Hi everyone,
I hope your final exams are going well. I just wanted to let you know that this week, we will not meet in our usual classroom. Instead, if you have any questions and need to see me, you may schedule an appointment to visit me at my office (5th floor, bookstore building). If not, then I thank you for all your efforts in my class and wish you all the best for your final exams this semester. See you around!
Becka
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Preparing for your FINAL EXAM
Textbook
We used our textbook to practice grammar points and vocabulary through writing (your workbook homework) and speaking (dialogues).
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: try the REVIEW sections in the textbook (pp. 32-35, 67-69, 100-103, 134-137). Also, try exercises in the workbook that we didn’t do for homework.
Vocabulary
You are responsible for understanding the meaning of all vocabulary words. You also must know how to use them. You can find your vocabulary words on each “Vocabulary Link” page in your book.
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: practice using each word in a sentence.
Grammar
You will be expected to know all grammar points covered in the textbook. You can find all the grammar points we studied on the “Language Link” pages in your book.
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: practice using your grammar points with the vocabulary words in sentences.
Written Test Format
Your final exam format will be the same as the midterm exam’s was. You will have 20 multiple choice questions, 20 fill-in-the-blank questions, and some short-answer questions about a short article.
Speaking Test Format
You will also have a speaking exam based on a topic we discussed in class. The written exam will be worth 20% and the speaking exam will be worth 10%.
Media Projects
Unfortunately, because of semester scheduling, we will not have time for media projects. All students must take the regular final exam. Sorry for any inconvenience!
We used our textbook to practice grammar points and vocabulary through writing (your workbook homework) and speaking (dialogues).
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: try the REVIEW sections in the textbook (pp. 32-35, 67-69, 100-103, 134-137). Also, try exercises in the workbook that we didn’t do for homework.
Vocabulary
You are responsible for understanding the meaning of all vocabulary words. You also must know how to use them. You can find your vocabulary words on each “Vocabulary Link” page in your book.
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: practice using each word in a sentence.
Grammar
You will be expected to know all grammar points covered in the textbook. You can find all the grammar points we studied on the “Language Link” pages in your book.
SUGGESTION FOR STUDYING: practice using your grammar points with the vocabulary words in sentences.
Written Test Format
Your final exam format will be the same as the midterm exam’s was. You will have 20 multiple choice questions, 20 fill-in-the-blank questions, and some short-answer questions about a short article.
Speaking Test Format
You will also have a speaking exam based on a topic we discussed in class. The written exam will be worth 20% and the speaking exam will be worth 10%.
Media Projects
Unfortunately, because of semester scheduling, we will not have time for media projects. All students must take the regular final exam. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Journal week 10: What do your dreams mean?
This week, I asked you to write down whatever you remember of the dreams you have at night.
Do you dream in color, or in black and white?
What language do people speak in your dreams?
Many people believe that dreams have special messages about your thoughts and feelings.
CLICK HERE to see an online dictionary of common items you may see in your dreams, and what they mean.
Do you dream in color, or in black and white?
What language do people speak in your dreams?
Many people believe that dreams have special messages about your thoughts and feelings.
CLICK HERE to see an online dictionary of common items you may see in your dreams, and what they mean.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Journal week 9: Heroism - what are your thoughts?
This week, we talked about several peace activists who are widely thought of as heroes. You also told me who you think of as a hero in Korea. Now, I'd like to hear you tell me about who your personal heroes are, if you have any. Who do you admire? Why do you admire them? What did they say or do? Use your vocabulary (p. 80/85) and practice this week's grammar point (p. 83/88) to tell me about your heroes.
Do you need some inspiration? You can check out my slideshow from class below. You can also watch Byron Garcia's Prison Dances on Youtube if you click here.
Do you need some inspiration? You can check out my slideshow from class below. You can also watch Byron Garcia's Prison Dances on Youtube if you click here.
Heroes
View more OpenOffice presentations from BeckaB.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Journal week 8: Your Dreams and Goals After University
Get a job.
Start your career.
Find love.
Start your family.
Move to a new city.
Discover your passion.
These are all common life goals, and your university years are a good time to think about them. What kinds of things do you want for yourself? This week, talk about your own life goals. What would you like to do when you graduate from Soon Chun Hyang? What will you do to reach your goals?
John Lennon (from The Beatles) sang a song about his young son, Sean, called "Beautiful Boy." In the song, John sings,"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." What do you think this statement means?
Start your career.
Find love.
Start your family.
Move to a new city.
