Learn English Online

Callan Stage 1 Lesson 2

2013-09-06T02:53:00.003-07:00

Callan Stage 1
Lesson 2

Keywords:

I am - I'm
you are - you're
he is - he's
she is - she's
it is - it's
I'm the teacher.
You're the student.
He's Mr. Brown.
She's Mrs. Brown.
Am I?
Are you?
Is he?
Is she?

Am I the teacher? Yes, you're the teacher.
Are you the student? Yes, I'm the student.
Is he Mr. Brown? Yes, he's Mr. Brown.
Is she Mrs. Brown? Yes, she's Mrs. Brown.

Keywords:

I am not - I'm not.
you are not - you aren't
he is not - he isn't
she is not - she isn't
it is not - it isn't

Am I Mrs. Brown? No, you aren''t Mrs. Brown; you're the teacher.
Are you Mr. Brown? No, I'm not Mr. town; I'm the student.
Is he Mr. Smith? No, he isn't Mr. Smith; he's Mr. Brown.
Is she Mr. Brown? No, she isn't Mr. Brown; she's Mrs. Brown.

Keywords:

in front of
behind
me
you
The chair's in front of me.
The chair's behind me.
The table's in front of you.
The wall's behind you.
Is the chair in front of me?
Is the chair behind me?
Is the table in front of you?
Is the wall behind you?

Where's the table? The table's in front of me.
Is the wall in front of you? No, the wall isn't in front of me; it's behind me.
Is the table behind me? No, the table isn't behind you; it's in front of you.

Keywords:

him
her
house

Where's the house? The house is behind him.
Where's the house? The house is behind her.
Are you behind her? No, I'm not behind her; I'm in front of her.
Am I in front of him? No, you aren't in front of him; you're behind him.

Keywords:

standing
sitting
I'm standing on the floor.
I'm sitting on the chair.
Am I standing on the floor?
Am I sitting on the chair?

Are you standing on the floor? No, I'm not standing on the floor; I'm sitting on the chair.
Am I sitting on the chair? No, you aren't sitting on the chair; you're standing on the floor.
Are you standing in front of me? No, I'm not standing in front of you; I'm sitting in front of you.

Keywords:

taking from
putting on
I'm taking the book from the table.
I'm putting the book on the table.
Am I taking the book from the table?
Am I putting the book on the table?

Am I putting the book on the floor? No, you aren't putting the book in the floor; you're taking the pen from the table.
Am I taking the pen from the table? No, you aren't taking the pen from the table; you're putting the book on the floor.

Keywords:

Opening
Closing

Am I closing the door? No, you aren't closing the door; you're opening the book.
Am I opening the window? No, you aren't opening the window; you're closing the book.

Keywords:

doing
what am I doing?

What am I doing? You're taking the book from the table.
What am I doing? You're opening the book.
What am I doing? You're closing the book.
What am I doing? You're putting the book on the table.

Keywords:

which

Which pencil's black? This pencil's black.
Which pencil's white? This pencil's white.
Which pencil's green? This pencil's green.
Which pencil's brown? This pencil's brown.

Keywords:

open
closed

Which book's open? This book's open.
Which book's closed? This book's closed.

Callan Stage 1 Lesson 1

2013-07-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Stage 1 by Ma Maureen Pascual on GoAnimate

Callan Stage 1

Lesson 1

Keywords:

pen
pencil
book
a
what is (what's)
this
is is (it's)

What's this? It'a a pen.

Keywords:

table
chair
light
wall
floor
room
ceiling
window
door
clock
box
picture
is this?
yes

Is this a pen? Yes, it's a pen.

Keyword:

no, it is not (isn't)

Is this a pen? No, it isn't a pen; it's a pencil.

Is this a pencil? No, it isn't a pencil; it's a book.

Keywords:

long
short
the
contraction

Is the pen short? No, the pen isn't short; it's long.

Is the pencil long? No, the pencil isn't long.

Is the room short? No, the room isn't short; it's long.

Keywords:

large
small

Is the table small? No, the table isn't small; it's large.

Is the box large? No, the box isn't large; it's small.

Keywords:

city
town
village

Is Tokyo a village? No, Tokyo isn't a village; it's a city.

