On Screen p 107. Report: William Shakespeare Course. Cloze

 Introduction

The (0) aim of this report is to describe and evaluate the four-week William Shakespeare course that I (1)___________ at the community college in April, as well as assess (2)___________ usefulness and give some recommendations.

Content

The course approached the works of Shakespeare in a way (3)__________ I found to be quite novel and thoroughly engaging. As a class, we did not look at a play in its entirety, but parts of different works (4)___________ connected themes such as love, ambition and conscience. This enabled us to trace the development of Shakespeare's views. In addition, the tutor drew wonderful parallels between Shakespeare and present-day situations. This brought Shakespeare to (5)______________ and made the works very accessible.

Organisation

The classes were very well-organised. The course objectives were clearly explained at the start and the class discussion was directed towards (6)_____________ achievements. Due to this, we were able to cover all of the material. Our tutor was also very firm in steering us along the way- while encouraging plenty of discussion, she ensured we never strayed far from the topic (7)____________ hand. Clearly, the tutor is a very experienced and competent teacher.

Atmosphere

The course was conducted in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. There was encouragement from the tutor, as well as a good rapport (8)___________ class members. The relaxed nature of this course put everyone (9)___________ ease and this promoted a risk-free atmosphere in which participants could express their views without fear or hesitation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe anyone attending this course would find it stimulating. It is particularly useful to students of English literature who will gain new insight into Shakespeare, but equally of value to anyone who enjoys a lively discussion. In the (10)_____________ of this, I would suggest each session be slightly longer in order to accommodate further discussion.

KEY

1. attended

 

 

 

2. its 

 

 

 

3. which

 

 

 

4. through

 

 

 

5. life

 

 

6. their

 

 

 

7.  at/in

at hand

needing to be dealt with now. Happening or present at this time. Sp. que nos ocupa. E.g.The space shuttle crew must stay completely focused on the task at hand.    Peter turned his attention to the task at hand.

in hand:

the job, question, etc. in hand is the one that you are dealing with.

E.g.
Please confine your comments to the topic in hand. 

task in hand Sp. tarea en cuestión  

matter in hand Sp. asunto en cuestión

 

8. between

 

 

 

9. at 

 

 

 

10. light

in the light of sth/ in light of sth

in view of, after considering something. because of. E.g. In light of recent incidents, we are asking our customers to take particular care of their personal belongings. He rewrote the book in the light of further research. In light of recent developments, we're postponing our meeting. In the light of the weather forecast we've cancelled the picnic,

On Screen p 39. Education. Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England has been asked to write a contribution to a blog about Education around the world. His assignment is to write about Education in Spain. While doing his research, he came across these pictures on Google related to education in Spain. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on education in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.

1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. What are the most popular teaching methodologies in Spain? What new methodological trends are becoming popular? Have traditional teaching methods outlived their usefulness in your country? How do Spanish children learn best?
3. What are the advantages and drawbacks of online learning in Spain?
4. Do Spanish schools invest heavily in new technologies? Do new technologies improve students' performance? 
5. What are the strengths of the Spanish Education? What problems do schools face in Spain? How do your schools deal with bullying?
6. Is studying at university a guarantee for future employment in Spain? Do they prepare people for the real world in your country? Why? Why not?
7. Do Spanish university students study away from home in order to get a degree? Do Spanish people think that studying in a foreign country on an Erasmus grant is something positive or not?
8. Does vocational training have a high status in Spain?
9. Do the Spaniards have lifelong learning opportunities? How are they being promoted?
10. What controversial issues do schools have to deal with in your country? Is religion a controversial subject at Spanish schools? Do Spanish parents have a say in what moral or sexual issues the schools can teach to their children?
11. Have there been any cutbacks in Education in Spain? What have been their effects?
12. Do many students drop out of school or university in Spain? Is it common for students to play truant? Why do you think these things happen? 
13. Have discipline problems worsened in Spanish schools in recent times? Compare what you know of these issues with your own school days. What punishments do successfully act as a deterrent in Spain? Are student sometimes suspended from school? and expelled?
14. Do Spanish students cheat in exams even at the university level? What do people think about it?
15. Are teachers considered role models in Spain? Does the media give them prominence? 

