Third term, third week

Hiya!

This week we have continued practicing reported speech in different contexts. We role-played a situation in a clothes shop and in a restaruant in which there had been a problem and you had to complain. In the end, you had to fill in a complaint form, which I hope you can hand in after Easter.

On Thursday we interpreted The Knight's Tale, with Lady Tíscar Emily, Palamon-Daniel and Arcite-Paco. (It sounds like a soap opera!) Thanks to our great narrator, The knight Inma. Then, we focused on the for and against discourse (either in oral speech or in writing), and you have to write a for&against essay (or advantages-disadvantages).

As for the key to handouts 42, 43 and 44 (Reported Speech and Shopping vocabulary), you can download the key here.

As for the use of "thus", it can be a synonym of "in this way", and at the beginning of a sentence, it is like "therefore". In any case, it introduces a consequence of the previous action:
These are some examples from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
The universities have expanded, thus allowing many more people the chance of higher education. (Thus = in this way)
He is the eldest son and thus heir to the title (Thus = Therefore = Hence
We do not own the building. Tus, it would be impossible for us to make any major changes to it. (Thus = Therefore = Hence)
There is an expression: "thus far", which means the same as "so far".

Well... have a nice Easter, enjoy with your family and friends and see you on the 26th at the meeting hall. Don't forget the language assistants have prepared a talk for all of us.

See you then!

Third term, second week

Hello everybody,

Not many people came to class last week, and I am worried because we studied a new and important topic: reported speech (Unit 6A)

We were practicing how to report what other people said, asked or told.
We will practice some more this week, but it would be a good idea that you revise how to do it.

I gave you a couple of handouts about this, but here you have a website with more activities to practice.

We were also learning the differences between some shopping establishments.

Tomorrow you will tell me your opinions, advantages and disadvantages, arguments for and against the following:
- shopping in big supermarkets or small local shops.
- getting into debt.
- keeping up with the latest fashion trends.
- retail therapy as a cure for unhapiness or stress.
- buying expensive designer brands.
- wasting money.

I hope you can revise the vocabulary related to these topics (Remember that some months ago we studied the topic of money and banking, and this vocabulary could also be useful)

And don't forget to finish reading the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. I hope Daniel can tell us about it.

See you tomorrow!