Blog criado porBruno Coriolano de Almeida Costa, professor de Língua Inglesa desde 2002. Esse espaço surgiu em 2007 com o objetivo de unir alguns estudiosos e professores desse idioma. Abordamos, de forma rápida e simples, vários aspectos da Língua Inglesa e suas culturas. Agradeço a sua visita.
"Se tivesse perguntado ao cliente o que ele queria, ele teria dito: 'Um cavalo mais rápido!"
This is a video lesson
based around the video “Mr. Bean packs his suitcase” thanks to British Council
for bringing it to my attention in their lesson plan on making
predictions but I’ve adapted it for use in different ways with different levels.
Kids and lower levels
The aim of this lesson plan
is to practice holiday vocabulary (clothes and items that go in a suitcase) and
some basic grammar structure.
Project a picture of a
suitcase on to the board (or draw one) and ask “What do you put in your
suitcase when you go on holiday?” Brainstorm things that you pack on the
board. Make sure students know:
toothbrush
toothpaste
swimming shorts/trunks
towel
underpants
can of baked beans
cloth/flannel
soap
book
suitcase
trousers
shorts
shoes
teddy bear
scissors
You could also use
this quizlet set to go over clothes
vocabulary.
If children are old enough
to write, put them in pairs and hand out post-it-notes and a pencil to each
pair. Tell them they are going to watch a video of a silly man packing his
suitcase, they have to write 5 things on the post-it that they think he will
put in his suitcase. Have them copy the following:
Mr. Bean will put
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
in his suitcase.
Then stick all the post-its
on the board and show the video. The team that guesses the most objects
correctly wins. Have them read out their original post-it using past simple
affirmative and negative forms: “Mr.Bean put a shirt in his suitcase. He didn’t
put a mobile phone in his suitcase.”
Higher levels – video
dictations
Ask students: What do you
have to do before you go on holiday?
Buy your ticket, pack your
suitcase, find your passport etc.
Pre-teach the following
vocabulary:
Objects:
toothbrush
toothpaste
swimming shorts/trunks
towel
underpants
can of baked beans
cloth/flannel
soap
book
suitcase
trousers
shorts
shoes
teddy bear
scissors
Verbs:
to fit (the chair
doesn’t in my bag)
to take out (I took a
pen out of my bag)
to pack a suitcase
to swap (I swapped the
shirt for a t-shirt)
pick up (I picked up
the pen)
throw away (I threw
away the coke can)
to choose (I chose the
red shirt)
to do
eeny-meany-miney-mo
to realise (I realised
I had forgotten my passport)
to squeeze (I squeezed
the toothpaste)
to snap in half (He
snapped the pencil in half)
Put students in pairs and
arrange them so that 1 is facing the screen and one has their back to the
screen. Tell them that the one facing the screen is going to watch 20 seconds
of the video then describe it to their partner, their partner will then repeat
back what they’ve heard to make sure they have understood. Students then change
positions and repeat until minute 3:14. Then let all students watch the end
together. Alternatively students could come up with predictions for how the
video will end.
I recommend pausing the
video quite frequently so that students can concentrate on describing 2 or
three actions accurately rather than trying to describe a big chunk of the
video.
Then replay the whole video
from the start so that everyone can watch it together, ask students if they
think their partner described the action well.
PORTAL DA
LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the
persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites
referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such
websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
In some
instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here;
therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so.
Thank you very much.
Is something important missing?
Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and
fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!
Your feedback is welcome. Please
direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com
Did you spot a typo?
Do you have any tips or examples
to improve this page?
Do you disagree with something on
this page?
Use one of your social-media
accounts to share this page:
Good evening,
everyone. Thank you all for the warm welcome.
It is an honour
to be here. It’s truly a privilege just to be invited to the St. Matthew’s Day
Banquet, and an even greater privilege to be one of your keynotes this evening.