Useful language to describe a chart:
 
This chart illustrates how...
This chart compares...
The results that are shown in the chart are...
As can be seen from these results, ...
According to this chart, 
From the data in the above chart, it is apparent that ...
We can see on this chart how... 
The chart indicates that...
The chart represents...
The information given in the chart...
The percentage of people who... is shown on the chart.  
The chart shows quite clearly the impact of... 

Close-up p 118. Listening. Vocabulary

 bounce ideas (off somebody)/(around) to tell somebody your ideas in order to find out what they think about them

• He bounced ideas off colleagues everywhere he went.

conscientiously adverb   /ˌkɒnʃiˈenʃəsli/       ​in a careful and correct way. E.g.  She performed all her duties conscientiously.

The protégé effect is the idea that, when students explain study material to others, it reinforces their understanding.

thoroughly adverb     /ˈθʌrəli/ completely and with great attention to detail

• Wash the fruit thoroughly before use.
• The work had not been done very thoroughly

 

Close-up p 115. Reported Speech

Do you keep a diary?

Would you like to keep one?

What are the benefits of keeping a diary?


We are going to read a diary. Try to answer these questions:

• When and where in history was this diary written?
• What sort of person does this diary belong to? Young or old? Famous or not famous?
• What’s going on in this person’s life right now?

__________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED SPEECH. Report what the diary writer writes:

ONE
Around 8pm I heard shouts from people's windows. The collective chanting is...




a form of self-empowerment.

 
E.g. He said that around 8 pm he had heard...





TWO
The world is quiet, and the silence is...



horrifying. I live alone, so I can only tell there are other human beings around from...



the occasional noises in the corridor.

 
THREE
Going out makes me feel that I am still...



connected to the world. It's very difficult to imagine how elderly citizens living alone and people with disabilities will get...



through this.

 
FOUR
One of my goals is not to fall 



sick, so I have to make myself exercise. Food is crucial to survival too, so 



I have to know whether there is enough supply.

 
FIVE
Many more people are wearing  



masks. Friends have told me to stock 



up on supplies. Rice and noodles have almost 



sold out.

 
SIX
The government hasn't said how long the lockdown 



will last, nor how we can carry on functioning. People are saying it might 



last until May.

 
SEVEN
After going home, I washed 



all my clothes and took 



a shower. Personal 



hygiene is 



important - I think I am washing my hands 



20 to 30 times a day.

 
EIGHT
On the first day of the lockdown, I couldn't write anything about it on social 



media. Internet censorship has existed for a long time here, but now it feels even more cruel.

_________________________________________________________
I’m sure you’ve guessed the situation. 
This is a diary from a citizen of 


Wuhan, the Chinese city that 



was at the epicentre of the outbreak of 



the new coronavirus. In January 2020, the Chinese government imposed 



a lockdown to prevent an 



epidemic. 



This was the first known instance in modern history of locking down a city the size of London.
 

Click here to read Guo Jing’s diary extract on the BBC website.

- Rewrite similar diary entries about your own country, which is experiencing a similar lockdown situation. 

E.g. 
Our government has forbidden us to go out to do sport.

The health authorities have recommended wearing masks

The media insists that we stay at home and be patient.

The security services demand that we follow the rules and regulations


- Make a list all the problems and concerns that people must be experiencing right now.


E.g. Shoppers complain about the lack ...



of toilet rolls.


At 8.00 pm people go out on their balconies to congratulate 



the health services for their efforts. 


Family members remind one another ...



to keep fit.


I admit to...



having the fridge door always open. 


- Which of the things we have mentioned do you find most difficult to deal with

Possibilities include:

• The fear of falling ill
• The loneliness
• Anger
• The silence of the city
• Having limited access to outdoors
• Worrying about friends and loved ones
• Having to pay such detailed attention to personal hygiene
• Not knowing how long the lockdown will last
• Worrying about food supplies

A video from the Wuhan lockdown:

https://youtu.be/t_PSSTP8ROg 


  


Thanks for joining this videoconference.
 Stay safe and have a great weekend.
  :)