It was a pleasure to meet you today, and to get to know you a bit.

You have a very high English level and are able to carry a conversation quite effortlessly.

We talked a bit about what your expectations are or what you hope to achieve from our meetings - more fluency on other topics than vaccines and science, to be able to have fluid conversations in general topics and settings. Not only can we come up with our own subjects - do let me know if you have particular interests or ideas - but we will also follow those from the Oxford book Futures, which also poses interesting questions and debates. 

Looking forward to our next meeting in about 2 weeks :)

Next meeting: 19 April at 17h00 (French time) - I have sent the Zoom link

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/yWiEFFhpdJ23Pv57q6sZTkqpa4jEeZqoCWijxFY0HpNyH1XzrdkGFUb1P5_Vxqv4.eG0Vs6ed6Iq0X8Co 

Passcode: ^x5shMgE

Have a lovely holiday in Sicily!

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you and chat today.

Language is a big and diverse topic, it was very interesting to hear your opinions and thoughts.  I think we've only scratched the surface though!

Here's the link to the Ted Talk we started watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKK7wGAYP6k

Here's a question we can start with next week, 

Also, I'm including a text relating to the language theme, but on the IT side of the coin. You might want to read it if you have the time, we can have a conversation about it next week. Apologies for the format, I couldn't get it into one screenshot without sacrificing legebality 

Next meeting: 27 April at 19h00 (French time) - I have sent the Zoom link

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/0kJzKOXctPv2k4C6G_ktulhkATc8L2B7kIzRks8p2ofnUgu2LA4gTF0N-MCj2DYr.aL4JaF4ZzXUtqLqk 

Passcode: ^kcj1bAn

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

We looked at the stress in words and in sentences, and how this can not only change the meaning of a word (noun vs verb) but also determines what part of a sentence/iteration/information is important in speech. Here's a link to a simple exercise you can do to practice stress in words https://www.wordstress.info/exercise/ You just need to click on the syllable you think carries the stress, have a go!

We also talked about AI and its applications - how your company is developing it for future applications and development of better, more targeted vaccines. The text you read and summarised for me contains lots of prepositional phrases (a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object and any words that modify the object). I've attached some screenshots of exercises you can do, if you want and have time, to familiarise yourself not only with prepositional phrases (verb/noun + preposition) but also with different expressions and ways of saying things. You can also have another look at the text and try to identify some prepositional phrases in it.

Next meeting:  11 May at 19h00 (French time) - I have sent the Zoom link

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/HQNGgxRbAlROUw0tZXKHFGvzHPFwxsC6aCfADhAjm1Ri9qD1lrYEzda6nQnfsAAQ.vGbaev57xs0jthRY 

Passcode: M89$VG9M

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

We had an interesting chat about bank holidays, working hours and days, and different school systems regarding holidays - I think we both agree that balance is key, too much of anything (holidays or other) isn't practical or efficient.

We had a look at cleft sentences for emphasis: 

- it is/was....that... to emphasize the first part of the sentence

- Wh-clefts, What....is/was..... to emphasize the second part of the sentence.

I have attached a few exercises for you to practice if you want and have the time.

Finally, we looked at idioms. Fabulous cultural enrichers of our languages. Here's another link to British slang with Ricky Gervais (you might recognise this comedian who's hosted the Oscars a few times): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TISVaYgT4K4

Next meeting:  22 May at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/UoKQVTwz957qza5rP8CgcGegetnXy4IJLAjZZWaKIucK8ZGeALmWnO84-1ocP1xs.8bYJwFpjtI_BHntG 

Passcode: =0vJUSWP

Have a great medium length weekend,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

I got your email saying you unfortunately don't receive mine from my google account, but do so from my HiPe account. I'd have to change my sign-in email with Zoom to fix this, which will affect everything else so if you're happy to use my signature link, I'll confirm the date and time in the feedback email I send you after every lesson. 

Well done with the conversations today. As always, you have no problems getting your ideas across in a very eloquent way, your vocabulary is very good! Watch out for plurals in the subject of a sentence and how these agree or not with the verbs. English is very good at switching the nature of words depending on their position in a sentence, so a noun can become a verb or an adjective for example, and the rest has to follow or agree: a three day weekend (three day becomes an adjective, never plural).

Also, many thanks for sharing your gazpacho recipe with me, I might have to keep picking your brains for more.... !

