8DXx4vcfcgs1lcTTqobpVL4LXTHpj3eQXGkF3h-Z-gMZuSniMgUHmgPLB8HnjKetY0UA68QFAzG2mA4AITe_zIuVUWogHd9mmHMYp4x8Tbt4eod/s1600/William+Turner+-+Landscape+with+a+River+and+a+Bay+in+the+Background+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="303" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLCEUZH63fpo_5Kxhss6K1V56WcKIK8DXx4vcfcgs1lcTTqobpVL4LXTHpj3eQXGkF3h-Z-gMZuSniMgUHmgPLB8HnjKetY0UA68QFAzG2mA4AITe_zIuVUWogHd9mmHMYp4x8Tbt4eod/s400/William+Turner+-+Landscape+with+a+River+and+a+Bay+in+the+Background+.JPG" /></a></div><br />
(William Turner: Landscape with a River Bay in the Backgraound.)<br />
<br />
This activity is great for reviewing vocabulary as well as improving writing fluency and accuracy. <br />
<br />
Language Level: Pre-Intermediate and above<br />
Learner Type: teens and adults<br />
Time: 30 minutes<br />
Topic: Vocabulary Review; writing fluency; peer correction <br />
Language: Vocabulary; general grammar review<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation, materials and equipment</b><br />
<br />
1. For this activity you will need a blank piece of paper for each student. Alternatively, students can use their notebooks.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 1: Introduction</b><br />
<br />
2. Spider diagram target previously taught vocabulary on the whiteboard; review and drill. <br />
<br />
<b>Part 2: Instruction</b><br />
<br />
3. Tell students that they have to work as a team to make a story; this is done in 10 stages: in the first stage they have to write for 30 seconds and then pass the paper to their left; in the second stage they write for 1 minute and then pass; in the third stage one minute thirty seconds etc. Continue until ten stages have been completed.<br />
<br />
4. Write a sentence starter on the whiteboard for each student in the class: eg. “Suddenly” or “And then something wonderful happened”. The teacher should be creative at this stage.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Part 3: Productive Skills</b><br />
<br />
5. Students continue the sentence and then pass their piece of paper or notebook to their left. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Note</b><br />
<br />
Point out that students need to read and correct the work passed to them before adding their own work.<br />
<br />
6. This process continues with the teacher timing the students on a stopwatch. The teacher should also encourage slower students to speed up.<br />
<br />
7. The process continues until students have gone through ten stages.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By the end of the productive stage, students will be energized and attentive.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Part 4: Peer Correction<br />
</b><br />
8. Tell students they have 30 seconds to correct the work in front of them using a red pen.<br />
<br />
<br />
9. After 30 seconds, students pass the corrected work to their left and peer correct again.<br />
<br />
<br />
10. This process is continued until students have their original starter word in front of them.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 5: Oration</b><br />
<br />
11. Individually, students read each collaborative story and teacher records them.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 6: Vote</b><br />
<br />
12. Students vote on which story they liked best and why.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 7: Teacher Correction</b><br />
<br />
13. Teacher explains any common errors on the white board.<br />
<br />
<b>Follow up: </b><br />
<br />
14. Email the most popular story to the students; students can use the video for intensive listening practice at home, writing the story as they hear it. <br />
<br />
15. Students can translate the story voted best in to L1 and translate it back into L2 at home. <br />
<br />
16. Students can continue the story at home and present it at the beginning of the next lesson.<br />
<br />
<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-31898947455097582712012-11-14T05:29:00.000-08:002012-11-14T05:29:47.976-08:00IELTS Writing Task 1 Lesson on Addictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cs3b7jbD111mad_x1UiFTXe6wSRX1D6r8sh14NFkiQ3zi7xupMidyKq2fQxaVc2rmM2MOMOY04LVDoczmR18u64Sec2rv0QjWfEW3koYzCTNUzQJYtKoL6MzJqMggpweVYBqoMEA3zvA/s1600/internet-addiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="333" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cs3b7jbD111mad_x1UiFTXe6wSRX1D6r8sh14NFkiQ3zi7xupMidyKq2fQxaVc2rmM2MOMOY04LVDoczmR18u64Sec2rv0QjWfEW3koYzCTNUzQJYtKoL6MzJqMggpweVYBqoMEA3zvA/s400/internet-addiction.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Introducing IELTS Speaking Task 1</b><br />
<br />
Language Level: Intermediate + <br />
Learner Type: High teens to adults<br />
Time: 60 minutes<br />
Topic: IELTS Speaking Task 1; Addictions; Deductive reading<br />
Language: Questions forms; language of addiction; modals of deduction<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation, materials and equipment</b><br />
<br />
1. For this activity you will need to copy a paragraph about internet addiction onto an A4 piece of paper. Tear a column 4cms wide down the left and right side of the page. Photocopy the remaining middle section of the page. Copy and paste the article from here: <br />
<br />
http://mashable.com/2012/02/22/internet-addiction-numbers/<br />
<br />
<b>Part 1: Introduction</b><br />
<br />
2. Show the class the picture and ask students to discuss the person’s story with their partner. Students then write one sentence explaining who the person is and what has happened to him. (the man is addicted to the internet)<br />
