New-entry from Italy - hi!

RedRose · Post by **RedRose** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:55 pm

English teacher, so coooooooooooooooooooooool!

I love you!

jonrey10 · Post by **jonrey10** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:12 pm

Hello, Andrea!!! :D

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:14 pm

Hey RedRose :D

i have got but give you a :) :P RedRose!!

Take care
:D Andrea

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:16 pm

Hi Jonrey10 :)

how are you

what's that your'e smoking.... a cigar? :D

Andrea

jonrey10 · Post by **jonrey10** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:27 pm

It's just a picture, for "art's sake" that is...

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:30 pm

Hi, Jon :D

RedRose · Post by **RedRose** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:35 pm

Jonrey, welcome back! what about your vacation?

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:40 pm

Hi, Redrose! :D

RedRose · Post by **RedRose** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:53 pm

Dixie wrote:Hi, Redrose! :D

I am here! honey, u'd better post your pic with short hair here as your avatar, then all guys will get crazy!

jonrey10 · Post by **jonrey10** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:54 pm

Dixie wrote:Hi, Jon :D

Hi, Ms. Dixie Chix! It's nice to be back after being sick. I was downed by flu last week.

jonrey10 · Post by **jonrey10** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:55 pm

RedRose wrote:Jonrey, welcome back! what about your vacation?

I'm fine. I wasn't on vacation, I got sick last week. Nice picture, I'm getting crazy right now...

RedRose · Post by **RedRose** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:02 pm

jonrey10 wrote:
RedRose wrote:Jonrey, welcome back! what about your vacation?
I'm fine. I wasn't on vacation, I got sick last week. Nice picture, I'm getting crazy right now...

you should take care of yourself, Jon! I am sorry to know you got sick(flu). I hope you recover earlier!

and thank you for your appreciation

jonrey10 · Post by **jonrey10** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:46 pm

RedRose wrote:
jonrey10 wrote:
RedRose wrote:Jonrey, welcome back! what about your vacation?
I'm fine. I wasn't on vacation, I got sick last week. Nice picture, I'm getting crazy right now...
you should take care of yourself, Jon! I am sorry to know you got sick(flu). I hope you recover earlier!

and thank you for your appreciation

no problem... :D

_Arale_ · Post by **_Arale_** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:52 pm

No,Arale,that's you teachers' thought,you know what is the students' thought?
the music can make them mad,they know it,but they just love it.
sometimes i really hate music.
But you teachers really can't feel that.

No greatjim,students now are very active.Teachers and students are equal.What teachers do is students'wish.What we have tought are required by our students.The student is the centre of teaching activity. We are just guiders.

_Arale_

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:06 pm

Hi teachers and not -

i'd put aquestion:

do students in your own countries happen to choose the topic to work at? I mean, do you have an amount of hours (per week) to teach English, among which, there are some hours at your disposal to develop your planned activities, and other hours that students may choose to have or not?

I'm asking this, beccause our Minister, Mrs Moratti, made a change according to which, i teach English 2 hours per week carrying on the Ministerial Programme, with a text-book, then there is a 3rd hour that is called "facoltativa"; it means that the students may choose not to have English - it depends on the topic and teacher's skill to attract, excite, entertain them.

This change has caused a chaos among English teachers in Italy (and not only English)

I hope i gave a quite good explanation.

Anybody could make comparisons, or could suggest anything?

thanks

Andrea

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:10 pm

I don't think I ever heard of such a thing. But if they do not take English, what do they take?

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:52 pm

Ehm .... ehm.... Dixie, I feel ashamed for my beloved Minister

Well, there's more!
This year we had the introduction of a second foreign language (compulsory) - i'm talking about Media-school (lower-intermediate? maybe? i don't know exactly - 11/14 yo students, anyway).
However, The introduction of a new subject didn't mean increasing teaching hours.
Some subjects had a reduction of time.

Such a mess!

Yes, what would the students take, and, what would teachers do in that empty hour?

Andrea

greatJim · Post by **greatJim** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:57 am

andrea wrote:GreatJim.

you are making interesting statements about music and stundents likes and dislikes.

Now, please, don't generalize saying teathers can not feel anything about your needs.

I don't agree.

Andrea

Yes,basically teachers are good.Sometimes they compromise to students' need .But unfortunately.the chance is very little.
But maybe that's just ok.For you can't expect too much.
I am not a student now.when i say to myself.what i learned when i was a student,I just can't give myself a good answer.
for example,i learn the english language almost by myself in these years.because the lessons can meet my need.
One truth is they worry to lose control about the class.So they can't stimulate the student's original thought.
So for the teacher ,I shall say,one need them,but they can't give you something.And you can't rely them.
Nice to meet you.anyway.
My parents are both teachers.They instruct me many things,But they also have many problems themselves.And they just couldn't solve them well.

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:37 pm

GreatJim

it's interesting what you are writing about. I find it interesting. And it's true: teachers are much worried about keeping the class quiet. If you have20/25 students in front of you you have to attract their attention in order to explain concepts and look for a feedback (that's important for me).

And even more true: teachers have problems, as they are human beings.
The fact is, we should collaborate with students to find out good topics and ideas. Collaboration is the best thing, i think, and young people have creativity, fantasy, they are spontaneous and quick - some elements that any human being is bound to lose in part, or at all, while getting older.

It's a pity that you have not a good memory of school-time and teachers, but trust me, a lot of people (me inclusive) have such memories. There a re only few teachers that i can save from the clam. And now, I am struggling in order not to keep stuck in there for a long time.

Nice to meet you GreatJim.

