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June 30, 2005
Step 4H - June 30, 2005
Hello class. First, I'll quickly recap your news. Aki has been studying all night and sleeping all day to prepare for his exams. He finally has his plane ticket to Germany. Take had a good time at the horse festival. Luckily there were no horse injuries. Mayumi learned how to make cream puffs with her friend. She's proud to admit that her own recipe tasted better. Taro was finally able to get a haircut. He was tired tonight because he had an early morning tour this morning. Kiwa went to Sapporo to take part in her course to become an English teacher. She remembered many songs from when she was a child. She found the practice teaching difficult, but I'm sure it will become easier with more practice.
Tonight we listened to the first part of a story called 'Table for Two'. Then you were able to read the endings with your partners on pg 18. The class was pretty divided on what they thought of the story. Some thought it was a really great and romantic story. Others thought it was too unbelievable to be real.
July 1st is Canada day, so I thought it would be fun to have a little Canada Quiz. Congratulations to the 'Maple Team' for the most points. Take it easy. See you next class.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:07 PM
Step 5G - June 30, 2005
Hello class. Tonight was a good class. Thanks Kenji for bringing in the articles about morning glories, and speedy 95 year olds. They were quite interesting. We continued with the unit about cities. First we had a debate about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city versus a small town. Everyone made some really good points. Then, as a class we suggested some ideas to improve Obihiro. Good ideas! July 1st is Canada day so I thougth I would give you a few facts. I hope you found it interesting. If you have any further questions, you can ask me next class, or post a message to the blog. Take care. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:00 PM
June 29, 2005
Step 5F - June 29, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Miho. She was observing our class. She's a travel agent who is crazy about soccer. We talked about many things. Here's a quick recap. Do you remember everyone's stories?
Shiba - cool tap dancers
Imai - yatai
Kenji - waking up at 3:30
Shoko - sad dog story
Miho - cheap flights
Tonight was fun. We had a debate with the 'Obihiro' and the 'Halifax' teams. You made some really good points about the advantages of living in a big city or a small town. I'm glad that everyone stayed calm, and the debate didn't get too out of control.
Then we imagined that we were on the Committee for the Improvement of Obihiro. Again with your teams, you had to think of 2 points you'd like to suggest to improve Obihiro. Some of your ideas included, transportation, reduction of taxes, creation of more amusement facilities. Good work!
Finally I gave everyone a few Canadian facts. Canada day is on July 1st. Have yourselves a marvellous weekend. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:57 PM
Step 2E - June 29, 2005
Hello class. Today was a pretty small class. Where was everybody tonight? We were joined by Hidenori from my Monday night class. I was hoping that Miku would come to class in her Kimono. She said that she will have a picture to show us next class. First we did a quick review of comparatives. With your groups you had to make one sentence. Good job.
Tonight we started Unit 4 - Music. We talked about the different styles of music, and decided which ones were popular or not. Then we played the liar game. Out of a list of three singers or bands, the class had to choose which one you didn't like. Congratulations to Hidenori for having the most points.
Speaking of music, What type of music do you listen to, to make you feel happy? I like listening to the Beatles.
We'll continue with this unit next class. I hope everyone has a marvellous weekend! See you.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:40 PM | Comments (2)
June 28, 2005
Step 4D - June 28, 2005
Hello class. Frist we talked about our news together as a class. Yuki unfortunately went shopping and left her windows of her car open because it was a nice day. While she was shopping it started to pour rain and her car seats got all wet. Poor Yuki! Ayumi went to see some butterbur. She showed us a funny picture. Kaoru went to a big china/pottery sale in Shimizu town. She got a chance to try making her own pottery dish. She made a salad bowl, and her husband made 2 rice bowls. That sounds like fun. shoko had a minivolleyball match. Her group won 1st prize. The prize was a fruit basket of melons, cherries and plumbs.
Tonight we started the class with a fun phrasal verb game. You had to list as many phrasal verbs as you could with your team, (the China team and the Halifaxt team). I was really impressed that you came up with some really great sentences. We learned a few more tonight. Do you remember what they mean?
