Homework for Christmas

Dear All, 

although I've already told you in class, let me remind you here of what I expect you to do during the holidays:

- The listening exercise I posted below. (Attention to and study of vocabulary included, of course).

- The cloze text I gave you in a handout. (It's a text about shopping malls).

- The composition I asked you to write (letter of complaint), for which you have a model text in a handout and in your Student's Book (pp. 122-123). Remember to use the structure of the model text, appropriate opening and closing formulas, the right level of formality and politeness, and correct grammatical structures combining active and passive sentences.

- The Review for Units 1-4 (starting on p. 32). This will allow you to revise the vocabulary, grammar, and functional language we have studied so far.

- Speaking: you can practise alone (preparing a 3-minute presentation) or with somebody who speaks English at home (role-playing a conversation). Here are some possible topics:

1. For a presentation:
- Work (current situation - what people have to do - possible solutions to unemployment)
- Learning languages (why - how to do it best - personal experience)
- Gadgets / Technology (advantages and disadvantages of using them - personal experience)
- Social networks (people's use of themn noawadays - pros and cons of using them - personal experience)
- Health (things or situations that affect people's health - what you do to keep healthy - how important health is)
- Travel (how and how much people travel nowadays - positive things about travelling - personal experience)
- Saving energy (alternative energy sources - how much energy we use at home - ways we can save energy)

2. For conversation, talk about:

- Looking for an English course abroad
- a friend who's just been left by their partner
- a friend who's just been made redundant and needs to find another job
- how consumerism affects people's lives
- a friend who's decided to volunteer abroad
- how fashion and beauty standards affect women's (and men's) lives

- Reading the novel we set as reading material at the beginning of the course: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which we will comment on at the end of January.

I know it's quite a good amount of homework ;-) But this is Intermediate 2, and you'll have a Certificate exam by the end of the year...

Well, for now... Merry Christmas to you all!

Listening to the news

Dear All, 

this is listening comprehension homework for Christmas. Go to page 28 of your Student's Book and read the social issues listed in Exercise A. Then, click on this link and listen to the news twice. You have to match the pieces of news with one of the headings (social issues). There are five social issues you will not hear about. 

You can also do Exercises B and D on that page, and check the transcript of the news on page 167.

Under the Waterfall

This weekend's song is... 
James' "Under the Waterfall"

Enjoy!

Dear Mo. & Wed. Class,

I'm sorry I forgot to assign some homework for next Monday. I meant to ask you to read the text on page 30 and do exercises A and C on that page.

Have a nice weekend!

Mandela Day

This weekend's song is not one under the label "Song meanings" but one I'm posting just as a tribute to the great fighter Nelson Mandela was. Not all the politicians are the same...

Harlots, Housewives and Heroines

Dear All, 
a colleague sent me a link to a BBC series that looks wonderful. If you like history, or you're simply interested in the history of women, you can watch 12-minute episodes like the one below (the first one in the series)



I haven't had time to exploit the video with questions, but I will at some point in the near future ;-)
Thanks, José María!

Cultural Day

Dear All,

next Monday 9th December, we'll hold a cultural day in our school. You can check the programme here. As we have traditionally done, there will be a cooking contest and, as students of English, you may participate by making a dish which is typical from one of the countries where English is spoken. There are two categories: sweet and savoury. You can find the rules of the cooking contest here.

Now, what dish are you thinking of cooking? Need any ideas? Maybe these links can help ;-)

Scottish recipes
Welsh recipes
English recipes
Canadian recipes
U.S. recipes
Australian recipes
New Zealand recipes
Indian recipes
Jamaican recipes
Nigerian recipes

And if you wish to be part of the contest jury, please sign up at the reception, where María is.