I’d like to
start by thanking Mayor Scholz for his gracious invitation. And to speak after
Foreign Minister Gabriel is no small feat, but I’ll do my modest, Canadian
best.
You know, when
my office received the mayor’s invitation to this historic dinner, there was no
question that I would attend.
Of course, this
banquet’s repution precedes itself, as much for the great meal as for the
mangnificent room. And I knew I had to be here because of the friendship
between our two countries.
We have long
been partners on the world stage.
Canadians and
Germans value democracy and the rule of law. We understand the importance of
international cooperation and partnership. And we share a progressive vision of
the world, realizing the immense potential that comes with embracing change.
I talk a lot
about how our goal as a government is to help the middle class and those
working hard to join it. That, ultimately, was the vision for change that
elected us. Regular Canadians were worried about their future, and we made a promise
to support them through these uncertain times.
But that worry –
that anxiety – isn’t unique to Canada. It’s everywhere.
Too many people
around the world are anxious about what the future may hold.
And who could
blame them?
With the pace of
globalization and technological change, there is a very real fear out there
that our kids will be worse off than we are. That they won’t have the same kind
of opportunities that we have, despite being generally much more educated, and
infinitely more tech-savvy.
Citizens across
the political spectrum are looking for guidance. They’re looking for
leadership. They’re looking for a voice.
And so far,
they’re feeling a little let down.
When companies
post record profits on the backs of workers consistently refused full-time work
– and the job security that comes with it – people get defeated.
And when
governments serve special interests instead of the citizens interests who
elected them – people lose faith.
Increasing
inequality has made citizens distrust their governments. Distrust their
employers.
It turns into
“Us” vs. “Them”.
And we’re
watching that anxiety transform into anger on an almost daily basis.
It follows that
people’s natural defence mechanism is to hunker down and recoil inward. To give
into cynicism. To retreat from one another.
But it’s time
for us, as leaders in politics and business, to step up. It’s time to get real
about the challenges facing the middle class, and those working hard to join
it.
Whether your
goal is to build a successful company, or lead a respected and effective
government, it’s time to realize that the old approaches don’t work anymore.
We can’t go
about things the same way and expect to succeed in this new world.
People are
looking for leadership. It’s up to each of us to determine what kind of
leadership they find.
People don’t
need leaders to tell them they have problems.
People need
leaders to help them build solutions together.
I want to use
this speech to challenge us. To highlight that the challenges we’re facing
require real action and real leadership. And I’m choosing to do it here in
Germany because I know you get that. On values, on approach, on inclusive
success you’re on the right track and inspiring others to follow.
But we all need
to do more.
For business
leaders, it’s about thinking beyond your short term responsibility to your
shareholders. You have an equally important responsibility to your workers,
their families, and the communities that support you.
It’s time to pay
a living wage. To pay your taxes. And give your workers the benefits – and
peace of mind – that come with stable, full-time contracts.
You can’t build
loyalty into corporate culture when people feel overworked and undervalued. You
must give your workers avenues to update and modernize their skills for a
changing world.
You must be part
of the communities where you operate, realizing that these towns and cities
support you, and you must, in turn, support them.
And when you
hear that an employee is expecting a child, congratulate her, don’t make her
question whether or not she’ll have a job to come back to.
And you must
ensure your workplace, and especially your boardrooms, reflect the full
diversity of society.
It’s time to
take a broader view of employee-employer relationships. One that treats workers
as partners in success.
Now, I fully
appreciate the irony of preaching about the struggles of the middle class to a
sea of tuxedoes and ball gowns, while wearing a bow-tie myself.
But this
discussion needs to happen. We need to realize our collective responsibility –
to the people who elected us. To the people who put their faith and trust in
us.
The answers are
not in this room. They’re out there. We all need to leave this place, and truly
listen to people who are anxious about their futures.
Hear first-hand
about their concerns, work with them to develop solutions, and actually
implement them.