- pass out
- wear out
- wear off
Then we practiced phrasal verbs further with the vocabulary exercise on pg 17. I know it was a bit difficult, but you did a good job. It is Canada day on July 1st, so I decided to give a quick Canada quiz at the end of class. Congratulations to both teams! I hope everyone has a wonderful week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 5:20 PM
Step 1C - June 28, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news with our partners. Riyo met a friend from junior high school. They had fun eating roll cake, and hamburgers, and going to karaoke. Yui couldn't find her kyudo uniform so she couldn't practice. Tomoki is looking forward to his trip to Sapporo. He will learn about agricultural techniques. Masumi had fun in Braden's class last week. She felt a little shy. Masumi will be going to Sendai to study psychology at the university. Good luck! See you in September.
Tonight we finished the expansion unit. We worked together on the activity 1 on pg 28. We talked about different opposite words:
up - down
yes - no
short - tall
big - small
right - left
Great work on the listening grammar exercise. No one had any problems with the missing words. Finally, with the review game, you had to ask each person in the class 5 different questions. Great work! Have a great week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 5:09 PM
June 27, 2005
Step 2B - June 27, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Misato from Chris' class. First we talked about our news. Takerou watched an athletic tournament. Misato is busy preparing for her school festival. Takayuki went hiking with his daughter. Tonight we started Unit 4 about music and entertainment. We found out that Takayuki likes Diana Ross, Misato likes Whitney Houston, Takerou likes Avril Levigne and I like the Beatles. You did really well on the listening exercise at the beginning. Then we played a fun game of liar. We had to guess which singer or band that people in the class didn't like. It was pretty fun. Congratulations to Takayuki for getting the most points correct. We will continue with this unit next class. I hope everyone has a fantastic week. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:29 PM
June 24, 2005
Step 1J - June 24, 2005
Hello class. Today we worked on the expansion unit. With your partner you had to ask many questions on pg. 27. Do you have a cat or dog? Do you often go swimming? Do you have a big family?....
Then we worked on the word review. You had to match the opposite words. Some examples of opposite words are:
yes - no
up - down
left - right
short - tall
hardworking - lazy
Good work with the grammar check on pg 28. We had to listen to the tape a few times, but you were able to write in the missing words. Good job.
Finally we finished up the activity on pg. 29. You had to ask everyone in the class at least one question. Maybe we'll go over some of your answers next class. Have a great weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 5:13 PM
June 23, 2005
Step 4H - June 23, 2005
Hello class. Today we continued with Unit 3. First we decided the two teams with thumb wars. Then with your teams you had to come up with a list of as many phrasal verbs as you could think of with the cards that were on the floor. Congratulations to both teams. You came up with some long lists. Then with your team you had to write two sentences using any of the phrasal verbs on your list. I was impressed with Take and Taro who managed to include 3 phrasal verbs in their sentence.
We learned a few new ones:
- wear off
- wear out
- pass out
- show down
- turn away
Do you remember their meanings? If you want to learn more I suggest that you check out this website: www.eslcafe.com/pv/. Give it a try.
Then with our teams we completed the activity 2 on pg 17. Great work! We'll continue with this unit next week. Have a great weekend. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:48 PM
Step 5G - June 23, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Keiko moved into a new office with room dividers, so she has her own space. She's already decorated it to make it more comfortable, with plants. Maki bought some new shoes on her trip to Sapporo, but she couldn't find the dishes pattern that she liked. She may have to go directly to Thailand to get them. J.J. has been feeling lazy lately. I think it's the hot weather that's making her feel sleepy. J.J. has started teaching Japanese to Amy and Chris on Tuesday nights. It's her dream to become a Japanese language teacher and live in Vancouver. Good luck with your course!
Tonight we started the unit on cities. First we talked about our favorite cities:
Maki - Jerusalem
J.J. - Calgary
Keiko - Sapporo
Erin - Ptrague
Then we took a look at the activity on pg 18. We learned more about the cities of Seoul, New Orleans, Kyoto and Salvadore. I wish I could visit all of these places!
Congratulations on the 'Erin's Joy Class World Capital Quiz'. You did pretty good.
Then we discussed the exercise 7 questions on pg 20. Hearing your answers makes me want to go on a huge trip.
