www.brolancon.com 2017

ASSIGNMENT 1

Language Interference.

Here are some mistakes often made by German speakers when mother-tongue structures, idiom and vocabulary interfere with their English production. See if you can correct these sentences to make them sound more like native-speaker English.

1 I am a teacher for German and English.

2 I have been living in Berlin since three years.

3 How big is your teaching staff? - We are 40

4 Next week there is a good concert in the Opera House.

- We are looking forward ( )

5 Will you be long?- No, I come now.

6 There are great sales on in town!- I know. I already went.

7 You can’t believe it! He won first prize.

8 It is already three o’clock. I go now...

9 Places will be limited. You should reply until Friday 20th.

10 You can’t imagine! I made the exam one year before everyone else.

11 Shall I post you a receipt?- No it’s ok. You mustn’t do

that.

12 Will I send you an SMS when we arrive?

13 I am a little bit excited about this course.

www.brolancon.com

14 Shall I prepare the dinner?

15 Good appetite everyone!

16 (Lifting a phone) Hello. Here is Barbara.

17 Did you have a nice evening?- Yes, thank you for all.

18 Can you involve pupils in the projects?- Yes, you can take children

with you but you mustn’t.

19 I’ve got such a brown leather bag and when I take it with me, I...(ich habe so ‘ne braune...)

20 Excuse me the lamp in my room isn’t working.– Ok, I will care for it.

21 How was yesterday evening?- It was very well.

22 When will we see us?

23 I have problems to understand English dialects.

24 Every time when you tell that story I laugh!

25 I will send you the actual list.

26 In former times we had to study Russian.

27 It is not far. It’s in the near...

28 These are good news!

29 Can you make a photo?

30 I am here since three weeks.

31 Before the course, we received lots of informations.

www.brolancon.com

32 On the one side, we have good teaching resources. On the other side , our classes are too big.

33 How was the trip?We enjoyed it. It was funny!

34 It is a little village in Saxonia.

35 Next week we will be taking part in a training.

36 (at a meal – regarding payment)

I invite you.

37 More coffee?- Thank you very much.

Please.

38 Zis is where the bus stops. CF German Coastguard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR0lWICH3rY

39 How many of you went? We were 22.

www.brolancon.com

ASSIGNMENT 2The World is full of TLAs!... 1 How many do you know?

Everyday Life

MOT

GMT

EST

PMT

VAT

RDA

TLC

ATM

ETA

IOU

RSI

HIV

SOS

OTT

Literary/Media

AKA

BBC

ITV

CNN

PTO

1 Three-Letter Abbreviations - including acronyms. Initialisms e.g. OMG are not necessarily acronyms, which strictly speaking are pronounceable words or names such as Radar, UNESCO, VAT.

www.brolancon.com

Textspeak and E-mailing

OMG

LOL

BTW

SMS

AND WHAT ABOUT SOME FOUR-LETTER ONES?OECD

ASAP

RSVP

CCTV

OPEC

UKIP

www.brolancon.com

ASSIGNMENT 3 MULTIPLE CHOICE. UNDERLINE THE CORRECT ANSWER(S)1. Jimmy _____________school two days ago.

a) is starting b)starts c) has started d) started

2. Did you arrive in London_____________night, or during the day?a) in b)on c) at d) through

3. Jane went to Italy __________holiday this year. a) from b) on c) in d) by

4. For most of the year there isn’t__________grass on the hills around Malaga.a) no b)some c) any d) the

5. The weather has been very good _____________we came to Germany. a) since b)for c) while d) before

6. Your dad is paying for the tickets, _____________?a) aren’t you b)is it c) isn’t it d) isn’t he

7. The game will finish soon, _____________?a) is it b)won’t it c) wouldn’t it d) may it

8. Do you like_____________football?a) to play b)playing c) play d) to have played

9. I am sure he _____________if you ask him.a) would come b)will come c) is coming d) comes

10. You can finish the pudding. It needs to _____________up. It won’t keep until tomorrow.a) eating b) eaten c) to eat d) be eaten

11. I think it would be a good idea if we _____________a new car.a) buy b)bought c) would buy d) had bought

12. Could you wait for a few moments until the manager _____________back. a) will get b)gets c) will be getting d) is getting

