Speaking about you, speaking about me!

 

You have two tasks to carry out.  First of all use http://www.voki.com/create.php   and create your own avatar.

Most of you are computer savvies, so just look at the website and you will figure out by yourself how it works.  Others may be more “timid” when they are asked to use technology, so here is a voki tutorial for you.As you can see, you can create your own “character” as you wish (to customize: fare su misura) and you can decide whether you want to use your own voice or create an artificial  voice.  Since you are going to use another programme (vocaroo) with your own voice,you could use the artificial one.  Mind you (=attenzione), the voice is “metallic” so if you do not like the effect, go for your voice.  You need to speak slowly, though (= tuttavia), but not too slowly.  Write down what you want to say and then rehearse it a few times before you create your own avatar.  Perhaps you will have to record it more than once before you are satisfied with it.  I had to do it more than once.  You should know it by now, I never ask you to do something, without me setting an example frist.  So here is my avatar, giving you the instructions for the activity you have to do.

The following is the transcript of what I am going to say through my avatar, just in case.  There may be some of you who may have some difficulties in understanding the “fake me”! 😉

Who are you?
How old are you?
Where are you from? (if you come from a different country from Italy, state it and then say that you live in Italy).
Say why you chose this avatar (does it look like you? What are the main differences? If there are any) and the background (=sfondo).  How do the avatar and the background mirror (=rispecchiano) who you are?
How many of you are there in your family? (Remember that in English you say “There are — people in my family”)
Who do you get on well with? Why?
Who do you often argue with? Why?


What are your hobbies? What are you good at? What are you not so good at? What would you like to take up (= start doing) in the future? Why?
What are your hopes for the future? What would you like to become? Why? (here try to avoid banal answers, such as “I want to become a doctor because I like medicine”)

Now use vocaroo http://vocaroo.com  and record your own voice.
Here I would like you to tell me

why you decided to study foreign languages,

why you think it important to know more than one foreign language,

what you like and do not like about the English language,

what you find easy and what you find difficult,

how well you want to learn it (what is your ideal target: e.g. reading a novel in English, writing a poem in English, interacting with mother tongue speakers, travelling, studying abroad or overseas, etc.). 

Then say

what would you like your English teacher to do in class with you.  More specifically

What do you like about our English classes? What don’t you like? Are you happy with what you are doing in your English classes? Why? Why not?

Here is my vocaroo about you!


Record and upload audio >>

My first form class is quite large and the very first day I met them I wondered “Will I manage such a large class?  They are young, noisy and not all of them seem to be motivated.”  Then, after a few weeks I got to appreciate them all.  I think thet are all special in their own individual way.  Some of them are chatter-boxes, it is almost impossible to make them stop wagging their chins.  Others are shy and I need to struggle to make them talk, a sort of language wrestling.  Well, they are a special class and I really hope I will be able to pass to them the burning passion I have for the English language.  Good luck guys and try to do your best.

Vocabulary Bank
This may help you to express your likes and dislikes (synonyms and antonyms):

I like/prefer/fancy/ feel disposed to/have a preference for/am inclined toward/am fond of/keen on

I dislike/ can’t stand/take a dislike to/have an aversion to/avoid/shrink from/turn up the nose at/make a wry face/make a grimace/loathe/dread/hate/mind/object to/withdraw from

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