We will continue with this unit next week. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:39 PM
June 22, 2005
Step 5F - June 21, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Yumiko's brother came down to Obihiro to help plan and discuss their upcoming trip to Hawaii. I don't think they got much planning done. Her friend asked her to write lyrics for a song. Good luck with your challenge! Ayano went to the cheese fair at the Tokachi plaza. She bought some brie cheese. Now she needs to buy some wine to accompany her cheese. I can't wait to go to the cheese fair this weekend. I told you that one of my favorite cheeses is havarti. Havarti is a cheese from Denmark. It is light to pale yellow in color and very smooth. Hopefully I can buy some. It is Shiba's birthday today. Happy birthday!!!!!! Your homework is to buy yourself a nice present. She went to the Italian restaurant Esto Esto with her friends to celebrate.
Today we continued with the unit on cities. We discussed the questions in activity 7 on pg 20. I liked hearing your answers. Then we talked about what's important to us when choosing a city to live in. We had to rate the importance of:
- cost of living
- crime rate
- jobs
- nightlife
- weather
We will continue with this unit next class. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:14 PM
Step 2E - June 22, 2005
Hello class. Today it was very hot. I'm glad that we have air conditioning in class. Today we practiced what we've learned in the unit with the interchange 3 flea market activity. Everyone has really good bargaining skills. Good job! Naoe spent the most money. She spent ¥177,000! She bought a very expensive lamp from Yumiko. Now Yumiko is rich.
Then we looked at the grammar focus on pg 20 about preferences and comparisons.
Everyone, which do you prefer? (apples or oranges) (horror movies or action movies) (summer or winter)
- I prefer apples. I prefer horror movies. I prefer summer. How about you?
You did very well with the comparison endings:
big -- bigger
pretty -- prettier
wonderful -- more wonderful
Remember the exception: (good -- better and bad -- worse)
I hope we have wonderful weather again this weekend. I plan on playing park golf. Does anyone have any plans?
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:46 PM | Comments (4)
June 21, 2005
Step 4D - June 21, 2005
Hello class. We talked about many topics tonight, espeically about women's health issues. It's nice having an all women's class. Tonight's expression: 'Right off the bat'. this means immediately and without hesitation. (I knew the answer, right off the bat.)
Good work with the vocabulary quiz from the Michael Crichton article. There were a lot of words to remember. YOU DID IT!
We started Unit 3 tonight - By Coincidence. It's a bit of a coincidence that Ayumi has visited my home town in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. Remember, if you think of any other stories, be sure to share them with the class.
We took a look at some phrasal verbs tonight. Here are a few:
call up
put down
put away
look up
try on
give up
find out
Do you remember what they mean? You can try using them in a sentence. We will continue with this unit next class. Have a great week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 6:27 PM
Step 1C - June 21, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Riyo had a piano concert on Sunday at Tokachi plaza. Masumi enjoyed a BBQ outside of her home with her family. Yui rode her bike to the movie theater. She watched the movie, Train Man. Tomoki bought a personal computer last weekend. He plans on going to Sapporo on June 30th to visit with a friend.
We had fun decided new partners by playing thumb wars. Congratulations to Riyo and Tomoki! Tonight we reviewed the word preview on pg 23. We took turns making more sentences around the room. (How often do you go dancing? I go dancing about once a month.)
We then found out some other activities that Shawn does with the pair practice on pg. 25.
For the expansion unit we asked our partners different questions from the chart on pg 27. Good work. For homework you can do the word review on pg 28. If you have any problems with the vocabulary, you can try looking up the word in your dictionary. We will go over the answers next class. Have a great week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 5:26 PM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2005
Step 1J - June 17, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we finished Unit 3. We reviewed the different time expressions on pg 23:
- every day
- almost every day
- about twice a week
- about once a month
I watch TV every day.
I never write letters.
Then we practiced with the conversation building with our partners. Good job.
On pg. 24 we learned that Shawn is an exchange student at an American University. You had to listen to the tape and choose her correct schedule.
