Your CAE blog

Good byes and thank yous

2010-06-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

I want to give everyone in my CAE class a huge thank you for the wonderful last lesson, which was full of surprises.

Please feel free to use this space and its links for as long as you like.
And good luck to all of you for your exams whenever they are, and in anything else you need luck in.

And now a small tribute to our last lesson:

Nearing the end

2010-05-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone
Things have been quiet here and the course is fast nearing the end as exams lurk in the near future.

Good news: Eljakim and Helen both passed their exams!!
Congratulations!!
And I hope all of you will pass your exams whenever it is that you take them.

Until the end you will decide over your homework. There isn't much left in the book for you to work on, but you can do exams, work in Flo-joe, read or listen to grammargirl and explore the other links in the side bar to work on your English.

For those of you who have managed to write on this blog so far, it would be wonderful if you could leave a post for everyone in the course.

Hello from Australia

2010-04-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hello my dear Englishclass friends
I'm quite fine in the nice climate of Australia, however, I have to work hard but it's actually efficient to study in the native speaking environment. Now, I would like to tell you a amusing story:

After I’d finished reading Donna Leon’s Thriller a second time I was looking for something new to read and so I went to a bookshop in Perth today. However, it was quite difficult to find the most entertaining, well-written and heartrending book under dozens of provided bestsellers.
I then asked a salesperson whether she could help me to find a suitable book. ‘What are you looking for? Fiction, non-fiction, crime, thriller?’ she asked me. ‘Well’ I answered, ‘I suppose I’d like something like ‘A Bag Of Bones’ by Steven King a read recently. Are there any other books written by this author available?’– ‘I know, there are some books of King, I can see it on the website, but we don’t have them in our shop. Do you want me to order any of this books for next week?’ – ‘Oh, no, thanks, next week I’m not anymore in Perth, ehm…’ – ‘So when you read a book of Steven King, do you like thrillers?’ – ‘Yes, why not, of course, I recently read a thriller of Donna Leon but…’
’You read Donna Leon!’ an older lady asked me who had overheard our conversation, – ‘Yes, I’ve read one.’ – ‘Which one?’ she wanted to know. – ‘Through A Glass, Darkly’ I answered. ‘Did you read it too?’ – ‘Yes, of course, and all the other ones. I like her, I like her so much!’ – I was curious to know what she meant exactly so I asked her, ‘You mean Donna Leon?’ – ‘No, no, not her, I mean the lady in the office, you know, the secretary, she is so funny, all the time, she is a good girl, Brunetti’s lucky to have her assistance’ she explained me. – ‘Ah, you mean Signora Elettra?’ – ‘Exactly, you’ve got it, she’s really nice, isn’t she. You should read all the books.’
After this overwhelming recommendation I first felt a little bit reluctant to choose again a book of Leon, but what should I have bought then. To look for an entirely suitable book seemed to be too time-consuming so I choose ‘Friends In High Places’, an other thriller by Donna Leon, hoping to be a little bit more thrilled than by the last one with the glass-factory case.

So, that's all for now. Enjoy the springtime and have a nice time.
See you in May,
Adalbert

Tips for IELTS

2010-03-30T02:09:00.001-07:00

For those of you working towards the IELTS, you can also find a lot of good information on the internet.
First, here is an excellent site for advice on how to do the writing parts and everything else.

You will also find good examples by googling IELTS academic writing/reading

Here's a speaking video I found with rather good quality. You will find more

You will find further advice on youtube about writing and the other skills.
For general skills the CAE practice you get on flo-joe is great as well.

Tips for working on your English (CAE)

2010-03-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few tips for you for the Easter holidays.
If you are working towards the CAE, you will have a test from me and you also have several exams through your CD.

DON'T do them all at the same time during the Easter break! There is still quite a bit of time until the exam, so plan them carefully, distributing them throughout the rest of the time you have.

DO go onto flo-joe regularly and do tasks there.

DO practice your writing!
Do practice your speaking! You can even record yourself and send the recording to me for a bit of feedback.

Go to the Splendid-speaking website (see the side bar) to listen to people speaking and here what an examiner might say about how the person did.

Go to youtube and type in CAE speaking exam (or the other parts) and see what kind of information you can get there. IF you find any very good sites, please share them here!

Read a book or watch a film and write about it here for all of us to read- the others can write comments about it if they have read or seen it as well.

Take some time and relax from studying - don't pressure yourself the whole holiday. A break from English can help you unconsciously bring things together and internalize them.

Joke from Rama

2010-03-12T08:16:00.001-08:00

One day a housework-challenged man decided to wash his Sweat- Shirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to his wife, 'What setting do I use on the washing machine?'

'It depends,' she replied. 'What does it say on your shirt?'

He yelled back, 'Liverpool '

Ahhm, where's the washing machine?

Greetings from Rama in Edinburgh

2010-02-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there

I hope you’re all fine.

I’m having a great time here in Edinburgh. But unfortunately, I’m not studying a lot :-(

There is so much to see, so I don’t have a lot of time to spend with my school books.

Twice I went to Glasgow over the weekend to visit an old friend from Switzerland, who‘s studying there at the moment. It was really funny.

Fortunately, the weather’s being kind to us. The sun‘s shining quite often and it’s even warmer than in Switzerland, I guess.

Yesterday we went to Loch Lomond. It was really beautiful.

I’m going to stay here until next Saturday, thus I won’t come to class, today!

Have a nice time!

Cheers

Rama

Learning about the English in Southwest England

2010-02-23T00:05:00.001-08:00

Just so you all can see that I actually learned something while I was over in England having fun, here are some pictures with what I learned.

Very pituresque thatched cottages, just like the ones on the calendars. Actually, they ARE the ones on the calendars!
I bet you know this place. It was very parky the whole time we were in England.
Parky- the word of the day: nothing to do with parks, though you often feel it in parks. It means chilly - a chill that runs straight through you.

This is the pub we stayed at. Life there is just like in the films. The village gathers, chats and gossips - no tv, though, thank God!

One of the hounds waiting for a pint of Old Speckled Hen (very tasty, bitter ale - and not warm). This is actually the pooch of the house, and the owner of the pub is in the background. He is a VERY good cook and treated us to Monday roast, chicken and ham pie, crumble, and spotted dick - all very British!
Posh cream tea time at the Roman Baths in Bath.
The word of the day: Clotted cream- basically sweet butter that has been whipped.
Preparation of scones: first the strawberry jam, then the clotted cream.
Preparation of tea: first the milk, then the sugar if desired, then the brewed tea. In posh places you will always be able to top off the tea (add fresh hot water to the brewed tea).

IELTS

2010-02-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are some IELTS sites for you to get an idea of the IELTS. I personally think the third one is pretty good.

IELTS exam practice

More IELTS exam practice

And still more IELTS exam practice

Any other questions??

Essays and vocabulary

2010-01-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

Before I get started on essays, I'd like to draw your attention to a helpful site with the vocabulary from our coursebook (don't thank me, thank Sarah and Adalbert!)
www.oup.com/elt/result. You'll find quite a few resources, but especially have a look at Words and Phrases - Key vocabulary.

The vocabulary is presented clearly unit by unit, and was new to me as well (see, I don't spend all my time surfing the internet :-) )

Now for the essays:

Say what you are going to say.

Say it.
Say what you've said.

The layout is simple. You have an introductory paragraph where you will have your key statement. This tells the reader what you are writing about and what your position is.

The body is divided into 2-3 paragraphs, each of which should have a topic sentence, which tell the reader what the paragraph is about.

The concluding paragraph sums up.

This is a powerful tool for writing an essay successfully, and even more useful if you also use it when reading.

Remember when I told you to 'look at' the text before you begin reading it?
Basically, all you need to do is find these key sentences and you will already have an idea of the topic and the writer's view.

If you want more on the subject of essays, especially is you decide to take the IELTS, then this link may help you: Basic Guide to Essay Writing

In a nutshell by Andrea

2010-01-08T07:48:00.001-08:00

Well, Andrea was up for the challenge and managed to summarize our book quite nicely with just 2 extra spaces more used.

After a dead man has been found in a glass factory in Venice, the reader is left in doubt who the murderer is almost up to the last page of the book.

Is anyone else up for the challenge?

A game from down under

2010-01-03T03:31:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody

I'm writing you from overseas. I've been here since 22 of december and I will stay here till the 16th of january. So I thought you can learn from what I learned in Rosebud in a little house near the coast on NYE. :-)

It's a card game called 13.

You need poker cards (52 without the Jokers) and you play with four people. Everyone gets 13 cards and the one with the lowest card (in this game the spade 3) starts the game. He has to put down his spade 3. Then the next one (you go around clockwise) has to give a higher card. It can be straight a higher number like a 5, a lady or it can be a 3 as well. There it depends on the suit. First is the heart, then diamond, then the club and at last the spade. If you don't want to put a card on the table you can pass. If someone gives the heart 2 it can only be beaten with a chop. That would be three doubles in a row or four of the same card. When now one can beat, this person he has the power. That means he can start the new round. It doesn't has to be a single round. You can also start with doubles, triples or with a row of minimum three cards. The next has to give the same thing just higher. The first who has put down all his cars wins. The last one has to shuffle and deal out the cards for the next game.

