Monthly Archives: April 2018

Learning or Teaching Reporting Verbs? 4 Low-Tech and High-Tech Activities

26 April 2018Games, Grammar and ExercisesB2, C1, fun, games, grammar, reported speech, writingCristina Cabal

And finally, it’s springtime. “Here comes the sun da-da-da-da”. After, like two months raining non-stop and cold spells whimsically coming and going, I was beginning to flirt with the idea of leaving “sunny” Spain. But, fortunately, it seems spring is here to stay. And this means light. Don’t you feel more energetic when you wake up in the morning, and there is this beautiful sunny day waiting for you outside? I do.

It seems to me that even explaining reported speech introductory verbs is a lighter task.

Here you can read some of the activities I did with my students to introduce, revise and consolidate reporting verbs. I have used a variety of online free tools. Free tools, as usual.

Aim: to introduce, revise and consolidate reporting verbs other than “say” “ask” and “tell”
Level: B2

AN INFOGRAPHIC TO CONSOLIDATE THE GRAMMAR STRUCTURE OF SOME REPORTING VERBS

I like infographics. They are colourful and can be displayed on the walls of the class for students to refer back to if they, God forbid, forget the grammar of these verbs. Honestly? I like creating them. I like playing with the fonts, icons, lines and anything the site has to offer to create them.

reporting verbs by cristina.cabal I have created this infographic with Canva.

Direct link here

A "HALF-A-CROSSWORD" GAME TO HELP THEM REMEMBER THE MOST COMMON REPORTING VERBS.

This kind of exercise gives students a nice opportunity to use a variety of skills.

I have used a free website with a very complicated name, which I am not even going to attempt to write. Here’s the link. The only thing you need to do is write the terms in the box provided and then print the outcome. It’s magic.

A STUDY-SET OF FLASHCARDS

Students should be ready to get into more demanding exercises as are the ones I suggest below.

In this exercise, students orally provide the reporting sentence. The exercise has been created with quizlet, a well-known free tool I highly recommend as study sets are very easy to create and it’s great for rote learning. Although it offers a premium version, the free one is quite generous.

Depending on how confident your students feel, you can set this task to be done as an individual written exercise or orally as a whole class exercise.

Created with quizlet

USING GRASS SKIRTS: A TRANSLATION EXERCISE

This is game from the archives. I highly recommend you do it with your students. Lots of learning and lots of fun too. Your students are going to adore you.

Before the class: Decide on 8 sentences using a variety of reporting verbs you’d like your students to translate. You can use Tekhnologic’s template or create your own. Write the sentences in the spaces provided. Print as many copies as you need and cut along the dotted lines. Each group of three or four students will be assigned a copy. A good idea would be to use a different coloured paper for each group, but this is entirely optional. Put them on the walls of the class.

Now, you are ready to start.

Procedure:

Ask students to work in groups of three or four. Draw students’ attention to the walls of the class and assign each group a poster with the 8 sentences.

Tell students that the aim of the game would be to translate all the sentences on their assigned poster on the wall. To do so, they must nominate a runner who is the one who must run to the wall, tear off the sentence, run back to his group and then together translate the sentence.

Once it’s done, the runner must go to the teacher and show him their translated sentence. If it’s correct, the runner can tear off the second sentence. If it’s incorrect, he must return to his group and correct the mistake(s). The teacher can help a bit by underlining where the mistake is. Only if the teacher has marked the sentence with a tick, it is considered correct.

Rules.

The runner cannot tear off a new sentence until the previous one has been shown to the teacher and marked with a tick.
The runner cannot correct the sentence at the teacher’s desk. He must return to his group and there, correct the sentence.
Groups can only tear off sentences from their assigned posters.
The first group to have a tick in all 8 sentences is the winner.

Follow-up: Whole class. Read out the sentences from the poster and ask students to, orally, translate them. Focus on any common problems you might have noticed.

THE FRUIT MACHINE: A MORE DEMANDING EXERCISE ALLEVIATED WITH A BIT OF FUN

This activity is probably the most challenging in this compilation.

How to go about it:

Divide the class into two teams, Team A and Team B. Ask a representative of each team to come to the front of the class facing away from the board where the fruit machine is displayed. Let’s call them Captain A and Captain B.
Set a timer for 90 seconds.

The activity has two parts:

Part 1. Team A starts playing. Spin the fruit machine and a reporting verb will be randomly chosen.

For example: Suggest

Team A needs to, using direct speech, come up with a sentence to exemplify “suggest”

For example: “Why don’t we go to the cinema?”