13. Pete’s dad made him _____________to school, even when he was sick. a) to go b)go c) going d) for going

14. I _____________some money to my sister Jill last week. She was feeling a bit hard up!a) lent b)loaned c) borrowed d) let

15. You can finish the pudding. It needs _____________up. It won’t keep until tomorrow.a) eating b) eaten c) to eat d) be eaten

16. The driver stopped just _____________time!

www.brolancon.com

a) on b)in c) for d) by

17. It’s hard to get used _____________on the left.a) to drive b)to driving c) to the driving d) driving

18. If he’d seen you, he _____________hello. a) said b)would have said c) will say d) would say

19. I am sure he _____________come if you asked him.a) would come b) will come c) is coming d) come

20. I wish I _____________still on holiday. a) was b)were c) should be d) would be

21. His new car is very different _____________his old one.a) to b)from c) than d) as

22. You _____________book in advance for the coach trip. There will be plenty of room.a) needn’t to b)mustn’t c) needn’t d) mustn’t to

23. He forgot his key but _____________climb in through the window.a) could b)managed to c) could be able to d) managed

24. People should treat him with more respect. _____________he was once a hero. a) Moreover b) Nevertheless c) All the same d) After all

25. Most people prefer flying nowadays _____________going by boat. It’s a lot quicker.a) to b)from c) than d) over

26. When they couldn’t _____________the noise any longer, they banged on the door.a) stand up b)put up of c) put up with d) put with

27. I wish I _____________so angry with them all last night.a) wouldn’t have got b)haven’t got c) hadn’t got d) didn’t get

28. I _____________my car stolen one time when I left it at the airport. a) had b)have had c) had had d) will have

29. If you think you are right, you should _____________yourself.a) stand up b)stand up to c) put up with d) stand up for

30. She tried _____________Migraine tablets but they didn’t work. a) to take b)taking c) take d) to have taken

31. He must have used his bike to get here. He couldn’t have _____________that fast.a) Run b) ran c) runned d) rann

www.brolancon.com

32. _____________had the doors closed when the first actor was on stage talking to the audience.a) Scarcely b) No sooner c) Never d) Just

33. They sent me a nice card congratulating me _____________the award. a) in receiving b)on receiving c) for to receive d) to have received

34. No one _____________out much hope of finding any survivors.a) keeps b)puts c) holds d) has

35. There’s no use _____________to learn a language from a CD-ROM, in my opinion.a) to try b)try c) in trying d) trying

36. I’m sorry, I’m really busy. I just can’t take _____________any more work at the moment.a) up b)on c) over d) down

37. The new journalist was bored _____________reports about cats stuck up trees - and such like!a) turning out b)writing up c) summarising d) churning out

38. Hey! It’s time you _____________You don’t want to miss your train!a) should be leaving b)have left c) left d) were to be leaving

39. _____________had the doors closed than the first actor was on stage talking to the audience. a) Scarcely b) No sooner c) Never d) Just

40. I’m not sure to _____________extent we can really believe the daily reports from Syria.a) which b)what c) this d) that

41. He was so fit he could have _____________ in the Olympics!a) Swimmed b) swam c) swum d) swumm

44. The situation was _____________complicated by the government’s indecision. a) more b)extra c) further d) altogether

45. Help yourself _____________another Bushmills. There’s plenty more!

a) with b) for c) to d) at

ASSIGNMENT 4 PICTURESQUE CLICHÉS

www.brolancon.com

Complete these phrases, which are very commonly used by native speakers.

1. As thick as two short __________

2. Quick as a __________

3. As quiet as a __________

4. Slow as a __________

5. As hard as __________ Or As hard as a __________

6. As light as a __________

7. As sweet as__________

8. Good as __________...

9. As white as__________

10. Red as a__________

11. Pretty as a __________

12. Like a thief in the __________

13. As safe as __________

14. Black as__________ Or Black as the __________ of __________

15. He drinks like a__________

16. Their wee child is as bright as a __________

17. As slippery as an __________

18. Sick as a __________

19. As tough as old __________

20. Butter wouldn’t melt__________

ASSIGNMENT 5 ENGLISH PROVERBS

www.brolancon.com

Complete these proverbs, which are very commonly used by native speakers.