<br />
Link to photo:<br />
<br />
(http://www.channelstv.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/internet-addiction.jpg)<br />
<br />
<b>Part 2: Feedback </b><br />
<br />
3. Groups write their sentences on the whiteboard; teacher focuses on emergent language, and corrects sentences if necessary; drill; elicit when necessary. <br />
<br />
<b>Part 3: Deductive Reading</b><br />
<br />
4. Hand out the prepared middle section of the paragraph. Students work together in groups to deduce the whole of the paragraph from the section they have. Highlight the need to use modals of deduction when conversing: might, could, must, may, etc.<br />
<br />
5. After 10 minutes, the groups mingle and compare information. <br />
<br />
6. Hand out original, read and make corrections.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 4: Useful vocabulary<br />
</b><br />
<br />
7. Draw students attention to the language of addiction<br />
<br />
Words and Expressions<br />
<br />
<b>addiction</b><br />
<b>to be addicted to</b><br />
<b>addict</b><br />
<b>addictive</b><br />
<b>to be (get)hooked on</b><br />
<b>to kick a habit</b><br />
<b>to overcome an addiction</b><br />
<br />
Examples:<br />
<br />
Internet <b>addiction</b> is a problem.<br />
He is <b>addicted to</b> computer games.<br />
He is a real television <b>addict</b>.<br />
Gambling can become <b>addictive</b>. <br />
She is<b> hooked on</b> gambling.<br />
He smokes, but he wants to <b>kick the habit</b>.<br />
It is difficult <b>to overcome an addiction</b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Part 5: Introduce IELTS Writing Task 1</b><br />
<br />
8. Outline task 1 and model a question and answer on the whiteboard.<br />
9. Outline answer structure: (Direct answer + extra piece of information explaining your answer + example)<br />
<br />
<b>Eg: “Please describe your apartment"<br />
</b><br />
“<b>My apartment is tiny but functional. Presently, being a student, all I need is my computer desk and somewhere to put my head down at night.”<br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Part 6: Question forming</b><br />
<br />
10. Write 5 question words on the white board and tell student to form some simple questions about internet addiction; draw their attention to useful vocabulary from part 4.<br />
<br />
<b>“How many…?”<br />
“Where…?”<br />
“Which…?”<br />
“Why…?”<br />
“How often…?”<b></b></b><br />
<br />
11. Monitor and correct when necessary.<br />
<br />
12. In pairs, one student plays the examiner and the other the student. Tell student to pay particular attention to their partner’s answers as they will need the information later. Ask and answer questions in full.<br />
<br />
<b>Follow up: </b><br />
<br />
13. Students write a summary of their partner’s answers<br />
14. Student research and internet story about addiction and prepare a 2 minute presentation at home for the next lesson.Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-65531090374905098042012-11-09T18:52:00.000-08:002012-11-09T23:43:38.294-08:00Ranting Under the Stars in Phuket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD1U1v-K1HLckcfDNVdPsvnZ6lkb8vDinvmTZjqtrxa_4OsLIxutaM1DBBdGmjZIXq6Z1h5w1gTgL4k9t5DX2_AK2eXe7EC79yEsGXKBHsQLABMsiU-cpdryQgVvMTng-OrYcQQwj4_4_/s1600/boxer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="224" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD1U1v-K1HLckcfDNVdPsvnZ6lkb8vDinvmTZjqtrxa_4OsLIxutaM1DBBdGmjZIXq6Z1h5w1gTgL4k9t5DX2_AK2eXe7EC79yEsGXKBHsQLABMsiU-cpdryQgVvMTng-OrYcQQwj4_4_/s400/boxer.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Painting by Pierre Koukjian (http://pierrekoukjian.com/)<br />
<br />
Moving house is a tiresome business. Kay and I are tired, but this is not something to bemoan as we’re happy, settled and sensitive to the fragility of life and our place within it. Thus, tomorrow, being our day off we intend to rest and bathe in red wine. It’s the only way. <br />
<br />
Currently, I’m wading my way through Dostoevsky’s ‘The Idiot’ and being a novel full of agonizing cruelty and deceit, it provides a soothing backdrop to my every day activities in Phuket. Daily contact with lies, theft, gossip, underage pregnancy, a revolving staff turnover, mosquito infestation, rats and wife beating all compete for my attention, but I feel reinvigorated by Russian tales infidelity and introspection.<br />
<br />
“Long live Fyodor!”<br />
<br />
Living in a foreign country has its moments of frustration. These can cause one to react in outbursts of spiteful indignation. Nasty caustic words are hissed and then regretted; people are offended and disappear never to be seen again. These undesirable occurrences are a result, as I see it, of cultural egoism and arrogance and it’s essential to recognize these traits to remain sane. In consequence, I have worked hard over the last few years to understand why confusion between cultures comes about; it has been an enlightening albeit laborious process. Over time, the bewilderment one feels when something doesn't fit your cultural experience, begins to melt away allowing to cultural patterns of thought and behavior to emerge. As a result, actions that were once seem as “irrational” are dealt with more level-headedly, and one becomes more in tune with how the other culture operates. Therefore, experience teaches which action is appropriate to achieve the maximum social harmony within a given cultural context and utterances of “wh” questions over trivial matters decrease in number. <br />
