Beware Classmates...

Hello people,

I am missing you all, believe me.

But today I would like to explain why I have removed my personal information from this blog (as address and phone number) - and I did it too late, I think!

Of course all of you have already known about scams! Well, I think is it good once again to say you all: Beware! Take a look on the text below:

How to avoid online donation scams

Most online donation scams begin with an e-mail message or a post in an online forum. They ask for donations in the name of well-known, legitimate charities. In recent years, cyber criminals have taken advantage of natural disasters, such as earthquakes or tsunamis, to create illegitimate “charity” businesses to help the survivors of these events.

These criminals provide links to phony Web sites that appear to be official but are designed to trick you into providing your personal financial information.

You can avoid getting caught in online phishing scams, like these, by using caution when responding to e-mail solicitations, looking for signs that an organization’s Web site is legitimate, and using technology to help improve your online safety and security.

Treat suspicious messages cautiously

• Be on guard if you receive an unsolicited e-mail message from a charitable organization asking for money.
  


• Don’t open any attachments because they may be infected with computer viruses or other malware.
  


• Don’t click any links because they may take you to sites designed to steal your identity or money.
  


• If you receive an e-mail request from a charity you'd like to support, make sure the request is legitimate. Instead of clicking a link in the message, manually type the charity's Web address into your browser’s address bar and look for how to donate.

Look for signs that Web sites are safe

• Spoofed Web sites often use deliberate, easily overlooked misspellings to deceive users. Double-check the spelling of the organization's Web site in the address bar before looking through the site. You could have accidentally misspelled the address when you typed it in.
  


• On the Web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an "s" after http in the Web address of that page. It should read: https://. (Encryption is a security measure that scrambles data as it traverses the Internet.)
  


• Make sure there is a tiny closed padlock in the address bar, or on the lower right corner of the window.


• If you are using Internet Explorer, one sign of trustworthiness is that the address bar turns green and displays both https and the closed padlock.
  


• Keep up to date on the latest online scams through trusted technology news providers, government agencies, and other professional sources.

Get help from technology
Improving your computer’s defenses will also help you prevent phishing scams.

• Always use firewall, antivirus, and antispyware software.


• Download and install updates for all of your software. Use automatic updates so you don’t have to manually install the updates.


• Use a filter that warns you of suspicious Web sites. Browser filters block you from visiting reported phishing sites. The SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer 8 and the Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer 7 are examples of these filters.

Information from Microsoft Online Safety.

Hope to be back soon here!

Defining Relative Clauses (Pre-Intermediate)

Hi classmates!

Defining relative clauses give us more information about a noun.

They answer the question: Which person? Which thing? Which place?

Defining relative clauses come immediately after the noun in the main clause.

Use who to talk about people, which to talk about things and where to talk about places:

• This is the book which you want.


• She's the teacher who I like.


• That's the shop where I bought these shoes.

That can be used instead of who or which:

• The young man that/who I work with never stops talking.


• Tom bought the jacket that/which we saw yesterday.

Don't use commas before or after defining relative clauses!

No Line on The Horizon/U2 - Listening

Hello everybody!

I really love U2 - how about you? Today we are going to listen to their last album's track 'No Line on The Horizon' . Below we can check the lyrics and try to complete the gaps.
Enjoy it!



No Line On The Horizon
(U2)

I know a girl _____ like the sea
I watch her changing every day for me
Oh, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh

One day she's still, the ____ she swells
You can hear the universe in her sea shells
Oh, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh

No, no line on the horizon
no, no line

I know a girl
a hole in her _____
She said, "Infinity is a great place to start"
Oh, oh, oh, oh

"Time is irrelevant, it's not ______"
Then she put her tongue in my ear
Oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh

No, no line on the horizon
No, no line
No, no line on the horizon
No, no line

oh...

The _____ in your head are now on my mind
You put me on pause
I'm trying to rewind and replay

Every night I have the same dream
I'm hatching some ____, scheming some scheme
Oh, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh

I'm a _______ ___, Rue de Marais
The sirens are wailing, but it's me that wants to get away
Oh, oh, oh, oh

No line on the horizon
No, no line
No, no line on the horizon
No, no line

Comparison of Adjectives (Elementary)

Hi classmates!

Let's learn today about how to make comparisons between things and people! It's nice and sometimes funny!

You can click HERE to see the grammar explanation. Then you can use your knowledge for writing and speaking sentences comparing some things. Please give reasons for your answers! Let's use the phrase "I like..." and "I don't like...". For example:

• TV Programmes: "I like 'The Simpsons' because it's funnier than 'Friends'.

