Business Class June 27

I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend.

In the last class, we finished pages 24 and 25 of unit 5, "Present facts and figures." For homework, check an online English newspaper (i.e globeinvestor.com, wsj.com) and try to find 5 article headlines which contain a figure. How is that figure presented? Is the figure presented in a favourable or unfavourable light?

Here is an example that I took from globeinvestor.com: "RIM shares down nearly 20% as turnaround looks unlikely." The number 20(%) is rounded up from 19.05(%). The figure is presented in an unfavourable light since it is exaggerating the stock's losses by almost 1%. Later on in the article, the writer repeats this figure, this time in an even more unfavourable light by using the verb, plunge. "On Friday, RIM shares plunged nearly 20 per cent, closing on Nasdaq at $7.39, a new 52-week low."

Good luck! I am looking forward to hearing your analysis of the headlines you chose on Wednesday.

Saturday, June 23

It was great seeing everyone on Saturday!

Level 1- On Saturday, we completed the unit on agreeing and disagreeing. As a review of the unit, could you please write 6 opinion statements using the 5 opinion statement expressions in the "Giving an Opinion" section on page 39 along with the expression "Don't you think...?" We will use these statements as a warm-up next lesson. Also, answer the 18 questions on page 40. We will be starting the unit on "Location" next week.

Level 2- On Saturday, we finished page 22. As a review, please write 3 statements about your past. In response to each statement, using one of the three rejoinders in the "Discussion Strategies" section on page 22 (It sounds like..., It seems as if..., It looks like...), write a rejoinder. Also, please complete the "Follow-up Questions" section at the top of page 23. List 3 of your favorite toys from childhood and explain why you liked each of them so much.

Level 3- On Saturday, we finished page 22. As a review, please write 3 statements about your past. In response to each statement, using one of the three rejoinders in the "Discussion Strategies" section on page 22 (It sounds like..., It seems as if..., It looks like...), write a rejoinder. Also, please complete the "Follow-up Questions" section at the top of page 23. List 3 of your favorite toys from childhood and explain why you liked each of them so much.

Level 4- On Saturday, we completed "Listening 2" in unit 3. For homework, please do the "Vocabulary Skill" exercises on pages 53 and 54 and answer the 3 warm-up questions in "Part A" on page 65. Next week, we will be talking about health care and how it is changing.

I look forward to seeing you again in 3 weeks time. Keep on studying hard!

Business Class June 20

I hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend.

In last week's class we finished unit 4. Since you did such a great job in the final role-play activity, I decided to give you a break and not assign any homework (except for making 10 word cards of course).

I am looking forward to seeing you again on Wednesday! 

Saturday, June 16

Despite the lousy weather, almost everyone came today. It was great seeing you all again!

Level 100- In class, we finished pages 50, 71, 72 and 39. Next week we will continue with "Agreeing & Disagreeing" so please review the language on page 39. Also, write your own opinion statements for numbers 5 and 6 in sections 1, 2, 3 & 4 on page 51.

Level 200- In class, we finished page 20 and 21. For homework, complete the sentences in the "Personalization" section on page 22 with your own ideas. Also, preview the questions in the discussion section at the bottom of page 22. Make sure that you understand each question.

Level 300- In class, we finished page 20 and 21. For homework, complete the sentences in the "Personalization" section on page 22 with your own ideas. Also, preview the questions in the discussion section at the bottom of page 22. Make sure that you understand each question.

Level 400 - In today's class, we finished the questions related to "Listening 1" on pages 46-47. For homework, could you do the "Vocabulary" section on page 50 and 51 and listen and/or read "Listening 2." Also, answer A 1&2 from the "What do you Think?" section on page 52.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I am looking forward to seeing you again next week.

Business Class June 13

I hope that everyone is having a fun and relaxing weekend.

In class, we finished up to the end of page 22. You did a great job in the listening activity and preparing questions for interviewing a potential client. I was particularly impressed with the summaries that you prepared for homework. Between you and your partner, you were able to come up with almost all of the key information. Nice work!

For homework, please read the information on page 100 and prepare questions that you feel would be necessary to ask in order to do a thorough needs analysis of your potential client, the Training Manager from Elegante. Junko, Haru, Momoko and Naoko, you will be representing Headlamp. Tomo, Hide, Yurie and Yoshie, you will be representing Infos.

I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Saturday June 9

Level 100: I think that you are all improving. You did great with the follow up questions pair work activities on page 71/72. We finished all follow-up lesson work and started on Rejoinders and Comments. We finished all of Page 38.

Homework: Write their own questions for 5&6 on Page 50 and review the Rejoinders and Comments on pages 71 and 72 so they can do the pair work next week.


Level 200: We finished Unit 2. We spent most of the time discussing Personalization and Discussion strategies. You did really well and seemed to enjoy it.

Homework: The Past: Page 20 Warm-up Questions and Read Points of View on Page 21. Also please do the crossword as review.


Level 300 - We did the discussion questions on Page 16. Good job! We also did Collocation sets and made sentences using save time, kill time and run out of time.

Homework: The Past: Page 20 Warm Up Questions and Read Points of View on Page 21. Do crossword.

Level 400 - We had great group discussions of questions on Page 43. Then we did page 44 C&D as a whole class. We finished the vocabulary for Listening 1.

Homework: we did not do any of the Listening yet for Generation Next. The homework is to read the Generation Script and do the do you Think Questions on Page 47. Also, please make a proverb similar to the one: Only three things in life are certain: birth, death and change. In America it's birth, death and taxes.

Business Class June 6

Hello everyone! I am sorry for the delay in posting this update. It has been a really really busy week!

In Wednesday's class, we finished task 1 on page 20-21 and did the role-play exercise in task 2 on page 21. For homework, prepare a summary of the information you found out from your partner in Meeting 1 or Meeting 2. For the students who were unable to attend the last lesson, could you please read the information about Head lamp Inc. and Infos on pages 97 & 98 and answer the questions from task 1, "Questioning a prospective supplier."

I am looking forward to seeing everyone soon. I hope that you have a great weekend!   

Saturday, June 2

Wow! Isn't the semester just flying by?! Keep up the great work everyone!!

Level 100: In class today, we finished the follow-up questions listening and the fill in the blanks on Page 37. We also finished the pair work activity on Page 49.
For homework, please write one follow-up question for each of the Questions in the follow-up section on Page 71 and 72. Could you also write your answers to Questions 1-13 on page 71 and 72.

Level 200: You all did a good job with the mind map! In class, we also read and discussed “Points of View” on Page 15.
For homework, please answer the Personalization and Discussion Questions on Page 16.

Level 300: Great job this week! We discussed your “Mind Maps” and the “Personalization” questions on Page 16.
For homework, please answer the discussion questions on Page 16.

Level 400: The class had another lively discussion on the “What do you Think” Questions on Page 32. We also finished Listening 2 and answered all of the questions.
For homework, please answer the Discussion Questions for Unit 3 on Page 43 (A&B).