Sunday 4 December 2016

HELLO PREZI!

Being a teacher is such a tough challenge. Every day you face problems on which the success of you lesson hinges. And sometimes it is inevitable part of your career. Pupils and students, living in the period of globalization and technical progress, seem to know more than you do, because of the usage of modern technologies. That`s why it is important task, to study such courses like Innovative Technologies in universities, to overcome the generation gap between teachers and their children. When I had my internship this year at school, I found it rather convenient to use presentation, audio and video materials during the lessons, as well as giving the home assignment connected with this types of activities.
As Power Point are out of their use, I decided to create my presentation in new platform called PREZI. I have told you all the advantages of this website few post below, but I want to remind you that it is more than just creative, it is much easier to do.
Last year, when I was junior, I used it to do the presentation on Lexicology (word-formation) and on Methodology (F.Gouin Series Method). But the drawback of this website, is that when you are editing the presentation, it changes the date when you posted it. So, if I did it last year on December and tried to change the title of the presentation last week, it will change all previous information about the presentation. But still it is not such a serious problem, if children are satisfied and happy!


LISTEN OUT LOUD!

Tired of listening to the songs or watching TV series? Don`t know what to do during the long ride? Podcasts will help you anyway! Different topics, problems and opinions will deeper you in the world of English language and culture.  But it is not easy to listen to 1 hour-long audio and not to fall asleep, so here I`ve chosen several podcasts, that are best out of the best. Enjoy)

1. British Council Elementary Podcasts.
For the beginners and further levels of language acquisition podcasts will be useful for learning basic vocabulary on numerous topics.
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/elementary-podcasts

2. BBC Radio 3. Music Podcast
If you are a music enthusiast and enjoy moments spent, listening to Bach, Chopin and Mozart ,than BBC Radio Podcast is exactly for you!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnvx/episodes/downloads
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014kyc5/episodes/downloads

3.  BBC World History.
From World War II to the Arab Spring, history told by the people who were there.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p016tmg1/episodes/downloads

4.Dear Book Nerd.
Combining the classic write-in advice column with a decidedly bookish slant, this podcast is a beacon of wisdom in a question-filled literary landscape. 
http://bookriot.com/category/dear-book-nerd/
5. Selected Shorts.
There is a theme to each Selected Shorts episode and performance. Several stories are presented around each theme. The stories are always fiction, sometimes classic, sometimes new, always performed by great actors from stage, screen and television who bring these short stories to life. 
http://www.selectedshorts.org

6. 50 Most useful Podcast of all times.
The Guardian gives you the top-50 most creative and interesting podcasts on drama, comedy, cinema,medicine and other topics.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/may/14/fifty-best-podcasts-bob-mortimer-john-oliver-jemaine-clement-serial

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO!

Nighty night! It is too late to post, but I cant wait until the morning! By the way I decided to do sports, because night shifts around the fridge can do a lot of harm(if you know, what I mean). That`s why I started looking for specialized programs in Internet to prepare to go to the gym. Yeah, it sound rather ridiculous, but that`s what the girl usually do) I found interesting website WikiMuscle, and chose special training schedule. But as I started training, I understood that except physical abilities I cant understand the trainer sometimes, because of the term that she is using. I was in the urgent need of this post, and hope it will help you too)
1.Handouts.
A fun matching exercise worksheets for kids to study and practise sports vocabulary. Look at the list below and write the names of the sports under the correct pictures.

2.Sports and Recreation flashcards.
Over 50 flashcards demonstrating action in six sports plus referees' actions.
3.Audio and listening.
Let students learn new words through listening activities based on their vocabulary and attention.

4. Bingo.
Teachers can print as many unique cards as is necessary for their class. After you go to the card generator (which opens in a new browser) print the card and then just simply refresh the browser to get a new card. You should also print a set of 'bingo balls' to put in a paper bag for drawing.

