Happy Holidays (and new exam material)!!!!

Hi guys! First, let me wish you all a very, very happy holiday!!! Christmas is over and many of you are beginning to look to 2012 – probably with mixed feelings! If you read the newspapers, things don’t look good for the economy – anywhere. If you’re studying for exams, you’re in the calm before the storm. Some people feel overwhelming joy during the holidays, some people feel stress and a twinge of loneliness. However it is that 2011 is winding down for you, know this – I have greatly appreciated you all this past year. It’s been a real pleasure to work with you on these topics of language and culture for business. Now – if we take for granted that I’m not a total idiot – that means that you must be doing something right!!! I hope, therefore, that you remember that over the holidays, and whatever your present mood please take 5 minutes to look yourself in the mirror and remember that as long as things depend partially or wholly on YOU then you owe yourselves the self-respect needed to take on the new year with energy and a positive attitude. 2011 hasn’t been easy for everybody, what with government changes, continued economic problems and even the usual hum-drum of university life. I DO, however, believe that you guys all have what it takes to get a very good education, and therefore have what it takes to overcome (for yourselves and those around you) the many challenges that 2012 will bring. I suppose, to sum it all up, I will say this: I am proud to be and/or to have been your professor. I have great faith that you will all contribute in your way to making this university, town and country a better place for us all in the future – starting now. In other words – SEMPRE AVANTI COME LE BESTIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I’ve posted the May and September listening exams for B1 and B2 on the resources page – each under their respective pages)

ALL the BEST to you ALL!!!! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!
Pete Cullen

Bethany McLean back to tell us about the human side of crisis

Hi guys!!!!

Hi guys! It’s been a week since we started the academic year – so it’s about time I wrote something here! The first thing I’d like to say is IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL!!!! – some of you for the first time, some of you again!!! It’s going to be a busy year – as usual, I suppose! While we have a little smoother ride ministerially at the beginning of this year, our relative success has also put pressure on classroom logistics! We all have to be patient with this, but trust me, we are trying hard to resolve the logistical problems!

That said, there are VERY MANY things to discuss in language and culture for business!!! We live in “interesting times”, which should probably make us a bit nervous. We have, however, the luxury of being in university – which means our job is to try to understand what has happened and what is happening in our societies and economies (oh just TRY to separate those two things!). THAT is going to be productive and good!!!! I am increasingly impressed by the quality of English and general curiosity among students. The CURIOSITY and willingness to learn is the important part. If you DO some English, a bit every day, you WILL improve!!!
You’ve decided to attend one of the most innovative courses in the country. I am really honoured that so many have chosen to study with us. It makes me proud – now it’s time for us all to get to work!!!

See you in class!
Pete Cullen

Iscrizione agli esami 09 2011

Si ricorda agli studenti che, rispetto alla data d’esame, le liste verranno aperte 15 giorni prima per poi essere chiuse 2 giorni prima.

Quote from the web-page for registering for exams!!! DO not forget to register!!!! DO have a great “rest of summer” and GOOD LUCK on your exams!!!! For exam-taking tips – search for the word “exams” on this blog, and you will access old posts that explain strategies for the listening exam.

See you all soon!!!!
CLB
Pete Cullen

http://www.economist.com/node/18805327

http://www.economist.com/node/18805327.

exams

Hi guys!
I know many of you were worried about the English exams – but let me assure you, they were no more or less difficult than in other years if you prepared for them. The results won’t be ready until the 13th, at which point you will be able to consult them online (afternoon). What I’ve seen so far is exactly within the norm for 1st and 2cnd year exams. There is little variation in the number of people who pass and the number who fail each year. I don’t push it one way or the other – it just works out that way.
SO – I’ve seen a tendency in the 2cnd year to do quite well or relatively badly. What I mean is this – in a standard statistical distribution, most people should do somewhere in the middle. We have a “flat middle” this year – with more people doing extremely well and some people doing worse. The number of failures for the listening is, however, right where it should be at about 32%. Given the study challenges you all face – you should give yourselves credit for having faced a usually tough exam after a year of crazy course schedules and university reforms and turmoil etc. WIN, LOSE OR DRAW – I am very proud of all of you!!!!
The first year distribution of marks is much more normal. Most people did ok – some did spectacularly, and a very few didn’t do well. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS TOO!!!
Whatever the results of the exams – my estimation of you and your capabilities remains high!!!
DO have a great day!!!!
Pete Cullen

Exams

I just want to say GOOD LUCK to everyone!!! You’ve worked hard, and played hard – now it’s time to relax and concentrate (they go well together!) – get through exams with what you know. Overall, the B1 monografico and oral exams went very well yesterday. Rossi and I were surprised! We’re off to a good start!!!
I’ve seen a lot of people doing a lot of work to prepare for the written exam – GOOD!!! Trust that your preparations have been helpful!!! Come to the exam – get the job done – NO WORRIES!!!!!

It has been a great pleasure to have you guys in class this year!!!!
DO have a great day!!!
SEMPRE AVANTI CLB!!!!!!

Listening Exams 2011

Hi guys! I see from FB feed that the simulation exams are perceived to be difficult this year. Here are some of my thoughts on the problem – just to help you study.

Your brains need practice connecting meaning to sound – SO listen to the material constantly!!! It is partially conscious cognition – but also it takes time for your physical brain to make the connection between sound and meaning – so you must listen – pause – listen – pause – listen-pause! Take the simulation exams we did and try to summarize the KEY points that you hear!

First listen to the text 3 or 4 times and DO not worry about answering questions.

