| COURSE NEWS 2008-09: SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER |
| Learn a new word every day. |
| Get a new cartoon every week and have a good laugh. |
| See the news of the day in pictures with the BBC. |
| Flash back into history with the BBC. What happened in history today? |
17 September: lesson 1 Hello to all newcomers and hello again to people who have already attended my lessons before. This is a site made especially for you to accompany the lessons, to give you additional information and additional interactive exercises. Tell me what you think of this site. For the first lesson, we will try to see how much we remember of things that happened during the summer. You will get a title and will then be asked to tell the class if you know what it is about. No big deal if you don't. Other people in the class might know. After we have finished this first round, we will read the short news items and explain any new vocabulary. Then we will work in small groups and select the three most important items according to the group's opinion. It goes without saying that you will be asked to explain and defend your choice. I hope it will offer you the opportunity to speak English as much as possible. In order to help you remember the news events, here are the titles: 'Betancourt freed in undercover operation', 'A big day for christianity and mankind', 'Major blaze in campsite', 'Boy killed after falling into sand dunes pit', 'Italian body mystery solved' (this is actually about an Antwerp couple), 'Belgian woman survives black bear attack', 'Hamburger stall exploded at Ghent festival', 'Drunk truck driver spoils holiday fun', 'Short-lived success for Belgian mussels', 'End of sports career is near', 'Madrid plane crash', ' Former goalkeeper involved in hold-up', 'Gold for Belgium', 'Top chef kills himself', 'Two firemen die in blaze', 'Blue helmet killed in Lebanon'. First interactive practice for this year If you do this for the first time, please read the important notice on the links page. 1. Will this important development mean a way out of the ethical controversy regarding stem cells being removed from an embryo, but in the process destroying the embryo? If you want to know more about this interesting news item, then you can do this interactive exercise entitled "Belgian breakthrough in stem cell research " in which you have to fill in the missing phrases or words (found at the top of the exercise). 2. Are you looking for an interesting way to practise your listening and reading skills? Then go the site which offers you four short 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (August). You play and listen to the news reports (double click green arrow) and try to fill in the blanks. At the bottom of the page you can view the full text of each story and check your answers. |
| For lesson 14 and later lessons go to "course news 2008-09B " (see homepage). |
| Donate grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program with FreeRice |
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24 September: lesson 2 Word of the week: have you ever heard of a bobby cam? Do you know what it means?. If you like, you can watch a two-minute YouTube video illustrating this device. When you know what it is used for, what do you think of this? Can you think of any situations where this device would seem inappropriate? By the way, bobby cams have been used by the Maastricht police since this summer. * To start the lesson, we will first continue reading the remaining news stories of the summer and do the exercise that goes with it. Then I will ask you to select three stories which you would like to be covered in a TV news programme on the 'summer of 2008'. You will decide if you are the chief editor of either VTM or TV1. You can work in small groups, first have the discussion within your group and afterwards defend your choice to the whole class. * Next, you will get a lot of information on two Flemish celebrities. The pieces of information have been jumbled and it will be up to you (and your partner) to decide which piece of information goes with which person. Who are these two faces of Flanders? You can find their pictures on the right. Do you recognize them? First interactive practice for this year 1. This week we're going to England where a new film has been released entitled 'The Duchess'. Why then is the title of this interactive vocabulary exericse => "Duchess or Princess? " ? The picture on the right may give you a clue. If you want to watch the trailer of the film, then go to => 'The Duchess'. The Belgian release is on November 19. 2. You can still practise your listening and reading skills. Go to the site which offers you four short 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (August). |
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1 OCTOBER: lesson 3 Words of the week: of course you all know who Donald Duck is. But what is a sitting duck? Think of our soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan, who seem to be sitting ducks for the enemy. The phrase 'sitting duck' is also used in the world of investors. These days small investors seem to be sitting ducks. Any idea what this means? And what is a lame duck? Why is G.W. Bush considered a lame duck? * To start the lesson, we are going to talk about and read the information on two Flemish celebrities. Two faces of Flanders: Lieve Blancqaert and Goedele Liekens. (This is in last week's bundle.) * After that we are going to talk and read about Barak Obama. What do you know about his personal life and what are his chances of becoming the next President of The United States? * For the last part of the lesson we are staying in America. I would like to show you a document which circulates on the Internet and deals with two dead Presidents: Abraham Lincoln and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The document lists a number of facts which are the same or are similar for both presidents. Coincidences or not? Why do so many people want to believe there is no thing called coincidence? I will also point out three mistakes in the list. Interactive practice 1. Last week saw the final curtain for the court of Assizes in the case of the murder of Joe Van Holsbeeck. The interactive exercise gives you the opportunity to learn some new court vocabulary and reinforces some general vocabulary. Interested? Go to => 'Sentenced to twenty years ". 