There are two groups in Gera which consist of about 8 young people (they are all in their early 20ies). The female/male ratio is roughly 50/50. Both groups are on a program called ‘Turntable’ the idea of which is to help them find a new job in Germany or another European country. Some of the participants are at B1.2 or even B2 while others are still at A2 and even A1. Still, they are all very interested in using and improving their English. Here are the topics I have covered with them so far:
<li>the NATO alphabet</li>
<li>English abbreviations used in German (FBI, CIA, CSI, OK, JFK, GI, George W, BBC, CNN, IBM, J. Lo, USB, JR, YMCA, DJ, VIP, ET, IT, etc.)</li>
<li>spelling words with and without the NATO alphabet</li>
<li>English words used in German (we first brainstormed them, then we put them into the following categories: entertainment/music/movies, technology and communication, sports, business and commerce)</li>
<li>the EU: countries, capitals, nationalities, languages, currencies (the groups did most of this themselves, I only had to add about 20% of the information)</li>
<li>reading an article on using YouTube and cell phones in the classroom, discussing the pros and cons of allowing electronic devices in the classroom</li>
<li>preparing and giving a presentation on their favorite pop/rock band (one person, Pawel is actually the lead singer in the Heavy Metal band 'Barracuda Bite'. He presented some songs from their first album including the video they have produced. It looks very professional.)</li>
<li>grammar: simple present, present progressive</li>
<li>reading and discussion: smoking ban in public places in Germany, the EU and the US</li>
Please review all of the items above. Then, have each group member prepare a presentation on their job and the companies they have applied for jobs so far. Some of the participants are interested in finding a job in the UK. Please help them create their CV/professional profile in English. The group can get access to the Internet so please incorporate online activities such as job search, booking a flight and hotel room, ordering office equipment, finding suppliers, etc.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, talks: Radio commercial for insurance products[YSaerTTEW443543]
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by Benjamin, Uli, Franziska (Germany); Vusala (Azerbaijan)