<br />
These days I find myself reacting with an ironical smile rather than disgust when I get charged a ‘Farang price’ on goods or services in Thailand. For example, one day last year I fell victim to this unofficial dual-pricing at a local nature reserve. Consequently, I found myself at home, wriggling in my chair completely at a lost. Why did this happen? Did I not earn Thai Baht, too? Surely these people feel shame, dishonour, corrupt and degraded by such actions? Gloomily and reluctantly, I asked a Thai acquaintance why this crass system of daylight robbery occurred. His answer got me thinking: “Because Farang are rich” he said, his face beaming with sincerity. Suddenly, I felt a moment of spiritual darkness; vague expressions and phrases pulsated inside my head. Is my brain functioning correctly? Conscious of eyes watching me I said with genuine passion: “So why are rich Thais exempt from paying the higher rate?” He giggled like a school boy; his upper lip twitched as if in spasm. He stood up, excused himself and left the room. I now refrain from asking “why” questions in Thailand. <br />
<br />
Presently, I feel rather more at home in Phuket. Whether this is due to me becoming more learned in the intricacies and nuances of Thai culture or something else, I am unsure. After all, it’s tough being objective a foreign land. Whatever the causal factors may be, I feel mellower now, less likely to plunge into darkness over a situation that I can’t relate to. <br />
<br />
As a result, I've become aware that a position of cultural relativism is desirable when living in a developing country. What’s the alternative? Hang out in ex-pat bars, drink yourself to death and listen to Jimmy, a roofer from Essex, foaming at the mouth about how things wouldn't be done like this is England bla bla bla... Balls to that! I'd rather vomit. Not only are the majority of ex-pats lecherous, they are also disproportionately irritable over every trifle. Of course there are many upstanding exceptions to this, but few come to mind. Thus, I keep my distance and try with utmost precision to converse with constructive members of society. These, however, are thin on the ground. <br />
<br />
In short, life is good: I live near the beach, eat nice food, drink average wine and don’t detest life. Moreover, my tug-of-war with Thai culture has reached a point of learned understanding and acceptance, allowing me to look to the future with a cynical, yet loving smile. <br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-23962239658796590342012-11-05T22:44:00.000-08:002012-11-05T22:44:17.795-08:00Videotelling Lesson Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrTpAuGEd825HhB3q_Ku5WXoALMeeXlRE7tXtvDwTfiCoK7qGfOHjfgwbWQIU5uPVqOID_Rnm-Gn8nhMvEaAhTPsf815ifxKpNG-rTjpkdFXDIslb2mFuKTFtEeKL513Z-sJIWtj1bEa2/s1600/cubist-still-life-lichtenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="298" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrTpAuGEd825HhB3q_Ku5WXoALMeeXlRE7tXtvDwTfiCoK7qGfOHjfgwbWQIU5uPVqOID_Rnm-Gn8nhMvEaAhTPsf815ifxKpNG-rTjpkdFXDIslb2mFuKTFtEeKL513Z-sJIWtj1bEa2/s400/cubist-still-life-lichtenstein.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Guinness Record</b><br />
<br />
<b>Language Level</b>: Pre-Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate (A2-B1)<br />
<b>Learner Type</b>: Young teens to adults<br />
<b>Time</b>: 45 minutes<br />
<b>Topic</b>: Guinness Record Breakers; unusual people; social exclusion; empathy<br />
<b>Language</b>: Superlatives; present narrative tenses; various vocabularies<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation, materials and equipment</b><br />
<br />
1. For this activity you will need to stream “Smallest man meets woman with longest legs.” From YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dJCfzyxTEY)<br />
2. Decide how you are going to show the video to the class.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 1: Introduction</b><br />
<br />
1. Tell the class that you watched a visually interesting video on Youtube. Get the students to speculate on what they think the video might be about.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 2: Visualisation</b><br />
<br />
1. Tell the class that you want them to use their imagination to visualize what you tell them.<br />
<br />
<b>Say the following</b>: <br />
<br />
<b>“I want you to imagine that you are in central London, in a famous place called Trafalgar Square.<br />
<br />
What sights, sounds and smells do you imagine?</b><br />
<br />
There are many people going about their business (concept check “going about their business”) although it is a grey, dull day. The sky is full of clouds and it is threatening to rain. (concept check “threatening to rain”) In the background of the video there is an old, traditional building (concept check “traditional”) with Roman pillars at its front entrance. Inside the building there are many famous paintings. (What do you call a place where art is displayed?-art gallery) <br />
<br />
<b>What do you think the atmosphere is like in an art gallery</b>?<br />
<br />
On the roof of the art gallery there is a flag pole with a British Union Jack fluttering in the breeze (concept check “fluttering in the breeze”) In the foreground of the picture there are some very steep steps (concept check “steep”) and there are two people standing on the steps. The first person is an extremely peculiar woman. <br />
<br />
<b>What do you think is peculiar about her?</b><br />
<br />
