Speaking Club's Chronicles

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

Модератор: zymbronia

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Kind_Punk
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#26

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Do you know that 'badly' is a sort of auto-antonym? )

1
not skilfully or not carefully
to play/sing badly

2
used to emphasize how much you want, need, etc. somebody/something
They wanted to win so badly.
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Yety
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#27

Сообщение Yety »

zymbronia
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#28

Сообщение zymbronia »

Dear friends, what shall we do after we have finished The Subtle Knife?
I have noticed that less people started to turn up for retelling, as well as for Instant Discussions. Do you think it is time to cancel those topics altogether?
coolek14
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#29

Сообщение coolek14 »

zymbronia пишет: 22 май 2018, 09:10 Dear friends, what shall we do after we have finished The Subtle Knife?
I have noticed that less people started to turn up for retelling, as well as for Instant Discussions. Do you think it is time to cancel those topics altogether?
Zymbronia, hi!

From my perspective, participation in the book retelling calls is undoubtedly useful practice, but to be honest, preparation for the original texts (not adaptive ones) consumes a lot of time (as for me). For example, when I participated in your calls, it took approximately between 3-4 hours (sometimes more) for preparation per week. I really can't imagine how gyus with obviously less than my vocabulary and language knowledge prepared for these events.

That is why, in this situation I see two possible reasons why the number of participants has reduced. I think they didn't handle reading a big volume of difficult original text (as me) and have lost interest in participation. Regardless of your wish to read original texts, unfortunately, you have not found enough educated members able to read original texts only with pleasure and without using of a dictionary.

Speaking about solutions to this situation, try to consider either to choose less difficult book or to reduce the amount of text, required for reading per week, also dividing chapters by more number of parts for retelling than now I think will influence the process positively, because it will be simplier to remember as well as to retell.

To sum up, I don't think that book retelling is useless, howerver, the process need to be changed
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maximus
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#30

Сообщение maximus »

coolek14 пишет: 25 май 2018, 15:44 it took approximately between 3-4 hours (sometimes more) for preparation per week.
Do you? I have thought for upper levels it takes a little time. I have to spend about one hour every day for preparing the speaking club meeting. But it is the real challenging for me though. I hadn't almost read any book when I started participating in zym's speaking club. And my level is of 2 stages below you. As for me, it is the really tough task. I am hardly in time to read two chapters and I have no time to prepare words and phrases for retelling at all. But I think that is only my problem. Retelling original books is a task for B2+ learners. I am just not fit for it. But I hope I achieve proper level soon :)

I really grateful zymbronia for the club. It makes me improve my reading, speaking and even listening skills (it is hard for me sometimes to understand speaking other club's members). I have learned to recognize Arabic accent :)

In fact, I think the summer is the reason for the low activity. And maybe some waves of people activity. Zymbronya spoke he had wanted to close the club because of low activity already. But unexpectedly the activity increased because of new people had joined the club. I think all will be ok in future. But actually, maybe we should retell graded books of high level and do some exercises in future. Just for think.
coolek14
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#31

Сообщение coolek14 »

maximus, deviding mentioned above period of time, i spent 1.5 hour on superficial reading, 60-90 minutes for translation (i tried to translate all words and to understand all structures used in text) and remaining 60-90 minutes i prepared for retelling
Mary May
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#32

Сообщение Mary May »

I'm not in a position to intervene/to advise here, but I do think [mention]coolek14[/mention] could be right and you might consider taking a bit shorter/less difficult pieces to read and discuss.
And, perhaps, graded readers could be good choice - at least as a temporary option in summer, when many of your members would miss a week or two or even longer because of the holidays.
[mention]zymbronia[/mention] could launch a poll here to choose what to read next.
zymbronia
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#33

Сообщение zymbronia »

Mary May, belivee me or not but I did a survey and I changed approaches and what we are doing now has shown itself as the best way for our club.
This book we are reading now is for children, therefore, it is almost an adapted book. No sense to lower the level more.
coolek14
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#34

Сообщение coolek14 »

zymbronia, so, our business is just to suggest:)
and whether you consider it or not it's your choice
(sorry for direct translation:) )
zymbronia
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#35

Сообщение zymbronia »

We had such surveys and we arrived at the current method by having considered it for four years or so. I cannot please everybody. sorry.
anyway what is a reason to launch a poll among two participants? cannot we decide amiacably among ourselve
The thing is, coolek14, that we have several topics for several levels and you didn't like any one. What is a reason to do like you would like us to do? If you disagree, you can organise your own sub-group and we will be happy to join your group if you can provide something more interesting than we. I will even give up on my group and tell the members to join your group if it is really better than mine.
coolek14
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#36

Сообщение coolek14 »

zymbronia пишет: 28 май 2018, 23:07 The thing is, coolek14, that we have several topics for several levels and you didn't like any one
umm, my friend, i think you need to read messages more attantively, my quote:
"From my perspective, participation in the book retelling calls is undoubtedly useful practice", where in this sentence have you found any negative points?
I didn't participate in the other calls, because time was not appropriate to me, but i haven't ever said that i don't like them.
zymbronia
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#37

Сообщение zymbronia »

coolek14, if you don't have time, for whom I have to change our topics? Other participant would like to do what we are doing now.
Actually it is my opinion, if a person likes something, they participate. Of course I judge by myself.
It doesn't matter. What matters is that we have tried different approaches and we have arrived at this one as the best one.
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maximus
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#38

Сообщение maximus »

Suddenly I have understanded a meaning of the phrase 'subtle knife'. I had thought it is just 'thin, well-made knife", but I have discovered other meaning today. It means not only 'thin' but 'so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe'. 'subtle' is a very curious word as it turned out.
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Michelangelo
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#39

