Monday, May 20, 2013

Miss Piggy

 
This lesson is based on this from the Guardian
 

Miss Piggy began life in the mid-1970s as a minor character in The Muppet Show, the TV series created by Jim Henson. She went on to become one of the show's central characters. In The Muppet Movie in 1979, she met Kermit the Frog, the love of her life. She has guest-starred on Dolly Parton's variety show, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and sung with Olly Murs on The X Factor. She is featured in The Muppets by Tommy Hilfiger, a collection of children's clothing launched in partnership with Disney.
1.   When were you happiest?
2.   What is your greatest fear?
3.   Which living person do you most admire, and why?
4.   What would your super power be?
 
5.   Who would play you in the film of your life?
6.   What is your favourite smell?
7.   What is your favourite word?
8.   Cat or dog?
 
9.   Is it better to give or to receive?
10.               What does love feel like?
11.               What is the worst job you've done?
12.               If you could go back in time, where would you go?
 Answers
Whenever I am with Kermie.
That I will forget to thank someone when I win an Academy Award.
Besides moiself, Oprah – she has her own network.
The power to make frogs marry.
Moi. Or Meryl Streep, if I was busy starring in the story of her life.
Wet amphibian.

"Moi!"
Dog. My adorable Foo-Foo is a constant companion.
From personal experience, moi has learned that it is better to receive. But, for the sake of appearances, I'd have to say it's better to give.
Exactly like lust, but with a lot more dinners and jewellery.
Besides having to answer this endless series of questions? I guess it was when I was starting out and had to do that unfortunate series of bacon ads.
 
To Paris in the 1920s, so Picasso could paint my picture, Hemingway could write about me and I could give fashion tips to Gertrude Stein.

 
 

Old shop

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7664661.stm

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Love Lesson


Look at these phrases –  do any mean the same or similar things? Can you put them in a logical order?
cope with
break up
carry a torch for
ask someone out
hang out
propose
split up
get back together with
fancy
get divorced
cheat on
separate

Read the text and discuss your answers with a partner.

How did Tiphany become disabled?
Was it love at first sight?
Did Tiphany and Steve ever marry each other?
Why did they break up?
What’s their relationship like now?
How would you feel if you were Chloe? (Steve’s wife)
Do you think their relationship is healthy? Why / Why not?

Explain these terms in your own words? Prepare to explain them to your next partner.
Tiphany
the baby’s father walked?
were a rock to my family
flag down
dropped a bombshell
Steve
agonized over
suitable access
come to terms with
lose sight of

What do you think will happen to Steve and Tiphany? Use words from exercise 1 to help you decide. 


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Work lesson


Vocabulary

Put the following words into 3 or 4 categories – you decide the categories.  Can you add more words to your categories?


staff
call-centre
night shift
day shift
temporary
permanent
relocate
hire
to be based in
employee
working-week
days off
clock off
sabbatical
vacation 


Reading
 

Jess
Where is Jess working?
 Is it permanent or temporary?
Why is she there?

Moneypenny
Moneypenny
What problems did they face?
Why didn’t they want to have workers working through the night?
What solution did they come up with?

Moneypenny 2
Why do they have staff based in Wales and New Zealand?
What problem does it solve?
How do the staff feel about it?





Reading

Group 1

Read about Jess Edwards?
Where is she working?
 Is it permanent or temporary?
Why is she there?

Jess Edwards is part of a team of 4 workers who have relocated to New Zealand to take part in a trial scheme organized by her employers in Wales.
Jess Edwards, 24, from Holt, near Wrexham, says she is enjoying the experience so much in Takapuna on New Zealand's northern coast that she hopes to be able to continue working there. "It is an absolutely fantastic opportunity," she said.
"I am getting to see places I probably never would have the chance to see otherwise.
The staff have been working four days on and four days off so they can take in the sights while living abroad, it’s proving very popular with Jess.
"It's very different to the working week I am used to in the UK but this was deliberately planned so we can make the most of being here.
"I have visited Australia and both the North and South Islands [of New Zealand] and generally thrown myself into the experience."

Speaking
Get together with someone from the other groups and tell them about the text you read. Can you now answer all 9 questions.

Listening

In pairs think of some questions you would like to ask the Managing Director of Moneypenny.

Now listen to the interview and see if your questions are answered.

Speaking
Moneypenny are willing to invest money to ensure quality service. Which  of these qualities do you think are most important in a company.

Low Prices
Happy and helpful Staff
Quality Service
User-friendly Website
Punctuality
Punctuality
Reliability
Consistency




Reading

Group 2
Read about Moneypenny
What problems did they face?
Why didn’t they want to have workers working through the night?
What solution did they come up with?

Moneypenny provides a phone answering service, handling over 8m calls a year for 6,000 clients from sole traders to multinationals. It has been named in the Sunday Times Best Companies list 3 times. But recently Moneypenny has encountered a problem. More and more UK customers had wanted calls handling through the night.
Initially the company resisted expanding the service to work 24/7 especially as only a handful of the company's 280 staff said they wanted to work nights.
Owner Rachel Clacher was also worried after seeing research about detrimental effects on people working nights, affecting health and attitude, which could also impact on customers.
Ms Clacher said: "We had looked at hiring staff to work overnight but we weren't confident service levels could be maintained so would have never taken that risk.

Speaking
Get together with someone from the other groups and tell them about the text you read. Can you now answer all 9 questions.

Listening

In pairs think of some questions you would like to ask the Managing Director of Moneypenny.

Now listen to the interview and see if your questions are answered.

Speaking
Moneypenny are willing to invest money to ensure quality service. Which  of these qualities do you think are most important in a company.