Is Oshima a city? No, Oshima isn't a city; it's a town.

Is Shirakawa a town? No, Shirakawa isn't a town; it's a village.

Keywords:

Is the table long or short? The table's long.

Is the city large or small? A city's large.

Keywords:

man
woman
boy
girl

What's this? It's a man.

What's this? It's a woman.

What's this? It's a boy.

What's this? It's a girl.

Is this a girl? No, it isn't a girl; it's a man.

Is this a man? No, it isn't a man; it's a woman.

Is this a woman? No, it isn't a woman; it's a boy.

Is this a boy? No, it isn't a boy; it's a girl.

Keywords:

one - 1
two - 2
three - 3
four - 4
five - 5

Keywords:

on
under
in

Is the pencil under the book? No, the pencil isn't under the book; it's in the book.

Is the pen in the book? No, the pen isn't in the book; it's on the book.

Keywords:

Mr.
Mrs.
Jack
Anna

Is this Anna Brown? No, it isn't Anna Brown; it's Mr. Brown.

Is this Mr. Brown? No, it isn't Mr. Brown; it's Mrs. Brown.

Is this Mrs. Brown? No, it isn't Mrs. Brown; it's Jack Brown.

Is this Jack Brown? No, it isn't Jack Brown; it's Anna Brown.

Keywords:

black
white
green
brown
what colour?

What colour's this pencil? This pencil's black.

What colour's this pencil? This pencil's white.

What colour's this pencil? This pencil's green.

What colour's this pencil? This pencil's brown.

Keywords:

six - 6
seven - 7
eight - 8
nine - 9
ten - 10

Keyword:

where

Where's the pen? The pen's on the book.

Where's the book? The book's on the table.

Where's the dog? The dog's under the table.

Where's the clock? The clock's on the wall.
Where's the light? The light's on the ceiling.

Stage 1 - Sample Reference Material of students - (must be reviewed before the actual class)

2013-07-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

Stage 1 by Ma Maureen Pascual on GoAnimate

Speedtest.net How To Use Support: Check Internet Speed Performance

2012-12-19T00:42:00.000-08:00

Speedtest.net is a free broadband connection analysis website founded by Ookla Net Metrics in 2006. The company is based in Kalispell, Montana.

Users can test their internet speed against hundreds of geographically dispersed serversaround the world.

At the end of each test, users are presented with their download (the speed of data from the server to your computer) and upload (the speed of sending data from your computer to the server) bandwidth speeds.

The tests are performed completely within your web browser over HTTP (just like normal web browsing). Since its inception, over 4 billion speed tests have been completed. Speedtest.net hit the 4 billion mark on the 13th of November 2012 at approximately 9:55am GMT.

Using Speedtest.net

Video Credit: YouTube/TeamOokla

How to Share One Result as An Image

Video Credit: YouTube/TeamOokla

Start testing your speed in seconds by using the Begin Test button on the front page map. This will find a server near you, and test the ping, download speed, and upload speed of your connection.

The ping is the reaction-time of your connection, how fast you get a response after you've sent out a request. A fast ping means a more responsive connection, especially in applications where timing is everything (like video games).

The download speed is how fast you can pull data from the server to you. Most connections are designed to download much faster than they upload, since that's the majority of your online activity like loading web pages or streaming videos.

The upload speed is how fast you push data from you to others. Uploading is necessary for sending big files via email, or in using video-chat to talk to someone else online (since you have to send your video feed to them).

Once a test is done, you can easily test again to the same servers, or use a new server to test to. We have over 1900 hosts worldwide, so there's plenty of options to manually select from the map. These servers are used for the testing alone; they do not control your internet performance, only measure it.

You can also share this result, which provides an image of your result that you can share with friends. Finally, you can compare your result which takes you to our results page, or you can contribute to Net Index and fill out a short survey explaining your web connection.

Skype Tutorial Lessons, Troubleshooting and Test

2012-11-30T00:59:00.002-08:00

Skype is a software that allows you to relay instant messages and make voice and video calls to fellow Skype users on the Internet for free. You can even get a phone number and make calls to phones around the world for a fairly affordable rate. Learn all the ways you can share with those who matter to you using Skype. All learning materials are based from gcflearnfree.org and readers are highly encouraged to visit their site.