5.Crossword.
Find the most interesting questions on this topic and generate the crossword.
6.Word-search.
You can toggle between text and image hints if you are using the images groupings, but for more options with text only formats it's best to use the text only version.

7. Sport Dice.
Dice maker is a worksheet wizard that allows you to create dice with pictures, dice with text or printable dice with both images and text.
8. Domino.
The domino maker is a worksheet creator, that allows you to create dominoes for the chosen vocabulary set. 

LET`S TRAVEL THE WORLD TOGETHER!

Almost all people are fond of travelling. It is very interesting to see new places, another towns and countries. People may travel either for pleasure or on business.  And if you are non-native speaker, you may find it rather difficult to communicate with foreigners. When I was going abroad for the first time with my family, they took a dictionary and carried it everywhere, because of the danger to misunderstand the speech. But, later they found out, that they can use me as a dictionary, and it was my problem of being misunderstood by people) That is how the vacation turned to me an English exam in one day! So not to repeat my bitter experience I decided to create this post for you guys!
1. Teaching Travel.
This website will give you the basic information, that students can use while travelling on business and for pleasure.
https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/teaching-travel-english.html

2.Brainstorming travel vocabulary.
Put as many suitable phrases as you can into each section below and learn the given vocabulary.
https://tefltastic.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/brainstorming-travel-vocabulary.pdf

3.Travel English telephone, email and face to face dice game.
Give the real life situations to your students, and ask them to use the learnd vocabulary and make certain dialogues on the given topic.
http://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/travel-english-telephone-email-and-facetoface-dice-game.pdf
4.Travel Vocabulary and Roleplays.
Choose situations from below and role-play the whole conversation from beginning to end. 
http://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/travel-vocabulary-roleplays.pdf

5.Flashcards.
Colourful pictures will be useful for learning vocabulary
https://tefltastic.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/travel-vocabulary-picture-flashcards.pdf

6.Lesson Plans.
Lesson plans on travel give you the opportunity to dwell into topics like culture, geography and even math as you plan for travel expense. 
https://www.fattiretours.com/45-travel-themed-lesson-plans

7.Worksheets and role-plays.
http://www.eslflow.com/Tourismlessons.html

8. Listening and speaking activities.
Let your students listen to the audio and ask them to do some exercises.
http://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/travel/

9.Videos.
Show various videos, that have basic information useful for the tourists at the different stages of travelling.



Saturday 3 December 2016

WORLD OF FOOD!

Good evening guys! Just watched the whole season of the Master Chef show, and decided to buy a cookery book and be as brilliant as the participants of that show are! But as it is night time, I found few interesting receipts on the Internet. But the problem I faced was the ignorance as for the terms and not only. I understand that it is my fault, because I missed several classes at school and at the university, when we had this topic and I am so sorry for that! But it is never too late to learn! So here are several websites, that will help you to teach your students.

1. Worksheets.
This section is all about food although some combination exercises will also be posted here. There are 422 worksheets included in this section as well as several excellent warmers that you might consider using during your class. 
http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-vocabulary/food_and_drinks/food-worksheets/

2.Flashcards.
Will be useful for learning vocabulary while looking at the pictures and memorizing the words.
http://www.kids-pages.com/folders/flashcards/Food.htm

3.Games.
Find food games and play it with your students, they will be surprised and fascinated as well as you)
http://www.kids-pages.com/games2.htm

4. Exercises and vocabulary.
Prepare vocabulary on different topics that are not common for the school program.
http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/food-and-drink.html

5. Holidays recepies.
Exclusive recepies from countries all over the world, that will make you closer to different cultures.
https://www.teachervision.com/foods/teacher-resources/6621.html

6.Lesson plans.
Already-made lesson plans, are useful if you don`t know how to organize the lesson in the right way.
https://www.teachervision.com/nutrition/quiz/9022.html