Low Prices
Happy and helpful Staff
Quality Service
User-friendly Website
Punctuality
Reliability
Consistency





Reading

Group 3
Read about Moneypenny
Why do they have staff based in Wales and New Zealand?
What problem does it solve?
How do the staff feel about it?

Call centre staff from Wrexham are taking turns to live in New Zealand to cover night shifts back home in the UK.
Because New Zealand is 12 hours ahead it means no one has to work night shifts.  Moneypenny staff normally based in Wrexham are still working day shifts but provide late-night cover when colleagues in Wales clock off.
Now, when the Wrexham-based workers leave the office, at the "flick of a switch" at 20:00 GMT their colleagues in Auckland take over until 08:00 GMT and UK customers continue to receive the same service through the night.
Jess Edwards, one of the New Zealand based staff said ‘It was a bit strange to start with but it actually works very well. We go to work in the morning just as we do back home.’
"By working on the other side of the world we're now able to offer a truly 24 hour first-rate service, with bright, chirpy and wide-awake people." Said Rachel Clacher the owner of Moneypenny.


Speaking
Get together with someone from the other groups and tell them about the text you read. Can you now answer all 9 questions.

Listening

In pairs think of some questions you would like to ask the Managing Director of Moneypenny.

Now listen to the interview and see if your questions are answered.

Speaking
Moneypenny are willing to invest money to ensure quality service. Which  of these qualities do you think are most important in a company.

Low Prices
Happy and helpful Staff
Quality Service
User-friendly Website
Punctuality
Punctuality
Reliability
Consistency



Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Suspended Coffee.






How much coffee do you drink every day?







Suspended Coffee

What is it? 
Where did the idea come from?
Who is it for?
 

 



Read the beginning of the article and reassess your answers.


The daily trip to a local coffee shop may give you your caffeine fix - but thanks to a new scheme, it could also give you a chance to do a small good deed.

Watch the first 40 seconds of the video and see if you are correct. If you are still not sure read the two paragraphs below the link. 


The idea of "Suspended Coffee" is simple: When you buy yourself a coffee at a participating cafe, you also pay for a second one - which can then be claimed by someone who cannot afford it themselves.
They don't have to "prove" anything to claim one, but the scheme relies on the good faith of everyone involved.


From the BBC Stop / Start Series. See link above

What are the benefits and disadvantages of the scheme for: 
the community?
the coffee shop? 
the donators?
the people who get free coffee?

Watch the rest of the video clip and see if they mention any of your ideas.

Watch the video again and decide who says these phrases: 
the shop manager 
the donating customer 
the using customer

hard up on their luck 
it's all sorted 
it's not intrusive
local scheme
a tally on the wall
come out of themselves
staring at the same four walls
a direct and local way
at the end of the day

Can you rephrase the sentences to say what they mean in your own words. 


Work in groups - 

Group A - You are going to argue in favour of a Suspended Coffee scheme in San Sebastian. 

Group B You are going to argue against a Suspended Coffee scheme in San Sebastian.

Work with your groups and come up with reasons to support your arguments. 











Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bots


Look at the words and the title of the video and decide what you think it will be about.


Boy 'lived as a robot' for two months


bone marrow transplant
family friend
mucking about
isoloation room
two older brothers
silicon valley
cameras
microphone and speakers
remotely navigated
mute button
robot
recovery
operation
computer
wifi


Now watch the first 2 minutes  and see if you are correct


Now answer these questions 
Do you think this is a newstory or an advert?
Why do you think they mother liked the Gradybot?
What problems do you think might occur?
What improvements can you think of for the anybots?
Who might enjoy having an anybot?
What practical uses can you think of?
How much do you think it costs?
What one obvious problem is there?

Watch the whole video and see if you're ideas are mentioned. 

Now see if you can work out what these words mean.

convinced

siblings

vicariously 

endured

megalomaniac

X Factor Lesson


As sly as a _____

As free as a ____

As quiet as a _____

As mean as a _____

as sharp as a ____

as ugly as a ____

As stealthy as a ____

Strong like a _____







Lenka


 


I like the song but ...

I like the song however...

I like the song despite...

I like the song although...

I like the song and...

I like the song because...

I like the song and therefore...



It was by far the nicest of the three. 

It was three times as good as the others.

It was easily the best.

It was slightly better than the others.

It was just as good as the others.

It was much worse than the others.



 Girls

 Kids

 Bloke

 Lyrics 
 As sly as a fox, as strong as an ox 
As fast as a hare, as brave as a bear 
As free as a bird, as neat as a word 
As quiet as a mouse, as big as a house 
All I wanna be, all I wanna be, oh 
All I wanna be is everything 
 As mean as a wolf, 
as sharp as a tooth 
As deep as a bite, 
as dark as the night 
As sweet as a song, 
as right as a wrong 
As long as a road, 
as ugly as a toad 
 As pretty as a picture hanging from a fixture 
Strong like a family, strong as I wanna be 
Bright as day, as light as play
 As hard as nails, as grand as a whale 
 All I wanna be oh, all I wanna be, oh 
All I wanna be is everything 
Everything at once Everything at once, oh Everything at once 
 As warm as the sun, as silly as fun 
As cool as a tree, as scary as the sea 
As hot as fire, 
cold as ice 
Sweet as sugar and everything nice 
 As old as time, as straight as a line 
As royal as a queen, as buzzed as a bee 
As stealth as a tiger, 
smooth as a glider 
Pure as a melody, pure as I wanna be 
 All I wanna be oh, all I wanna be, oh 
All I wanna be is everything 
Everything at once