Christmas traditions: mistletoe.

Mistletoe being harvested: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9252000/9252230.stm
and grown: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11933118

Power for the future

Iter - nuclear fusion power:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16170550

Wind turbine in fire

http://www.flickr.com/photos/md93/sets/72157628334022703/with/6477415019/

Crash-proof cars:

how close are we to them?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15820069

Or would the "autopilot" relax the human driver too much?

Hi-tech sandwiches for the army.

and have them fresh!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15987343

Distance learning (homework assignment Nov. 25)

1) Watch a TED talk and comment on it. Choose one that you think is relevant for you.
2) Home - a film about the Earth.
Watch it (with subtitles, if you need) and post a comment here. Does it have any associations with your speciality?
Making of the film:
The shooting of the film.
The Arctic. Inuits.
Iceland.
New York. Los Angeles.
Easter Island, Rapa Nui.
Mauritania.
Gabon.
Kenya. Kilimandjaro.
Brasil.
The press conferences, July 2008, May 2009, 

HOME - The Adventure with Yann Arthus-Bertrand. 

The music by Armand Amar.

Khan Academy.

Homework assignment: Choose a lecture, do the exercises, write a comment on why you chose it and if it was useful/easy/difficult... etc.
Post a comment (add your initials and 'course code' - TE EK1 for example).
A video to explain the principles by the founder of the Academy, Salman Khan.

Speaking fast:

if you need to speak a lot and speak fast:
for fun and practice: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/tongue-twisters
when you click on the picture, you should be able to listen to the twister and record your own version and listen to how YOU sound.

Award for the best metal roof -

AHHAA scientific centre, Peeter Voovere, Estonia
http://www.ifd-roof.com/ifd-cms/index.php?cmsid=7G8b4fFXf48fdcG0PlXb&action=10

Online resources (listening, grammar, vocabulary)

Various resources for learners of diffeerent levels: http://www.manythings.org/

We would like to know:

some questionnaires by students:

What's wrong with education?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Are you doing your best?

Edited questionnaire - some points added after pre-testing the content. Take the questionnaire and think about your life.

To learn... or not to learn? By heart!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13333117

Watch out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbV5dGvJWyo - you need your body, functioning and operating well! - not just your computer.

Daff time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_mbQ1TvzvU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6v5nUJ7h3I

Tenses

test your tenses:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm

'signal words' to understand what to use and when:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/tenses

exercises for practice and rules explained:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

... or maybe a placement test first?
http://www.englishjet.com/english_courses_files/tests.htm

Class: Apr.6.

Comment on what you did, how you did and whether you liked what you did.

Practice: tenses

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

Optical illusions:

for fun http://www.scientificpsychic.com/graphics/

And we think we have a lot of snow...

Guess again. Video: http://gizmodo.com/5721335/this-is-how-they-deal-with-snowpocalypse-in-japan .

Dog's Diary, Cat's Diary

http://d3uwin5q170wpc.cloudfront.net/photo/48987_700.jpg