Intermedio 2
Newsletter # 1. january 12, 2011
< yOur classroom
< your school your teacher >
your goal >
grammar
So far we haven’t seen much grammar. At any rate you are expected to handle past tenses, the conditional sentences and modals that allow you to speculate.
vocabulary
We have discussed several interesting topics: age, health, history, nationalities, humor, fashion, men & women, success and, of course, the importance of names. Now, let’s have a quick ronda cruel. Translate into English these expressions you can find in the textbook: de izquierdas (p. 28), hacer alarde de (p. 46) and prenda (p. 54). Do you remember the terms toddler, escort, hooked or recluse?
pronunciation
By now, you are supposed to have already mastered three simple sounds: [v], [∫] and [s-]. In other words, you should have no problem saying very, everybody, station, sugar, street and special. Please, please... avoid mistakes like [paf] instead of [pʌb] or [bi:x] instead of [bɪg]. I also expect you to have learned how to pronounce the “-ed” ending.
speaking
Remember to use those “filters” that soften our expressions: in my view, they tend to, she might, most men, etc. We want to avoid sweeping statements, right?
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some helpful tips How long do you speak english every day? five minutes? 30 seconds?
do you ever read anything in english for pleasure?
do you ever use words like “sobrecogedor”, “asombroso” or “fascinante”?
are you really exposed to the target language? how often do you watch films in english?
writing
Connectors don’t need to be used in every sentence but they do help a lot when it comes to giving a composition some sense of cohesion. Therefore you should be ready to express contrast, concession, consequence and not just chronological sequencing. Relative sentences can also help you connect thoughts. Check out this example: Despite having lived abroad Kevin is still the same old bigot, which is why many of my friends don’t feel comfortable around him. And, please, avoid the terms furthermore and moreover at all costs. They are formal expressions that only work in formal texts.
register
Whenever you learn a new word make sure you know if it is formal, standard, slangy or vulgar. As far as essay writing goes few things are more laughable than mixing different registers. How do you react to this: You Highness, I don’t think I give a crap. I hope you understand what I mean, sir.
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