The Environmental Planning

The Environmental Planning Committee is organising a campaign to make our town more "green". You are invited to submit a proposal related to your neighbourhood. Present some factual information about the area, pointing any relevant environmental issues, and suggest practical measures which individuals and families could take to make the neighbourhood more green.

Write your proposal in 220-260 words.

The Environmental Planning

Introduction
The objective of this proposal is to advocate for alternative ways in which our town can battle pollution and become more “green”.

Save and turn off
“Save and turn off” strategy and way of thinking is not the way of progress and prosperity. It is the way of keeping the status quo.  Fossil fuel consumption that is endangering public health and the environment is a result of series of remarkable inventions and discoveries. Hence the sustainable environmental friendly future without fossil fuels is only possible through innovation and investment in other forms of energy.

Food
Processed food is bad for our health. Even more, production, processing, transportation and storage of processed food has a huge impact on our environment. Individuals and families would buy the local produce, eat fresh food and stop eating processed food if this kind of food was affordable for average income families.

Cars
The area around Inner city lakes here in Copenhagen is widely used for recreational purposes. Huge amount of particles emitted by petrol cars are to blame for at residing in this area for longer periods of time poses as a health risk for individuals. In my opinion, the government should invest in Danish carpark and subsidize for cars, lowering the taxes that keep people from buying newer more environmental friendly cars or electric cars such as Tesla model S.

Natural energy
Affordable solar cell equipment is reserved for house owners. Despite the gray cloudy weather, home owners have been for years able to produce surplus electricity that is led back to the electric net. Solar cell panels on city roofs, balconies and even windows should be a common place in this time and age.

Conclusion
It is up to us to shape the future and contribute to the world we live in. The environmental friendly future is unquestionable the right way to go. Individuals and families are ready to contribute if the means and ways were there to meet.

Teacher's comments:
Persvasive arguments. Excellent vocabulary. Just a few errors. Mostly commas and incorrect word choice. Good job!

Teacher's corrections:

(The) Environmental Planning

Introduction
The objective of this proposal is to advocate (for) alternative ways in which our town can battle pollution and become more “green”.  A good beginning

Save and turn off
The “Save and turn off” strategy and way of thinking is not the way of to progress and prosperity. It is the way of keeping the status quo.  Fossil fuel consumption that which is endangering public health and the environment, is a result of a series of remarkable inventions and discoveries. Hence, the a sustainable environmentally friendly future without fossil fuels is only possible through innovation and investment in other forms of energy. Agreed

Food
Processed food is bad for our health. Even more, production, processing, transportation and storage of processed food has a huge impact on our environment. Individuals and families would should buy (the) local produce, eat fresh food and stop eating processed food - if this kind of food was affordable for average income families. True

Cars
The area around the Inner City lakes here in Copenhagen is widely used for recreational purposes. Huge amount of particles emitted by petrol cars are to blame for the fact that at residing in this area for longer periods of time poses as a health risk for individuals. In my opinion, the government should invest in Danish carparks and subsidize for cars, lowering the taxes that keep people from buying newer, more environmental friendly cars or electric cars, such as, the Tesla model S.

Natural energy
Affordable solar-cell equipment is reserved for house owners. Despite the gray cloudy weather, home owners have been, for years, able to produce surplus  (Good!) electricity that is led back to the electric net. Solar cell panels on city roofs, balconies, and even windows should be a common place in this time day and age.

Conclusion
It is up to us to shape the future, and contribute to the world we live in. The environmentally friendly future is unquestionably the right way to go. Individuals and families are ready to contribute if the means and ways were there to meet be taken advantage of.

Technological Progress

Technological progress makes us live faster, but it also means we have less time for the important things in life, such as relationships.

Some areas to cover:
- entertainment
- working life
- health

Write an essay on the proposition above. Discuss two of the areas in your notes, expressing your own opinion and giving reasons to support them.

Technological Progress
Personal computers, mobile phones, and internet have changed the way we work. Online meetings, emails, and occasional phone calls made across the world and time zones are integral part of many people’s life. However, computers and internet have penetrated the daily life especially for people in professions that do not require use of technology. People working as social workers, teachers, and nurses are required to use time on documenting and archiving their work practices instead of helping and working with people.

On the other hand, technological progress has become a profession for many people. Investments in IT are staggering. To some extent, the technological progress is to blame for at large portion of healthy people spend most of their days sitting slightly bowed starring at the computer screen and typing. Furthermore, the boundaries for working overtime have shifted and it is no longer strange that people do a couple of hours of work in the evenings.

Many people engage in fitness and sports in order to compensate for the time they had spent being inactive. Health gadgets that track bodily functions together with social oriented websites and apps that track physical exercise, count burned calories, and promote competitive sports such as running and cycling are very popular. It seems like a requirement to document and archive their work has inadvertently impacted the way people perceive and value physical exercise.

At the end of the day, the time spent on work, physical activities, family, and friends is in many cases taking all the awaken hours of a day. Eight hours of deep uninterrupted sleep seems sometimes as a commodity many people cannot afford. In general, people live faster. People are constantly shifting between tasks, chores, home, and work. The time in between activities are used to communicate with people involved in work, friends or family.

