group "english practice"

[lola26]

Hello!

Sorry Teacher, I promised to do my summary for tomorrow but I couldn't.

I'll work on it this week-end for Monday.

I am always motivated to improve my english but I have to work in the other subjects for the exam this week.

See you soon!

[Marie-Claire]

May I join your group ?

So, could you tell me what to do ?

May I join your group ?

So, could you tell me what to do ?

[SCOR13]

Hello everybody

Marie Claire everybody can join the group so as to improve English for all members.

For the moment Lola 26 has suggested to work on texts which are proposed to crpe candidates in aix marseille academy

You can find them here http://www.ac-aix-marseille.fr/public/jsp/...jsp?page_id=454

You can work on the first one. We summarize the text, we give our opinion about them, we enlarge also the discuss, and we make lists about different themes. The first one is education (everyone can complete it), and the second one is a list of words we need to comment a text (everyone can also complete it).

Have a nice day.

[SCOR13]

Hey, I notice that some of you have already given up the regular work.

The more texts you work on, the more fluent you will become . So Get on with it !!!!

A while ago, Lola26 started a list on " Education" . What about completing it ?

or starting a new one ?

Why not make a list of words you will need to comment an article/text...?

My first list to comment a text. Please correct if you see some mistakes. I effected a statement based on the 66 pages of this group but I read only 10 for the moment so probably it shall be developped.

Thanks for your remarks

To introduce

First of all,

For a start,

To begin with,

As an introduction,

It deals with : Il traite de

It grapples with

It tackles something

The issue of : Le problème de

This text is an extract from : Ce texte est extrait de, issu de

This text is extracted from

This text is an excerpt from :

This text was published : Ce texte a été publié

This text was issued :

To link

However : Cependant

Although : Bien que

Nevertheless : Néanmoins

Consequently/as a result : Par conséquent

Therefore : Donc

Thanks to… : Grâce à

because of… : A cause de

in spite of… : Malgré, en dépit de

in order to +V : Afin de

Moreover/ Furthermore : De plus

On top of this, / In addition, : De plus

Not only… but also : Non seulement...mais encore

Then/ next : Ensuite

Finally/eventually : Finalement

In other words : En d’autres termes

First / Second / Last : D’abord.../ensuite.../enfin

On the one hand...on the other hand : D’une part, d’autre part.

According to : D’après

As a matter of fact : En fait

Otherwise : Par ailleurs

At last but not least : Enfin, mais non le moindre

Afterwards : Après, ensuite

To express his/her own opinion

In my opinion,

To have an opinion on, of, about : Avoir une opinion sur

I believe that…

My view is just the opposite

There is no denying that… : On ne peut nier que

I maintain that…

I am convinced that…

I agree with : Je suis d’accord

I disagree with : Je ne suis pas d’accord

To approve

To disapprove

To share somebody’s view on something

From my point of view

As far as i’m concerned : Quant à moi

To comment

To declare something to somebody

To make a statement : Faire une déclaration

To assert something / that : Affirmer quelque chose / que

To maintain that : Soutenir que

To inform somebody of something

To insist on something

To emphasize something : Mettre l’accent sur

To relate : Relater

To underline something/that : Souligner quelque chose/le fait que

To stress the fact that

To highlight

To underscore

To draw one’s attention to : Attirer l’attention de quelqu’un sur

To point out : Faire remarquer que

To show out

To have a glance on : Avoir un regard sur

To center on something : Se concentrer sur quelque chose

To focus on something

To allude to : Faire référence, faire allusion à

To conclude

In conclusion I would say that…

Let me conclude by saying that…

To conclude

Please note i have added some new words because i have read now 46 pages.

[teacher]

on August 23, lola 26 proposed to work on texts from Aix Marseille for this week.

(suggested )

I worked on the first one

This article, entitled “school lunch order: hold the organic tofu” is adapted from the New York Times. It was published on October 2004.

It deals with the food which is served in a special school restaurant in Berkeley, in USA.

The journalist informs us that there was a special education program for students in this city. Parents and Board of education members were trying to incite children to eat some fresh food (instead of ready-cooked dishes).

So, they decided to open the food court, a new restaurant, which served tofu and organic food.

In fact, almost young people doesn’t like fresh foods, or low-fat food. They prefere unwholesome food like hot-dogs, sausages, pizzas, fizzies drinks...So, the frequentation of this restaurant was very low. The journalist gives us some figures : approximatively 200 to 300 students were lunching at this restaurant whereas 3.000 students were going to Berkeley High School.

The journalist advises us it was a political choice to propose some fresh food because of the image of Berkeley which is an “enlightened city”. Some students were interviewed and gave their own opinion about this choice: they assert it was not a novelty, and they have no time enough for lunch.

In my opinion, unwholesome food is a real big problem in developped countries. Women are working and they have no time enough to prepare themselves some dishes. So, whey they arrive at home, they open ready-cooked dishes so as to earn time. In these dishes, there is a lot of salt, a lot of lipids also. We not eat sensibly.

In our countries, there are many diseases due to our nutrition: heart diseases, diabetes, cholesterol...

