Office hours for the second session

Dear students,

Congratulations on passing EL098 and welcome back to the second session! EL099 is much more fun and enjoyable and I am sure you will have a great time. If you are repeating EL099, I hope that you can find the strength to exert more effort this time. Work hard now and I promise it will pay off later in your academic journey and your career after that.

If you ever feel that you need help outside the classroom, you are more than welcome to visit me during my office hours. I will be in my office on:

Saturdays, from 1 pm  to 2 pm.

Wednesdays, from 8:30 am to 9 am

Thursdays, from 8:30 am to 9 am

Also, do not hesitate to send me messages on LMS or leave a comment on this blog. I always reply to your messages :D

Best of luck,
Ms. Tasneem Solie

Monday, November 5th 2017: A Day at the Library

     Last Monday, I took my students for a visit to the AOU Library in an attempt to get them to start reading and try to spread the Hermioneish attitude towards libraries (the 'when in doubt, go to the library' attitude). On that day, my eyes were opened to a very important truth. During her graceful visit to my class as a guest speaker, Nada Faris, the amazing writer and performance poet said something that made me think. "We are what we attack" she said and I started to think that when a person condemns an idea or a belief, it does not necessarily mean they are not guilty of it. So before you attack an idea, look within yourself and check if you are 100% free of what you are attacking, and then maybe you can call yourself a feminist,  human rights activist... etc.

     That was not all. Nada's attendance of my class and her speech to my students about 'Why We Should Read' was beyond remarkable. It was truly an inspiration. She raised valid points, which she excellently supported with vivid examples. She talked about how the lives of prominent leaders like Jamal Abdul-Naser and Joseph Stalin were affected by books they encountered at a certain age and how one work of literature had enough power to start the civil war. Nada also ended with a captivating performance of one of her poems. 

     I was extremely happy to see my students engage in such an enriching discussion. I was even happier when I was told by some of them that they had never felt more inspired to read. I had a feeling of immense pride and satisfaction seeing my students browse through the bookshelves, looking for a point to start.

     Finally, I would like to thank everyone who supported me and was kind enough to attend my class: my supervisor, Mr. Khaldoon Mohamed Nur Said, my teacher and colleague Ms. Fatima Fayez, our librarian Mr. Atef, AOU Public Relations (thank you for the photos), my friends Reham, Raniya, and Sundos, and the girls from the writing session. I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Nada Faris for her amazing participation and her generosity. And mostly, thank you guys, my wonderful students, for making this a memorable day.

P.S. I know I should have posted this earlier but I was waiting for the good photos :D Here are some, enjoy! :p

 And remember to keep your friends close and your books closer;)

Instrumentally Yours: Learn English with Songs #2

Hey there again,

Saturday is a great day. The roads are clear and long car rides can actually be enjoyed. My mood was highly influenced by the peacefulness of today; thus I chose a soothing tune, hoping it will help you calm down, relax and enjoy the remainder of your  Saturday.

This song is by one of my favorite artists, Bruce Springsteen, who has a very unique voice and whose songs are always inspirational and moving. The song that I am about to share with you is one that he wrote shortly before his wedding to his current wife, Patti. It is, indeed, one of the top love songs he's ever written. My favorite thing about this song is that it's slow, so the words are easy to be heard, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the lyrics. I really hope you like this song as much as I do. The name of the song is 'Book of Dreams'

Lyrics

I'm standing in the backyard 
Listening to the party inside 
Tonight I'm drinkin' in the forgiveness 
This life provides 
The scars we carry remain but the pain slips away it seems 
Oh won't you baby be in my book of dreams
 
I'm watchin' you through the window 
With your girlfriends from back home 
You're showin' off your dress 
There's laughter and a toast 
From your daddy to the prettiest bride he's ever seen 
Oh won't you baby be in my book of dreams 

In the darkness my fingers slip across your skin 
I feel your sweet reply 
The room fades away and suddenly I'm way up high 
Just holdin' you to me 
As through the window the moonlight streams 
Oh won't you baby be in my book of dreams 
Now the ritual begins 
'Neath the wedding garland we meet as strangers 
The dance floor is alive with beauty 
Mystery and danger 
We dance out 'neath the stars' ancient light into the darkening trees 
Oh won't you baby be in my book of dreams.

More on Lyrics

1. Ritual: is a ceremony or a series of actions performed regularly. For example, my Friday night ritual is to wake up at noon, order pizza and watch a movie.

2. Garland: Hanging decorations

floral garland

Instrumentally Yours: Learn English with Songs

Dear students,

Believe it or not, attending classes and doing homework will not enable you to communicate in English; Studying English, learning its grammar and memorising new words might help with your everyday use of English but are certainly not enough simply because language is much more than putting words together in a certain grammatical order. Language is a representation of what its speakers think and how they perceive the world and that is one reason why the world looks different in different languages. Have you ever wondered why using the moon as a metaphor for beauty is completely acceptable in Arabic but sounds odd and unfamiliar in English?

So, to be able to communicate using a certain language, you must learn about the culture it originated from and see the world from the perspective of its own speakers. For that reason, you should not depend solely on books and dictionaries to learn a language. Read books, travel, watch movies or simply, listen to music. 