Next meeting:  1 May at 19h00 (French time)

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/x6UIz-an8UkkoG1zmH-its_TFfMGdLmXMejBMQ80jjIyvRJZ6r4K3u8L2QUpNd7F.6aG2ApnCrHjjhgaE 

Passcode: Rt=6qyX!

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you again.

Today we started by looking at the cleft sentences that were a bit trickier for you to make - you actually did quite well. 

We then listened and watched the 1 minute BBC headlines which you also grasped well and were able to explain back to me - well done.

Finally, we started a new topic - Architecture and how it shapes our lives. We looked at some specific vocabulary such as : eyesore, aesthetics, layout and setting and you were able to use them correctly in a text, as well as read with intonation and good word stresses.

Good work!

Next meeting:  1 June at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/5eE2i4vCPrKExp-Vy-dlVsm77LXSBy6yy98V16RbGbrtwm0Sm6URRCTw7eNP9mW4.XYGtdv2LP7CTXw4U 

Passcode: v.Ab0$7.

Have a good night,

Miren

As always, it was a pleasure to see you today.

We talked about different ways to say and answer to  "Hi, how are you?"

You alright? Yeah, good, you? being the most common in the uk.

We also worked on pronunciation - short i (like an é in French) vs long i (like a French i) - you did well here, and saw the importance of getting it right, you wouldn't want to say to your colleague: Pass me that shit please.. or ask a stranger in California: Where's the bitch? 

You had a great go at some difficult Tongue Twisters in English, and pretty much breezed through them! Except maybe the twister with Ps....

Here they are for you to have fun and exercise your tongue:

Finally, we returned to architecture to talk about new sustainable technologies and efficient work places. Here's the looong link to the TedTalk we watched today about architecture that repairs itself...

https://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_armstrong_architecture_that_repairs_itself?language=en#:~:text=Talk%20details&text=Venice%20is%20sinking.-,To%20save%20it%2C%20Rachel%20Armstrong%20says%20we%20need%20to%20outgrow,repairs%20and%20sequesters%20carbon%2C%20too.

Next meeting: 8 June at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/AP3otfvPiX5WI58fALyXjainBhNZDav_eMMa1HQjMq_dFyBqyHK3kaVuHjGlzmPK.JACSv132nVTLsRhW 

Passcode: @16LB6JY

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

Miren

Lovely as always to see you today.

Also lovely to chat about your hiking-gastronomy-wine experience. Your thoughts are always well presented  and the conversation always flows nicely. You sometimes struggle to find the correct word but to be honest, that happens to me as well :) I didn't mention this but I think one thing that could be useful to do/practice, is to make an effort to speak more slowly. It's natural to want to put out the information in our brains as quickly as we think and at a similar speed to our native language, but there are cultural differences to take into account (in general French people speak more quickly than English people) as well as grammatical or more so vocabulary and pronunciation limitations as we learn a language.

So I think maybe next week we'll concentrate on delivering two or three opinions on a subject in different ways - we'll turn to the book for another big question to ponder; and we could also spend some time on pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, etc...

In case you didn't get all the phrasal verbs we looked at today, here's the list:

Idea of separation:

rip off

cut off

walk off

run off

take off

tear off

etc... you can come up with as many as you like :)

No separation:

call off

put off

show off

pay off

go off

Next meeting:  22 June at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/-OytnJyvB7LYL-OvoEJWM8FFq9b7IxjvW_i6Fc6ozM67RThGBsGYp85gXemCYidw.sNwLQWgSM7NJz6Tn 

Passcode: Th?@F#F1

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

Great chat about the trains in France, wish we had something similar here in the UK.

We then spent some time looking at 15 reasons why English makes absolutely no sense. 

It was a good way to understand the importance of stress in words and sentences.

We finally watched a short video on the philosophical thought experiment called Mary's Room. which questions the Knowledge argument and Qualia vs Physicalism. You had no trouble understanding the concept and experiment, explaining it however is something neither you nor I are very good at :)

Next meeting:  Monday 26 June at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/4--Xyzzxh7srt9Z7S0FqV-dX0s1o8AFSHL0LyZ6zqVA3sZUfRIK1EcJDdIhfQTCw.iK0TWT55cLcPYsRQ 

Passcode: 4bbH!7.f

Have a lovely weekend,

Miren

Great to see you again today.