1. A bird in the hand_____________________________________

2. Birds of a feather_____________________________________

3. The early bird_____________________________________

4. A _________in time saves nine.

5. Don’t count your_________before they are_________

6. Too many _________spoil the _________

7. There’s no place like______________

8. The _________is always _________on the other_________

9. Strike while_____________________________________

10. _________good turn_____________________________________

11. Still_________run_________

12. Pride comes _____________________________________

13. Many _________make light_________

14. The proof of the _________is in the _________

Assignment 6

www.brolancon.com

The Power of Words. Making shapes with word groups.

Choosing the right word for effect is always important – but especially if you are aiming for immediate, one-off impact, as in an advert. Create word shapes for each group e.g. triangles or diamonds, according to the words’ intensity. Some words are used so much in colloquial speech they have lost most of their impact. “Terrible” is one example. Talk to a native speaker to get their feel for how intense or otherwise these words are.

www.brolancon.com

ravenous

worried anxious

petrified

perplexed terrified

nervous

concerned

scared

tense

frightened

alarmed

Super Mega

Neat

Great Excellent

Class

Fantastic Amazing

Far out Wonderful

Cool

Well good

Fantastic

Criminal

Evil

Naughty

Mischievous

Malign

Malevolent

Villainous

ANGRY

CROSS

FURIOUS

LIVID

INCANDESCENT

RAGING

ANNOYED

IRRITATED

UPSET

BALLISTIC

PEEVED

MAD (at/with)

Assignment 7

Unforgettable Quotes. Make Your Own!

www.brolancon.com

Super Mega

Neat

Great Excellent

Class

Fantastic Amazing

Far out Wonderful

Cool

Well good

A memorable saying such as a proverb often has a very concise, clear structure e.g. “Veni, Vidi, Vici,” or “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This can be imitated to good effect in advertising :

“I came, I saw, I drove…” (with the implication, this is all you need to say).

“A Mars a day, helps you work, rest and play.”

Think of a well-known phrase, proverb or other saying and adapt it to make your own memorable quote!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“There are lies, damned lies – and statistics…”

Spice up your advert with a few well-chosen statistics. If you can’t find any bona fide ones, why not make some up?!

There are 10 sorts of people in the world:Those who understand binary and those who don’t .

And remember:

42.7% of statistics

are made up..

Assignment 8 Dingbats.

www.brolancon.com

Research shows that fourteen out of ten people like chocolate!

I’m not 40.

I’m 18

- with 22 years’ experience

What vocabulary, names or sayings are represented by these mixtures of words and graphics?

Assignment 9 Idioms

www.brolancon.com

Straw

Straw

Straw

Thinking A Ban ana

Step pets pets

H O R O B O D

(famous Englishman)

ICE3

L E A S TT M

A U

H S

W T

0, …, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, game

See if you can match up these common idioms with their meanings.

Assignment 10 The Joys of Translation!2

2

Some of these well-known examples have found their way into a hilarious collection by Charlie Croker, “Lost in Translation”2007, published by Michael O’Mara Books Ltd.

www.brolancon.com

If this is your first visit to Albania, you are welcome to it!

a. To say or do something out of place so as to cause embarrassment b. Watch too closely so as to cause an uncomfortable feeling c. Attend a private event without an invitationd. To give upe. Delay a decision or act without enthusiasmf. To confessg. To be really afraidh. To go to the toilet

i. Behave in an unacceptable mannerj. To suspect something is not rightk. To accept something difficult or unpleasant without complainingl. Flatter or act nicely towards a person – usually in order to obtain somethingm. Forget a quarrel and be reconciledn. To criticize someone harshly for doing something wrong

o. To have a short doze/ have a napp. To keep your options open; not committing to one side or the otherq. To do something wrong because of mistaken beliefs of bad informationr. A tale full of lies or exaggerationss. Unfairt. Reveal a secret unintentionally

1. Bury the hatchet2. Have your heart in your

mouth3. To smell a rat4. To take 40 winks5. Butter somebody up6. Throw in the towel7. Sit on the fence8. Breathe down

someone’s neck9. To put your foot in it10. A cock and bull story11. Answer the call of

nature12. Haul over the coals13. Grin and bear it14. Below the belt15. To make a clean

breast of it16. Gatecrash17. Go off the rails18. Bark up the wrong

tree19. Drag your feet (or

heels)20. To let the cat out of

the bag

It’s amazing what some translation companies get away with! Or perhaps the clients didn’t want to pay and decided on the DIY route! See if you can work out what was meant in these examples, and try to put them into sensible English.