If there are more players who want to play this game you can make out, that the last two or just the last one will be replaced by a new player.

I hope you can follow my explanations and have fun with the game! I'm already addicted to it.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Angi

Christmas greetings

2009-12-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a special and funny Christmas greeting from Arlette:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/FlNyO4866djhslEIyfJG

If any others of you have Christmas greetings you want to share, please do feel free to post them here or send them to me and I will post them.

And if you are interested in writing about your year in a sentence, feel free to leave a comment on my own blog:
your-year-in-a-sentence/
A Day in a Sentence has been going on for a while now and I am hosting it for the last time in 2009. It is a simple place to creatively write about your day (or year) and read about others.

CAE dates

2009-12-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

Just for a little early planning, here are the dates for the CAE in June:
Wed. 16th June - writing papers (Meggen)
Sat. 5th June or Fri. 18th June -speaking exam (Lucerne)

You should decide by the end of February.
Further, the IELTS is twice monthly in Bern

The New London Test of English (LTE) is also in June in Lucerne.

The information is on the side bar and will be updated as necessary.

Something new on the side bar

2009-12-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

If you've been paying attention, you will see a new addition to the blog.
I've put Grammar Girl right up at the top so you can't miss her! She has loads of tips for writing and good grammar, so please don't ignore her.
And guess where she studied English? In my very own home town of Seattle!

Do you want her to stay at the top just under the homework or should she be moved down a notch or two?

And of course, Merry Christmas greetings!

Something to do while enjoying a free Tuesday evening

2009-12-02T06:29:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone
Next Tuesday is free, so here are some things you can do if you decide you want to use some of that free time for your language skills.

You can buy the Donna Leon book. We will read it individually and after Christmas work on the book in class.

Further, you can finish unit 4, including writing a contribution.

Also have a look at the riddles below, or add your own.

Finally, I gave most of you a reading test from the CAE to try. I'll send it to the rest of you by mail.

Have a great Tuesday off!!!

My riddle about an animal

2009-12-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

The animal can change the color. It feeds on crustaceans and zoolplankton. The body is protected with plates. The special thing about these animal is that the male icubates the eggs.
Do you know, which animal it is?

2009-11-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

I write about an unusual, male animal, who lives in the north of the world.
He has four legs and antlers and looks a little strage because of his paricular nose. First nobody liked him and everyone used to laugh, but then he did a good deed and now he is really famous.

Do you know his name?

I'm sure you will hear about him in the next weeks:-)

Wish you a nice first Sunday of Advent.

Rama

no legs, fins or wings

2009-11-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

I write about a little animal that is not welcome in any house. Mostly it can be found in humid rooms. During the day it hides in cracks in the wall or floor. When you see it, then it escapes very fast back in the cracks. It moves without legs, fins or wings. It's difficult to get rid of the little creature with the nice name. Have you ever had the pleasure to meet one in your bathroom?

Your riddle

2009-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone
I have a new blog task for you.
Write a riddle for the others to guess. Describe an animal and see if the others can guess. You will also have to read the other riddles and write a comment to write what you think the animal is.

Have fun!

From Fabcom's flickr: Western Taxidermie (2)

2009-11-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody

Here are some usefull Links I found for..

writing expressions ect. www.ego4u.de
phrasal verb list and other lists www.englisch-hilfen.de

there are also two usefull links from this cae blog.
Have a look under English Grammar Secrets and CAE exercises.

Have a nice week.

Arlette

Postcard from the pirates of the ägerisee

2009-10-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ahoi from Oberägeri

For one week I was the pirate "barbera" and cooked for 30 Volleyball-Kids deliscious meals. The last evening we had dinner by candlelight and ate without cutlery. This was great fun for the children as well as for the leaders. Half an our later when we turned on the light again, the fun was over for the ones who had to clean the dining-room. There was an unbelievable mess all over the ground because we really behaved as pirates. Threw the bones away, fighted with each other for the food and belched and shouted around.
The camp took place in Oberägeri. By the way a beautyfull area. I really enjoyed to go running every morning. One day I even ran around the whole lake. For more pictures and text about the camp visit this link: http://www.vbcebikon.ch

See you soon!
Angi

postcard from tuscany

2009-10-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Best wishes from the tarot garden in the south of the tuscany, where I spent with my family a very pleasant afternoon. The tarot garden has been created about 15 years ago by Nikki de St Phalle, a American-Swiss Artist. Every sculpture shows a card of the tarot-game. The one on the picture shows the queen. You can enter in some sculptures, so you can in the one on the picture. The queen has given home to nikki while her work in the garden. You find a kitchen, a bathroom, a livingroom and a bedroom in the sculpture. The different shapes and colours were absolutly amazing. Even if you aren't keen on art you will be fascinated!

Postcard from Sardinia

2009-10-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone
This is where I spent my time relaxing in the shade of the veranda. Every morning there was a spectacular sunrise over the sea, turning the dark sky into a vibrant ball of fire. Then the bells began ringing as the sheep made their way through the brush to be fed by the shepherd just on the other side of the fence.

We also ate most of our lunches and dinners here as we enjoyed the peacefulness in between swims and trips into the countryside.

I hope you also had a great time!

Yours
Illya
PS: I'd love to get a postcard from you too!

Baaa

Useful learing links

2009-10-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

ELLLO everyone,

You know, there are loads of links on our blog but ELLLO attracted me most of all.

www.elllo.org is well – organized and there are more than 1000 listening activities with transcripts, quizzes, and games. But the two ones I was impressed the most are Songs and Mixer. Songs reminds me of a kind of karaoke. While you are listening to one of the songs you can read the lyrics displayed on the screen. Mixer seems to be a useful way to prepare for the speaking exam because there are always one question and six answers which you can listen to, read or download.

There are some other useful links I found by chance like Phrasen.com or Bab.la. If it’s difficult to find the correct translation of an idiom or phrasal verb, you can look up there and you’ll propably find it. Even if you spell wrong or only write two words of an idiom Babla will help you with some suggestions. Sometimes Dict.cc can be useful to look up a phrasal verb or a short idiom.

So have a nice time. See you next Tuesday,

Adalbert

Take care on your CAE Test

2009-09-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

I wish you a nice holyday!

Arlette

Teacher Award 5

2009-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

My best teacher
I used to be fascinated when I heard my dad playing the piano, though he only could play some harmonies. When I was seven I was given piano lessons and I was so happy because my teacher praised me for everything.

That made me eager to develop my talent. When she organised a concert with her pupils I was excited. First her youngest pupils had to play their simple pieces whereas the older ones could show their best after that and I was so impressed about their skills. Then the teacher praised our efforts and said that the younger pupils would do it next time like the older ones.

A few years later I ordered the pieces I wanted to play by myself. When my dad saw that he said that this was too difficult for me. Not so my teacher and thus, I practised a piece of Chopin and played it next time in the piano lesson. Well done, my teacher said, but it could be easier if you played it in the given key.

About 20 years later I read an interview with a pianist. The reason why she wanted to become a pianist was her eagerness she got during a pupil's concert she had joined in when a boy played a very difficult piece of Chopin, though in the wrong key. That boy was me.

I consider that my piano teacher deserves an award because she was able - effortlessly, it seems, and almost endlessly – to let pass on the enthusiasm from one student to the other student.

Adalbert Bircher

2009-09-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

On friday was our wedding. It was a really greate day/night. after the marriage ceremony in the Rathaus Lucerne, a aperitif and the dinner with the family, we had a greate party with around 100 friends. There was plenty of dancing and a lot of fun until four o ' clock.
after some hours of sleeping we had much to tidy and clean up yesterday.
Today we have to pack our bags, because tomorrow we fly to Egypt for a week. so I can't come to class on tuesday :-(
I can't grasp it yet. neither i'm married nor we have hollydays and will lie on the beach in 24 h. I'm still overcome with emotions. It's beyond description.

Have a nice time!

CU in October

Rama

Link Description

2009-09-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

The phrase finder.

Titled : A phrase a week.

Located on ‚Your CAE-Blog’ just underneath the ‚Cambridge Dictionary’.

I like reading and looking into idioms whether in German or in English.

It’s an interesting and important thing to know meanings and origins in languages. It could be argued, the level of knowledge of sayings and idioms is the level of comprehension of a language. By hook or by crook - to learn a language – it’s sink or swim – to use it or to loose it ... J

By the way, I’ve bought also a book, titled ‚Oxford Idioms-Dictionary’. On one hand, it’s a good thing, to be independent from the internet and on the other hand, I prefer to read in a book whenever I want.

