GC English through podcasts 2007

GC2 Final Exam Essay Choice

2007-07-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

GC2 Final Exam Essay Choice
Discussion

*Choose one of the alternatives below and write an essay.
*Please write in full sentences. Give examples and support where necessary.
*You must show your understanding of the material, and that your writing has improved.
*Only choose one alternative. Your teacher will only grade one.

1. The Art of Coffee –
Some people drink coffee, and some people hate it. Love it or hate it, coffee is a very big part of modern day culture.
Please discuss how important coffee has become to people of today.

2. Weddings in America –
Many people get married each year. The Association for Wedding Professionals International says, “more than eighty thousand million dollars is spent on weddings, in America alone. People get married in different ways. In class, we discussed not only American weddings, but also international weddings. Compare the different ways people get married around the world.

3. Turkey –
Turkey is a unique and interesting place. Why do so many travelers develop an obsessive, obstinate attraction to this country and its people?

4. Sleep –
The following is a well-known idiomatic expression:
“If you don't mind, I'm going to bed now. I have to get my beauty sleep.”
However, some people seem to have problems getting to sleep. Please discuss what you understand by the following expression ~ “Sleep Disorders”

5. Dirty Jobs –
Do you think you have the worst job in the world? Well, jobs can be dirty, smelly, and really unpleasant. However, some people do the jobs that we wouldn’t particularly like to do. Please discuss the importance of these dirty jobs, and how they help our society function.

The Art of Coffee

2007-07-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

This week's lesson is about coffee... Please listen to the VOA (voice of america) special English report on coffee, and be ready to come to class and talk about coffee.

Do you like coffee?
How many different kinds of coffee drinks can you name?
Do you know the history of Coffee?
Where does coffee come from?
What do you think about Starbucks?
Why do you think Starbucks is so popular?

Transcript ~ read the transcript for the above link.
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2007-06-12-voa1.cfm

YouTube ~ The art of coffee
Copy this link into your web browser and watch the different ways of making a cup of coffee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLL4khimqrw

The history of coffee ~ read about the history of coffee
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/stories/index.pl?noframes;read=46

Weddings in America

2007-06-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Are you planning a wedding? Have you already had one? Do you enjoy going to weddings?
This weeks program is a VOA special on 'American weddings'.

What movies do you know about weddings?
What kinds of things do people do for weddings? Where do people like to get married?
What is the difference between a traditional wedding and a modern wedding?
How about a Religous ceremony vs. a civil one?
What are some wedding traditions?
Whose responsibility is it to plan a wedding?
What kinds of music is played at traditional weddings?

VOA news - Special English Program
Planning a Wedding Becomes a Marriage of a Million Details
Written by Jerilyn Watson
11 June 2006
You can see the transcript of this program at:
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2006-06-11-voa1.cfm

special thanks to:
-YMCA International College for hosting this program
-VOA.com

Turkey

2007-05-28T00:54:00.002-07:00

Turkey (approx. 19 minutes)
Please listen to the podcast about Turkey and try to answer the following questions.
Then do some research about Turkey yourself so that you can share it in this weeks class. Pictures will be helpful.
Try to find out about the~
Culture
People
Religion
Places to see in Turkey
Food and Drink
Geography and anything else that you want to talk about. Good luck, and let's have fun talking about Turkey on Wednesday.
********Questions************
Why do people fall in love with Turkey?
What is Istanbul like?
What do people think about when they think of Turkey?
What is the reality?
What is the Grand Bazaar?
Where do the Turks shop?
What could a first time traveler expect about Turkey?
How often do people pray in Turkey?

******** Food & Drink ********
What is the best place to go and have something to eat?
What kind of food would you expect to have in Turkey?

******** Traveling in Turkey ********
What is it like to travel as a woman in Turkey?
How should people dress?

******** Transport in Turkey ********
What kind of transport is there in Istanbul?
What is it like?

********Recommended places**********
Cappadocia

******** Vocabulary and Phrases in Podcast ********
What’s your take on something?
Haberdashery
Muslim
Quintessential

Useful Sites
Tukey in general
http://www.tourismturkey.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey
food
http://www.bpe.com/food/ethnic_cusine/turkey.htm
culture
http://www.hitit.co.uk/CultTk.html

Learn more about Turkey at the Lonely Planet website
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/turkey/images

This is from Lonely Planet Publications
please check out the website at
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Also available through i-tunes music store, Lonely Planet Publications - Turkey - 19th October 2005
Copyright 2005, Lonely Planet Publications All rights reserved. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Sleep Disorders - Interview with Greg

2007-05-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Sleep Disorders - Interview with Greg

An interview with Mr. Greg Kennerly about sleep and sleep disorders.
Do you drink a lot of coffee? Do you have any trouble sleeping?
What do you do to help you sleep?
Have you ever walked in your sleep?
Do you still sleep walk?

