GapNews - October 2011

Fleetham Lodge in Autumn

Fleetham Lodge in glorious autumn

At Fleetham Lodge we offer short, intensive, immersion programmes (see English Language Booster below) in English for individuals and groups of up to 6 people. Programmes run all year round.

You can stay from a weekend to a month and you are sure to make very fast progress however long you stay!

Ode to Autumn

John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Read the rest of the poem

Using Poetry to grow your English vocabulary

This is the beginning of one of my most favourite poems about my favourite time of the year - autumn.

If you don't know this poem it is well worth a look. The imagery is fabulous and the language exquisite!

Follow the link at the bottom of the extract to see the whole piece.

If you enjoy this poem then have a look at the poetry archive on Gapfillers, we have lots of poems both old and new to choose from. Some with vocabulary exercises to try and some just to enjoy. Poetry is a great way of learning new words but also of plunging deeper into the English language to see how it can be used in a creative and imaginative way. It can be difficult to understand at first but poems are often short enough to read several times and you will get something new every time you read them.

When poets write their poems they are thinking very closely about words. This means that each word they choose will have been carefully considered and as a result they will all have an impact both individually as well as part of the whole. What this means for English language learners is that firstly, poems provide a great place to discover and learn new words and secondly, it gives a new way of looking at language both for comprehension but also for an emotive response - how does the poem make you feel.

Both of these things can be very useful when considering your own writing.

Finally, poems are often very short (though not always!) so they are easily accessible even if you don't have a lot of time for reading.

So, what has been happening on Gapfillers lately?

Gapfillers Programmes

Last time we announced our new programmes. These are proving popular especially the programme for English teachers ELTMentor and the IELTS programme.

GapChat and other Speaking groups

Speaking has become a bit of a feature over the past few months on Gapfillers. Whenever I speak to members (via Skype) they tell me that the hardest thing to do online is find opportunities to speak.

Have you been taking advantage of these sessions?

Wednesday audio GapChat

This takes place at 18.00 (UK time) every Wednesday using our Gapfillers TokBox. You MUST have a headset to take part and also make sure that your flash player is up-to-date. So far a few people have been coming and we usually have a small group attend the session. This is a chance to practise speaking with me and other Gapfillers Members. Look out for the invitation emails on Wednesdays with the link.

Saturday club

Our Saturday club hasn't met for a while but some of the members are keen to get going again. This is a speaking group on Skype for anybody. If you want to join just contact me and let me know

IELTS Speaking Group

For full members who want to practise their speaking we have a small group that meets on Skype. We usually go through parts of the speaking test as well as discuss IELTS in general and other short speaking activities. If you are preparing for the IELTS exam and would be interested in joining the group (it's for band 7/8) then contact me.

Professional Speaking groups

We have a small group of Gapfillers members who are doctors who have hooked up on Skype to speak to each other in English about things professional This is a very useful way of practising your speaking and networking with fellow professionals.

I have a lawyer who is interested in creating a similar group and also business professionals who would like to create a group.

If you are interested in any of these groups then let me know and I can put you all in touch with each other.

GapChat - text chat

We have a text chat in Member Home every Wednesday at 13.00. The archive for this chat is put on to the home page

Usually we have a poll where you can choose the topic to discuss and then we all meet to talk about the topic - always related to studying English.

Attendance has dropped recently so I am considering stopping this - if you want it to continue then please try and come along. We'll run it for another month and then evaluate.

a Halloween pumpkin by a front door

A Halloween pumpkin guards the front door!

English Language Booster Programme

I'm sure you have seen my emails about this.

I am very excited about having some of you come here and work with me. I know that it will be a transforming and very enjoyable experience.

Being immersed in the language is the very best way to absorb it - you can't escape but it is very rewarding.

A reminder of the dates: either:

November 13th to November 20th

or,

November 27th to December 4th

Each group will be just 4 people so you will get a lot of individual attention

The cost (normally £1,000 pp)

£750 (includes tuition, full-board accommodation, visits and transfers from nearest airport/station)

There are still places available - contact me

More information on Fleetham Lodge.

Comments from previous students on programmes here.

ELTMentor

Are you an English language teacher?
Are you committed to your professional development?
Would you like to join other English language teachers on a programme designed specially for you.
Then you are in the right place!

https://www.gapfillers.com/default.aspx?atk=6684&vrk=6720

IELTS Retreat

Here is another exciting opportunity - they keep coming and coming on Gapfillers.

How would you like to have a whole weekend of dedicated IELTS training and practice covering ALL skills and go away with a plan for success to get bands 7 and 8?

Doesn't this sound unbelievable? Well it can all be yours if you attend our IELTS Retreat on November 12th and 13th.

It will be the most amazing thing you have EVER done for YOUR IELTS preparation!

FIND OUT MORE

Halloween pumpkins on the fountain at Fleetham Lodge

These happy pumpkins are signalling Halloween which we celebrate at Fleetham Lodge by having a treasure hunt by torchlight!

Children go out in the village in costume and the village holds a competition for the best pumpkin lantern

Have you seen these?

and these?

Listening:

Talking about travelling

Joke:

The best doctor-doctor jokes ever!

Blog - The Diary of a 21st Century Nobody

Scaredy Dog!

Hang out in English with Gapfillers.

Let's learn together!!

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