Don't forget to react!

Dear students,

Don't forget to post reactions on other students' blogs. Feel free to give your opinion on the news items they have selected. Remember: all news must be from and about the UK!

Next week I'll print off your work so far and give you feedback on your writing.

Marlies

Advanced punctuation exercises

http://www.chompchomp.com/exercises.htm

The Guardian today:

Smoking in cars should be outlawed to protect children, says BMA

"British Medical Association urges ministers to extend ban on smoking in public places introduced in 2007 to all vehicles."

Speakers' Corner

21 november (week 3)
1. Tom de Bruijn
2.
3.
4.

28 november (week 4) - FULL
1. Bauke van Smeden
2. Natalia Alvarez
3. Ivo l'Herminez
4. Fenna Jorritsma

5 december (week 5) - FULL
1. Susan Oldemenger
2. Lisanne Viersen
3. Elwin van der Meer
4. Louise Vos

19 december (week 6 - only if you are not going to the UK) - FULL
1. Fitzgerald te Water Mulder
2. Jolien Bakker
3. Timo Leeftink
4. Marie-Fleur Martens
extra: Shima Kamali and Shareena Dwarka
9 january (week 7) - FULL
1. Michael Tadros
2. Raymond van Diepeveen
3. Colin Smith
4. Lisanne Verbeek
extra: Jalmar Westerhof

Tips on writing summaries

Writing Center Handouts
Writing Summaries

• The goal of writing a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book is to offer as accurately as possible the full sense of the original, but in a more condensed form. A summary restates the author’s main point, purpose, intent, and supporting details in your own words.
  


• The process of summarizing enables you to better grasp the original, and the result shows the reader that you understand it as well. In addition, the knowledge gained allows you to better analyze and critique the original.
  


• First, try to find the main idea in the reading; it’s usually in the first paragraph. Next, skim through the article, glancing at any headings and graphics. Then, read the conclusion. The intent here is both to give yourself a review of the work and t o effectively engage yourself with it.
  


• Now go back and read the original text carefully, jotting down notes on or highlighting the important points. Write the central idea and the author’s reasons (purpose and intent) for holding this viewpoint. Note the supporting elements the author uses to explain or back up her/his main information or claim.
  


• Make an outline that includes the main idea and the supporting details. Arrange your information in a logical order, for example, most to least important or chronological. Your order need not be the same as that in the original, but keep related suppo rting points together. The way you organize the outline may serve as a model for how you divide and write the essay.
  


• Write the summary, making sure to state the author’s name in the first sentence. Present the main idea, followed by the supporting points. The remainder of your summary should focus on how the author supports, defines, and/or illustrates that main ide a. Remember, unless otherwise stated by your instructor, a summary should contain only the author’s views, so try to be as objective as possible.
  


• As you revise and edit your summary, compare it to the original and ask yourself questions such as: Have I rephrased the author’s words without changing their meaning? Have I restated the main idea and the supporting points accurately and in my own words?
  If you are asked to write a critical summary or to include a critique, you may want to ask yourself questions such as: Does the author succeed? How and why or why not? What are the strengths, weaknesses? Why? What did the author do well? Not well? Why?

Taken from: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/write/handouts/summary.html

Suggested links

Dear students,

Below you can find a list of links that will lead you to British news site. The lists contains a couple of suggestions, but there are many more sites available. Please remember to focus on British news when you look for news to include in your blog.

Marlies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk/
http://www.express.co.uk/home
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.independent.co.uk/
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/
http://www.newstatesman.com/

First Speakers' Corner

The four brave volunteers for the first Speakers' Corners are:

Martijn Vervest
Judith Kanaar
Bart Groenland
Floris Bouma

Thank you for signing up. If you have any questions, please let me know via email.

Marlies