In conclusion, the technological progress is here to stay for better and worse as an essential part of our lives.

Improving school facilities

The school principal has asked you to write a report for this committee on the current situation and to recommend how more students could be attracted to the school. Your report should address the following:

- what attracts foreigners to your town
- new teaching methods and facilities that could be offered
- how leisure facilities and opportunities for socialising could be improved

Write your report in 220-260 words.


The purpose of this report is twofold: to recommend improvements to teaching methods and ways to attract new students, and to indicate possible shortcomings regarding school facilities.

This school is a place of study where students can learn a language. The most obvious place to start is improving the school image, whether it is a website or a brochure. I would recommend branding the school and the language alongside with city of Copenhagen. Telling the story of the school and language as they go hand in hand with wonderful Copenhagen. Conveying the message of mastering the language and studying in one of the most livable cities in the world with the best opportunities, and good future job prospects.

In regard to new teaching methods, students would most definitely welcome new ways of doing homework. Finishing homework at home is highly recommended when studying a language. It is a good preparation for classes at school. Spending time doing homework is not a passion or a dream come true. However, homework can be done smarter. For example, learning a song or seeing a movie is still enlightening, although it is diametrically opposed to what students are used to do today.

Leisure facilities at school are located at the school entrance and could be mistaken for a waiting room for potential students and visitors. The students would probably use the facilities more, if the school used the space for social events instead of the gym. Furthermore, Wi-fi is not stable and constant issues with signal strength may discourage young people from using the area.

Teacher's comments:

Excellent vocabulary. Powerful use of language. Only a few grammatical errors. Well done!

Teacher's corrections:

The purpose of this report is twofold (Good!): to recommend improvements to teaching methods and ways to attract new students, and to indicate possible shortcomings regarding school facilities.

This school is a place of study where students can learn a language. The most obvious place to start is improving the school image, whether it is be a website or a brochure. I would recommend branding the school and the language alongside with city of Copenhagen. Telling the story of the school and language as they go hand in hand with wonderful Copenhagen. Conveying (Excellent!) the message of mastering the language and studying in one of the most livable cities in the world with the best opportunities(,) and good future job prospects.

In regard to new teaching methods, students would most definitely welcome new ways of doing homework. Finishing homework at home is highly recommended when studying a language. It is a good preparation for classes at school. Spending time doing homework is not a passion or a dream come true (True). However, homework can be done smarter. For example, learning a song or seeing a movie is still enlightening, although it is diametrically opposed to what students are used to doing today. (Agreed)

Leisure facilities at the school are located at the school's entrance, and could be mistaken for a waiting room (Yes!) for potential students and visitors. The Students would probably use the facilities more(,) if the school used the space for social events instead of the gym?. Furthermore, the Wi-fi is not stable, and constant issues with signal strength may discourage young people from using the area. (No doubt)

Australian Friend

An Australian friend of yours is attending a language course in your town next month. This is an extract from a letter that he/she has written to you.

Classes are on weekday mornings, so my afternoons and weekends are free. It would be great if you could suggest how I could spend my free time. Perhaps you can suggest a few indoor as well as outdoor activities? Don't forget, I'm not keen on sport!

Write a letter in reply to your friend.

Copenhagen is a great city to visit during springtime. The sun is shining and many people enjoy a stroll around the city or sip of coffee sitting outside a café wrapped in a warm blanket. Nyhavn, the city waterfront, is a must when in Copenhagen. Nyhavn with its colourful 17th-century houses and old ships is most definitely a place to visit when in Copenhagen.
I would also recommend visiting new exhibition about climate changes at Danish Architecture Centre.  If you are still in town in May, there is a Copenhagen beer festival at Carlsberg’s old brewery. The entrance is free of charge, and there is more than 800 beer types to choose from.

Teacher's comments:
Quite well written, Sonja, and I agree with you - Copenhagen is wonderful when the sun shines!

Teacher's corrections:
Copenhagen is a great city to visit during springtime. The sun is shining and many people enjoy a stroll around the city or sip of coffee sitting outside a café, wrapped in a warm blanket. Nyhavn, the city waterfront, is a must when in Copenhagen. Nyhavn with its colourful 17th-century houses and old ships is most definitely a place to visit when in Copenhagen. (repetition of idea)
I would also recommend visiting a new exhibition about climate changes at the Danish Architecture Centre.  If you are still in town in May, there is a Copenhagen beer festival at Carlsberg’s old brewery. The entrance It is free of charge, and there is are more than 800 beer types to choose from.

Report on Workplace Improvements

The international organisation where you work has a sum of money available for making improvements to the work environment in your office to make it more productive. You have been asked to write a report for your manager in which you
- outline the problems with your work environment
- summarise the improvements you and your colleagues suggested
- recommend two changes


Report on Workplace Improvements

Our job performance and well-being are undeniably influenced by our work environment. The aim of this report is to pinpoint the potential problems in our work environment and make recommendations for improvements.