2. You can still practise your listening and reading skills. Go to the site which offers you four short 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (August). |
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8 OCTOBER: lesson 4 Words of the week: this week we are learning three words to do with moving or being moved on a sort of belt. What is a treadmill? Where is it used and what is it used for? What is a conveyor belt? Where can you see it? What is an assembly line? Where is it used? Look at the pictures and I'm sure you can see which is which. * First we are going to read the article about Barak Obama. We'll do the fill-in exercise in class. The article is in last week's bundle. * Are you a person for whom the glass is half-full or half-empty? In other words, are you an optimist or a pessimist? We are going to do a test with a number of questions. Some of them are very personal, so I hope you don't mind too much talking about yourself. If you want to do the test online before we take it in class, go to 'optimism/pessimism test '. Before you begin, checkmark (= vink aan) "I agree to use this test for personal purposes only', then click on 'Let's get started'. There are 47 questions. After finishing the test, you will receive a snapshot report with an introduction, a graph (grafiek) and a personalized interpretation of your result. Quite fun to do! Interactive practice 1. This week you get an interactive reading exericise. On the left of the screen, you get the complete story. On the right, you get 14 statements (one by one). Are these statements true or false? What is the story about? It's about someone you have probably never heard about. His name is Robert Maistriau. He died last week at the age of 87. When he was young, he pulled off a daring raid on a train that was transporting Jews. I have told you enough. If you want to know the full story, then go to => "Train saviour ". 2. You can still practise your listening and reading skills. Go to the site which offers you four short 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (September). |
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15 OCTOBER: lesson 5 Words of the week: is it all right to use the nickname 'Paddy' for someone who's called 'Patrick' if he comes from Ireland? Is it also all right to refer to a 'Paddy' for anyone who comes from Ireland? And what then is a 'paddy field'? The picture on the right shows you what it is. * First we're going to take or continue the 'Optimism / pessimism' test which is in last week's bundle.If you want, you can still do the test online. Go to => 'optimism/pessimism test '. * Secondly, we're going to study different meanings of the word 'number'. After that we're going to look at expressions to do with numbers and fill them into sentences. For example: do you know what we mean when we ask 'Do you have forty winks after lunch?' These sentences will lead to a series of personal questions that we will ask each other. Interactive practice 1. Does the name Leo Baekeland ring a bell? He is the inventor of the plastic called 'bakeliet'. He was on the cover of 'Time' in 1924 as one of the great people of his time. His name is also connected with the film 'Savage Grace', which is shown at the Gent Film Festival (and released on 15 October), starring Julianne Moore. What is the connection? Find out in this vocabulary exercise => "Leo Baekeland ". 2. From now on, you will get a short (there are only six questions) multiple choice quiz from the BBC's quiznet. The first one is 'Getting angry'. It's fairly easy, it's quickly done and it is always interesting. Let it take a little of your time. 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (September). |
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22 OCTOBER: lesson 6 Words of the week: what is a wedge? Do you sometimes use one? A metal wedge is also used when chopping wood with a cleaving axe. Let's linger on the words cleave and cleavage. They are used in compound words such as breast cleavage and bum cleavage. I've inserted a photo of a bum cleavage, so I'm sure you know what a breast cleavage is. * First, we're going to study different meanings of the word 'number'. After that we're going to look at expressions with numbers and fill them into sentences. These sentences will lead to a series of personal questions that we will ask each other. The exercise is in last week's bundle. * Last Saturday morning there was a large-scale raid on traffickers in human beings in and around Brussels. Many arrests were made and the event had extensive coverage both on the radio and on television. We'll do an exercise on this issue in which we will learn a number of typical words connected to this item. * If we have any time left, we'll read about a survey conducted by Delta Lloyd Life (an insurance company) on the composition of the Belgian family. First you will make your own guesses about a number of percentages (for example: what is the percentage of non-traditional families? What is the percentage of young single-parent families? etc.) After that we'll read the article and see how close your guesses were. By the way, how would you define a single-parent family and a newly composed family? And what are the main problems for these non-traditional families? Interactive practice 1. This week's practice is about Andorra and the long life that people seem to have there. To find out more, do this vocabulary exericse => "Andorra Longevity " 2. Here's quiz 2 from the BBC's quiznet. The first one is 'Dealing with problems ' 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (September). |