Discover your passion.
These are all common life goals, and your university years are a good time to think about them. What kinds of things do you want for yourself? This week, talk about your own life goals. What would you like to do when you graduate from Soon Chun Hyang? What will you do to reach your goals?
John Lennon (from The Beatles) sang a song about his young son, Sean, called "Beautiful Boy." In the song, John sings,"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." What do you think this statement means?
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Journal week 7: What's your best friend like?
This is my friend, Jung-ah. We met while we were both teaching English at an academy in Ulsan, in 2006. She likes to knit. Her mother has a little shop where we spent hours knitting together and talking. I think she is an inspiring, generous, and creative person. She's very active and likes to work out, but she's not very competitive.
In our class this week, we talked about favorite activities (sports) and personality/character traits. How does your personality come through in your actions? Think about this question as you describe your best friend. What is s/he like? What does s/he like to do? Tell us about this person in 50 words, or more.
In our class this week, we talked about favorite activities (sports) and personality/character traits. How does your personality come through in your actions? Think about this question as you describe your best friend. What is s/he like? What does s/he like to do? Tell us about this person in 50 words, or more.
Monday, April 13, 2009
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEDIA PROJECT TEST ALTERNATIVE
As I mentioned in the first week of class, you may choose to create a media project instead of having a traditional midterm test. If you decide to do a media project, you MUST follow the guidelines below.
1) All presentations must be given during class between April 27 and May 1.
You may work alone or in a small group:
1 student = at least 4 minutes or at least 250 words
2 students = at least 8 minutes or at least 500 words
3 students = at least 12 minutes or at least 750 words
4 students = at least 16 minutes or at least 1000 words
no groups bigger than 4 students!
2) I expect you to use a variety of media in your project, including ORIGINAL photos, video, music, and artwork.
3) Please choose one of the following TOPICS for your project:
Make a Tourism Advertisement for Your City!
Research and present a project discussing the reasons why people should live in or visit your city. What makes your city attractive?
Do a Mini Cooking “Show”
Choose a recipe you know well. Research information about the ingredients or the cultural history of that recipe. Then, using video, live presentation, or a photo essay/blog, tell us about this special dish and show us how to make it.
Introduce Us to Your Family
Using personal photos, tell us the story of your family’s history. Interview your oldest living relative and tell us what life was like for that person when he/she was your age. Be sure to give descriptions of what his/her hometown was like back then. Look for old pictures online and include them with descriptions in your presentation.
A different topic of your choice
MUST be approved by Becka before April 17th, 5pm!
4) Grading your Media Project
40% Your overall communicative use of English.
YOU must use only English in your project. If you want to use a video interview
of someone speaking in Korean, or a photo with Korean writing on it, you MUST
subtitle it in English.
15% Vocabulary – use as much of this vocabulary as possible:
Unit 1: basic physical descriptions
Unit 2: feelings and gestures
Unit 3: food
Unit 4: places in the neighbourhood/information about cities
Unit 5: weather/vacation activities
25% Grammar – be sure you understand how to use:
simple present (She goes…) vs. present continuous verbs (She is going…)
Subject (I) and object (me) pronouns
Countable (many) vs. uncountable (much) nouns
prepositions of place (next to, between, behind, etc.)
basic conjunctions (but, or, so)
10% Pronunciation
rising/falling intonation, “wh-“ questions
syllables and stress (banana, vitamin, etc.)
stress of important words
10% References
A complete list of where your information, photos, and media came from
(book titles, web addresses, etc.)
ANY QUESTIONS? Please post them here in the "comments". Thanks and see you in class!
Becka
1) All presentations must be given during class between April 27 and May 1.
You may work alone or in a small group:
1 student = at least 4 minutes or at least 250 words
2 students = at least 8 minutes or at least 500 words
3 students = at least 12 minutes or at least 750 words
4 students = at least 16 minutes or at least 1000 words
no groups bigger than 4 students!
2) I expect you to use a variety of media in your project, including ORIGINAL photos, video, music, and artwork.
3) Please choose one of the following TOPICS for your project:
Make a Tourism Advertisement for Your City!
Research and present a project discussing the reasons why people should live in or visit your city. What makes your city attractive?
Do a Mini Cooking “Show”
Choose a recipe you know well. Research information about the ingredients or the cultural history of that recipe. Then, using video, live presentation, or a photo essay/blog, tell us about this special dish and show us how to make it.