Сообщение Michelangelo »

If you are reading The Subtle Knife, then from the context you must have understood that this was a knife that can cut a hole into one or several of parallel words. So it must be as precise and keen as to do that.
Of course it is difficult to find a specific definition for this but you must have understood what they did with that knife and of what quality it must have been.
When reading sci-fi you must develop an acute mind as they could use some new words which are not in the dictionary, or use some old words which new meanings you cannot find in a dictionary. Therefore feel more flexible to choose meanings of words by contexts not by dictionaries.
Of course you can say "very acute knife", "knife that can cut an entrance to the parallel word" but the author chose to call it "the subtle knife". It is just his choice. Don't be so worried about words people can choose, jut try to understand what they wanted to underline by using such or such words.
Have fun!
zymbronia
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#40

Сообщение zymbronia »

Dear friends,
Please keep in mind that our meetings start at 10 pm msk starting from June 1. Only on Tuesdays our meeting starts at 9.30 pm msk. However, this Tusday nobody turned up. If the same repeats next Tuesday, I will cancel this event.
On Saturdays the time remains the same, specifically 7.30 am msk.
Have fun!
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Саския
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#41

Сообщение Саския »

zymbronia, can I join your Speaking club, please?
zymbronia
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#42

Сообщение zymbronia »

Use my nickname here to call the Skype. Be aware that now fewer members are participating, and I am not sure for how long the club will go on. It seems to me that it is going to be closed soon.
See you!
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Саския
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#43

Сообщение Саския »

zymbronia пишет: 03 июн 2018, 22:15 Use my nickname here to call the Skype. Be aware that now fewer members are participating, and I am not sure for how long the club will go on. It seems to me that it is going to be closed soon.
See you!
Thanks a lot.
zymbronia
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#44

Сообщение zymbronia »

We\ve celebrated the 5-th anniversary of our club and again we don't have enough participants now. I think we don't have even 10 regular members so I think it is a jolly time to close my part of the club. Moreover, I cannot make it entertaining. I think I cannot go on
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#45

Сообщение Саския »

zymbronia пишет: 05 окт 2018, 21:26 We\ve celebrated the 5-th anniversary of our club and again we don't have enough participants now. I think we don't have even 10 regular members so I think it is a jolly time to close my part of the club. Moreover, I cannot make it entertaining. I think I cannot go on

Zymbronia,congratulations on the anniversary! ) I think no one feels bored during the sessions. But if you're tired or wouldn't like to lead such a small community, that's another thing )
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#46

Сообщение Michelangelo »

Are you retelling His Dark Material yet? Have you finished it?
What are your other plans as to retelling children books? Chronicles of Narnia, for example?
Do you start talks at 8 pm msk? Or you have ultimately decided to stop any talks at all?
I am reading THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW now, but very very slowly :(
I know that few people like to read and retell children books, though, even if they are not able to read adult books :)
zymbronia
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#47

Сообщение zymbronia »

6 December, Thursday, 21.30 msk. His Dark Materials, THE AMBER SPYGLASS (Chapters 24-25)
10 December, Monday, 21.30 msk, Upstream Advanced, Unit 8, SB
13 December, Thursday, 21.30 msk. His Dark Materials, THE AMBER SPYGLASS (Chapters 26-27)
zymbronia
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#48

Сообщение zymbronia »

Currently we have two sessions as follows:
February 11, Monday, 21.30 msk, Upstream Advanced, Unit 8, SB
February 14, Thursday, 21.30 msk. His Dark Materials, THE AMBER SPYGLASS (Chapters 36-37)


As you can see we are finishing The Amber Spyglass and are at the edge to move to another book.
We are discussing to choose The Hobbits.
I think in a week or two we'll start to read and retell The Hobbits.
If you are interesed in activities like this, i.e., retelling books or doing exercises together, please use "zymbronia" in skype to join our club.
zymbronia
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#49

Сообщение zymbronia »

Tomorrow we are retellin The Hobbit, Chaper 1
The beginning is at 9.30 msk.

Chapter I

AN UNEXPECTED PARTY
1.What kind of a hole did the Hobbit have? Who lived there?
2. Who are hobbits?
3. Who came by Bilbo's hole one morning long ago? What did they talk about?
4. Was Bilbo glad to learn who he spoke to? Did Gandalf want to send him on adventure?
5. Did Bilbo forget about Gandalf the next day?
6. What did Bilbo do when he learned about four more dvarves to come? When did Gandalf come?
7. Did the dvarves help Bilbo? What song did they sing?
8. What did Thorin and Gandalf do? Did they have some music then?
9. What song did they sing about? Was Bilbo fascinated by the song?
10. What did Thorin say?
11. What happened to Bilbo when he heard “may never return”?
12. Did Bilbo understand why the dvarves came to him? What did they say in explanation?
13. What map did Gandalf spread on the table? Did Gandalf have the key to the door?
14. Did Bilbo want to know more about things?
15. Why did the dragon come?
16. Did many dvarves escape Smaug? Did Thorin want to know more about the map?
17. What did Bilbo tell them?
zymbronia
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#50

Сообщение zymbronia »

Hello everybody,

A week ago it was the 6-the Anniversary of our speaking club. I think it is time to close my thread at least. I have been trying to close it for last 3 years and I didn't succeed as somebody could always join the club when I was ready to close it. I am becoming less and less enthusiastic in conducting our meetings and fewer and fewer members are participating regularly and you know that I remove those who are not regular from our speaking groups.
In case you have some proposals, write here. Maybe we will find some new ways for development.

Good luck!
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