The hard work of
change begins with each and every one of us – around our boardrooms, our water
coolers, and our Parliaments.
As for
Parliaments, let me tell you a little bit about what we’ve done in ours, in
Canada.
We know that we
are far from perfect, but what success we’ve had didn’t happen by accident and
won’t continue without effort. So what I’ve done over the past years is listen
to people talk about their worries. About the fact that the rising tide no
longer seems to lift all boats.
In Canada, we’ve
taken some steps to help allay that anxiety. To help people deal with the
uncertainty of a changing world.
For example, we
raised taxes on the wealthiest one per cent, so we could cut taxes for the
middle class.
We improved
child benefit payments into one single, monthly, tax free Canada Child Benefit.
This initiative has given 9 out of 10 families more money to help with the high
costs of raising their kids. Because of that, we’re on track to reduce child
poverty by around 40 per cent in our country.
We’re increasing
the amount of assistance Canadian students can get, helping to make
post-secondary education more affordable.
And we’re
investing in a range of training and employment programs for unemployed and
underemployed Canadian workers, allowing them to upgrade their skills so
they’re ready for the modern workforce.
These are just a
handful of the things we’ve done to help people adapt to and absorb the changes
we’re all feeling.
We could not
have done this without listening to Canadians.
In fact, I’ve
spent the last month and a half back at home on a cross-Canada tour. Over the
past few weeks, I’ve done about a dozen town halls, filling arenas and
community centres, and took questions for hours. On anything and everything.
Nothing scripted, nothing staged. Just heard directly from middle class
Canadians about the things they were worried about. And, more importantly, I
heard what they needed from my government to help.
Now, for the
politicians in the room, it probably sounds like a high risk proposition to
answer a host of questions for hours on end. It was unpredictable and, at
times, very intense. But it’s only in having those tough conversations that we
can get at the heart of what matters.
To everyone
here, I leave you with this. Better is always possible. But we have to make
better happen.
We’re not going
to get it right everyday.
But Canadians
and Germans need to continue to lead by example.
Whether you’re a
business or a government, it’s time to realize that this anger and anxiety we
see washing over the world is coming from a very real place. And it’s not going
away.
We can no longer
brush aside the concerns of our workers and our citizens. We have to address
the root cause of their worries, and get real about how the changing economy is
impacting peoples’ lives.
Ladies and
gentlemen, we can all play a role in making the transition to the new economy a
smooth one.
And it starts
with listening.
Let’s be better,
because we know we can do better.
For our
citizens, for our workers, and for the entire world.
Over the years,
I’ve heard more reasons not to learn a language than I ever would have
imagined. I even used to make excuses for myself, before I learned my first new
language, Spanish.
I’ve yet to hear
(or come up with) a single good reason for not learning a language.
That’s right.
Nada.
What about good
reasons to start learning a new language? I know hundreds, and hear new ones
every day! Every language learner I’ve met so far has their own personal reason
for wanting to speak another language.
Why learn
another language?
Here are a few
of the best I’ve come across. Speaking a second language will…
1.Open Up a World of Job Opportunities
Learning a second
language opens up a ton of career opportunities. I’m not just talking about
freelancing or working location-independently either, though these are
excellent ideas which I’ve personally used. There are lots of other
ways that speaking two or more languages can improve your employment prospects.
The world is
changing fast. More companies than ever are doing business in several – often
dozens of – countries around the world, but they can’t do it without hiring
globally-minded people who can speak at least one foreign language. Ever wanted
to be like those people you see in the airport travelling to foreign countries
“on business” all the time? That can be you.
Even in small,
local companies, chances are that the ability to speak a second language will
set you apart from other applicants.
2. Give Your Brain a Boost
Speaking a second
language each day really can keep the doctor away! Study after studyhas demonstrated the
cognitive benefits of learning another language, no matter how old you are.