The other part of the problem is the obesity of more and more children.

So, governments are taking some mesures so as to decrease the risks: in France, vending machines are not allowed in schools; in Great Britain, there are cooking lessons in schools...

[SCOR13]

on August 23, lola 26 proposed to work on texts from Aix Marseille for this week.

(suggested )

I worked on the first one

This article, entitled “school lunch order: hold the organic tofu” is adapted from the New York Times. It was published on October 2004.

It deals with the food which is served in a special school restaurant in Berkeley, in USA.

The journalist informs us that there was a special education program for students in this city. Parents and Board of education members were trying to incite children to eat some fresh food (instead of ready-cooked dishes).

So, they decided to open the food court, a new restaurant, which served tofu and organic food.

In fact, almost young people doesn’t like fresh foods, or low-fat food. They prefere unwholesome food like hot-dogs, sausages, pizzas, fizzies drinks...So, the frequentation of this restaurant was very low. The journalist gives us some figures : approximatively 200 to 300 students were lunching at this restaurant whereas 3.000 students were going to Berkeley High School.

The journalist advises us it was a political choice to propose some fresh food because of the image of Berkeley which is an “enlightened city”. Some students were interviewed and gave their own opinion about this choice: they assert it was not a novelty, and they have no time enough for lunch.

In my opinion, unwholesome food is a real big problem in developped countries. Women are working and they have no time enough to prepare themselves some dishes. So, whey they arrive at home, they open ready-cooked dishes so as to earn time. In these dishes, there is a lot of salt, a lot of lipids also. We not eat sensibly.

In our countries, there are many diseases due to our nutrition: heart diseases, diabetes, cholesterol...

The other part of the problem is the obesity of more and more children.

So, governments are taking some mesures so as to decrease the risks: in France, vending machines are not allowed in schools; in Great Britain, there are cooking lessons in schools...

Thanks teacher for the corrections you made

has proposed

It was published on October 2004 : i don't understand why it's not correct

Most young people don't like fresh foods

fizzy drinks : in english the adjectives have not a plural form.

to have no time enough : i suppose the problem is with the position of the adverb "enough": it must be placed before a name but after an adjective or an adverb? Is it ok ? so the correction would be : to have no enough time

Or the problem is it with the repetition of the same expression twice in the same text?

To earn is relative to money. In this case i must employ "gain". So to gain time?

we not eat sensibly : i suppose it's false because of the position of the negative form? The verbal form is right because it's a generality? So we eat not sensibly

to take some measures

I don't known if you have already visit this website so please find herewith the link

http://www.scelva.univ-rennes1.fr/langues/...lopsy/Index.htm

there are many grammar rules which are explained.

Teacher

I need also an advice: i realize that my vocabulary is not varied enough. Could you recommend to me a special dictionnary for synonymous?

Furthermore, in the previous pages i noticed you recommended also to work on novels. But my english is too poor to read a whole book like Harry Potter or other. So could you please give me some references of short books in English?

Many thanks for your answers and your help

[Oblivion]

Good vocabulary/ good linkwords .

Your opinion is interesting.

Good work , Oblivion

Thank you teacher and SCOR13 for the vocabulary list

[SCOR13]

For the next week if you want we can work on this text if you think it is appropriate

http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?...mp;docid=145566

It deals with the labor day (4th september)

Have a nice day!

[SCOR13]

EDUCATION

to attend school : fréquenter l'école

to resume school : reprendre l'école / rentrer en classe

subject : la matière

to give lessons : donner des cours =to teach ( taught/taught)

native language : langue maternelle

foreign language : langue étrangère

to learn ( learnt/learnt) : apprendre = to study : étudier

a student : étudiant

a pupil ( school-boy/school-girl) : élève

a coeducational school:un établissement mixte

to play truant :faire l'école buissonnière

the truancy:l’absentéisme scolaire

to be in detention : être en retenue

certificate : diplôme

graduated : diplômé

to stay down (a year) / to repeat a year : redoubler une classe

to be moved up (a class) : passer en classe supérieure

to skip a class : sauter une classe

Remedial teaching : le rattrapage scolaire

Academic failure : L’échec scolaire

Apprenticeship : L’apprentissage

A denominational school : Une école confessionnelle

Tuition fees : Des frais de scolarité

A grant : Une bourse (revenus)

A scholarship : Une bourse (résultats scolaires)

A boarding school : Un pensionnat

Private tuition : Des cours particuliers

A term : Un trimestre

A period : Une heure de cours

to take an exam : passer un examen ( take /took/taken) // to sit (sat/sat)an exam

to pass an exam : réussir l'examen

to fail an exam :échouer à un examen

to finish one's studies : finir ses études

National Curriculum : programme national (pour

une classe)

The syllabus : programme (pour une matière)

The Core curriculum : Le tronc commun

Standard assessment tests : tests d'évaluation nationaux

Core subjects (G-B) / the three Rs (Am.) : les matières fondamentales.

Core subjects are english, maths and sciences.

The three Rs are reading, writing and arithmetics.

