English communication: a world of accents.

You have listened to the English accents of speakers of your language, and most of you have commented.  Good work.

Just as in our school, there are far more speakers of English who are not native-speakers, than native-speakers.  This means that to communicate with English speakers around the world you must be able to understand dozens of different accents.  In our school you've only had to understand standard American, Canadian, British; Japanese, Korean and Arabic, and a few other accents.  Can you understand others?

Go back to the accents website to listen to native speakers.  Also listen to the non-native accents you are going to hear most in future: Chinese, Hindi (India), German, French, Russian and Swahili (East Africa).  How easy or difficult was it for you to understand these people?

Make comments to this post: several thoughtful sentences please.

Final Weeks' Assignments

Good news!  I am going to lighten your workload a little.  'Current Events' will now be every other week, alternating with your 'Novel Study': each week you will do either one, or the other, but not both.  Pay attention to what and which day of the week.  There are changes.

Next week:

5/27-31, CORE 7
- Monday, Unit 2 Assignment on 'Education'
- Thursday, 'Current Events'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'

5/27-31, CORE 8
- Monday, Unit 2 Assignment on 'Education'
- Tuesday, 'Current Events'

5/27-31, CORE 9
- Monday, Unit 2 Assignment on 'Education'
- Tuesday, 'Current Events'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'

5/27-31, Support, all grades
- Tuesday, 'Novel Study'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'


The week after that:

6/03-07, CORE 7
- Thursday, 'Novel Study'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'

6/03-07, CORE 8
- Thursday, 'Novel Study'

6/03-07, CORE 9
- Thursday, 'Novel Study'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'

6/03-07, Support, all grades
- Tuesday, 'Current Events'
- Friday, 'Blog Post'

CORE students: Unit 2 assignment, "Education"

Grades Seven, Eight and Nine: final copy is due on Monday, 5/27, at the start of P1.
- yes, you may print it in the computer lab P1
- no, you may not finish it in P1
- it should be finished before 8:45 on Monday
- four hundred word, minimum

'Five paragraph essay' style:

Introduction:
- tell me the three things you want to learn, and maybe what you hope to do, or be, in the future

Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4:
- the three things you want to learn, or need to learn
- in each, why you want/need to learn it
- how/where you will learn it
- what you already know about it

Conclusion:
- is really a summary of paragraphs 2, 3 and 4
- finished with something about your future in general

Speech Accent Archive: during regular or ESL 'study hall'

Your job is to listen to your own language's accent, and post a few sentences in a comment to this post, on my page.  I hope the sound on the website works well for you.  Wear headphones.  If you can, also record and listen to your own voice at home.  Finish this before the end of this week.

Turkish
Arabic
Korean
Japanese

Note that the 'generalizations' at the bottom of each speaker's page gives the technical vocabulary for the accent that the speaker has.  You do not have to use this vocabulary, but if you research it you will understand better.

You may want to listen to native English accents for comparison:
Toronto (similar to Mr. S.)
London (similar to Ms. Snooke, though not exactly)
New York (similar to Ms. Frances, though not precisely)

Answer these questions in your comment:
- What do you think about your language's accent in English?
- Do you think you make any of the same errors in English?
- Which of these errors cause most difficulty for people to understand your English?
- How do you think you can improve?

Grades Seven and Nine Core Blog Post length.

Grade 7 'Core', and all grades of 'Support': 200 words minimum total, in one post or several, each week by Friday 8:30.

Grade 9 Core: 300 words minimum total, in one post or several, each week by Friday 8:30.  You get two hours more in the week for 'study hall', so this is part of the extra work you should do.  Also, I am expecting more from you for 'Current Events' and for 'Novel Study', etc.  You are older, have more time for it, and have the ability.

Good luck.

Your link on this page?

Make sure that I have the right link to your blog, with all of your ESL work, on the top-left of this page.  If not, I am not seeing, or marking, your work.  Let me know.

ESL due-dates next week: 5/20-24

CORE students (10-14 classes/week including 'study-hall'):

Grade Seven  ESL Core students

Thursday - current events

before Thursday - in Bookworms Club Silver, read "The Five Orange Pips"

Thursday - novel reading presentation

Friday - blog post (before arriving at school)

Grade Eight  ESL Core students

Tuesday - current events

before Thursday - in Bookworms Club Silver, read "The Five Orange Pips"

Thursday - novel reading presentation

Grade Nine  ESL Core students

Tuesday - current events

before Friday - in Bookworms Club Silver, read "A Walk in Amnesia" on your own time

Thursday - novel reading presentation

Friday - blog post (before arriving at school)

Support students (6 classes/week including 'study-hall'):

Grade Seven support students
Wednesday - blog post
Thursday - current events

Friday - blog post (before arriving at school)

Grade Nine support students
Tuesday - current events
Wednesday - blog post

Friday - blog post (before arriving at school)

5/20, Monday P1 and other study-hall periods
Format your blogs as I have asked in previous posts...  You need a vocabulary list; links to all of the other CIS ESL students, and this blog; some other ESL links or interests; and all of your other written ESL work posted (unit writings, current events, novel reviews...).

Blog formatting

Vocabulary List

To keep track of vocabulary that you are learning, and should remember, make a vocabulary list on your blog.

Do this on the 'Layout' page:

- 'add a gadget'
- use 'list'
- definition is not necessary, although a short one is a good idea for you to remember what you've learned

Remember to get up the links like I asked in the last post:

- put up a link-widget and link to the class "CIS ESL" blog and every other student in ESL, like I have done in the top left of mine

Do this on the 'Layout' page:
- 'add a gadget' (do it at the top-left or top-right)
- use 'blog list' or 'link list'