Again, I heard quite a lot of Japanese today. I think your English will improve if you try to only speak English while in class. Give it a try next class. Have a great weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:40 PM
June 16, 2005
Step 4H - June 16, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Aki thinks he passed his AIKEN test. Take weeded his backyard. Mayumi had her hair cut and tried a delicious Swedish dish. Taro has no holidays from work, and no time to get his hair cut. Kiwa's dog passed away today. But she has good news. She passed her first test to become an elementary English Teacher.
Tonight's expression: Right off the bat. It means immediately, and without hesitation. (I knew right off the bat that I didn't get the job.)
We started Unit 3 - By Coincidence. Coincidence means a strange occurance of two things happening at the same time by chance. It was interesting to hear some of your stories.
Then we briefly looked at some phrasal verbs. Here is a list. Do you remember the meanings? See if you can use them in a sentence.
call up find out
look up shop up
run out put away
fill up hand in
give up try on
turn off pick out
We'll continue with the unit next class. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. See you next week!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:04 PM
Step 5G - June 16, 2005
Hello class. Well tonight it was just me and Maki. We had a private lesson. It was a great chance for us to talk about lots of interesting topics such as work, travelling, marimo, making pottery and gorillas. I hope to see more faces next class. We will be starting a new unit on cities. Have a great weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:59 PM
June 15, 2005
Step 5F - June 15, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Mami. She was observing our class. She has just returned to Obihiro from New Zealand. I enjoyed hearing about her experience. First we talked about our news. Shiba watched a Korean suspense movie called, 'Old Boy'. She said that it was a good movie, but a bit mentally disturbing. Yumiko attended an English Teaching lecture on Saturday at JOY. She also took the AIKEN test. Imai went to the office on Sunday to work on some documents. He hopes to find a house soon. Shoko attended a seminar in Kitami city. She was really inspired by the doctor who specializes in dental medicine. Mami applied for a job with a cram school in Obihiro. She hopes to find out soon, if she got the job. Ayano just returned from a trip to Guam with her husband. The weather was great, but a little too hot for her to play golf. I didn't realize how expensive it was to eat there.
Tonight's expression: I'm feeling under the weather = (I'm feeling sick) or (I don't feel well) Remember you can use this expression any time, it doesn't depend on the actual weather at all. So the next time, you're feeling a bit sick, why don't you try using this expression in class.
Tonight we started unit 3 - Cities. First I asked you your favorite cities in the whole world:
Shiba - New York, USA
Shoko - Kathmandu, Nepal
Ayano - New York, USA
Yumiko - Obihiro, Japan
Imai - Paris, France
Mami - Auchland, New Zealand
Erin - Prague, Czech Republic
With the starting point activity we learned a little more about Seoul, New Orleans, Kyoto and Salvador. All of you had visited Kyoto. Thanks for your tips for my upcoming vacation there in August. I hope it's not too hot!
You all passed my world capital quiz with flying colors. I think the only capital I stumped you with was the African country of Djibouti. The capital city is the same name.
We'll continue with this unit next class. I hope everyone has a spectacular weekend! See you.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:56 PM
Step 2E - June 15, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we practiced the conversation on pg 16. I wanted you to try with a funny voice, but I only heard my own funny voice. Maybe you were too shy to try a funny voice.
We also practiced the demonstratives in the grammar focus on pg 17. We took turns making sentences.
- This is a pencil. (singular item very close to the speaker)
- That is a table. (singular item that is far away from the speaker)
- These are markers. (plural items that are close to the speaker)
- Those are posters. (plural items that are far from the speaker)
Remember that sunglasses, pants, earings and shoes are all considered plural. (How much are these sunglasses? I like those light blue jeans over there. Those earings are really cute.
As I promised, I'll ask the class a question. Where is your favorite place to shop? I like the Fujimaru but I only go window shopping since it is so expensive. We will continue with this unit next class. I hope the weather is beautiful this weekend. Maybe if the weather is nice I'll have a barbeque. I don't want any more rainy days! See you.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:39 PM | Comments (5)
June 14, 2005
Step 4D - June 14, 2005
Hello class. I feel a bit scared after hearing Yuki's story about a fly in her ear. That was a pretty crazy story. Tonight's expression is: I'm feeling under the weather. = I'm not feeling well (I feel sick). Next time you feel sick, you can use this expression in class.
