Smart Choice Unit #9 (week 13)

Dear Students,

I hope you enjoyed the class hugging eachother bowing and all the other ways that we could greet each other.  It was certainly an intersting class for me to find out about some of the lesser know customs of korea; very useful for a foreigner!


Smart Choice

So the vocabulary list is pretty short this week, so no need to talk about that any further.

The main topic was to give advice to someone who has made a cultral mistake ot to talk about how to avoid these troublesome situations.

After pouring a drink of soju for my wife's father.

"Ian, you shouldn't have done that!" 
"you should have used two hands!"

Looking at a picture of a guy in jail. 

"He shouldn't have gotten so drunk!"

Then there is the other occassion where you give advice by saying what you would have done.

After pouring a drink of soju for my father-in-law.

"What would you have done?"

"I would have held the soju bottle with two hands."


Grammar (to say what somone should have done)


SHOULD  /  WOULD  +  HAVE  + VERB (P.P.)


What would you have done?
I would have taken my shoes off.

What should I have done?
You should have taken your shoes off.

For some practice of these questions download the work book pages.


Work book DOWNLOADS

Pages:  49, 50, 51, 52, 53.


Extra

We did the quiz for episode 24. 'Pilot Nick'
In this episode Nick is dressed as a piolet, and attracts lots of attention form women.  Hector becomes a stewardess and Bridget makes a big mistake.  Annie gets upset again!


Homework

1. Review Unit #9.  Print or send you scoresheets.
2. Do the reading pages 76 & 77
3. Watch Extra Ep.25.  Do the workbook questions as you watch.
4. Final Test: Choose a partner & start preparing your dialogue.  Download the guidelines below for help.
5. Do Workbook questions (optional download).

Final Speaking Test Guidelines DOWNLOAD

See you next class!

Smart Choice Unit #8 (week 12)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to Ian's Blog once again.  I know we are nearing the end of the fall semester and everyone's eyes are firmly focused on the extra long winter break, but we still have four weeks to go, two units to study, five units to review, a final speaking and written test to go....so don't take your foot of the accelerator or your hands off the wheel just yet, we haven't arrived at our destination.  Destination "I passed English Conversation I & II" is just around the corner...

I know what you are thinking;  my life would be great if I didn't have to study English or take any tests, but that is just a fantasy.  You are probably also thinking,  If I had loads of money to enjoy the Winter Vacation instead of working, my life would be great.  But again, just a fantasy.


Smart Choice

Lets use the 2nd conditional in a more positive manner.  If I pass my course with an A*, I will be able to get my dream job.  The second conditional is nothing to be afraid of.  Just think of it as two parts, the if clause and the RESULT (consequence).

If + simple past  /  would/could/might +simple present tense

If I were taller, I could slam dunk this basketball.

If I won the lotto, I would make a generous donation to save the children.

If I had a dollar for everytime my students asked me that question, I would be a millionaire.


The degree of certainty can be incorporated into the statement by using wouldn't / could / might in place of would. 

or add an adverb to describe how the action is done.

If I had her phone number, I would probably phone her.



If you would like some more practice of the second conditional, you could download the workbook exercsies below...


Workbook Downloads

Pages 44, 45, 46, 47, 48.

Or go to this website  2nd Conditional exercises.


Extra

Episode 23

Truth or Dare (one of the funnier episodes) is all about the flatmates struggling to tell the truth in their daily life and the consequences of doing so.



Homework

1. Review Unit 8 and print or send the scoresheet to me.
2. Do the reading pages 68&69 (check next class).
3. Watch Extra Ep.24.
4. Pilot Nick

See you next week!

Smart Choice Unit #7 (Week 11)

Hello all,

I hope you enjoyed the class talking about what changes you have made to your appearance and talking about different celebrity looks.   After this class you should be able to describe someone's appearance, and also be able to talk about your own appearance and past looks.  The focus of the lesson was to use passive voice to talk about getting beauty treatment.  (using active makes it sound as if you did it to yourself).

For some light hearted humour follow this link. Dove Video.


Passive Voice

subject + have/get + pronoun + object + past participle (verb).

The focus of the class was to be able to talk about having / getting something done.

Examples

I had my hair cut    not   I cut my hair.

I got my nails manicured.     not    I manicured my nails.

the verb have or get shows the tense of the sentence (like the verb to be does in unit 2).

I'm going to get my hair permed next weekend.

I get my hair highlighted every summer.


However, sometimes you need to use the active voice. 
For instance, when you talk about your beard or shaving-things you do yourself.

I shaved off my mustache.  
I grew a beard. 
(these things you do yourself)


Workbook Downloads

For some practice of using the vocabulary and the passive voice download the worksheets.

Unit #7 workbook pages 39, 40, 41, 42, 43.


Extra

We did the Extra quiz Episode 22  Haunting at Halloween

• It's halloweena nd the flatmates are getting into the spirit of things
• Bernard, the neighbour loses his marbles (cat).
• Hector tells a scary ghost story
• Nick should beware of the number three and Black hair
• Bridget goes to see Anne-Marie her fortune teller
• Annie tries to predict the future using a Crystal Ball (goldfish bowl)

Homework

1. Watch Extra Episode 23
2. Review Unit #7 Time for a makeover!  Do CDrom and print of send scoresheet
3. Do the reading pages 60&61 'The Makeover Queen' (check next class)
4. Download the workbook pages from my blog (come to me with any queries)

Any questions-come see me in room 309.


See you next week!

Smart Choice Unit #6 (Week 10)

Students,

We are on the home straight!  The second half of the semester has begun.  I hadn't realized how little time we have left together until I looked at the calendar and saw that Christmas is only 8 weeks away.


Smart Choice

In this week's class we studied adjectives and adverbs.

What is the difference? 

Adjectives describe (modify) the noun.

e.g.  Ji-sun Park is quick.

Adverbs describe (modify) the verb but can also modify the adjective, too.

e.g.  Ji-sun Park runs quickly.
e.g.  Ji-sun Park is extremely quick.

For a quick explanation from class of adjectives and adverbs check out this segment of my powerpoint presentation.  Link.
To watch the fun video form class about adverbs folow the link "Fun Video".


Grammar

We also talked about the past using PAST PERFECT (the time before the time before).

In the book it is used to talk about an event in the past in relation to another past event.


Examples and explanations

I had never been to a foreign country until I went to China last week.

Last week I went to China.
Before last week, I had never been to another country.


When we arrived at the train station, our train had already left.

We arrived late at the train station.
Before we got to the station, our train departed.


For practice using the Past Perfect Tense follow this link. 


Work book downloads

For the work book downloads of this unit follow the links below.

Unit #6 Workbook pages 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.


Extra

We did the sixth quiz Ep.21.
In this episode, "The Entertainers", Nick and Hector start a business catering for Rich Children's Parties called Posh Parties. 
Annie is learning how to hypnotise. 
Bridget hopes to meet celebrities and so agrees to dress up as a fairy and help the boys. 
Annie eventually arrives to save the day.


Homework


1. Review unit #6: do the CDrom and send or print your scoresheet.
2. Do the reading on pages 50&51.  We will check the answers at the start of next class.
3. Watch Extra Ep.22 and do your workbook in preperation for the quiz.
4. Optional.  Download workbook exercises and do them. 
5. Also optional.  Prepare a short strory about an nighmare holiday using Past Perfect tense and as many adjectives and adverbs as you can.  Be descriptive!


See you next week!