Our Class

Friday, October 29, 2004

Kalpana's farewell party


Kalpana and Silvia..Rosa, Kalpana and Marion



Lunch


Read the report about the day. It was written by all the students in the class.

Last Thursday was the last school day for our classmate Kalpana, who was moving to a new suburb.

We had a surprise farewell party for her. Everybody brought traditional food. There were alfajores form Uruguay, a winter salad from Russia, konafa from Jordan, dumplings from China, filo pastry with mince meat and honeymoon biscuits from Egypt. Also Yimin made a cake and Jorge brought some drinks.

Rosa took photos because the table looked very nice.

Everybody had a very nice lunch and tasted different food.
Rosa and Silvia took many photos. After we finished lunch, Silvia gave Kalpana a present from the class and teachers and Kalpana gave our teachers a present too. Silvia made a speech to Kalpana.

That day Kalpana looked very nice. She was wearing a beautiful traditional brown Nepalese sari.

All the class enjoyed the time and wished her good luck in the future.


Have a look at some photos from a fun afternoon Silvia and Hawi had at Kalpana's place a while ago.

Hawi in red sari

Silvia in red sari

Silvia in brown sari

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Thursday, October 28, 2004

Sydney

This is the description of Sydney our students wrote to practice report writing:

Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of NSW. It is in the south east of Australia.
The population is about 4 million.

It is the oldest and biggest city in Australia. It has many beautiful places, like the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Mrs Macquarie's Chair and the Rocks near the city centre. There are many types of restaurants, night clubs, museums and
theatres. It also has attractions like Koala Park, the zoo and an impressive aquarium. Sydney has some of the most beautiful houses in the world and many beaches.

Some of the main industries of Sydney are tourism, entertainment and retail.

Sydney has a temperate climate. The average temperature in summer is 21.7o C and in winter is 12.6oC.

Many people say that Sydney is the best city in Australia.

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More students' Hometowns or Countries

My hometown is Pereira. I was born and brought up there.

Pereira is a medium city of about 700,000 habitants , located in the south-west of Colombia.
Pereira's climate is tropical and humid , perfect combination to mature and give its taste to the best coffee in the world.

Pereira is the capital of the smallest province in Colombia , its name is Risaralda and is part of the coffee zone.

On the 20th of August the celebrations of the coffee fair start . For 2 weeks the city becomes a huge party for every one , young and all . There are concerts , live music, dancing on the streets , bullfights and International Queens come from some countries which produce coffee.

The people of Pereira are warm and very friendly, Pereira nickname is "The city with open doors".

JORGE

Wendy's Hometown

Quan Zhou is my hometown. I was born and brought up there.
Quan Zhou is a city of great antiquity. It is the jumping off point of the Silk Road on the sea, located on the south of China, opposite Taiwan. The Taiwan Strait is between Quan Zhou and Taiwan. The population is about 6.5 million.

The climate in Quan Zhou is subtropical. The average temperature of the year is 18°C-20°C, in summer is 26°C-29°C and in Winter is 9°C-13°C. Many people like to swim in summer.
Every year the 15th day after the Spring Festival is the festival of Lanterns. Quan Zhou's people eat sticky rice balls and there is a lantern show. For a few nights many beautiful lanterns illuminate this beautiful city. People go out to celebrate the day. It's spectacular.
The people of Quan Zhou are kind and friendly. Many tourists from all over the world visit Quan Zhou.

Sohaila's Egypt

Egypt is the largest country in the Arab world, with about 76 million inhabitants. It is located in northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza strip and the Red Sea, north of Sudan and includes the Asian Sinai.

Egypt's climate is arid, hot dry summers with moderate winters.

Natural resources of Egypt are petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates and zinc.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt. The head of Egypt is President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak . (since 14th October, 1981)

The flag of Egypt consists of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white and black.

On 23rd July is Revolution Day, all of Egypt celebrates this national day and the 6th October is Victory Day.