Then tell students that a part of the ladies body is too long; students speculate again. Once they have guessed that it’s the woman’s legs, move on) She’s a very fashionable (concept check “fashionable”) lady. <br />
<br />
<b>What clothes do you think this fashionable lady is wearing?</b><br />
<br />
She’s wearing a fashionable blue party dress and gold high heel shoes. (Concept check “high heel shoes”) She is standing with her hands on her hips. (Concept check “hands on hips”) <br />
<br />
<b>Why do people sometimes stand with their hands on their hips? (elicit “to pose”)</b><br />
<br />
Her hair is fashionable. In fact, it looks like she has been to the hairdressers that afternoon. <br />
<br />
<b>What hair style do you think she has? Describe it.<br />
</b><br />
<br />
She has short, blonde hair and she must use lots of hairspray. (Concept check “hairspray”) <br />
<br />
2. At this point ask students to summarise orally what they know about the video already in pairs. (speaking for 1 minute without stopping)<br />
<br />
3. Continue the story: I told you at the beginning that there were two people standing on the steps. Let me tell you about the second peculiar person. He is standing between the ladies legs. <br />
<br />
<b>What do you think he looks like?</b><br />
<br />
He is tiny. (ask students if they know what name is given to abnormally small people – dwarf) He’s wearing unusual (concept check “unusual”) green boots. The kind of boots with a pointed toe that one Santa’s helpers would wear. (Get a student to draw what they think the boots might look like on the board.) He’s also wearing a blue and gold traditional Chinese male suit and he has spiky (concept check “spiky”) hair like a punk. (concept check “punk”) An audience (concept check “audience”) has formed around the foot of the steps and people are taking photographs. Even a policeman has stopped for a nosey (concept check “nosey”) <br />
<br />
4. At this point, tell the students that the dwarf is holding a large book, and many people are taking photos of him and the lady. <br />
<br />
<b>Write the question on the board: <br />
</b><br />
<b>What book do you think the dwarf is holding and why?</b><br />
<br />
5. Feedback and write any emergent language on the board.<br />
<br />
6. The dwarf is holding the Guinness Book of records as he is the world’s smallest man and the lady has the world’s longest legs.<br />
<br />
7. Now show the video to the class.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Follow up 1<br />
</b><br />
Students can write a first person narrative account of a day in the life or either the woman or the man.<br />
<br />
<b>Follow up 2</b><br />
For higher level students introduce the concepts of isolation and loneliness and get them to write a pessimistic diary entry in 10 minutes. For homework they could write a diary entry from an optimistic point of view.<br />
<br />
<b>Follow up 3</b><br />
The lady and the dwarf go for a drink after the photo shoot. Students write a role-play of their conversation. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-3021892604487109052012-10-24T07:40:00.001-07:002012-10-24T07:40:21.977-07:00Amphawa, ThailandI was a little apprehensive before coming to Amphawa due to its tourist credentials; however, one can have a distinctive, dare I say, authentic experience with careful planning. In short, finding the right accommodation is the key. <br />
<br />
The are a multitude of places to stay close to the main town; these are to be avoided. Do a little research and venture further up river. A long tail boat and merry captain with set you back about 700 Baht per day, allowing you to sail around the beautiful meanders of the Mae Khlong River sipping on a cold beer. Good times.<br />
<br />
Just a couple of kilometres up one of the many tributaries houses stand on stilts, their back doors flirting dangerous with the water line, leaving one baffled at inhabitants desire to gamble with the elements. In fact, just last year the area was badly affected by flooding; however, the locals, undaunted by this mere trifle, continue to carry on as if nothing had happened. Braves souls if you ask me. I slept approximately fifteen metres from the waters edge and my dreams were filled with choppy seas and vaporous swamp lizards. <br />
<br />
Here are some pics of the area:<br />
<br />
This was the scene from the breakfast table.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tsLa2RP7_MHtVPq0wmdhUubAT7TPRFQ-K5Vuhymts9p-PffXPVtOrb3GUoaswM0wvBzBeGwXDXiSGbSe4Inv6ub8py5xnCHLsZF6Q472n8tRMXwXUi6sCj8fvkVRPPHjjhkmnxUSRO4T/s1600/DSC_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tsLa2RP7_MHtVPq0wmdhUubAT7TPRFQ-K5Vuhymts9p-PffXPVtOrb3GUoaswM0wvBzBeGwXDXiSGbSe4Inv6ub8py5xnCHLsZF6Q472n8tRMXwXUi6sCj8fvkVRPPHjjhkmnxUSRO4T/s400/DSC_0147.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Twats with snakes:<br />
<br />
"You photo snake, no worry. Little money. Come come."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkawhmmtI67mwve8ZYyuvSIR9_HzeYbwOeM6LBA0jfB4ltUJXLorYzu5HHnBdSSrcVHeLrAx6pX4sNjRDO6a71K-YLs2HgHceDBijfxhUM1IewqfZy6BKYRVz2u8JtV5Vipn7PGFhR7Iy/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkawhmmtI67mwve8ZYyuvSIR9_HzeYbwOeM6LBA0jfB4ltUJXLorYzu5HHnBdSSrcVHeLrAx6pX4sNjRDO6a71K-YLs2HgHceDBijfxhUM1IewqfZy6BKYRVz2u8JtV5Vipn7PGFhR7Iy/s400/DSC_0025.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-38718693691550785142012-10-24T06:37:00.000-07:002012-10-24T06:37:12.254-07:00Ayutthaya, Thailand"Only a fool could not take a decent picture in Ayutthaya."<br />
<br />
