A REVIEW COURSE FOR B1 LEVEL

Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, MA.
Hue College of Foreign Languages
1.1 I love meeting people
Vocabulary:
Interests: acting, books, listening to dance music, playing the guitar, pop music, fashion, shopping
Sport: athletics, football, the gym, ice hockey, mountain biking, tennis
Computer: chatting online, chat rooms, online computer games
Social activities: chatting with friends, making new friends
1.1 I love meeting people
7. What’s my hobby?
1. I don’t mind being on my own or staying at home. I like computer and indoor activities which are quiet and relaxing.
2. I like doing things outdoors and love animals, but I am also artistic. I also like doing things on my own.
3. I can’t stand staying at home. I prefer being outside and doing sports, but I don’t really like animals
1.1 I love meeting people
9. Write an online profile
Hi, I’m______ and I’m from_____ .I like______ and________ . I hate ______ and I can’t stand_____ . I want to ________ and________.

1.
1.2 Keeping in touch
2. Give reasons for your answers.
I think text is the best because it would be very noisy and difficult to hear a telephone conversation
I think email is best because you can send a link to the website.
I think mobile phone is the best because you can explain why you are going to be late and how long you will be.
1.2 Keeping in touch
2. Give reasons for your answers.
4. I think a postcard is best because you can send a picture of the place where you are staying.
5. I think landline is best because you might want to talk for a long time
1.2 Keeping in touch
8. Writing extra
Discuss the questions in pairs.
How much time do you spend on the computer?
Do you use chat rooms? Why/why not/
What games do you play on the computer?
What is your favourite website?
Do you think the internet is safe?
1.2 Keeping in touch
10. Write an email
Hi Alex,
Would you like to come over to my house tomorrow? I’ve just bought a new computer. It’s great, so much quicker than my old one. We can play this new game that I’ve discovered.
Hope you an come.
From _________
2.1 He’s the youngest brother
Vocabulary
A: cheerful, confident, kind, lazy, shy
B: elderly, in his/her thirties
C: bald, a beard, curly hair, fair hair, glasses, handsome, a moustache, pretty, slim, tall
D: a grandparent, a twin
2. To be: bald, cheerful, confident, elderly, a grandparent, handsome, in his thirties, kind, lazy, pretty, shy, slim, tall, a twin
To have: a beard, curly hair, fair hair, glasses, a moustache
2.1 He’s the youngest brother
6. Write sentences
I think teenagers are friendlier than elderly people because they need to have more friends.
Men are more hard working than women because women waste hours every day chatting.
Shy people are not as attractive as confident people because a big smile makes everyone looks better.
2.2 Such a messy room

1.
armchair 3 blinds 1 carpet 1,3

ceiling 1,2,3,4 cupboard 4 curtains 2

cushion 1,2,4 desk 3 drawers 1

duvet 1,2,3 fan 1 mirror 3,4

pillow 1,2,4 photos 2 posters 2

rubbish bin 3 shelf 2,3
2.2 Such a messy room

1.
armchair 3 blinds 1 carpet 1,3

ceiling 1,2,3,4 cupboard 4 curtains 2

cushion 1,2,4 desk 3 drawers 1

duvet 1,2,3 fan 1 mirror 3,4

pillow 1,2,4 photos 2 posters 2

rubbish bin 3 shelf 2,3
3.1 It used to be different
1. Speaking
1.
1. The people are singing around the piano.
2. The boy is writing a letter.
3. The man is making a phone call.
4. The women are getting dressed.
5. The woman is washing clothes.
2.
1. Today people watch TV for entertainment.
2. Today people phone or use email.
3. Today people have mobile phones.
4. Today people wear jeans or T-shirts.
5. Today people have washing machines.


3.1 It used to be different
6.
got up 2. used to wash 3. took

4. had to 5. used to wear 6. looked

7. used to watch 8. used to play

3.1 It used to be different
7.
Photo 1: This family is watching television together. They are eating something in the bowl. They are all laughing. Three of them are sitting in the sofa. Three of the people are wearing jeans. There is a lamp next to the sofa. The man is saying something to the woman. The children are talking about the cartoon film on the TV. They look about 10 and 12. The boy is playing with a cat and the girl is eating an ice-cream.
3.1 It used to be different
7.
Photo 2: This family is playing football on the beach. It is a sunny day and the sky is blue. The man is standing in the goal. The woman is holding a ball in her arms, They are all wearing shorts and have bare feet. The woman is wearing a sun hat. The girl is shouting to the boy. The boy is running toward the goal. The man is waiting for the boy to come. The man is wearing sunglasses.
3.1 It used to be different
7.
3.1 It used to be different
3.1 It used to be different
8.
Dimitri eats meals, plays sport and watches sport. He used to do homework, do housework and go on holiday. Elena eats meals. She used to do housework and go on holiday.
9. Dimitri asks Elena a question to star the conversation. They both talk for about the same length of time. The involve each other by asking questions and using phases such as What about you?
3.2 The street is lined with trees