Stefan Rüegg

listening and reading

2009-09-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

During the last two weeks I realised that I spend no time improving my English beside class and homework. I haven’t got hours of freetime so I need a short activity. For all of you in a similar situation I can recommend http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/. I found this site on the link “Daily English Activities” on our blog.
On this website you will find almost daily a new 60 second scientific report. Parallel to reading the short text you can hear the spoken version. It attracts me because it’s a short but intensive activity for two skills. Because of the fact that it takes you really only one minute, it makes sense to repeat it, also because it may be too fast to understand it in the first run.
If you are interested in scientific research it is probably one of the most interesting ways to polish your English.

Useful link on the CAE blog

2009-09-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

“Reported speech”

Illya wants us to choose one of the links and giving some explanations about it.
It would take me hours and days to go into the endless options.
So I would call attention to the link “direct speech”.
Don’t worry, it’s only a part of a very interesting link called

English grammer 4 U .
They provide 6 main areas:
- learning
- reading
- business
- chill out
- take on
- teach in
Every area has several sections giving you a wide range of possibilities.
When you choose grammar for example, you can tick the prefered topic. There you get theoretical information as well as numerous practical exercises.
Look and see!

Links - Leo translating dictionary

2009-09-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

www.leo.org

I’ve chosen a link which isn’t on the blog because I’ve already worked with it and I think it’s quite useful. It’s an online dictionary on which you can easily look up a word. In my mind it’s a good site because you can find a word very quickly and even listen to it if you didn’t know how to pronounce.

Corinne

Teacher Award 4

2009-09-21T04:40:00.001-07:00

The best teacher Award

My best teacher was and is Andrea Günthör, my dance teacher.
Since seven years I train up to eight hours a week at her dance school and I still look forward to every lesson. Sport means a lot to me. It makes me well-balanced and happy. I can no longer imagine my life without dancing.
I like her training very much and I learn a lot from her. I love to look at her while she is dancing. Her movements are so beautiful.
I don’t learn only different dance steps, but also much about my body and myself. I have made a lot of progress in dancing, since I take part at her classes.

She is a very warmhearted, amiable and understanding person. Her lessons are strict and challenging, but we also have a lot of fun. I like this mixture of pleasure and hard work.
She is very demanding and like you to make great strides. Therefore she gives us a lot of corrections and advice. Her feedback is always constructive and encouraging.
She has a good empathy and notice when she can be hard on me and when I can’t stand any critic.
If we make mistakes we will never be ridiculed or treated negatively.
I really feel comfortable in her classes and I will go to her lessons as long as she would be a teacher.
Andrea isn’t only my best teacher I’ve ever had, she also became a friend of mine.

Andrea deserves the award because I know in every lesson how to improve myself and I always feel better after the training than before.

So vote for her, please!

Have a nice time!

Rama

Teacher Award 3

2009-09-21T01:46:00.000-07:00

Best Teacher award

I had a really good teacher at the secondary school. He was very good in explaining and he had a good relationship to us. But although he was my best teacher at school there was another best teacher. My best teacher was and is still life itself.

As a child and also until one year ago I thought, that I’m punished from live in a certain way. I always
lost my best friends from the age of ten till today. It started when a new class opened at a school
near my house. A girl and I, we had to change the school because of our schoolway. So I had
to say goodbye to my best friend. Later, every best friend moved. The one from the 5th class moved
to a private school, the other from the secondary school moved to Biel to the sport school My best
friend from the teacher trainig school moved to Chile, the next one became flight attendant and
changed her life completely. So I found a new friend in my neighborhood-she moved also to the
far end of Switzerland. And last March, my husband`s and my best friends moved to Vienna. So I’ve had never a constance in my friendship. First I was so deprived, when I saw friendships which went back
to childhood.

But now I see what live had taught me. It taught me to never give up. That when a door closes, a new
door opens. To stay flexible and open-minded. And it also taught me to always look on the bright
side of life…..our next autumn half-term we’ll spend in Vienna J

Well I could tell you more examples. I mean, think about the hotplate and the child. The parents can
tell it’s hot, but only live can teach what hot really means.

Live is also so patient. It teaches you the same thing again and again, till you really understood. For
example my little son. He had to be stung by bees several times until he believed that it’s not
clevert to catch a bee by bare hands.

So I think, that live“ should gets the award as « best teacher », no other teacher can teach so well,so

patient, so generous and even so simple. It’s only up to you. You have to stay open for its lessons.

Arlette

Flo-joe

2009-09-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

I've tested this link: flo-joe
This website is especially designed for fce, cae and cpe candidates. It provides a wide range of vocabulary and grammar excercices. There are useful tips how you can improve your language skills. If you want, you can get weekly emails with tips and advices how you can manage to pass the exam.
The website is well structered and informative. There is a free section and a section, where you have to pay.
I think I'll visit this site regularly.

Teacher Award 2

2009-09-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Winner of my teachers award is……… BEFF
by Pia Lötscher

Years ago I attended a course. A whole year long I gave a lift to one of the
other participants, called Beff. As a reward for that he wanted me to take up
tennis. He offered me to be my teacher.

I wasn’t very responsive about his idea. On the one hand, he was a very
good, highly ranked tennis player, on the other hand, I wasn’t highly skilled in ball sports.

But he insisted and in fact we had one tennis lesson weekly. He was able to
develop my capacity with his way of teaching. He chose several helpful and
funny exercises, he never commented a bad ball, he always gave me the
impression that he liked the game with me, he encouraged me to try some new technical details, he heightened the level of the game subtly. Thanks to his persistence and the regular trainings I reached a certain level.

Today, twenty-five years later, I’m playing tennis every now and then with great fun. Firstly, I learnt for my life that a patient, caring, attentive teacher can help you on and secondly that is a very true saying: “no sweet without sweat”.

For all these lasting effects I would like to give the Teachers Award to my
tennis coach Beff.

Teacher Award 1

2009-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Competition entry

You are looking for the best teacher ever?
I’m going to describe him.

One year ago I spent three weeks in the Yukon Territory (Canada) for a trekking- and canoeing trip with other Swiss people . Our guide, also a Swiss man, knows this region like his own pocket because he did lots of adventure trips on his own when he was younger.

I was very impressed by his knowledge about nature and the animals. He taught us how to survive in this wilderness. We learned how to behave correctly in the forest which is home of uncountable bears.
Instead of complaining about wet socks, he told us stories how they dried them once when they had been on tour in a deep winter. He made us laugh and wonder at the same time.

He isn’t a man of many words, and he had the patience not to show too early how to do it right. He let us gain our own experiences. When I managed to be successful in something I got more self-confident.
But in every difficult situation he was there to help. Soon I knew that he is really sensitive and trustworthy. These skills are unreplaceable if you want to make people around you feel good.

In challenging times I remember him and his family, and I realise that I can reach whatever I want, if I really want it. He made his dream come true and moved to Canada with his wife and his two sons.

So vote for him, because he lives what he teaches. Through him I learned to slow down without having the feeling of wasting time.

Evelyne

Laughing Babies

2009-09-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Watch these:-)
Laughing is healthy:-)

Greetings
Arlette

Something to enjoy

2009-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm bored in bed (I guess that's the first sign of getting better!) and so I've found something for you to enjoy.

You can also put your teacher award texts on the blog and begin commenting.

Just a "Hello"

2009-09-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Illya, I wish you all the best with your new class.
Greetings Sancho

The best teacher

2009-09-08T00:34:00.001-07:00

Today we will be talking about traits which make a teacher a good teacher. Now you may have done this before, probably in German, but I'm hoping to generate a lot of language which you will then (hopefully!) use.

I've found two sites that you might want to look at since they deal with descriptions.

The first is actually a review of the book 'Teacher Man' by Frank McCourt. Reading these will give you some excellent book review language, and there's still time to write a book review if you want. In fact, you can always inform us of what you are reading/have read/ have seen in the cinema or on TV/ etc. right here :-)

But back to 'Teacher Man' - the title is the link.

Another site I found is about the traits found in idealists, which is what we teachers all seem to be. You will find several well-known names here.

Now for the homework:
You will be nominating a teacher you found inspiring for an award.
-Describe what this teacher taught you
-Explain how this teacher has influenced your life
-Say why this teacher deserves the award.

You can post directly to the blog if you want (also send to me for correction), but I will also put the 3-5 best descriptions on the blog for you to vote on. These will be individual posts, so your comments on each post will count as votes. Tag the post as competition below the post.

Further homework: Coursebook pages 12-13
Go over the grammar revision and see what questions or problems you have. Prepare them for in class

I'm looking forward to reading your descriptions!

Here's a video for you. If nothing else comes to mind to write, why not describe him?

2009-09-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hey together

I hope it works. It tooks me a long time until I could find this side. I'm not good in working with the computer. It's late I should go to bed, we see us tomorrow in class.
by
Kat

Your first tasks

2009-09-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

As you can see, this blog is in reverse chronology, so if you haven't read the previous post, then please do so as well.

Now I have two tasks for you to do on the blog. The first is a game.

Task 1 (game): Click on the 'comments' button below this post and tell us a little bit about yourself. Don't write your name. - Can the others guess who you are? You reply with another comment to say who you think described themselves.

