Good morning. afternoon, evening,

on March 24th in Livorno at Teatro Vertigo - www.vertigoteatro.it -  there was the première of "Il Lato Cieco" English version "The Blind Side", a short-film Eurocontact Plus ONLUS produced, directed by the young film-director David Manzi. To present film and film-maker there was Mr. Massimo Ghirlanda, founder and president of the cinema study centre  "Commedia all'Italiana" - www.commediaall'italiana.it - who, as an expert, highlighted how the drama coped with in the film, is capable of stimulating both reflections and the subtle observation of any single detail as a circle, supported by the high quality of photography.  

The short film has been chosen among thousands to participate in the launch of the international platform Digital Box Office, http://www.digitalboxoffice.tv/.  on which "Il Lato Cieco", "The Blind Side" with English subtitles, can be watched and voted.

It would be trully appreciated a comment of yours here. 

Enjoy the films on the platform and your English.

Last news: The Blind Side has been awarded a Remi-Award at WorldFest Houston, International Film Festival www.worldfest.org.

Latest news: made by the young director, screen play writer David Manzi, yesterday The Blind Side was given a Gold Remi Award in Houston, WorldFest, International Film Festival.

Continuing with good news. In January The Blind Side will be awarded the Best First Time Filmmaker at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival

Continuing to update in June the blog about the achievements of this film, there are two more photos of awards. 

In Calcutta, India, at Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, CICFF, The Blind Side has been awarded laurel and certificate in the category Best Filmaker Debut. 

One more prize in June: in Venezuela, at Five Continents International Film Festival, The Blind Side has been awarded the certificate as Best Opera Prima Short Film. 

We would like to thank this young director and writer for giving us the opportunity to support such a positive and successful enterprise, wishing his scripts already selected in New York and Los Angeles among thousands in the world, to become successful films, and him to continue writing great scripts and make good films all life long.   

We are looking forward to having a fresh comment by David Manzi on our blog.

Anna - Coordinator

Eurocontact Plus ONLUS - NPO - President

Thank you Natalia for your comment. What do you mean with having your mind changed by the film? It would be so interesting to know.

A special thank you Natalia, continue following the blog and writing comments. It will  always be a pleasure reading you!

And you all follow her advice, watch the film, vote it on the platform mentioned above and leave a comment. Thank you, Anna

David: thank you for posting a lively comment. 

I'm organizing an interview with this young film-maker by a group of pupils in Livorno, in English as "home Language" to practice and mix it in an explosive mixture of talents! Photos will be posted!

Own source photos

Good morning, afternoon, evening,

the first three images you see on this page are one of the two swarms of bees that choose my house for their beehive,  since  renovation works are being carried out.

They found a gap among bricks to get access to hidden spaces behind. A scaffolding had to be built to reach the bees and after removing the front bricks, all bees were around their honeycombs you can see in the third photograph. Only three days and so much work done! 

Carefully all bees were suched by an appropriate machinery and transferred to a permanent apiary, so to let us continue restoring the house without disturbing them.   

Talking about busy bees, I remember a nursery school called so.

This is an easy article so that also Elementary Students can dare to read and reply

1- How come the expression busy bee refers to humans?

2- How do bees communicate among them? 

Low-intermediate students:

1- What is Dr Nugel Raine's main scientific interest?

2- What did the scientists want to find out from the experiment described in the article?

3- What did the bees do after the locations of the flowers in the experiment changed?

4- What was surprising about the results?

5- Why are scientists interested in how the bees calculate their routes?

Looking forward to reading, enjoy your English

Anna - Coordinator

Hi J., you didn't answer the very first question, whether you are or not a busy bee!

Very well done, just a little to improve: 1. El. Lev. by a cognitive map, or by cognitive maps. There's something beautiful produced by these cognitive maps, what is it?.  1. Low-Int. Lev. is  as a verb has a different position. is about animal behaviour.  2. The scientists learnt that bees save energy because they flew a shorter distance.

Great! Continue choosing other pages on the blog.

Anna

Source: Speak Up March 2017

Good morning, afternoon, evening

whoever is interested in reading about starry nights,

this is an invitation to read an article about unexpected views of the sky. Once more Ireland.

Where do you live?

Is there light pollution where you live?

Can you see the stars? Do you ever walk somewhere stargazing?

Are you familiar with the stars? With any constellations? Which one?

Have you ever experienced observing stars or planets through a telescope?

Remember that the third and fourth parts of the article are on the previous page, Stars & Methodology 2 .

Let us know both here and in class,

Anna - Coordinator

Source: Speak Up, January 2017 

J: very good job J., very interesting reading what you wrote. Just a few things to change: In Rosignano there is light pollution - no indefinite article  - because it  - subject - is a site etc. 

However ... at night ..... we didn't - past tense.

Thank you, continue on other pages! 

