| COURSE NEWS 2008-09A |
| Learn a new word every day. |
| Get a new cartoon every week and have a good laugh. |
| Flash back into history with the BBC. What happened in history today? |
| See the news of the day in pictures with the BBC. |
| Donate rice grains to help end world hunger with freerice |
| For Lesson 14 and all following lessons until June go to "coursenews 2008-09B " |
17 SEPTEMBER 2008 : LESSON 1 Here we are again. Are you ready to start another year of English conversation (chatter) lessons? I hope that lessons will be the opposite of what the Belgian summer weather offered us: depressing and disappointing. Once more, I would like to offer my condolences on the death of Bea's mother. Even though she reached the blessed age of 89, it nevertheless leaves you with a feeling of emptiness when you lose someone you wanted to cherish as long as possible . Thank you for your rememberance card, Bea. And before we start, do you remember this day? For our first lesson, we will try to remember some of the things that happened this summer. Some of the news items reached the headlines, others were mentioned in the fringes of the news. Most events are about Belgium, a few are about important events that happened abroad. To help you refresh your memory, here are the titles you will get 'Betancourt freed in undercover operation', 'A big day for christianity and mankind', 'Major blaze in camping', 'Boy killed after falling into sand dunes pit', 'Italian body mystery solved' (this is acutally about an Antwerp couple), 'Belgian woman survives black bear attack', 'Hamburger stall explodes at Ghent festival', 'Drunk truck driver spoils holiday fun', 'Short-lived success for Belgian mussels', 'End of sports career is near', 'Madrid plane crash', 'Former goalkeeper involved in hold-up', 'Gold for Belgium', 'Top cheff kills himself', 'Two firemen die in blaze', 'Blue helmet killed in Lebanon'. How much do you remember and how important were they to you? INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. Will this new development mean a way out of the ethical controversy of removing stem cells from an embryo, but in the process destroying the embryo? Read this interesting article about "Belgian breakthrough in stem cell research " and fill in the missing phrases or words. 2. You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with this site. It offers you four short 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (August) |
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| If you climbed the church tower you probably didn't see this statue, alongside the church. It was made by the sculptor Charles Delporte (born Marcinelle 1928) who also has a museum with his works in Damme. It is called 'View of light' |
| embryo shortly after fertilization |
24 SEPTEMBER 2008 : LESSON 2 Word of the week: have you ever heard of a bobby cam? What does it mean? If you like, you can watch a two-minute YouTube video illustrating this device. When you know what it means, what do you think of it? Can you think of any situations where the use of this device would seem inappropriate? * To start the lesson, we will read the remaining news stories of this summer and do the language exercise that goes with it. * Next we will read about a Delta Lloyd Life survey dealing with the composition of the Belgian family. We will first guess a number of figures (percentages) For example: what is the percentage of traditional families, of single- parent families, of newly composed families? How contented are these families? What are their main problems? After the guesswork we will read the article. * Finally, you will get pieces of information about two Flemish celebrities. The information has been jumbled and it will be up to you to decide which person a particular piece of information belongs to. Who are these two faces of Flanders? Here are their pictures. Do you recognize them? INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. this week we're going to England where a new film will be released entitled 'The Duchess'. Why then is the title of this interactive vocabulary exercise entitled "Duchess or Princess? " If you want to know, take a little bit of your time and do this exercise. The picture on the right can give you a clue. You can watch the trailer of the film. Just click on 'The Duchess' The Belgian release is on November 19. 2. You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with this site. It offers you four short 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (August) |
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1 OCTOBER 2008 : LESSON 3 Words of the week: of course you know who Donald Duck is. But do you know what we mean when we talk about a sitting duck? Think of our Belgian soldiers in Kandahar. They seem to be sitting ducks for the enemy. The phrase 'sitting duck' is also used in the world of investors. Small investors seem to be sitting ducks these days. Any idea what this might mean? And what is a lame duck? (see picture) Why do people see G.W Bush as a lame duck? * To start the lesson, we will read about a Delta Lloyd Life survey dealing with the composition of the Belgian family. (see last week's bundle) * After that we will read the pieces of information about two Flemish celebrities.Two faces of Flanders: Lieve Blancquaert and Goedele Liekens. (This sheet in also in last week's bundle). * Finally, we will talk and read about Barak Obama. What do you know about his personal life? What are his chances of becoming the next President of the United States? INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week saw the final curtain for the Court of Assizes dealing with the murder of Joe Van Holsbeeck. Learn some typical court vocabulary with this interactive exercise => "Sentenced to twenty years ". 2. You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with this site. It offers you four short 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (August) The 2nd October is Fran�oise's birthday, so may happy returns of the day, Fran�oise. |