Now is your turn! What about...

• Newspapers


• Film stars


• Books


• Types of food


• Music

See you in the next class!

HOMEWORK: Simple Present - Daily Routines.

Hello classmates!

Look at the pictures and write questions & answers about daily routines. Use the adverbs of frequency. Here's an example:

At what time does he wake up? He always wakes up at half past six.

Now it's your turn! Go ahead!

Adverbs of Frequency

Hi everybody!

We are studying the Simple Present so I think it's the best time to learn that Adverbs of Frequency say how often an activity happens. We can use one word or a phrase.

Examples:

• always


• never


• frequently/often


• usually


• seldom/rarely


• hardly ever


• nowadays


• every week/month/year


• sometimes/occasionally


• from time to time

Here are a few examples of how to use them in sentences:

• I never get up early on Sundays.


• My parents always travel in December.

The adverb of frequency comes after the verb to be: "I'm never late."

The adverb of frequency comes before a main verb: "He sometimes goes clubbing on Saturdays."

IMPORTANT: Use the affirmative with never and hardly ever, not the negative! - "He hardly ever stays in bed late."

GRAMMAR: Simple Present.

Hi students!

HERE you have a 4-steps grammar explanation about Simple Present. It's a Power Point file.

See you soon!

So, what do you do?

Hello classmates!

Today we must try to guess what's the job according to the dialogue. So please complete the gaps and write the job at the end, ok?

A: When ______ you get up?

B: At ten in the evening.

A: ______ work at night?

B: Yes, I do.

A: What ______ you ______ in the afternoon?

B: I sleep.

A: ______ do you have dinner?

B: I ______ dinner at about eleven in the morning.

A: Do ______ work in an office?

B: No, I ______.

A: Where ______ you work?

B: I ______ in an hospital.

A: So, what do you do?

B: I'm a _______.

I'll appreciate if you leave a comment with your answer!

Thanks and bye for now.

What kind of person are you?

Hi people!

Here's a quiz for your weekend. Enjoy it!

WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU?

1. It's your birthday. Do you...
A - go clubbing with friends?
B - have dinner in a restaurant with friends?
C - get a DVD and a take-away pizza?

2. It's a sunny weekend. Do you...
A - have a picnic with family and friends?
B - visit another city?
C - read a magazine at home?

3. It's your lunch break at work. Do you...
A - meet some friends and go to the gym?
B - go to an art gallery?
C - have a sandwich at your desk?


4. It's your summer holiday. Do you...
A - go clubbing in the evening?
B - visit old buildings?
C - lie on the beach?

5. You go shopping on holiday. Do you buy...
A - some clothes for the evening?
B - a book about the place you are in?
C - an ice cream?


Now check the results. Are the results true for you?!

MOSTLY As: You're a real party animal (this person likes going out, dancing and meeting friends) and fun to be with. Don't forget to stop and rest sometimes!


MOSTLY Bs: You're a proper culture vulture (this person likes reading and going to museums and art gelleries) and like learning something new. Don't forget to join the party sometimes!




MOSTLY Cs: You're a total couch potato (this person likes staying in, eating and watching television) and usually on the sofa, doing nothing. Come on - get up and join in the fun!

People and Places

Hello everybody!

Have you ever thought about how many different countries there are in the world? It's an interesting search specially if you also verify each nationality. Remember that basic question: Where are you from? And the answer: I'm from Brazil. I'm Brazilian.

Well, the list about people and places is very long... HERE you have one. Click and take a look!

(Você já pensou em quantos paises diferentes existem no mundo? É uma pesquisa interessante especialmente se você também verificar cada nacionalidade. Lembre daquela pergunta básica: De onde você é? E a resposta: Sou do Brasil. Sou brasileira.

Bem, a lista das pessoas e lugares é bem longa... AQUI tem uma. Clique e dê uma olhada!)

Have a nice weekend!

Weather for Ducks!...

Hi everybody!

Lá vamos nós outra vez! Chuuuvaaa! "Good weather for ducks!" Pois é, mas dos males o menor - pior seria um temporal como aconteceu esta madrugada em Gramado e Canela, no Rio Grande do Sul! Ai, meu Deus. Essas mudanças climáticas são "really quite scary stuff!" Quer ler um pouquinho mais?! Então aproveite e descubra o site super legal da revista SPEAK UP, onde além de textos atualíssimos você poderá treinar seu ouvido com os arquivos MP3. AQUI está o link para uma das matérias que, a propósito, trata exatamente do tema "weather".

Boa leitura, e bom lestening!

See you soon!

Mudança de Endereço.