по этому адресу:  thank you for writing a comment on our blog. Continue browsing and choosing other pages to write on!

Anna

Good morning. afternoon, evening everybody,

these are the third and fourth parts of the article on next page, since talking about the stars is always fine. All the times we say I con-sider, con-sidering, it means referring to the stars, according to the Latin ethimology. Being with them. Considering, means thinking of someone, something so relevant, meaningful to us, to be con-sidered among the stars.

That's always a good start. The human being started thinking looking up at the sky, wondering about those far twinkling points with no explanation so long ago, misterious, an invitation to start con-sidering things, reality, life, reciprocity, according to each one's perception, reflecting about the sense of everything surrounding us. Words are a sort of magic, if we just wanted to welcome them and communicate why they were born. Words are like faded stars, their meaning, or light, still coming to us, after very long time, a "visible" meaning.

This is methodology 2, three pages with questions for teachers I wrote for a three meeting reciprocal training, and  whoever wants to contribute to the improvement of the learning and teaching field.

It would be so useful if you chose, con-sidered,  the questions you think are more relevant and replied as a comment below. Being meticolous at this stage means to avoid neglecting what can be useful later on. 

In addition, to keep record of any development of our reflections can offer the possibility to meet the needs of whoever wants to share the effort to grow professionally and personally.

There is also so much of the methodology we "act" in our classes on the page called "Independent study projects: the use of art/photography in the EFL Classroom" on your right.

It will be engaging reading your comments and replying.

Anna - Coordinator

Good morning, afternoon, evening,

we are deeply convinced that a language, more than a subject is behaviour and that it is relevant the way we do something, the majority of times even more than what we actually do.

Furthermore, remember that what works with children works with adults too ( Professor Simon Sweeney, University of Leeds, Cambridge Days 2004, Pisa).

Considering that each one of us can produce personal reflections, innovative methodologies and teaching can be charachterized and developed. The same for pupils and students, who can conceive and make their own strategies become operative, thus supporting the teachers' effort to also make them grow in their personality. 

This is a page for whoever is interested in the teaching/learning field. Very soon we will upload worksheets for teachers to reply to, intended to make teaching more effective, trying to show how and where, according to our experience, a teacher with some insights can support students' language acquisition.

There are then a few key words we are briefly going to contribute comprehending: technique, method, methodology, curriculum. 

Technique is the way you work to obtain results. In the teaching/learning field a technique can be for example the strategy you adopt to draw pupils' attention. The technique can be isolated from a conceptual reference, from methods and methodology.

Method is the set of procedures adopted to articulate and organize the variables intervening in the learning/teaching process. Differently from the technique, the method presumes an adoption of a plan for your activity, showing how you operate to manage all the variables intervening in the process.

There are two different meanings for methodology: the first is the epistemological reflection on the nature and structure of methods, evaluating their principles apt to organize all the variables. The second means a didactical procedure so to be assimilated to the method. According to some scholars, methodology is deepen than method, meaning referring to philosophical, pedagogical principles, including personal ones.

Hence methodology can be the fruit of personal reflections and experience. Distinguishing the two terms, a method is a set of procedures, a specific way to implement pupils/students' learning, whereas a methodology is a set of philosophical approaches adopted to stimulate students' learning. 

Curriculum too can have two different meanings: the first refers to the general knowledge about the nature and structure of the teaching practice. The second refers to the planning of a course of studies, referring to the operative choices adopted to make teaching functional and effective.

It can be meant differently according to the cultural contexts. In Anglo-Saxon countries it is signified by sperimentation and research, in Italy it is meant as a speculative approach to justify the educational proposals. Here, with curriculum we mean the didactical planning, the process showing procedures, techniques, methodology, principles to refer to.

All these terms are correlated and subtend a superordinate dimension. Developing a methodology means referring to a method and one or more techniques; a technique can be singled out with no conceptual reference; curriculum is a superior set since it can involve more than one method; method is the didactic of a segment of a discipline. There is interdipendence among these terms.

To define a method, techniques have to be indicated, to define a curriculum, methods, methodology and techniques have to be showed as a reference in the execution of the didactic activity.

We will appreciate anybody's contribution to make our profession more effective and functional so to have a new generation of bi/multilingual people.

Anna - Coordinator

Good morning, afternoon, evening everybody,

mainly Alena, Marina, Patrizia, Francesco and Giuseppe, 

if you like travelling and Great Britain, this is an article for you to read. After reading, 

1. describe with your own words the acronims of the title; 

2. say which way you would prefer travelling from one end to the other;

3. have you ever done anything similar, either in Italy or abroad?

Let us know, in class we'll listen to Mark Mason, who wrote a book about his journey.

Enjoy your English

Anna - Coordinator

Source: Speak Up, Novembrer 2016 Issue

Cochin web hosting: on page 4 there is a web site address, Check if there's any possible connections with videos, and on You Tube. We'll do the same. asap, let us know about any news. 

