Monday, October 20, 2014

CE-II Autumn 2014: The New Semester Begins!

Water drop impact on a water-surface - (1) Hello everyone, welcome back!
Today we are going to start our next unit of study. We are going to study....water.
First, lets study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2.
This semester we are going to use the manaba learning management system. You can find all the course documents on manaba, and you will use manaba to do tests and assignments. You will also receive course news and announcements from manaba.
Please log into manaba and download the course outline. Next, please check out the other resources I have uploaded for you, and finally please do the quiz I've made for you.


That's all for today.
See you next week!

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Integrated English II for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Welcome Back!

Hello everyone, welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the summer.

Today we are going to begin the second half of our course.

This semester we will read two detective stories. For the first half of the semester we will read Death on U Street, the second story in our textbook, Fiction in Action - Whodunit. Death on U Street is another story featuring Detective Ellie Koo. I'm sure you will enjoy it very much. Just like last semester, there will be a quiz after each chapter.

In the second half of the course we will read The Sign of Four, which is a Sherlock Holmes Story.

First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Death on U Street Chapter 1 Vocabulary.

Death on U Street is fiction, of course, but U Street is a real street in Washington D.C. You can see U Street in the image below.


View U Street NW, Washington, DC in a larger map

Ok, now let's start reading. Enjoy!

IE-II PhysEd B4 First class of the Autumn Term

Hello everyone,
welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the summer holiday. This semester we are going to talk about sports in general, and health and fitness. Today's topic is the Olympics. Let's start with some vocabulary study. Please click the link: IE-II PhysEd Vocabulary.



Now please log in to manaba. Please download the handouts for today's class. Now let's listen to an English teacher called Sean Banville talk about his favourite sports. Please click the link: ListenAMinute.com Sport.
That's all for today. We'll do a quiz about today's class next time. See you next week.

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

The University of Tsukuba Autumn Semester 2014 Classes Begin!

Hello everyone,
I hope you enjoyed your summer.
This semester I have four new classes. You will have to register for your courses on manaba today. Please click the link, log in,  and register for your course on manaba. After you have registered for the course, please click the resources tab and download your course outline.
Next, if you have not registered for Quizlet, please click the link and register. After that please join your class on Quizlet. Please click the appropriate link below:



Seminar on English Writing for Academic Purposes I

Seminar on English Writing for Academic Purposes II

Students in the Seminar on English Presentation for Academic Purposes please click the following link: Presentation 1 Welcome

That's all for today. See you next week!

Friday, September 26, 2014

Shibaura Institute of Technology Autumn 2014 Classes - Joining Coursebase

Hello everyone,
Last week I introduced you to the courses you will be taking this semester, and you learned how to register for Quizlet, and how to use it. Now we are going to start learning the content of the courses, but first we need to register for Coursebase, a Learning Management System (LMS), or 学習管理システム in Japanese. An LMS is a software application that helps us organise the content of an e-learning course. OK, let's get started!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Shibaura Institute of Technology Autumn 2014 Classes Begin!

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to introduce you to the course you are taking this semester and then we will start using an online vocabulary learning tool called Quizlet.

Please click the link to your course outline below.




TOEIC I-B

English Communication I

Writing I-B

OK, now let's sign up for Quizlet. Please click the link: quizlet.com


Next, click "Sign Up", then follow the instructions to register.

Finally, click the link for your course below.

TOEIC I-B

English Communication I

Writing I-B

Now let's have some fun studying vocabulary. Click the "Class lists" tab, then click the link to your class' vocabulary list.
Enjoy!


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Toyo Gakuin University Autumn 2014 Classes Begin!


Welcome back everyone!
This semester we are going to have our classes in a computer room. We are going to have our classes in a computer room so that we can use some cool online applications. The first one we will use is Quizlet. Please click the link to download "Getting Started with Quizlet Togaku 2014" Follow the instructions. Register (登録する) for Quizlet.



Please link the link for your class below:

応用英語I-2B

基礎英語4B

Now let's start learning some vocabulary using Quizlet. Look at the picture below. Go to this page in Quizlet. Click CiC Unit 4 (Skills)



That's all for today. Next week we will start practicing a conversation about the skills we have.
See ya!

Thursday, August 07, 2014

The University of Tsukuba Web 2.0 Workshop for Japanese Secondary School Teachers 2014

Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

Hello everyone, Welcome to the University of Tsukuba, and welcome to our workshop. Here's what we will do today.