Britain system:

Primary school :

-nursery schools (3 à 5 ans)

-infant schools (5-6 ans)

-first schools (5 à 9 ans)

-junior schools (7 à 11 ans)

-middle schools (8 à 13 ans)

Secondary school

-comprehensive schools

-public schools/independant schools : écoles privées

Higher education (college or university education as opposed to school or HIGH school)

-universities

-polytechnics

-training colleges : a college for adults that gives training for a particular profession , for example a teacher training college.

-colleges of further education (education for adults after leaving school that is not at a university)

American system

*Primary school:

Nursery schools : 3 à 4 ans

Kindergarden : 5-6 ans

Primary : grade school (1st grade to 6th grade)

*Secondary school:

Junior high schools : 12 à 14 ans

Senior high schools : 15 à 17 ans

High schools : 14 à 17 ans

You can use another color to complete or correct the list. I hope it will help everyone

Bye!

I have completed this list with few words in red

[estri]

Hey!

Here is my summary, about the labor day:

This text is an extract of "One stop English" website of September. It deals with the labor day, celebrated on the 4th of september in USA, Canada, puerto rico and virgin islands, and with the history of this day.

In the 1800's, some labors unions existed in Canada but legislation made them illegals. However, groups of workers continued to form they own organisations.

When British workers emigrated to Canada, they came with their habits, and bring with them their traditions of trade unions movements. Moreover, in the same time, the relationships betwen the countries became closer.

The workers wait for the unions trade to help them to have better working conditions. They instituated (not sure of the word!) a day in the beginning of may to marsh peacefully throught the city streets to speak together and force employers to reduce working hours and give them respect, dignity and better working conditions. But the employers used the police to arrest the activist. The things changed in 1872 when the Canadian governement allowed the trade unions. In 1889, workers from all over the world gathered in Paris to celebrate the first International labor day. In the USA and Canada, this day was moved to september, but it stays in May in many other countries.

In France, there is 11 days out of work for differents reasons: religion, end of wars, and the labor day. The empoyers can ask you to work on these days with no more pay (even if the tradition is to pay the worker double-day). But for the labor day, the employers have to pay you more if they obliged you to work. There is only one day in this case and it is the labor day. I think it is very important that this day stays an international day and that everywhere in the world (or in the more places as possible) workers stands up together to ask for more dignity and better work conditions... and we know that in the world, many countries give bad conditions to the workers, adults or children...

That it!

Love

Estri

[SCOR13]

hello

this is my summary

This text is an excerpt from the website onestopenglish. It is entitled “Festivals : Labor Day (4th September)”.

Its deals with the history of this bank holiday. Traditionnaly, during the nineteeth century, particularly during the period called “industrial revolution”, a lot of workers were sweat by their employers: the working conditions were awful: the employees were underpaid, the working day lasted up to 14 hours, children were obliged to work as soon as they were aged of 8. So, workers needed to unite themselves to be more efficient: they wanted to improve their working conditions, to decrease the last of the working day, and also to upgrade their wages. It was the birth of trade unions.

First they were declared illegal. But more and more people were union members. At the end of nineteeth century, in Paris, a lot of union members were present so as to declare the 1st may as the International Labor Day. In the United States, as the first celebration of the labor day took place in the 1st monday of September 1882 in New York, it was decided to hold this day.

Nowadays, it is considered as the end of Summer by american people. It takes place on the first monday on September so it’s not a regular holiday. The inhabitants of the United States celebrate this day by inviting their families, they make barbecues, and they listen music. It’s a very popular holiday.

In an election year, this day is also the beginning of the campaign for the running to the White House.

bye

[SCOR13]

Hey!

Here is my summary, about the labor day:

This text is an extract of: extract from "One stop English" website of September. It deals with the labor day, celebrated on the 4th of september in USA, Canada, puerto rico and virgin islands, and with the history of this day. perhaps its history would be better ?

In the 1800's, some labors unions existed in Canada but legislation made them illegals. However, groups of workers continued to form they own organisations : organizations .

When British workers emigrated to Canada, they came with their habits, and bring with them their traditions of trade unions movements. Moreover, in the same time, the relationships betwen : between the countries became closer.

The workers wait. I think it's better to continue with the past. for the unions trade to help them to have better working conditions. They instituated (not sure of the word!). perhaps established a day in the beginning of may to marsh peacefully throught the city streets to speak together and force employers to reduce working hours and give them respect, dignity and better working conditions. But the employers used the police to arrest the activist. The things changed in 1872 when the Canadian governement allowed the trade unions. In 1889, workers from all over the world gathered in Paris to celebrate the first International labor day. In the USA and Canada, this day was moved to september, but it stays in May in many other countries.

In France, there is 11 days out of work for differents reasons: religion, end of wars, and the labor day. The empoyers can ask you to work on these days with no more pay (even if the tradition is to pay the worker double-day). But for the labor day, the employers have to pay you more if they obliged you to work. There is only one day in this case and it is the labor day. I think it is very important that this day stays an international day and that everywhere in the world (or in the more places as possible) workers stands up together to ask for more dignity and better work conditions... and we know that in the world, many countries give bad conditions to the workers, adults or children...

That it!

Love

Estri

My comments in red