Tertiary Catalogue

Some of the most misused and misunderstood pieces of punctuation are also the smallest. This programme provides a practical review of two important punctuation marks - apostrophes and speech marks. We begin with the troublesome apostrophe - its origins, functions and the reasons why it remains a necessary part of the English language. The programme provides a detailed look at how to use apostrophes to indicate possession and to spell contractions. We also revise the proper use of quotation (or speech) marks, and examine some common errors in using these tricky punctuation marks in written expression. Show Less

Engrossed in solving a crossword puzzle, Bertram fails to notice when the evil Sir Professor Teacher kidnaps his loyal customer Polly. Forced to participate in a Deadly Spelling Bee to save her, Bertram has to rely on his knowledge of word patterns, acrostics, and word origins to solve the toughest of spelling challenges. Will Sir Professor Teacher finally fail Bertram – or will Polly’s helpful tips save him from total spelling humiliation? Show Less

Sir Professor Teacher has taken the Internet hostage and Bertram has to complete a series of complex spelling challenges to stop him from shutting it down. Along the way Bertram relies on helpful spelling rules for vowel pairs, suffixes, compound words and syllables. There are always exceptions to the rule though! Show Less

Do you find yourself getting all hot under the collar because of media bias? Well, Bertram Poppingstock knows exactly how you feel. Watch as he wages a one man war against biased reporting in print and electronic media, explaining to us mere mortals the ins and outs of persuasive media spin. Topics covered include rhetorical techniques and the use of evidence to manipulate a target audience. Show Less

This video equips students with strategic skills to analyse and easily spot fake news. It explores how to perform a visual check of an app or website, conduct reverse image searches and look for unusual domain extensions or misspelled words and poor grammar to verify whether news is real of fake. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

This engaging video tests what students have learned from the ‘Fake News’ series by checking their ability to distinguish real news from fake news. It includes ‘news’ such as clickbait from ELLE magazine, Russia releasing lions into the streets and the use of misleading images by news outlets. An essential resource for consolidating the knowledge about digital literacy that secondary students have gained from the rest of the series. Show Less

Many people have problems using punctuation marks correctly. Recent technological developments such as email, text messages and online instant messaging have required many English expressions to be simplified and shortened, prompting many people to question whether we still need punctuation at all. In this programme, we explore the reasons for the continuing importance of learning to master punctuation. We provide some straightforward revision of the five most commonly-used punctuation marks: capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks and commas. Join us for an interesting look at how punctuation rules enable us to make ourselves understood more clearly. Show Less

Punctuation is something many people have trouble getting their heads around. This programme provides a comprehensive guide to proper punctuation. We examine some common punctuation errors and pitfalls, and explain how to improve our written expression. We'll look in detail at the functions of colons, semicolons, dashes, parentheses and ellipses. These punctuation marks are often avoided in everyday writing, due to confusion about their features and functions. In this programme we offer some simple rules to optimise the use of these punctuation marks, and demonstrate that effective punctuation needn't be complicated. Show Less

This engaging clip provides clear and precise instructions to students who wish to develop fluency and neatness in their handwriting. A difficult skill to master, handwriting requires practice of simple, repeatable exercises such as those presented in this program. Left-handed writing is also addressed, with useful tips accompanied by graphic demonstrations. Show Less

This video examines common ways of creating fake news, such as maintaining a website that hosts misleading articles and using social media accounts and chatbots to increase traffic. It also explores the common reasons Fake News is generated and demonstrates how deliberate design and language choices can be used to trick and confuse people. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

When Bertram’s nemesis Sir Professor Teacher plants a bomb in the school’s boiler system, it’s up to Bertram and his favourite customer Polly to use their knowledge of vocabulary and reading strategies in order to make sense of a partly burned instruction manual. Knowing about synonyms, morphemes, word families and context has never been more important! Show Less

Bertram is invited to his former school to make a speech about improving vocabulary when writing. But when his most loyal customer Polly and his robot sidekick Vocab-Bot find him in a trance induced by the diabolical Sir Professor Teacher, they have to follow the strategies in Bertram’s speech to break the spell. Will the effects of vocabulary choices on writing style, specificity and purpose be enough to reboot his mind? Show Less

Our impulsive, feisty 13 year old, Pip, has convinced the fast food loving principal that the canteen food could do with a face lift. Pip must now write an information report on nutrition, together with a case study of a terrific school canteen. In order to learn how to write an information report, Pip volunteers for a day of work experience at a local newspaper. Through an engaging story, this Australian-made, curriculum fit programme explores how to report accurate written information, including identifying and avoiding personal bias, avoiding excessive use of technical language, and using a range of reliable sources to gather information. Show Less

When Izzy struggles to organise all of her great ideas for her school's 'grammar battle' about whether cats or dogs are better, Elmore enthusiastically offers helpful tips on how to construct effective sentences. Understanding various clause structures just might be the missing ingredient to Izzy's successful presentation. Show Less

Izzy and Elmore are both preparing speeches they have to give at upcoming conventions. It’s a perfect opportunity for Elmore to help Izzy improve her presentation by employing techniques for academic and technical writing. Abstraction, jargon, nominalisation and more sophisticated clause structures are introduced within the context of Izzy's unique speech about her favourite pet: cats. Show Less

Elmore is trying to construct the perfect movie trailer and Izzy wants to win an upcoming school debate. The secret to success might just lie in their abilities to use high modality language and nominalisation to improve the persuasiveness and strength of their presentations. Understanding when and how to use decisive language is an important skill for all students of English to learn. Show Less

The advantage and benefits of effective communication skills in general are highlighted as a foundation on which to build confidence in Oral Presentation. Proper breathing, posture and concentration skills are demonstrated. The importance of topic knowledge is stressed and tips and tricks from professionals are introduced. Show Less

This video explores basic grammar questions for learners: When should you use a comma? How do you use quotation marks in your writing to show someone else is speaking? And what on earth is the difference between a colon and a semi-colon, anyway?! Many learners from secondary school age up to adult struggle with these basic grammar concepts. Gil T. Mann shares the same frustrations as he fumbles his way through his written defence statement in court. Will he be able to correctly punctuate his innocence? Show Less

The incorrect use of capital letters can be confusing. Moreover, it can, in certain situations, result in perhaps the most insulting kind of punctuation error known to literate society. This programme explains when and where to use capital letters in a way that is both clear and comprehensive. Show Less

The correct use of italics can be very important. For example, if you were writing about Othello, you would have to be careful to italicise the name of the play whenever you meant the play and not the character of the same name. This video presents the conventions pertinent to the use of italics in a way that is both clear and comprehensive. Show Less

One of the trickiest aspects of good punctuation is knowing when to write "2nd" and when to write "second"- or when to write "60" and when to write "sixty". This video will help students make better choices when they come to represent numbers in their texts. Show Less

This video explores the basic concept of sentence structure. Gil T. Mann is very close to learning the result of his court trial. The sentence structures contained in his written statement will determine whether he is found guilty, or just plain Gil T. Learners from secondary school age up to adulthood will benefit from this humorous exploration of simple, complex, and run-on sentences, and the value of the humble conjunction. Show Less

Bertram’s video blog about spelling for humour and characterisation doesn’t seem very popular – until one of his fans invites him to do a stand-up comedy routine! But when Bertram goes missing, his friends Polly and Vocab-bot must follow his trail of spelling corrections around the city to find him. Can oxymoron, malapropism and eye dialect really lead them to Bertram – and why can’t Vocab-Bot stop laughing? Show Less