Introduce Us to Your Family
Using personal photos, tell us the story of your family’s history. Interview your oldest living relative and tell us what life was like for that person when he/she was your age. Be sure to give descriptions of what his/her hometown was like back then. Look for old pictures online and include them with descriptions in your presentation.
A different topic of your choice
MUST be approved by Becka before April 17th, 5pm!
4) Grading your Media Project
40% Your overall communicative use of English.
YOU must use only English in your project. If you want to use a video interview
of someone speaking in Korean, or a photo with Korean writing on it, you MUST
subtitle it in English.
15% Vocabulary – use as much of this vocabulary as possible:
Unit 1: basic physical descriptions
Unit 2: feelings and gestures
Unit 3: food
Unit 4: places in the neighbourhood/information about cities
Unit 5: weather/vacation activities
25% Grammar – be sure you understand how to use:
simple present (She goes…) vs. present continuous verbs (She is going…)
Subject (I) and object (me) pronouns
Countable (many) vs. uncountable (much) nouns
prepositions of place (next to, between, behind, etc.)
basic conjunctions (but, or, so)
10% Pronunciation
rising/falling intonation, “wh-“ questions
syllables and stress (banana, vitamin, etc.)
stress of important words
10% References
A complete list of where your information, photos, and media came from
(book titles, web addresses, etc.)
ANY QUESTIONS? Please post them here in the "comments". Thanks and see you in class!
Becka
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Week 5: Is Your City a Good Place to Live?
This week, we learned about cities such as Los Angeles (USA), Juneau (USA), San Jose (Costa Rica) and Hong Kong (China). Each of these cities have features that make them interesting places to live. They each also have their "minuses," or bad points.
Busan!
Seoul!
Daejon!
Think about the city where you live. What's the cost of living like? Are there any interesting cultural landmarks, architecture, or food? How much pollution is there? How many kinds of public transportation does your city have?
Please write at least 50 words telling me more about your city.
Busan!
Seoul!
Daejon!
Think about the city where you live. What's the cost of living like? Are there any interesting cultural landmarks, architecture, or food? How much pollution is there? How many kinds of public transportation does your city have?
Please write at least 50 words telling me more about your city.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Homework for Monday, April 6th's class
Many of you missed our last class because of MT. This is the homework you must have completed for our class on Monday, April 6th:
1) Textbook exercises, pages 25 and 30
2) Journal entry - a shopping story - 25 words (CLICK HERE)
3) A recipe in English, printed, and
4) Recipe's ingredients listed on a page, with examples of how you use ask "how much" or "how many" for each. Look at the example below for help:
I expect you to have the homework complete for tomorrow.
Thank you,
Becka
1) Textbook exercises, pages 25 and 30
2) Journal entry - a shopping story - 25 words (CLICK HERE)
3) A recipe in English, printed, and
4) Recipe's ingredients listed on a page, with examples of how you use ask "how much" or "how many" for each. Look at the example below for help:
I expect you to have the homework complete for tomorrow.
Thank you,
Becka
Friday, April 3, 2009
Week 4: $hopping!
Of course it is necessary to buy things. Food, clothes, services are all part of everyday life. But do you shop as a hobby? What kind of shopping do you like to do? Some people shop for fun. Some people like shopping so much, they become addicted to it ("shopaholics"). Some people really don't enjoy it.
(image courtesy of Jim, used with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License )
What's your story? How do you feel about shopping? Did you ever find a really good deal, or regret spending your money? The economic crisis is affecting lots of people across the globe right now. How does it affect you?
(images courtesy of João Felipe C.S, used with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License)
(image courtesy of Jim, used with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License )
What's your story? How do you feel about shopping? Did you ever find a really good deal, or regret spending your money? The economic crisis is affecting lots of people across the globe right now. How does it affect you?
(images courtesy of João Felipe C.S, used with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Week 3: Where were you when...?
Do you remember where you were when Korea co-hosted the FIFA 2002 World Cup?
...or when Namdaemun burned down?
Such events don't happen often, but when they do, it's hard to forget how they make us feel. I remember very clearly where I was when the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster happened, when the 9/11 attacks happened, and when Barack Obama became the US president.
Sometimes such big events bring people together. This week, many of us came together to watch the final game between Korea and Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
This week, I want you to write fifty words telling me about how you felt watching big events such as these unfold before your eyes. I look forward to reading your stories.
See you in class!
Becka
...or when Namdaemun burned down?
Such events don't happen often, but when they do, it's hard to forget how they make us feel. I remember very clearly where I was when the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster happened, when the 9/11 attacks happened, and when Barack Obama became the US president.
