Final class this term

Despite snow and bus related issues we managed to talk about our news articles today in class. We also read an article about the Stockholm suicide bomber from www.thelocal.se

Merry x-mas and a happy new year, everyone!

See you again 12 of January 2011.

Homework for Friday 17 December

For Friday's class I want you to find a news article in English. Be prepared to talk about your news item in groups. You can take a look here for articles or anywhere else you like. Make sure you state your source and that you are able to talk about your article, not just read it.

Questions "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"

We will discuss the following questions today in class. For those of you who have seen the movie but will not be in class today (and for those of you on "praktik") please answer the questions in the comments section below this post. Type as "anonymous" if you don't have a Google account but write your first name below your post so I know who you are.

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Discuss in English and write down short answers to the following questions in groups.

1. Discuss 3-4 key scenes in the movie that you remember specifically. Describe what happens. Explain why these scenes are important.

2. Describe the characters Arnie, Gilbert, Becky, the two sisters Amy and Ellen and the mother + the role of the dead father.

3. Explain the different relationships within the Grape family.

4. How does Gilbert change after meeting Becky?

5. Arnie says: ”I can go any time”. What do you think he means by that?

6. Gilbert says: ”Some days you want him to live, some days you don't.” Can you understand that Gilbert feels that way about Arnie?

7. Sum up what you think the overall message of this movie is.

8. Did you like the movie? Why/why not?

Reminder: Speaking assignment due 17 December

This task only applies to the students who are currently doing their "praktik".

I want you to make a recording (a sound file or a short movie) where you talk about your "praktik" (internship) in English. You can choose to talk on your own, or together with a friend. If you like, you can interview each other in English about what you are doing and what you think about your position as an intern (praktikant). You need to talk for at least 3 minutes/person. A cell phone recording should be fine.

Send your sound file or movie to me via Pednet (you may need to compress the file a bit if it's too large) asa.falk@pub.malmo.se

Please let me know if you have any questions.

This task is due no later than Friday 17 December.

Movie part 2

Today we finished watching the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (The Swedish title is only "Gilbert Grape").

On Wednesday we will discuss it in class and you will also be given some questions on the movie to answer in writing.

I will also post the questions here on the blog for you to answer in the comments section to that post. More on that later.

Movie: What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Today we started watching the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It's a great movie where a very young Leonardo Di Caprio plays a mentally challenged kid and Johnny Depp plays his older brother. On Friday we will watch the end of the movie.

For those of you who were not in class or if you are on "praktik" try to get your hands on the movie and watch it. I will post some questions for you to answer on the blog next week.

Picture: www.cdon.com

Conversation

Today we talked a bit more about the text The Children. After that I gave you a whole pile of conversation topics to discuss in pairs or in groups. I think all of you did a good job speaking English today.

Today's class

Here are the correct answers for today's homework:

Page 73

1. G
2. C
3. I
4. J
5. B
6. E
7. F
8. D
9. A
10. H

1. taken up
2. liven things up
3. grow up
4. chat up..chatted up
5. made up
6. get up
7. bring up
8. cracked up
9. speak up
10. break up

Translation page 74

Sister Condron was very strict to the girls in the choir. She told them to not use any make up until they arrived to/at the concert hall. She also thought that colored shoe laces were ridiculous. If the girls tried to argue against her she yelled ”be quiet” as loudly as she could.

Sister C was also very annoyed that the girls had more than one ear ring in each ear and considered it to be a hysterical fad. According to the rules of the school they were just allowed to have one ear ring per ear.

The tennis court was a special problem. That was where the girls got in touch with boys from a protestant school and therefore the girls were not allowed to be there.

The singing competition in Edinburgh was very important to Sister C. She was proud of her school and wanted her students to see themselves as the school's representatives/ambassadors.

Everybody counted on the girls in their senior year/graduation class would win. The girls themselves prioritized other things. Above all they wanted to have some fun. 

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We also read the text The Children on page 78-83 in your textbook. Please read it for Friday if you were not in class today. 

Homework for those of you on "praktik"

This task only applies to the students who are currently doing their "praktik".

I want you to make a recording (a sound file or a short movie) where you talk about your "praktik" (internship) in English. You can choose to talk on your own, or together with a friend. If you like, you can interview each other in English about what you are doing and what you think about your position as an intern (praktikant). You need to talk for at least 3 minutes/person. A cell phone recording should be fine.

Send your sound file or movie to me via Pednet (you may need to compress the file a bit if it's too large) asa.falk@pub.malmo.se

Please let me know if you have any questions.

This task is due no later than Friday 17 December.