These are the very words that I thought after doing some pre-trip wiki-research. Predictably true to form, I managed to take millions of pictures most of which could have been bettered by a blind chip wasted on ketamine. <br />
<br />
Here are the pick of the pitiful bunch:<br />
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-90536407142924869612012-10-21T08:55:00.001-07:002012-10-21T08:55:54.066-07:00Chinatown, Bangkok, ThailandA chaotic place that wavers little in its intensity from dusk till dawn. The senses are tortured from all angles leaving you in someone of a spin. Enter Bangkok's Chinatown well rested and ready for action. <br />
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Due to my inability to take a decent photograph, I don't feel that the madness of this place was fully captured in my pictures, but never mind. Here are a couple of tasters anyway:<br />
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-55692081268222282232012-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:002012-10-21T08:47:07.881-07:00Sky Buffet, Bangkok, ThailandIf you have a head, and more importantly, a stomach for heights, then get yourself to the Sky Buffet in the Baiyoke Tower 2 in Bangkok's Ratchathewi district. Dinner on the 83 floor is a visual treat and the food is dam fine, too. when you have eaten your fill of the all-you-can-eat buffet, there is only one short flight of stairs separating you from the 360 degree revolving roof deck. Here you can observe a panoramic view of Thailand's capital. <br />
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiyoke_Tower_II<br />
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Here's a minute selection of some of the food on offer:<br />
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-17874968018015142532012-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:002012-10-21T08:30:17.570-07:00Bangkok Cityscape, ThailandShot from the hotel room balcony.<br />
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And again.<br />
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Shot from the top of the Baiyoke Tower II: <br />
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiyoke_Tower_II<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEruHpahJtiI-8HJ9XyWE3Ied8GvehSwAN5MWrkcdEdKZ2WMzwLo4BziXptE7203u6VPv_0JM2sy3u8Zq4saHfgIAv5WzFpTJbDY-GiebX8yzJaRWMjJ5e5GK25d3jFl1irXBJU6hra_W/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEruHpahJtiI-8HJ9XyWE3Ied8GvehSwAN5MWrkcdEdKZ2WMzwLo4BziXptE7203u6VPv_0JM2sy3u8Zq4saHfgIAv5WzFpTJbDY-GiebX8yzJaRWMjJ5e5GK25d3jFl1irXBJU6hra_W/s400/DSC_0476.JPG" /></a></div>Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-63527535091515517302012-10-18T07:26:00.000-07:002012-10-18T07:26:59.655-07:00Tasty Thai FoodI arrived back this evening from a seven day trip in Central Thailand. Here are a few of the dishes that I enjoyed the most. <br />
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Pad Thai wrapped in an omelette and my holiday book, which is a dam fine accompaniment to any long trip.<br />
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Som Tam<br />
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And again.<br />
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Sexed up White Snapper<br />
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Moo Ma Now <br />
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Tom Kha Kai<br />
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Tom Yum Goong<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-67658360018518403652012-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:002012-10-09T20:34:43.561-07:00Rusian Honey Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6Bg382awwfwlcdWxvscG76xbvlCQyBO1dEH0iLtk5q31dMHnto3GOpYB2p1yc5WId385yt_-zFTWCzwyAgMIDUZAsjAjj5MEDnmZyuHUkmHoQbgE4aG8Qb_QtPN-1cWWT6lMbfE-hZqg/s1600/DSC_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6Bg382awwfwlcdWxvscG76xbvlCQyBO1dEH0iLtk5q31dMHnto3GOpYB2p1yc5WId385yt_-zFTWCzwyAgMIDUZAsjAjj5MEDnmZyuHUkmHoQbgE4aG8Qb_QtPN-1cWWT6lMbfE-hZqg/s400/DSC_0181.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It was my birthday recently and, in keeping with tradition, I received a cake, which I took great pleasure in sharing with my students and colleagues. To my surprise this was not your standard sponge and cream affair. I was informed that it was a 'Russian cake.' Now, a gastronome I am not, far from it, but I do like dabble a little in foreign cuisine, and what sat in front of me was uncharted territory. <br />
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The cake from above looked nothing more than a standard sponge with crushed biscuits sprinkled on top. How wrong I was. From the side, a multitude of layers were visible; white, cream and various shades of brown sat spaced delicately on top of one another giving it a look of great complexity, but at the same time it overall appearance was that of simple, honest home faire. <br />
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The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and in this case the pudding excelled. It tasted like nothing any of us had tried before. Subtle honey sweetness engaged the taste buds and this was followed by a creamy deeper honey essence once swallowed. It was a strange sensation. Rich, heavy and ultra sweet, three adjectives I would not usually desire for when cake shopping, were the elements that brought it into its own. <br />
