Term 3, Weeks 5 to 10 - Interviews

Over the next few weeks, we will listen to interviews and think about how to answer some interview questions.

Here at VILC is a video interview with an Ambulance officer who describes how she copes with night shift work. You'll have to log in to VILC with Username: 500vilcst and our password for 2014 (see noticeboard in the computer room for that).

There are tasks to complete after listening to the video. You can also download the video to listen again.

Find more information about being an Ambulance paramedic here and here at ACE jobs.

What are some of the challenges of being an Ambo?

Think about the job duties (tasks) and the working conditions (the patients and the stresses).

Why do Ambos vehicles have writing all over the windows?!

Have you noticed that many ambulances have writing on their windows? Here is the story of the industrial dispute (fight) they are having with their employer (the Victorian government).

Prepare to be interviewed for a volunteer job

We are going to practice answering some common interview questions in relation to some volunteer jobs.

The position of 'Walk with me' has gone now but there are other positions available at the website 'Go Volunteer' where you can locate suitable volunteering jobs that meet your needs and requirements.

Prepare and practice some answers to the following questions

1. Can you tell us something about yourself?
2. Why are you applying for this position?
3. Which of the jobs are you most interested in? Why?
4. What special qualities or skills can you bring to this position?
5. What is your availability?

Thanks to Business English magazine for this image.

Term 4 / Week 1: Breaking news. Making news. Locating news.

Note: this week Jill is still working with ONE arm - so we will keep this post brief.

Here is the News

 

Police and protestors clash at East West Link drill site in Carlton

Listen to this radio report by reporter Gus Goswell, from outside CNLC. We will reconstruct sentences from a shorter report which we read in the Wednesday class.

Wednesday people will share their learnings and take a leadership role in building sentences. See the Worksheet: Writing workshop - Report: 'Protestors clash with police at East West Link drilling site'.

• Do you want to read the news report?? Just Google the title (headline):  Protestors clash with police at East West Link drilling site and you will locate the full written report.

Term 3 / Week 3: Good evening, here is the news....

This term we will develop our reading skills with the News - we'll also listen to the News and write about the News. The language of the News is often very difficult: the writers pack a lot of words into each sentence using big noun groups and the readers often speak very quickly!

News on the internet

It's good to listen the news on the internet because you can pause any time to think about what you heard and you can play it again.

On some news websites you can read the captions at the same time as listen to the words - this is a brilliant way to improve your language skills.

Real news: useful websites

• News in 90 Seconds - you can read the transcript as you listen to this version of ABC News 24.
• If you have a Yahoo email account, the Yahoo 7 News is right there whenever you sign out. Click on a news item and you'll usually also see a video of News highlights at the end of the text.

•  If you have a Gmail account, you have probably noticed Google News - this is very easy to find, just 'Google' it.

What other news sites do you like? Let us know so we can add them here.

Language websites with 'news'

• VILC - new News is put here every two weeks - listen then click on the book icon to read the text too. Test yourself with the exercises. Challenge yourself with the Intermediate Level news. Listen to the old news too. Remember our username is 500vilcst and our Password in 2013 is in on the noticeboard in the CNLC Computer room (it's only for students and teachers of CNLC but you can sign in at home too).
•  VOA (Voice of America) Learning English has real news stories spoken slower than usual and you can read the captions at the same time. Scroll down the page to find news items.
• ELLLO English learning website also has news items but these are not real. 
• Simple English news has short stories which you can listen to and read at the same time. Choose a category of news on the right and select an item. Careful - don't click any advertisements! Can you see all the advertisements circled in the screenshot below: 

 

• BBC English has Words in the News - this features a news story each day with help with vocabulary and exercises you can do by yourself. It's great - try the story 'Sharkproof Divers' from Australia.

What other language websites feature 'news'? Let us know so we can add them here.

 

And just for fun: what is a blooper?

Have a look at this video: Best News Bloopers March 2013 and work out what a blooper is (Skip the Ad as soon as you can).

Independent learning

Choose a news item on your favourite website and write about it in your Independent learning journal: explain the who? what? when? where? and then describe what you learnt.

 

Did you miss....?  Work in Week 3

• Reported Speech: here is the link to the Worksheet: She said that / He told me that - from Murphy, Unit 49 
• Sing along to the song Waltzing Matilda (Queensland version).

Time to Review our Progress with Learning

Last week we started the process of reviewing our Learning over Terms 1 and 2. We are using the Worksheet: Midyear Learning Review and Self-assessment 2013.

We had a good discussion about the types of activities that you find useful to your language learning - both in class and independently outside class.

Video: Best TV shows for English language learners

Here is the video that I mentioned about useful TV shows for language. Many TV shows are difficult to understand but with sit coms (situation comedies) you can often follow what is happening by seeing the action as well as listening to the people. What's your favourite sit com? (Personally I don't have a favourite!)

Other English Language Learning websites

We also talked about a number of useful language learning websites such as VOA and VILC. If you have forgotten what is available and where to find them, go to our CNLCTalks wiki Learning on the Web Page to view the list and click any of the links to try them out.

Which one is your favourite? Why?

Here are the two websites that students talked about on Friday. What do you think about these websites?

• VOA has real news stories spoken slower than usual and you can read the captions at the same time.
• VILC requires you to sign in with our User name: 500vilcst and this year's Password which is on the whiteboard in the Computer room at CNLC.

Community news: Omar wins National Order of Australia award

Are you looking for an interesting community story to read and write about in your Independent Learning Journal? Read the story here.

It's very exciting to actually know someone who has received this National Order of Australia for his work in the community. Omar is employed through CNLC to help Horn of Africa men get employment. But funding for the program that pays for his employment is threatened. Let's hope we are successful in getting the program funded beyond June 2013.

Term 2 / week 3: Fat, fatter, obese

This week we are spending more time reading and writing persuasive texts. Let's review some language that we read in the text Australia needs a Michelle Obama.

Dictation: The two Michelles

Listen and pause the dictation where you need to. Don't forget your punctuation. When you're finished, you can check your work by clicking the link to the transcript of the text here.

Some Links to Michelle Bridges web pages

• Listen to Michelle's Tips here.

• Go to Michelle's BMI Calculator here to work out if you are overweight or obese. You'll need to know your height and your weight. 

• Lastly, grab some healthy recipes here.