Captain A needs to guess the reporting verb associated with the sentence. If he does his team scores 1 point.

Part 2. Ask team members to repeat their sentence and have Captain A report the sentence using the reporting verb in indirect speech. If he does, his team scores an extra point.

Teams have a maximum of 90 seconds to do part 1 and 2.

Now, it is Team B’s turn to play.

I have created this activity with classtools.net. Click on the image to see the fruit machine in action. Warning: you might want to turn down the volume in your computer.

6 Steps to Getting a Job: How to write a Cover Letter Applying for a Job and a Résumé

23 April 2018GeneralB2, C1, cover letter, writingCristina Cabal

When applying for a job, there are some things you might have to do:

Send a résumé or a CV ( Curriculum Vitae)
Fill in an application form
Write a letter applying for a job

In this post, I’ll guide you step by step to help you write a good cover letter and a résumé

Step 1. The difference between a résumé and a CV
Step 2. Writing a CV or a résumé. Templates
Step 3. Writing a cover letter. Some tips.
Step 4. Layout of a cover letter.
Step 5. Sending your cover letter via email.
Step 6. Some tips on how to answer a job interview.

Let’s start.

Step 1. What’s the difference between a résumé and a CV?

It’s more or less the same. The CV is longer than the résumé. The résumé includes a summary of your education, experience, and skills and it’s usually one page long whereas the CV is two or three pages long and includes more details like research, awards, presentations, publications …etc. It’s ideal for academics.

Some tips:

Keep it simple. It shouldn’t be longer than two pages.
The content should be easy to read
Use reverse chronological order. You should put your most recent job first and then write the other jobs going back in time.
You don’t have to write full sentences. Ex: “Developed a social media strategy…”
Skip personal information such “Divorced and with 2 kids”.

Step 2. Writing a CV or résumé. Templates.

Here are two links to templates to write your CV or résumé. (Please note that this is not a sponsored post)

Canva’s Résumé Builder: you will need to register and then enter your name for free résumé templates based on your style.
Uptowork: provides guided free templates to build your résumé or CV.

Step 3: Writing a cover letter. Some tips

A job application letter, also known as cover letter normally accompanies a résumé or CV. Nowadays, unless you are specifically required to send a letter by snail mail, cover letters are normally sent by email or attached as a file in online application systems.

Sending an email instead of a letter makes little difference. It’s only the layout that varies slightly.

Now here are some tips:

Use formal language.
Don’t use contractions and punctuation such as dashes and exclamation marks.
Don’t use personal or emotional language.
If you are replying to an advertisement, relate to all the points asked for and give additional information.
Mention your skills and experience and give supporting details.
Have spaces between paragraphs
Keep it short and to the point.
Use a professional email address; kittylou@gmail.com might not be appropriate or very professional.
Remember to check that you have used the appropriate style for the person you are writing to.
Check your email carefully for spelling, grammar mistakes, and punctuation
Make sure you sign your cover letter.
If you are sending your CV or résumé, put “Enclosed: CV/résumé” at the end of
your cover letter

Step 4. Layout of a cover letter.

Presentation

Writing a formal letter de cristinaca

On the Right

Your address: on the right-hand side of the page (without your name)
Date: below your address. Leave a blank line in between.

On the left

Position/name of the person you are writing to. Start one line below the date.
Address of the person or company you are writing to.

Greeting:

Use an appropriate formal greeting. Use a comma after the greeting or nothing.

If you know the name of the person you are writing to:

Dear Mrs/Miss/ Ms + surname if you are writing to a woman
Dear Mr+ surname if you are writing to a man.

If you don’t know their names, use

Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Human Resource Manager
Alternatively, you can use To whom it may concern

Note that all the salutations start with Dear.

Follow the salutation with a comma.

Opening Paragraph: Always start by stating what the purpose of your letter is. Here you should mention the position you are applying for and where you learn of the vacancy. This section should be short and to the point. It’s the most important part of your letter. Here, either you grab the reader’s attention or you can bore him and decide not to continue reading.

Some useful expressions:

I am writing in response to your advertisement for…
I am writing to express my interest in the …. position listed on …(name of the website)
I am writing with reference to your advertisement…
I would like to apply for the …. position advertised in /on……

Main Body: It can be divided into several paragraphs. Organise your content into the different paragraphs.

Here you need to expand on your experience and qualifications showing how you are relevant to this job. Give clear details and examples. You don’t need to repeat all the information on your résumé but highlight what is relevant to this position. Emphasize your strengths.