Worth getting from Amazon.

www.brolancon.com

Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is please not to read notis.

Tokyo Hotel

Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11am daily.

Athens Hotel

Please leave your values at the front desk.

Notice in a hotel lift in Paris

You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid

Japanese Hotel

You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursdays.

Notice near a Russian Orthodox Monastery

To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a hotel lift in Belgrade.

Our wines leave you nothing to hope for!

Swiss restaurant

Lift out of order. Is being fixed for next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

Bucharest Hotel

Not to perambulate the corridors during the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

Austrian ski resort

Seafood brought in by customers will not be entertained.

Malaysian restaurant

After one visit we guarantee you will be regular. Indian Restaurant

Open seven days a week. And weekends too. Mumbai Restaurant

I slaughter myself twice daily.

Israeli Butcher’s Shop

Assignment11 Using Slang

Using the right amount of slang can help you sound more like a native speaker. But care needs to be taken to get the pitch right for the context. Some slang words quickly become out-of-date. Others are only used by Americans. And others are just too vulgar for normal use.

Ask a native speaker about some of the following and check which ones are up-to-date and common, and which are old fashioned - or to be used with caution!

Duff Class! Sad A turn on

Naff Fit That sucks! GROSS!!

Prat Cool Babe Bummer

Check out the talent My main man

Take a hike!!!! Far out, man Cops That’s a drag

You Muffin!/ You Muppet! He completely dissed what they said

Neat Awesome WICKED! Well good.

Well fit Dude Snog/Snogging SWEET!

Slag someone off. MEGA Chill/chillaxing

We got it sussed Knackered/wrecked

Crap For real With it Wasted

Take it easy…. Take someone for a ride

Don’t bug me Catty Spaced out Jerk!

Bread Booze Quid RESPECT!

Bucks Loo A Tenner/Fiver Buddy

Fag Rip-off High Five Smoke a joint

To whack someone To pull Mental!

Hit the road Trashed Groovy Chick Nerd

www.brolancon.com

Assignment 12 Write a Poem

12 a. Write a Haiku.

A Haiku has a simple, fixed form. Paradoxically, working within very fixed forms can support creativity. You don’t need to worry about the structure – you can concentrate on how to fill it.

The format is: 3 lines.

First line = 5 syllables. Second line = 7 syllables. Third line = 5 syllables.

12 b. Write a poem beginning-

“I’d rather be…”

Here’s an example.

www.brolancon.com

Snowdrops, valiant

Appear, sounding hope in frost

For it is their time.

Christa Brodie-Levinsohn, 2010

I’d rather be a poem

Than a policy

Policies force things

But poems change things:

Coax the world

To goodness

Rather than specify

With bullet points.

Christa Brodie-Levinsohn, 2010

12 c. Write a poem in the style of Roger McGough

Roger McGough’s poems are usually simple, and at the same time often funny, poignant or thought-provoking. Read 5-10 of his poems to get a feel for his style.3 Then write your own poems (2-3 perhaps) on any of the following themes:

My Favourite Holiday

Life in the GDR

Our School

This Course in Ludwigsfelde

My Family

3 Anthologies can be borrowed from the reading room. Consider getting some from Amazon for your class library - or just for your enjoyment.

www.brolancon.com

Survivor

Everyday

I think about dying,

About disease, starvation,

violence, terrorism, war.

the end of the world.

It helps

keep my mind off things.

