Європейський день мов

26 вересня відзначається Європейський день мов, як спосіб підтримки мовного різноманіття, двомовності кожного європейця та розвитку викладання мов у світі. Дійсно, зараз стає все більше і більше людей, які вільно розмовляють, як мінімум, однією іноземною мовою.

Феномен володіння іноземними мовами вивчається вже давно. Чому деяким людям так важко дається рідна мова, а інші з легкістю сприймають одразу кілька іноземних? Чи є це результатом напруженої праці або достатньо генетичної схильності?

Звичайно, талант важливий, як і в будь-якій іншій сфері. З іншого боку, ще в XVIII-XIX століттях було модно в суспільстві блиснути знаннями - і ні-ні, та ввернути слівце з французької, німецької або латиною. Знання хоча б однієї іноземної мови вважалося нормою.

В європейських інститутах офіційно рівноправно використовуються наступні мови: англійська, болгарська, угорська, грецька, датська, ірландська, іспанська, італійська, латиська, литовська, мальтійський, німецька, нідерландська, польська, португальська, румунська, словацька, словенська, фінська, французька, чеська , шведська, естонська.

Всі рішення, що приймаються офіційними органами ЄС, перекладаються на всі офіційні мови, і громадяни ЄС мають право звертатися до органів ЄС та отримувати відповідь на свої запити на будь-якій з офіційних мов.

 Making an impact with class presentations

Anthony Creaney shows in this video which fonts and colours will help us get our message across in class presentation

                                                                   Презентація на уроці

·         On March 17, millions of people across the United States celebrate in the Irish tradition known as St. Patrick's Day. The holiday has been around for hundreds of years, and while the history of the holiday may be less of the focus today, it is still an important element. Understanding the history of St. Patrick's day can help a child appreciate it more and see why this holiday is still celebrated today through parades, colors and meals. Modern interpretations of the holiday feature the color green, shamrocks, leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows. To celebrate this day with children, have them dress in green clothes, play fun games and sing silly songs.

St. Patrick

·         The holiday is named after a religious figure who actually was never born in Ireland. At a young age, St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and forced into Ireland. He escaped his job as a slave and lived on the rich, green Ireland shores. He later left Ireland, became religious and returned to spread the faith of Christianity. He lived there for 30 more years, where he spread knowledge and writing through the Irish people. March 17 is the day he was rumored to die, and that was chosen as the official St. Patrick's Day.

System of education in Great Britain

 

Here are some videos which I found very useful for my lessons of Countrystudy. This week we speak about System of education in England and I thought that  it would be more interesting for students to watch a video than to read a plain text.
Thanks to British Council for great videos!

Happy New Year Song

Dear Friends!!

Last year I have found this great song on Youtube. I want to share it with you. I hope your students will enjoy singing it just as much as my students did! Happy Holidays!!!

Winter Projects with kids (part 2)

Making a poster for the parents.  
Christmas is coming. So little time left for the preparations. But we've got a little more than a week for creating and crafting!

I always try to do something fun and creative with my students before winter holidays. And they've started to ask me if we are going to do something special this year. 
Last year with students of the 5th and 6th classes we were making Christmas cards for the parents, and the youngest students prepared a poster for their moms and dads.
 Here what we had

Winter Projects with Kids

Winter is a great time for creating different projects and crafts with your own kids just as well as your students. So let's look at the possible ideas. No matter what you choose - don't forget to have fun!

O.Henry The Gift of the Magi

Here's another literature story which my students like to discuss. There are so many serious points to dwell on: love, devotion, secrifice, support, happiness. I thought you'd  enjoy this story. Especially if to read it in this time of the year with Christmas coming up.

THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MAGI

by O. Henry

Готуємось до ЗНО, читання

True/False statements

• Read the text quickly in order to get the general understanding of the text. Don't worry about the meaning of every word. You don't have to understand every word in the text, only those which help you to do the task.
• read the sentences that you need to say True/ False
• Find the parts of the text where the information comes. Read them again in more detail.
• If there is no information to say if the sentence is true, mark the sentence false.
• Never leave answers blank in an exam
  

Poetry for Kids

Here I've chosen some poems for you to use at the lessons. They are easy and fun. Don't forget to use some moves - your students will love them! 

