Getting to know each other

• Where were you born?
• How did you get your name?
• What is your first memory?
• What can you remember about elementary school?
• What was your neighborhood like when you were growing up?
• Was junior high school a happy time for you?
• What sports did you do?
• Did you study hard at high school?
• Do you still have friends from your school days?
• Did you study again after you left high school?
• Do you remember your first boyfriend or girlfriend?
• What is your best memory of childhood?
• What was your first job?
• How did you meet your husband or wife?
• Did you enjoy your wedding day?
• Have you lived in many different places?
• How would you describe your experience of having children?
• What advice would you give to new parents these days?
• What was a good decision you made?
• What would you change about your life if you could?
• What's the best thing that happened to you recently?
• What is the motto of your life?

http://iteslj.org/questions/lifesofar.html

Personality

• What are some characteristics of your personality?
• What makes you happy?
• What are some things that make you angry?
• Are you happy with your personality?
• Would you like to be different?
• Are you a determined person? Are you a stubborn person?
• Are you shy ? In which occasions are you shy?
• Do you consider yourself selfish ? Why?
• Is your personality suited to your job?
• In what way has your personality changed? Why has it changed??
• Are you more introverted (focused on your inner world) or more extraverted (focused on other people and the outer world)?
• Do you think you can change a major characteristic of your personality if you try?
• Do you think you have an unusual personality? Why?
• If you could change any aspect of your personality, what would it be?
• What sort of things would you do to amuse yourself during a car journey?
• What personality traits do you consider important in a good friend / a boss / a partner?
• Do you consider yourself to be even-tempered?
• What is one thing that many people don't know about you?
• What expressions include colors when discussing illness? (ex., white or pale, pink eye, black and blue for bruises, yellow fever)
• What expressions include colors and feelings? (ex. I feel blue, green with envy, red with rage, turning red, black circles under the eyes, you are turning blue)
• What do the colors in your home country's flag represent?
• Do you think birth order makes a difference in your personality?

http://iteslj.org/questions/personality.html

Conversation 2014-15

This workshop held in Rocafort Casa de Cultura and organized by La Pedrera with the Local Government is addressed to citizens who need to improve their oral skills. Many people are frustrated because their attempts at speaking the English language have been unsuccessful.

But they want to travel and surf the internet, participate in International Forums or enjoy the opportunities that English language and cutler has to offer.

English in Spain is not as difficult as it seems. But it implies both our bodies and our minds. It engages our psychology, our fears, our self-esteem.

The process of becoming a fluent speaker in a conversational setting is not easy or short. But we shall create the appropriate and safe atmosphere in which participants can develop their oral expression in an effective way.

Features of the course:

1. Strong focus on listening and speaking for social situations.

2. Students are given numerous opportunities to practise new language through a variety of communicative activities, many of which are personalized.

3. Focus on spoken accuracy, as well as fluency, which gives students lots of opportunities to practise new language in both free and controlled contexts.

4. Practical language they need for day-to-day life, helping them become more spontaneous, natural communicators.

5. Help learners to appreciate how English works. 'Help with Sounds’.

First term topics

Basic personal questions, views on familiar topics, descriptions, etc.

Vocabulary: 

• Home, Family, Job, Holidays, People, etc
• Clothes, food, etc.
• Festivities, etc.

The English Verb

Sometimes we forget that using English in the classroom is not enough, that students need a scientific approach to some aspects of the language. Here is a ppt about the verb.

El verbo inglés from Inma Garín

VIII Congreso de Escuelas de Idiomas

Writing in English at an advanced level is usually tricky and time consuming. Teaching students to write can be a nightmare for teachers. On Friday 19th I'll be leading a workshop about how to organize a didactic sequence about an online commentary. 

See VIII Congreso de Escuelas de Idiomas (Pamplona) programme: "La elaboración de una secuencia didáctica sobre la escritura en inglés B1,B2 y C1".

17h. Room  29 at EOIP.

If you are interested in this line of work, go to

http://independent.academia.edu/inmagarin

Here you can download my previous papers.

For the February paper go to 

http://jornadasapeoicva.wordpress.com

INMA GARÍN: Teaching and learning to write at the EOI. And then click either of these:

GARIN_APEOICVA

(paper delivered recently at EOI VAL)

referencias_garin_apeoicva (references about writing in FL).

PPT Presentations in Author Stream related to writing.

1) Writing a presentation.

See also my PPTs at Slide share:

http://www.slideshare.net/inmagarin/
1) didactic sequences
2) Oral English
3) Using drama in the classroom
4) Planning and correcting your writing
5) Vocabulary
6) Your voice in action

Working for pleasure

Last Friday, the EOI held a party for the teachers who have retired in the last months. Not many teachers attended, but it was great to greet the oldies and meet everyone in a happy atmosphere not free from nostalgia.

Click here for my speech.