Andrea

_Arale_ · Post by **_Arale_** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:44 pm

I don't care much about silence in the class.It is ok if my students are acting much.I 'd like to create a comfortable and friendly atmosphere in the class.So students should do more effectively.I am fond of group-working method that causes noise much but is a wonderful one.

_Arale_

serenella · Post by **serenella** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 6:01 pm

Arale, I agree with you.
Teaching a language means teaching to communicate, so group-work is very helpful, even if it causes noise in the classroom.
Anyway, I have found some classes which were strictly organized according to quitness, I mean each student was matched in his/her desk with another student he/she didn't like or who was very different in behaviour, opinion, etc. In such a way teachers prevented them from talking during the lesson, but proposing pair/group work was impossible without changing the whole layout of the class and a lesson time is too short for organizing couples and moving seats.

Butler · Post by **Butler** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:41 pm

I use music a lot to help students listen and understand, I remove certain words from the lyrics of a song and they have to write them back in while listening to the song. Good fun and I use short songs (3 minutes).

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:46 pm

Same method as one my E teachers applied when I was still at college and took an E class two years ago.

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:23 pm

Butler wrote:I use music a lot to help students listen and understand, I remove certain words from the lyrics of a song and they have to write them back in while listening to the song. Good fun and I use short songs (3 minutes).

I use exactly the same method. Maybe we could share some song titles and the grammar used in there :P

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:32 am

My teacher played "Creep" by Radiohead, "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins, and many more.

Butler · Post by **Butler** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:16 am

I always use (don't laugh) dream a little dream by Mama Cass, short song and easy to understand her. I also use sometimes a song that nobody knows so they get to hear something fresh and have no chance of remembering the lyrics, I use it only for some of the advanced students.

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:36 pm

Asep wrote:My teacher played "Creep" by Radiohead, "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins, and many more.

Wow I got that one, Another Day in Paradise. I was just listening to it a while ago on my way back home. So your teacher used it in your class? That's interesting

Kind of a sad song though :D

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:45 am

Yeah, and guess what! This could've been the very first song I heard of Phil Collins. I like his "You'll Be in My Heart", too, Dixie. :) This song can never fail to remind me of someone out there....

Here's a pic of this bald man. Hehe....

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:13 am

You'll Be in My Heart, that song makes me cry!!!!!!!

It's so beautiful.

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:14 am

And romantic as well.

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:16 am

And sad as well.

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:21 am

So it's touching, heart touching, right?

Butler · Post by **Butler** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:34 am

I hate having to go against the grain but I find ALL Phil Collins songs (and Disney songs) very annoying, maybe it's his voice but I always turn them off, sorry!!

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:39 am

Have you checked out his other songs prior to his collaboration with Disney?

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:41 am

Like I said, you can get started now, Maggie. Lucky you, new friend. You can count on such teachers we have around as Dixie of Catalunya, RedRose of China, Lilian of China, Arale of Vietnam and many mooooooooreee in here. :)

Butler · Post by **Butler** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:45 am

Im in my 30's and heavily into music, I even hated his Genesis stuff, he's a bit "fluffy2 for my liking and seems to just write music that will sell rather than music he wants to write. I know many people hate Bjork and Radiohead but for me their music is THEIR music not commercialized music.

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:08 am

maggie wrote:Hi Dixie

I have applicated to be one member of your msn, and my email dress is *******.com, Hope you can add me!

Thank you!

Oh I saw I got an email from that address earlier but I thought it was trash so I deleted it without opening it. Sorry, Maggie!!!!

And Asep, Lilian is from Bangladesh, currently living in the US. She's not from China ;)

Asep · Post by **Asep** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:15 am

Well, I see. I forgot that, Dixie. It's because of her rare appearance now, I think. Yeah, Maggie, you can get it all started here on EC. You're lucky. It took me more than 1 month to be a full member, you know.

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:13 pm

Hey!! Dixie, Asep, Butler, Maggie, & C. :D

wow, i started a thread.... and have remained silent.... but as a rule, my email server warned me about messages in the forum, and it stopped doing its service. :? :?

Now i've just found out you have been keeping on writing without me, sorry.

I'll try to be more active and present, because i like it very much. :)

Good, really good to know that you use music, and that method of gap-filling in lyrics, and movies, yes - they are very good and useful - just to let students watch and, maybe, try to repeat some scenes, in an easier way.

Phil Collins: i think he is a good singer even if his songs are a bit more commercial now. I still remember him inside the great Genesis!

Hey, iv got msn - may i add - who would like to? :D

I also would like to share with you all some ideas about songs and lyrics.....

cheers
Andrea :D

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:20 pm

hi again :)

here below is my msn messenger account:

*******.com

i've got to go now - i'm going to a charming windy hill. Once back here i'll be glad to give you any further details.

bye everybody :)

Andrea

Dixie · Post by **Dixie** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:47 pm

Glad to see you're back, Andrea! ;)

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 5:16 pm

Hi Dixie! :D

Yeah, I'm glad too!

Andrea

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:19 pm

Hi Maggie

yes! ok. Sorry for not answering you earlier. I've had a lot of things to do.

I will be pleased to exchange ideas with you.
Are you a student, a teacher?

bye
Andrea :)

RedRose · Post by **RedRose** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:05 pm

andrea, I finally found your post, hehe

nice to meet you!

andrea · Post by **andrea** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 7:53 pm

RedRose !!! :D

Hey!! How are you, fine?

A big hug to my Chinese friend Red Rose! :D

Yes, you are right: finally I posted. Well, i don't post very often, and I'm away from the web sometimes, but i often practise my English, one way or another.

bye :)

Andrea

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