WORKSHOP #2 - Classroom activities and oral practice

On Friday (April, 11th) we had an interesting workshop with Mrs. Alessandra Maria Amarante Masson, who is a teacher at Colégio Jesus Maria José and at Peanuts English School, in Poços de Caldas - MG. She talked to us about classroom activities and oral practice and it was very funny. She proposed funny activities which helped us interact with one another and break the ice. She is really friendly and she amazed everyone with her enthusiastic way of teaching.
At the end of her workshop, Mrs. Masson divided us into groups and then asked us to read a handout - which was entitled Teaching Writing. Each group received a different handout - all of them about teaching: grammar, speaking, writing, listening and vocabulary. We were then asked to write here our group impressions of what is important when teaching writing.
The article is written by Jeremy Harmer, a teacher trainer from Longman who has an extensive experience in Latin America, Europe and the Far East. Mr. Harmer shows in his article why it is so important to teach writing, the different types of writing activities and the attention we must draw to some special aspects of writing. After reading the article and discussing with group members, we understand it is essential to provide our students with information about what they are going to write and how to write it. We also agreed we must give students a chance to write freely, creatively. However, some actions proposed by Mr. Harmer were forgotten by us - e.g. handing back our student's task as promptly as we've asked them to hand it in, some writing is done at home and some in class. In the end, we all agreed about one thing: there are several successful ways to practice writing; all we have to do is to find one which is in tune with our students and work it to its fullest. Certainly a challenge for those who really care about their students!

THE BEGGINING: Beyond the limits of the English Class

PRODOCÊNCIA officialy started on March 27th, Thursday, with Maiza Fatureto. She works for Cambridge University Press as an English Language Teching Consultant and during two hours she lectured about "limits" in english classes. Mrs. Fatureto approached the educators' perspectives of limits in class, raising a host of relevant challenges they face. She drew attention to all these delicate matters, from the students' discipline in class and disbelief in our practices and techniques, to the teachers' overrated focus on grammar and lack of rapport with learners.

She proposed we accept our limits as a first step before going beyond them, quoting Einstein: "Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them!" According to this statement, limits are there to be tried and tested, there is always room for changes and improvements. And when it comes to limits in english classes, no better location for improvements than the classroom. As the sign on the image shows, speed limit? Whatever.

After her speech, Mrs. Fatureto suggested a follow-up reading over Penny Ur's articles which would provide theoretical support to our disccussion. Today, May 28th, Wednesday, I'm able to assert -without a doubt - what, at the opening lecture, was just an impression: PRODOCÊNCIA is really going to be an invaluable support to my education!

WORKSHOP #1 - An overview of the structures of the English Language

Our first PRODOCÊNCIA workshop was given by Mrs. Beatriz Ribeiro Ferreira Pucci, who is a teacher at UNIUBE. During one afternoon (Friday, 04/04) she discussed strategies, methods and possibilities for structure teaching with PRODOCÊNCIA particpants, who, on the other hand, shared classroom experiences and student's points of view. The exercises and activities Beatriz showed us proved that it is possible to teach grammar with fun and joy, and that the exercises must be in tune with your student's life. At the end of her presentation, Beatriz asked us to post here two exercises which could be used to teach structures of the English Language, according to the techniques and experiences exchanged in class. So, here they are!

Before you take on the exercise, read the following text, adapted from http://www.cnn.com/entertainment.

SIDNEY POLLACK DIES OF CANCER

[...]Last fall, Pollack played Marty Bach opposite Clooney in "Michael Clayton," a drama that examines the life of a fixer for lawyers. The film, which Pollack co-produced, received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture and a best actor nod for Clooney. However, Pollack was no stranger to the Academy Awards. He had already been awarded. In 1985 his film "Out of Africa," a romantic epic of a woman's passion set against the landscape of colonial Kenya, captured seven Oscars, including best director and best picture.
In addition to directing "Out of Africa," "Tootsie," "The Way We Were," and a host of other Oscar-nominated films, he appeared in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut," Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives," and his own "The Electric Horseman." He recently appeared in "Made of Honor," playing Patrick Dempsey's father. He co-starred with Tom Cruise in "Eyes Wide Shut"; he had previously directed the actor in "The Firm."
"I first met him while he was in the midst of editing 'Tootsie,' " Cruise said in a statement, according to the AP. "I'd seen every one of his pictures and he generously took the meeting. ... He spent over six hours, with the patience of Job, answering all my questions. ... He was a Renaissance man and a great friend. I will miss him dearly." [...]

Now that you've read the text, it's time to get to work!

Exercise 1. Read the parts in colors.

a) Observe the purple sentences. Do these sentences represent simultaneous actions? Did they happen at the sime time?
b) What happens first: Pollack co-stars with Cruise or Pollack directs Cruise. Check the sentences in red.
c) Is the edition of "Tootsie" simultaneous to the meeting of Tom Cruise and Sidney Pollack? Follow the blue sentence.
d) Does "I saw all his movies before the meeting." replace the orange sentence without changing its original meaning?
e) The expression in black is very famous and similar to the Portuguese coresponding. Can you tell it in Portuguese??
f) What is the meaning of "a host of", colored in pink.

Exercise 2. Go back to the text and find:

a) a sentence in the simple past.
b) a sentence in the present perfect.
c) a sentence in the past perfect.
d) a synonymous expression for "besides".
e) the name of a film director.
f) the name of an actor.