Part 1: 10:45-12:15


  1. Introductions and team building
  2. Survey - I will ask you to do a survey in order to help me understand your technical expertise, interests and needs. The survey will introduce you to a great tool called Survey Monkey
  3. A brief introduction to Web 2.0
  4. Some examples of some work my students have done

Part 2: 1:30-3:00


  1. Hands on practice using Google drive. 


Part 3: 3:15-4:45


  1. Hands on practice using Quizlet
  2. An overview of some other online applications
  3. Closing Discussion


So then, let's get to know each other. Please click the link to see a presentation I have made using an online application called Voicethread. As you watch the presentation please do the quiz.

The first Web 2.0 tool I used was this blog. I started it when I was teaching at Kanto International High School (関東国際高等学校).  Please click the link to see some projects my students and I did at Kanto International High School.

Now let's look at some projects that I've done with students at various universities. Please click the links to see the projects.

Toyo Gakuen University Projects
Shibaura Institute of Technology Projects
The University of Tsukuba Projects

You can see a Google Document I've made about Google Drive by clicking the link. Here's another prcatice quiz I made.
Next, click the link to go to an Introduction to Quizlet.
Finally, if you are interested in reading more about Web 2.0 you can find some articles in my shared Web 2.0 Workshop 2013-08-01 Folder on Dropbox.


I hope that this workshop has been enjoyable and useful. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me on stout.michael.ga@u.tsukuba.ac.jp

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Writing 2 Spring 2014 Weeks 11 & 12: Task 3 - The Comparative Essay

Hello everyone, Today we are going to write the first draught of our comparative essay. First, let's watch a video made by an American student in Nagasaki called Hannah. Take notes as you watch the video, and answer the questions below.

 


  1. What were the two housing options Hannah had to choose from?
  2. What problem did Hannah have before she went to Nagasaki?
  3. What does Hannah say about the pros and cons (賛否両論) of living in the girls' dorm at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies?
  4. What are the good points and the bad points about the dorm cafeteria?
  5. What does Hanna say about the office staff?
  6. What facilities does the dorm have?
  7. How does Hannah's dorm room in Japan compare to the dorm room she had in America?
  8. What does she love about living in the dorm?
  9. Why didn't she choose a homestay?
  10. What questions do you have for Hannah? Write one and post it as a comment on her YouTube Channel.


OK, now start writing! Write a four-paragraph comparative essay about two types of housing. Your essay should be at least 300 words long. Please submit your essay to my mailbox on the 4th floor of the Foreign Language Centre by Wednesday 9th July at noon.                
Enjoy!

Presentation 2 Spring 2014 Weeks 11-15: Your Third and Final Presentation





Hello everyone,
Today we are going to begin the third and final presentation. This presentation will also be a group presentation. You can do the third presentation with the same group that you did the second presentation.

Last year I asked the students who took this course with me for some feedback. Most of them said that they would have liked to have had the freedom to choose the topic of their presentation, so I've decided to let you choose the topic of this presentation. So here are the guide lines for your project:


  1. The presentation must have a title slide, an introduction slide, a conclusion slide and a slide listing the sources of your research. Each member of the group must make at least 3 slides. Therefore your presentation should have between 10 - 20 slides, depending on whether your group has 2, 3, or 4 members. 
  2. The narration for each slide should be at least 100 words. 
  3. Your slides should use images, video and audio. You can also use the drawing function on Voicethread.
  4. There sound be very little text on your slides.
  5. You should explain why you chose the topic that you chose in your introduction 
The rest is up to you. Use your imagination. Be creative. Take risks. Have fun.

Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 8: Chapter 6 Quiz


Well everyone, this is the last class of the semester. Today we'll review Chapter 6 and do the last quiz.

Let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: The Inverted Eagle Chapter 6 Vocabulary.

Now with your group please review Chapter 6. You can see a complete mind map of the suspects by clicking the link.

I hope you enjoyed the story. we will read the second story Death on U Street next semester.

Have a nice summer!

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 8: Last Class



Hello everyone,

Well, we've come to the end of this semester. I hope you enjoyed reading about Paul Kariya. This biography was published in 2000. At that time Kariya was still playing in Anaheim. Later, he played in Colorado, Nashville, and St. Louis. His career ended early because of all the concussions he suffered. Concussions are a big problem in sports, especially hockey. In the video above you can see the bone-crushing hit Kariya took from Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils during the Stanley Cup Final. Hits like this caused Kariya to suffer concussions and shortened his career.

