Weather and weekend (phonetics)

Complete this self-study by April, 27.

Dialogue to practice reading according to the stress-and-tone marks.

1. Watch this video to learn about the phoneme /ə/.

2. Linking in English.

• Learn when to use linking /j/ and /w/ 
• linking /r/ 
• and another video on linking /w/
• a separate video on linking /j/
• Consonant-vowel linking (practice it).

3. Find out when intrusive /r/ is used.

4. What allophones does /l/ have? Find out.

5. When is /h/ not phonounced?

Listen to these interesting short stories and practice your reading skills.

Watch this funny video and learn to pronounce -ough.

Don't forget about the rhythm.

Listen to these poems, choose one and learn it by heart imitating the speaker's intonation.
Summer Sun by R.L.Stevenson or here and the poem.
The Wind by R.L.Stevenson or another link to mp3 and the text.
Daffodils  by  W.Wordsworth.
The Rainy Day by H.W. Longfellow or this version. (NEC p. 124)
Snowflakes by H.W. Longfellow. (NEC p. 124)

The competition in phonetics will take place on March, 27 at 13.30 p.m. in room 254. Don't miss it!

Weather / Free Time

Weather

Here is a new portion of materials on weather for you.
You will find materials on free time activities in this folder.

This is a video about the weather with the tasks and some additional online tasks on the topic.

Session 1 

Study a dictionary entry on the word weather.

You can learn more about natural disasters from this animated guide. Try it!

You can start learning the words on the weather by watching the video below.

Listen to the poems about the weather and try to imitate them.
The Rainy Day by H.W. Longfellow or this version.
The Months by S. Coleridge.
Rain in Summer by H.W.Longfellow.
Snowflakes by H.W. Longfellow.

Watch these four videos about indoor sports and the weather and do tasks online to check your understanding.
You cann also check how much you know about natural disasters by doing this quiz from National Geographic.
This pragramme will tell you about tourism in Antarctica.

Crossword on the weather.

Free time

You will find materials on free time activities in this folder.

You can read the text about music in the UK online. 

Watch this video to find out about classical books and writers in Great Britain (Literature is Great P1). Literature is Great P2 is about contemporary British writers.
Creativity is Great Part 1.
Look up (video) and the poem.

Crossword on culture.

For the film review you can choose between two films:
August Rush (2007)
Renaissance Man (1994)

Videos:
Sport is Great (2 parts)
Extreme Sports.

Writing tips and exercises
report

Education (phonetics)

This is the post to remind you what materials wll be necessary for your phonetics classes this semester.

Make sure you have these books: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7. 
Download these copies with stress-and-tone marks of the texts for the topic.
A nice quiet afternoon is a track 038.

Use Longman dictionary online (transcription is available).

Self-study 1 (deadline March 6)

Listen to the story Two Peas in a Pod. 

Use these online resources to work on your pronunciation:

1. Work on your phonemes on your own with these videos (you can choose the phonemes from the chart).
2. -ed ending 
3. Rules and practical activities on -ed ending.
4. Rules of pronouncing the ending -(e)s.
5. This great resource will help you improve your listening comprehension by completing song lyrics: http://lyricstraining.com/.
6. Play phonetic games, test your pronunciation with Cambridge English Online.
7. Try this site for animated pronunciation with rules and practical tasks.
8. Remember some principles of word stress placement. 

Live and Learn

This is a new block of materials for the first topic.
First of all, there's a quick reminder that you can download all the necessary books for the course here: НЕК, 1, 2, 3, 4.
All the documents you need for the topic Live and Learn can be found in this folder (including the list of situations).





Don't forget that the 1st class of the second semester will be dedicated to your holiday reading book Thanks for the Memories. So bring your vocabularies, books and notes. 

Use Longman dictionary online (transcription is available).

Study this dictionary entry: http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/exam

The manual for self-study. 

Below are some of the videos we're going to watch and discuss.

You might also find the tasks to the video useful.

The next collection deals with problem pupils. 

• Jess
• Brandon
• Craig
• Problem pupils.

This is the video about Oxford University with online tasks to it.

This touching video shows a story of one man learning English. 

Watch this TED-lesson to learn about bilingualism.

ALIKE

Winter holidays

Have some rest during your winter holidays but don't forget to practice your English.

You could make your studies fun though.

1. Read a book by Cecelia Ahern Thanks for the Memories and make sure you listen to the audiobook at the same time. Write out at least one page of new words from each chapter into your vocabularies.
2. Start watching a series of programmes by Michael Geisen How to Become a Superstar Student and take notes because that's what we're going to discuss at the beginning of the 2nd semester. You'll need the programmes 1-12. 
3. Do one of many free online courses in English. Choose the subject you're interested in.
4. Find some time to watch a good film in English or follow some of the links suggested below and do those fun tasks.

• http://lyricstraining.com/.
• Cambridge English Online
• animated pronunciation
• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
• http://www.macmillandictionary.com/verb_wheel/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/drama/panto-dick-whittington
• https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

Meals

Here is the final portion of materials for the first semester.
Do this online crossword to check how much you know about food in English.

These online tasks will help you learn the words for food.

1. food
2. fruit
3. vegetables
4. meat and fish
5. drinks
6. meals and cooking
7. restaurants

You can start your work by watching these videos and taking notes.

You will find more information about British food after watching these videos.

Learn about the tradition of tea drinking a little bit more.

What are the differences between British and American English in the names of vegetables?

Extra videos

1. Happy food.
2. Food in Great Britain.

3.

4. 

Christmas 

Additional materials (though highly recommended)

1. Christmas food part 1
2. Christmas (2 scenes and language analysis)

Important information

Find lots of free downloadable
audiobooks here!

Here is the list of questions for the credit in practical phonetics.

Practice transcribing and spelling the words on different topics online.

1. family
2. character
3. body
4. house
5. bathroom
6. fruit
7. vegetables
8. -ed ending 
9. letter 'g'