Task 2: I will invite you all to join the blog so you can write posts. You need to accept the invitation in order to join (it doesn't happen automatically). When you have managed, you can send a test message or do the task above in a post rather than a comment. Don't worry, I'll troubleshoot next week!

Now I hope you all will try it out !

Welcome class of 09/10!

2009-09-01T02:22:00.000-07:00

I'd like to give my new CAE participants a warm welcome.

As you can see, this blog is not new, but has been used by other classes as well. I've left their contributions up and invited them to join in so that both you and they may profit and learn from each other. We can also decide together whether to put homework or other information (not too personal) on here.

First, a quick tour of the blog. This is where hopefully all of us will contribute in some way. You can add photos from your holiday or language stay; recommend books, plays, films, etc.; complete tasks I set here (or in class); or just simply stop by and say hi! Not everything you write needs to be corrected, but if you want me to correct before you post it, that's okay too.

You should also make use of the comments function and respond to what others have written. This is a very important part of motivation for writing and I strongly encourage it.

When you write a post, you can add labels, which describe what the post is about. You see the box directly under the post you are writing and you can see the labels afterwards under the post. Note my labels for this one.
_______
On the right you will see a column. This begins with a bit of fun and includes a dictionary to help you with your writing and an educational quote of the day. You can also join as a follower. If you want to make your own blog or already have one, we can also include a link for the others to follow it.

Further down you also have the descriptions of the three different exams you can choose from to get C1 certification.

Then you have a long list of links which are useful for you as a learner of English. I will be portraying a couple of the ones I think are especially useful and I hope you will try them out and also leave a critic of the ones you especially like or dislike.

Finally, there is the archive. You can go back in the past to see what others have done, or use it to find a post related to a specific topic.

If there is anything else you'd like me to add to it, then let me know and I'll gladly do my best to make it happen.

Good luck and a look into the future

2009-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late with this post and I realize that some of you have taken your exam already or at least part of it, and the last part is just around the corner. Good luck to those who aren't finished or who have postponed the exam for a later time!

You've all been delightful to have in the course and now I hope you will keep in contact with each other and me, and maybe even continue to use this blog.

It would be wonderful to find an occassional comment or even a post here from any of you, and I'm sure that the next group would appreciate your help or comments as well. It's a great way to keep up your English, keep in touch, and help others all at the same time!

And finally, here's wishing you a great summer!!!

Greetings from Exeter

2009-05-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody

Here in Exeter, the last two weeks I suppose that I have been as much busy as Fredy was! My teacher Leslie keeps me going on! Apart of my hard school work I enjoy my stay in this old place very much. All the teachers are very supportive & my hostfamily is very kind. Tomorrow evening I am looking forward hearing a Haendel Concert in the gorgious Cathederal of Exeter.

More next time!
Annelise

Beginnings for writing and other homework

2009-05-12T23:58:00.001-07:00

I've added a new wiki page for you (or me) to add your first sentences.

Have a look to see what came up, think about and add which type of task you think it is, and feel free to make comments about them or give (better?) alternatives. I'll make sure it's correct and join in the discussion of how good the sentence is.

If you couldn't be at class yesterday, feel free to join in the fun. Simply take any task and write the first sentence. Put it on the wiki or send it to me. Then head on over to the wiki for a look. Remember, it's very simple. Just click on the 'edit' button and add whatever you want. Then click on 'save'.

Of course, you then can choose any task and write by hand the rest.

Practice the test and complete unit 11 in the book.

Leaflets and information sheets

2009-05-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

A question just came up and I thought it might be something others still aren't clear on.

A leaflet and an information sheet are nearly the same. It is rather misleading to have all these different names, but both give information to the reader about a certain topic.
They can differ slightly in form, but I wouldn't worry about that.

Basically, you need to present information in a way that is easily understandable by the reader, and it is the reader who should be foremost in your mind. If you are writing for students the register will be different than if you are writing for people in the business world.

I went in search of a site to help you and came up with this one.

By the way, I have NEVER read a leaflet beginning with the phrase they suggest!

A contribution is another one of those wishy-washy labels that is easily misunderstood. It is generally an informative article for a guidebook of some sort and should be looked at a one section of a book or magazine. However, it stands alone. Read the task carefully to get an idea of what the aim should be and who will be reading it. This will tell you what information you need to put in. Very often it is divided into headings. If you still aren't happy with my advice, try this blog.

Pelicans

2009-04-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

I've added a new page to the wiki for you so I'm looking forward to reading your descriptions!

I was in the nearby area (everything is relative, isn't it!) in South Carolina, but the pelicans seem to be doing fine there. It seems that activists have quite a bit of weight and are keeping the waterways protected, and thereby the pelicans, but the industrialists are trying to get more land, more influence, etc.
Now why doesn't The Pelican Brief seem to be such an unrealistic fictional piece???

By the way, did you know that Pelicans regularly suffer from concuscions and often have brain damage? This is because they plunge into the water to grab the fish at such high speeds that each it is a bit like running into a wall, or getting punched in a boxing fight, or being a pro at getting those headballs into the goal.

2009-04-15T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody
Here in Australia time runs very fast, and I`ve almost no time to write an e/mail or to work in my exam book! However, the Australian people are very friendly & helpful, and it`s very easy to start a conversation with them. Then, I`m reading many brochures about the current & past Australian life. So, I think I`m improving a lot! The first week we hired a car and started our trip in Adelaide. We drove into the Barossa Valley & tested the famous Australian wine. Driving along the Great Ocean road was very impressing. Kilometres you can stroll along the white sandy beaches. On the Ocean road you have a spectacular view on the 12 apostels & much more. And there was another surprise: When we drove through a part of a rain forest we observed above many other seldom animals 2 koala bears. Are they not cute? The second week we moved to Tasmania & we met a collegue we haven`t seen for 26 years (since our honeymoon!) Travelling through Tasmania with a 6 m long vehicle (camper) was at the beginning quite a challenge for us, as we both are no camping people. But after a while we enjoyed travelling by camper very much as you can pace very quiet. Tasmania boasts of its big National Parks and the unspoiled rural areas. Two days ago we arrived in Sydney an the contrast to Tasmania couldn`t b higher. In Sydney there is a hustle and bustle in town, but we enjoy our stay very much! After an interesting visit in the famous Opera house we had a pot of luck to get tickets for the ballet performance. That was great! Today we had to relax by summer temperature at the famous Bondi beach. (I`m sorry pictures next time!)
Love from Sydney
Annelise&Mark

2009-04-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

My dear classmates

You won't believe it, but there are only two days left of my student's life in Exeter. Discovering and trying to fill my gaps, I've been really busy all the time.

But both, the school and my host family are excellent and so, it's highly motivating to study English. Actually, I'd like to stay even longer ...

I had the possibility to visit a primary school and this was impressive too.
There is a smartboard (incl. beamer) in every classroom.
On the other hand, classes with 30 pupils in average are normal. And as you can see on the picture, the furniture is obiously not of the most modern type.

I hope you're enjoying the mild spring weather too and, of course first of all, your lessons this evening.

Kind regards

Fredy from old England

More CAE practice sites

2009-04-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

I'm adding a few more links to the link list, but just so they don't go completely lost, I'll leave them here too.
The first one is called LanguageProject and you do the Use of English exercises with a timer. This is very good practice for coping with the time restraints you have during the CAE. (Also check out the phrase of the day!) Will it help you?! I'm absolutely positive!

Then there is parapal which gives you some help with the Use of English but there is also a link to writing for CAE.

Finally, here is one more with practice for Use of English and Reading

Ahoi

2009-04-01T02:20:00.000-07:00

Ahoi to all those of you across the pond or heading that way. We over here are enjoying the first signs of spring - birds chirping under a bright grey sky!

How's the weather way up yonder? Do y'all understand those funny kinda speakings them up there have?

Tell us about it, and remember, a picture is worth a thousand words - and I'm expecting at least 2020 from you! :-)

Oh, and didn't you know, it's April fools day today! So was I kidding up there or not? I'll let you decide.
I do have a film for you, though:

An 888.com presentation

And here is another site with information and, my personal favorite, at the bottom there are several quotes 'What you know about fools'.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Blimey, the luck o' the Irish is upon us!

The 17th March is St. Patrick's Day, so you'd better wear something green or else you'll get pinched! Do you want to know why we celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the United States? Well, see below (unfortunately, I could't get the video itself on the blog).

Watch the history of St. Patrick's Day here

But, wait, there's more! you can find out a lot of information here.

And once you've read about the history, what all can you remember? Try out the quiz.

(photos from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilja/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/torugatoru/ )

Lucky Jim tasks

2009-03-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

Everyone should have finished Lucky Jim by now, so here are a couple of things you can do.

One is to take the twitter challenge. Describe the plot of the story in 144 spaces (NOT letters). You can send them to me and I'll put them on my twitter stream so they can be seen here on the blog, or you can join twitter and give my your name (or become my follower :-) ) This will really get you thinking about what is relevant and what isn't!

