Hand-out: How to Prepare for Your Written Whole-Day Test/Mock Exam/heldagsprøve i engelsk

Students these days are preparing for a written whole-day test/mock exams. Here is a hand-out I give to my students as an aid to help them prepare before the exam and during the exam. The hand-out is a modified version of a text that I got from Anette Haugen, who teaches English at Kristiansand katedralsokole. 

My blog has reached 100,000 hits.

My blog has reached 100,000 hits. It is a niche blog mostly for educators, so I am extremely humbled that so many find it useful. Thank you for following me and sending me your questions on email and your comments on the blog posts.

Best,

Jaspreet

The links are working now

Hi,
The links to different files in all the blog posts should be working now. Please let me know if there are any issues.
Best,
Jaspreet

Problemer med lenker til filer på bloggen / Issues with links to the files on the blog

Hei,
Dropbox har plutselig gjort noen endringer i går 15 mars 2017 slik at alle lenkene jeg har i innleggene mine på bloggen er blitt ugyldige og må legges inn på nytt. 
Jeg skal prøve å ordne opp i dette så fort som mulig. Hvis det er noen filer dere trenger umiddelbart, kan dere sende meg en epost på jaspreetgloppen@gmail.com, så sender jeg dokumentene.
Mvh
Jaspreet

Hi!
Dropbox made some changes in their sharing policy yesterday March 15, 2017 rendering all the links to files on my blog unusable.
I will update the links as soon as possible. In the meantime, send me an email at jaspreetgloppen@gmail.com if you need any files and I will send them to you right away.
Best,
Jaspreet

Oral Presentation - Occupational Health and Safety.

In this video, you can see Chris Mestre present the topic of Occupational Health and Safety. Chris is a studying Automation at Sotra Vgs. The task can be found here.

In my opinion, this presentation stands out:

·        Because of the high quality of content as Chris covers the topic in its complexity.

·        Chris covers all parts of the task which can be found here.

·        Chris uses different tools to convey his content: he uses body language and  he writes and draws on the blackboard to emphasize parts of the content.

·        He is poised under pressure, uses formal language and maintains eye contact with the audience throughout the presentation. 

·        He does not read from a script which shows that he has understood the content and can produce sentences in English language on the spot.

·        His language is fluent as he communicates his content well using right technical vocabulary and the presentation flows well.

·        His language is also pretty accurate, and even though one can see some concord issues, they do not hinder communication and are not very frequent.

Here are some tips to improve the presentation even more.

·        Chris could have told the audience what exactly “long term health risks" mean. This is because it is easy to confuse long term health risks with long-term consequences. The former indicates a health issue that can come up if the working conditions are not optimal. For example, loss of eye sight over time due to poor lighting. The latter refers to a consequence of a health related issue and can also occur from a safety hazard. For example, you can break your leg if you slip and fall because of wet floor. The consequence is long-term even though it does not take place over time.

·        Chris should also discuss the prevention of the risks in-depth.

·        It is a good idea to say something more about the sources than just “here are my sources.” One can, for example, comment on why a certain source was used . One can also comment on the reliability and the credibility of the sources.

All in all, this is a brilliant presentation by Chris  which I am proud to share with you, with his permission of course. 

Satire - Task for Literature and Culture Vg3

Gin Lane by William Hogsworth

Satire is a brilliant literary technique with often a noble vision – to highlight issues in a society using wit, intellect and sarcasm. Satire showcases intelligence, both by the one who uses it and the one who it is directed at. This is because to get the subtleties of a satirical text, you need to be engaged and aware of the current social and political issues.

The following task about satire covers the following aims in the English Literature and Culture subject at the Vg3 level.

Competence Aims

• elaborate on and discuss distinctive linguistic features of texts from different genres, from different periods and regions
• interpret literary texts and other cultural expressions from a cultural-historical and social perspective
• elaborate on and discuss the cultural position of the United States and Great Britain in the world today, and the background for the same
• use a nuanced, well-developed and precise vocabulary to communicate on literature and culture
• use suitable language, appropriate to the situation, in oral and written genres

Here is the task.

Task: Choose “Gin Lane” or “Gulliver Travels” and a satirical TV show from the United States or Great Britain and illustrate (present, discuss and analyze) how satire is used to comment on current issues. Your presentation should begin with a clear thesis statement and should include relevant facts and examples. You may include a very brief video not more than 2 minutes).

Criteria for Evaluation:

1) You will be evaluated on the content (the strength of your argument, if you use examples and quotes, if you are you critical, do you discuss or just present) of your presentation, and how it is communicated (if your points/ideas come across, if you connect with the audience).

2) The structure of the presentation will also be assessed (introduction, conclusion and the transitions between the different topics).

3) Your language (including vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic usage, technical terms, use  of formal language) will also be evaluated.

4) There needs to be a clear thesis statement which declares the main point or controlling idea of your presentation.

5) You will also be evaluated on how you use your sources so remember to use and refer to your sources in a proper way. You need to also comment and reflect on the sources you used.

6) You cannot read from a script. Key words are OK.

7) Length of the presentation: The presentation should last at least 10 minutes or more.

Make sure you make a power point for this project.

Indigenous Peoples -Native Americans: A news report about Standing Rock, the Dakota Pipeline and discussion questions.

Picture source: Inhabitat.com <http://inhabitat.com/dakota-access-pipeline-operators-to-forge-ahead-in-defiance-of-obama/>

The curriculum for Vg1 and Vg2 specifies that students need to:

1) discuss and elaborate on texts by and about indigenous peoples in English-speaking countries 

and

2) present and discuss current news items from English language sources

On NRK TV, there is an excellent news report about the Dakota Pipeline in the US. The documentary provides a short historical context and also an interview with Dallas Goldtooth from the Sioux tribe in South Dakota. There is also an interview with Sandra Márjá West, the parliamentary representative for the Sami, the indigenous Peoples of Norway. She was at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. 

Here is the link to the news report. 

The students can listen to the report fro the beginning to 14 minutes and answer questions about segment 3, which is the interview with Dallas Goldtooth.

Segment 3 is from 4.59 minutes until 9:27 minutes.

I have written down the questions that the interviwer asks Dallas Goldtooth. The students are supposed to write down answers to these questions and then they can be discussed in class.

Discussion Questions

1)  When the interviewer asks Dallas Goldtooth with the Sioux tribe in North Dakota, what they will do now as the work on the pipeline continues, what does Dallas Goldtooth answer?

2) The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has said that Trump’s decision to continue work on the pipeline is a violation of treaty rights. In what ways is his actions illegal? (include terms like consultation, planning process, disregarding the process, study on the environmental effects in your answer)

3) What positive impact will this pipeline have on America’s economy according to Trump?

4) What are the negative consequences of this pipeline according to Dallas Goldtooth? (include terms like a leaking pipeline, drinking water, routing of pipeline through sacred sites)

5) This protest is not just about Standing Rock. What else is it about? What does Dallas Goldtooth answer?