There are many places which attract tourism, like the Sphinx, the pyramids, Sharm El Sheikh, Aswan, Luxor and Ghardaya.

The people of Egypt are friendly and warm. Visitors come from all the world to visit Egypt because it is a very nice country.

Noha's Alexandria

Alexandria has had a long history as one of the most culturally important cities on the Mediterranean littoral. It was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 before Christmas. It is located on the north coast of Egypt. It’s the main port of Egypt.

Alexandria has many landmarks, such as beautiful beaches, the Roman museum, Quaitbey Castle, and the biggest ancient library in the world. Alexandria attracts many tourists due to its attractive sites and climate. The average winter temperature in January is 10-20°. This comfortable weather allows people from everywhere to come to Alexandria to enjoy the beautiful weather.

The religion in Egypt is Islamic and Christian. The Muslim and Christian people live in harmony and are tolerant of each other.
The population in Alexandria is about 8 million people. To get to all Alexandria’s many places of interest there is a good network of trains, buses and trams. Alexandria also has a number of suburbs which are very crowded and with heavy traffic.

The average income is not enough to get everything you need. As I’m from Alexandria and love it, I invite you to spend time there. You will remember it for ever.



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Students' Hometowns or Countries

Mohamad's Hometown: TRIPOLI

Tripoli is the second largest city in Lebanon following Beirut. It is located in the north of Lebanon and it is the capital of the Northern provinces of Lebanon. Tripoli has a population of about 700,000 and is increasing very rapidly. It is one of the oldest cities in Lebanon along with Saida. The main and the first language spoken in Tripoli is Arabic. However there are minorities that speak English and French.

The centre of the city is called the "Tell" and it is in the entrance of the city in "El Nour Square". Its historical value has given it many historic monuments and sites, like the "Tripoli Castle" and the narrow lanes and streets holding the old shops that vary from original soap making workshops to tailor shops.

There are many important industries in Tripoli, there are also many manufacturing companies, like clothes factories and jewellery workshops, that have grown in recent years. Tripoli also has a main port called the "Minaa", which is always busy with ships arriving and departing, making Tripoli one of the most important cities in the Middle East for import and export of fruit and vegetables. The Minaa is also the site for the departure of boats to the sanctuary island called "rabbits Island". The tourism and recreational industries are growing in Tripoli and have proven to be important factors in its growth. Its growth in these areas allowed it to be one of the hosts of the 2000 Arabian Olympic Games.

Esraa's Jordan

Jordan is in the Middle East in south-western Asia. The city has a population of about 5 million people.

The main geographical features in Jordan are deserts (eastern deserts), the Jordan river and the Gulf of Aqaba and the highest pint is Jabal Ramm, in the south.

There are many beautiful places like Roman theatres in Amman, Petra is the legacy of the Nabataens, and industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago, and Madaba, the city of Mosaics, home to the famous 6th century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

The principal ethnic majority are the Jordanians of Bedouin Arab origin. The Palestinian Arabs account for 40% of the population and the Bedouins represent 5%, while Arabs as a whole constitute 98% of the population.

The Jerash Festival, held in July every year transforms the ancient city into one of the world's liveliest and most spectacular cultural events. The festival features folkloric dances by local and international groups. ballet, concerts, plays, opera, popular singers and sales of traditional handicrafts.

Thanapha's Hometown

My hometown is Khonkaen. I was born and brought up there.

Khonkaen is a big city of about 2,000,000 inhabitants, located in the north-eastern part of Thailand. It has the rivers Poq and Shee. Khonkaen doesn't[t have land bordering the sea. Most people work in the fields or have businesses the city.

Khonkaen is very far from Bangkok, about 700 km. It has 3 seasons: January-March is winter, April-June is summer, July -October is rain. November and December start winter. When the summer is very hot it gets to about 37°C, people go to the river for swimming.

Khonkaen is a big city. It provides most of the services for the province. There is a hospital, schools, university, museum, and a big dam. It has many goods made by hand. It is very famous for its silks, it is the best silk in Thailand. Every year it has many tourists coming to Khonkaen to travel and to buy some goods, foods and silk.

