Listening to news artices from the Voice of America

Listening to news

Conversation & interaction situations

This link shows many conversation & interaction situations. Very useful!

http://www.eslgold.com/speaking/phrases.html

Picture description (monologue)

In the beginning it can seem very difficult to describe and interpret pictures. But after you learn a step-by-step formula for looking and talking about the picture it becomes very easy. The guidelines below can be used to describe any picture and the steps can be memorised. You will never run out of things to say about a picture again. {Some of the following information was sourced from: www.studymode.com}

Analysing the picture

1)  Introduction (i) Give a general overview of what the picture is about (WHERE + WHAT) (ii) “This picture was probably taken at _________. It shows ________.” 2)  Description / Interpretation (i)  Be organised and systematic. Focus on the most important part of the picture first and move around the picture. (a)  “The central focus of this picture is….” (b)  “In the foreground / middleground / background…” (c)  “On the left / right of the picture…” (d)  “In the top left corner / bottom right corner of the picture, a man…” (ii)  Use a wide and suitable range of vocabulary. Age – infant, toddler, pre-school boy/girl, young boy/girl, teenage boy/girl, young man/woman, yuppie-looking man/lady, middle-aged man/woman, elderly man/woman Facial expressions - Sad: insipid, sombre, glum, sullen, downcast Lifeliness: animated, beaming, wide-eyed – Happy smiles: bel air, graceful, gleeful, smiling like a Cheshire cat – Shy smiles: coy, demure, pinched – Laughter: hearty, bubbly, hilarious, convulsing with glee Briefly describe the clothes and hairstyle of the characters (iii)  Interpretation of People What do the facial expression and body language of a character tell you about: a.      how he is feeling or thinking? b.      what he intends to do? c.      his relationship with the others in the picture? (iv)  Interpretation of Place and Objects What kind of place is this? Why are the people there? What do the objects tell you about a.      what had happened earlier? b.      what is happening now? c.      what will happen later? d.      the weather and the time of the day? What is the atmosphere? Happy ? busy? Calm? Exciting? Boring? (v)      Interpretation – Some useful structures “From her facial expression, I can assume that…” “From the wrappers on the floor, I can tell that…” “I believe…” “Perhaps this man is about to…”

Perspectives

picture, image	foreground	indoors
painting	background	outdoors
photograph / photo	in the upper part	artificial light
portrait	in the lower part	subdued light
landscape painting	in the left part	loud colours
worm’s eye view	in the right part	daylight
bird’s eye view	in the central part	at night
in front of	on the right	in the evening
behind	on the left	light colours
next to …	in the middle	dark colours
from above	from below	high contrast colours

Describing the scene

The picture was taken in … (place). The photo was taken at … (party). The picture shows a scene from … It’s an image of … (place, person, scene). The picture describes … (scene). The picture shows … (place, person, scene) from a distance. … (place, person, scene) is shown from … (a bird’s eye view/…). You look at … (place, person, scene) from … (above/behind/…). What can you see? In the picture you can see … … (position: on the left/right/…) there is / are … … (position: on the left/right/…) you can see … … is … (position: on the left/right/…)

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Practice websites

For more practice describing pictures visit these 2 excellent websites.
www.writefix.com, it is an excellent website.  Click on the ‘PET speaking’ on the top  menu bar. Choose a picture from the menu and and try to describe it, then click on the example description to read and compare with your answer.
www.autoenglish.org is another excellent website.  Click on the left menu – Part2 / Key phrases / Example descriptions / Gallery 1 & 2.
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The following descriptions were sourced from: www.writefix.com

Picture 1

The picture shows three astronauts waiting for takeoff. The astronauts are wearing bright orange uniforms or flight suits. Two of them have US flags on their shoulders so they must be American, but I can’t see where the other one is from. The astronaut nearest the camera looks nervous. I think he is worried or anxious about the flight. Maybe he is thinking about what he has to do on this mission, or maybe he is thinking about his family. Behind him there is a scientist or an official. They could be waiting for the space shuttle to get ready, or perhaps there is a problem with the weather and their lift-off has been delayed.

Picture 2

This is a funny picture. It shows three old ladies picking apples in an orchard or a garden. They are having a good old time! One of the ladies is high up on a ladder, picking the apples at the top of the tree. Her hair is still dark, so I think she is the youngest of the three. The other two are on the ground. One lady, the oldest, is holding a bucket or a pail full of red apples. The other woman is also wearing a hat, so it must be hot. The three of them are smiling at the camera. I don’t know who is taking the picture, but perhaps it is someone in their family. I think after they are finished they will use the apples for baking or cooking.