Memory improvement, longer attention span, and a reduced risk of age-related
cognitive decline, are just a few of the known positive effects of speaking two
or more languages.
3. Establish Deep Connections and Cross-Cultural
Friendships
I’d bet that at
least once in your life, you’ve felt a pang of regret during an encounter with
someone from a different culture, when you realised how the experience could be
enriched by knowing that person’s language.
Has this ever
happened to you? You visit a food stall at a local market while on holiday (or
even in your own city), where the employees are chatting away together in their
native language. You order something, in English, interrupting their fun
conversation.
Another local
comes by while you’re waiting, orders some food in the local language, and
starts talking cheerfully with the cook about…something. A minute later, the
cook stops talking and hands you your plate with a simple “Thank you, bye!”
You just missed
out on an authentic cultural experience because you couldn’t join in.
Or what about
this? You have a friend from another country who you enjoy hanging out with,
but you only speak to each other in English. You feel a connection with that
person, and think they’re a great friend. And then they mention one day about
this other group of friends, who speak their native language, that they meet up
with all the time. But you’ve never been invited, because you wouldn’t
understand what anyone is saying.
Ok, so you can’t
learn every language in the world and have an intimate knowledge of every
single culture out there. But if there’s even one culture that
you’d like to understand better, or even one person in your
life you’d like to know better, then one of the best ways you can start is by
learning to speak their language.
4. Get an Outsider’s Perspective about Your Own
Culture
Trying to
understand your own culture exclusively from within it is like trying to
understand what a bus is like if you’ve only ever ridden inside it. You can’t
see the bus’s wheels, the exterior colour, or the engine that drives it.
Want the bigger
picture? You need to get off that bus and examine it from the outside.
I strongly
believe that language and culture are intimately linked. Learn another language
and you’ll have insight into another culture. You’ll get to “ride on a
different bus” and not only see what it’s like inside and even get comfy in there, but get a clear view of
your own for the first time.
Too many people
go their entire lives never questioning the universal “truths” they take for
granted in their own culture. But step outside this narrow scope, and it’s like
stepping out of the Matrix; once your eyes are truly opened to that new
perspective, you can never go back.
5. Become More Interesting and Meet More
Interesting People
If your first
language is English, the second most common language in the world, and yet you’ve made the
effort to learn another language rather than expecting the world to accommodate
your monolingualism, then you’re a rare breed indeed. This makes you
interesting. People will approach you. They’ll want to talk to you. They’ll
want to know what motivated you to “bother” learning another language.
Believe me, if
you’re a native English speaker who speaks two or more languages, you’ll have
many more lively, engaging conversations about a variety of topics than you
ever would have had otherwise.
Sure, you could
spend your life getting by in English everywhere you go, but
that’s boring. Be fun! Be interesting! Be multilingual!
6. Stay Smart in Touristed Areas
There’s always a
danger of obvious tourists being targets, or getting hassled by touts, which
can ruin your experience of a place where people are actually warm and genuine.
The “obvious tourist” tends to be whoever is speaking English, or some other
distant tongue.
But everything
changes when you use the local language.
I had heard
countless stories of how a visit to the Pyramids of Giza is nothing but a
frustrating chain of shooing away one tout after another, but by
dressing/acting like a local and replying in (my albeit broken) Arabic the
entire time, I actually didn’t feel hassled by a single person all the way
there. It was actually an experience
I’ll never forget!
In over a dozen
years travelling the world, I’ve managed to stay sane and stay safe by attempting to
blend in as best as I can, as well as responding confidently enough in the
local language that potential scammers will believe you’ve been there a while,
and they’ll think twice before trying to pull a fast one on you.
7. Become a Better Learner
Every time I
learn a new language, I find it easier than the one before. The reasoning is
simple: with every new language I study, I figure out ways to learn more
efficiently. In other words, I develop language hacks.
Because of my
extensive experience with this sort of trial and error, I’ve already identified
many common hindrances that I can help you avoid right from the get-go, as well
as language hacks that can help you learn faster.
