Classic Tales and Practical Skills: A Compilation
The Emperor’s New Clothes
- What was typical to say of the Emperor?
He is sitting in his wardrobe.
What do weavers do as a profession?They manufacture clothes.
The weavers said they make very special clothes. Which were the properties of such clothes?They are invisible to people unfit for their position and simple people.
The King ordered the clothes immediately. Why?He wanted to find out who is unfit for his job.
What did the weavers do with the gold thread and silk?They put it in their sacks.
Who did the King send to see the clothes?His faithful old minister.
What did he see?He didn’t see anything.
He said he liked the clothes. Why?He didn’t want to look unfit for his job.
Name some of the expressions for the clothes:Wonderful, excellent, charming, beautiful.
What title were the weavers given?Gentleman weavers.
What did the weavers do when people went to see them?They pretended to be working.
Do you remember pieces of clothes?Trousers, scarf, shoes, socks.
The weavers dressed the King in front of the… looking glass.Finally, what did a child say?“The Emperor has nothing at all on!”
And his father then said…: “Listen to the voice of innocence.”This was then… whispered from one to another and then cried out by all.What did the King think?He thought the people were right because he wasn’t wearing anything.
The Swineherd
- Easy to find a princess to marry?
Yes.
What present did he send to the princess?A rose and a nightingale.
Did she like the presents?No, they were natural/real.
The princess refused to see him. What did he do?He disguised himself as a swineherd and asked for a job.
The King said:Yes, and appointed him imperial swineherd.
The King made an object. What was the first?A kitchen pot with bells.
The princess wanted the pot. What was the price for the pot?Ten kisses.
The princess thought of something else. What was it?The ladies kiss the prince.
What happened then?She kissed the prince.
What is the next object the prince created?Something to make music.
The princess wanted the rattle. What did the prince ask for it?A hundred kisses.
The princess was kissing him when her father noticed. What did he do?The princess and prince were thrown out of the city.
Did the prince marry her?No, he said he despised her and went to his kingdom.
The Real Princess
- A prince wanted to marry what kind of princess?
A real princess.
He found plenty of princesses, but… there was always something wrong.How was the weather?It was tempestuous weather.
Who opened the door?The King opened the door.
Who had the idea to test if the princess was real?The old queen mother.
What was her plan?To put three peas under twenty mattresses.
How did the princess sleep?Very badly.
What color was her skin in the morning?Black and blue.
What did all this prove?She was a real princess.
Did the prince marry her?Yes, he did.
What did they do with the peas?They were put into the cabinet of curiosities.
The Leap-Frog
- Who are the animals in the story?
Grasshopper, frog, and a flea.
What were they famous for?Because they were good jumpers.
What was the prize the King offered to the winner?Marriage to the princess.
The grasshopper belonged to an ancient:Egyptian family.
How was the flea’s jump?He jumped so high that nobody could see him.
And the grasshopper?He jumped into the King’s face / half as high into the King’s face.
And the leap-frog?Into the lap of the princess.
What did the King say then?He is brave and intellectual / there is nothing above my daughter.
The Little Match Girl
- Weather:
It was most terribly cold. It was snowing.
Day:The last evening of the year.
How were the girl’s feet?They were naked and tiny, red and blue from the cold.
A little boy ran with the girl’s slippers. What were his plans for it?A cradle.
How were the girl’s locks?Long, fair, curly.
How many matches had she sold?None.
What would she receive from her father back home?She would receive blows.
Why did she use her first match?She used it to warm her fingers.
What could she see with her second match?A table with food.
What happened with the third?She was sitting under a Christmas tree.
A star fell, and she said:“Someone has just died.”
What happened with the next match?She saw her grandmother.
Where did the girl and her grandmother fly?Up so very high where there was no cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety.
How did she die?She died frozen.
What did the child finally say?The child said that the king was not wearing any clothes. “The emperor has nothing at all!”
And his father then said:“Listen to the voice of innocence.”
This was then whispered from one to another and then denied by all.What did the King think?He thought that the procession must go on now.
Primer Listening
- The head of year one is responsible for the schedule.
- In year one, you have five lectures a week.
- What is an assignment? A piece of work to do on your own.
- What’s the time to give an assignment called? Deadline.
- Some assignments involve research.
- In that case, you must read articles from journals.
- Where can you find journals? Resource center.
- What’s a tutorial? A small discussion with your tutor and some other students.
Second Listening: New Communications
- How did Dave get into podcasting?
He was an avid reader of blogs.
At first, Dave didn’t start because he thought he didn’t have technical capabilities.What does Dave do?He is a graphic designer.
When did Dave start his own podcast?January 2005.
Were people interested in his podcast?Yes, they even emailed him their thoughts.
What does he talk about in his podcast?Current affairs, music, travel.
He had always had ambitions to have his own radio show.Other than talking, what does Dave include in his podcast?Music.
Dave wants his podcasts to go on being free. Why?If he charges, people will start making demands, and he wants to be able to do and say whatever he wants.
Third Listening: Improving Your Memory
- How is the memory technique called?
The journey method.
What’s the key to this method?To think of a route that you know very well.
Examples of landmarks?Doors, traffic lights, buildings you pass on the journey, etc.
In the example, you visualize drinking a cup of coffee and two more things. Which?It has been raining milk, and the roof of your car is covered with tomatoes.
What can we add to a route?Events and landmarks.
English: The Global Language
- How have we been referring to English?
As a global language – as a language for communication and technology.
It is not uncommon to see English being used between a German scientist and an Italian politician.What is the danger if you don’t know English?You can be excluded from what is going on.
English will be obligatory, where?In all school curricula throughout the world.
How many countries asked for the rules to be changed in the Eurovision context?14 of the 25.
Why did they want to sing in English?Because singing in their language would put them at a disadvantage.
Why will native English speakers be handicapped?Because they will be the only ones to speak only one language.
In which country is their music exports more than thirty percent of their export income?Sweden.
She tells the audience to throw away their phrase books.Emotional Intelligence Audio Script
- Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which we can increase the levels of our own emotional intelligence so that employers will be fighting over us.
- Talk about all the different points we need to consider:
- Label our own feelings.
- Know the differences between a thought and a feeling.
- Responsibility for our feelings.
- Learn how to use our feelings to make decisions.
- Respect the feelings of others.
- Show others that we care.
- We have to turn anger into energy and use it to take action.
- Practice getting a positive value from our emotions.
- Advice:
- Don’t criticize, advise, control, or lecture others.
- Avoid people who invalidate you or spend less time with them.