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8 OCTOBER 2008 : LESSON 4 Words of the week: this time we are looking at three words to do with 'moving or being moved on a belt'. What is a treadmill? Where and what is it used for? What are conveyor belts? Where are they used? What is an assembly line? Where can you see it? Look at the pictures. Which is which? * First we will talk about and read the article on Barak Obama. It is in your last week's bundle. * Then we see whether for you the glass is half-full or half-empty. In other words, we are going to answer a battery of questions which test whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. If you like, you can take the test online. Go to 'optimism/pessimism test ' Answer the 47 questions truthfully and after finishing the test, you will receive a snapshot report with an introduction, a graph and a personalized interpretation of your result. Quite fun to take! INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's practice is a reading exercise. On the left of your screen you will see the complete story. On the right there will be 14 statements. Are these statements true or false? What is the article about? It's about a man you have probably never heard of. The man, Robert Maistriau, died last week at the age of 87. When he was young he pulled off a daring raid on a train that was transporting Jews. I've told you enough. If you are interested, go to "Train saviour ". It's very interesting to read. 2. You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with this site. It offers you four short 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (September) |
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15 OCTOBER 2008 : LESSON 5 Words of the week: it is all right to use nickname 'Paddy' for a person named Patrick, especially when he is from Ireland. But is it all right to call an Irish person a 'Paddy''? Do you also know what a 'paddy field' is? The picture on the right shows you what it is. * First we're going to take the 'Optimism /pessimism' test. It is in your last week's bundle. If you like, you can still take the test online. Go to => 'optimism/pessimism test ' * Secondly, we're going to study different meanings of the word 'number' and then continue filling in expressions to do with numbers. For example: what is it if you have forty winks after lunch? The exercise is called "Safety with numbers'. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. Does the name Leo Baekeland ring a bell? He was the inventor of the plastic called 'Bakeliet'. In 1924 he was on the cover of 'Time' as one of the great people of his time. His name is now connected with a film 'Savage Grace' shown at the Ghent Film Festival (and released on 15th October) and starring Julianne Moore. How come? Do the following vocabulary exercise to find out => "Leo Baekeland ". 2. Here is a new feature. Each week you will get a short (only six questions) multiple choice quiz from the BBC's quiznet. Not so difficult, doesn't take up much of your precious time and it is always interesting. The first quiz is 'Getting angry ' 3. You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (September) |
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| click on the picture to enlarge |
22 OCTOBER 2008 : LESSON 6 Words of the week: what is a wedge? Do you sometimes use one? A metal wedge is also used when chopping wood with a cleaving axe. Let's linger on the word cleave and cleavage. It is found in compound words such as breast cleavage and bum cleavage. Look at the picture of a bum cleavage and you'll surely know what a breast cleavage is. How do you feel about both cleavages? * Firstly, we're going to look at different meanings of the word 'number' and then continue filling in expressions with numbers. The exercise is called "Safety with numbers'. (It is in last week's bundle) * Secondly, we're going to discuss the large-scale raid on traffickers in human beings which took place last Saturday morning and had extensive news coverage both on the radio and on television. While reading the text, we'll come across lots of typical words in connection with this subject. Of course, we will be giving our opinions, too. * Last Friday was the international day of the Eradication of Poverty. If we have any time left, we'll read an article about this issue. Do you know below which income you are considered poor in the European Union? Do you know we have a State Secretary responsible for the fight against poverty? Do you know his name? We'll read about his plans and we'll also read two examples of how being extremely poor has a dramatic impact on somebody's life. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's interactive practice is about Andorra and the secrets of a long life. Find out in this vocabulary exercise taken from the BBC => "Andorra Longevity " 2. Here is the second quiz from the BBC's quiznet. => 'Dealing with problems ' 3 You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (September) |