As you spend time
learning your first foreign language, you’ll identify your own inefficiencies
and eliminate them. You’ll start gaining momentum in your chosen language and
learn more and more quickly. Then you’ll be able to hit the ground running with
the next language. You’ll be on your way to polyglotism before you know it.
8. Conquer Your Fear of “Looking Stupid”
If a foreigner
walked up to you to ask for help with something like directions, and they struggled
to find the right English words, and made many mistakes but were obviously
trying hard, would you feel like laughing at their effort? I doubt it. You’d
more likely be impressed with their courage to walk up to a stranger and speak
a language imperfectly. That’s a person who has conquered their fear of making
mistakes in front of others, and has managed to communicate with you and gotten
help with what they need.
Can’t imagine
having that sort of courage yourself? Well, if you decide to learn a language,
and you start by speaking from day 1, then you’ll get over your
fear very quickly. Not only will you be able to communicate effectively (note
that I didn’t say “perfectly”) in a new language, but your confidence
will get a huge boost, and you’ll never be held back from trying any new
skill. Ever wanted to try dancing? Creative writing? Public speaking? How great
would it be to shed your inhibitions and just go for it!
9. Bring Out Your Inner Mr Spock
This may sound
surprising, but studies have shown that when you make a decision in your second language, you’re more
likely to think logically and avoid basing your decision on emotion. In other
words, you’ll become more like Star Trek’s Mr Spock.
There’s no way
around it. Humans are emotional creatures. Everyone is guilty of making
decisions too hastily and too emotionally. But if you learn to speak another
language, you’ll learn to think in that language. And when you
think about your decisions in a foreign language, that emotional bias tends to
go away and you end up choosing the more logical outcome.
Bollywood films,
manga, telenovelas, Swah rap – the world is full of non-English works of
creative art. Don’t you wish you could appreciate some of them in their
original language rather than relying on badly-translated subtitles or English
dubs, which lose much of the charm that made the original product popular to
begin with?
If you’re a fan
of any type of foreign media – or you’d like to be, but aren’t
interested in experiencing it in English because of all nuances lost in
translation – then this is an excellent reason to start learning that new
language. You’ll already have a very clear goal in mind, so you’ll know what
type of vocabulary will be most useful to learn, and you can use those
materials as a study aid as you progress in your new language.
11. No More Paying the Sticker Price
Tired of
overpaying for gifts and souvenirs at markets when you go on holiday? It’s
common knowledge that at many of these places, there are two prices: one for
locals and one for tourists.
Even if you bring
your best haggling game to the table, if you
try to haggle exclusively in English instead of the local language, you might
not get very close to that coveted “local price”. But if you make the effort to
learn the local language, then you’ll start the game off with a better hand,
and end up saving quite a bit more money than you would have otherwise. And the
best part is that you’ll also be participating in an authentic cultural
experience in the country you’re visiting.
12. Discover You Can Do It!
As I mentioned
earlier, I’ve heard pretty much every excuse that people give for failing to
learn a second language. Too old, not enough time, wrong genes. None of them
hold water.
Whatever doubts
you have, you really can learn another language. You could even hold your first
conversation just seven days from now.
So What are You Waiting For?
Everyone has
their own unique reasons for wanting to learn another language. But while the
reasons may be different, they can all be put into action in the same way: by
committing to stop making excuses, and to start speaking
the language you’ve always wanted to learn.
Once you’ve held
your very first conversation in a foreign language, trust me: you’ll never look
back.
PORTAL DA
LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the
persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites
referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such
websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
In some
instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here;
therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so.
Thank you very much.
Is something important missing?
Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and
fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!
Your feedback is welcome. Please
direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com
Did you spot a typo?
Do you have any tips or examples
to improve this page?
Do you disagree with something on
this page?
Use one of your social-media
accounts to share this page:
