Update

......................................

• Have a look at photoguess . Kalpana wrote the answers and guessed the one nobody knew (number 4). Read my message to her.
• The recount you wrote about our excursion is ready. You'll find it in To Parramatta by boat
• I posted the photo of the vine framing the verandah. It's nice, isn't it? Although this time the photos are a bit fuzzy.
• Try to do the exercise on the Parramatta river. See who write a good description and gives a good explanation on the differences.
• You can read about more countries and cities (Egypt, Alexandria, Jordan, etc) in Students' Hometowns or Countries and More Students' Hometowns or Countries .
• Have a good three weeks with Sally and the other students.

Cheers, Rosa

To Parramatta by boat

Ferries at Circular Quay

"When I had enough money I wanted to visit Rose at Parramatta but I didn't want to travel by train. I was frightened of trains. I wanted to travel up the river by boat. People said the trip was very nice" ('Mary's Story', Unit 13)

On Wednesday 24th November, 2004 a small group of students from our class (Esraa, Jorge, Olga, Silvia and and Sohaila) and two of the teachers, Marion and Rosa, went to Parramatta by ferry. The ferry is called the RiverCat and it takes 50 minutes to get there.

While we travelled along the Parramatta River we stayed inside because it was raining. We looked outside the windows and saw the green banks of the Parramatta River. When it stopped raining, we went outside and took many photos.

We arrived at Parramatta and walked along the river. On the footpath there were Aboriginal paintings about the history of Australia since the First Fleet. One of the paintings shows the fight between Aboriginal people and white people, another shows white people taking Aboriginal children away from their families.

Next we went to the Heritage Visitor Centre, where we saw an exhibition about the history of Parramatta.From there we walked over an old sandstone bridge, called the Lennox Bridge, to go to Parramatta Park. On the way we saw the centre of the city, which was very busy and nice.
We entered the park through a gatehouse. We were walking to a table in the middle of the park, but a young couple was walking towards the same table. Suddenly Marion started running and beat them. We couldn’t believe how fast she could run!

We had a fantastic lunch with food from five different countries, (Russia, Colombia, Uruguay, Egypt and Jordan). We talked and laughed a lot. When we finished lunch we went to the restaurant in Old Government House and had coffee and cakes. The waiter took some photos because the place was very nice. There was a vine framing the verandah where we were sitting.

Finally we headed back home. Most of us caught the train, but Olga and Silvia stayed shopping. The day was great, we saw interesting things, we talked a lot in English and mainly, we had a lot of fun.

Olga, Silvia, Jorge

Interesting things we learnt:

• The original inhabitants of Parramatta were the Aboriginal group Burramattagal ("burra" means eel and "matta" creek)
• Reconciliation was first talked about as early as 1803.
• Can you tell us more...?

Lunch and Coffe at Old Government House

For lunch we went to Parramatta Park, where we had a fantastic picnic. More of that tomorrow in your classmates' words...

Tudor Gate House, entry to Parramatta Park (1887)


Old Government House (built 1799-1818)
Read about it on this link and the link above.
After you read the information, write 5 questions and send them in comments.
Another day, you can read your classmates' questions and post the answers in comments.
That way you can revise what you've learnt about writing questions.
Remember the 4 steps:

1. Find the SUBJECT & VERB
2. What type of verb is it? Auxiliary/modal or full verb?
3. What tense?
4. Is it a subject question or an object question? ...........Have a nice holiday!

Waiting for coffee

Olga Silvia and Jorge after coffee



Parramatta Town Hall (1883) on the way to the train station

Parramatta River

Parramata River


Parramata River

Can you write a paragraph explaining the differences in these two photos?
Try to give reasons for them (think of Mary's Story, set around 1864!)

The Riverside Walk Paramatta

Jorge on the Riverside Walk


Esraa, Sohaila, Olga and Silvia


Soldiers ready to shoot Aboriginal warriors


Lennox Bridge (built 1836-1839)

Photoguess

Guess what these things are and write the answer in comments.
All the photos are something you know or you have seen many times.
You can ask each other and your teachers for clues.
Good Luck!