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5 NOVEMBER 2008 : LESSON 7 First of all many happy returns of the day to Bea (28th October) and Denise (1st November). When we are having our lesson, we will already know who is the next President of the United States of America. May I say most of us hope it will be Barack Obama and fear it might be John McCain. words of the week: two practical words which are confusing for Dutch-speaking people. We have come across them in previous years, but I think it's useful to repeat them. What is the hem in a pair of trousers? What is the seam in a pair of nylon stockings? * First we're going to discuss the large-scale raid on people traffickers. The article is in the previous bundle. * After that we're going to read the article on the Eradication of Poverty. This article can also be found in the previous bundle. * The new article is about the scrapped edition of 'Plat Pr�f�r�' featuring Hitler's favourite meal. The VRT's decision has its supporters ('It was good they scrapped it') and its opponents ('Freedom of speech is sacred') What is your opinion? The interactive practice deals with the same subject. * Finally, we're going to make a text more interesting by adding adverbs. Here's an example: you might say 'It began to rain' but you can make this simple statement more lively by saying 'Suddenly it began to rain heavily". I will first read out a story to you without adverbs. I will then ask you to retell this story and then you will get the written story in which you will add appropriate adverbs. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. Last week the VRT decided to scrap the week's edition of 'Plat pr�f�r�', the popular culinary magazine on Canvas. Why? Read about it and get some background information in => "Plat pr�f�r� scrapped ". 2. Here is the third quiz from the BBC's quiznet. =>' Problem words ' 3 You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (October) |
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12 NOVEMBER 2008 : LESSON 8 I'm typing all this on Sunday, the day of Jenny's birthday. So many happy returns of the day to you, Jenny, though you probably won't read this on a computer. words of the week: you know what cotton wool is. Do you also know what a cotton bud is? And while talking about buds: what is a flower bud? What is a buddy? Who's is Buddy Holly? Look at the pictures underneath which show you an illustration of each. * Firstly, we're going to read (correct) the article 'Plat Pr�f�r�'. It is in last week's bundle. * I've recorded the BBC World news of Sunday. You're going to listen and find out how much you understand after one or more listening sessions. The titles are: 'Executions of Islamic militants in Indonesia', 'Accident on Russian nuclear submarine', 'Conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo', 'Hurricane Paloma hits Cuba', 'Roof of school collapses in Haiti' 'Obama's first speech on national radio'. * I don't think we'll have enough time to do the exercise on adverbs as we're going to toast to Jenny's, Bea's and Denise's birthday. A drink and, from what I've heard , somedelicious yoghurt cake homemade by Bea. So we'll keep the exercise on adverbs for next week. * Something we will do is listen to Buddy Holly's most famous song called 'Peggy Sue'; a sixties classic. I'm sure you will recognize it once the song begins. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. I came across an interesting article which I'd like to share with you. It's about the reduced risk of bladder cancer. The when, the how and the why are in the following vocab exercise => "Reduced risk of bladder cancer ". 2. Here is quiz 4 from the BBC's quiznet. =>' House Markets vocabulary ' 3 You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (October) |
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19 NOVEMBER 2008 : LESSON 9 I'm sorry for the inconvenience I may have caused by letting you wait for your familiar website, but there seems to be something wrong with my computer. So I'm doing this work on another computer. words of the week: look at the picture. Do you have any idea what a brown-noser is? So what is it when somebody brown-noses? Is there a synonym for this word that resembles the word we sometimes use for this in Dutch? A nicer word is 'flatter'. Can it ever be even positive? Yes, such as in 'I feel flattered'. Talking about slime: what is the difference between slime and mucus? The latter word can be found in the incurable disease 'mucoviscidosis'. * Frist we're going to finish listening to the BBC World news. The remaining titles are: : 'Conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo', 'Hurricane Paloma hits Cuba', 'Roof of school collapses in Haiti', 'Obama's first speech on national radio'. * Then we'll do the exercise on adverbs which is in bundle lesson 7. * Finally, we'll have a look at my contribution to the 'Flemish taste week' with three food games. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. The interactive exercise for this week is about the economy. If you do it, you'll learn some word which are used when talking about the ==> "Eurozone in recession ". 2. Here is quiz 5 from the BBC's quiznet. =>' Climate change: terminology ' 3 You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (October) |