Two is to take the Lucky Jim quiz here.
Leave a comment and tell us how you did.

And since all good things come in threes, here's one more.

Three is to write either to a question from another person from class (you can leave them as comments to this post or add a new post), or choose one of the topics from here to respond to.

And since I'm already giving you homework here, choose an English in Use part 1 task and do some practice like in class (since this has been written before the lesson, I'm assuming we'll get that far).

Have fun!

A bad start to an even longer holiday

2009-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Seattle skyline from the ferry in the Puget Sound

Well, I tried to get on the plane today, but between fresh snow on the roads and a rule I didn't know about, it looks like I'm going to have to enjoy myself even longer here. Ahhh ;-)

Apparently, I should have taken my Swiss ID with me even though I was told not to, so they aren't letting me out of the country. After the first shock, I decided to go with the flow and join the happy spirit my mother was engaging in.

So you will have a rather jet-lagged lesson on Tuesday. I'll give you the whole story then, but until then, why don't you get back into the swing of things and leave your story of what might have happened to me and how I intend to get back here on the blog.

In the meanwhile, here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy.
This is the view taken from our balcony. This is the house mountain of Seattle - Mount Rainier.

2009-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody

As I had time to finish the "Lucky Jim"-book (what I found at the beginning very boring and then in the end more interesting!) I could go to the Chrienser & the Lucerne carnival. Lucky Jim's face was wreathed in smiles like this Chrienser witch.

Hopefully, after having passed my terrible flu, next Sunday I'll be able to make my curves into the light powder snow.

Furthermore, I wish Illya a safe flight back to Switzerland!
See you soon
Annelise

Alligators

2009-02-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

I missed the White House since we weren't given permission to fly over the area, let alone make a short landing to say hi, but I did manage to get a couple of pictures of alligators. They run around here freely and are protected. Since the winter is only just over, they aren't out much yet, but the temperatures have risen to 20 degrees and so we did manage to see 2!
One was pretty big and the other was just a baby. You have to look for the little one below!

Preview of things to come

2009-02-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Coming soon at a blog near you:

You can expect brilliant close-up photographs of alligators in the swamps of South Carolina
Stunning aerial pictures of the White House and the new President with rolled-up sleeves riding his mower over the lawn
exciting films of ferry rides across the Puget Sound
and touching moments of long lost friends reunited.

Stay tuned!

Are you jealous Mr. Bond?

2009-01-25T23:48:00.000-08:00

Article written by Jeannette Schilliger

Are you jealous Mr. Bond?
The legendary James Bond had so many different cars. He could do all kinds of fancy things with his cars, therefore almost everything was possible.
But now Mr. Bond, Mr. James Bond, somebody else has the most fascinating and most wanted car in the world, sorry. The new President of the United States proudly presented his presidential Cadillac with the unbelievable nickname ‘The Beast’ at the inauguration parade.
You’re wondering ‘Cadillac and Beast’- do these expressions really fit? Why is the world interested in a car that doesn’t belong to James Bond ? What is so special about a car, if there are some more important problems to solve in this world?
The car is a secret. Photographers were allowed to take shots only from the outside, which makes it even more interesting to have a look at the interior. The maker of the car doesn’t want to talk about the inside. It’s probably the most secure and the most heavily armoured car that was ever built.
Wouldn’t it be nice to glance at the inside of the car and to see how it looks? I wouldn’t concentrate on security details but all the other wonderful items.
We’re only allowed to guess about the conveniences in the new presidential car. Use your fantasy and imagine what you would want to have in a Cadillac like the President’s. I’m sure there are a lot of ideas out there!

The 56th Presidential Inauguration

2009-01-20T01:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the links I used in preparing the lesson. You may want to browse or play after the lesson is over:

Helping out with the speech generator
The official site to follow, and learn more about the history of the Presidential Inauguration.

And now for our speech...

(soon to come)

gingerbread fruit cake

2009-01-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

dear cake lovers

To have the gingerbread-fruit-cake- feeling once (or even more) again
I involve you in my secret receipe ideas:

The ingredients you need:

200g soft butter or margarine (take it out of the fridge half an hour befor using)
200g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinammon
1 tablespoon gingerbread spice
100g finley ground hazelnuts, almonds or coconut
250g wholemeal flour
200g frozen plums, berries or fresh apples

do it yourself now...

* put butter and sugar in a bowl and mix well
* add brown sugar and mix
* add eggs and mix
* add cinammon and gingerbread spice and mix
* add hazelnuts/ almonds or coconut and mix
* add wholemeals flour and mix

* prepare a round baking tin (30 cm diameter) and a round baking paper

* put the whole mixture regularly on the round baking tin (with a knife)
* distribute the halfes of frozen plums (cut them once again)/ berries or fresh apple pieces on the mixture (press a little bit or else they get black in the ofen)

* put the cake in the middle of the 180°C hot ofen
* bake during 40 - 50 minutes

* enjoy (but not allone...sharing is allowed)

Further speaking tools

2009-01-08T01:59:00.000-08:00

This is been a long string of posts, but I hope you will find something useful in all of it. I decided to split things up so that you can follow the topics better.

As you can see on the side bar, I've illustrated a way to practice speaking with voicethread a nice easy and many-sided tool. If you agree, I can add pictures and tasks for you to practice together.

I also made another place for speaking for the last course. It never got used, so I hope you will find it valuable: Chinswing . Here you can comment on a topic for about a minute or two.

Other tools include simply recording your voice using Audacity , which lets you make recordings and then change them to MP3 or wav format. You can then send it to me via e-mail. A further idea is to use skype and practice the sections where you talk to each other. There is a recording tool attached and you can record and send it.

Well, if you would like to try anything out and want help, let me know. We can devote time in class, since ultimately, it means more speaking practice for you.

IELTS speaking exams

2009-01-08T01:16:00.000-08:00

THere are several youtube videos that you will find useful and a site you can sign up for in order to get more information.

Here is the link for an example of the IELTS speaking part 1

This is from a site similar to that of flo-joe for CAE: http://www.ipass.uk.net/
. Like flo-joe, there is a free section and one with more possibilities for pay.

and here is a link with advice on how to take notes for IELTS speaking part 2

and finally a description of IELTS speaking part 3

There is more out there, so if you're interested in seeing more, put IELTS speaking into the search box in YOutube, or if you want some advice on paper, you can google IELTS as well.

Speaking practice - splendid speaking

2009-01-08T01:11:00.001-08:00

I promised you quite a lot for your speaking, so I hope I can fulfil my promise here.

First, there are a couple of videos for you.
The first is from the makers of flo-joe. They have a site where you can watch speaking practice: http://www.splendid-speaking.com/

And below is a video showing how it works.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

A very HAPPY 2009 to you all!!!

Christmas caroling

2008-12-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

Fredy and I were singing Christmas Carols on Monday with the kids, now here's a Christmas greeting from me.

I hope you all have warm and cheerful days with family and friends.

A very merry Christmas and a great start in the new year!!!

An advice because of Christmas surprise

2008-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hello CAE- mates!

I just wanted to give you an advice for next Tuesday:
It would be better not to eat a lot before lesson 12.
Otherwise there wouldn't be enough space in your stommy for...

° an old Thanksgiving Turkey ?
° a Cappucino from the selecta box ?
° an original flabby Christmas pudding ?
° Jasmins special, healthy fruit-pie with a living cookie tase (receipe from Betty B.)
° big Chocolate Chip cookies ?
° Coca Cola Muffins ?
° a Berner Roesti ?

I will bring with me.

Who will find out first what it is?

Greetings from Betty B.

The big Santa Claus Myth

2008-12-12T04:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a text related to the latest writing topic that I thought you might enjoy.

I think Santa Claus is a woman ... I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he's a she.

Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. It's as if they are all frozen in some kind of Ebenezerian Time Warp until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24th, when they - with amazing calm - call other errant men and plan for a last-minute shopping spree.

Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves. (You might think this would send them into a fit of panic and guilt, but my husband tells me it's an enormous relief because it lessens the 11th hour decision-making burden.) On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman. Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag.

Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, there would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped on to the rear bumper of the sleigh amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck season had been extended. Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist.

Even if the male Santa DID have reindeer, he'd still have transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.

Add to this the fact that there would be unavoidable delays in the chimney, where the Bob Vila-like Santa would stop to inspect and repoint bricks in the flue. He would also need to check for carbon monoxide fumes in every gas fireplace, and get under every Christmas tree that is crooked to straighten it to a perfectly upright 90-degree angle.

Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man:

Men can't pack a bag.
Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.
Men would feel their masculinity is threatened ... having to be seen with all those elves.
Men don't answer their mail.
Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described even in jest as anything remotely resembling a "bowlful of jelly."
Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.
Having to do the "Ho Ho Ho" thing would seriously inhibit their ability to pick up women.
Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

I can buy the fact that other mythical characters are men ...

Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous.
Definite guy.
Cupid flies around carrying weapons.
Guy
Uncle Sam is a politician who likes to point fingers.
Ditto

Any one of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test. But not St. Nick. Not a chance. As long as we have each other, good will, peace on earth, faith and Nat King Cole's version of "The Christmas Song," it probably makes little difference what gender Santa is.

I just wish she'd quit dressing like a guy!!!

Author unknown

Now for those men out there that beg to disagree, click here to find out why Santa Claus can never be a woman

I hope you've enjoyed this post! :-D

Practice tests

2008-12-10T00:04:00.000-08:00

For those who couldn't come to the lesson and for those who want a bit more practice, I have a site from the IETLS where you can see, hear and do the different types of listening tasks.

You can click on each individual task and then you will find the task itself and the audio to go along with it (isn't the internet great?!)

Feel free to try out the other things there as well.

You can also see other parts of the exam such as the writing tasks.

Now I don't want to be biased, so I'll include the same information about the CAE.
There are two main places where you can see CAE materials. One is on the side bar called flo-joe and is full of practice materials, for example, the word bank.
The official site for the CAE is here.
You will see that the reading exam is there for you (including the answers) as well as the listening exam you have already taken (again, including the answers), so you can go back and do it again if you want.
The writing section begins on page 8. Have a look, compare it with the IELTS, and then I think we should begin a discussion here about which test you want to prepare for.

If you want to sign up for the CAE, you will need to know fairly soon. In fact, you should inform me by the end of January, if possible. If you aren't sure, then you can always take the IELTS as it is offered twice monthly (but only in Berne).

Parallel expressions

2008-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

I here have some parallel expressions from the listening-text, we worked with last Tuesday Paper 4 Listening part 2 about the marine wildlife photographer. I promised Marina, to put these on the Wiki but unfortunatelly I didn't find out, how to do that (Illya, could you please do that for me? Thanks!) - that's why I write them down here.

most important aspect = the key to my work
right = appropriate
choose = position to select
disagrees = not everybody goes about / the opposite is true
creative = depict something new
important to find out = need to check
seas are often protected = particular place
ruined = spoiled
promising shots = potentially great photos / the photos you want
pleased = really delighted

Thanks (for) giving that movie

2008-11-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

Great movie from a gorgeous actor indeed. A pretty sad theme, brilliant performed by Chaplin, and with almost no single word – I love such English tasks – Have you got more?
highly topical in the current (w)holesale money market and the anticipated economy crisis. And last but not least actually referring to the nineteen-thirties, when people hardly suffered under the depression.
I've got a movie too. It's about English learning, not as far as good as the Chaplin's is, but pretty nice as well. Have a look!

Oh, by the way, as regards the use of the metaphor "parasitic", I can only say, have a closer look at the bankers and traders which greatly succeeded in driving the whole world economy at the edge of its ruin, or maybe not only at the edge, but beyond the edge, who knows that yet.

Hoping my sad perspectives may not be worth the paper, where they are written on. O.k. there isn't any paper actually, but splitting hairs won't help make things better.

Greetings

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T01:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Animal metaphors

2008-11-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

Since we are just finishing the topic of animals with a metaphor, I thought I'd share two with you in the form of a video.

Listen closely as you will hear some very interesting terms and vocabulary. Can you use the word 'parasitic'???

Can you think of any other animal metaphors? As you have noticed, we are moving into the philosophic zone.

2008-11-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

Pets
Dear Barack Obama

I know, all little girls dream about having a pet - beginning with a cat, then a dog and in the end they all must have a horse. It somehow amuses me, that such a family-matter takes even place in your family and this makes you even more simpathetic to me.

At my doughters age of 5 years we first had a cat. It's name is "Streiffeli" and she loves to sit on my newspaper, when I'm reading. Streiffeli hat four kittens, Nero, Luna, Chiara and Zipfeli. We spent a great time with them, they replaces many bedtime story reading and filled our house with live and love. The kittens grew very quickly and the snuggle-effect didn't last as long as I hoped.

Soon after they had to leave our house, my girl talked me into to buing her a hamster. Mummy was always the one to clean the terrarium and to give some fresh food to this poor little animal called Nora. Nora just loved to sit on one's shoulder and was a sort of tickling machine. Unfortunately the poor hamster died after only 8 months because of a genetical illness. One more hard-breaking experience.

Of course we had to replace it, so strong was the craving for snuggle. We decided to buy mice. The shop-seller promised that they were much more interesting then such a sleepy hamster would be and assured us, that mice would love to play. So now Trixi and Traxi, two boy-mice, live in our house and give us a hard time. These boys didn't understand at all, that they were supposed to give us a lucky playing time. Instead they go for a run and attacke by biting your hand, as soon as you touch theyr living area. So we had to buy very thick garden-gloves to protect ourselves from this little monsters but even then we couldn't help ourselves and felled in love with them.

After all these emotional, funny and real experiences with animals we learned that a pet is and will always be a family-member no matter how big it is and it will take you a quite bit of your free time to care and to educate it.

So we wish you all the best and a great lovestory with your soon arriving new family member.

Mary

black or white

2008-11-20T10:12:00.001-08:00

Sorry I've choosen the wrong color...
Next time in black... I promise you

Sämi

Sämis drama

2008-11-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Barack O.

Thank You so much for your nice sms you wrote me last night when I wasn't able to fall asleep...

You know, at the moment I'm suffering, too here in Switzerland. May be you heard about the little desaster my surprising resignation has enrolled.
I tried to fight aganist my own mother-party the Swiss People Party, tried to be strong like you gave me the advice...but...
In the end my health problems forced me to make a painful decision...to resign...

I hope here in Switzerland there would be a Barack Obama like you as well. Then I'm sure Chris Blochers would fall in into oblivion.

Thank you for your great help. Now I like to do give you an advice, too.

I heard about your familie's plan to buy a puppy. If you are unsure which one's the best for you all so listen to me:
Here in Switzerland we have fantastic dog races called Berner dairy man dog.
If you prefere a mixture between two races: A mutt between a Berner dairy man dog and a Bernhardiner would be the perfect new family member of the Obamas!

I wish you know a powerful time and looking forward to hearing from you!

Greetings to Michelle and the kids

Sämi

Obama

2008-11-20T01:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr Obama,

First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on your great victory. The whole nation is now resting on your shoulders. All wishes, hopes, dreams and aspirations should become true. Fortunately I am not in your position. You have to prove yourself. A long way and hard work lies ahead of you.

I would advice you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing and you are not alone responsible for bringing the world back in balance. But you have to make peace in domestic affairs as well as externals affairs. Actually you got the chance to show a direction towards better communication, into an environmentally friendly generation of energy, into a righteous welfare and responsible world power.

Good luck to you and your nation.

Yours sincerely,

Stefanie

YES WE CAN!

2008-11-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hi dear classmates

Here's Bob the builder's website. Try it in English ...

See you next week

Fredy

Addition on sidebar / book choice

2008-11-18T01:10:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I've ditched the voci since I wasn't using it and it was bogging down the blog. However, thanks to this blog's first follower (!), there's a new addition. This is for those of you in my class, and any other readers out there (Hi Gisela!). This might even be a way for you to connect.

Earlier I asked about which book you want to read first. Only Analise has answered up to now. She wants to go for humour (Lucky Jim). What about the rest of you?

All is fair in love and war, but defeated can still come out big!

2008-11-12T02:18:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the lesson yesterday. It was, however, a bit one-sided. Actually, John McCain has been a very successful senator and would also have had the means to join the two parties, but not with his chosen vice-presidential candidate.

I was particularly impressed by McCain's Concession Speech, in which I think he showed his true value. If he had made more speeches like this rather than attacking his opponent, he might now be the President-elect.

If you are interested in his speech, here it is.

You can also see his speech on Youtube:

And now here is Obamas speech:

Obama Lessons

2008-11-11T01:29:00.001-08:00

If you don't feel excited about the homework I've given you and would rather do more on our President-elect, here are a few sites for you to work on:

You can listen to/ read this text in US English. Perhaps only listen and take notes using the wh- questions. Make a gap fill or write questions and send it to someone else from the class to complete.
Pick out interesting vocabulary, analyse the use of tenses in the text. Maybe you also have good ideas. Leave them as comment if you do.

This is an interactive activity testing your ability to predict what comes next in a sentence and to help you with your syntax.

I really like this one: Five lessons Barack Obama can teach you

Finally, here are the two videos I'm planning to show you in class if all goes well. And if it doesn't, well, you can watch them here.

What my picture means to me

2008-11-11T00:40:00.000-08:00

These are the blossoms of the japanese cherry tree in front of my living room window. I wait for them every spring in suspense. When they are in blosom, spring has truly arrived for me, and they brighten up my days.

First, I only see the buds, but they grow fatter and fatter, until each day I think the next day they will surely blossom. But this tree keeps me in suspense because it often takes a week or longer from this point for the buds to actually open. In the meanwhile, I share my expereince with another US citizen living in Japan. As you know, they celebrate the time of blossom. It's funny to see how I've become closer to the Japanese customs and culture all because of a little tree in my garden.