Our office space is very light and modern with large windows and ergonomic office furniture. Entire right hand side of the office is a window with a stunning view of the city. The office makes a profound and powerful impression. It is an absolute pleasure to invite customers and partners.
Our work force is seldom at the office, and they don’t have their regular work spaces. On Fridays, when the office is full of people, the breathtaking view of the city can be a distraction for those that only can find the table at the very end, right next to the window. People with fear of heights find it difficult to concentrate, when sitting there. Some of our colleagues were complaining about the draft coming from the window, while few senior accountants feared to get the eye strain from the excessively bright light. When the sun goes down in evenings, the lights turn off every 15 minutes, if the sensor is not able to detect a movement.

I recommend to increase the office space by renting an empty room on our floor, so people that are afraid of heights have an alternative and don't end up sitting right at the window. I also recommend to contact a person responsible for daily operations in the building and ask for evening light interval increase to at least an hour.

Teacher's comments:
Excellent - concise and insightful. A few "ing" errors, nothing major.

Teacher's corrections:
Report on Workplace Improvements

Our job performance and well-being are undeniably influenced by our work environment. (True!) The aim of this report is to pinpoint the potential problems in our work environment and make recommendations for improvements. (A good introduction!)

Our office space is very light and modern with large windows and ergonomic office furniture. The entire right hand side of the office is a window with a stunning view of the city. The office makes a profound and powerful impression. It is an absolute pleasure to invite customers and partners.
Our work force is seldom at the office, and they don’t have (their) regular work spaces. On Fridays, when the office is full of people, the breathtaking view of the city can be a distraction for those that only can find the table at the very end, right next to the window. People with fear of heights find it difficult to concentrate, (no comma)when sitting there. Some of our colleagues were complaining  have complained about the draft coming from the window, while a few senior accountants have feared to getting the eye strain from the excessively bright light. When the sun goes down in the evenings, the lights, turn off every 15 minutes, if the sensor is not able to detect a movement. (which can be irritating!)

I recommend to increase increasing the office space by renting an empty room on our floor, so people that are afraid of heights have an alternative, and don't end up sitting right at the window (Good). I also recommend to contacting a person responsible for daily operations in the building and asking for evening light intervals increased to at least an hour.

Homework: English-language TV Programmes in Denmark

Homework: write a report on English-language TV programmes in your country. You must write between 220 and 260 words. In your report you should address the following:
- how popular these programmes are and why
- the effect they are having on local culture
- any changes you would recommend

English-language TV Programmes in Denmark

From New York in the 60’s alpha males in “Mad Men”, detective “Hercule Poirot”, countless sitcoms like “Friends”, “Two and a half men”, and “How I’ve met your mother”, to the Super Bowl  in American football, English-language programmes are well represented in Danish TV.

It is not uncommon to hear people using English words such as “nice, cool, hot, fuck, and super”. The word “fuck” is used to emphasize the meaning. It is not a word that mothers in Denmark have taught their children not to use. English words are used to express feelings so as to the English words are stronger and sound more genuine and important than the Danish counterparts.

Having said that, Danish people that like “Mad Men” feel that they have something in common with Swedish or French people that watch “Mad Men”. They use the same words such as “nice, cool…” Hence the English language and culture has become a dominant unifying force.

The older generation watches shows like “Hercule Poirot” and they don’t hear words such as “nice, cool, hot…” They may have trouble understanding younger generations.

The downside of the enormous influence that the TV shows like “Mad Men” have is that Danish and other languages are pushed to the side. Even bigger problem is that young people are brought up watching entertaining TV shows that are rather shallow and empty for meaningful content. I’m not worried though, the older generation have been watching shows like “Hercule Poirot” for years now and things go, after all, well in Denmark.

Teacher's comments:
Good job! Very insightful. Just a few errors. Well done!

Teacher's corrections:

From New York in the 60’s, alpha males in “Mad Men”, detective “Hercule Poirot”, countless sitcoms like “Friends”, “Two and a half men”, and “How I’ve met your mother”, to the Super Bowl  in American football, English-language programmes are well represented in Danish TV. (I agree!)

It is not uncommon to hear people using English words such as “nice, cool, hot, fuck, and super”. The word “fuck” is used to emphasize the meaning. It is not a word that mothers in Denmark have taught their children not to use. (Unfortunately) English words are used to express feelings so as to that the English words are stronger and sound more genuine and important than the their Danish counterparts.

Having said that, Danish people that like “Mad Men” feel that they have something in common with Swedish or French people that watch “Mad Men”. They use the same words such as “nice, cool…” Hence the English language and culture has become a dominant unifying force. (I agree!)

The older generation watches shows like “Hercule Poirot”, and they don’t hear words such as “nice, cool, hot…” They may have trouble understanding younger generations. (No doubt)

The downside of the enormous influence that the TV shows like “Mad Men” have is that Danish and other languages are pushed to the side. (true) An even bigger problem is that young people are brought up watching entertaining TV shows that are rather shallow (so true) and empty for  regarding meaningful content. I’m not worried though, the older generation have been watching shows like “Hercule Poirot” for years now and things are going, after all, quite well in Denmark.