3.2 The street is lined with trees

3.2 The street is lined with trees

3.2 The street is lined with trees

3.2 The street is lined with trees
1.
- Photo 1 shows New Jersey port in New York. This is the largest port in the east coast of North America, and is at the centre of the busiest consumer market in the world.
- Photo 2 is the Red Square in Moscow. The photo shows Basil’s Cathedral, at the south east end of Red Square. It is one of the most famous squares in the world.
3.2 The street is lined with trees
1.
- Photo 3 shows Carnaby Street in Central London. This is a famous pedestrianised shopping area near Oxford Street.
- Photo 4 shows a metro station outside one of the most famous department stores in Paris, Galeries La fayettes.
3.2 The street is lined with trees
1.
- Photo 3 shows Carnaby Street in Central London. This is a famous pedestrianised shopping area near Oxford Street.
- Photo 4 shows a metro/an underground station outside one of the most famous department stores in Paris, Galeries La fayettes.
3.2 The street is lined with trees
1.
A. What can you do in the cities? Do you visit the museums? go shopping? Go to the cinema? Take photographs? etc.
B. What’s your favourite city? Why?
3.2 The street is lined with trees
2.
1. port 2. tower 3. square
4. pedestrian 5. underground
6. statue
3.2 The street is lined with trees
4.
1. A 2. A 3. B 4. A 5.B 6. A 7. A 8. B 9. B 10. A
- In pairs, plan a day out in Montreal.
Language for making suggestion:
Why don’t we..........? We could ........
Let’s ..................
Time sequences:
First,........, after that........., next........., finally...........
3.2 The street is lined with trees
6.
In 1852 much of the city was destroyed by a large fire.
In the 1960s and 70s many old buildings were repaired.
Old Montreal was declared a historic district in 1964.
In 1988 an ice storm caused $1 billion worth of damage to the city.
Many famous films were made in Montreal.
66% of Montrealers speak French as their first language.
EXAM GUIDE
Dear Mark,
Yes, I had a job in a shop last summer and I loved it. It was a shoe shop in the town centre. I had to work long hours but I met some really nice people and I made a lot of money. I will use it to buy a car when I go to college next year. You are lucky that your uncle has a shop. I you do, you will save money too. If you do not work, you will get bored because the summer holidays are quite long. Let me know your decision.
Best wishes,
Jack
EXAM GUIDE
Dear Hayley,
Thank you for your letter. How are you? You are right. I worked in a clothes shop last summer, but I did not like it. I had to work from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and it was hard. I do not know about working in a book shop. I have never worked in a book shop. I do not think you should work all the summer. If you work, you will be tired and maybe you will not have time for fun on the beach. Write soon and tell me what you decide.
Lots of love,
Emilie
EXAM GUIDE
It was my birthday last month, so I had a party and I got lots of presents. I put all the presents in my bedroom and I opened them after my party. I liked the presents and I said thank you to everyone. Two weeks later the phone rang. It was my grandmother, who asked me if I had liked my present. I was very embarrassed because I did not know anything about a present from my grandmother. I went upstairs and looked in my bedroom. Under the bed there was a little box. I pulled it out and opened it. It was a beautiful necklace from my grandmother. I loved it
LITTLE THINGS

Little drops of water
Little grains of sand
Make the vast ocean
And the pleasant land.
Little deeds of kindness
Little words of love
Make the Earth happy
Like the Heaven above.
DREAMS
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

4.1
8. Dear Philip,
I think it’s a good idea to organize a party for your parents. A restaurant would be nice but it is quite expensive. Why don’t you have the party at home and ask all your parents’ friends to help you with the food? Everyone could bring a different dish and in that way the food will be delicious but cheap. I will help you decorate the house and clean up afterwards. I don’t think it’s a good idea to make it a surprise party. It will be difficult to keep it secret and you will give yourself a lot more stress! Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Take care
Florence

4.2 You’ll be given a lot to eat
1.
Food: bitter, creamy, delicious,
disgusting, excellent, salty, simple, traditional
Service: excellent, slow
Atmosphere: lively, relaxed, unfriendly
Restaurant: excellent, fashionable, modern, smart, stylish, traditional
4.2 You’ll be given a lot to eat
5.
Countable: a couple of, a few, few, many, several
Uncountable: a great deal of, a little, much
Both: all of, lots of, most, no, none of, plenty of, some
4.2 You’ll be given a lot to eat
6.
0%- no/none of, few/little, a few/a little, a couple of, several, some, much/many, plenty of, a great deal of, most, all of- 100%
4.2 You’ll be given a lot to eat
7.
- How many restaurants are there in your neighborhood?
- How far is the nearest restaurant from your house?
- What type of food do the restaurants serve?
4.2 You’ll be given a lot to eat
7.
- There are six restaurants in my neighborhood. The best restaurant is Am Phu Restaurant. It is a traditional restaurant and serves delicious food.

Comprehension tactics

Delaying the response to revise info through STM
Reconstructing the segment (with the help of the context)

When interpreters have not properly heard or understood a technical term, name, number, or other type of speech segment, then they can try to reconstruct it in their mind using their knowledge of the language, the subject, and the situation.


Preventative tactics


Taking notes
When the speech contains figures and names that interpreters feel they may forget and that they cannot reformulate right away for syntactic reasons, they may take them down in notes.
Changing the Ear – Voice Span (EVS)
EVS is the time lag between comprehension and reformulation
By lagging further behind, interpreters increase comprehension potential, but may overload short-term memory.


Preventative tactics


Taking notes
When the speech contains figures and names that interpreters feel they may forget and that they cannot reformulate right away for syntactic reasons, they may take them down in notes.
Changing the Ear – Voice Span (EVS)
EVS is the time lag between comprehension and reformulation
By lagging further behind, interpreters increase comprehension potential, but may overload short-term memory.


Preventative tactics


Segmentation
This is applied when faced with potential overload of memory, as with a source language and a target language that are syntactically very different. By the means of segmentation, short - term memory can help interpreters keep in mind the original structure and rearrange information at the same time.
Changing the order of elements in an enumeration
Enumerations are high-density speech segments, especially with names, which can be reproduced from echoic memory (memory of the sound), or with terms which are easily transcoded.
Omitting


Exercises


1. Exercise 1 (comprehensive listening):
Yesterday, Tom has an unforgettable experience. While driving to school, he had seen a crowd in street. He asked a person what they were doing. “Well, Robbin William’s here. Everybody wants to see him and have his signature” …. “Wow” – Tom thought “He’s my idol. But how to get close? I have an examination this morning”. Leaving with regret, he were so surprised and couldn’t believe in his eyes, a stranger in his car, looking at him and smiling “Come on, guy. Help me to hide, just a moment”- said Robbin.
After playing tapes, the listeners are required to say what they can remember about the story:
- Name of main character: Tom
- Time: Yesterday
- Event: Robbin William – his idol – asked Tom to help him avoid the crowd.


Exercise 2: (Sequences – Intensive listening)
(1) As some recent researches prove, some fruits like apple, grape, tomato, orange, melon and peach are rich of vitamin C.
The list is about object, listeners can use short-term memory to rename adequately.
(2) If you want to sign in the security system, you need to have a personal identification number (PIN), for example: 784291736520
The utterance includes twelve digits without order, then a tip to use short-term memory for memorizing is “chunk”: divide the number into set of digits (2 or 3 digits per chunk):
- 784 291 736 520
- 78 42 91 73 65 20
(3) Vietnam history has witness many victories against invaders: from Ngo dynasty to Ly, Tran, Le empires in the previous millennium.
In this case, listeners should pay attention to the time sequences to rename the subjects: Ngo, Ly, Tran, Le


Exercise 3 (Object Listing with arrangement)
I have to learn a lot of subjects at school but just some of them are in my favor. At primary school, I was very good at history and geography. The latter is also my favorite subject at secondary school… High school, uhm…, let I remember, maths, chemistry and physics – all natural sciences… Well, I forget, I was also interested in music at junior high school because I seemed to be talent at this subject.
The speaker provided a number of subject but the point of time may be confusing. Therefore, when using short - term memory, the listeners should rearrange items as well:
- Primary school: history, geography
- Secondary school: geography, music
- High school: maths, chemistry, physics


Exercise 4: (Short - term memory game) – “I went to the market”
Read a poem (if preferred):
Jonny went to the market. Jonny went to the store.
But when poor Jonny got there, he forgot what he went there for.
Momma gave him a list. Momma gave it to him twice.
And what Momma wanted was a big bag of rice….
Then the first player add: “Momma wanted rice and carrots”
The next player repeat and add another items “Momma wanted rice, carrots and a cake….”


Exercise 4: (Short - term memory game) – “I went to the market”
Read a poem (if preferred):
Jonny went to the market. Jonny went to the store.
But when poor Jonny got there, he forgot what he went there for.
Momma gave him a list. Momma gave it to him twice.
And what Momma wanted was a big bag of rice….
Then the first player add: “Momma wanted rice and carrots”
The next player repeat and add another items “Momma wanted rice, carrots and a cake….”


Exercise 5: (Categorization)
European governments are dealing with a different issue linked to immigration and population growth. Racial and ethnic tensions are increasing in some European countries. This issue intensified last year in France when hundreds of young Arab and African men rioted. They were protesting against economic inequality and the failure of French society to accept them. Many rioters were the children of immigrants who had moved from countries like Algeria and Tunisia in the nineteen fifties and sixties.
The population of Europe is also aging faster than any other part of the world, except Japan. Birth rates are also down in many European countries. Experts say the number of people depending on workers will rise as the number of workers falls. They say spending in European countries will have to increase for retirement, health care and long-term care for old people in the future.


Trainees should pay attention to two sub-topics in the passage, then classifying items in the two grounds:
- Immigration: Racial and ethnic tensions
+ Issue: A riot in France
+ Reasons:
. Economic equality
. Failure of society acceptance
- Population Growth:
+ Issue: Aging faster
+ Impacts: More spending on:
. Retirement,
. Health care
. Long –term care for old people



Exercise 6: (Generalization)
The Chinese government said its one-child policy has led to fast economic growth. Yet, some people believe it has created a troubled economic future. Wang Feng is an expert on Chinese population issues at the University of California-Irvine in the United States. He says fewer people will be entering the Chinese workforce in coming years. But, more people over age sixty-five will be demanding retirement payments from the government. So he says a smaller workforce could have bad effects on the economy.
Experts believe China’s one-child policy has affected the country in other ways. Chinese society values sons over daughters. Some parents choose to end a pregnancy if the fetus is a girl. So more boys than girls are born in China. As a result, experts say about forty million Chinese men will not be able to find women to marry within the next fifteen years. Experts say this could lead to kidnappings and more trafficking of woman and girls.




The speaker much discussed the disadvantages of China’s one-child policy; however, facilitating short - term memory in such context needs the technique of generalization:

The disadvantages of China’s one-child policy:
- Bad economic effects:
+ Smaller workforce
+ Increased retirement payments
- Gender imbalance: more boys than girls -> girls kidnapping and trafficking



Exercise 7: (Comparison)
Many people around the world are trying to create new kinds of businesses. Entrepreneurs organize, build and support their business proposals. They may have ideas about new products. Or, they may have ideas about new ways to do business.
Social entrepreneurs are similar to business entrepreneurs. However, social entrepreneurs try to improve conditions in their communities. They organize, build, and support new and creative projects. Their goal is to improve people’s lives. Their work is very important. Usually, social entrepreneurs do not receive much support for their work. However, the World Bank is trying to change this. The bank recognizes the need for social entrepreneurs and has developed a special program to offer them support.