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I found out later after a little internet gimping, that the dessert in question in ’15 Layer Traditional Russian Cake.’ Thus, in case anyone wants to have a blast at making it at home, I have included a recipe and a few photos of my birthday delight. Enjoy. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4DQRWlesEbIJQoUG85x6cealPkeEN5vTaupHQNrUMelfvYmrZjhgda6HbZWb1NBFOxwBBwEnMpM_pXl_DQC5iEc03CydpSmXfPo6QYURa-ktLtcp1oL2h_9PB80ejFjfLyOKovZ_qObE/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4DQRWlesEbIJQoUG85x6cealPkeEN5vTaupHQNrUMelfvYmrZjhgda6HbZWb1NBFOxwBBwEnMpM_pXl_DQC5iEc03CydpSmXfPo6QYURa-ktLtcp1oL2h_9PB80ejFjfLyOKovZ_qObE/s400/DSC_0185.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Recipe:<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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2 eggs<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 tablespoon liquid honey<br />
100 g margarine or 100 g butter<br />
2 cups flour<br />
Cream Filling and Coating<br />
750 g sour cream<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
250 -300 g crushed plain sweet biscuit crumbs, for coating<br />
1/2-1 cup ground walnuts, for coating<br />
Directions:<br />
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1 Preheat oven to 180°C.<br />
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2 Beat eggs well with sugar; add baking soda and liquid honey (warm).<br />
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3 Melt the margarine/butter in a casserole or pot; add the mixture (margarine should not be too hot).<br />
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4 Put the casserole on a low heat, add the flour while mixing and mix until the mass is without lumps (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.<br />
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5 Dip the dough in flour, divide, roll each layer very thin (1-2mm), cut circles as round as possible (approx 18cm diameter), and bake at 180°C for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown in colour; repeat with remaining dough and allow to cool before assembling.<br />
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6 Beat sour cream, sugar and honey until the sugar dissolves-the mixture will still be fairly liquid.<br />
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7 Coat each layer with a generous layer of cream; assemble the cake, coat the sides with cream and sprinkle top and sides with crumbs and ground walnuts. Allow to set at least 6 hours before eating.<br />
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Nutritional Facts for 15 Layer Russian Honey Cake<br />
Serving Size: 1 (94 g)<br />
Servings Per Recipe: 16<br />
Amount Per Serving% Daily ValueCalories 282.4 Calories from Fat 14651%Total Fat 16.2 g25%Saturated Fat 6.5 g32%Cholesterol 46.6 mg15%Sodium 183.1 mg7%Total Carbohydrate 31.4 g10%Dietary Fiber 0.5 g2%Sugars 19.4 g77%Protein 3.7 g7%<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfbkL6YY7j12rt6ZUhUKAyOJAIkc7-KtqDip_yravcrtNHSOsdaBm1gLxH-gfFQIQOwt8ZNw4D3KI6m6-P8Cb4fRLbw8eqqPjyQD1m_WRzRJjCGXLJPDqzVMXocLltfYpmGoDako9mxnt/s1600/russian+cake+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="265" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfbkL6YY7j12rt6ZUhUKAyOJAIkc7-KtqDip_yravcrtNHSOsdaBm1gLxH-gfFQIQOwt8ZNw4D3KI6m6-P8Cb4fRLbw8eqqPjyQD1m_WRzRJjCGXLJPDqzVMXocLltfYpmGoDako9mxnt/s400/russian+cake+pic.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Recipe from food.com<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-84361765267897855632012-10-09T19:49:00.002-07:002012-10-09T19:50:39.437-07:00Mai Khao Beach, Phuket, ThailandJust a short dander from the bridge which links Phuket and the mainland is Mai Khao beach. It's an unspoilt, skinny stretch of sand that is a nice place to stop and eat as the beach side restaurants here are really tasty. So, if you are leaving Phuket by land, stop and have some spicy prawn soup and breath in the goodness.<br />
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Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-44970827257511979052012-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:002012-10-01T21:27:09.544-07:00Visas Blues in Phuket <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgbr2r_U-sl9iRGtzDzBqFtO57MP3r3gCcWHeogXgk4WWff8DmoBBER18XBm9lpnvcYQ23fb2GccJiERVlBtg7TiL8sjRgj0THsZgX8rwzkdcvaZpkGf9GuXblg3MDUi2cFeHMgfoCPOb/s1600/Noe-Two-Phuket-Graffiti-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgbr2r_U-sl9iRGtzDzBqFtO57MP3r3gCcWHeogXgk4WWff8DmoBBER18XBm9lpnvcYQ23fb2GccJiERVlBtg7TiL8sjRgj0THsZgX8rwzkdcvaZpkGf9GuXblg3MDUi2cFeHMgfoCPOb/s400/Noe-Two-Phuket-Graffiti-art.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Some cool Graffiti in Phuket town by the French artist NOE TWO. <br />
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http://www.isthisthefuture.co.uk/category/artist/noe-two-france/<br />
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Living in a foreign land has its moments of frustration, and Thailand is no exception. Mundane tasks like going to the market can turn into epic misadventures for the uninitiated. Daily, I observe foreigners with knitted brows and twisted features gesticulating manically at ticket touts. For some, dealing with a traffic attendant can cause a twitchiness in the left arm that will one day have them curling up in pain like a like a caterpillar on floor. Subtle differences in culture unknowingly result in resentment for unsuspecting travelers and locals alike. Over the last decade or so, I have lived, for extended periods of time, in a number of countries, China being one of them. And in all places conflict ebbs and flows between the local population and bright eyed visitors. However, nowhere suffers from this problem quite so acutely, in my experience, than Phuket. A paradise island it may be, but for the ten million visitors who grace its golden shores annually, certain cultural nuances cause them to act in ways that leave them searching deep inside themselves for answers. <br />