OK, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link:  IE-I PE (B4) Vocabulary.

Finally, please make sure you have finished all the quizzes, and your assignments on Chieru.

Have a nice summer. See you in October!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 7: Chapter 5 Quiz

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to review Chapter 5 and then do the Chapter 5 quiz. First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: The Inverted Eagle Chapter 5 Vocabulary.

Here's a good summary of Chapter 5 by Karenne Sylvester's student Martina R. in Germany.

Chapter 5 – Family Secrets

Ellie had a daughter. When Ellie investigated a hot case and needed a lot of time, Sofia –  her daughter – stayed sometimes at her neighbor.

Ellie talked again with Allison. The daughter of the Reed´s didn´t believe that Miguel was a criminal. Ellie discussed again with Allison about the relationship between both and checked the schedule last night. Allison had an advantage, her diary, in which Ellie found the proof that Allison told the truth.

Later Ellie decided to check the bedroom of the Reeds once again and she found new findings.

OK, please read the last chapter and find out whodunit!

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 7: Paul Kariya Chapter 5

Hello everyone,

Well, we're almost done. Today we'll finish the Paul Kariya biography. First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: IE-I PE (B4) Vocabulary.

Now let's finish reading the book, and do the quiz on manaba.

Enjoy!

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Writing 2 Spring 2014 Weeks 8-10: Preparing to Write a Comparative Essay

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to start our next writing task, a comparative essay. Look at the diagram on the left. This is a floor plan from Laurier Hall at the University of Windsor. The University of Windsor is my alma mater. In my first year, I lived in MacDonald Hall, across the way from Laurier Hall, in a room exactly like this. The room was very small, about 4 metres long and only about 3 and a half metres wide. Can you believe that two people lived in this room for a whole year? To make matters even more difficult, my room mates was a slob. I was very neat and tidy in those days. You can see a panoramic view of a room in MacDonald Hall by clicking the link.



Do you live in one of the dorms on campus? How does your room compare to this room?
Now let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Academic Word List.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Writing 1 Spring 2014 Week 8: The Essay (Part 2)

Red Pen
Hello everyone,
Well, we've come to the end of the course. Today I will return the first draught of your essay to you. Please write your second and final draught and submit it to my mailbox on the 4th floor of the Foreign Language Centre by the 25th of June. Also, please post your essay to our class writing blog. Finally, please read one essay and at least 3 more posts by your classmates, and leave comments on each - that's a total of four comments.
Thanks for being a great class. I hope to see you around campus in the future.

Presentation 1 Spring 2014 Week 8: Final Presentations

Hello everyone,
Well, we've come to the end of the course. Today you will do your final presentations. Thank you for being such a great class. i really enjoyed teaching you. I think your confidence and your presentation skills have improved a lot.

Your final assignment is to write a report about your learning experience in this class. Your report should be at least 300 words. Please include the following points:


  • The things you liked about the course
  • The things that you didn't like about the course
  • How much, or how little you think your English has improved
  • How much or how little your confidence has improved
  • How useful you think the course was. Do you think you will have to do presentations in English in the future?
  • What you plan to do in order to retain the skills you have learned in the course.
Please submit your report by e-mail. The deadline for your report is the 25th of June.
Thanks again and good luck in the future.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 6: Chapter 4 Quiz




Hello everyone!
Today we are going to review Chapter 4 and do the Chapter 4 quiz.
Look at the image above. The image is a mind map showing the suspects, their motives and their lies. Using information from the mind map, make notes in your Detectives Notebook.

Let's review some vocabulary from Chapter 4. Please click this link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 4.

Next week we will review Chapters 5. We will also do the Chapters 5 quiz. Please read Chapter 5 and solve the puzzle. Also, don't forget to make good notes in your Detectives' Note Book.
Enjoy!

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 6: Paul Kariya Chapter 4


Hello everybody, Today we are going to review Chapter 4 of our Paul Kariya biography and do a test. First, let's study some vocabulary using Quizlet. Please click the link: IE-I PE (B4) Vocabulary.

The video above was made by a Paul Kariya fan. I hope you enjoy it.
See you next week.

