SESSION 1
I WISH, IF ONLY I
1. Look at these examples to see how wish and if only are used. What do they express?
That guy is so annoying! I wish he'd stop talking. I wish I lived closer to my family. If only I hadn't lost her phone number. She must think I'm so rude for not calling her. I wish they wouldn't park their car in front of my house.
2. NOW READ THE EXPLANATION:
We use wish and if only to talk about things that we would like to be different in either the present or the past. If only is usually a bit stronger than wish.
In the present
We can use wish/if only + a past form to talk about a present situation we would like to be different.
I wish you didn't live so far away. If only we knew what to do. He wishes he could afford a holiday.
In the past
We can use wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk about something we would like to change about the past.
They wish they hadn't eaten so much chocolate. They're feeling very sick now. If only I'd studied harder when I was at school.
Expressing annoyance
We can use wish + would(n't) to show that we are annoyed with what someone or something does or doesn't do. We often feel that they are unlikely or unwilling to change.
I wish you wouldn't borrow my clothes without asking. I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water. She wishes he'd work less. They never spend any time together.
This chart will help you visualize it better:
3. Check your understanding! Click on the link and do the three exercises. After completing the three exercises, check your answers and send me the results.
4. Now go to page 102 from your books Citizen Z B2 and do exercises 1-3.
SESSION 2:
MAKE A WISH
Have you ever daydreamt???
Have you ever dreamt of having the towering neck of a giraffe to reach up into the clouds??
1. Please, answer these questions explaining the reasons:
Do you ever make wishes? Why or why not?
Do they ever come true? Why or why not?
Do you believe in the power of intention? Why or why not?
2. How would you change these situations? Use wish or if only.
Alisson has been working in the same position for ages but has not been promoted yet (......)
Your sister has borrowed your favorite jeans without permission (......)
Your neighbor plays loud music every day and you can't study (.....)
Peter is fed up of commuting to work (.....)
You love snowy days but the last snowfall did not let you meet your friends for days! (......)
Since the concept explained by wish clauses is a kind of hard-to-catch one, we will retake it this time with a video which will help you understand a little bit further the mood of this structure. Listen carefully and answer the two questions below.
Apart from wish and if only, what other expressions can we use?
What is back shifting and how do we use it in unreal situations?
SESSION 3:
LIFE COACHING
1. Explain this quote by Albert Einstein:
“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking
that created them.”
If you feel stuck, need a change in life, a goal, or are going through an emotionally difficult situation and don't get the results you expected even though you tried hard, you possibly need a life coach.
A life coach can help you make significant changes in your life, and get the results you always wanted to have.
2. Answer these questions:
Have you ever felt stuck?
How did this situation make you feel?
Did anybody, a relative or a friend, help you improve the situation?
How did he/she do it?
3. Listen to Diego, our assistant, talking about his own experience looking for harmony and do the activities below:
A. Key vocabulary and phrases: Listen for the following vocabulary words and phrases and define them in their context.
Touch on
Preface
Engage
Chronic pain
Potential
State
Stressors
Distressed
Motivated
Exert
Interplay
Denotes
Reflect on
Catching up
B. Comprehension Questions and Exercises:
What kind of problems does TMD cause?
True or False: medical problems are the only reason people get into a “stuck state”.
If you answered False, please mention some other conditions or problems that can get you into a “stuck state”:
What were some of the main ideas of the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabot-Zinn that can help get you out of a “stuck state”?
Explain the relationship between health and hard work.
What are the 3 things that need to be in balance for a clear life situation?
C. Diego stays organized by keeping notes on his phone and regularly reviewing them. What is a system that you use to stay organized?
SESSION 4:
FCE EXAM PRACTICE
WORD AND IMAGE: AN INTRODUCTION
Since we are born we relate objects to sounds and words and it is rather easy for us to point at something and say a name. This is how the linguistic sign is about. Have a look at the image above.
In fact, things do not exist for us if they don't have a name! BUT there's something that is really hard for us to put into words, and that is how we feel. Maybe because we cannot point at something that relates to that feeling. Sometimes music can help and we tend to listen to the same song a thousand times when we feel down or depressed, or the contrary if we feel happy. However, what if we could relate our feelings to images???
1. Google for images that reflect the following emotions and send them to me:
Hatred
Frustration
Anxiety
Kindness
Oblivion
For a few weeks we will be working on language skills together with cinema and video production. The idea is that you write a five-sentence piece of prose or a five-line poem, which will be the basis for the lyrics of your rap. Then, you will have to conceive of and shoot five shots using your smartphones or whatever type of camera you have access to. Each shot will correspond to a sentence or line. As I've said before, we will be doing this for some weeks, so you don't need to rush, just follow instructions.
To start with, our assistant Jimmy has prepared a workshop called WORDS AND IMAGES and will explain the steps you need to take clearly. He is an experienced film maker and will show us how to edit our videos so as to transform our thoughts into images.
2. Today, he suggests you to see the following videos and see how words are related to particular image.
In this short film called Manhatta (1912) you can see images related to Walt Whitman's poetry:
This is the poem Water Circle (1975) by James Broughton, illustrated by the dance of sunlight on the sea.
Here you have the poem:
Down and up they go
the waters that always flow
the rivers that open their veins to the sea
and then return as snow.
Down from arterial hills
their circulation spills
the heart of the lake refills and
down in the valley the river will sing
as it refreshes everything
high or low
fast or slow
from head to toe
scenery
machinery
and makes the poppy grow.
It wakens a sleeping tree
it sets the salmon free
and then flows down
and down
through field and town
to drown in a briny shroud
and resurrect into a cloud...
3. Now, you need to create your own 5 lines, either prose or poetry. These lines need to reflect your inner thoughts, your feelings, so give them some thought, do not rush to send me WHATEVER. Nope! This will be your project so no time for stupid verse.
SESSION 5:
WE WERE LIARS
CHAPTERS 65-69
Listen to Maddie and Lucy, her flatmate :), reading chapters 65-69 from We Were Liars. As always, pay attention to pronunciation while reading. Write down new words in your glossaries and do your summaries. Then, send everything to me.
Comments