We looked at the article about Michael Crichton on pg 13. As you read, you underlined words that you were unsure of. Here is the list again. Do you remember the definitions for these words?
blockbuster
emphasis
enormous
sums
perpetual
medieval
distractions
modest
criticize
bizarre
duration
Next week we will be starting unit 3 - By Coincidence. If you can remember any more stories of coincidence please share them next class. I hope everyone has a great week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:55 PM
Step 1C - June 14, 2005
Hello class. Today we were joined by Narumi from Amy's class. First we reviewed the adverbs of frequency:
always
usually
sometimes
occasionally
never
We practiced using these words in sentences. We played a fun activity at the back of the room.
Then with a partner we found out how often we do certain activities like, go swimming, go shopping, write letters and go to class. On pg. 24 we did both the listening exercise and the grammar correction section. Great work. We will finish up the pair work next class. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! See you.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:48 PM
June 13, 2005
Step 2B - June 13, 2005
Hello class. Today we were joined by Chie from Braden's class, and by Shinya who is our new classmate. Welcome to the class, Shinya! It's always great to have new students join the class.
Today we reviewed the demonstratives on pg. 17. We practiced using them in sentences. This is a pencil. That is a door. These are markers. Those are windows.
After a listening exercise you had your very own chance to open up a store. In pairs you had to open your shop. You chose the 'Wonder Woman Shop' and the 'Erin Shop' as your shop names. Then you had to price your items for sale. Great work. Tomoko bought a wonderwoman candy holder. Takayuki bought a big plastic cheese drink holder. Katsushi and Shinya both bought a fan. We will continue with Unit 3 next class. I hope everyone has a great week. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:17 PM
June 10, 2005
Step 1J - June 10, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we continued working on unit 3. We reviewed the vocabulary from pg. 21. We played an activity in the center of the class where we had to think of sentences using these words. Great work!
Then with a partner we had to find out how often we did different activities such as go swimming, listening to music and go shopping.
Then we worked a little bit with our schedules. We reviewed saying the time twice: (5:20, or twenty past five.) With your partner you had to ask each other about your schedules. Finally with your teams I had you try and guess my schedule. My schedule is very different from everyone in the class.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:35 PM
June 9, 2005
Step 4H - June 9, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Kiwa attended the phonics lecture that was held at JOY last week. Every weekend she travels to Sapporo by train to study to become an English teacher. She's very busy. Mayumi is lucky that she will be able to get a birthday discount this July so she can visit Mount Fuji with her mother. Aki worked at his part-time job as usual on the weekend. This Saturday he has the AIKEN test. Good luck! Taro had a group of elementary children visit the park. He took them to pick wild vegetables. Then they made tempura with the vegetables. Take was injured by a horse. His hand looked very swollen. Hopefully by next week, he will feel better.
Tonight's expression: I'm feeling under the weather = I'm not feeling well. Next time you're feeling sick, you can try and use this expression.
Tonight we continued with Unit 2. First we did a listening exercise. Great work. We found out that Erin Neff gets nervous before a performance. She also has very little free time. Her hobbies include rock climbing and playing the accordian. Taro is our accordian expert since he played it in elementary school.
Then we looked at the grammar focus on pg. 10. Present perfect continuous -- emphasizes an action in progress. The present perfect simple -- emphasizes achievement or results.
- I have been studying English for three years.
- I have seen that movie several times.
Can you remember how many time zones Russia and Canada have? I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:01 PM
June 8, 2005
Step 5F - June 8, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by a new classmate. His name is Imai. He is a professor at Chikudai University. He does viral disease research for large animals. It's always great to get new people in the class. It makes for interesting conversation. At the beginning of the class we talked about our news. Shoko was telling us a few weeks ago that the hardest animal for her to treat is a wild bird. Well of course she had a wild bird story to share with us in class. A sparrow had flown into a window. Luckily the bird wasn't too injured and they were able to release it. Yumiko had a nice easy going weekend at home. She went shopping with her mother. Kenji has been very busy with business trips to Sapporo and Tokyo. He's also been pretty busy with his work baseball team. He must get up at 3:30 in the morning for a 5:00 game before work. I think that's way too early. Poor Kenji! Imai has been very busy with work. Recently he's been looking at model homes with his mother. Hopefully he finds a nice place soon.