Guides for different users:

Making a video call (Windows Desktop)

Making a video call (Windows 8)

Making a video call (Mac)

Making a video call (Linux)

Solving Technical Issues:

Tips to correct sound problems

Tips to correct connection problems

Tips to correct video problems

Test your skills with Skype:

Click this link to begin the test

Lesson 1: Setting up your computer for Skype

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Lesson 2: Creating a Skype Account

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Lesson 3: Managing Your Skype Account

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Lesson 4: Making Calls with Skype

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Lesson 5: Making Video Call with Skype

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Lesson 6: Screen and File Sharing with Skype

Video credit: youtube/gcflearnfree

Communication Tips:

Now that you know how to make voice and video calls on Skype, learn how to avoid common communication problems like poor audio quality, webcam mishaps, and other technical issues. Just follow these tips, and keep them in mind every time you use Skype.

Finding the Right Spot

Before you sit down to make a call, think about your surroundings. Is there a lot of background noise? Are there people nearby who might overhear you? This is especially important if you like to use Skype from your laptop or mobile device. Here's some advice to help you find the right location.

For voice calls, choose a quiet spot without a lot of background noise. If you're at home or at work, watch out for things like the TV, other people talking and moving around, or construction noise outside. If you're in public, avoid busy places like the local coffee shop, unless you have a headset with a microphone.
For video calls, also choose a quiet spot that's relatively private. A room in your house or a place at the office would be ideal. Make sure it's well-lit so the other person can see you, and be conscious of what else might be caught on camera. For example, you might want to tidy up first - or pick a different location - if the room is messy, or if it contains anything you don't want other people to see.

Making the Call

Have you ever been on a call where the other person sounded far away? How about a video call where the webcam appeared to be shaking? These are common problems that usually come down to user error, not a technical issue. To make sure the other person can see and hear you clearly, follow these tips.

For voice calls, a headset is foolproof, but don't worry if you don't have one. If you have a separate microphone, all you have to do is place it in front of you, and speak clearly into the mic. If you have a built-in microphone, find out where it is on your computer, and sit close by, so you don't sound too "quiet" or "far away."
For video calls, follow all the advice above, then make sure your webcam is secure, and pointing directly at you. That way, it won't shake, or accidentally leave you out of the frame. You should also be conscious of eye contact, and how to maintain it during important calls (for example, a job interview). Instead of watching the screen, look up when it's your turn to talk, and speak directly into the camera.

Playing it Safe

When you make calls on Skype, it's important to keep safety and courtesy in mind, too. Even though you're most likely talking to people you trust, you can expose yourself (and others) in unexpected ways. For example, how would you feel if you were dancing in your living room, then realized your coworker was watching you on Skype? Yikes! To avoid mishaps, always keep these safety tips in mind.

If someone walks into the room, let them know you're on a call. Otherwise, they could say (or do) something disruptive or inappropriate, without even realizing you're using Skype. This is especially important if you're on a video call. Not everyone is comfortable appearing on camera.
If you're not conversing in a private space, give the caller fair warning, too. Otherwise, the same risks apply. The person on the other end is just as likely to say or do something in confidence, then regret it (or become angry) when they find out you're not alone.
Be conscious of other people when using Skype in public. Be careful not to discuss personal information like your address, bank account, or social security number. You never know who could be listening, and you don't want your information to be used for identity theft.
Always hang up when you're done. It's the only way to prevent the other person from seeing or hearing you later by accident. (For example, when you're dancing in your living room!) If you choose to leave the call engaged while you do something else (maybe during a study group), be especially mindful of your privacy. It's easy to forget the presence of another person when they're not physically in the room.

English Listening Skill with Interchange: Who took the computer?

2012-10-04T14:34:00.003-07:00

Interchange Third edition is a four-level series for adult and young-adult learners of English from the beginning to the high-intermediate level. The Interchange Third Edition Level 1 Student's Book builds on the foundations established in the Intro for accurate and fluent communication, extending grammatical, lexical, and functional skills.