Songs, while having the powerful and magical ability to change your mood and cling to your memories, encapsulate many cultural values and attitudes. They are also a very convenient way to stay in touch with the language while improving your vocabulary at the same time. 

Because of that, I decided to start sharing some of my favorite songs that have great and profound lyrics, in addition to being catchy. Every week, I will post a song along with its lyrics and a short comment. All you have to do is listen to it once while reading the lyrics, translate the difficult words and put it on repeat until it makes you puke :D

The song that I would like to initiate this series with is Heaven by an underrated rock band named Warrant. It is a song about being devoted to the person you love regardless of what others think. It came out almost 30 years ago in 1989.

Lyrics

I've got a picture of your house
And you're standing by the door.
It's black and white and faded,
And it's looking pretty worn.
See the factory that I worked
Silhouetted in the back.
The memories are gray but man they're really coming back.

I don't need to be the king of the world
As long as i'm the hero of this little girl

Heaven isn't too far away
Closer to it everyday 
No matter what your friends might say

How I love the way you move
And the sparkle in your eyes
There's a color deep inside them
Like blue suburban skies
When I come home late at night
And you're in bed asleep
I wrap my arms around you
So I can feel you breathe

I dont need to be a superman
As long as you will always be my biggest fan

Heaven isn't too far away
Closer to it everyday (Ah, ah)
No matter what your friends might say
We'll find our way, yeah

Now the lights are going out,
Along the boulevard
Memories come rushing back and makes it pretty hard
I've got nowhere left to go
And no one really cares
I don't know what to do
But I'm never giving up on you.

Heaven isn't too far away
Closer to it every day
ohhhh ohhh
No matter what your friends say
I know we're gonna find a way

(Heaven)

Whoah, oohh, ohhh
Whoah, oohh, ohhh

(Heaven)

It's not too far away
Whoah, oohh, ohhh
Yeah yeah yeah

More on lyrics

1. What is a Silhouette? 

According to Dictionary.com, a silhouette is "the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light." 

Elephants silhouetted against sunset sky

2. Pictures looking worn?

A worn-out photo is a photo so old it looks damaged and shabby. We also use worn-out to describe other items like shoes, bags and other articles of clothing. We can sometimes say 'you look worn out' to someone who looks tired or exhausted.

Worn out dog

A worn-out photograph

until next week,

Keep rocking! \m/

Important Times and Dates

Dearest students,

I hope you are having fun with EL099 so far. This post is just a reminder of the most important times and dates that you should know.

1. My office hours

I have two office hours every week

on Saturday from 8:00 am to 9:00 am
on Wednesday from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Please feel free to visit me at any of those times to discuss your homework, writing, or anything that you do not understand. If non of the timings listed above is suitable for you, please contact me via LMS to agree on another day/time.

2. Your exams:

Quiz 1 (10 marks): The first quiz (as was announced in the classroom) will be on Wednesday, October 11th, 2017.
It will cover themes one and two. Quizzes will be done during your class and will take one hour and 15 minutes only.

Midterm (30 marks): The date and timing for the midterm have not been announced yet; however, it will probably be during the fourth week (October 14 to October 17th). It will cover themes one, two and three and the exam duration is 1 and a half hours.

Quiz 2 (10 marks): The second quiz will take place on Wednesday, November 1st, 2017. It will cover themes four and five. Quizzes will be done during your class and will take one hour and 15 minutes only.

Final (50 marks): The date and timing for the final have not been announced either but it is expected to around mid-November. The final exam covers all five themes and will last for two hours.

All exams include four sections: Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary and Writing.


3. Extra review class:

The first qui Please note that I will be giving an extra review class on Tuesday October 10th from 10 to 12 in room #GE109. Your attendance is very much appreciated.

Best of luck 
And thank you for your kind World Teachers' Day messages <3

Happy New Semester! 2017/2018

Dearest students,

I am very delighted to welcome you back to university today. I was too excited last night I barely got any sleep! It's the freshness and newness that September brings at the beginning of every Academic year.

I sincerely hope that you can draw the much-needed positive energy  from this fresh the excitement that fills the September air. Go to classes with a big smile on your face. Catch up with your friends and let all your worries and concerns fade away. You are here to learn and be a better person and for that only, you should be proud and happy.

Wishing you the best of luck in the world,
Hoping you will have a very productive year,

Best wishes,
Ms. Tasneem Solie

Final Grammar and Vocabulary Review Questions

It's almost time! Fight on a little longer and all your time and effort will be met with success, Inshallah. 