7. Project making.
Make projects with your students, concerning different point, as for example `table manners`.
https://www.teachervision.com/vocabulary/lesson-plan/3310.html
You are what you eat! Don`t know why, but just decided to write this quotation here. It seems to be up to the point. Hope this information will be useful to you, as a teacher. If you have wishes, as for the next topic just let me know, commenting below. Have a nice evening, bye)

Friday 2 December 2016

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Holidays are coming, finally, they`re coming! Can`t believe that the half of my last year at the university is right by my back! It was the most incredible 4 years of my life. I remember the first day I entered the university hall, the day I saw my group-mates and felt the student`s life itself. I was very scared to leave my house and family, and moreover I was not ready to begin the adult life. The years at school were so careless, and here you are on your own! School was mu second home for 11 years and I had never had a thought that one time I would leave it. But this time came, and everything that I have now - the memories. School prepared me for the university, and now I would like to prepare some interesting information about this place.

1. Worksheets
 It will help to learn a basic vocabulary, including subjects, classes, places at school etc.
http://www.englishwsheets.com/classroom.html

2. Activities
 Different types of activities, that are useful for drills, learning basic grammar connected with the given topic.
http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-vocabulary/holidays_and_celebrations/backtoschool-worksheets/

3. Places at school (quizzes and tests)
Will give the opportunity to test the knowledge on the given topic and to make the lessons more interesting, by using creative activities.
http://www.englishwsheets.com/school.html
4.Videos and songs.
Play the video or song, and them hand out tasks, to check student`s perception of the audio.
http://www.agendaweb.org/vocabulary/school-objects-worksheets-resources.html

5.Listening and speaking challenge.
Using the audio, propose students to do various tasks, as match the phrases and translation, fill in the missing words etc.
http://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/school/

6. Word-search.
Find different words, that are hidden in the given quiz.
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/wordsearch/getResult.php

7.Board game.
Learn the words, by using colourful pictures, that are connected in a chain and do it in a form of game.
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/boardgames/school2.php

Thursday 1 December 2016

EAST OR WEST - HOME IS BEST!

What`s up, guys! How are you doing today? Hope that you are in a good mood, because I am and I want to share it with you! It is the first day of winter and it brought us the first snow. Actually, it is not the first one, but not so cold as it used to be two weeks ago. It was so unexpected to leave the university in the evening and see the whole town covered with snow, as well as it was cold. Thanks God I live not far from the uni and it took me only 15 minutes to go home. Ah, home, sweet home! Warm and friendly place to have the rest. But what else can you say about your apartment? It's a rather simple question, but at the same time difficult to answer. Lately I`ve faced the same problem, that I wasn't able to describe my own flat, so I decided to find several useful links, that will help you to avoid this problem with your students!
1. Basic learning worksheets for the rooms and places around the house, about furniture and about your room.
https://mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/beginning_housing_week_1_of_2.pdf

2. Flashcards and pictures with different settings, rooms and types of apartment.
http://bogglesworldesl.com/kids_worksheets/house.htm

3. In this lesson, students will be introduced to or review vocabulary for homes, rooms and furniture. They will sing a song and either invent an ‘animal house’ or design a poster of various animal homes. 
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/homes-furniture

4. Crosswords and quizzes and word-search.
http://www.mes-english.com/worksheets/flashcards/files/house1_wordsearch.pdf

http://www.englishwsheets.com/in%20my%20house%20furniture%20vocabulary%20criss%20cross%20crossword%20puzzle%20worksheet.pdf

5. Videos and songs about houses and their inhabitants.
http://www.agendaweb.org/vocabulary/house-furniture-worksheets-resources.html

6. Situational dialogues and activities connected with them (match the words, fill-in and true or false)
http://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/house/

7. Matching activities.
http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-vocabulary/houseflatrooms-worksheets/

8. Bingo games.
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/bingo/house4x4.php
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/boardgames/house1.php

That is all for this topic. Actually you can find million more activities in the Internet, but I found these the most interesting. If you try them, comment here and tell about the results. Hope you enjoyed this post and see you tomorrow)