Hi kalpana. You were right, it was our shirts!


Here is a photo to prove it! Esraa and Sohaila realised it was my shirt when they saw it on me yesterday (24th Nov, 2004). We had a very nice day. You can read all about it when I publish what they wrote this morning in class. It's great to hear from you. I hope everything is OK in your new house, suburb, etc. Do keep in touch and keep an eye on our blog. It will have new things to write about.
Cheeers from all of us!

101 ANSWERS

OK! Thanks Esraa, Sohaila and Olga for giving us more ideas! We now have 67 ideas divided into the 4 Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing).

If you can add any new ideas, post them in comments. If you can't, don't worry, just think of the best 10 ideas and write them in comments. We will see if all the students in the class have similar or different opinion about how to practice and improve you English outside class.

LISTENING

1. Listen to the radio inside the kitchen.
2. Listen to the radio in the car.
3. Watch T.V. after dinner for about 20 minutes
4. Watch the news every night.
5. You can listen to the radio when you cook.
6. Listen to the TV when you do your housework.
7. You can watch TV with teletext.
8. You can watch children's shows.
9. You can watch DVDs and read the subtitles in English.
10. You can listen to some songs when you do your homework.
11. Listen to people on the street.
12. You can go to the church to listen to the Pastor talk about Day by Day with God.

SPEAKING
13. You can talk on the telephone.
14. You can phone trades people when things need to be fixed.
15. You can phone the real estate agent if you need anything to be fixed.
16. You can talk with your family.
17. You can talk with your friends.
18. You can talk about the weather.
19. You can talk about your countries.
20. You can talk about your family.
21. You can talk about TV programs.
22. You can talk about movies you’ve seen.
23. You can talk about your life in your country of origin.
24. You can ask for directions.
25. You can give directions.
26. You can go to church and talk with different people.
27. Speak at home for least 2 hours .(English of course).

28. You can speak in the shop with the sales assistant.

29. You can talk to the waiter at a restaurant when you order your food.

30. You can ask the waiter about how the food is cooked.

31. You can talk about recipes with your friends.

32. You can leave amessage on a phone answering machine.

READING
33. Read the newspaper when you travel in a train.
34. Read the newspaper on the bus.
35. You can read the ads (specials, cars, etc) in your local newspaper.
36. You can read novels.
37. You can read poetry.
38. You can read teletext when watching TV.
39. You can read the subtitles on SBS movies.
40. You can read the subtitles when you go to see a foreign movie.
41. You can read subtitles when watching DVDs at home.
42. You can read magazines.
43. You can read the information on food packets.
44. Read recipes in our class blog.
45. Read recipes in magazines
46. Read cook books.
47. Read instructions on electrical appliances.
48. Read instruction for your medicine.
49. Read the doctor’s prescriptions.
50. Read the signs on the streets.
51. Read the signs in a shop.
52. Read the labels in clothes.
53. Read newspapers or magazines when you while for a doctor’s appointment.
54. Help your children with homework.
55. Read and write the e-mails in the computer every day.
56. You can go to the library to read novels.
57. You can read every day about current events in the newspaper.
58. You can go on the Internet and read about many things.
59. You can read about popular pop stars.
60. You can read about important people.

WRITING

61.You can write recipes.You can write a note to your teacher.
62. You can write about your day in your diary.
63. You can write letters to your friends or family.
64. You can write a form.
65. You can write a letter applying for a job.
66. You can write E-mails.
67. You can write in the computer.
68. You can write your shopping list and check the spelling in the shop.
69. You can write postcards.
70. You can write invitations.
71. You can write birthday cards.
73. You can write sympathy cards.

OK! Thanks Esraa, Sohaila and Olga for giving us more ideas! We now have 67 ideas divided into the 4 Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing).

If you can add any new ideas, post them in comments. If you can't, don't worry, just think of the best 10 ideas and write them in comments. We will see if all the students in the class have similar or different opinion about how to practice and improve you English outside class.