Topics such as school, work, leisure activities, entertainment, and food are presented in unique ways using interesting real-life information. The Student's Book contains 16 teaching units, frequent progress checks that allow students to assess and monitor their own learning, and a listening self-study section. Included is a Student Audio CD that contains the conversation, pronunciation, and self-study sections from the Student's Book.

The Interchange Third Edition Level 1 Student's Book builds on the foundations established in the Intro for accurate and fluent communication, extending grammatical, lexical, and functional skills. Topics such as school, work, leisure activities, entertainment, and food are presented in unique ways using interesting real-life information. The Student's Book contains 16 teaching units, frequent progress checks that allow students to assess and monitor their own learning, and a listening self-study section. Included is a Student Audio CD that contains the conversation, pronunciation, and self-study sections from the Student's Book.

Sample Learning Activity

Interchange 1 by Jack C. Richards

Listen to a police officer interview Mike Doe. Do you think Mike took the computer? Why or Why not?
Officer: OK, Mr. Doe. Did you take a desktop computer from your office over the weekend?
Mike: A desktop computer? Of course not!
Officer: Tell me then, how did you spend your weekend?
Mike: Let's see. I worked at the office Saturday morning.
Officer: Were there other people at your office on Saturday?
Mike: No, there weren't. I was alone. I left at 2:00.
Officer: What did you do after that?
Mike: I went shopping with a friend, and then I walked home alone.
Officer: Was anyone at home with you?
Mike: No. I live alone.
Officer: What did you do Saturday night?
Mike: I cooked dinner at home. And then I watched TV.
Officer: DId you go anywhere on Sunday?
Mike: Well, I did laundry in the morning. Then around 1:00 I spent some time with friends at the park.
Officer: How long were you there?
Mike: About an hour. Then I stopped at the office for a minute.
Officer: You were at the office again on Sunday? Did anyone see you there?
Mike: Yes. My boss was there.
Officer: Then what did you do?
Mike: I walked home and watched some DVDs. Then I went to bed.
Officer: I see, Mr. Doe. You can go now. Thank you for your time.

Idioms for English Business: A New Project Discussion

2012-09-30T16:47:00.001-07:00

Speak Business English Like an American is the bestselling book & audio CD set designed to help you succeed on the job -- whatever you're doing, wherever you're working. The set is great for self-study, with dozens of helpful exercises to reinforce the material. It's also a wonderful supplemental text that's in use in universities across the USA.

American English speakers use many phrases and expressions on the job. If you don't know these expressions, you are left out of the conversation. This book & CD will help you speak business English like an American ... quickly and confidently. Once you have the knack, no one can take it away from you. With this book and CD, your career will benefit for years to come.

You will learn the idioms & expressions that you hear at work. What do your colleagues and coworkers, your customers or clients really mean? How can you use these expressions too?

Language is always changing and business English changes especially fast. That's why we've explained the most up-to-date expressions -- today's business English. Now you will be able to use these expressions, too. People will marvel at your command of English.

A sample learning activity from the book of Amy Gillett which is entitled: "Speak Business English Like An American" Learn the Idioms and Expressions You Need to Succeed on the Job!

Carl, Greg and Anne work for WaterSonic Corporation. Recently, the company has come up with an idea for a new electric toothbrush.

Carl: I think we've come up with a winner.

Anne: I agree. The new Brush-o-matic toothbrush should be a blockbuster!

Carl: Our designers have already made up some prototypes. The toothbrushes have a tooth-whitening attachment and many other bells and whistles.

Greg: We should fast track this project. Let's try to launch it in time for the holiday season.

Anne: This will be a great stocking stuffer!

Carl: We definitely need a big win for the holidays.

Anne: This is a great idea. We're going to make a killing.

Greg: Let's not talk about this project to anybody who doesn't need to know. We'll keep it under wraps.

Carl: I agree. Mum's the word. We don't want any of our competitors to get wind of the idea and rip it off!

Anne: Right. Let's meet again on Monday morning and discuss our game plan for getting this project off.

List of Idioms and Expressions:

(to) come up with a winner

to think up a very good idea
"Everybody likes Pepsi's new advertising campaign. Their advertising agency has come up with a winner."

blockbuster

a big success; a huge hit
"Eli Lilly made a lot of money with the prescription drug, Prozac. It was real blockbuster."

bells and whistles

extra product features, usually using the latest technologies; product features which are attractive, but not essential for the product to function
"Our office just got a new copier with all the bells and whistles. I'll probably never learn how to use all of its features."