Every year we have one Festival on 12-15 April. We enjoy going out. In the morning we go to a Thai temple. In the afternoon it's very hot. We enjoy being together. We play splashing water to make everybody wet. At night we have celebrations about the goods and food, and silk till midnight.

The people of Khonkaen are warm and friendly. They are happy and welcome tourism and people form other cities come to visit Khonkaen.

Olga's Hometown

Khabarovsk is in the north of Russia, near the border of China . Khabarovsk is the capital city of the Russian Far East. It has a population of about 800 thousand. It is a young city which was only founded in 1848.

The city is situated on the right coast of the Amu river. It is a river at the border shared by Russia and China. The Amur, and its headwaters, is the second longest in Europe. Every Autumn salmon migrate to spawn caviar on the Amur river.

Khabarovsk's climate is continental, which means hot summers above 30°C. At this time of year Khabarovsk appears to a visitor as a cosmopolitan city. Shrubs flowering around one of the city's main squares and potted plants. But it has very cold winters. The temperature often falling to 38° below zero. All he buildings, streets and trees are covered in a white coat. People go skating and skiing. Men like winter-fishing and take big fish from under the ice.


Khabarovsk is surrounded by taliga. There are also a variety of different animals, the Siberian tiger-the largest cat in the world- the snow leopard, bears, moose, deer, lynx, antelopes, foxes and a variety of forest birds.

Khabarovsk is mostly a centre of culture and science on the far east of Russia. There are six universities, many colleges,, schools, three theatres, museums, art galleries, and a winter circus. There are many green parks and children's parks with attractions. There are many places of historical interest in the old city centre, like its three cathedrals, two churches and many old buildings. There is a wide variety of restaurants, and nightclubs.

WELCOME TO KHABAROVSK! It's the best city in the Far East.

Noha'sAlexandria

Alexandria has had a long history as one of the most culturally important cities on the Mediterranean littoral. It was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 before Christmas. It is located on the north coast of Egypt. It's the main port of Egypt.

Alexandria has many landmarks,such as beautiful beaches, the Roman museum, Qaitbey Castle, and the biggest ancient library in the world.

Alexandria attracts many tourists due to its attractive sites and climate. The average winter temperature is 10-20°C. This comfortable weather allows people from everywhere to come to Alexandria to enjoy the beautiful weather.

The religion in Egypt is Islamic and Christian; the Muslim and Christian people live in harmony and are tolerant of each other.

The Population in Alexandria is about 8 million people. To get to all Alexandria many places of interest there's a good network of trains, trams and buses. Alexandria also has a number of suburbs which are very crowded and with heavy traffic.

The average income is not enough to get everything you need.

As I'm from Alexandria and love it, I invite you to spend time there. You will remember it for ever.


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Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Our Neighbourhood: The St George Area

This is a report on our local area written by the students in our class:

The St George area is south of Sydney. Some of the suburbs include Rockdale, Bexley, Brighton, Sylvania, Penshurst and Hurstville.

There are many amenities in St George such a s swimming pools, TAFE, shopping centres, two hospitals, about two cinemas and many churches. There us even a beautiful beach in Brighton-Le-Sands. People go there for sunbathing, swimming, surfing, water-skiing and fishing.

The St George area is a multicultural with people from China, South America, Egypt, Lebanon, Russia, Korea, Nepal and from countries in Europe. There are many people who don't speak English very well, but they are passionate about learning and speaking English. Most people in the area are friendly and kind.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2004


Collage

Guess where, who, what, when all these pictures were taken.

You have to talk to your classmates, because not everybody can know about every picture. Good luck!

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Wednesday, October 20, 2004

MY HOMETOWN

We will be doing work on Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in class.
When we finish you will have to write a description of your hometown.

