English class: Training listening skills in tandem (December 27, 2015, teacher Brittany Briggs, verbling.com)

I highlighted a training of listening in this class because:

• The script of this video was written by our teacher, Britanny
• This video challenged our listening skills, it was very difficult to understand whole script.

It might be as an exercise for people who are reading this post to practice listening this video, here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2QvA-hklUw

English class: Representing Yourself In The Court (January 2, 2015, teacher Simon D. Yates, verbling.com)

The task of watching video before class was to choose a role for play in the class. The video was about representing yourself in the court and the list of roles was:

1. facilitator - who helps to participate in process, in that case who organizes show;
2. litigant - person who is interested in court's result;
3. professor - who leads the non-profit organization for helping people represent them-self in the court;
4. layer or advocate.

The main part of the class was organized as a radio-show where the facilitator gave to other participators possibilities to express their opinion about self-representation in the court.

Useful vocabulary:

I was out of options;

legal fees;

crusader following your goal  ;

I'm a layer, I'm gonna clean you up.

Our teacher, Simon, made this class very dynamical restricting the time of each speeches. 

Productive teacher's methods:

Playing video before discussion;

Giving role for each student from video;

Good time-management during the class.

English: Writing. Plan Your Russian Vacation.

Task: Your friend is moving to your country and has never been there before. Write a letter of advice and suggestions to him/her about the transition.

Hi Tom,

You asked me FOR advice about visiting Russia and I decided to describe a few places which you need to see:  

1. Moscow Kremlin is one of the most historically interesting placeS in the world. Being there YOU CAN SEE old churches AND imagine how russian tzars organised significant events there.

2. Sankt Petersburg is a great city/museum IN THE open air. Try to walk there early morning and you WILL feel THE magnificent atmosphere of this place.

3. Visit a countryside somewhere for instance IN the North of Russia. I’m sure it would be very different from what you saw in your country.

Don’t forget to visit me. We will speak about your journey and discuss about my plans to visit your country next year.

Anatoly

Written for Anatoly’s blog http://item1000.blogspot.com during Audrey Ross’s class.

Using Modern Tools For Preparing Exams

Using Modern Tools For Preparing Exams

This week I passed the professional exams and there is one thing which helped me very much in this deal. It is IPad and a very useful program” Good Reader”. Probably the technic of using this tool might be interesting for readers and I decided to dedicate to it this post.

First of all I recommend to read instruction of this program and “How-Tos” very carefully (“how-tos” is a plural form the informal adjective “how-to” which means “providing detailed and practical advice about the way to do something”). It is important to understand  two main features:

1. synchronization with cloud’s services and

2. skills of work with pdf-files.

We can classify  cloud’s services as:

1.) When customers manage their files in the cloud. A very good example is Google Drive.

2.) When synchronization organize without customers. One great example of it is photo synchronization from Apple between IPad, IPhone, IMac.

3.) And “intellectual synchronization” (my term) as we have in Good Reader.

Intellectual synchronization

We can link Good Reader on the tablet with accounts on cloud services as Google Drive, Dropbox etc.

What is how it looks like:

We can see on the picture that the tablet program can be linked with several accounts. When we click on the button “synchronization”,  all files inside folders synchronize with relevant folders on Google Drive.

Working with pdf-files

Pdf-files are the most suitable format because it gives possibilities to  highlight letters, add bookmarks and comments. I especially like searching feature there. If I didn’t have gadget, I would carry a very big suitcase with Study Books and Study Notes and technic of work wasn’t perfect.

I refer 50% success in passing exams to the features of this technology and recommend to use it.

Anatoly

 

English: Writing: Flight Delay Compensation

Task: You are a business manager. Write an apology email to a client about a problem with the service and how it will be resolved.

Additional task: Don’t mention the word “apologies” in you letter.

Flight Delay Compensation

Dear Sir,

We received your complainT about THE FLIGHT DELAY which happened last month.

We ARE aware that it could be very inconvenient for passengers and we are doing EVERYTHING TO DECREASE THE number of FLIGHT DELAYS for the future.

We wrote an agreement with the airport's administration about free coffee and snacks for passengers in case of FLIGHT DELAYS.

Let us as compensation for your inconvenience, give you a twenty percent discount for the tickets for the next flight.

We appreciate your understanding and we hope that you’ll decide to use our service again.

Your quality manager

Anatoly

PS:

5 Reasons Why Some People Will Never Apologize

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201305/5-reasons-why-some-people-will-never-apologize

Written for Anatoly’s blog http://item1000.blogspot.com during Audrey Ross’s class.

English: Writing. Desktop In the Cloud

Task:

Your favorite company made a huge mistake. Write a complaint letter to the CEO of this company.

Flexibility. It is a new trend which can improve a work performance in the company.

I tried last time to move my virtual working place (desktop of my computer) to the server. And now I’m completely independent of the place where I Am now in terms of doing my job. My files, office programs, accountING programs, they are all in the cloud.

WHILE I WAS on A business trip last month I shared with my colleagues that WHEN I AM  in front of A computer I feel LIKE I’m in my office because my computer's desktop IS with me. “Only the furniture is different” THEY JOKED.

It is reasonable to use as a local computer the cheapest one and install there free software, I recommend the linux system - Ubuntu.

Using the resources of the one server and programs which have BEEN bought for one computer, the company can keep A LOT OF money for developing THE business.

Written for Anatoly’s blog http://item1000.blogspot.com during Audrey Ross’s class.

English: Writing: The Longest Street in Moscow

Task:

Write a brochure for tourists in your town explaining all the great places to see and things to do.

Probably tourists imagine Moscow as A crowdy mEgapoliS. And it is true but Moscow is also a very beautiful place and comfortable TO LIVE AND RELAX IN.

This photo was taken by me a few days ago on THE Moscow River.  It is a large green area in the centre of Moscow. Tourists like to walk there, to ride on the ships, on rollersKATES or bicycles.

Let’s come back to the history of Moscow. This city was set up in the forest. People found IT AND SETTLED where the river bends.

During A trip on the shores of Moscow River the sun is constantly changing direction, because the river bends. It seems that thESE beautiful landscapes GO ON FOREVER.

IN ONE SONG, this river was called the longest street of Moscow, I invite everybody who visitS Moscow to see this place and if the weather is good to ride there on bicycles.

And don’t forget that you are in the centre OF one OF the biggest citIES IN THE WORLD - Moscow

This photo was taken by me On June 12, 2015 on THE Moscow-River

Anatoly

Written for Anatoly’s blog http://item1000.blogspot.com during Audrey Ross’s class.