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Choosing a place in Phuket that epitomizes the above is not easy due to the fact that there are so many, but, if one feels like having a peep at the darker side of human nature, a place where grown men are reduced to blubbering messes and cultural arrogance meets theatre, then Phuket town’s immigration office is your first port of call.<br />
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For those who have not been to Phuket Immigration office, count yourself fortunate. It is a stuffy little box in which six distinct sets of people frequent for visa reasons: leather faces old men with droopy elbow skin, women with leather faces with even droopier elbow skin, gangly Russian women hobbling about in tasteless 10 inch heels, hung over thugs in sportswear stinking of booze and stale cigarettes, stoic faced men in suits staring at Blackberries, and yacht people wearing deck shoes and knee length chino shorts with sun glasses on their head. All are here for to get an extension on their visa and all anxiously avert eye contact. A silent, frantic atmosphere envelops the room and the only sounds that can be heard are conversations in broken English between the officers and the expectant visa hopefuls. All of which are tinged with mistrust and the threat of violence.<br />
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“I wanna apply for my marrage visa.”<br />
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“You, sign your name!”<br />
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“I did already, see?”<br />
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“I said, you sign name! You have name?”<br />
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“There it is right there!” (points with finger)<br />
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“No name. You have name, yeah? You not have name? You come back. You not correct paper.”<br />
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“Look, I was here last week and he (points condescendingly at another officer) told me which documents to bring. And here they are.” (sarcastically drops papers onto the desk; mouth opens to reveal tobacco stained teeth; right eye twitches in rhythmic spasms.)<br />
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“You go get son birth certificate.”<br />
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“Why do I need that for a marriage visa? I have done this for 10 years and never before have I needed that, and what’s more, HE said I didn’t need it. (points again at the other officer who shuffles uncomfortably in his chair.)<br />
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“You go.”<br />
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“What do I need to bring!” (teeth clench and spittle forms and the corner of the mouth; eyes red and protruding.)<br />
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In situations like this the officer is in full control. The visa applicant is wholly dependent on him and the man in uniform plays this game in full knowledge of his powerful position. It can be painful to watch. Two diametrically opposed cultures are at logger heads and at pains to meet half way, but the reality is that there can only be one victor; therefore, the applicant inevitably leaves either happy or embittered, and the officer doesn't care. Why would he? He’s only doing his job after all. <br />
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After experiencing many encounters like the above I am not really surprised that the officers act in this way. Every day they come face to face with angry foreigners who are frustrated by the often nonsensical mountain of bureaucracy that they have to climb. Consequently, both parties are frustrated and short tempered and fireworks are inevitable. For me, though, I refuse to let this formality get the better of me. I smile and am always well prepared. Nothing can fluster me while I am in the chair. I wear blinkers, blocking out the silliness around me, focused on my goal. This goal was achieved again last week when I was granted another one year visa. As I walked out the office and the midday sun caused me to squint, I smiled warmly at a pensioner and his twenty five year old wife, safe in the knowledge that it would be ninety full days until I had to set foot in the place again.<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-11920973845921614172012-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:002012-09-20T08:04:51.892-07:00Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, ThailandNai Yang beach is tucked away in the north west corner of Phuket only a stones throw from the airport. Around half of the beach is fringed by Sirinath National Park which also includes the reef at the north end of the beach. As a consequence there are no shops of any description giving the place a relaxed old fashioned feel. The beach is great for those who like a walk as its golden sands stretch for miles, but unfortunately it is not a place for swimming. The rip tides here are lethal. Sadly many people ignore the red warning flags and perish. Relax, have a beer and relax is my advice.<br />
