Likeability and career advice for shoplifters

2 different tasks this week.

The first is my favourite default subject in English; crime:
Shoplifter fake baby
It's a crazy and slightly sad story but hopefully students can give it a positive spin.

Then we're into personality development. Here is the article:

Bradberry, T. (2017, January 30). Nine Things That Make You Unlikable. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2017/01/24/nine-things-that-make-you-unlikeable/

The exercise is in 2 parts:

1) Flip the article on its head - write a page of A4 giving friendly advice on "How to become more likeable".

2) Put your very best advice into our joint presentation on the subject:

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Vacuum cleaner joy

This week, we enter the world of consumer electrical items and consider the humble vacuum cleaner.

Here is the worksheet containing the article, questions and creative group activity:

Best Vacuum Cleaner

Christmas meditation

On our final day of English lessons this term, we're looking at different versions of the Christmas story.

Wexford Carol

Read about the history of this carol here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wexford_Carol

With this carol, we'll simply identify all the verbs and adjectives - they make a very beautiful collection of words!

Herefordshire Carol

The full words of this carol can be found here: https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/truth_from_above-obc68.htm

The carol invites us to reflect on our human condition. Is humanity doomed? What can save us? How are we to live?

Adam Lay Ybounden

This carol is sung in its original Middle English. How much can you understand?

It talks about the concept of "Felix culpa" or "happy fault" and invites the question, what happy faults have occurred in our lives?

2 short stories before Christmas

Christmas is a time for stories, and here are two for you to enjoy and reflect upon:

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

This is a Sherlock Holmes story written in 1892 with an enduring message.

Here is the original text: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

Here is an excellent reading of the story that you can download here: The Blue Carbuncle read by Greg Wagland (mp3) or listen to on YouTube:

You can read an easy version here:
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy version)
and listen to the same easy version here:
Audio: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy) part 1
Audio: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy) part 2

O'Brien's First Christmas

by Jeanette Winterson (1959-)

A more romantic story with an important message: O'Brien's First Christmas by Jeanette Winterson.

You can also listen to the story here: http://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/jeanette-marshs-christmas-story/

Exercise

All I ask is that you read actively, writing down or highlighting memorable and interesting sentences. We will work with the stories in different ways, so you need to memorise as much as possible.

Monday 12 December - fantastic opportunities!

Sveriges roll i kampen mot skatteflykt (engelska/svenska)

by Forum Syd

Mon, December 12, 2016 10:00 – 12:00
Kungl. Myntkabinettet - Sveriges Ekonomiska museum
6 Slottsbacken, Gamla Stan, 111 30 Stockholm

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sveriges-roll-i-kampen-mot-skatteflykt-tickets-29689609421

Check out one of the speakers: Savior Mwambwa:

The Politics of Disconnection and Disruptive Media

Mon, December 12, 2016 13:00 – 16:00
Sodertorn University, Alfred Nobels alle 13, MC235, 141 52 Huddinge

Alessandro Delfanti (University of Toronto); Sophie Toupin (McGill University); Anne Kaun (Södertörn University); Carina Guyard (Södertörn University)

Read more about the workshop content here: https://www.sh.se/p3/ext/custom.nsf/calendar?openagent&key=12_12_workshop_the_politics_of_disconnection_and_disruptive_media_1478504555749#

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-politics-of-disconnection-and-disruptive-media-tickets-28943817738

Check out some of the speakers:



Sophie from Lela Coders on Vimeo.

Markus Stauff: Media convergence and the dispositif: The power of transformation

Tisdag 13 december kl. 13:00-15:00
Vad: högre seminarium Var: Room PC 249, on the second floor in the C-wing, Primus building, Södertörn University

http://www.sh.se/p3/ext/custom.nsf/calendar?openagent&key=13_12_markus_stauff_media_convergence_and_the_dispositif_the_power_of_transformation_1474901255711

Is drought in California “the new normal”?
by Swedish Water House
Mon, December 19, 2016 13:00 – 15:00
Sockholm International Water Institute, Linnégatan 87, 5 tr
115 23 Stockholm
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/is-drought-in-california-the-new-normal-tickets-28863197601


Seminar with Harvard Professor Cass Sunstein author of 'Nudge' by Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum)
Behavioral science and nudges: environmental protection and sustainability
Wed, January 11, 2017, 16:00 – 18:00
Stockholm School of Economics, Aula, First floor, Sveavägen 65, 11350 Stockholm.
Register here: 
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/welcome-to-a-seminar-with-harvard-professor-cass-sunstein-author-of-nudge-registration-28835022328

Check out Cass Sunstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rewo7dPiRyU