Do you know any other sleep disorders?
*Sleep eating
*Talking in your sleep
*Snoring

Causes of insomnia (sleeplessness):
*coffee

Home remedies:
*Warm milk
*Go for a jog, get some exercise
*Camomile tea
*Reading

Interviewer: Mr. Steven Mondy
Interviewee: Mr. Greg Kennerly
Special thanks to
- the Osaka Y.M.C.A. International College
- Mogu coffee shop

Sleep Disorders

2007-05-13T19:41:00.001-07:00

Sleep Disorders:
Do you have any problem getting to sleep?

Sleep walking:
When do most people usually outgrow this condition?
What is the behavior characterized by?
What ‘triggers’ (causes) sleep walking?

Comprehension:
What does Dr. Judith Owens specialize in?
What does she say about sleepwalkers?
What did Owen’s suggest Michael do?
What did it help Michael do?
What was discovered?
What was the treatment for Michael?

Vocabulary:
chronic, adolescence, episodes, bolt, screaming, yelling
rip, shatter, appeared, parasomnia, night terrors, charting
cause, consistent basis, caffeinated, anxiety, deprivation,
results, immediate, restful, plentiful, travel free

Parasomnia, which means "around sleep," includes sleepwalking, night terrors, bedwetting, and narcolepsy.

Also available through i-tunes music store, Discovery Channel - Night Terrors, 2/05/2006
Copyright 2005 Discovery Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. www.discovery.com.

Garbage Collector - Dirty Jobs

2007-05-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Do you think that you have the worst job in the world?
Well listen to this 'Discovery Channel Podcast' for what it's like to be a garbage collector in San Francisco.

Discussion Questions:
Can you think of any job that you would hate to have?
What is the worst job that you've ever had?

Comprehension Questions:
How much garbage is collected each week?
What is an average shift like?
What is one of the benefits of being a garbage collector?
What is one of the common problems associated with this kind of job?

Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe
Welcome to Dirty Jobs, the new Discovery Channel series that profiles the unsung American laborers who make their living in the most unthinkable — yet vital — ways.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/splash.html
Copyright 2005 Discovery Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. www.discovery.com.
Also available through i-tunes music store, Discovery Channel - More Dirty Jobs, 13/02/2006

Worst Job you've ever had...

2007-04-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

For the next class, I'd like you to think of all the part-time jobs that you have had. Also, please ask your parents about their part time and full time jobs. What do they like and dislike about their jobs? What would they like to do if they could change their job? What is difficult/easy in their jobs?
Think about some unusual jobs for the next class. Make a list.

Please listen to the following.
It's an interview with three YMCA teachers about the worst job they have had.

Special Thanks to
Okamoto-Sensei - Construction Work
Debbie Sukita - Secretary
Pat Kwan - Service Station attendant

and the Osaka YMCA International College.

clip art from http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/0041-0510-1114-0349.html

Myths and Mysteries ~ Follow up

2007-04-12T02:48:00.000-07:00

So everyone,
have you listened to the three episodes of myths and mysteries?

Should we go to the doctor when we have the flu or a cold?
According to the listening, there is nothing that the doctor can give you that will help kill viruses!
These days, Tamiflu is the new wonder drug that many people in Japan are taking to get over a flu?
So should we rely on this drug, or be careful? Can it really help?
Also, how do you know if you have the flu, or just a common cold? Check out the following website:
http://www.tamiflu.com/about/coldflu.aspx?ref=taking_coldflu

If you've had the flu this year, it will prevent you from getting the flu again.
Well, according to the listening, this is incorrect. There are so many varieties of the flu, there's nothing stopping you from getting a different strain of the flu virus.

Having the flu vaccine will give me the flu.
According to the listening, the flu vaccine is made with inactived organisms that cannot cause the virus.

Don't forget, in your journal, you need to discuss the difference between a myth and a superstition. Are they the same or different?
You might want to check out the following Wikipedia sites....
Myth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_myth
Superstition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition
Good luck with your research, and be ready to discuss it at the beginning of next class.
Steven Mondy

You should go to the doctor...(click here)

2007-04-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

Myths & Mysteries
Peter Brennan and Wendy Kay dispel or affirm many of the urban myths and mysteries that people have readily accepted for decades.
http://www.freedigitalcontent.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=59&Itemid=78

Getting the Flu (Click here)

2007-04-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

Flu Season (Click here)

2007-04-09T00:40:00.001-07:00

Welcome to English in the Media

2007-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the English in the media Blog site. This course is designed to give students exposure to English in a variety of different ways. Students will not only listen, watch, or read, but discuss, analyse and respond to the material in a variety of ways.
You will be required to access this site and follow the instructions on a week by week basis.
Steven Mondy

Requirements:
Access to a computer with MP3 capability
Quicktime player (available free through apple at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mac.html)