In pairs we did exercise 4 on pg 11. With your partner you had to discuss the statements and decide whether you agreed or not with the statements. I heard good points of view from both sides. Of course there's no right or wrong answer. With opinionated statements you may be able to see the advantages and disadvantages from both sides of view.
Then we briefly talked about different types of learning styles:
- visual (prefer seeing information)
- auditory (prefer hearing information)
- tactile (prefer being able to take a hands on approach to learning)
We'll talk more about these styles next week. I hope everyone has a great week. See you !
Posted by Erin Cannon at 4:21 PM
Step 2E - June 8, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we started unit 3 - How much is it? First we did a fun experiment. I tried to guess your favorite color. My experiment failed horribly. I only got one right. Then we tried to match different colors to the different feelings that they make us feel. It's interesting that many answers were the same for the whole class:
red - exciting
white - pure
pink - loving
Here are the color expressions that we talked about:
- I'm feeling blue today (sad)
- Yuki won the lottery. I'm so green with envy. (jealous)
- Are you okay? You look as white as a ghost. (scared)
- My grandmother has a beautiful garden. She has a green thumb. (good gardener)
- I blacked out and hurt my knee. (fainted)
I'll try and think of some more animal names that are an exception to the rule of plurals. We'll continue with the unit next class. Have a wonderful week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:51 PM | Comments (1)
June 7, 2005
Step 4D - June 7, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news as usual. Ayumi went to karaoke. Next week she has to work for the school's sports day. Shoko went to Sapporo for a work lecture. Her office is adopting a new computer system. Of course she was able to do some shopping while she was down in Sapporo. Yuki's younger brother got married last month. She had them over for dinner and gave them a very expensive casserole dish for a house warming present. Kaoru went to see the movie Ray about the musician Ray Charles. She recommended the movie to us, as she liked it very much.
Tonight's expression: Off the top of your head. Do you remember what it means? See if you can write a sentence with the expression.
Tonight we did a listening exercise from the book. We learned about an opera singer named Erin Neff (What a nice name). She talked about her work, how she started, how she feels before a performance and her free time.
Here's a few theater expressions:
- Break a leg -- another way of saying (good luck)
- Butterflies in your stomach -- that nervous feeling in your stomach before you have to preform or make a speech.
- stage fright -- if you are terrified of going on stage to perform in front of other people, you have stage fright.
Then we practiced the grammar focus on pg. 10
Present perfect continuous - I have been working very hard.
Present perfect simple - I have seen that movie several times.
We'll continue with the unit next week. See you next class.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:55 PM
Step 1C - June 7, 2005
Hello class. First we talked about our news. Riyo had to study English, Math, and Japanese. She has a test this week. On Sunday she went to an elementary school sports day to watch her cousin. Masumi went to the Obihiro zoo with her daughter. She saw a beautiful peacock and a smart chimpanzee. The chimpanzee was using a stick to pick up snacks from the other side of the fence. Tomoki has been working very hard on his farm. He doesn't wear sunscreen so he has a sunburn now.
Tonight we started Unit 3 - Busy times.
100%
always - I always eat breakfast every morning.
usually - I usually read a book before I go to bed.
sometimes - I sometimes like to go for a walk.
occasionally - I occasionally go to a restaurant.
never - I never wear skirts.
0%
We then did a listening exercise. The dialogue may have seemed a bit fast. I think it's good practice to listen to people speaking at a natural speed. Great work.
Then we quized our partners with different times. Then we found our what your partner usually did during those times.
Remember: 12:00 can be midnight (AM) or noon (PM).
Congratulations to Riyo she was the closest to guessing my daily schedule. We'll continue with unit 3 next class. Have a great week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:42 PM
June 6, 2005
Step 2B - June 6, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Yuko from Braden's class. Tonight we continued with the review of unit 1 & 2. First we thought of our perfect day. Takayuki's perfect day included taking a walk and eating steak. Katsushi's perfect day included watching T.V. and relaxing. Yuko's perfect day included going to Tokyo Disneyland and reading a good book.
