Dear students,

As you know, marks were published last Wednesday, June 22nd. You can check them on the net or at school.

Some of you must be delighted to see that you have successfully passed all the skills after lots of work and full-time commitment. Congratulations!

However, others will feel that their time and effort have been, apparently, to waste. Generally speaking, that´s not true. There´s been progress but there is still room for improvement. Have you internalized the new contents so you can use them in context? It does take quite a long time. Have you practised enough?

As a matter of fact, it´s good that you are conscious about your marks. It means you are responsible for your learning. Being "oblivious" to the way you learn/(if you do learn), that is, unconscious and not paying attention to the learning process is one of your worst enemies.

Well, let me give you some advice if you have failed one or more skills.

Don't drown yourself in sorrow just because you did poorly on a test. This will just distract you and keep you from doing your best in September.Look towards the future and aim to do better on the next test. There are  plenty of chances to pick yourself up and show  what you've got! That said, take this test as a wakeup call that's telling you that you should try preparing for the test in a different way.

See what mistakes you made and correct them carefully so that you won't make the same errors on the next exam. Come to revise the exam today, Wednesday, at 20.00 in room 10.

Don´t forget that you should start studying/practising the sooner, the better, so that you will not feel overwhelmed as time goes by.

Best of luck!.You can do it (if you really want).

Farewell. We´ve been working hard (on the railroad), haven´t we?



Time to say good-bye

If he had sung in English...

Thank you all. It was fun, fun, fun. (more pics on its way).

Isabel: you will be told  you have been posted somehow....

The Ducks after (or was it before?) last concert.

Queens meet for Coronation. Patricia, can you see just crosses?

Coronation

The coronation of the  monarch is a formal ceremony  in which the so-called "monarch" is formally crowned and invested with regalia  as you can see in the pictures.

Serious-minded as required after the event...

Trying is caring. You can get it if you really want.

Good vibrations

You may be a bit nervous before the exam. Take a deep breath and let it all out... It is said that singing is one of the best ways to a stress-free life.

Let´s chant  to release our tension!

Love songs? Karaoke - Sing along! (needs suscription)

An e-mail to the class.

Dear All,

You have an example of an e-mail to the class right now. I am using it to avoid giving you a lecturette on our last day. You are blessed for a moment with a reading pause which allows you to take these ideas at your own pace and not at mine.

Nine months have passed since our first lesson . I hope the academic  year has lived up to your expectations.  Personally, I should say that it was really good  to share experiences with you.  I know that some of you were eventually tempted to give up but, against all odds, you  kept on working hard. Thanks!

I firmly believe your feedback and participation will massively enlarge our understanding of learning. The more we share, the more we gain.  It is for this reason that I tried  opening up this channel of communication.  Blogs and  e-mail writing have been meant to improve our proficiency. As a one-to-one  activity, it enables individuals to have a voice in a different way from what they can achieve in the group. I do  appreciate your effort and commitment when dealing with these -for some of you- new tools. I am also glad you have shared with me how you have experienced the course.

However, it is time for you to sit  your writing exams. It is said that students’ progress and achievements constitute an unambiguous proof of the success/failure of teaching.  Evaluation proves to be an essential requirement for the success of the teaching and learning process. It enables students to be conscious of their progress, helping them to reflect on the most effective means to improve their learning. Evaluation also enables teachers to assess and, therefore, renovate the course planning, that is, methodology, units of work, use of materials and space arrangement, and students’ assessment. Evaluation is a major means to an end: the improvement of the overall teaching and learning process.

Most of you will be also taking the oral exam. Remember this is an opportunity for you to show  your knowledge, your speaking skills, as well as your ability to communicate.
Before the exam,   practise working with classmates or practice in front of a mirror, to evaluate yourself. It is advisable to maintain your self-confidence and composure. If you find yourself anxious, take several slow, deep breaths to relax. Please, don't talk about the test to other students just before entering the room: their anxiety can be contagious. Just two more tips: correct yourself if you make any mistakes and keep eye contact.

Last but not least: remind yourself that you are well-prepared and are going to do well.


With warm wishes,

Laura.

Wishes, hopes and resolutions

Hopes, wishes and resolutions

Realia-

You have been working on  writing a post for a blog recently. You´ve made a resolution for this year too. Would you like to publish it?

If so, let me inform you that here are two popular sites in English for keeping your lists of goals and things you’d like to do. You can write down and share your goals for life and language-learning there, if you want.  One is http://www.43things.com/. It’s very easy to use. You can see goals posted by other famous and ordinary users. If you like their goals, you can add them to your list. 

Hope you stick to your resolution!

New Year´s Resolutions

New Year´s Resolutions- A change for the better!

Make, keep and don´t break your New Year´s Resolutions! (check the English notice board downstairs 10 January onwards)