After a chat about friends and how small the world is - certainly in your circle - we looked at the word OVER used 1- after a verb to form phrasal verbs such as  take over, talk over, be over, get over, start over or 2- as a prefix to indicate an excess of something, too much: overworked, overreact, overbook, overdo.

We then started a chapter in the Oxford Futures book about why plants are important. You worked through some vocabulary exercises which you completed confidently, and then we discussed whether people should eat meat or not, if we should buy products that lead to deforestation, or make tobacco farming illegal...

Well done with your reading skills today, I could hear intonation and sentence stresses, indicating comprehension and highlighting which parts/ideas were important. Well placed pauses are key.

Homework: when and if you have time, I'd like to see your writing skills. Please write a short paragraph about the following

Next meeting:  6 July at 19 h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/eNN0-dBUn2M8BbFL24AIefpLlKrcn36bBqntuoFqfNMOPCWxwx0Na2QYCW6eeSMW.Iw8VaC8MgSzcIip8 

Passcode: i61lC!Lw

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you again today after the long summer months.

I am truly sorry for the loss of your friend to suicide. I can't begin to imagine how you can all cope with that; as you say, it's about being there for each other, for the long run...

Today we worked on the different types of Ts in the English language, particularly the British one which has:

1- the true T (as you would normally pronounce it)

and

2- the glottal T (which sounds similar to when you say UH-OH!)

We also saw the RP (received pronunciation) T which is the posh one and I can't even do that one!

And the American T which sounds like a D.

The most important thing to remember from today is to use a mix of the true and glottal T if you want to sound more British, but that imitating is not the solution, it's about finding your style of British English now that you know how to glottalise :))

We ended with a chat about plants, how they're useful to us, and how eating less meat and more local produce can help not only our health but our environment.

Next meeting:  28 September 2023 at 18h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/nqjar0W6T9aptqS36WSycYAixXn3Ydv2aHe3Zsmgiv8VK5LANemCbwmbUegHPAVp.mls9cI6fOLAPKcNs

Passcode: .G8*wpZ1

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

Your brain and tongue must be quite tired by now, I gave you lots of pronunciation exercises and tongue twisters and games to think of words....phew! You did quite well in all of these so well done Eric!!

The Ted Talk proposed an interesting idea - to set ourselves 30 day challenges; they don't have to be big ones, but they can make us appreciate time more and help with self-confidence. I bet walking all the way from the South of France to Santiago de Compostela would definitely make you more aware of your legs at the very least! :))

FInally, we turned to the book where you read an article about the plants of the future (I just realised we didn't even actually talk about the possibility of these amazing new technologies). Your reading has really improved, your intonation is more lively and rhythmic. The text also used many examples of talking about the future in real and hypothetical future - well done working out the exercise.

Next meeting:  5 October at 18h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/Po_DTfCG91H6ooaQr0P6a5LGvcDw2LodjJALzqkTrohQnFs8ChBkqmpyCI4LocF5.seCj-6ZRY6Xk5CRk

Passcode: @m1mWz.7

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you again today.

After chatting about the French naturalisation of your Mexican friend, how long and difficult (and possibly racist) this process seems to have been for her (and is for many people), you have enjoyed celebrating this milestone with her which is great :)

I then put you through a series of Would You Rather... questions that can be quite revealing of someone's personality and character - don't worry, you haven't given any secrets away ;)

We then watched an interesting talk with the creator of Duolingo - what his thought process was when he came up with this app; how he hopes to make education accessible to everyone, and what he hopes for the future. I guess in a world where social media and technology and AI are masters, the clever ones are those who are able to use these to improve everyone's lives.

In the end, we turned to the book where we had a look at the exercise you completed on the future and future-in-the-past tenses - what can I say, the student seems to have surpassed the teacher!

Have a lovely holiday in Normandy :)

Next meeting:  9 November at 18h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/nbgRtEm61e4S4Wb-i5YqKGr1PjO082e9lilDeLQwJ6moLYvUzhVm7HcHiqsPf2EI.trqMaXWEiHHRp4po

Passcode: 8i9S3%5v

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

I can imagine this week was maybe harder than others for you at work, coming back from holidays has that effect and paperwork and issues usually tend to pile up while we're away :(

We had a look at phrasal verbs to start our meeting - as I've said before, there are many many of these in English so it's important to at least see them once and maybe during your travels or reads you'll see them mentioned again and think "hey, i've heard this before... " and then the third time you'll know straight away what they mean in context. So today we looked at the following:

- ask out (invite on a date)

- ask around (ask many people a question)

- back up  (reverse)

- break into (force entry)

- break down (stop working)

- break up (end a relationship)

- bring up (raise a child)

- bring down (make unhappy)

- blow up (explode)

- call on (ask for opinion)

- call around (phone many people)

- call off (cancel)

- call back (return a phone call)

- call up (phone somebody)

- care for (like someone)

- calm down (you know this one :))

We also had a look at today's online newspaper The Guardian to practice reading comprehension with headlines which can be tricky to grasp because half the words are missing! This led to a conversation about alcohol and driving, which led to a conversation about drugs, and then I switched to the book before we sunk further into the rabbit hole :))

In the book we briefly looked at the skills needed for good debating and rebutting, and which approaches can be used:

- lack of evidence

- cherry picking

- false dichotomy

- correlation not causation

- reality check

Well done Eric, just try to be aware of plural expressions that require to object of your statement to have an S : some countrieS, a lot of placeS...

Next meeting:  16 November at 18 h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/Lm5h0A1yPDRAW6okT2e7Sb-CGjC07Jko5xJBESFhEREDW7CYdvX9xfhLo6ddVUZZ.60HEPcGboIedScz3

Passcode: h1e*vUZ2

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

We had a long chat to begin the session, about working hours in different countries, in particular yours and mine. It was interesting to learn about the differences and the issues that arise when we work long hours. Speaking of Japan, and how they only have 10 days of holidays per year, I forgot to ask you what their daily schedule was, do they also work long hours, on top of many days every year? I'm not sure which system is best, it's like you say, finding a balance, a middle ground between work and family, working days and holidays, would be ideal.

We then embarked on the tricky subject of having conversations that we dread with either colleagues or people we love. It was a long conversation and you explained very clearly one of the issues you had with a colleague and their difficult behaviour, and how you had to have that hard conversation to try to rectify the situation. 

The video was concise and interesting, and the presenter talked about:

1- acknowledging responsibility

2- defining the outcome

3- listening and validating

4- restating the outcome

All of this done as we also try to untangle the emotions from the subject at hand. 

Life...

Well done :)

Next meeting:  7 December 2023 at 19h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/65uhYGldVd9DkThjUIp2knUKr21nFhbS9-LBZw1ftZxKQU162kgI7AhnpcQdwF1T.yBXVEvw92KyjlcoD

Passcode: 4mU!#3zd

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

I knew we were going to delve into a more serious conversation down the line so we started with a look at a few very common English idioms. As I explained, try to remember one or two and make it a point to use it/them in conversation this week:

- have a lot on the plate

- your guess is as good as mine

- you snooze, you lose

- you can say that again!

- I've had it up to here!

- feeling under the weather

- get out of hand

- once in a while

- to the best of my knowledge...

- one too many

- that's a pretty tall order!

You then listened to the latest BBC News about the violent situation between Israel and Palestians. You were able to identify all the headlines in the recording, only slipping with the synagogue attack in Germany. Well done.

FInally, we looked at ways to express the future using modal verbs and other constructions, their use depending on the context, time frame and level of certainty of the future event. Here's a screenshot of these verbs and constructions:

I've also included the following screenshot to help you through the exercise about the different tenses to express the future and the future-in-the-past, if you are so inclined and have the time. We can do it together next week if you don't:

Next meeting:  26 October at 18 h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/4BduQX8OZi4b8zWniCFLLhgm_38J3g5MlmpkuNDDwhGThQMXVDPF6QP31yLdK8OF.TrkVAXk6GpArK6an

Passcode: =T&8!Wi.

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

It was a pleasure to see you today.

We started the class with our usual moaning of how long the week is and how we can't wait for the weekend to be here :)

We also looked at how the English language has changed with the internet. We watched a clip from an interview with David Crystal, an eminent and Honorary professor of Linguistics, where he explains in a nutshell how language evolved with technological breakthroughs like printing, the telephone, the TV and now the Internet. You truly amazed me with your ability to decipher the language "codes" that teens and even some adults use nowadays to communicate by text or WhatsApp or other social media - WTF! (Ooops, I hope you don't know this one )

We then switched topics to that of medicine and immunology to be more precise. You explained in very good English and with lots of details how research in this field is advancing, how processing times have been slashed, and what the possibilities are for the future. Of course, bacteria resistance to antibiotics is a global issue, but new preventive measures like the ones you're working on bring hope...