For Grammar, check the following list while studying:

Theme One
•Present simple tense•Past simple tense•Imperative sentences•Gerunds (with verbs like love, hate,…)•Infinitives (want, hope, promise,…)

Theme Two
•Present time and past time indicators.
•Present simple to describe people
•Modals: Can, should
•Adverbs of frequency
•Short introductions
•Everybody / somebody / nobody / anybody

Theme Three
•Must and have to
•Would like and want.
•Simple present passive.
•Using so and because

Theme Four
•Demonstratives
•Introductory phrases (reordering words)
•Simple past passive.
•Giving examples
•So, very and too
•Less vs. fewer
•Prepositions.
•Comparatives and superlatives
•Articles

Theme Five
•Quantifiers
•Because and so
•X is used for (verb+ing)



Click here to download grammar and vocabulary review questions

Click here to download vocabulary review question

Click here to download vocabulary and grammar review questions 2

Click here for general review

MTA Review for the Smartest of Students

Dear smart students reading this blogpost,


I hope you're having a fun and smooth time preparing for your midterm (which in case you didn't know is this Saturday from 11 am to 12:30 pm and will include reading, grammar, spelling and writing questions from themes 1, 2 and 3).

Please do not be discouraged if you got a low grade on your first quiz. You can always work harder and compensate in the midterm.

How can you prepare for the midterm exam?

First, study grammar:

Grammar is one pf the most important components of any language exam and it's a big part of the writing question as well. There are some grammar topics in each theme and it's of the utmost importance for you do know and practice all of them. There is a very useful grammar reference on page 179 of your student book which includes the grammar topics discussed in each of the five themes. Take a quick look through it before studying.

Grammar Topics Checklist (by themes)

Theme 1:

•Present simple tense

•Past simple tense

•Imperative sentences

•Gerunds (with verbs like love, hate,…)

•Infinitives (want, hope, promise,…)

Theme 2:

•Present time and past time indicators.

•Present simple to describe people

•Modals: Can, should

•Adverbs of frequency

•Short introductions

•Everybody / somebody / nobody / anybody

Theme 3:

•Must and have to

•Would like and want.

•Simple present passive.

•Using so and because.

Second, review vocabulary and definitions:

Most students find it hard to memorise the huge number of new words that the book contains and that's why you should study vocabulary as soon as you finish the lesson. However, I am sure most of you do not do that for the same reason you keep hitting the snooze button 5 times every morning. So my advice to you, lazy friends, is to focus on the difficult words and the definitions in the book in order to have a basic foundation. Remember also that spelling is crucially important. 

The vocabulary section will most likely include a) definitions, b) opposites and c) filling in with a suitable word.

To exercise your vocabulary, CLICK HERE

Thirdly, writing:

After you understand grammar and review key vocabulary, it is time to test the most important productive skill: writing. Be sure to implement good and correct ideas, adequate spelling, general understanding of key grammar rules and basic punctuation rules. 

Please DO NOT plagiarise (memorise or copy) sentences or paragraphs from the Internet. Doing so will probably lead to failing the course, suspension or expulsion from the university. Stay away from trouble!

The writing section may include another question such as reordering words to get a meaningful sentence. CLICK HERE to see an example

Hope to see you on Saturday,

Stay smart! B)

Ms. Tasneem Solie 

Quiz 1 Sample

Dear smarties 

     First of all, allow me to welcome you back to the Spring semester. I hope you're having a smooth run so far. As you all know, I dedicate this blog to the smart students who like to study and have fun at the same time. You can follow my blog and/or follow me on Twitter to get notified with the latest updates.

     As most of you probably already know, your first quiz will take place on Wednesday, March 15th 2017. It will cover the first two themes and include four types of questions: Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing. As I promised those of you who attended my class, I am going to upload some review material for the exam to get you familiarised with the process.. and this is me keeping my promise :D

Click here to download the sample we discussed in class

Stay tuned for more!
And keep drinking coffee 

See you in class

Ms. Tasneem Solie

Quiz 2 Sample

Dear EL099 students,

Your second quiz -as you all know- will take place this Wednesday, April, 5th. It will cover theme four only and will contain the same type of questions you always get. I found this sample quiz while I was going through the piles of paper that I have lying around. I am sure you'll find it very useful.

 Click on the links below to view images

Quiz Page 1

Quiz Page 2

Quiz Page 3

Quiz Page 4

Here's also some review questions that I made earlier

CLICK HERE

Please note that there will be no make-up quiz. Missing the quiz means losing 10 marks

Cheating or attempting to cheat puts you in danger of expulsion

Feel free to ask me any questions

Best of luck
Ms. Tasneem Solie

MTA Sample and writing topics for practice

Dear EL099 students

Let me start by wishing you a happy and prosperous new year! May you fill it with love, happiness and hard work. I hope you are ready for your exam tomorrow. I came across a few MTA question and I wanted to share them with you so that you can test your knowledge.

Click here to download the sample 

Also, if you want to practice writing, here are a few topics.

1. Write a paragraph of 100-150 words about how to be a good employee/student/manager
2. What is your dream job? Why do you like this job?
3. How can you prepare yourself for an interview? Write a few steps you do before and during an interview to leave a good impression. (theme 3: Speaking Lesson pg. 76 & 77 -Skills check 1)
4. Who is your role model? Describe him/her and write about the reasons you aspire to be like them.
5. Write about a person who has influenced your life positively or negatively.
6. Describe your best friend. Is he/she extrovert or introvert?
7. Write about your university. Why did you choose it? How do you like it? How is university life different from school life?

Please feel free to ask me any questions about your exam,

Best of luck!,
Ms Tasneem Solie