Language Workshops L2 L3 MAG1

Today I met with groups 4b, 3a, and finally group 5. The grammar I discussed with group 3b on Monday the 12th is also listed here below.

In group 4b, I assigned everyone to bring their CVs for next week. We spent the class reviewing the past simple and past continuous verb form. The past simple is not as simple as it seems, because there are many irregular past verbs in English. It helps to review them to commit them to memory. I talked about the past continuous as well. The difference between the two is that past simple is an action that is finished in the past. For example, I went to Paris. The past continuous exlains an action that was taking place over time in the past. I went to Paris, when it was snowing. You can see the past simple has now been connected with the past continous. The continous is formed by using and auxilary verb with the -ing ending on the action verb. I had the students write a 10 sentence story about a problem they had traveling attmpting to use 5 sentences with the past continuous. Everyone read their stories.

In group 3a, I assigned everyone to bring their CVs for next week. Please make sure to read the article here on my blog titled CVs. I also then gave a crash course on some common problems with level 3 students. We talked about the use of "moreover" and "indeed", I explained these words are rarely used in English, and there are many other ways to start off sentences, for example with: furthermore, certainly, and to continue. Another example of this is the direct translation of "To my mind.." students should instead use: In my mind, In my opinion, or According to me. I explained more often that not, when it comes to "during" or "since" students most of the time when confused, should use "for". Example, "I have been studying for four year." You only use during or since with a specific date. "I have been studying since 2009." I also explained the difference between coming and going. These are both irregular verbs in past tense. I come, I came, I have come OR I go, I went, I have gone. You can only come to places you currently are, and you can only go to places you were in the past, or will be in the future. Example, I came to Angers, France in 2009. Second example, I went to Paris in December. Last example, is that it is different when talking about someone else. They can 'come' where you were in the past, or will be in the future. Example: "My best friend came to my house last night," or "My friend will be coming (or you can use going) to Rome visit me in July."

We had the first course of Group 5, in which we used questions to interview our partners and then introduce them to the class. I also assigned CVs for the following week.