Also, accentuate/stress the A and not the O :)

Next meeting:  21 December at 18h00 (French time) 

Recording of our session today: https://hipekids.zoom.us/rec/share/n0xFXvxAJCdHuZqzTDImMWzMJaqbfS9rhsiBdJKyFIB3b6ba5G5YqzbJjnhbKrpc.7N-gN1ghYV2Pe8aN

Passcode: 79VD&gzR

Have a lovely evening,

Miren

Miren

as part of a wider course which includes a focus on grammar with other teachers. Eric, an adult learner, has demonstrated dedication

and commitment throughout the course, focusing on developing confidence with his speaking skills, broadening vocabulary

outside of his scientific specialism and working with pronunciation, rhythm and stress.

Eric actively engaged in the course and showed remarkable communication skills. He consistently demonstrated a strong grasp

of the topics we discussed and focused work in improving his English oral skills. He was able to maintain and elevate our conversations

showing clear understanding of the subjects and clear expression of his ideas.

Eric displayed exceptional attendance throughout the better part of 2023, attending scheduled classes without fail or tardiness,

demonstrating once more his dedication and enthusiasm for learning, and allowing him to maximise his learning opportunities and

making the most of each session.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet with Eric on a weekly basis, and to not only share and discuss ideas but also to learn from his experiences and

knowledge.

eslbrains.com/conversations-we-dread/\

Our lesson was about conversations we dread and we discussed one you had had with an employee who had an unfortunate way of dealing with people and was upsetting the team.

She did not have a good form of communication - an inappropriate way of communicating with people.

Didn't have good behavior - did not behave professionally.

Pushed back - withdrew

Angry against - angry with

Propose some missions - propose some relevant projects

Transient manager - interim

Searching a new position - looking for another position

Way of management - management strategy

Aware about it - aware of it

Vocabulary

Autocratic

Idioms

One bad egg

In the right/wrong seat on the bus

Drive wedges between people

We need to work on the use of "in fact" and "impressive," both of which you use frequently, as there is a better way to begin a sentence

We've change a lot of ways - we've changed a lot with regard to the way we manage.

We have launch a new - we have just launched

Project were stopped - was

Very serious studies - complex studies

By consequence to diminish the effect of HIV - to reduce the effects

Be able listen people - listen to people

Improve every time our processes - continually improve

Have the good knowledge - have sound knowledge

Focus Areas

1. Grammar:
   During our sessions, we concentrated on refining Eric’s grammatical accuracy. He was introduced to complex sentence structures, verb tenses, and conditionals, which are crucial for achieving fluency at his level. Regular exercises and targeted corrections helped him to become more confident in his grammatical choices.

2. Language Use in Speaking:
   Eric actively engaged in discussions and role-plays to practice his speaking skills. He was encouraged to incorporate newly learned vocabulary and expressions into his speech. Feedback was provided after each speaking exercise, and he was motivated to apply corrections in subsequent sessions. This iterative process has helped him improve his communicative competence.

3. Encouragement and Corrections:
   Throughout the course, I emphasized the importance of using the language actively. Eric received constructive feedback on his pronunciation, intonation, and fluency, which he embraced positively. His willingness to accept corrections and his determination to implement them have been key factors in his progress.

Achievements

• Increased confidence in speaking English, particularly in spontaneous conversation.

• Improved grammatical accuracy, with a noticeable reduction in errors during speaking and writing tasks.

• Enhanced vocabulary range, enabling him to express ideas more clearly and effectively.

Recommendations

While Eric has made significant strides, it is recommended that he continues his studies to further solidify his language skills. Here are a few suggestions for his continued progress:

1. Daily Practice: Regularly speaking English, whether through conversation with peers or language exchange partners, will help him maintain and enhance his fluency.

2. Reading and Listening: Engaging with English media—such as books, podcasts, and films—will expose him to varied language use and idiomatic expressions, enriching his vocabulary and comprehension.

3. Structured Study: Continuing with structured lessons, focusing on advanced grammar and complex language functions, will further elevate his proficiency.

Conclusion

Overall, Eric has shown impressive development in his English language skills over the course of our sessions. His motivation and hard work are commendable, and with continued study and practice, he has the potential to reach even greater heights in his language proficiency.I look forward to seeing his continued growth in the future.