SPEAKING
Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.
Estonia is one of the most computer literate nations in the world. In Estonia computer programming is not seen as the realm of the nerds. Estonian children see it as fun, simple and cool, and a good way of earning money in the future.
A school teacher of Information Technologies, who teaches primary school children of the age of 7 to 10 how to develop computer programs, gave an interview to a BBC correspondent. This teacher works at the school of a small village near Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. He spoke good English, unusually good for a countryside teacher in post-Soviet countries, whose subject is not the English language.
Computer programming has been on the time-table of the secondary schools of Estonia for some time, but recently it has been introduced for primary school children. At the moment, over twenty schools, all of them are in countryside, participate in a special state-sponsored computer education program, which is a part of a wider program called Tiger Leap, which is aimed at modernization of education. In case of positive outcomes of this experiment (and nobody has any doubts that they will be positive) the program will be expanded to include many more schools. Teachers believe that computer programming develops logical thinking and creativity, which can be applied not only to computer programming.
But this is only a part of the computerization of schools. Another part is that all schools have gone online. It helps the parents to get a feedback on their children from schools and teachers, to see progress of their kids, to know what is taught and what homework is given to them.
Another application is to use computers and software for teaching other subjects. For instance, a special browser-based MMPOG was developed to introduce young children to Estonian culture, traditions, myths and history.
Estonia is one of the most computer literate nations in the world. In Estonia computer programming is not seen as the realm of the nerds. Estonian children see it as fun, simple and cool, and a good way of earning money in the future.
A school teacher of Information Technologies, who teaches primary school children of the age of 7 to 10 how to develop computer programs, gave an interview to a BBC correspondent. This teacher works at the school of a small village near Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. He spoke good English, unusually good for a countryside teacher in post-Soviet countries, whose subject is not the English language.
Computer programming has been on the time-table of the secondary schools of Estonia for some time, but recently it has been introduced for primary school children. At the moment, over twenty schools, all of them are in countryside, participate in a special state-sponsored computer education program, which is a part of a wider program called Tiger Leap, which is aimed at modernization of education. In case of positive outcomes of this experiment (and nobody has any doubts that they will be positive) the program will be expanded to include many more schools. Teachers believe that computer programming develops logical thinking and creativity, which can be applied not only to computer programming.
But this is only a part of the computerization of schools. Another part is that all schools have gone online. It helps the parents to get a feedback on their children from schools and teachers, to see progress of their kids, to know what is taught and what homework is given to them.
Another application is to use computers and software for teaching other subjects. For instance, a special browser-based MMPOG was developed to introduce young children to Estonian culture, traditions, myths and history.
Task 2. Study the advertisement.
You are going to study abroad for three months and want to find a language school you could attend. You’d like to get more information about this language school. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask five questions to find out the following:
A check-out time
If there is a laundry in the hotel
If there is extra charge for room service
Ways of payment
Availability of price reduction for early booking
You have 20 seconds to ask each question.
A check-out time
If there is a laundry in the hotel
If there is extra charge
for room service
Ways of payment
Availability of price reduction
for early booking
Task 3. Imagine that you are showing your photo album to your friend. Choose one photo to present to your friend.
You will have to start speaking in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously. In your talk remember to speak about:
· when \ where you took the photo
· what \ who is in the photo
· what is happening
· why you keep the photo in your album
· why you decided to show the picture to your friend
· when \ where you took the photo
· what \ who is in the photo
· what is happening
· why you keep the photo in your album
· why you decided to show the picture to your friend
Task 4. Study the two photographs. In 1.5 minutes be ready to compare and contrast the photographs:
· give a brief description (action, location)
· say what the pictures have in common
· say in what way the pictures are different
· say which kind of watching sports you’d prefer
· explain why
You will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously.
· give a brief description (action, location)
· say what the pictures have in common
· say in what way the pictures are different
· say which kind of watching sports you’d prefer
· explain why
· when \ where you took the photo
· what \ who is in the photo
· what is happening
· why you keep the photo in your album
· why you decided to show the picture to your friend
Task 4. Study the two photographs. In 1.5 minutes be ready to compare and contrast the photographs:
· give a brief description (action, location)
· say what the pictures have in common
· say in what way the pictures are different
· say which kind of watching sports you’d prefer
· explain why
You will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously.
· give a brief description (action, location)
· say what the pictures have in common
· say in what way the pictures are different
· say which kind of watching sports you’d prefer
· explain why
· when \ where you took the photo
· what \ who is in the photo
· what is happening
· why you keep the photo in your album
· why you decided to show the picture to your friend
Task 4. Study the two photographs. In 1.5 minutes be ready to compare and contrast the photographs:
· give a brief description (action, location)
· say what the pictures have in common
· say in what way the pictures are different
· say which kind of watching sports you’d prefer
· explain why
You will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously.