My hometown is Huesca. I was born and brought up there. So this is my description:

HUESCA


Huesca is a small city of about 45,000 inhabitants, located in the northern part of the area called Aragon, in northeastern Spain. The mountain range of the Pyrenees forms a natural border between Huesca and France.

Like most of Spain, Huesca’s climate is continental, which means very hot summers and very cold winters. In summer many people enjoy the beautiful National Parks scattered along the mountains. There are many camping areas, hotels and rural accommodation for those who want to enjoy nature and the many activities available in the area. There is camping, trekking, fishing, and horse riding. You can swim in clear rivers, filled with icy water from the melting snow that still covers the high peaks of the majestic Pyrenees. In winter Huesca is well known all through Spain for its fantastic skiing fields.

Huesca is the capital of a big but mostly uninhabited province, also called Huesca. As the capital city, it provides most of the services for the province. There are hospitals, schools, university, art galleries and a museum. The province of Huesca does not have big manufacturing industries, it lives mainly on agriculture, cattle in the Pyrenees and tourism.

The 10th of August is the day of San Lorenzo (St Laurence), the city’s saint patron. For two weeks the city becomes a huge party for every one, young and all. There are religious celebrations, concerts, music and dancing on the streets, markets, fireworks and even bullfights. Everybody dresses in white with green scarves around the neck and a sprig of basil pinned to their clothes. Celebrations start early in the morning and last till very late at night. Some people stay up all night and go home to have breakfast the next day!

The people of Huesca are warm and friendly. Visitors come from all over Spain to stay in Huesca.

Panticosa (Pyrenees) ......Dressed in white & green

Students' work

Click here Huesca Report to print the description of Huesca and some excersices that will help you write your own description.

Once printed, do the following exercises:

1. Name the different parts of the report:

  • General statement
  • Description & details (1,2, 3,…)

2. Highlight the verbs in yellow: mostly present tense

3. Highlight the generic participants in pink: groups of people not individuals

4. Circle the adjectives: Are there any comparatives or superlatives?
5. Underline the noun groups (article+adjective+noun)
6. Notice the specific vocabulary: geographical, climate, people, customs, special events
7. Notice the conjunctions used to link sentences


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Sunday, October 17, 2004

Hello again

Hello to all the students that haven't had the opportunity of using our blog since we looked at it together in the study centre.
We've been lucky enough to get a computer room for our class every Tuesday after lunch (a big thanks to Nicole for helping us with that!), so now we will be able to work on our projects, homework, assessments, quizzes, etc together.

Some of you already now how to use computers. Others are new to the world of computers and the internet. Don't worry! We were all once beginners, and if you have any problems we'll all be together to help each other.

So have fun and enjoy using your English!

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OZ QUIZ

Six students in our class got together in two groups and created a quiz about Australia for Teresa's students to solve.

You can all try to solve it and write the answers in comments.
You can check the answers by looking below, but beware...... they are coded!
Click for Oz Quiz

Here are some links that can help you with Australia:

Guide to Australia
Just the Facts
Aboriginal Culture
Ned Kelly
Australian Slang
Australian Beaches
Australian Animals

By the way, what will you be drinking if somebody invites you for a 'cuppa' or a 'tinny' ?
What about if they invite you for a 'barbie' this 'arvo'?
What type of animals are 'marsupials'?
Why is Ned Kelly famous?


Here are the answers to the Oz Quiz:
1.Australia 2.b 3.c 4.a 5. a/d 6.b 7.6 8. 2 9. c 10. a
11. True 12. d 13. False 14.b 15. c

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Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Countries

Go to Have Fun with English and click on CALL lessons. Click on lesson 5 and answer the questions about Portugal and Poland.

Think of your own country and Australia. Write similar questions about the two countries and search the internet for answers. You can work with a classmate from your country.

Here are some links that can help you with Australia:

Guide to Australia
Just the Facts
Aboriginal Culture
Ned Kelly
Australian Slang
Australian Beaches
Australian Animals

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Have Fun with English Quest

In this quest you will have to go to our Portuguese friends' site, Have Fun With English.