But now, the leaves are golden with shades of pink, reflecting a golden light through my window as I write. Soon the tree will be bare again and the long winter wait begins.

2008-11-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to me?

Now and then I take one or some more picture of the Mount Pilatus directly from our balcony. I find it utterly interesting to catch these varied moods of light and weather. There are endless altered atmospheres of colors and plays of shadows, once you'll see the crisp air and nearly every blade of grass, then the whole mountain is covered of clouds and another time he blazes in red as he would actually be burning. Although I change neither my position nor the subject, there's no tedious photo to complain. So, I'll carry on taking photographs, because this Mountain deserves that attention and once I might print a photo-book, but just for me, not for sale.

Whenever I gaze at this mountain I'm getting aware of my grandmothers grave, for her ashes is strewn up on the summit of the “donky”. It has been her favorite mountain as she was living whole her live-time in the shadow of that giant rock. And she was actually the first woman who played Alphorn upon the top of Mount Pilatus and I guess the first woman playing Alphorn in Kriens after all.

But apart from this family tie the Mount Pilatus gradually has attracted my attention more and more, I'm not quite sure why, but may be it relies on the moment, when I first got aware of the really beautiful backdrop he's giving to Luzern and the lake before. When I realized the extraordinary shape as well as his special solitary location in front of all the Alps.

But perhaps It's quite my own laziness, that I fell in love with him, because I don't have to leave the flat to admire him - who knows.

2008-11-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

What lies in my future?

As wintertime is getting closer, I hope to do some excursions on the skis to the mountains. In the time between Christmas and New Year, we are going to a hut in the mountains in the area of Entlebuch, close to Flühli, on an alp called "Engenlauenen".

Tomorrow, I am teaching after a break of one week, because I was on the PEP-Course in the "Sentimatt" last week.

In May, a friend of California, USA, will visit us. I am looking forward to meeting her, because we haven't seen her since 16 years.

Next summer, I will take the CAE-exam and I will go for a month to England. If I don't pass the CAE-exam in summer, I will do it a second time in december 2009. So, the time in England will either help me to pass the exam for a second time or help me to improve my oral English.

My husband and I are planning to put our daughter in summer 2010 to a family in California who are friends of us. At the end of her stay, in summer 2011, my husband, our son and I would like to go and visit our friends and then come back to Switzerland with our daughter.

Sunday, 9 November 2008, Gabi Kuhn, Kriens

The coulorful rainbow of Funchal

2008-11-09T02:37:00.000-08:00

The picture was taken last week during our holidays in Madeira. It shows the view from our hotel to the port and the city of Funchal. Funchal is a large busy city - the main capital of Madeira, which attracts of many green places and beautiful blooming gardens between the buildings. As there was a lot of rain and sunshine, every morning we saw that spectacular and impressing rainbow with its magnificient coulors. To sum up, this picture shows the beauty of its island, with its luxuriant vegetation, its ocean blue and a part of its evergreen hills.

Awards and other news

2008-11-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

I see this poor blog has been neglected during the past 2 weeks. It's been very hectic and there's another busy week ahead, but I hope that afterwards things will cool down and I can enjoy the wintery weather with a relaxing cup of tea and a good book.

As for last Tuesday, no speech was needed. However, I did have the beginning ready:

I'd like to thank my English class for letting me be here tonight. ... ;-)

It was all very exciting, and I thank you for letting me go! There were several photographers, with lights flashing left and right, so I'm sure there's a picture of me somewhere. I'll show you when (and if) I get one.

In the meanwhile you can click on the Award ball to see the link to the Awards.

Now I have something for you to add. Your job is to add a picture to the blog (use the picture icon and follow the instructions) and then write about the meaning this picture has for you.
I'm looking forward to your pictures!

The missing week

2008-10-27T00:30:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,
I haven't forgotten you, and so I'm giving you a few things to do here.
First, I promised you comma rules. Well, I googled and found an excellent site with rules. Be aware that they are US, so the names may be slightly different, and the rules themselves may be slightly different, but are relativized where ever this is the case. Rules for comma usage is also now under the links. There are exercises as well.
And here's one more place if you prefer: OWL (On-line Writing Lab) Using Commas

So here are a few things for you to do on your Tuesday away from the classroom:
You can continue on through unit 3 of both the Workbook and the Student's Book. There is also a revision at the end of unit 3 in the Workbook.

In the SB pg 41 there is an experiment. Try it out and write about your results here. Also comment on what others have said. Use the language of age while doing this.

Tomorrow evening, get in touch with someone and call them - or have a drink together!!! - and speak only English. You could once again choose one section from the speaking phrases and try to use them while doing it.
Or you could chat with each other on Skype, MSN, Yahoo, or whatever platform you use.

And there is still a task on the last post I wrote that no one has yet completed- review one of the links on the side bar.

If you don't feel like talking to anyone, then grab a good book and read it, or go to the movies - this could also be with others from the course! Then you can talk about it or leave a review about it here.

So many things to do :-)

Finally, as you can see, I've given you quite a few possibilities to practice your writing. Please do so. I'm a bit behind in correcting since I took the pleasure of enjoying myself an entire weekend long, but I'm trying to catch up quickly, and it's always good to write.

As my Uncle Fred used to say, "You can't swallow the slab of ham before you chew it."

As for my speech, I'm not that far yet. It looks like I'll be working on that on the train. In any case, I'll let you know how it went, so keep an eye on the blog :-)

Some more stuff to do

2008-10-23T01:02:00.000-07:00

I have another couple of things for you to do while you await the next lesson.

First, you could go out and get one or both of the books to read. I was thinking about making sure we've decided and that everyone has the book by Christmas holiday (coming soon enough!)

So we will need to decide soon. Why don't you leave a comment to state which book you want to read (first).

I also promised a link to the wiki here, but it is on the side bar: http://caewords.wikispaces.com/Word+forms

And yet something else to do: Try out one of the links for language learning and leave a review on the blog for everyone, saying how useful this particular link is and what it can help you with.

And finally, here are some answers for you:

Spiders:
1-E; 2-H; 3-I; 4-D; 5-G
6+7- yeast+bacteria
8-protein; 9-chemical solvents; 10- (small) holes; 11- (the/a) (solid) fibre/fiber;
12-False; 13- true; 14- not given

Progress test 1-3
1: 1-death; 2- complications; 3- romantic; 4- every; 5- dancing; 6- villainous; 7- major; 8- remembered (18 points)

2: 1-b; 2-d; 3-c; 4-b; 5-c; 6-b; 7-c; 8-a; 9-b; 10-d; 11-a; 12-d (12 points)

3: a- on behalf of; b- set up; c- grateful I am for; d- to my taste; e-on the cards; f- made his mark; g-In addition to; h-are just around the corner; i- break up; j- in the long run (10 points)

4: a-reliable; b- tactful; c- contribution; d-inquisitive; e-hesitation; f-caring; g-recognition; h- unforgettable; i- carelessly; j- requirements; k-indicator; l- decisive (12 points)

Stay tuned for more!

Comma rules to come!

Link to the future

2008-10-21T01:18:00.001-07:00

I found this link to help you out with your future forms (remember, although they are often called tenses, there are no real future tenses!)
www.englishtenseswithcartoons.com

Water Music

2008-10-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

You are all doing a great job of using the blog, and I can imagine this will be a great tool for when we start discussing the books set for the CAE. I suggest we decide on which one to read first (you can leave your preference as a comment here) and then agree on when to begin reading or finish reading.

In the meanwhile, I've also been reading and would like to tell you about a book that was pretty juicy. I read Water Music by T.C Boyle, who is always good for a juicy reading!

The book is set in the late 19th century and Africa is a place of mystery. A couple of explorers have already set out to find the source of the Nile, but have failed to come back due to sickness or other more human causes.

When Mr Mungo Park is asked to go in search of the source of the Nile, he goes with a native Moor, Johnson, who has been living in England long enough as a slave, and then free man, to learn to appreciate the written word, including those of Shakespeare and others. In other words, he has become very literate.

Parallel to this historical story (bent a bit at both ends for the sake of fiction), the story of Mr Ned Rise is blended in. This is a man who was born in the scum of London and, although he always reached for higher aims, kept falling back into the scum of which he was made.

It takes quite a while for their fates to cross, but both live very eventful lives (and deaths of various kinds).

I won't tell you anything else of the plot, but it is loosely based on the real explorer of the same name.

This story leads you into the depths of a very scary and malignant Africa, yet keeps you laughing at each bum turn Mungo or Ned takes. It is humor at its blackest, and even the renowned author Salman Rushdie claims it's better than getting drunk. I don't know if I agree with that statement, but it certainly is enjoyable.

Having said that, the level of English is quite high. If you decide to read it and start getting stuck on the language, then go for the German. It would be a shame to miss out on the irony of thes story.

If any of you have read this story, or another other that's been written about here for that matter, leave a message stating what you thought about the book.