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26 NOVEMBER 2008 : LESSON 10 words of the week: what is a pawn shop? The second picture underneath may help you to find what it is. The woman has the pawn in her hand. Are there any pawn shops in Belgium? Where? This made me think of a second meaning of the word 'pawn'. You need it when you play a game of chess. What is a pawn? Look at the picture on the right. * Firstly, we're definitely going to do the exercise on adverbs which is in bundle 7. The idea was that you wouldn't have looked at it before we did it. So I hope you didn't but if you have, it's not a crime.. * Then we're going to read and discuss two Belgian news events. The first one is about the gang of Rumanians who were skimming ( = copying bank cards) on a large scale and who have been arrested. The second one is about the Dutch couple who bought a baby in Ghent via the Internet. The Ghent couple who sold the baby could be charged with 'displacing of a new-born child'. Do you know what this is? If you don't, I'll explain it in the lesson. How do we say this in Dutch? INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's interactive exercise is a bit of gossip about Marie-Rose Morel and Frank van Hecke. Rumours have been spread that they are (were) a couple, something which they strongly deny. Read more about it in => "Morel's love e-mails ". It is an exercise in which you have to fill in the right tense of the verb between brackets. 2. Here is quiz 6 from the BBC's quiznet. => 'Disability at work ' 3 You can still practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 31 days (October) |
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3 DECEMBER 2008 : LESSON 11 words of the week: one of the words included in the new words list of Van Daele's dictionary is 'smirting'. Actually, it is an English word which has been popular for a few years now. What does it mean? And related to it, what does it mean when you chat up somebody? The pictures on the right may help you find the meaning. * First we're going to finish the second Belgian news event about the Dutch couple who bought a baby in Ghent on the Internet. How has this story evolved since last week? What do we know more now? * Then we're going to revise a number of new words that we have encountered in the first ten lessons. I'm going to give you a card with a word on it and you have to describe the word to the group. They will have to guess the word. The words are taken from the 'words of the week' and the revision list of each lesson. * Finally we'll read some reports from witnesses about the terrorist attacks in Bumbai. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise to do with white hair and ageing. If you want to know more, go to => "White hair, thing of the past ". 2. Here is quiz 7 from the BBC's quiznet. => 'Changing meaning with prefixes '' 3 Practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (November) There is still something wrong with editing this website. I'm working on it to solve the problem. |
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10 DECEMBER 2008 : LESSON 12 words of the week: some months ago I was reading a book in which came the word 'wife beater shirt'. I didn't know what it meant so I had to look it up in one of my on-line dictionaries. And I found the word. What is a 'wife beater'? It is another word for a 'vest'. What is a vest? Why do they sometimes call it a wife beater? What is the English word for the Dutch 'een vest'? And to continue with garments, what is a tuxedo (with its satin lapels)? And what is a tailcoat? Look at the pictures underneath for illustrations of these words. * First we're going to continue the vocabulary game which revises a number of new words that we have learned in the first ten lessons. * Then we're going to look at 10 headlines of last week's news events. This time we won't read the complete stories. I'll ask you if you know what each of the events is about. Then we'll read separate sentences taken from each of these events and you will be asked to recognise which sentences belong to which headlines. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise to do with an extraordinary thing that happened in Congo. It's positive news, for a change. If you want to know more about it, go to => "Boy in Congo saved by mobile phone " 2. Here is quiz 8 from the BBC's quiznet. => 'Taking a course '' 3 Practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (November) |
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17 DECEMBER 2008 : LESSON 13 word of the week: last week one of the questions in the quiz 'De slimste mens' was about 'curling'. What is curling? Look at the pictures on the right. The picture on the left shows a curling rink with 4 sheets. You can also watch a video on Youtube about 'curling '. * First we're going to listen to a song which is appropriate for this Christmas festive season. It's an optimistic song by ABBA, the extremely popular group of the seventies..It's called 'I have a dream'. * Then we're going down memory lane by telling the group some of our most remarkable school stories. * There will probably be enough time left to deal with some Belgian news. Here are the titles: "More people go missing at Christmas time', 'Belgian franc: not extinct yet' and 'No alcohol consumption for soldiers on mission'. We'll see how far we get. INTERACTIVE PRACTICE 1. This week's interactive exercise is a vocabulary exercise which deals with the reasons why more people go missing at Christmas time. Read about it in => "More people go missing at Christmas time " 2. Here is quiz 9 from the BBC's quiznet. => 'Christmas '' 3 Practice your listening, reading and vocabulary skills with 'audio news reports ' from the past 30 days (November) To Bea, Denise, Fran�oise, Jenny, Lucia, Marie-Anne, Suz, See you again for our first lesson in 2009 on 7 January |
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