Two little hands

Two little hands go clap, clap,clap

Two little feet go tap,tap,tap

Two little eyes are open wide,

One little head goes side to side.

Winter

Winter Activities and Vocabulary

Finally winter came. And even the first snow has pleased our eyes. So get ready to discuss winter and everything connected to it with your students.

Hello December

Today is the first day of December. Let's look at this month from some unusual points. I hope you'll like this information. 

December was the tenth month in the Roman calendar before the addition of July and August. The Anglo-Saxons called this month ‘Haligmonath’ (Holy Month) or ‘Wintermonath’. Above all we now associate December with the Christian festival of Christmas which celebrates the birth of Christ. This Christian celebration gradually took the place of the ancient pagan festival of ‘Yuletide’ when holly, ivy, spruce, mistletoe and yule logs were used in the celebrations. Many of these traditions became associated with Christmas and have persisted until the present day.

She walks in beauty

At the lessons of literature we learn lots about English and American writers and their works. Most of my students enjoy this lyrical poem.

 

She Walks in Beauty

(Lord Byron)

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

This is one of my most favourite poems ever!!!!

Planning the Lesson

 

Walking into a class of new students sometimes can be a daunting experience, even for an experienced teacher. 
So all teachers use lesson plans to give the class direction. 
But the lesson plan has other benefits, both for us as teachers and our students.
Some of the reasons for planning lessons include:

• allowing the teacher to time the individual components
•  providing for a logical progression of activities 
•  showing students that some time has gone into preparing their lesson
•  enabling the teacher to see whether there is a balance of activities and skills within the lesson 

Puzzle

Take part in “Puzzle” – learn English

Those who know me personally, would agree that I try to motivate my students to learn English in any possible way.

Seeing the Music

The activity is called  “Seeing the Music”.
The aim of the lesson was to review the vocabulary about emotions and past verb forms. Also the task for the Ss was to listen to three short melodies, draw the images of what first came to their minds or the emotions which occurred while listening to the melodies.

Classroom contract

CLASSROOM RULES

I can truly say that it was the first time when I heard about classroom contract not long ago. Of course I have rules for the students which they have to follow while at my lessons , but it was totally new idea for me to write these rules as a contract.

So, I have decided to apply this idea in one of my groups. Unfortunately it is far from the beginning that I teach this group of students, so I can’t say that this is the forming stage, but I think that it is never too late to have improvement. 

Christmas Bells

              Christmas Bells

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

    I heard the bells on Christmas Day 

    Their old, familiar carols play, 

        And wild and sweet 

        The words repeat 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And thought how, as the day had come, 

    The belfries of all Christendom 

        Had rolled along 

        The unbroken song 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Till ringing, singing on its way, 

    The world revolved from night to day, 

        A voice, a chime, 

        A chant sublime 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Then from each black, accursed mouth 

    The cannon thundered in the South, 

        And with the sound 

        The carols drowned 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    It was as if an earthquake rent 

    The hearth-stones of a continent, 

        And made forlorn 

        The households born 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And in despair I bowed my head; 

    "There is no peace on earth," I said; 

        "For hate is strong, 

        And mocks the song 

    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

    Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 

    "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; 

        The Wrong shall fail, 

        The Right prevail, 

    With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Another poem that we study during the literature lessons. 

Running Dictation

RUNNING DICTATION

Recently I have tried a new activity at the lesson. 

We use all kinds of dictations at the lessons, but ‘running dictation’ was unknown activity for me before.

I have tried this activity with my 6^th grade Ss. They are always ready for new ideas and are very conscious in completing tasks.

I have chosen two texts (which were connected with our topic – past habits and childhood memories, using past simple and the phrase “used to”).