R McGough

Love is…

Love is feeling cold in the back of vans

Love is a fanclub with only two fans

Love is walking holding paintstained hands

Love is

Love is fish and chips on winter nights

Love is blankets full of strange delights

Love is when you don’t put out the light

Love is

Love is you and love is me

Love is a prison and love is free

Love’s what’s there when you’re away from me

Love is R McGough

13. Recreate Your Own Beatles’ Song!

A given structure and a well-know melody can foster creativity when students start writing their own texts.

You can work in pairs. Select your own Beatles’ melody and begin to create your own topical text.

You won’t have to perform this in front of the group – unless you want to!

“Not getting older

Losing my head

Though the years have gone....

I can still remember all the grammar rules,

All the things they taught me at school..”

Suggested Themes

My Favourite Holiday

Life in the GDR

Our School

This course in Ludwigsfelde

My Family

Love and relationships

www.brolancon.com

Assignment 14 Write an Appreciation of a Poem

Carry out some internet research on Seamus Heaney. Read some of his poems. An anthology can be borrowed from the reading room.

Write an appreciation of Serenades or any other of his poems – or simply make notes about your thoughts on it. Be prepared to discuss your understanding of the poem with your tutor.

SERENADES

The Irish nightingaleIs a sedge-warbler,A little bird with a big voiceKicking up a racket all night.

Not what you'd expect From the musical nation.I haven't even heard one --Nor an owl, for that matter.

My serenades have beenThe broken voice of a crowIn a draught or a dream,The wheeze of bats

Or the ack-ackOf the tramp corncrakeLost in a no-man's-landBetween combines and chemicals.

So fill the bottles, love,Leave them inside their cots,And if they do wake us, well,So would the sedge-warbler.

Seamus Heaney, 'Serenades' from "Wintering Out" (1972)

www.brolancon.com

Assignment 15 Get Rid of Gobbledygook!

Here are some tips from a recent publication advocating “Plain English” in public communications.4

Shorten sentences Give instructions directly

Use the Active Voice Use positive language

Avoid jargon Use everyday English

See if you can re-write the following examples using the advice above.

1. Taking due consideration of the fact that your reader is in all probability a very busy person, you might want to remember to try to write as succinctly, concisely and with as much brevity as is possible for you.

2. Rachel’s dyssomnia was caused by the nocturnal high-decibel volume of noise caused by cars and HGVs.

3. All the town’s residents are being written to by the Council to ascertain their views as to whether the proposed new parkland development would be deemed to be acceptable.

4. Your letter of application is to be sent to the following address….

5. Failure to write clearly will result in a less than optimum response from your intended readership with commensurately less than desirable persuasive impact.

6. The policy of treating our customers with due mindfulness of the company’s charter for client respect will de facto result in a per capita enhancement of our company’s SMART outputs.

Assignment 16 Not Quite Right...4 Goodbye to Gobbledygook. CEA. N. Ireland

www.brolancon.com

Colloquial or proverbial sayings that are passed round a lot among native speakers can sometimes be reproduced with mistakes - like genes not quite replicating themselves properly; or stories that get garbled in Chinese Whispers. The problem is that the changed versions sometimes catch on – and often become so commonplace that most native speakers can’t distinguish between the original and the not-quite-right version. This happens also when native speakers try to use out-of-the-ordinary vocabulary which they think they have heard. Here are some examples. See if you can write the sentences as they (strictly speaking) should be.

1. He was on tenderhooks until he got his exam results.

2. I need that like I need a hole in the hedge!

3. He is always such a damp squid at Christmas parties.

4. I was wrecking my brains to see if I could remember posting a cheque to him.

5. Ok. It’s late. I’d better wind my way home now.

6. Can you keep me appraised of the situation? I’m interested to see how it develops.

7. I didn’t understand everything - but I got the just of it.

8. That’s a pretty cattle of fish!

9. We should be able to get a bigger grant. We live in a depraved area.

10. He was lack toast intolerant.5

11. They were going at it hammer and thongs!

12. He was urging on the side of caution.

13. This was the parting of the waves. They knew they couldn’t work together.

14. He was like a bowl in a China shop.

5 Items 10-14 based on examples in “The like Language Report for real”, 2006. Susie Dent. (Oxford). Available on Amazon.

www.brolancon.com