Go to the 7th of September, Subject: Holidays.

  1. Can you find an Australian connexion?
  2. What's larger the Moon or Mercury?
  3. How often does the Moon go around the Earth?
  4. When did Dean Janie Fouke go to the North Pole?
  5. Name 5 things you can find in a tent if you go camping.
  6. What activities can you do in Brampton Island ?
  7. How many rooms has Devon Farm got?
  8. How much is Devon Farm in in October?

Write your answers in comments and get ready for more work on countries. This term we are going to work on descriptions of places (reports), so on Tuesdays we can do extra practice in the computer room.

Good luck!


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Monday, October 11, 2004

Going Global

Interesting news everybody! Our blog is going to Portugal and Spain. As I told you, Teresa Almeida d'Eça gave us permission to link to her blog and she also put a link to our blog in hers: Have Fun with English

Go to Have Fun with English, read the e-mails we wrote to each other and answer the following questions:

  1. What adjective do I use to describe Teresa's blog?
  2. What adjective/s do I use to describe my students ?
  3. What does it mean to benefit from looking into your students work, links etc. ?
  4. How do I close (finish) my first e-mail?
  5. What is the meaning of VImp?
  6. What does Teresa call her students?
  7. What do you have in common with Teresa's students?
  8. What should you be careful about? and why?
  9. What does EFL stand for?
  10. How long has Teresa taught?
  11. How can you ask why? or How come? in a different way?
  12. How does Teresa close her e-mail?

    This is what Isabel Perez said:

    Hi Rosa,
    thanks a lot for including my site in your links, of course you can link anything you like. By the way, I like your way of using a blog for the English class. I'm starting a course about Webquests in two weeks and we'll also see some other aspects of teachings on the Web. If you don't mind I'll show your blog as an example.
    keep in touch
    Isabel
  13. Now you ask questions about Isabel's message. Write at least 3 questions and post them in comments.
  14. Go to Let's Blog and try to decode (find the meaning of) the mistery message Teresa put on the left top corner.


Well done everyone and please visit Have Fun with English and Let's Blog


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Sunday, October 10, 2004

Update

  • You've got a new challenge: Collage
  • I have put Links, Games, Reading and Writing on the right sidebar.Keep an eye on those links. I will add to them regularly.
  • I have permission from two English teachers, Teresa Almeida d'Eça from Portugal and Isabel Perez from Spain, to put links to their fantastic websites and blogs. Teresa would like you to write to her students in Have Fun with English. You can send them a message through their blog. We'll talk about it after the holidays.
  • Have a look at August (on the right). You will find new students' descriptions of themselve, and yummy recipes. I think we should have a party next term with the dishes you've written about. We need photos for the recipes, so what better excuse?
  • In August/Descriptions of People, you will find new games to practise the order of adjectives in English.
  • Also in August/Games you can find new links to fantastic ESL sites for games and exercises. Good work!

Do you know your classmates?

You can print this worksheet or you can copy the questions.
To get help with these questions, you can go to August (on the right of Our Class blog) and read your classmates' descriptions of themselves. You can also ask them in person!

You will also find them here:
Yiming & Noha
Hawi & Lei
Xia Dong & Ali
Kalpana & Athene
Olga M. & Silvia
Esraa
Mohamad
Jorge, Ivy, Wendy, Linda

1) Xiao Dong _____ a journalist in China.

2) Noha has got _______ hair, _____ _______ eyes, a small ______ and ___ round face

3) When Hawi is not studying, she _______ after _____ son and ________ the house.

4) _____ arrived to Sydney, Australia, in April 2004.

5) _________ lived in Japan for a while

6) Olga M. likes _________ trousers and _____________ clothes.

7) Silvia _____ ______ in Australia for ___ years.

8) In her country Esraa _____ a hairdresser.

9) Mohamad _________ in Australia in December 2003.

10) Esraa was _______ in Kuwait, but her family moved to _________.


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