Monday, June 09, 2014

Cross Cultural Awareness and English Spring 2014 Week 7: Love and Marriage in Japan

Wedding couple Hello everyone.

Well this is the last class before the final test. You can download your study guide by clicking the link.  

Today we are going to talk about love and marriage in Japan. The material for today's lesson was written by two University of Tsukuba students. Click the link to download the handout.

Now let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English 1 Vocabulary.    

Next, let's start the project. Your project is due on 30 June. Please submit your project by e-mail.

Enjoy!

                    

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Writing 2 Spring 2014 Week 7: Writing a Personal Narrative Part 3

[108/366] Pen to PaperHello everyone,
Today we are going to start writing our second task. In order to prepare for that we will learn how to identify omissions (省略、削除、切り捨て、脱落), and how to use details to make the story more enjoyable to the reader. After that, we'll learn how to identify digressions (脇道), and get rid of them. We'll also learn how to identify and use the past perfect tense. First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Academic Word List.



OK, let's get started. Please submit the first draught of your second assignment to my mailbox in the Foreign Language Centre by next Wednesday 11th June at 3 pm.
Enjoy writing!

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Writing 1 Spring 2014 Week 7: The Essay (Part 1)

NotesHello everyone, Well, we're almost done, and so it's time to learn how to write an essay. First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Academic Wordlist.

OK, now we are going to learn how to write a 4-paragraph essay. Please submit your first draught to my mailbox on the 4th floor of the Foreign Language Centre by next Monday the 9th of June by 3 pm. 

Enjoy!

Presentation 2 Spring 2014 Weeks 7-10: Your Second Presentation


Today we will work on our second project. First let's use English Central. Did you reach your goal this week?
Your second project is a group project. You and the members of your group will make a presentation about your course of study at the University of Tsukuba.

Follow the steps below:

1. Research and preparation

    a. The University of Tsukuba’s undergraduate education system is organised into undergraduate schools. These schools are divided into colleges. Click the link. Find information about your school and college: http://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/english/organization/college.html#003

    b. Find information about your college’s curriculum

    c. Find information about majors

    d. Make notes about a project you are working on now, or a project that you want to do in the future.



2   2. The Script

       a.    Write first draught

    i. Introduction
    ii. Description of your school
    iii. Description of your college
    iv. Description of your majors
    v. Description of your projects
    vi. Conclusion

b. Read and edit first draught

c. Write second draught

3. Powerpoint

a. Title slide
b. Schools
c. Colleges
d. Majors
e. Projects
f. Conclusion

4. Upload Powerpoint to Voicethread

5. Record

OK, have fun doing your project!



Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Presentation 1 Spring 2014 Week 7: Final Presentation Preparation

Hello everyone,

Did you know that Japanese invented the first android? Well they did. You can see a picture of the first android on the left.
You will invent something for your final presentation. Last week I gave you your final presentation worksheet. If you were absent, please click here: Final Presentation Worksheet. Today in class we are going to start writing the script. If you finish that, you can start working on your slides. You will give your final presentation next week, the 11th of June.

Enjoy inventing!


Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 5: Chapter 3 Quiz

Hi everyone! Today we are going to review Chapter 3.
Illustration by Yuji Tachikawa. CC V1.0 Some rights reserved
First, let's review some vocabulary. Click this link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 3 Vocabulary.

Now let's read a great summary of Chapter 3 by Martina R., a student in Stuttgart, Germany:
Chapter 3 – The Hospital


The first lie: Judith told Ellie that she lied concerning the combination of the wall safe, she gave the numbers to Kevin. Because of her age, Judith forgot, that she also gave the combination to Miguel. After this, Ellie wanted to hear the whole story. Judith started to tell the story which had begun a month ago with the purchase of a beautiful stamp.

At the end of the conversation between Ellie and Judith Reed, Yokota, a colleague of Ellie, and Kevin entered the room. Ellie saw Kevin and she accused him of lying to her.

The next steps: Elle checked the stories of the involved people and wanted to search the house from the top to bottom.

After that, Ellie drove to the hospital where Evan and Nancy Reed were staying. Nancy was sleeping  and Even was telephoning someone with his cell phone. Ellie stopped in front of the door and tried to understand the call between Evan and the other person. The words (which) she heard were “Brian … investors …. excited about the project – to get money together”. ...a few seconds after the  call, Ellie went into the room and introduced herself to the Reeds. Then she told the Reeds a part of her investigation. It was surprising, that Evan accused his son of committing the robbery, because the Reeds wanted that Kevin tried to find a job and they had informed him that they were stopping his monthly allowance. Later, Ellie asked the Reeds to describe the occurrences which happened last night separately?

