Talking about Christmas

1. Read the article and make a list of which traditions are British and which are American.

 http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/12/christmas-traditions-britain-vs-america

2. Here is another article on the 'most bizarre Christmas traditions from around the world' :
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/13-of-the-most-bizarre-christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world-a3138776.html

Do you think they are all bizarre? 
Can you think of any similar ones in Spain?
Which is your favourite and why? 

Be ready to discuss with the rest of the class!

3. In pairs:

Rank them in order of best and worst (think about all aspects: enjoyment, suitability, value for money). Be ready to defend your choices to the rest of the class. (like we were debating again!)

Black Mirror - Be Right Back

1. Here is the link to this episode on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yUPyjdVyds


2. After watching the episode, look at this synopsis and fill in the blanks with a suitable word. (There may be more than one possibility).

This hour-long 'film' is the story of two young _____________ - Ash is permanently ____________ to his mobile phone - something most Black Mirror viewers can relate to in this age of tweeting as an accompaniment to TV watching.

When Ash is killed in a tragic traffic ___________, his girlfriend Martha  learns of a new service that examines traits from Facebook, Twitter, e-mails and other online profiles to replicate a lost loved one's ________________

Though she's reluctant to use the software at first, the revelation that she's ______________ sends Martha in a frenzy and soon she's embracing one upgrade after another.

She starts to communicate with him through instant messaging and informs him of the pregnancy. She then uploads ___________ and ___________ of Ash to the service's database, and the service duplicates Ash's voice to talk to Martha over the phone. Martha allows herself to believe that she is talking to her dead partner, and over the following weeks she talks to the artificial Ash almost constantly, keeping him ___________ regarding the pregnancy. Eventually, she upgrades to having a copy of Ash, walking and talking, at her side. But it's not really Ash - the android is hollow, without a soul - and so much of what made Ash the man he was, and the intricacies of his and Martha's life together, is lost in translation.

After an argument, Martha decides she can no longer live the life with the Ash android, taking it to the edge of a cliff and ordering it to __________ off. The android agrees to do so, but Martha becomes even __________, saying that the real Ash would not have willingly jumped. The android responds by begging for its own life, causing Martha to realise that she can't bring herself to get rid of it.

The scene cuts to several years later, and Martha is shown to have raised her __________, keeping the Ash android locked in the attic. She allows her daughter to see the android on weekends, but Martha's daughter persuades her to allow her into the attic on her ___________ to give the android a piece of cake. Martha's daughter reveals in her conversation with the android that she knows it does not need to eat, and she only did this so she could have an extra ____________ of cake. While her daughter is in the attic with the android, Martha waits at the bottom of the attic steps close to tears. Then, after regaining her composure, she climbs the ladder to join them.

Reported Speech table - Updated for exam!

End-Of-Term Reading Preparation

In order to be as prepared as possible for the reading section of the end of term exam, you should compete the reading tasks on the following pages of the blue Objective Advanced Workbook:

- p.4-5
- p.18
- p.22 - 23


These cover a variety of activities so you have lots of practise before your exam.

End-Of-Term Exam

90 minutes long
30mins B/ 30 mins written task /
 30 mins grammar and vocab

•67%

•Crit B 10 -

•Reading comprehension – CAMBRDIGE ADVANCED STYLE EXAM – BLUE BOOKS

•

•67%

•CRIT C 50%– WRITING TASK (ESSAY OR TRANSCRIPT)

________________________________________ + _______________

•CRIT C 50% –

•REPORTED SPEECH – 14 ADVANCED REPORTING VERBS – BACKSHIFTING –

•MAKE DO GET COLLOCATIONS

•VOCABULARY (INTERNET + LANGUAGE LEARNING)

Friday´s activities

1. Look at this example transcript interview, written below:

Interviewer: Jason Miller, Radio BBC

Interviewee: Raj, one of the first person who used Siri

Interview Setting: Interview conducted in BBC. The interview was conducted at 4:00 PM on Wednesday 9th November 2016

Q: What implications has this artificial intelligence brought to your life?

Well, this artificial intelligence called Siri is very intelligent. I think one of the main goals to speak with Siri is to talk clearly, because if you talk really fast, Siri would answer something else. I mean, this artificial intelligence is very useful if you have a problem, or even if you are bored you can talk with her! Pretty much, I love this new invention!

Q: I get that Siri is very important for you... but why did you add Siri to your personal life?

Hmmm... yeah, Siri is very important for me, but this artificial intelligence has brought me love and passion. Her voice and her phrases are very cute, and I can talk with her whenever I want. (Long pause) Siri changed my life. I tell her all my problems and Siri responds to me with kindness. To sum up,  Siri is wonderful!

Q: What do you think about Siri?

Amazing! Siri is like my sister, or even my mother! I can talk with her in any moment, and she isn't going to respond me badly. Quite fascinating how Siri is for me, she is spectacular! With this artificial intelligence, as I mentioned before, it helped me to live much better.

In pairs, decide:

WWW (what went well) - give at least two things that are good about this piece of work.