Sometimes such big events bring people together. This week, many of us came together to watch the final game between Korea and Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
This week, I want you to write fifty words telling me about how you felt watching big events such as these unfold before your eyes. I look forward to reading your stories.
See you in class!
Becka
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week 2: Different Cultures, Different Gestures
For this week's journal assignment, I want you to think about different kinds of body language you use. What do your gestures mean? Tell me about one or two gestures you use everyday. What do they mean? What kind of feeling are you expressing? Are they polite gestures, or rude ones? Please write at least 50 words describing two or more gestures you use.
Here is some inspiration:
If you do this...
...what feeling are you showing?
Here are some examples of other hand gestures. These gestures have different meanings in different cultures.
This gesture means "good!" in North America...
...but it is very, very rude in most Middle Eastern and some African cultures!
This famous gesture expressed "victory" during World War II, but...
...the meaning changed with the US peace movement in the 1960s.
Be careful using this sign, though!
If you hold your hand the opposite way, like Sir Winston Churchill is doing here...
...people from the UK, Australia, or New Zealand will be offended!
Here is some inspiration:
If you do this...
...what feeling are you showing?
Here are some examples of other hand gestures. These gestures have different meanings in different cultures.
This gesture means "good!" in North America...
...but it is very, very rude in most Middle Eastern and some African cultures!
This famous gesture expressed "victory" during World War II, but...
...the meaning changed with the US peace movement in the 1960s.
Be careful using this sign, though!
If you hold your hand the opposite way, like Sir Winston Churchill is doing here...
...people from the UK, Australia, or New Zealand will be offended!
Celebrity Doubles
Today we talked about "celebrity doubles". Do you think you look like a celebrity? CLICK HERE and upload your photo to find out which celebrities you look like.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
UNIT 1: Practice Quiz!
Hi everyone,
Last week we reviewed
• introductions and profiles
• how to use verbs (simple present actions)
• how to describe physical appearance
In our first class this week, we will finish Unit 1.
Are you feeling confident about what you've studied?
Please CLICK HERE to test yourself with the Unit 1 On-line Quiz!
Tomorrow, I will post your weekly journal topic on this blog. Stay tuned!
See you in class,
Becka
Last week we reviewed
• introductions and profiles
• how to use verbs (simple present actions)
• how to describe physical appearance
In our first class this week, we will finish Unit 1.
Are you feeling confident about what you've studied?
Please CLICK HERE to test yourself with the Unit 1 On-line Quiz!
Tomorrow, I will post your weekly journal topic on this blog. Stay tuned!
See you in class,
Becka
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Week 1: Hair-Raising Stories
Have you ever gotten a bad hair cut, or had a "bad hair day"? This week, please write a few comments about a bad hair salon experience. What was the worst hair cut you've ever had?
CLICK HERE to go to a funny website where you can see how YOU would look with many different hairstyles. Upload a picture of yourself and try a new style! Here I am as a strawberry blonde:
Just for fun, here's a video by American alt-rock band Pavement. This song is called "Cut Your Hair."
For your journal assignment this week, please write at least 25 words about a bad hair experience. You may type it below as a "comment" but please remember to INCLUDE YOUR NAME. If you do not want to leave a comment here, please write your entry in a notebook and submit it to me by class time on Monday, March 16th.
CLICK HERE to go to a funny website where you can see how YOU would look with many different hairstyles. Upload a picture of yourself and try a new style! Here I am as a strawberry blonde:
Just for fun, here's a video by American alt-rock band Pavement. This song is called "Cut Your Hair."
For your journal assignment this week, please write at least 25 words about a bad hair experience. You may type it below as a "comment" but please remember to INCLUDE YOUR NAME. If you do not want to leave a comment here, please write your entry in a notebook and submit it to me by class time on Monday, March 16th.
Welcome to Native English One!
Welcome to Native English 1, the basic English conversation class at Soon Chun Hyang University. Every week, please visit this blog to check out the "journal" topic for that week. After you view the my blog post, you will have one week to write a short response. Your response can be written as a "comment" below this post, or it can be written in a notebook and submitted to the instructor the following week.
Your journal response should be AT LEAST 25 WORDS. You may write more if you like.
Remember, EFFORT is the most important part of your journal assignments!
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts.
Cheers,
Becka
Your journal response should be AT LEAST 25 WORDS. You may write more if you like.
Remember, EFFORT is the most important part of your journal assignments!
I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts.
Cheers,
Becka
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