At the end of the Chapter, Yokota called Ellie and told her that there might be a new motive ….

You can read Martina's entire review of  The Inverted Eagle on Karenne Sylvester's great blog Kalinago English.

Finally, please post a comment. Who do you think  dunit? Click the link to learn how to post a comment.

Monday, June 02, 2014

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 5: Paul Kariya Chapter 3



Hello everyone, Today we are going to talk about Paul Kariya and the 1994 Lillihammer Olympics. As you can see in the video, Kariya was robbed by Sweden's goalie Tommy Salo, and so Canada lost the gold medal match. Unfortunately for Kariya, the 1994 Olympic Games were his only chance to play for Team Canada at the Olympics. Kariya was selected to play for Team Canada at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, but he was cross-checked in the face by American Gary Suter of the Chicago Blackhawks. Kariya got the fourth concussion of his career because of the hit.

OK, let's study some vocabulary. I have added some new words to our flashcards. Please click the link, sign in and study the vocabulary.

Now let's read Chapter 4. Enjoy!

Cross Cultural Awareness and English Spring 2014 Week 6: Love and marriage in Bangladesh



Bangladeshi Bride and Groom

Hello everyone, Today we will continue discussing Love and Marriage. Look at the picture above. This is a picture I took of a Bangladeshi bride and groom at a wedding reception I attended in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In the photo below you can see me with my colleagues. The men, including me, are wearing a traditional Bengali shirt called a "panjabi". This shirt is called a Kurta in India. We were a little embarrassed because all the Bangladeshi men wore European business suits. 


 


Let's listen to two people talking about Love and Marriage in Bangladesh. Some people in Bangladesh have arranged marriages. Let's listen to a conversation about arranged marriages on my friend Todd Beukens' great website English Listening Lesson Library Online (ELLLO). Please listen to the conversation and do the quiz. 

Next, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross cultural awareness and English vocabulary.

Now, let's learn more about Bengali weddings. Please click the link. Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What is a Ghotok?
2. What are the parts of the Bengali wedding?
3. What is Gaye holud? 
4. What is the Mahr?
5. Who arranges the wedding ceremony?
6. Who arranges the reception?
7. What is the "flower bed" ceremony?

That's all. See you next week.



Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Writing 2 Spring 2014 Week 6: Writing a Personal Narrative Part 2

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to continue preparing for our second writing task, a personal anecdote.
First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Academic Word List.
By now, all of you have a lot of experience using a Japanese/English dictionary, so it's time you started using an English Dictionary. Dictionary.com is a very good site. Another reference tool you should be using is a Thesaurus. A thesaurus is a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. Synonyms are words that have a similar meaning and antonyms are words that have an opposite meaning. Thesaurus.com is a good site.

Look at the picture on the left. This is a picture of me when I was a high school teacher. I told you a story about a lesson I learned from my students when I was a high school teacher.  Here it is again:

           In 2003, I was lucky enough to get a job teaching at Kanto International High School. I had been teaching in Japan for six years, but this was the first time I was a real independent classroom teacher.  Also, I had started studying toward a Master of Education in TESOL degree at Temple University. I knew that I would have many opportunities to apply what I was learning at graduate school in the classes I was teaching at the high school, so I was very excited when I got hired at Kanto.

          One of the things I had learned at graduate school was the importance of group work, so one day I gave my students a group project. I explained the project to the students, and everyone seemed to understand what they were supposed to do. I handed out some worksheets for the students to use while doing their group project, and then told them to get started. As the students were working on their group project I walked around the classroom, and I realised that all the students were working alone. They must not have understood my instructions I thought, so I asked the students to stop working and I explained again that the project was a group project and they should work on the project together. The students started working on their projects again, and I walked around the class again observing them. They were still working alone. This puzzled me. I had been taught that Japan was a "group-oriented society", so why were these students not working together, as a group? My students taught me a valuable lesson that day. They taught me that what is normal for a group in one culture is not necessarily normal for a group in another culture.

Now it's your turn. Tell us about an experience you had that taught you a valuable lesson.