EBI (even better if) - State 2 things which could be done to improve this work even further

Make sure you look at the success criteria we used the other day - This will help you identify what is good and what can be improved.

2. Finish your transcript interview we started on Wednesday. Ask if there is anything you are unsure of.

3. Your transcript interview will be based on the subject of technology. Make sure you include some of the vocabulary included on the quizlet list or you cannot get a good grade.

Quizlet LIST - CLICK HERE

4. Reported speech practice - Your knowledge of reported speech will be tested in your 67% 90 minutes exam during your exam week. We will look at this again next week, but look at the table below and complete the sheet as part of your revision.

YOUR TURN: Writing a Transcript interview

Here are the three links to the clips we have watched today with questions...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vti6yzyuy1I   (up to 3:07)

1.What does Raj say Howard can do to his new phone?

2.Finish the quote from Howard: ´Let me try the _____ recognition´

3.When in his apartment, why does Raj say that Siri does not need to perform the web search for ´Why don´t women like me?´

4.What name does Raj end up asking Siri to call him?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GvItvuujh8

1.Fill in the blanks of what Sheldon says:

´You´ve taken a great evolutionary ____ by abandoning human interaction and allowing yourself to bond with a __________ machine.

2. Explain what Sheldon means when he refers to Raj´s rekationship with his phone as ´taboo love´

3. Why is Barry Kripke having problems with Siri?

4. Finish Kripke´s insult: ´You ____, Siri.´

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjZ4tdtEvcQ

1.When talking about Raj dating his phone, which two adjectives does Bernadette use to describe the relationship?

2.Which type of music does Raj  ask Siri to play?

3.Finish the idiom: ´to read someone like _ ____´ - Explain what this means in your own words.

Task:

Write a transcript interview between Raj and a reporter from the radio based on the question: ´What has Siri brought to your life?´

•You could talk about :
1. The implications of artifical intelligence for life    as we know it.

    2. What Siri has added to Raj´s life on a more       personal level.

•Remember to use the conventions of a transcript interview we saw in our last lesson.

Remember to follow the conventions and include the following:

•An introduction giving date of interview, who wrote transcript, who was interviewed

•Questions and answers

•STRUCTURE Questions which follow a logical order  - linking to what in said in the previous answer

•Relatively formal language – this is a professional interview

•Oral expressions – ‘you know’, ‘pretty much’, ‘sorry, no’, ‘I mean’, ‘like’, ‘anyway’, ‘kind of’, ‘for example’, ‘quite + adjective’

Reads like a script – an accurate transcription of the words used, without commentary or description

* uses a register appropriate to the degree of formality implied by the task

* will have a Question & Response structure, showing the characters' 'alternating speeches'

* will express realistic oral speech, perhaps with complex interactions such as interruptions

* will make apparent an overall pattern of topics and ideas

Writing Exam Preparation

CLICK HERE:

Quizlet LIST

These words MUST appear in your writing exam...

Also - Recommended Watching in ENGLISH

1) Film: Ex- Machina


2) Film: Her

Example Interview Transcript

What can we learn about an interview transcript's format and conventions from the example below?

1. Copy and paste the following interview transcript into a Word document and highlight any 'oral expressions' (i.e. words and phrases that make this appear like oral communication that has been transcribed).
2. How would you describe the level of formality used in the interview? Why do you think this is the case?
3. What do you notice about the questions and their structure?

Interview transcript

Interviewer: Scott Mills, Radio DJ for BBC

Interviewee: Charlie Brooker, Broadcaster and creator of the dystopian series Black Mirror

Interview Setting: Interview conducted in BBC Radio 1 studios in London. The interview was conducted at 3:30 PM on Wednesday 8th June 2016

Q: Why did you decide to create a series such as Black mirror?

Well, as an author, I think one of the main goals you want to accomplish is to make people FEEL, in such a way most TV series try to, like, reassure people, so I guess that, with Black Mirror I wanted to create something that would... unsettle people continuously. I mean, I thought creating a dystopian world such as the one in this series is the best way to entertain people and, at the same time, kind of… make them think about how far we are going with technology in our private life.

Q: I get that, but why did you decide to create a dystopia other than… I don’t know a zombies series, or some drama?

Hmmm… yeah, I guess that on TV most dramas, or zombie series and all that stuff basically focus either on human’s vain problems, relationships… or they base the action on far post-apocalyptic futures. In this way, I tried to… like… go a step back. (Long pause) Although Black Mirror approaches a near future, its goal is to reflect on today’s world, and the increasing speed at which it’s changing. I guess that’s the reason why I chose a dystopia.

Q: Do you think something of what appears in your series, regarding technology, will eventually become a reality?

laughs) Well, if it does I hope the company that creates it gives me a little commission for the idea! (pause) No, really, being serious now. I think the changes that have been happening over the past 10 years have no precedents in the entire history of humanity, I mean, our world is constantly changing, quicker and quicker, especially regarding technology, so I think that these technologies featured in the series will eventually appear. Maybe not that soon, and maybe not in the same way, but… I STILL think technology will sadly blur the limits of our privacy.