Criteria Private entrepreneurs Social entrepreneurs
Performance organize, build and support their business proposals organize, build, and support new and creative projects
Goal products Living conditions
Reading skills
Reading for gist and main ideas
Reading for details
Identifying the meaning of new words and expressions through affixation, word order, syntax and context
Identifying the meaning of new words and expressions through lexical cohesive devices including synonyms, antonyms and hyponyms
Identifying the writer’s style: literary, scientific, argumentative
Identifying the language level used in the text: formal or informal
Identifying the culturally-specific words
Researching skills
Using bilingual dictionaries for looking up meanings of new words
Using monolingual dictionaries to check the use of the new words in the source language and the target language
Using related encyclopedias and glossary lists for the terms
Referring to journals to be familiar with the subject to be translated
Using online resources effectively
Researching and using CAT tools
Analytical skills
Analyzing beginnings and endings of ideas in the text and the relationships between these ideas
Analyzing to identify the appropriate meaning that fits into the context
Analyzing to identify the structure in the target language that best represents the source text
Analyzing to identify coherent ideas and the best cohesive devices in the target language that represent the source text 
Translation skills
Using correct word order of target language
Using correct sentence structures of target language
Translating the meaning of the source text precisely
Using paraphrases to convey the overall meaning translated
Making changes to the text as a whole to give it a sense of the original without distorting the original ideas
Trying one or more of the following strategies when problems of untranslatability arise
Strategies
Syntactic strategies
+ Shifting word order
+ Changing clauses/sentence structures
+ Adding or omitting conjunctions
Semantic strategies
+ Using synonyms
+ Using hyponyms
+ Redistributing the information
Pragmatic strategies
+ Changing style for natural translation
+ Making the text more explicit
WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD DO
Before interpreting
- Language and its use:
+ Improving knowledge and use of target and source languages through reading books and newspapers, listening to the radio and television to be familiar with different discourse genres related to interpretation
+ Searching for an appropriate, accurate, and natural way of using both the source language and the target language by observing how native speakers to use their language in real-life situations
+ Searching for proper addressing terms
WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD DO
Before interpreting
-Psychological Readiness
+ Being ready to face tension with an I-can-do-it feeling + Being confident to think that nobody can interpret better and find out his mistakes
-Researching the subject to be translated
+ Having to understand the subject to be translated in advance
+ Having to collect as many documents to be translated as possible from project workers, presenters
+ Having to look up terms and study discourse genres to be interpreted by referring to different kinds of dictionaries and reports already collected from presenters
WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD DO
Before interpreting
- Bringing tools and asking for payment
+ A recorder for recording the interpretation to improve interpretation, remembering to ask for permission





+ Pens and papers for taking notes the numbers, organization names
+ Asking for the presenters’ copies for the new terms or asking about the information to be presented if the copies are not available
+ Negotiating the price and signing a payment contract if possible
WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD HAVE
While interpreting
-Working situations
+ Simultaneous interpretation of reports in conferences
+ Face-to-face meeting between project or organization directors and village leaders and villagers
+ Formal meeting between project board of directors and local authorities and agencies
+ Meeting between project representatives and villagers in the village hall
+ Group discussions and plenary discussions
+ Field interpretation
+ Interviewing the project beneficiaries
WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD DO
While interpreting
- The interpreter
+ always speaks up to ensure that the message is clearly heard and understood by the audience.
+ should ask the speaker to raise the volume of his voice when he speaks too softly.
+ should listen to the speaker with full concentration while performing the job.
+ should not look at the written version of the speech if the speaker provides him with one, because this will interfere with his concentration.
+ should take notes some particular points during a discussion in a way that he understands the notes clearly.
+ should raise his voice to reach the audience standing far from the speaker when interpreting at the project site.

WHAT A NOVICE INTERPRETER SHOULD DO
After interpreting
+ The interpreter should be proud of and satisfied with the mission he has just completed successfully.
+ The interpreter should play back the recording to assess what happened on stage in order to ensure a poor performance can be improved in future. + The interpreter should recall and record necessary terms that may appear in next assignment.
SUGGESTIONS
1. The students majoring in translation and interpretation should be provided with sufficient linguistic competence and performance for their future jobs. The students majoring in translation should be well equipped with reading and writing skills while the students majoring in interpretation should be well equipped with listening and reading skills.
2. It is advisable to supply basic translation theory for the students so that they can apply the theory to their translation practice.
3. The students should be provided with good cultural knowledge and cross-cultural knowledge in communication.
4. It is necessary to teach the students to use the Internet for referring online dictionaries and exploiting CAT tools.
5. The students need to be supplied with the way to identify and analyze different discourse genres necessary for their future professions.
SUGGESTIONS
6. Note-taking techniques, short-term memory techniques and other techniques for effective translation and interpretation should be included in the curriculum.
7. There should be seminars where professional translators and interpreters can share their experience with the students right in their early years at university.
8. The students need to familiarize themselves with pressure of translation and interpretation work through observing interpreters doing their jobs at the conferences or project sites.
9. The themes included in the curriculum should be suitable for the students’ future actual work.
10. The knowledge of subject matters needs to be wisely selected to satisfy the social needs and the knowledge should be basic and up-to-date.
Thank you for your attention.