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Here's where Nai Yang is on a map of Phuket:<br />
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Being the tail end of the monsoon here in Phuket today, the weather wasn't perfect; however, I took some shots to give you an idea what the place is like. <br />
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You can see a plane taking off from the airport, which is meters from the north end of the beach.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk03Ejpm1Abl1p37f6l86WJ6nW5fsb2j2W3G7Z83MLQnwrAePqxVsiBWJD6PHdWFIMN_unkMdTqScvDdfPHVDHTp5PvaRsWquAOTdvGZVZ_8uq6ItztaJwXPRg5H3IECa3viH714vD7dug/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk03Ejpm1Abl1p37f6l86WJ6nW5fsb2j2W3G7Z83MLQnwrAePqxVsiBWJD6PHdWFIMN_unkMdTqScvDdfPHVDHTp5PvaRsWquAOTdvGZVZ_8uq6ItztaJwXPRg5H3IECa3viH714vD7dug/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzNjG7XjOCCPW089CO_Yxh9C2eJ5IdjnDGaobU0915jXxbmjI1fJxa1t4_GdRmmtbOQ22BPx17ISSY2Qnwby2kT53nOhxfEm5hADxonzjp6MRFBxucvuAtVvqpiH0moegMSlS1tcAmAFm/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzNjG7XjOCCPW089CO_Yxh9C2eJ5IdjnDGaobU0915jXxbmjI1fJxa1t4_GdRmmtbOQ22BPx17ISSY2Qnwby2kT53nOhxfEm5hADxonzjp6MRFBxucvuAtVvqpiH0moegMSlS1tcAmAFm/s400/DSC_0034.JPG" /></a></div><br />
A pair of pants stretched over a coat-hanger and placed inside a tire. Why not, I say.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRSjXz1r3tp4RYNy0EFMHwo_hXsPFIvC1lDIBxfejPYjVvyrYqZG9UEux7O43vmO34EnUp3T2BMmEbRy9Q0bItiVRsOlnEkijaJB4RqhowbKTcxZAwySvm0qXNKlm3zA6fkp6bn_i3Ma3/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRSjXz1r3tp4RYNy0EFMHwo_hXsPFIvC1lDIBxfejPYjVvyrYqZG9UEux7O43vmO34EnUp3T2BMmEbRy9Q0bItiVRsOlnEkijaJB4RqhowbKTcxZAwySvm0qXNKlm3zA6fkp6bn_i3Ma3/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9wb3fwv5xr6EvjgEBKCm0lYzDYRqaGdamwHch91kx5Ru2pj3lzPrjGpXPXLTZnDOQMwicJ4WaQUPP6y27wYtIR1vnjhScd3SeiMavNR6tt2sifGg8iVC2qayENfhs_bJJbHQZ0SlrfFH/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9wb3fwv5xr6EvjgEBKCm0lYzDYRqaGdamwHch91kx5Ru2pj3lzPrjGpXPXLTZnDOQMwicJ4WaQUPP6y27wYtIR1vnjhScd3SeiMavNR6tt2sifGg8iVC2qayENfhs_bJJbHQZ0SlrfFH/s400/DSC_0035.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHGHPv8VTzStUFcwQ7Iesizted6kQU3ckaUG0LXVvO-jmi2G_F9Ibg96e1t1yZkjXU4ShPd1EI7g8_M7lGxGCC7ntRMHjSWNhPNaV9f5wNITSVHfaUk1G8l59rFTjPcvBstNgeiIJQZI3/s1600/DSC_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHGHPv8VTzStUFcwQ7Iesizted6kQU3ckaUG0LXVvO-jmi2G_F9Ibg96e1t1yZkjXU4ShPd1EI7g8_M7lGxGCC7ntRMHjSWNhPNaV9f5wNITSVHfaUk1G8l59rFTjPcvBstNgeiIJQZI3/s400/DSC_0067.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627613231977586493.post-76984724769872597982012-09-15T20:26:00.001-07:002012-09-15T20:26:58.030-07:00Using a Novel for Uncovering Emergent Language and Retaining it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdAu_3TVOgG1cqUf28wjsjQZhx9eMvvaxCs23ibIh3jAgrYtRpRPX724Zk4ctWeIEB-XFOgl2RqaKxsjp0ztczsTq-lvAAKdvNQdrXH_mPdDXBrj1Ft4YYwMN0oiD9bYIQRkj3xZTRDGQ/s1600/vocabulary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="218" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdAu_3TVOgG1cqUf28wjsjQZhx9eMvvaxCs23ibIh3jAgrYtRpRPX724Zk4ctWeIEB-XFOgl2RqaKxsjp0ztczsTq-lvAAKdvNQdrXH_mPdDXBrj1Ft4YYwMN0oiD9bYIQRkj3xZTRDGQ/s400/vocabulary.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A technique I have been using a lot this semester. <br />
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•Read a chapter of a graded reader to your students while they close their eyes and listen. <br />
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•Hand out a copy of the chapter and allow children to read silently and underline unknown vocabulary.<br />
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•Students go into groups and talk about unknown vocabulary and phrases.<br />
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•Groups swap and students share information about unknown vocabulary.<br />
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•Once group have circulated, have class feedback on the board around a spider diagram.<br />
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•The teacher then elicits each new word’s part of speech and how the word is used in the chapter.<br />
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•Teacher then uses information given by students to write a coherent sentence beside the word on the spider diagram.<br />
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•Repeat this for all words. <br />
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•Drill the sentences concentrating on word stress.<br />
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•In pairs students translate sentences into L1.<br />
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•When completed, rub the board and allow groups to chat in L1 to modify their answers.<br />
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•Back in pairs, students recreate the sentences from L1 to L2.<br />
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•When completed, students see the original sentences again and self-correct.<br />
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•Drill sentences and vocabulary for the final time<br />
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•Follow up homework: students have to write a present tense summary of the chapter using all of the emergent vocabulary from the lesson.<br />
Singapore Dividend Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984990866059977120noreply@blogger.com0