B1a - next week

A quick reminder that one of the things we will probably be doing next week is a reading comprehension from a past exam in exam conditions. This will be a very useful exercise in understanding and working in exam conditions - please try to come along.

C1a - next week, new materials on-line and song

A quick reminder that next week one of the things we'll probably be doing in class is part of a past exam grammar test (in exam conditions) - a good opportunity to check how the work is going.

A few recent handouts have now been added to my file of teaching materials for your group, including last lesson's idiomatic expressions ...'down under' ...Australia... the song some of you mentioned, in case you'd like to go track it down, is Men at Work's 'Down Under' ...a bizarre song with an equally bizarre video (as I just discovered). For those interested in the reference to Vegemite, it is similar to Marmite, which is something of a minor institution in the UK - a yeast extract food product that you either love or hate.

ALL - Culture Call, semester 2

It's time to start chatting at Culture Call once again. Are you interested in coming along? Feel free to bring along anyone from the language faculty who studies English.

We'll be meeting for the first session tomorrow (16.00 - 17.00) in room 6 at CLA.

From next week we should have a slightly different time - Fridays from 17.00 to 18.00, room T.B.C. (to be confirmed).

I hope you can make it!

B2C - Temporary room change

A quick message to let you know that this Thursday (only) we have a temporary room change - instead of having lessons in the Language Faculty, we will be at CLA in lab B. Future lessons will be in our regular classroom.

ALL - office hours ('ricevimento')

A quick update to let you know that for the rest of this module my office hours will be Thursdays, from 16.00 to 17.00 in Room D (Language Faculty) and not at CLA.

B2C - reading comprehension and mock grammar test

Hello there, as promised I'm posting up a few comprehension questions (click here) to accompany the BBC article (see dispensa or click on the link above the questions) that I mentioned in class. We'll be checking your answers to these questions next week.

Please remember that next week we will also be doing a 'mock grammar test'.

See you soon.

B2C -preparation and mock grammar test next week

A quick message to the B2c regarding preparation for the second year exam. Please do remember that correct preparation is essential for any exam, and our year two English exam is definitely no exception. Unfortunately, this semester as last, I am noticing that in many cases there are serious problems in grammar, spelling, syntax etc. which must be resolved in order to do the 2nd year exam with success. Unfortunately in many cases I have received little/no homework to check and the work that I have received and/or seen in class often shows errors which are to be avoided in year one English, not to mention the year two exam. Please remember that this year's level (B2) is necessarily more difficult that last year's (B1), therefore scoring an 18 or a 22 on last year's exam is not the equivalent of the same score on this year's 2nd year exam, but the equivalent of a lower grade.

At the end of last semester I reminded the group that it was necessary to come back in the 2nd semester with a higher level of English, but last week I was still seeing some basic errors in question structures, etc.. It is essential to prepare correctly and frequently for this exam - don't leave everything until the last moment, it is impossible to learn a language well in such a manner. In order to do a successful 2nd year exam, it really is necessary to put in a lot of work and, in various cases, improve the level of work being produced. Remember, as we have said all year, lessons are just a starting point, but you must do much more on your own, and show me your work regularly so that I can check and correct it for you. Don't forget that coming to class regularly is also important.

Remember that in the 2nd year course guide (in my teaching materials) which you must read, you can find information about the exam, including the grammar programme. As we said from the start of the year, we are looking at the main new points in class, but smaller points and old material should be covered on your own.

In the first semester we did a mock 2nd year grammar test. Next week at some point we should be doing another, so please be sure to review the work we have been doing and also to come to class.

Please speak with me as soon as possible if you need any clarifications or advice about your work, and don't forget the language-learning spirit...

ALL - This week - 'ricevimento' and 'Culture Call'

Hello to you all. I hope the second semester has got off to a good start. This week is pretty chaotic here in Urbino - we are happy to be hosting the second edition of the Language Olympics. Due to the Olympics my timetable is quite chaotic too, which means that - unfortunately - there won't be 'Culture Call' or 'ricevimento' with me this week. While I do apologise, I can also add that if you need to speak with me about anything important, then let me know - send me an e-mail and I'll reply as soon as possible. As for 'Culture Call', we WILL be starting again next week - watch this space for the new time-slot!

Bye for now!

B2C - materials for next lesson

Hello there. Please remember to bring the completed reading comprehension (which was set as part of inter-semester work) to class on Monday as we shall be analysing the answers.

C1a - comprehension questions

Hello there, as promised here are the comprehension questions that are connected to the article you should be reading for next week. Click here for the questions - there is a link to the article included.

ALL - ricevimento (temporary)

This week my office hours are 15.30 - 16.30 tomorrow (Friday) - this is a temporary timetable and will change as of next week, so please check the blog for further details. Tomorrow I will be at CLA staffroom.