Peter's English Cafe
Coffee? No. But quite the menu.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Monday, September 15, 2014
Useful Websites (thanks to Oxford U. Press)
Oxford English Dictionary
http://dictionary.oed.com/
Rhyming dictionary and thesaurus
http://www.rhymezone.com/
Newspapers and magazines:
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/
Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
The Student Standard
http://student.thestandard.com.hk/student/index.asp
Time
http://www.time.com/time/
English learning blogs and websites
BBC Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
siu82english
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/siu82english
Stay tuned to Ms Mo
http://www.claudiamo.com/content/pages/staytuned.php
Wilson's Language Blog
http://wilson_comix.mysinablog.com/index.php
Free e-book:
Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Genres and text types
Genre and text type checklists
http://www.sac.sa.edu.au/Library/Library/Topics/Literacy/literacy.htm
http://dictionary.oed.com/
Rhyming dictionary and thesaurus
http://www.rhymezone.com/
Newspapers and magazines:
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/
Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
The Student Standard
http://student.thestandard.com.hk/student/index.asp
Time
http://www.time.com/time/
English learning blogs and websites
BBC Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
siu82english
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/siu82english
Stay tuned to Ms Mo
http://www.claudiamo.com/content/pages/staytuned.php
Wilson's Language Blog
http://wilson_comix.mysinablog.com/index.php
Free e-book:
Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Genres and text types
Genre and text type checklists
http://www.sac.sa.edu.au/Library/Library/Topics/Literacy/literacy.htm
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Monday, June 4, 2012
What is required for an Oral Presentation? Some Tips
Discusss
Common Mistakes; Suggestions for Improvement:
1. Talking without pausing - Suggestions:
Don't talk too quickly.
Stop and breathe at the end of sentences.
The best speakers in the world are not the fastest.
2. Don't talk with a monotone voice. You will not sound interested.
People usually stop listening when speakers have little intonation.
Stress important words by speaking louder, higher, lower or slower.
3.Too much intonation - Suggestions: Too much intonation is not natural. Other students may laugh at you! Practice stressing important words by presenting to your classmates.
4. Reading notes - Suggestions:
- Talk to people, not note cards, in presentations.
- Students who write too many notes usually look less confident.
- Looking down stops you speaking clearly and confidently.
5. Mispronunciation of character names - Suggestions:- Learn how to pronounce character names correctly.
- Ask your friends or teachers if you don't know how to say a word.
- Say other words if you still don't know. e.g. the woman, her boyfriend, the hero, the bad guy. - When giving a presentation, DO NOT copy a film review from the Internet.
6. Plagiarism - Suggestions:
- Published articles and books often have words that you do not know so you won't sound natural.
- Your teachers know your level. They will know when you copy!
7. Think about the topic you are given.
Your talk should be related to the topic.
Interaction means that you listen to others.
8. Becoming a character - Suggestions:
- You can respond to what you say yourself.
- Don't make a speech or ignore what the last speaker said.
9. Turn-taking; reasons for opinions - Suggestions:
- You don't need to take turns, one after the other, in interactions.
- Natural discussions are less planned. Speak as soon as you have something to say.
- Give support for your opinions.
10. Nervous start - Suggestions:- Everyone is nervous before an oral exam.
- Try to use English before your presentation or interaction.
- If you talk English to your classmates beforehand, you will understand them more during the interaction.
11. Not interrupting - Suggestions:
- Some students could speak all day! You must interrupt them to have a chance to speak.
- Wait until they finish a sentence then speak.
- Be brave! Say, 'Excuse me...' or 'Sorry to interrupt you...' then begin.
12. Not serious enough - Suggestions:
- When nervous, some students giggle and can be silly.
- You can laugh and have fun during an interaction.
- However, teachers do not like silly comments.
13. Not asking for clarification - Suggestions:
Students may say a word wrongly. You should ask, 'What do you mean by... ?' This shows you are following the discussion.
Common Mistakes; Suggestions for Improvement:
1. Talking without pausing - Suggestions:
Don't talk too quickly.
Stop and breathe at the end of sentences.
The best speakers in the world are not the fastest.
2. Don't talk with a monotone voice. You will not sound interested.
People usually stop listening when speakers have little intonation.
Stress important words by speaking louder, higher, lower or slower.
3.Too much intonation - Suggestions: Too much intonation is not natural. Other students may laugh at you! Practice stressing important words by presenting to your classmates.
4. Reading notes - Suggestions:
- Talk to people, not note cards, in presentations.
- Students who write too many notes usually look less confident.
- Looking down stops you speaking clearly and confidently.
5. Mispronunciation of character names - Suggestions:- Learn how to pronounce character names correctly.
- Ask your friends or teachers if you don't know how to say a word.
- Say other words if you still don't know. e.g. the woman, her boyfriend, the hero, the bad guy. - When giving a presentation, DO NOT copy a film review from the Internet.
6. Plagiarism - Suggestions:
- Published articles and books often have words that you do not know so you won't sound natural.
- Your teachers know your level. They will know when you copy!
7. Think about the topic you are given.
Your talk should be related to the topic.
Interaction means that you listen to others.
8. Becoming a character - Suggestions:
- You can respond to what you say yourself.
- Don't make a speech or ignore what the last speaker said.
9. Turn-taking; reasons for opinions - Suggestions:
- You don't need to take turns, one after the other, in interactions.
- Natural discussions are less planned. Speak as soon as you have something to say.
- Give support for your opinions.
10. Nervous start - Suggestions:- Everyone is nervous before an oral exam.
- Try to use English before your presentation or interaction.
- If you talk English to your classmates beforehand, you will understand them more during the interaction.
11. Not interrupting - Suggestions:
- Some students could speak all day! You must interrupt them to have a chance to speak.
- Wait until they finish a sentence then speak.
- Be brave! Say, 'Excuse me...' or 'Sorry to interrupt you...' then begin.
12. Not serious enough - Suggestions:
- When nervous, some students giggle and can be silly.
- You can laugh and have fun during an interaction.
- However, teachers do not like silly comments.
13. Not asking for clarification - Suggestions:
Students may say a word wrongly. You should ask, 'What do you mean by... ?' This shows you are following the discussion.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Life on Titan, the Largest Moon of Saturn?
Space:
Life on Titan?
Discussion Questions
Life on Titan?
Discussion Questions
- What characteristics of Titan's landscape are similar to those found on Earth?
- What did Cassini's radar find on Titan's surface?
- How did scientists discover what the liquid on Titan's surface was composed of?
Monday, May 14, 2012
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