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Tuesday 28 May 2013

Articles - How to write them

What is AN ARTICLE?
An article...
•  ... is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal, website or blog.
•  ... is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers’ attention
•  ... may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions
•  ... can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience
•  ... should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner
•  ... should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts
•  ... is in a less formal style than a report

An article can...
•  ... describe an experience, event, person or place
•  ... present an opinion or balanced argument
•  ... compare and contrast  
•  ... provide information
•  ... offer suggestions
•  ... offer advice

A realistic article should consist of...

1.  an eye-catching  title  which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the theme of the article.  (Think about why you read a magazine or newspaper article  recently - what made you read it?)  Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.

2.  an  introduction  which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s attention. It could even be a question as in sample A, to get the reader involved.

3.  the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.

4.  the conclusion - summarising the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or comment.



Sample A

               Playa Papagayo: a dream location (1 title)

Do you want to know one of the best beaches in Spain? Come to Lanzarote. In the National Park of Los Ajaches you can find one of the finest beaches in Europe. You can easily access the beach either by car or sailing. (2 introduction)

There are several reasons why this beach will surprise you once you get there. First of all, you'll be delighted by the spectacular views from the top of the dunes. Crystal clear lukewarm waters, where you can safely swim or dive and be surrounded by colourful fish. (3 developing your ideas)

Then, the fine sand will cover you feet and you'll be able to lie and sunbathe very close to the sea with almost no waves. And, finally if you are hungry or thirsty you can climb up the dunes and sit on a terrace contemplating the impressive views while having a cool beer, a great Mojito or some delicious fish dish to munch on. (4 developing your ideas)

What are you waiting for? Come to Papagayo beach, in my opinion one of the nicest beaches in Europe where you can enjoy the nice weather, the great views of the sea, and the lovely food and drinks and a lively atmosphere.(5 opinion)


Sample B

Some more things to bear in mind:

• Where is the article going to appear?  (In a magazine.) 
• Who are the intended readers?  (Probably a fairly wide age group.) 
• What is the aim of the article?  (To talk about your experiences, good and bad, while studying abroad)
 

Have you studied abroad?           

Have you spent time studying in another country?  We
invite you, our readers, to submit an article on your
experiences in that country, to be included in our
forthcoming series on living and studying abroad.
Share your experiences with us.  Tell us what you 
studied and about any difficulties you faced while
you were there.  Have you changed as a result of this?


LEARNING ABOUT LIFE 

Studying abroad is an exciting experience, giving you the opportunity to learn more about the 
traditions and culture of the host country and its people. Apart from the excellent education I 
received during three years in England, I also made a wide circle of friends and improved my 
language skills. I learned how to face and deal with various problems, and as a result, have 
become more independent and self-confident. 

I studied English Literature and this, along with making many friends both at university and 
through the part-time job I had, helped improve my English. Although I already spoke the 
language quite well, when I first arrived I had trouble understanding some accents and the 
slang or colloquialisms that are in everyday use.  Now I am a much more fluent and natural 
speaker, and my writing has improved, too. 

The biggest problems I faced were finding somewhere to live when I did not know the area 
well, getting the electricity and phone connected and generally learning to look after myself.  
I had to get used to shopping, cooking and doing the housework, as well as studying and 
working, so I quickly mastered the art of planning my time sensibly. Although adapting to 
living in a new country is not easy, once the initial homesickness and missing the family has 
been overcome, learning to fend for yourself certainly makes you a more independent person, 
and definitely more self-confident. My time abroad helped me grow as a person and I feel I 
could tackle any problem now in a calm and confident manner, 
without having to immediately ask someone for their help.  


Bits & pieces


Read the following paragraphs... 

... on reading.
Curling up with a good book and reading for pleasure or relaxation is less common now than it used to be.  Increasingly, people are using electronic books on their home computers.  There is endless choice and it saves on the expense of buying that new book you so want to read by your favourite author.  This trend, though, adds a whole new dimension to reading just a few chapters before you go to sleep, snuggled up under your duvet.  Difficult with a computer! 

In the preceding paragraph, the topic - reading - is stated in the first sentence and informs the reader exactly what the whole paragraph is going to continue to discuss. 