Gasparone

2008-10-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

‘Gasparone’ review

During this autumn I’m spending the most of my freetime on the stage as a ballet dancer in the operetta ‘Gasparone’. That’s a good reason to write a review about this two hundred years-old thieve-story.

In Sicily, Benezzo, a mischievous landlord and his smuggler friends have spread the rumour that ‘Gasoparone’, a legendary robber, would practise his attacks in their region. While everybody is looking for the not subsisted ‘Gasparone’ the band of smugglers can do their duty without any suspicion.
If this were not enough, Benezzo also helps count Erminio to capture the heart of the beautiful, but engaged countess Charlotta. Together with the rumour of ‘Gasoparone’ all this results in a funny confusion story and Benezzo always gets a bit deeper into trouble and has to invent more noncredible excuses.

‘Gasparone’ is an utterly entertaining operetta with a good mixture of humour, love and profoundly moving singing and pieces of music. It lets you dive into the world and feelings of the 19th century in an extraordinary way. During the first act the audience have the opportunity to develop sympathy or antipathy for the main figure which let them fight together with the figures in the play for a good end.

Although ‘Gasparone’ is an old story, it’s exactly the opposite of a dead story.
Translating the topic of the play into the modern world let you show a lot of actuality. I found much more common ground with today as I’ve ever expected during our intensive rehearsals in the last few mouths. And that’s a good reason to let live up ‘Gasparone’ in your heart.

Yvonne Schmidiger, October 08

Trial test

2008-10-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

I just found this link and thought it might interest you, especially if you are unsure of your level.

Test your English

It is a test of your English.
Let me know how hlepful it is!

my working-holidays

2008-10-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Hi my classmates

I'm looking forward to meet you again at school!
I needed my holidays to work a lot at home to settle me in in my new flat (before I didn't have the time). So I'm happy now and I don't have to live out of different boxes! :-)
I also had to work a lot for my class, because I didn't had a lot of time last summer holidays (as I told you, I've been in England for practising my English).
But of course, I enjoyed my holidays, too. I took everyday a little time to set a little highlight on this day. For example, I invited friends for dinner or on a other day I took a massage or bought me "Cremeschnitten" for pudding :-)

See you this evening!

A lot of greats

Yvonne

Greetings from Alex

2008-10-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

dear classmates

when i saw these wonderful pictures on the blog i felt motivated to send you a short impression from my last summer holiday trip in namibia.it was my second time in namibia but i've never been in the northern part before.

I travelled from windhuk to the northern part of namibia with a 4 wheel drive car, something like a jeep! it was more than just a car, we could also sleep inside the car in a "roof tent" and the whole camping equipment was inside the car, that we were able to cook our own food. we were aware of not having fresh water, showers or toilets. but we knew that nothing would be a big problem or impossible for us, if we had a good organisation. at the beginning we bought a lot of fresh food and still water and put it on our fridge in the car.since then our car was our home...

i was astonished how different the northern and the southern part of namibia were. whereas the southern has the biggest sand dunes from all over the world, the northern is much more rude and you get a better chance to observe the animals. fortunately we saw the "big 5 "and took a lot of potographs.

during the night i felt quite safe in my roof tent and that was more than helpful because there were no fences and the wild animals came easily to our fireplace while we were asleep.

one day we met a man called marius who live there since he was child. he offered us to visit some of "his friends". they werent friends as you and me because they still live in their old tradition. they called "himba". marius told us a lot about these people and how they live. after these day i felt privileged to saw something like that.

now i hope you will enojoy the photographs. ( thanks illya to put them on the blog)

kind regards

alexandra

Greetings from Croatia

2008-10-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone
After a great time in Croatia and then a very busy working weekend, I've finally had time to come and see what's on the blog.
WOW!
I am so impressed by the posts on here and it's really thrilling to see the pictures and read about the holidays, books and other messages you've left here.

So now it's my turn.
The 2 weeks in Croatia were lovely with only rainy day. We went swimming amost every day, but it was rather chilly both in the water and in the air. The beaches are rocky or are pebbly beaches, but we did manage to find one sandy beach, as you can see :-D

Although I love Sardinia, the one thing I miss there is abound in Croatia - culture. It's everywhere! The towns and cities are just full of history and the cities went through different rulerships. Of course, Venetian towners are everywhere.

The city of Dubrovnik was a highlight. By now I've seen quite a few cities in Europe, but never anything like this. It is so old and built differently than any other city I've ever seen. It's as old as Rome too. The scars of war are still visible, however, as they are in the countryside.

On the way to the lovely national parks they have we drove by several fields which are still infested by mines from the Yugoslavian war.

The Croatian people are very friendly and you are treated as a guest there, and the seafood is delicious. I also brought home honey with nuts in it - a delightful speciality of the area, along with olive oil and good wine.

Book review: The Notebook

2008-10-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

As the holiday began I promised myself to read an english book. In the past I have startet many books to read but unfortunately I 've rarely ended them, because I hadn't got the patience.

A friend of mine advised me to read "The Notebook", written by Nicholas Sparks. So I began to read this book. I was really surprised by me, because in two days I' ve finished it.
I'd like to give you a review of this book. If you like to read a romantic love story I recommend you to read this book.

summary:
Noah has recently returned from the Second World War. He is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier.
One day Allie returns unexpectedly to his town, to see him again before she gets married with Lon. Lon is a nice man who loves Allie, but Allie never had the same deep feelings for Lon, like she had for Noah in this summer, fourteen years ago.
As Allie and Noah see each other, the feelings start growing again. Allie is forced to make a decision. Could she really disappoint Lon? Should she stay with Noah for who she feels deep emotion and love?
Allie decides to stay with Noah. They spend a wonderful life together.

I don't want to tell you the end. I know, it seems like the story is finished by spending a wonderful life together. But if you read this book you 'll see there is a turning point, which makes this book so joyful and tragic at the same time.

Holidays in Sardinia

2008-10-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hi dear classmates

As you know, I was in Sardinia for a couple of days with my family. For the first time in my live I travelled with a big ferry, which was very impressive. Our flat was in a little village, called Santa Maria Navarrese, on the east cost of Sardinia.

It's a lovely place with a little beach and very old and famous olive trees. There were also big cacti with fruits we could eat.

The area around Arbatax, the city with the harbour where we arrived, is known for its red rocks. The whole island is very rocky and dry and the cliffs are washed out by the sea. I was told that it is a volcano island.

As you can imagine, I spent hours laying on the beach. Often I was reading in my chilling English novel about the dark secrets of Dracula's life.

Unfortunately, time went much too fast. I wished, I could have been there for a longer time ...

But at least I went back home very relaxed.

Now, I'm going to do my English homework. :)

See you soon

Fredy

Biking around Brig, Wallis, Switzerland

2008-10-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Dear English students of our class
As a conscientious student, I do my homework and put a note of my holidays on the blog.
Our daughter, my husband and I went to Brig by train. With the new basic tunnel through the "Lötschberg" the trip from Lucerne to Brig takes only about 2 hours and 15 mintutes!
At Brig, we went on different bike trips. A well known place we biked up to is "Belalp". From there you have a great view to the glacier of Aletsch.
Another day we biked towards the Simplon-pass but after one hour or so, we went to the right on an Alp, left our bikes there and hiked up for another 1000 meters to the top of the "Glishorn". Our daughter was very motivated doing a lot of sport and persuaded us to this big effort, at the end of the day, we had made 2500 meters of height!
My husband had found many bike-ideas on the internet and some of them we tried out. The most impressing experience for me was, when we were biking for 1,600km through a little tunnel, build for the transport of water. The water was running on our left in a wooden channel, the tunnel was dark, the unterground was hard sand and the space for riding our bikes was about 1 meter of width.
On Friday, our last day, we had a rest and went on a guided tour through the palace of "Stockalper". Stockalper was a successful business man in the 17th century.
The weather had turned cold and we went home.
I am looking forward to hearing from your holidays!
See you the week after next week.
Gabi Kuhn

How are you???

2008-10-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

How are you doing? And what are you doing?
I'm wondering how your holidays are.

For me everything is just too much!!! I don't know where to take the time for all things I want to do... and tomorrow I'm going to Greek!!!

I'm looking forward to it. I' ve never been there before and I've never done holidays like I do now.

I made the choice to take only english books with me. I'll see how it works.

Otherwise I haven't done any english homework yet... It's not right! I' m sorry for telling you such a lie!!! I'm writing something for you :-) just now!!!!

I love English... especially talking :-) My writing is very bad. Illya encouraged me just to write, it doesn't matter how many mistakes I do. Just the writing is important. That's why I 'm writing... even I would prefere to write adequate!!! So maybe someone of you 'd like to help me in improving my English. Please let me know about my mistakes I've done... I 'm open and motivated to learn. So don't be shy and write to me:

marinakaufmann@gmx.ch

Thanks for your answer!!!

Actually I 've got two questions already: What's the diffrence between "if" and "when"?
and what's the difference between "as" and "like"

For sure one of you can explane it to me. So thank you for doing it. Otherwise I will bother you in the classroom :-)

See you soon again!!!
Love
Marina