(to) fast track a project

to make a project a high priority; to speed up the time frame of a project
"Let's fast track this project. We've heard rumours that our competitors are developing similar products."

stocking stuffer

a small gift given at Christmas time.
"These new mini travel pillows will make great stocking stuffers!"

big win

a huge success; a successful product
"The drug company spent millions on research and development, hoping that one of their new products would be a big win."

(to) make a killing

to make a lot of money / to make a fortune
"Suzanne made a killing on her Google stock and retired at 40."

(to) keep something under wraps

to keep something secret; to not let anybody know about a new project or plan
"I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about the project I'm working on. My boss told me to keep it under wraps.

mum's the word

let's keep quiet about this; I agree not to tell anyone about this
"Please don't tell anybody about out new project. Remember: mum's the word!

(to) get wind of

to find out about something, often sensitive information
When the restaurant owner got wind of the fact that one of his waiters was stealing money from the cash register, he was furious.

(to) rip off

to copy an idea; to steal
"Why doesn't the Donox Company ever think up any original ideas? All they ever do is rip off their competitors!"

game plan

an action plan; a plan for how a project will proceed
"The software company's game plan is to expand its operations into China and India over the next year."

(to) get something off the ground

to get started on something, often a project
"We've been sitting around talking about this project for months. It's time to take action and get it off the ground!"

Exercise:

Did the company think of this new product idea themselves? No, they ripped it off from an inventor.

No, they paid an inventor for the idea.
No, they stole the idea from an inventor.
No, they discussed it with an inventor and he agreed to sell it to them.

Andrea is planning to quit her job at the end of September, but mum's the word.

don't tell anybody
don't tell her mother
she may change her mind

Sony has made a killing on its popular Playstation line.

lost money on
made a lot of money on
decided to stop producing

After receiving a large loan from the bank, the company was finally able to get its project off the ground.

get started on the project
cancel the project
borrow money

That new software company seems very disorganised. Do they have a game plan?

a plan for closing down their business
a plan for developing new games
a plan for how they will proceed to grow their business

Some experts recommend that when you're interviewing for a new job, you keep your current salary under wraps.

you should tell the interviewer what your current salary is
you should say you're making twice as much as you're really earning
you should not say how much you're currently earning

Don's new cell phone has a video camera and all sorts of other bells and whistles.

fancy features
things that make loud ringing noises and whistle tones
features typical in a low-priced product

When the investors got wind of the fact that the pharmaceutical company's major drug increased the risk of heart attacks, the company's stock price fell.

hid
discovered
got fed up over

Answers:

No, they stole the idea from an inventor.
don't tell anybody
made a lot of money on
get started on the project
a plan for how they will proceed to grow their business
you should not say how much you're currently earning
fancy features
discovered

Learn English Online

Callan Stage 1 Lesson 2

Callan Stage 1 Lesson 1

Stage 1 - Sample Reference Material of students - (must be reviewed before the actual class)

Speedtest.net How To Use Support: Check Internet Speed Performance

Using Speedtest.net

How to Share One Result as An Image

Skype Tutorial Lessons, Troubleshooting and Test

Guides for different users:

Making a video call (Windows Desktop) Making a video call (Windows 8) Making a video call (Mac) Making a video call (Linux)

Solving Technical Issues:

Tips to correct sound problems Tips to correct connection problems Tips to correct video problems Test your skills with Skype: Click this link to begin the test

Test your skills with Skype:

Lesson 2: Creating a Skype Account

Lesson 3: Managing Your Skype Account

Lesson 4: Making Calls with Skype

Lesson 5: Making Video Call with Skype

Lesson 6: Screen and File Sharing with Skype

Making the Call

Playing it Safe

English Listening Skill with Interchange: Who took the computer?

Idioms for English Business: A New Project Discussion

Making a video call (Windows Desktop)

Making a video call (Windows 8)

Making a video call (Mac)

Making a video call (Linux)

Tips to correct sound problems

Tips to correct connection problems

Tips to correct video problems

Test your skills with Skype:

Click this link to begin the test