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5 NOVEMBER: lesson 7 When we are having this week's lesson the dice will have been cast and we will know who is the next President of the United States of America. May I say most of us hope it will be Barack Obama and fear it might be John McCain. Words of the week: two practical but confusing words for Dutch-speaking people. You may have come across them in previous years, but I think it's useful to repeat them. What is the hem in a pair of trousers? Where are the seams in the jacket? (They are in the picture.) * First we're going to read (or continue reading) the story on the large-scale raid on people traffickers. The article is in the previous bundle. * Then we're going to deal with the composition of the Belgian family. The article is also in the previous bundle but it's the article which I begged you not to read beforehand. * Group B (15.30-17.00): I have put in an article on the scrapping of an edition of 'Plat préféré'. In it, Jeroen Meus prepared Hitler's favourite meal, trout in butter sauce. The VRT's decision to scrap it had its supporters ('It was good they scrapped it') and its opponents ('Freedom of speech is sacred') What do you think? The interactive practice is about the same subject. * Group A & B: very often we can make a story more interesting and more accurate by adding adverbs. Here's an example: instead of saying 'It began to rain', we can say 'Suddenly it began to rain heavily'. I will read out a story to you without adverbs. I will then ask you to retell the story. Then I will ask you to read the story in your bundle and add appropriate adverbs. Interactive practice 1. Last week the VRT's planned edition of "Plat Préféré' featuring Hitler's favourite meal caused somewhat of a storm. Eventually the VRT decided to scrap the edition. Read about it and get some background information in => "Plat Préféré cancelled ". 2. Here's quiz 3 from the BBC's quiznet. The first one is 'Problem words ' 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (October) |
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12 NOVEMBER: lesson 8 Words of the week: you probably know what cotton wool is. But do you also know what a cotton bud is? An while talking about buds: what is a flower bud? What is a buddy (do you know any synonyms? And who is Buddy Holly? Underneath you can find a picture of each of these words. * First, we're going to listen to Buddy Holly's best known song called 'Peggy Sue': a sixties classic. * Group B (15.30-17.00): we're going to read (or correct) the article 'Plat préféré' which is in last week's bundle. * Group A & B: I've recorded the BBC World news of last Sunday. You're going to listen to it and find out how much you understand after listening once or after multiple listenings. . To help you a bit, here are the titles: "Indonesian Islamic militants responsible for the Bali bombing executed', "Accident on Russian nuclear submarine", "Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo", "Hurricane Paloma hits Cuba", "Roof of school collapses in Haiti", "Obama's first speech on national radio". * Group A & B: I don't think we'll have time to do the exercise on adverbs. We'll keep it for next week. Interactive practice 1. I came across an interesting article which deals with the reduced risks of bladder cancer. I want to share this information with you. The when, the how and the why are in this vocab exercise "Reduced risk of bladder cancer ". 2. Here's quiz 4 from the BBC's quiznet. The first one is 'House markets vocabulary'' 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (October) |
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19 NOVEMBER: lesson 9 I'm sorry for the inconvenience I may have caused when you were trying to load your familiar website, but there seems to be something wrong with my computer (or with the programme). So I'm doing this work on another computer and the programme is working. Hurray! So here we go. Words of the week: look at the picture. Do you have any idea what a brown-noser is? So what does it mean when somebody brown-noses? Do you know a word for the same thing which resembles the word we use for it in Dutch? There is a nicer word too, => flatter. It can even be positive, such as in 'I feel flattered'. Talking about slime: what is the difference between slime and mucus? (Think of the incurable disease 'mucoviscidosis') * First we're going to continue listening to the BBC World news * Then we're going to do the exercise on adverbs. It's in your bundle of lesson 7. * Finally we'll do three food games, part of my contribution to the 'Flemish taste week.' Interactive practice 1. This week's interactive exercise is about the economy. If you do it, it will teach you some words connected to the topic => "Eurozone in recession ". 2. Here's quiz 5 from the BBC's quiznet. This one is about 'Climate change: terminology ' 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (October) |