Then look at the question sheet and decide which question is most complicated for you.

Listen to the text one more time and try to write down the KEY words that you hear that you think will help you answer the question. Look at the possible connections. AT THIS POINT DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TIME!!!!

Listen to the text again and then put your key words together in the form of an answer – for the ONE question you chose to answer.

DO this again for each question – for each simulation or practice test.

YOUR brains have heard everything in the text! The only problem is to get your brain to the point where it will remember what it hears in long-term memory. This means repetition – with direction. When your brain receives a stimulus – an electrical stimulus produces a chemical reaction in your synapses (the connections between nerves). When these are strong – you pay attention to something. When these are repeated, your brain develops another point of synaptic contact. That is the passage from working memory to long-term memory. You must eat well, sleep well and do the listening exercises regularly so that your brain has the opportunity to a) strengthen the chemical connection in your synapses and b) create the extra synaptic contact for the information it hears. If you don’t give your brain the opportunity to do this – you won’t remember what you hear.

REMEMBER – you’re not doing the listening exercises really to learn about Asians and Westerners (B1) or Finance (B2), but to get to the point where your brain is fast at recognising the sounds you hear and attaching meaning to them!!! This takes time!!! You’ve already done a great deal – you’ve had 80 hours of lettorato and 8 months of listening to things in English – ALL of which has helped you for the exam!!!

Have patience and give your brains the time and energy they need to become fast at managing the material!!!!

DURING the exam – listen for key words in the text. You can read the questions first, so you can identify the key components of the questions. Listen for these during the text reading, and take notes! DO NOT attempt to write full answers during the listening. Use the time BETWEEN the text readings to compose answers!!!! DO take your notes on the answer paper (on the back) – that way I can consider them for the marks! ;D

Don’t hesitate to contact me or the language faculty tutors with questions! Contact me for questions about my course, and tutor.lingue@uniurb.it for questions about how to do exams.

DO NOT forget to register for exams!!! It is fundamentally important that you register online BEFORE the registration closes!!! There is a message on www.uniurb.it/lingue that tells you more about this!!! If you don’t register, we can’t admit you to the exam.

REMEMBER – the listening, grammar, reading comp and composition are all ONE exam!!! Registration for LAZ Inglese 1 = registration for all 4 components of this exam – the first on 05 27 2011 and the second component on 30 05 2011.

After you have done the written exam, then we will begin the cycle of oral exams for the monographic and accertamento tests – unless you participate in the “pre-appello”.

Again – questions about the exam system – ask the tutors:

TUTOR 2011 tutor.lingue@uniurb.it

Ilaria PulitiPesaro Studi – Ufficio Tutor
LUNEDI’ 15.00-18.00
MERCOLEDI’ 10.00-13.00
VENERDI’ 10.00-13.00

Carmen Sirocchi

Palazzo Petrangolini
MARTEDI’ 11.00-12.00
MERCOLEDI’ 15.00-16.00
GIOVEDI’ 11.00-12.00

Irene SchirruVia Oddi

MARTEDI’ 15.00-17.00
MERCOLEDI’ 14.00-16.00

Francesca PotenaTUTOR ON-LINE

Good luck!!!!
Pete Cullen

FC LINGUE Football!!!

Hi guys!

YOUR faculty football team FC Lingue is playing in the Interfaculty Football Tournament again! WE have a great team this year, with some very strong new players and a core of veterans that make a winning combination! The team was victorious in all three friendly matches – including a 3-1 victory against last year’s tournament winner Giurisprudenza.

COME to the field at Ca’Varea (Via Pablo Neruda, Urbino) to support YOUR team!!!  We have great chances to make it to the play-offs! Be there to watch it happen!!! The schedule for our division is as follows:

Lingue Calcio Calendario. Campo Ca’ Varea – Via Pablo Neruda, Urbino (Zona bocciodromo)

MERCOLEDì 18 ORE 16:30 L-FARMACIA

VENERDì 20 ORE 15:00 L-SC. E TECNOLOGIE

MARTEDì 24 ORE 15:OO L-SOCIOLOGIA

GIOVEDì 26 ORE 16:30 L-ECONOMIA

SEMPRE AVANTI COME LE BESTIE!!!!!

Pete Cullen

Exam time!

Hi guys!

It’s exam time again! Nerves are flying high and people are starting to cram those last pieces of information into their brains before the day comes! All I can say is this:

IF you came to class, studied, read the material, did the practice exercises , and used the resources available to you over the past 8 months, you have been exposed to a lot of English! Have confidence in that!!!

On the other hand – don’t expect to be able to learn 8 months worth of material in a week.  If you haven’t done much with English this year – don’t waste your time at the exam! As I say at the beginning of every year – it takes time and practice to learn a language.

SO – I have uploaded the 4 simulations that we have been doing for each group (B1 and B2) on the “Resources” page. You’ll find the text and the audio for each simulation. Remember – my simulations are directly related to the topic of the exam!

The texts this year come from the following books:

B1 Richard Nisbett – The Geography of Thought

B2 Niall Ferguson – The Ascent of Money.

Reading these books will help you for your exam. They’re only about 250 pages each.  It is a great exercise, and you’ll learn a lot about your chosen subject of STUDY – language and culture for business.

I’ve tested the audio and text on the blog – they seem to work.

Good luck to everyone! It has been a great pleasure to be your professor this year! DO relax for the exams! Don’t try to learn 40.000.000 new things – just review what you know!!!!!!

DO have a great day!

Pete Cullen