LISTENING

1. Listen to the radio inside the kitchen.
2. Listen to the radio in the car.
3. Watch T.V. after dinner for about 20 minutes
4. Watch the news every night.
5. You can listen to the radio when you cook.
6. Listen to the TV when you do your housework.
7. You can watch TV with teletext.
8. You can watch children's shows.
9. You can watch DVDs and read the subtitles in English.
10. You can listen to some songs when you do your homework.
11. Listen to people on the street.
12. You can go to the church to listen to the Pastor talk about Day by Day with God.

SPEAKING
13. You can talk on the telephone.
14. You can phone trades people when things need to be fixed.
15. You can phone the real estate agent if you need anything to be fixed.
16. You can talk with your family.
17. You can talk with your friends.
18. You can talk about the weather.
19. You can talk about your countries.
20. You can talk about your family.
21. You can talk about TV programs.
22. You can talk about movies you’ve seen.
23. You can talk about your life in your country of origin.
24. You can ask for directions.
25. You can give directions.
26. You can go to church and talk with different people.
27. Speak at home for least 2 hours .(English of course).

28. You can speak in the shop with the sales assistant.

29. You can talk to the waiter at a restaurant when you order your food.

30. You can ask the waiter about how the food is cooked.

31. You can talk about recipes with your friends.

32. You can leave amessage on a phone answering machine.

READING
33. Read the newspaper when you travel in a train.
34. Read the newspaper on the bus.
35. You can read the ads (specials, cars, etc) in your local newspaper.
36. You can read novels.
37. You can read poetry.
38. You can read teletext when watching TV.
39. You can read the subtitles on SBS movies.
40. You can read the subtitles when you go to see a foreign movie.
41. You can read subtitles when watching DVDs at home.
42. You can read magazines.
43. You can read the information on food packets.
44. Read recipes in our class blog.
45. Read recipes in magazines
46. Read cook books.
47. Read instructions on electrical appliances.
48. Read instruction for your medicine.
49. Read the doctor’s prescriptions.
50. Read the signs on the streets.
51. Read the signs in a shop.
52. Read the labels in clothes.
53. Read newspapers or magazines when you while for a doctor’s appointment.
54. Help your children with homework.
55. Read and write the e-mails in the computer every day.
56. You can go to the library to read novels.
57. You can read every day about current events in the newspaper.
58. You can go on the Internet and read about many things.
59. You can read about popular pop stars.
60. You can read about important people.

WRITING

61.You can write recipes.You can write a note to your teacher.
62. You can write about your day in your diary.
63. You can write letters to your friends or family.
64. You can write a form.
65. You can write a letter applying for a job.
66. You can write E-mails.
67. You can write in the computer.
68. You can write your shopping list and check the spelling in the shop.
69. You can write postcards.
70. You can write invitations.
71. You can write birthday cards.
73. You can write sympathy cards.

101 How to Improve Your English Outside Class

Four Skills Pictures (click to make it bigger)

101

This is a new game. You have to think of ways to improve your English outside class. Very soon you are going to get many weeks of holidays. You all know how easy it is to just speak your first language with friends and family, and go on for weeks without speaking a word of English.

Think of different ways in which you can use English and write them in comments. When we get 101 ideas, you will choose the best 10 and we will publish them. (I have given you some ideas with the photos above, and I wrote the idea for the first photo of each row)

Ah! Can you tell me what are the four skills involved in using a language?

To be done

Have a look at this game about the food you cooked for Kalpana's party:

Our dishes

You can also start doing some of the following tasks (exercises, jobs):

1. See if you know how to solve the code for the answers in Oz Quiz (knowing fonts in Word helps)

2. Go to Countries (Tuesday, October 12, 2004) and using the links about Australia, work in pairs to write questions about Australia and your own countries. Next week we will put them together to post a quiz on Our Class blog.

3. Go to Adult Study Centre, ESOL, ESOL2, Report Writing: Places, and you can do the exercises on Huesca: dragging, matching, and cloze.

4. Go to Descriptions of people and choose one of the photos and write a description.

5. You can also do some of the games on adjectives. You will find below the three photos.

6. In Going Global (Monday, October 11, 2004) you can answer the questions about the language of e-mails. See if it is the same as the language for writing letters that we have studied in class.