Sometimes you might need to critically describe a historical painting. The information below will help you do that.

Information on artist and year of origin

… (image) is a painting by … (artist), painted in … (year). … (image), painted in … (year), is a work by … (artist) … (artist) painted … (image) in … (year). … (image) is a famous painting by … (artist).

Impression

… gives the impression of depth. … (person) seems to look at the viewer. His / Her eyes seem to follow the viewer. The figures look as if they exist in three dimensions. The viewer has the impression that the people in the picture are alive. The viewer’s attention is focused on … To the alert eye it will become apparent … The viewer finds it difficult to withdraw his eyes from … The painting is vivid / happy / expressive. The picture makes the viewer feel … (sad/happy) The picture inspires the viewer to think about …

Intention

The artist mainly uses … (colours/forms/…) Important elements are highlighted. The artist / photographer / painter uses … to express … He / She (probably) wants to criticise / express / show … It is obvious that the artist wants to criticise / express / show … What the artist / photographer / painter wants to criticise / express / show is … What the artist / photographer / painter wants to point out is … I think / believe / am sure that … It seems / appears to me that … The problem illustrated here is … … symbolises … … is typical of …

Source:  http://www.jigglish.com/listening-questions-and-answers/how-to-describe-pictures-clearly-english-speaking-tests/

Listening (links for general practice)

 

Listening Comprehension:

ABC News: listen to short audio and video clips of current news stories.
NPR Online: listen to National Public Radio broadcasts
The Mercury Theatre on the Air: "Dracula", "Tale of Two Cities", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and many other radio productions. For High Intermediate and Advanced level students.
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab: listening comprehension activities for all levels.
ESL Independent Study Lab: these pages from Michael Krauss have listening activities for all levels of ESL students.
ESL Cafe: Listening Links page lists more places to explore.
Ohio ESL: A listing of links for listening comprehension activities from Ohio University; divided by level.

Pronunciation:

English Club's Pronunciation Resources: practice word and sentence stress, linking, and have fun with tongue-twisters.
American English Pronunciation: minimal pair practice, quizzes, and videos.
Sounds of English: excellent site with pronunciation activities. Check out their links page!

Reading and Vocabulary:

English Language Center Study Zone: pages from the University of Victoria; features reading selections for all levels; comprehension activities are included.
English Works!: reading practice pages from Gallaudet University; exercises include comprehension, vocabulary, and cloze quizzes.
Reading Comprehension Quizzes: try these quizzes written by teachers from all over the world
English Zone: vocabulary exercises and quizzes; some areas are for members only.
Vocabulary University: a large site with lots of interactive exercises: fill-in-the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, definition match, and many more. The content changes frequently.
The Compleat Lexical Tutor: a large site from the University of Quebec; test your level of mastery of the Academic Word List, or get a vocabulary profile of your writing. For Advanced level students

Writing:

A Guide to Learning English: writing practice pages for beginning and low-intermediate students.
Ohio ESL Writing Resources: links to writing activities from Ohio University.
Writer's Handbook from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin; for Advanced level students
ESL Independent Study Lab: links to writing resources for all levels.
Argumentative Essay Topics: links to articles from Glendale Community College
International Debate Education Association (IDEA): links and information about controversial topics
Public Agenda: information on controversial topics and public opinion on issues, links to further information; navigate to "Issue Guides" link.

TOEFL Preparation:

Learn4Good: links to TOEFL resources
TOEFL and TSE information: download bulletins, find test center locations, download free test practice materials.

Quizzes:

Quizzes for levels and skills
Interesting Things for ESL Students: have fun with word games, puzzles, quizzes and much more.
ESL PartyLand Quiz Center: Business English, grammar, idioms, and slang at different levels.

Online Dictionaries:

Picture Dictionary: for beginning and intermediate level students
Cambridge Dictionaries Online: here you can access the Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the Dictionary of Idioms, and the Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs; also, check out their Resources, Word of the Day sections.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: download the dictionary.

Writing Test Tasks: Task Types VIII (descriptions)

Describing places:

A descriptive composition about  a place should consist of :a) an introduction in which  you give  the name and location and the reason for choosing it; b) a main body in which you describe the main aspects in detail; and c) a conclusion which includes your comments/feelings and/or recommendations.

