Lesson 5 – A Girl with a Vision

We began by checking our answers for Unit 2.

Textbook U3: A Girl with a Vision
After doing the Vocabulary Preview activity, we continued with the rest of the unit. Finish it for homework.

Quizlet
We took the Lesson 5 quiz in Quizlet.

We had some time in class to use Quizlet. There is a set I have made just for this class. The vocabulary test will be from this list. I have added the vocabulary set for this class.

We will have a vocabulary quiz next week on the Unit 6 set.


Homework
Write a few paragraphs giving advice to someone about learning a language. Use the ideas and vocabulary from Units 1 & 2.

Use Google Docs. Follow the steps:

1. Sign in / log in to Google Drive.
2. Click on NEW.
3. Choose GOOGLE DOCS. 
4. In the top left box, give your spreadsheet the title: 
5. your full name + AAV + L5 Homework (Taro Suzuki's AAV L5 Homework)
6. Share with me (danielbeck + @rikkyo.ac.jp)
7. Write your paragraph(s)
8. Due 11/6 23:59 

Lesson 4 – Look Closer, Think Again

Unit 1 Homework
We checked our answers for Language Focus and Vocabulary Extension in Unit 1.


Quizlet

We took a quiz on Quizlet. We also had some time in class to use Quizlet. I have added the vocabulary from Unit 1.

Study the Lesson 5 set for next week's quiz.

Textbook U2: Look Closer, Think Again
After doing the Vocabulary Preview activity (p. 15), you had time to work on the rest of the chapter. Whatever you didn't complete in class will be for homework.



Homework
In your textbook, do the Language Focus activity, the Vocabulary Extension activity (p. 49) and Vocabulary Reinforcement activity (p. 50).

Lesson 03 – Unit 1 What, When, and How

Handout 2 U1: Some Dos and Don'ts
We checked our answers and reviewed the content from the previous lesson.


Textbook U1: What, When, and How
After doing the Vocabulary Preview (p. 9) you continued to do the work in the textbook. Next week we will check our answers for this week's lesson.

Quizlet
We took a quiz on the NAWL 1 on Quizlet. 

There are two sets I have made for this course. One is focused on the vocabulary from the textbook (2019 AAV Textbook Vocabulary). The other set (AAV Lesson 4 Quiz Study Set) will change each week to prepare for the coming lesson's quiz. Study both sets AND the NAWL sets.

Video — Cello Wars (Star Wars parody by The Piano Guys on YouTube)

The Piano Guys are my favorite YouTube artists. They have great music AND great videos. This one is a parody of my favorite movie from my childhood, Star Wars. Now people call it Episode IV (4) or A New Hope, but it was Star Wars to us when it came out. It wasn't until the stupid prequels (Episodes I, II & III) years later that those names were used.

The ideas of lightsabers, fighting ships flying across the screen, laser guns and The Force were all new and very cool. Star Wars was the first real blockbuster movie. If you wanted to see it when it came out, you might have had to wait hours and there were no reserved seats back then. It stayed in the cinemas for over a year.

I have included a modern trailer of the movie below the Piano Guys video. The original trailer was not very good. Enjoy!

Lesson 02 – Some Dos and Don'ts

Handout U1: Not Just One Way
First, we checked answers from the handout from last week. The reading How to Learn a Foreign Language (pp. 10-11) is useful. I expect you to remember what the four strands are. We will have a quiz next week.


Handout U2: Some Dos and Don'ts

We began to go through the second handout. Finish the handout before next week's lesson.

Quizlet
Study both the NAWL 1 set and our AAV class set on Quizlet. We will have a quiz next week. 

We will begin to use our textbook from next week.

Video – Tom Sawyer by Rush

As I told you in my self-introduction, the Canadian rock trio, Rush, is my favorite band. Geddy Lee, the bass player, is also the singer and keyboardist; Alex Lifeson is the guitar player; Neil Peart is the drummer and lyricist (writer of the words).

Rush's best-known song is Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer is the name of a famous character is American literature. Mark Twain wrote a few novels with Tom as a character who observes human nature. Tom was a boy and had a friend named Huckleberry (Huck) Finn. Huck had his own novel in which he made a raft (small flat boat) and traveled down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave.

In the introduction part of the video there is an animation with characters from South Park (a popular TV show). The characters have their own rock group called Lil' Rush. They start to play Tom Sawyer, but stop to have an argument. It's because the singer confuses Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

In this song, Peart (the writer) thinks of himself as a "modern-day Tom Sawyer". So, this song is really about himself. I have included the lyrics (words) below the video if you would like to read them. Enjoy!






Tom Sawyer
Words: Peart    Music: Lee & Lifeson

A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
He reserves the quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide

Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you

No, his mind is not for rent
To any God or government
Always hopeful yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide

Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets by on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to the friction of the day

Lesson 1 – Welcome!

Welcome to Advanced Academic Vocabulary with GTB!

Today, I introduced myself and you gave a short introduction speech and you shared some information about yourself. 

Vocabulary Level Test

We took a test to check our vocabulary level. This will help me know how best to teach you. It will also help you know better how to study.

NGSL & NAWL
Two very valuable tools for improving your vocabulary are the New General Service List (NGSL) and the New Academic Word List (NAWL). 

Vocabulary may be the most important single part of learning a language. Choosing the right vocabulary is also important. The right vocabulary is most frequent vocabulary that you do not yet know. The NGSL and the NAWL are the most accurate lists of the most frequent vocabulary in the English language. Master these first and your English will improve faster.

You can find resources for these lists at their websites linked below:

New General Service List 

New Academic Word List

You can begin to study these words using the apps listed on their website, or with Quizlet.

Join our Quizlet Class
GTB's AAV Quizlet Class

Please try the various tools and games before next week's lesson. I strongly recommend getting the Quizlet app for your smartphone.

Homework
Complete the handout for next week.