... on technologies.
Today, it is a science fact that technology has advanced to the point where anything is possible.  Used as a means of increasing productivity, many factories are switching to automation - R2D2 does not require holidays, a bigger office, sick pay, a pension, and, most importantly, he does not go on strike. 

... on eco-friendly houses.
Although initially building a subterranean home is more expensive than a conventional home, in the long run it can save the owner a great deal of money in heating and air-conditioning costs. These homes require much less energy, as the temperature of soil is relatively stable and concrete walls store the heat, but keep the place warm at night.



Listening exam training

These are a series of listenings so you can have a bit more of guided training for the exam. We will work on some of them in class this week, as long as time allows.

They are organised in the same order as the tasks in the copy I gave you in class.

Track 2
 

Track 17
 

Track 14
 

Track 26
   

Track 20  
 

Track 27
 

Monday 27 May 2013

Speaking Exam tips & facts

Hey there! Ready for your oral exams? Well, you'd better be, since they're just round the corner! I'd like to give you a few tips, though nothing new for you, really.

Well, the first thing is about your nerves.The less nervous you are the better you will perform, so do whatever you need to do to stay as calm as possible, breath in and off you go!

You will pick ONE CARD ONLY, both for presentation and interaction, so there's no choice really, as there used to be.

You will have around 15 minutes to prepare both tasks, while the previous couple is doing the exam. You can take notes, as a way of outline, but don't write long sentences. This way you won't be tempted to keep looking at your notes searching for that wonderful structure you came up with.

You are supposed to give a continuous coherent speech, linking one idea with the following (cohesion), by using a variety of structures and connectors. So the questions or prompts that you find on the cards are to be used as a guide. Of course, you can add ideas of your own, as long as you stick to the topic.

Control your timing, as it will help you produce a coherent speech. Ideally you will provide some sentence as an introduction, then you will refer to the topic for a couple of minutes or a bit more, and then conclude. However, if your nerves just make you forget about all this, don't panick! You can still pass the exam anyway. You will speak for 3 minutes on your own.

As regards your interaction task, a key point is to respond to your partner's interventions as naturally as you would in real communication (of course I agree that it is quite artificial anyway), so remember to use question tags, and sentence fillers such as you know, like I said, really?, sounds great, wow!, no way!, and so on.

Well, and I think that's about it! Good luck when picking your cards!

And remember to STAY COOL & CALM!

Sunday 26 May 2013

Getting ready for your final exams

Oh, well! Here we are already, can you believe it? It has definitely been a great year, and so will your results be.
Be sure that you'll do your best, so please please, leave your nerves at home. The moment you close your front door behind you to come to the exam next Wednesday, just allow yourself to THINK POSITIVE.

There are a few things I would like to remind you:

You can only write in BLACK or BLUE ink. No other colours allowed.
    
No pencil. At least neither in the ANSWER GRIDS nor in the WRITING.
    
Any kind of gadgetry forbidden on tables. ESPECIALLY MOBILES 
So if you need a watch to check on your timing, remember to bring it from home.

Only ONE WRITING TASK. No choice, sorry!
So revise all text type formats.

Only ONE CARD for presentation and ONE CARD for interaction.
So you need to have a good command of all the topics.

And I think that's about it.


I wish you all the best luck!!!

Dirt and germs for kids?


This is the video that we saw in class from a TV talk show. You have to download it to watch again.


Download key

WRITING EXAM - Tips and Facts

As you very well know, this will be the third part of your exam. You will have 60 minutes to develop the task (225 words), so it is of outmost importance to get yourself very well organised before you start.

Tips

Organise your piece of writing. 

               Develop a brief outline before you start writing.
               Decide how many paragraphs and the main ideas in each.
               Remember to conclude with a nice sentence, it's the icing      
                                                                                        on your cake!
               And if it is an interaction task, remember the greetings.

Timing sample:


1. Read instructions... 2 minutes
2. Prepare outline... 10 minutes
3. Reflect on your choice of vocabulary, structures and connectors... 5 minutes
4. Write final version...  38 minutes
5. Revise and correct final text... 5 minutes
Total = 60 minutes


Allow yourself at least five minutes for proof reading. 