Then we moved on to Unit 3- How much is it? First I had you think of your favorite color and how that color makes you feel. It seems like a lot of colors make us think of the colors in nature. Green - trees, blue - ocean, white - snow.
Then we learned some common color expressions in English (Do you remember what they mean?):
He's feeling a little blue today.
I'm green with envy.
I was so angry, that I saw red.
My grandmother has a green thumb.
She looks as white as a ghost.
Finally we practiced the conversation on pg. 16 and the grammar focus on pg 17. Good work. We'll continue with the unit next class. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. See you!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:48 PM
June 3, 2005
Step 1J - June 3, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we started Unit 3 called Busy Times. We talked about different activities and how often we do them.
100% always, usually, sometimes, occasionally, never 0%
I always drink coffee every morning.
I usually do the dishes in the evening.
I sometimes watch T.V. in the afternoon.
I occasionally go for a walk.
I never eat pickles.
We did the listening exercise on pg. 22. The speed of the conversation seemed very fast. It is good practice to listen to the conversation a few times.
We'll continue with the time review next week. I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you next class.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:44 PM
June 2, 2005
Step 4H - June 2, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we learned some interesting vocabulary words :
- bald
- bold
- turbulence
Do you remember what they mean? (A bald man boldly approached the flight attendant during turbulence.)
We continued with Unit 2 tonight. With your partner you had to fill in blanks with the correct vocabulary. Can you tell me your favorite lead singer? Can you tell me your favorite scene in a movie or a play? What is your favorite musical instrument to listen to?
Don't be shy to bring in an interesting piece of trivia to share with the class. Have a great weekend. See you! (Maybe Take will tell us his embarrassing secret next week.)
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:55 PM
Step 5G - June 2, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Aki from my Step 4 Thursday night class. First we talked about our news. Kenji has enjoyed planning his trip to France with his wife. Aki has been working very hard at his part time job. He hopes to travel to Germany this summer. J.J. visited with her friend and her baby boy.
Thanks Kenji for bringing in the news article. I also think the last paragraph is what makes the article so interesting. What would you do if you found ¥5 million?
J.J. shared with us her piece of 'Did you know....?' trivia. Dogs have such a keen sense of smell that a blood hound dog can detect 3 day old human skin particles. Very interesting and gross!
Tonight we interviewed our partners with some interesting and challenging questions. I'm looking forward to your answers next week. We will take a look in the text book next week, to continue our Unit on education and learning. I hope everyone has a delightful weekend. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:48 PM
June 1, 2005
Step 5F - June 1, 2005
Hello class. First we chatted about our news together. Shoko had a very sad dog story to tell us. Hopefully she'll have only funny and happy stories to tell us next class. Yumiko is hot on the trail of the missing dandelions. She was sad to see them go. Ayano has some good news. She's finally going on a trip abroad with her husband. She'll be off to Guam next week. Shiba told us about her night out at Vino's, the Italian restaurant downtown. I can't wait to try it out. The cheese and wine selection sound delicious!
We didn't touch the textbook tonight. Instead we opted to interview our partner with some interesting and challenging questions. I really enjoyed hearing your answers. We'll continue with the Education and Learning Unit next week. No homework tonight, except for Ayano who has to wear her cheerleading costume to class (Just kidding). Also, don't be shy to bring in any trivia that you find interesting for our 'Did you know.......?' fact. Have a great weekend. See you next class!
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:58 PM
Step 2E - June 1, 2005
Hello class. Tonight we were joined by Tomoko from David's class. We worked on the Unit 1 & 2 Review section. First we did exercise 2 on pg 14. You took turns interviewing your partner, but instead of real answers you had to think of a lie to tell. I heard some interesting answers.
Once you found your new partners with a quick game, you had to ask some more interesting and challenging questions to each other. Next week, I want to find out some of your answers.
We also worked on activity 5 on pg. 15. You had to think of your perfect day....what you would eat, what you would do, where you would go. I listened to some of your answers. It seems a lot of people are happy just to stay at home and relax and watch T.V.
We'll start Unit 3 next class. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. See you next class! Hopefully more people will comment this week, so Kieko and Yuki won't be lonely.
Posted by Erin Cannon at 3:47 PM | Comments (3)