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26 NOVEMBER: lesson 10 Words of the week: last week there was a report on tv on what we call in English a pawn shop. Do you know what it is? Look at the third picture. The woman is holding the pawn in her hand, probably valuing it. Are there any pawn shops in Belgium? Where? This makes me think of a second meaning of the word pawn. We use it when we play a game of chess. Look at the first picture to see what it is. * First we're going to do the three food games, part of my contribution to the 'Flemish taste week'. It is in your last week's bundle. * Then we're going to read and discuss two Belgian news events. The first one is about the Rumanian gang who was skimming ( = copying bank cards) on a large scale and which has been rounded up (opgerold). All of the gang members have been arrested. The second item is about the Dutch couple who bought a new-born baby in Ghent on the Internet. The Ghent couple who sold their baby may be charged with 'displacing of a new-born child'. What crime is this? What do we call that in Dutch? Interactive practice 1. This week's interactive exercise is a bit of gossip about Marie-Rose Morel and Frank Van Hecke. Rumours have been spread that they are (were) a couple, something both of them strongly deny. Read more about it in => "Morel's love e-mails ". 2. Here's quiz 6 from the BBC's quiznet. This one is about 'Disability at work ' 3. You can still practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 31 days (October) |
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3 DECEMBER: lesson 11 Words of the week: one of the words that was included in the 'new words' list of Van Daele's dictionary was 'smirting'. Actually, it is an English word which cannot be translated. What does it mean? And related to it, what does it mean when we say 'chat up' somebody. The pictures on the right may help you find the meaning. * First we're going to finish the two Belgian news events. The first one is about the Rumanian gang. We didn't do this last week, did we? The second item was about the Dutch couple who bought a new-born baby in Ghent on the Internet. How has this story evolved since then? What do you know more about it now? * Then we're going to do a revision of new words from the first ten lessons. I'll give each one of you a number of cards with words on it which you have to describe to the class. They have to guess what the word is. Most of the words have been taken from the 'new words of the week' and the revision list which you always find on the first page of each bundle. Interactive practice 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise about white hair and ageing. If you want to know more, go to 'White hair, a thing of the past " 2. Here's quiz 7 from the BBC's quiznet. This one is about 'Changing meanings with prefixes '' 3. Practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (November) |
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10 DECEMBER: lesson 12 Words of the week: a few months ago I was reading an English book in which I met with the word 'wife beater shirt'. I didn't know what it meant so I had to look it up. And I found the meaning in one of the on-line dictionaries. What does it mean when we speak about a 'wife beater'? It's another word for a vest. But whyt would we call it a wife beater? And what is the English word for the Dutch word 'een vest'? To continue with garments, what is a waistcoat? And what is a tuxedo (usually with satin lapels? And finally, what is a tailcoat? Look at the pictures underneath for illustrations of these words. * First we're going to continue the vocabulary with the revision of new words from the first ten lessons. * Then we're going to look at 10 headlines of last week's news events. This time we will not read the complete stories. I'll give you a word from the headline and you will probably know what it is about so that you can talk about it. Then we'll look at sentences taken from the stories and you will try to find which sentences belong to which stories. Interactive practice 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise about an extraordinary event that happened in Congo. It's positive news, for a change. If you want to know more, go to => "Boy in Congo saved by mobile phone " 2. Here's quiz 8 from the BBC's quiznet. This one is about 'Take a course'' 3. Practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (November) |
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17 DECEMBER: lesson 13 Word of the week: last week one of the questions in the quiz 'De slimste mens' was about curling. What is curling? Look at the pictures. The picture on the left shows a curling rink with 4 sheets. You can also watch a video on Youtube about 'Curling '. It lasts for about 2 minutes. * First we're going to listen to a song appropriate for the Christmas festive season. It's an optimistic song by ABBA, one of the most popular groups of the seventies. The song is 'I have a dream'. * Then we're going down memory lane. We're going to listen to some of your most remarkable school stories. * For group B: we will spend the remaining time dealing with two Belgian news stories. Here are the titles: 'More people go missing at Christmas' and 'Belgian franc: not extinct yet'. Interactive practice 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise dealing with the reasons why more people go missing at Christmas time. Read more about it in => "More people go missing at Christmas time " 2. Here's quiz 9 from the BBC's quiznet. This one is about 'Christmas ' 3. Practise your listening and reading skills with 'Audio news reports' from the past 30 days (November) See you back for our first lesson in 2009 on 7 January And to all of you, |
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