LAST POSTS

30 Jan 2012

Planets; "Imagine", by John Lennon

Good morning everyone!

Last Monday we started with an activity called: "Are you telling the truth'?" You worked in pairs and we learnt interesting vocabulary like: Oh, you're lying! You're not telling the truth, are you?  Some of your stories were really good, and we discovered we had some celebrities in class!

After that, we corrected the photocopy about will and be going to and we learnt the pronunciation of the contracted form 'll. Also, remember the difference between want () and won't (əʊ)

Finally, we listened to the song "Imagine", by John Lennon. Here you have the original version:





Read more...

Listening to English at home: SONGS

Hi there!

I take advantage of this post to tell you about a very useful link with songs in English: www.subingles.com. Here you can listen to plenty of songs with the lyrics in front of you!

You have different songs classified according to their level of difficulty (you'll see that the website is extremely updated):



When you click on a song, it starts playing and the website also suggests other subtitled songs by the same band. You also have the possibility of listening to songs with online activities.


So this is yet another possibility to listen to English outside the classroom! :)
Read more...

"Invictus"; Events and celebrations

Good morning everyone!

Last week we continued with your oral presentations, which were incredibly well-prepared and enjoyable to listen to. Thank you once again for your hard work.

In Avanzado 1 A Luisa talked about South Africa, and I couldn't help but think about the 2009 film Invictus, which relates South Africa's story in the last days of the Apartheid, with Nelson Mandela becoming its president after gaining freedom from prison. Soon afterwards, the 1995 Rugby World Cup took place, and South Africa won, erecting itself as a new and strong nation where blacks and whites could life together.

It was just a sports competition, but it became a symbol meaning that South Africa was once again back in the world, and that difficulties, obstacles and injustice can be surmounted.

I watched the film not long ago, and I looked for information on the Internet to see how much of it was true. I was amazed to see how faithful it was to reality. I post a video below, which is 100% represented in the film. It might not mean much to you now, but if you watch the film, it will certainly send shivers down your spine:





Read more...

23 Jan 2012

The best job in the world; modals in the past

Hello everyone!

On Tuesday we talked about ideal jobs and we practised the vocabulary on page 44. After that, we watched a Sky News video about what some people called "the best job in the world" (I'm afraid you can listen up to second 56; there's no sound afterwards).





Read more...

17 Jan 2012

A piece of news: bungee cord snaps

Good afternoon, everyone

I've been having a look at the news today, and I've found one you were commenting on in class last Thursday. We talked about bungee jumping, and someone mentioned the case of a girl whose rope had broken. Click here for the report and video from BBC news.

Read more...

14 Jan 2012

Listening to English at home: PODCASTS

Hello again,

As promised, here I post some information about podcasts!

In case you have never heard of podcasts, it's a digital media which consists of an episodic series of files (audio or video) to which you can subscribe. This means that every time there is a new podcast, they will tell you. Normally they last between 2 and 10 minutes, although there are some which are longer.

The best way to find podcasts is using the programme iTunes, which you can download from the Apple Store (it is compatible with both Windows and Mac). Once you install it in your computer, open it and on the left side you'll find something similar to this:


Click on iTunes store, and then select the option "podcast". You'll find a screen similar to this:


There you have a very complete list of podcasts you can choose from. If you already know what you are looking for, you can search according to category, choose if you want video or audio podcast, look for a specific one, etc.

When you find a podcast you like, click on it and then on "subscribe/subscribirse". Everytime there is a new one, it will automatically download to your iTunes.

To listen to your podcasts, simply click on Library --> Podcasts (left column). You can also copy the podcasts to your iPod, MP3 player, a CD, etc.


Try it: you'll see that it's not difficult at all, and it's incredibly, incredibly helpful. Besides, you can learn English while listening to something of your interest!

What else can you ask for? :)

If you want some recommendations, check What podcasts can I listen to?
Read more...

The Simpsons (original)

Hi there everybody!!

I hope your weekend is off to a good start!! (= I hope your weekend has started well)

On Monday we had our first class after the Christmas holidays and we did a speaking activity in groups. You had to ask your partners about:

  • The best people last Christmas
  • The best place last Christmas
  • The best moment last Christmas

After that we asked if it was important to be with the family at Christmas and we watched a video about new technologies and communication at home. The BBC programme "Panorama" did an experiment at a Primary School in Manchester: they took away the telly (TV), video games, mobile phones, etc. and analysed the children's and parents' reactions. Very interesting!!


Read more...

New Year Resolutions; 50 things to do before you die

Hi there!

I hope your weekend is off to a good start! :)

On Tuesday we had our first day after the Christmas holidays and you told me a bit about what you had done. After that, we talked about New Year's Resolutions and how long people normally stick to them. Let's see how you manage this year! :)

Below I post the photocopies we worked with. Make sure you revise the expressions on the last page!
New Year's Resolutions


After that, we watched a video from the BBC entitled: "50 things to do before you die". I haven't been able to find the exact same video online, but I have found the clip corresponding to the NUMBER 1 thing to do: swimming with dolphins. Check it out below (you'll see that what we saw in class was only a summary of the entire video!).



On Thursday we had one hour with Leah and you worked on The Thirty-Nine Steps. You revised the most difficult vocabulary playing "taboo", and Advanced Level 1 A also revised the main characters and events in the story. Remember we have the test next Tuesday 17th January. You won't have any problem in passing if you have read it conscienciously.

Finally, we corrected the text on pages 43 and 44 and together as a class we revised the grammar/vocabulary part of the December written exam. Remember that an exercise of that sort is what you'll also find in the exams in March and June.

And that's all for now!

Have a nice weekend and see you on Tuesday!
Read more...