*Book discussions coming up!

PREPARING FOR THE BOOK DISCUSSION WILL BE YOUR ONLY HOMEWORK THIS WEEK!

9EF: We will start the book discussions on Thursday November 6th - come prepared! Also bring your novel to class on Tuesday November 4th.

9CD: you need to be prepared Monday 3rd of November.

In week 45 we will start book discussions one on one. We will talk to each and everyone of you – this is how you should prepare:

·        Make sure that you are done with your novel (remember how we told you to pick and read an English novel this fall).

·        You have to be able to give a short summary of the book, describe the setting and theme, the main character(s), the genre and the target audience.

·      You have to be able to explain thoroughly what you think about the novel – did you like it? Why? Why not? Give examples! Would you recommend the novel to your fellow students? Why? Why not?

·        You should also be able to explain why reading is important when it comes to language learning.

Our advice to you is to rehearse a lot before the book discussion. Find a friend, a parent, a sibling, whoever, and discuss the book! Remember that you also should be able to explain and give reasons for why reading is good for you. Try to use transition word and phrases - take a look at this webpage. Also check this webpage for useful phrases for discussion.

For input on the benefits of reading and the assessment criteria - see below:

7 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day

1. Mental Stimulation

Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly fitting when it comes to your mind.

2. Stress Reduction

No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to another world, while an engaging article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, allowing you to relax.

3. Knowledge

Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face.

Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you.

4. Vocabulary Expansion

This goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll naturally make their way into your vocabulary.

Reading books is vital for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will improve their own speaking and writing fluency.

5. Improved Focus and Concentration

In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day. In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, chatting with a couple of people (via Messenger, Skype, etc.), keeping an eye on Facebook, checking SnapChat and Istagram. This type of behaviour causes stress levels to rise, and lowers our productivity.

When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing.

6. Better Writing Skills

This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing. You will improve your grammar and learn how to build well-put sentences. You will also learn to spell words correctly.

7. Free Entertainment

Though many of us like to buy books so we can add notes in them and dog-ear pages for future reference, they can be quite pricey. For low-budget entertainment, you can visit your local library and bask in the glory of the countless books available there for free. Libraries have books on every subject imaginable, and since they rotate their stock and constantly get new books, you’ll never run out of reading materials.

There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides, or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while, crack open a book, and fill up your soul for a little while.

Kjennetegn på måloppnåelse, fagsamtale

Under middels 1/2	Middels 3/4	Over middels 5/6
Du kan si noen setninger, men mangler ordforråd for å kunne uttrykke det du ønsker. Du svarer kort på spørsmål.	Du snakker stort sett flytende, og har et for det meste tilstrekkelig ordforråd. Du bruker språkets strukturer, selv om det forekommer den del feil.	Du snakker flytende og med et variert ordforråd. Du bruker språkets grunnleggende formverk rimelig korrekt, selv om feil kan forekomme.
Du snakker utydelig og med mye uttalefeil.	Du snakker stort sett tydelig og har for det meste god uttale.	Du snakker tydelig og med god uttale.
Du forstår noe av det som blir sagt, og kan svare på direkte spørsmål.	Du forstår stort sett det som blir sagt, og deltar til dels aktivt i samtalen.	Du forstår det som blir sagt, og deltar i samtalen på eget initiativ.
Du kan i noen grad uttrykke egne meninger, men klarer i liten grad å begrunne eller utdype påstander.	Du gir i noen grad uttrykk for egne meninger og kan til dels begrunne/utdype påstander.	Du gir uttrykk for egne meninger og kan begrunne/utdype påstander.
Du viser i liten grad egen refleksjon omkring oppgavens tema.	Du presenterer i noen grad egne tanker omkring oppgavens tema.	Du reflekterer omkring oppgavens tema.