               Check spelling.
               Make sure you don't overuse connectors.
               Go through you punctuation marks.

Avoid writing sentences that take more than two lines. English speakers don't write 5-line sentences. It's quite unnatural and it will give you away.

Facts

Sometimes we forget register conventions, so remember:

               Formal....    Greetings and farewells
                                  No contractions
                                  Vocabulary choice
                                  Formal connectors

              Informal...   Greetings and farewells
                                  Contractions
                                  Vocabulary choice
                                  Idioms and proverbs
                                  Less formal connectors

TEXT TYPES

An article (opinion or for & against)
A report (goods and services)
A formal letter (of complaint, responding to an ad, a cover letter)
An informal letter or email
An opinion essay
A for & against essay
A short story
A post in a website
Film reviews
Descriptions of places (idyllic places)
Recommendations for places to visit





For and Against Essays - how to write them



"for and against" essay is a formal piece of writing in which a topic is considered from opposing points of view. You should present both sides in a fair way by discussing them objectively and in equal detail. 

A good essay of this type should consist of:

a) an introductory paragraph in which you clearly state the topic to be discussed, without giving your opinion;
b) a main body in which the points for and against along with your justificationsexamples or reasons are presented in separate paragraphs; and
c) a closing paragraph in which you state your opinion or give a balanced consideration of the topic.

Note: Opinion words (I think, I believe, In my opinion, etc.) can only be used in the closing paragraph where you give your opinion on the topic.

Points to consider

 Before you start writing your essay you should make a list of the points for and against.
• Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence which summarises the topic of the paragraph.
e.g. In addition, many people feel reading is a relaxing and worthwhile activity.
• Do not use informal style (e.g. short formscolloquial language, etc.) or strong language to express your opinion (e.g. I know…, etc.). Express your opinion in a non-emotional way (e.g. It seems that, I therefore feel, etc.).
• Well-known quotations relevant to the topic you are writing about will make your composition more interesting. For example, if you are writing an essay on education, a quotation you may include is: "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." (Will Durant)


Useful expressions and linking words or phrases

 To list points:
Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally

• To list advantages:
One/Another/A further/An additional (major) advantage of… is … 
The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …

• To list disadvantages:
One/Another/ A further/An additional (major) disadvantage/drawback of. The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage /drawback of… 
Another negative aspect of…


• To introduce points/arguments for or against:

One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of… / against
 It could be argued that…
It is widely argued that…..
It is generally felt/believed/held that...

Some/many/most people/experts/scientist/skeptics/critics...
... claim/suggest/argue/feel that…
... maintain/believe/point out/agree/hold that…
... are in favour of/against…

... are of the opinion that/convinced that…
... are opposed to…

 To add more points to the same topic:
in addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, not to mention (the fact) that, also, not only … but also/as well, both … and...
   There is another side to the issue/question/argument of…

• To make contrasting points:
on the other hand, however, still, yet, but, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so,
it may be said/argued/claimed that,…
others/many people oppose this viewpoint/strongly disagree…, claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect/misguided
although, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that)

• To introduce examples:

for example, for instance, such as, like, in particular, particularly, especially
This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that… 
One/A clear/striking/ typical example of (this)… 
The fact that…. shows/illustrates that…

• To emphasise a point:
clearly, obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say, indeed

• To explain/clarify a point:
in other words, that is to say, this/which means that

• To express cause: 
due to (the fact that), given that, because, as, since

 To express effect: 
therefore, thus, as a result/consequence, consequently, so, for this reason, 
If… were to happen, … the effect/result would be…

 To express intention: 
to, so as to, in order to, so that, with the intention of (+ing)

 Conclusion expressing balanced considerations
In conclusion,
On balance,
All things considered,
Taking everything into account/consideration,
To conclude,
To sum up,
All in all,
Finally/Lastly,

NOTE
  1. A for and against essay can end in a balanced consideration in which you restate that there are points forand against the topic using appropriate expressions given above.
  2. Alternatevely, it can end by expressing an opinion, in which case you state, directly or indirectly, that you are either in favour of or against the topic, using appropriate expressions given above.