Writing I Spring 2014 Week 6: Sharing our writing

working hand

Hello everyone, Today we are going to read our classmates writing on our University of Tsukuba Academic Writing Blog. First let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link, and don't forget to sign in: Academic World List.
Now, please go to our class blog, log in. Post your first two assignments. Then, read three of your classmates' posts and leave a comment for them.
Your next assignment will be an opinion paragraph. Please submit it to my mailbox by next Monday at 3 pm.
Enjoy writing!

Presentation 2 Spring 2014 Week 6

Hello everyone, Today we are going to upload our Powerpoint slides to Voicethread. Look at the image below. Click the tap called "Create". Then click "Upload".


Next, click "My Computer". After that, select your powerpoint file and wait for it to be uploaded.


 When the upload is complete, please record your presentation. You record your presentation the same way that you commented on a presentation. First make a text comment. Copy and paste your text into the comment. Then comment again . This time make a voice recording. When you are finished, share your presentation. Go to your "My Voice" page. Then, drag and drop your presentation into our Tsukuba Dai group. Look at the image below.



Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Presentation 1 Spring 2014 Week 6: The Comparative Presentation

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to do our comparative presentations. Then we'll start working on our final presentations. Today we'll talk about introductions.

Please click the link to download your final presentation worksheet.
Next week we will talk about the body and the conclusion.
Finally, here's a video to help you remember what Death by Powerpoint is, and how to prevent it.

Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 4: Chapter 2 Quiz

Illustration by Yuji Tachikawa. CC V1.0 Some rights reserved
Hello everyone!
Today we are going to review Chapter 2 and do the quiz. Let's review some vocabulary. Please click the link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 2. After the quiz we will start Chapter 3. Click the link for the Chapter 3 vocabulary flash cards.

Have a great week-end. Enjoy reading!

Monday, May 26, 2014

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 4: Paul Kariya Chapter 2

Hello everyone, Today we are going to continue reading about Paul Kariya. In chapter 2 we learn about Kariya's American college hockey career. In the video below, you can see the 1993 U.S. National Championship. Kariya's pass to Jim Montgomery set up the winning goal.

 

Let's study some vocabulary. I have added some new words from chapters 1 and 2.
OK, there will be a quiz about chapter 2 next class. Also, please read chapter 3.
Enjoy!

Cross Cultural Awareness and English I Spring 2014 Week 5: Jewish Wedding Traditions

Photo downloaded from Wikipedia
Hello everyone!

Today we are going to finish learning about love and marriage in Greece. Then we'll learn about some Jewish wedding traditions.

First, let's review some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross cultural awareness and English vocabulary.

Now let's learn about superstitions have Jewish wedding customs special.





What do you think of the superstitions you have read about. Are you superstitious? Can you think of any superstitions associated with Japanese wedding customs? Please post a comment.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Writing 2 Spring 2014 Week 5: Writing a personal narrative

Downloaded from wikipedia
Hello everyone,
Today we are going to start our next writing assignment. Your next writing assignment is a two-paragraph personal narrative about a personal experience. In this assignment you will tell an anecdote. An anecdote is a short description of an interesting event. Your anecdote must tell about something that happened to you that taught you a lesson. In other words, there should be a moral to your story.
First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Academic Word List.



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Writing 1 Spring 2004 Week 5: Organising Information by Order of Importance

Hello everyone,
Well, we ran out of time last week, so we are going to learn how to post to our class writing blog today. I sent you an invitation to become an author on our class writing blog. Please check your gmail account, read the message and follow the instructions. After that go to our class blog, and sign in. Look at the picture on the left. Click "New Post". After that, follow the steps listed below:







  1. Type your title in the box above the tool bar. Your title should be like this: "My Life at Tsukuba is Wonderful by Taro Higashinihon"
  2. Copy and paste your assignment into the textbox. 
  3. Look at the corrections I made on your second draught. Correct your mistakes
  4. On the right hand side look for "Labels". Type the following words into the box: Academic Writing 1, 2014, and your first name and the first letter of your last name ie. TaroH.
  5. Click preview. Make sure everything is OK.
  6. Finally, click "Publish".
After you post your paragraph. Read three of your classmates' posts, and make a comment on each.
After that, we'll start our third assignment - Why I Decided to Come to the University of Tsukuba.
For homework, please edit your second assignment and write your second draught, and write your first draught of your third assignment. Please put all your assignments: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, and 3.1 in a folder and deposit them in my mailbox on the fourth floor of the foreign Language Centre. 
Have fun writing! 