Write a similar description about a place, similar to the one studied in class,  in about 200 words improving the mistakes that have been already corrected in other formative works .
To give the reader a more vivid picture of the place at the moment  you are describing, you can refer to the senses ( sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch): Visitors can watch the moonrise over the mountains, or hear the sound of church bells ringing, enjoy a fresly-ground cup of coffee,remember the aromas of exotic herbs and spices, or relax in the soothing warm waters of the river.
 

Describing people:

When we describe people, we mention aspects of their appearance. Look at the
following questions to ask about physical appearance.
(Cuando describimos personas, mencionamos aspectos sobre la apariencia. Revisa
las siguientes preguntas que te ilustrarán acerca de cómo se preguntan aspectos de
la apariencia física.)
To describe people we usually mention:
(Para describir personas, nosotros usualmente nos referimos a:)
a Height: short, of medium height, tall
(Estatura: bajo, de estatura mediana, alto)
b Weight: thin, slim, well-built, chubby, overweight, fat, plump, of medium build
(Peso: Delgado, esbelto, fornido, gordito, obeso, gordo, regordete, de peso medio)
c Age: young, old, middle-aged, in her/his twenties, thirties
(Edad: joven, viejo, de mediana edad, en sus veintes, treintas)
d Complexion: pale, light, fair, dark, olive-skinned, olive skin tone
(Complexión: tez blanca, claro, rubio, de piel aceitunada)
e Hair – length: short, medium length, long
(Cabello – longitud): corto, mediano, largo)
f Hair – color: blond, red, grey, dark
(Cabello – color: rubio, pelirojo, gris, oscuro)
g Hair – type: straight, wavy, curly, bald, shaved head
(Cabello – tipo: lacio, ondulado, chino, calvo, de cabeza afeitada)
h Eyes - color: blue, green, brown, black
(Ojos – color: azules, verdes, cafés, oscuros)
i Eyes – size: big, small, slanting
(Ojos – tamaño: grandes, pequeños, sesgados)
j Nose - size: big, small
(Nariz – tamaño: grande, pequeño)
k Nose – shape: flat, hooked, turned-up
(Nariz – forma: plana, aguileña, respingona)
l Lips - shape: full, thin
(Labios – figura: gruesos, delgados)
m Other features: mustache, beard, glasses, wrinkles, freckles, pretty, handsome,
good-looking
(Otras características: bigote, barba, con lentes, con arrugas, pecoso, bonita, guapo,
atractivo)
*It is not polite to say to people that they are thin, chubby or fat. For further reference,
check the files “Describing people and things”, “Parts of the body”, and “Colors”
in the section Glossaries.
(No es correcto decir a las personas que son flacos (as), gorditos (as) o gordos (as).
Para mayor referencia, consulta los archivos “Describing people and things”,
“Parts of the body”, y “Colors” en la sección de

Writing Test Tasks: Type VII (nformal emails/letters)

 

 How to write informal letters or emails

Salutation or Greeting

• Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. In emails, you can also start with Hi (and the person's name). Dear Ben,  or  Hi Ben,
  (Don't forget to use only the first name of the person you are writing to and not Dear Mr John, which is never used, or Dear Mr John Brown, which sounds too formal.)
• Informal letters sometimes have a comma after the person's name, and the letter starts on the line below. The important thing is to be consistent with the style that you choose to use (so if you use a comma after the person's name at the start of the letter, use a comma after the closing statement at the end).

Body

Openings
When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter. You would normally start with a greeting, then acknowledge the letter to which you are replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original letter too. You can also make a comment on your own reply.
Useful phrases for the opening

• How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well.
• Thank you / Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter / postcard.
• It was good / nice / great to hear from you again.
• I was so surprised to hear that...
• I’m sorry I haven’t written / haven't been in touch for such a long time.
• It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you're well / you and your family are well.
• How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going?

Other useful phrases
Referring to news

• Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …

Giving news

• Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll never believe what …
• Oh, and another thing … This is just to let you know that …
• I thought you might be interested to hear about / know that …
• By the way, have you heard about / did you know that …?

Apologies

• I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu.
• I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.

Invitations

• I’m / We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I / we hope you’ll be able to come.
• Would you like to come / go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend?
• I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre / come on holiday with us.
• Could you let me / us know if you can come / you’d like to join us?
• Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love to come.
• Thank you for asking / inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …

Requests

• I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour.
• I wonder if / I was wondering if you could help me / do me a favour.
• I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?
• I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could …

Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck

• I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the wonderful present.
• It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
• I really appreciated all your help / advice.

• Congratulations on passing your exams / your excellent exam results!
• I wish you good luck / Good luck in / with your exams / your driving test / your interview.

• Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass.
• Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …

Making suggestions and recommendations

• Why don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? / How about …?
• You can’t leave New York without (...doing sth)
• I’m sure you will enjoy (...doing sth). If you like, we can …
• Do visit ... / Don’t forget to ... 

Closing

The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email.

• Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding.
• Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love / regards to... / Say hello to... / Anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I'll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can't wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write soon
• Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be written on a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too.
• Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line.

Writing Test Tasks: TypeVI (Formal letters/emails)

Introduction (Writing formal letters and emails) Writing formal letters is a necessary skill that you need for most ESL or EFL exams at Intermediate Level and above. Examples: - You are given an article to read from a newspaper. You write to the newspaper disagreeing with the article. - You write to complain about something. - You write making suggestions about something. - You write requesting information. - You write giving information. - You write requesting permission. Useful phrases (Writing formal letters and emails) a) Writing formal letters generally: Greetings: - Dear Sir - Dear Madam - Dear Sir/Madam - Dear Mr Brown - Dear Ms Jones etc. Reason for writing:- I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter - I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter - I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter - I am writing on behalf of Ending the letter:- I look forward to receiving your reply - I look forward to your reply - I look to hearing from you - I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to) - I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to) - Yours faithfully - Yours sincerely Formal English letters are quickly being replaced by email. However, the formal letter structure you learn can still be applied to business emails and other formal emails. Follow these structure tips to write effective formal business letters and emails. Formal Letter Structure: Block Format Formal letters written in block format place everything on the left hand side of the page. Place the your address or your company's address at the top of the letter on the left (or use your company's letterhead) followed by the address of the person and / or company you are writing to placed on the left side of the page. Hit the key return a number of times and use the date. Formal Letter Structure: Standard Format In formal letters written in standard format place your address or your company's address at the top of the letter on the right. Place the address of the person and / or company you are writing on the left side of the page. Place the date on the right hand side of the page in alignment with your address. Formal Letter Structure: Basic Structure First Paragraph The first paragraph of formal letters should include an introduction to the purpose of the letter. Body Paragraphs The second and following paragraphs should provide the main information of the letter, and build on the main purpose in the introductory first paragraph. Final Paragraph The final paragraph should shortly summarize the intent of the formal letter and end with some call to action. The Start Dear Mr, Ms (Mrs, Miss) - if you know the name of the person you are writing to. Use Dear Sir / Madam if you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, or To Whom it May Concern VERY IMPORTANT: Always use Ms for women unless you are specifically requested to use Mrs or Miss Formal Letter Structure: Beginning Your Letter Starting with a 'Thank You' Formal letters are often begun by thanking someone. This is especially true when writing in response to an inquiry of some kind. Here are some useful phrases: Thank you for your letter of (date) inquiring about ... We would like to thank you for your letter of (date) asking for / requesting information about ... In response to your letter of (date), we would like to thank you for your interest in ... Examples I would like to thank you for your letter of January 22nd requesting information about our new line of lawn mowers. In response to your letter of October 23, 1997, we would like to thank you for your interest in our new line of products. Reason for Writing If you are beginning correspondence with someone about something, or asking for information, begin by providing a reason for writing: I am writing to inform you about ... I am writing to ask / inquire about ... Examples I am writing to ask about information for small businesses. I am writing to inform you that we have not yet received payment for ... Asking for Help Use the following phrases to ask for help: I would be grateful if you could + verb Would you mind + verb + ing Would it be to much to ask that ... Examples I would be grateful if you could send me a brochure. Would you mind telephoning me during the next week. Would it be to much to ask that our payment be postponed for two weeks. Offering Help The following phrases are used to offer help: I would be happy to + verb We would be pleased to + verb Examples I would be happy to answer any questions you have. We would be pleased to assist you in finding a new location. Enclosing Documents In some formal letters you will need to include documents or other information. Use the following phrases to draw attention to any enclosed documents you might have included. Enclosed please find + non Enclosed you will find ... + noun We enclose ... + noun Examples Enclosed you will find a copy of our brochure. Enclosed please find a copy of our brochure. We enclose a brochure. Closing Remarks Always finish a formal letter with some call to action, or reference to a future outcome you desire. Some of the options include: A referral to a future meeting: I look forward to meeting / seeing you I look forward to meeting you next week. An offer of further help Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter. If you need any further assistance please contact me. Finishing Sign the letter with: Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, for formal letters OR Best wishes Best regards Make sure to sign your letter by hand followed by your typed name. Link: http://www.angelfire.com/blues/cristiarnau/Guidewrit.htm#informal