Hey

Bruno, Simone, Leonardo, Gianna, Giada, Giancarlo, Roberto, Samantha, Annalisa,

you can find here a few very useful pages: one is the beginning of an English conversation you can read before coming to class, and practice there with your mates; the second and third are about ordering at a restaurant. Let's start practicing before going there!

Think of possible little changes you can make and come ready to talk! 

Enjoy your English!

Anna - Coordinator  Source: Speak Up December 2016 and January 2017

Very good job, Simone, continue practicing on other pages!

Manicure: thank you, not bad thinking of Twitter too. I will consider the possibility and let you know. Continue writing, go through old pages. There are some we are proud of. Anna 

Anna

Good morning, 'afternoon, 'evening everybody!

I would like you to find the right order of these photos, thinking of a possible beginning and end of a special day, joining two Italian regions, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. 

Last year I read an article on Mente & Cervello, a scientific magazine, about the Italy womens'  national deaf volleyball team, and I felt enchanted by their bilingualism, since I feel so attracted by the capability of any sign language to communicate. Body always comes first.

I thought of them and willing to share a project, after getting in contact with their technical director, Loredana, I went to Rimini, to film them while playing for the 3rd edition of the Deaf Volleyball Champion League, of the European Deaf Sport Organization. Italy was ranked third place.

The very short video I made had to partecipate in a mute video contest, the perfect way to highlight deafs' silence.

Homework 1: find the right order of the photos, say what you think and know about the sign language, if you have any experience and if you know anything about how deaf children are taught at school. 

In a film, recently released, Snowden, the American sign language is performed for the counter-intelligence.

We warmly invite you to visit an American web site called My smart hands. Tell us what you think of it and compare this experience with the Italian ones you might have.

Homework 2: find the proper translation of these Italian words: bruma, nebbia, foschia, caligine and write them down in an English context or while describing the photos you see here.

When translated with the help of a bilingual (Italian - English) dictionary, use the words found to translate them back into the other language and see if you get the same words you started with!

Homework 3: what is Mintonette? And the hidden secret?

We'll reply. Enjoy your English.

Anna - Coordinator

Last news: the very short film we shot participated in the #50 Secondi Lumière, a contest by the Cineteca di Bologna, and was selected among the twelve best for each cathegory. On Cineteca di Bologna's You Tube channel there are the winning and selected videos.  

Source: Mente & Cervello 2015 plus own source photos taken on November 26th 2016 

Good morning, afternoon, evening,

Ottavia, Anna, Patrizia, Alena, Filippo, Alessandro, Marina,

this is homework for all of you to consolidate what we started speaking and writing about in class, after listening to the article from Speak Up.

All five skills are involved, aural comprenension, i.e.listening, written comprehension, i.e.reading, written production, i.e.writing, oral production, i.e.speaking, and the final comprehensive one, interaction, once more in class.

Try to functionalize the content of the article writing answers to the questions below.

Pay great attention to formal correctness, building up simple sentences: subject, verb, complement.

Present simple

1. What are holy wells?

2. Where can you find them in Ireland?

Past simple

3. What was the reason for celebrating the first of November in pagan times?

4. Why did people go to visit holy wells in pagan times?

5. What did they believe in? Make examples.

Passive form

6. What were these wells believed to cure?

Present perfect

7. Why have scientists validated some ancient people's beliefs?

Passive form and present perfect passive

8. Add any personal comment about the subject given and the work you have been asked to do.

Anyone else who wants to write comments on our page is very, very welcome.

We will reply.

Anna - Coordinator

Source:Speak Up, October 2016 

Gianna: nice job, your comment.

Irish is an adjective, add people; coordinate singular and plural, do not forget indefinite articles; I would  suggest celebrate rites; known around the world, past participle; even after, together after verb and object. Remember to decide when using present simple and past simple to help the comprehension of the subject.

Thank you, continue writing, Anna

Good morning, afternoon, evening,

it is with very great pleasure that we welcome all the new students to our courses.

First in class, then outside, in our "Open Air English Labs".

Start working contributing with personal and group initiatives to our classes!

London has always been a place of interest for English students, and with the new ones of you our talk could start with Carnaby street.

Read the article above and compare the reading at low-intermediate level with the listening in class, advanced level.

You will be asked questions to reply to, with formal correctness, but also creativity according to your personality and style.

Try to prepare questions to ask your classmates and be ready to respond to theirs.

Have you ever been to London?

What is your best memory of your visit?

Who did you go with?

Come to class with photographs and ready to talk about your experience.

See you there,

Anna - Coordinator

Source: Speak Up, October 2016 Issue

Gianna: it is a city you miss after visiting it, London, isn't it? Like any other place where you feel at home because of the language. Continue enjoying English Gianna!