Presentation 2 Spring 2014 Week 5: Introduction to Voicethread

Hello everyone,
Today we are finally ready to start making our Voicethread presentations, but first we need to register for VoiceThread. Please click the link: Register a new account. After you have registered please watch this video: What's a Voicethread Anyway?

I have created a group for us on Voicethread. Please click the link to join the group: Tsukuba Dai Presentation II Spring 2014.

Now, lets learn how to comment. Please watch the Voicethread presentation below. After that please make a comment and ask a question on each slide. To make a comment, first type out your comment using a word processor such as Microsoft Word. Then click "Comment", and then click type. Copy and pate your comment into the text box. After that, click "Record". Read your comment out loud, and record it. Listen to your recording. If you like it, move on to the next slide. If you don't like it, re-record your comment.



Now class we will upload our slides to Voicethread.
See you!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Presentation I Spring 2014 Week 5: The Visual Message

Hello everyone,

Well, we have finished learning about the physical message. Now it's time to learn about the visual message. Today we will start to learn how to make good slides.

So many presenters make very bad slides that we have a new expression in English: "Death by Powerpoint". Click the link to read a Japanese blog post about Death by Powerpoint.




If you want to read a really good book about making presentations, I recommend Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds. You can get some great FREE tips from his website too.

OK, let's make some great slides now!

Integrated English I for Art & Design Majors (Class B) and Life and Environmental Science Majors (Class C1): Week 3: Chapter 2


Hello everyone, Well, we are a little behind schedule. Today we are going to do the first quiz. Then we are going to read Chapter 2 and do the tasks, including solving the puzzle.
First, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Inverted Eagle Chapter 1 Vocabulary.
OK, we'll have a quiz about Chapter 2 next week at the beginning of the class, so don't be late!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Integrated English 1 for Physical Education Majors B4 Week 3: Paul Kariya Chapter 1

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to review Chapter 1 of our Paul Kariya biography and do the first quiz.
First, let's watch a cartoon about the rules of hockey explained by a popular character in Canada, Peter Puck. Please click the link.

Now let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: IE-I PE (B4) Vocabulary.

Now let's review Chapter 1. Click the link to see a mind map of Chapter 1.

Next, click the link to download your Chapter 1 Review Worksheet.
For homework, please read Chapter 2.
Enjoy!


Cross Cultural Awareness and English I Spring 2014 Week 4: Love and Marriage in Greece

Photo by Louis Konstantinou
Hello everyone!
Today we are going to learn about love and marriage in Greece.
Last week we learned about dowries. Dowries have been a part of Greek culture too. It's interesting that two very different cultures, China and Greece, can share a cultural tradition, isn't it?
You can learn more about Greek wedding traditions by clicking the link: Ten Greek Wedding Traditions.




Today's article is about μαντινάδες (Mantinades), which are love poems sung at weddings on the island of Crete. Crete is the largest island in Greece. It was once the centre of the ancient Minoan civilization, which was the oldest civilization in Europe, so Crete has a rich cultural tradition. This rich cultural tradition has given the people of Crete some wonderful wedding customs, including the Mantinades.

Before we learn about the Mantinades, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Crosscultural awareness and English Vocabulary

Now let's listen to a mantinada. The song is called Ο ΥΜΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΑΝΑΣ - ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΖΕΡΒΑΚΗΣ . Please click the link:


Vicky Loras, a Greek Canadian teacher of English in Switzerland tells us that the title means, "Hymn to Mother". The singer says that there are many kinds of love in the world but the one kind of love that stands out is love for one's mother. Why do you think that a man might sing a song about his love for his mother at his wedding?


Here is a mantinada shared by Christina Markoulaki,  a teacher in Heraklion, which is the capital of Crete:
Σιγά-σιγά μη βιάζεστε κι η πόρτα μας θ’ ανοίξει, γιατί έχει η νύφη αδέλφια και γονείς να τσ’ αποχαιρετίσει. 

Christina says, "...this mantinada warns the guests not to hurry because the bride will take her time to say goodbye to her family." This matinada shows the very strong connection between the couple and the family, which Christina says is,"... an entirely Greek phenomenon!"

Let's listen to this mantinada now. Please click the link: 

Ψαρογιώργης - Aνωγειανές κοντυλιές-Πεντοζάλης


 That's all for this week. See you next week!