Emphasize also your interest in the job and why you think you are suitable for the job. Remember that your goal is to get a job interview.

If you have attached a copy of your résumé or completed an application form, mention it.

Useful expressions:

I think I am the right person for the job because…
I feel I am well qualified for the position
I think I have the knowledge and experience that is needed for…
I have some/ a lot of experience working with…
With regard to your requirements, I believe that I am a suitable candidate for this post as
I believe I would be good at…
I believe I would make a good …. because I am…
I am very reliable and I get on well with people…
I have always had an interest in…
I think I would be suitable for the job / a good choice ( to be a/ an…) because...

Closing Paragraph:

Explain why you think your application should be taken into consideration. If relevant, mention that you enclose a CV/ reference. State that you are willing to attend an interview and thank the reader.

Useful expressions:

A résumé/CV giving details of my qualifications and experience is attached
As requested, I am enclosing my CV and two references and my completed job application
I hope you will consider me for the position.
I would be able to start immediately
I would be happy to attend an interview any time convenient to you.

Signing off

Using I look forward to hearing from you or Thank you for your time and consideration are good ways to end a formal letter
End with Yours faithfully if you begin with Dear Sir/Madam
End with Yours sincerely if you begin with Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms + surname

In American English, Yours truly and Yours sincerely are commonly used in both cases.

If in the greeting you have followed the salutation with a comma, write a comma also after Yours faithfully/sincerely.

Some words commonly used in job applications

Nouns such as preference, qualifications, company, reference, information, opportunity, experience, position, vacancy, ability, advertisement, employment, résumé, details, interview…etc

Verbs such as apply, reply, advertise…etc

Adjectives such as convenient, excellent, qualified, enthusiastic, necessary, energetic, suitable, available, attached, experienced, interested, responsible, possible, friendly…etc

Adverbs such as immediately, recently, extremely, sincerely…etc

Get some practice writing cover letters here

Exercises+ sample letter
Exercises+ sample layout / Key
Exercise 1
Exercise 2. Listening Comprehension
Exercise 3: prepositions
Exercise 4:formal/informal expressions

Step 5.  Sending your cover letter via email

In the subject line of the message, write your name and the job you are applying for.
Don’t write the date or the employer’s contact information. Start your email with the salutation
Don’t forget to write all your contact details after you sign off.

Practice:

Write a cover letter/email applying for one of these two jobs.

Step 6: Some tips on how to answer a job interview

When they ask you to describe yourself in three words, they are asking you about your professional persona and how you would fit in the company. Talk about what makes you stand out. Talk about accomplishments and skills that you know are relevant to the job you are applying for.
Do some research on the company and show it in your answers.
Don’t give them personal details. They are not really interested in your life or your problems.
It’s Ok to ask the interviewer questions about the job. You also want to make sure this is the right job for you and at the same time show the interviewer you are interested in the job. Prepare them beforehand and try not to ask yes/no questions:

Can you tell me about the responsibilities of this job?
What are the biggest challenges facing the company/department right now?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
Avoid questions about salary, holidays, etc

Hope this post helps you get the best job 🙂

PDF for this lesson here

Special thanks to Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat from English with a Twist for answering some of my questions.

Here’s a funny sketch where former President Obama tries to sharpen his skills to pass a job interview. Don’t miss it!

Tips and Tricks: Some Essential Basic Tools any 21st Century Teacher should Know About.

11 April 2018Audio, Create your own stuff, freeware, Resourcesonlinetools, recordingCristina Cabal

Do you know how to download a video from youtube or convert a PDF or a website into an editable Word document? Do you know where to find free images and videos to use in your projects or how to record audio and create a QR code to share with your students and colleagues? Did you know that long URLs can be easily shortened so that they can be shared more easily?

If you don’t, then this post might be for you!

I’m not a digital native. Far from it. Everything I know I had to learn by trial and error. However, right now, you can probably say I’m the typical technophile always on the lookout for new tools to create activities to spark up my classes.

The tools I want to share with you today are nothing fancy. You cannot create activities where your students will ooh and ahh, but trust me, they are going to save you a lot of time and a lot of searching. They have been tested and tried and I have been using them for a long, long time.

AUDIO AND VIDEO

Problem: I need to join/cut two audio files and I need to record myself on video/audio

Solution: 123apps.com/

This is a great tool to work with audio and video. It’s free, easy to use and you don’t even need to register.

What can you do on this page?

Cut video or audio ( you need to upload it from your computer)
Join two audio tracks
Convert video and audio from one format into another
Easily record video and audio ( and then download it)

Downside: you need to have the video/audio on your computer. Don’t worry, I’ll show you how to download a video. Keep on reading.