Dear classmates,

Por motivos "alheios" a minha vontade, "Our English Classroom" precisou mudar de endereço.

Mas as aulas de inglês continuarão, com a ajuda de Deus e a sua colaboração também!

Caso você não possa vir até a minha casa para continuar suas aulas, pense na possibilidade de fazer aulas via MSN ou SKIPE. Esse método já é utilizado nas grandes Capitais onde as pessoas tem muito mais dificuldades do que nós para se deslocarem de um bairro até outro; além disso, já que a internet nos traz tantos benefícios (desde que saibamos utilizá-los...), por que não fazer uso dessa ferramenta?!

Estou esperando sua visita ou seu contato. Meu e-mail continua o mesmo, meu celular também; meu endereço, para aqueles que ainda não conhecem é o seguinte:

Rua Miguel Gorniack, 221 - Bairro Cascatas

(no sentido centro-bairro, é a última rua à direita antes do Mercado Vier).

Um abraço e até breve!

P.S. - Gostou no meu novo "avatar"?! Rsrsrs! Achei minha carinha!!!

Teste seu Inglês e seus Conhecimentos sobre a WORLD CUP!

Hi Classmates!

Encontrei um quiz bem legal sobre expressões relacionadas com a WORLD CUP!

Que tal testar seus conhecimentos a respeito?!

Clique AQUI e você será direcionado para o site "Inglês Online", que além deste teste possui conteúdos ótimos. Acredito que você irá gostar muito.

Um abraço! Let's cheer for Brasil tomorrow!!!

See you!

História da Língua Inglesa.

Idioma do Reino Unido, Estados Unidos, Canadá, Austrália, Nova Zelândia, África do Sul e outros países de influência britânica.

O inglês pertence ao grupo anglo-frisão, incluido no ramo ocidental das línguas germânicas que, por sua vez, é uma subfamília das línguas indo-européias.

Há três etapas fundamentais em sua evolução: o inglês antigo ou anglo-saxão, que vai do ano 449 ao 1100; o inglês médio, até o ano 1500; e o moderno, com duas atapas: clássica, de 1500 a 1660; e contemporânea, de 1660 a nossos dias.

Leia mais...

Como Posso Obter um Certificado do Meu Curso?!

Hello classmates!


Essa é a primeira pergunta que todos fazem ao iniciar um curso de inglês (ou qualquer outro idioma). A resposta é simples: você pode obter um certificado (ou diploma) através da escola (quando é uma firma estabelecida), que na maioria dos casos é reconhecido a nível local (nacional), ou pode obter algo bem mais interessante, como um certificado (ou diploma) reconhecido internacionalmente, como é o caso dos certificados obtidos através da prestação de exames oferecidos por essas instituições. Estou, neste caso, me referindo a certificação da Universidade de Cambridge.

"Muito bem, mas como posso prestar esses exames para obter esse certificado?" talvez você esteja se perguntando agora. A resposta é simples, e lhe trará uma grata satisfação! Independentemente da escola na qual você esteja estudando, ou mesmo através de aulas particulares (como é o caso da "Our English Classroom"), é possível prestar estes exames.

Primeiramente você precisa estar adequadamente preparado, ou seja, ter estudado os conteúdos pertinentes ao nível de certificação que você deseja obter. Em seguida, você precisa fazer sua inscrição para prestar os exames. Esta etapa poderá ser feita em algumas escolas, como no caso da Cultura Inglesa, no Brasil (as unidades mais próximas para a prestação destes exames estão localizadas em Blumenau-SC e Curitiba-PR).

Todos os detalhes e dúvidas poderão ser postadas abaixo, na caixa "Comentários". Terei o maior prazer em responder! Além disso, gostaria de pedir-lhe que visitasse o site da própria Universidade de Cambridge (na versão em português), onde você poderá obter todas essas informações também. Para isso, por favor clique AQUI, e será direcionado para o site em questão.

Venha conversar comigo sobre locais, datas e taxas referentes a provas e certificações. Afinal, obter um certificado deste nível é algo que realmente vale a pena, e poderá lhe abrir muitas portas a nível profissional e pessoal!

Um abraço! E até a próxima! :)

WELCOME TO OUR ENGLISH CLASSROOM!

Hello!
Este espaço está sendo criado especialmente para você, aluno(a). Aqui você poderá encontrar informações atualizadas sobre as atividades que acontecem em "OUR ENGLISH CLASSROOM". Deixe seu comentário, sugestão, solicitação, idéia. Obrigada por sua visita.
Um abraço!

OUR ENGLISH CLASSROOM/
Deborah D. Friedrich