Problem: I need to record my voice/upload audio and then share it

Solution: vocaroo.com/

Vocaroo has been around for a long time. They are even working on a new and improved version. It lets you record your voice in a very easy way or upload a file from your computer. Then, you are offered different possibilities:

Download it
Share it on social media sites.
Share or email the link
Embed it on a blog or website
Get a QR code

Downside: Vocaroo does not provide permanent storage. There is not a definite age at which messages are deleted, however, it is likely messages will expire after a few months. If a message is important you should download and save it to your own computer as soon as possible to avoid losing it.

Problem:  My internet connection is weak and I need to download a video from a website other than youtube.

Solution:  videocyborg.com/

This amazing tool lets you download videos from any platform, even from youtube. To download a video, just get the link, copy/paste it into the box and download it. You can choose to download the video or just the audio.

Problem: My school has blocked facebook but I need my students to see a video there.

Solution: get the link for the video and then download it using  videocyborg.com/

Watch the video to see how it is done.

Problem: I need to cut a video from youtube

Solution: You need  tubechop.com/

Cut it, get the URL and then download it using videocyborg (link above)

TEXT

Problem: I need to convert a PDF into an easy editable WORD document

Solution: tools.pdf24.org/en/

This is a great tool to work with PDF. It’s free, easy to use and you don’t even need to register.

What can you do on this page? Pretty much everything.

Convert a PDF into a Word document and Word into PDF.
Split a PDF or merge them.
Sign or add page numbers to the PDF.
Remove or extract PDF pages.

Problem: I need to convert a website into a PDF file or an editable WORD document

Solution: documentcyborg.com/

You only need to copy and paste the URL into the box, choose the format and download it and save it on your computer. You don’t even need to register.

Problem:  I have a scanned PDF or an image with some text and I want to extract the text

Solution:  www.onlineocr.net/

Onlineocr is free, simple and no registration is required. Copy/àste the URL ad then download the text as a Word document among other possibilities.

SHARING A LONG URL

Problem: I need to share with a long URL  with my students

Solution:  bitly.com/

Sometimes we have to give our students a long URL which seems almost impossible to type without making a mistake. Instead of writing this long URL, use bit.ly to shorten it. To do it, paste the long link in the search box and that’s it.

PRINTING A WEBSITE

Problem: I want to print some content from a website, but I don’t want to print all the images and adverts.

Solution:  printwhatyoulike.com/

Just enter the URL, edit the page getting rid of anything you don’t want to print, and then print it.

CREATING A QR

Problem: I need to create a simple QR Code with the answer to an exercise and download the QR Code to share it with my students

Solution:the-qrcode-generator.com/

Easy to use and doesn’t require registration. Just paste your text and then save it to download it.

FREE TEMPLATES FOR POWERPOINT OR GOOGLE SLIDES

Problem: I need to find beautiful free thematic templates  to make a presentation on Google Slides or PowerPoint

Solution: slidescarnival.com/

FREE IMAGES AND VIDEO

Problem: my students are doing a project and they need to find free images and/or videos

Solution: for free images: pixabay.com/ ;for free videos pixabay.com/videos/

I hope these websites are helpful and save you a lot of time.

Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional.

Reporting verbs: A Translation Exercise Using Grass Skirts

8 April 2018Funny Stuff, Games, Lesson Plan: Advanced, Students' Corner, Vocabulary, Writing skillB2, C1, fun, games, grammar, grass skirts, tearable sentences, vocabulary, writingCristina Cabal

Do you like translation exercises?

If you think they are boring, perhaps I might succeed in changing your mind once you read about this activity.

Writing is always on my mind (like Joe Manganiello 😀 ). It ‘s true that I should probably dedicate more time to writing tasks in class, but writing takes a lot of time and time is a luxury I cannot always afford. For this reason, I try to do small writing activities that take less time but have proven very effective.

If you have been reading my blog for some time you have probably guessed a thing or two about me: I am a huge fan of competitions and anything that brings fun and a relaxed atmosphere – and probably a little bit of noise- into the classroom.

I think the exercise I’m about to describe combines perfectly well the two above. I have used it to revise reported speech (indirect speech) and more specifically reporting verbs, but it can be easily adapted to any other point of grammar you need to revise.

In case you are wondering, below is a picture of the grass skirt I have used for this activity. You can also call them tearable sentences, but I like grass skirts better. You can make your own template o download the one Tekhnologic very kindly offers on his website. I have used his.

The activity