cristischool

The Joy of Books

2012-02-01T12:36:00.001+01:00

What kind of reader are you?

Readers read for a variety of reasons and every reader has his own individual style of reading. There are efficient readers who read efficiently and with great speed and then there are inefficient readers who read too slowly. According to J.A. O'Brien, an expert in the field of reading instruction, there are essentially three types of readers. In this article, we will identify different kind of readers.

Motor Readers- Motor readers are lip movers or vocalizers. Such readers are extremely slow readers as they accompany their reading with various movements of the muscles of articulation. As a result, their speed of reading slows down because they artificially keep their speed down to the rate at which they can pronounce words. Moreover, since there is so much muscular activity involved in their reading, motor readers tire quickly. Motor readers make frequent regressions, for their eyes tend to rush ahead and their voice stays behind. These readers often take the help of their finger to keep a track of their reading and to stay where on the word where there voice is. All this leads to poor comprehension for their mind is as much involved with the mechanics of reading as it is with ideas.

Auditory Readers- Auditory readers "hear" the words they read, but they do not sub-vocalize to themselves. They are very much aware of saying words in their mind, although their speech organs are completely at rest. This means, that they do not actually pronounce each word aloud but only imagine the pronunciation. Auditory readers are much more skillful and rapid. Auditory reading is faster than motor reading.

Visual Readers- Visual reading is the fastest. Visual readers do not "hear" what they are reading. They simply see a word and understand its meaning. Visual readers understand words and phrases without saying and hearing them. They read with their eyes and mind, not with their mouths or ears.

(Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com)

All about Time

2012-01-27T10:20:00.007+01:00

Here's the pop moment of the day: a good one to sing along and try to get all the syllables in!

Puts me in a very good mood, so I hope you like it, too ;-)

Down the street and through the halls

Corridors and shopping malls
We're moving to an inner beat
Heart disconnected from our feet
I'm moving to a song that drives me on
My heart beats strong
My heart beats wrong
We're zombies in the shopping mall
Laden down with spoils of war
Wearing all the clothes we stole
Adding skin to break our fall
Dragging cases full of junk
We pilgrims stagger to the dump
The lemmings' call
Take it easy take it easy
The stars the sky
The sun and moon and tides
Descending to the underground
Crowded out by subway sounds
Buried heads in headline frowns
Even the children look ground down
By taxes adverts terrorists
Compassion crawls money fists
I need a full-time therapist
So I can hang onto my bliss
God give me something I can do
To help me rise above the zoo
Make me famous make me rich
Distract me from this burning itch
While starving homeless orphans fight
While I can waste a day online
Shopping for a butter knife
Take it easy, take it easy
The stars, the sky
The sun and moon and tides
Johnny's on the phone, Johnny's online
Johnny's in love, everything's aligned
Johnny thinks it all about fate
But it's all about time
Johnny's on the phone, Johnny's online
Johnny's in love, everything's aligned
Johnny's in an altered state
Guess's it's all about time
There's memory buried in the stone
A new King sits upon the throne
This fool is self-deceiving
Won't give up the world he's bleeding
Our Cities are all history full
The fall of feet on cobbled streets
The fossil records show
All that remains is in the bones
Johnny's on the phone, Johnny's online
Johnny's in love, everything's alive
Johnny thinks it's all about faith
But it's all about time
Johnny's on the phone, Johnny's online
Johnny's in love, everything's alive
Johnny's in an altered state
Cos it's all about time
Roller blader full of grace
Pirouette then flat on your face
I never thought that falling down
Was so beautiful

Another performance by Compañía Luna

2012-01-26T16:42:00.001+01:00

Check it out here!

What Love and Punctuation Are All About

2012-01-23T12:11:00.003+01:00

Look how important punctuation can be in the following email, which John received one day from his new girlfriend. Consider how pleased he must have felt to read this note from Jane:

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?

Jane

Unfortunately, John was far from pleased. In fact, he was heartbroken. You see, John was familiar with Jane's peculiar ways of misusing punctuation marks. And so to decipher the true meaning of her email, he had to re-read it with the marks altered:

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,

Jane

A couple of good articles

2012-01-22T22:44:00.005+01:00

Hi there!

Here's a couple of good articles from two of your classmates. They can be good examples of what you're expected to do when you write a good composition.

Congratulations, Gloria and Sara!

-----

Changing role

The role of women and men has changed enormously over the last 30 years. It seems that women have reached the same rights as men, but, can this situation turn over?

Thirty years ago the female world was especially the home; most women devoted their lives to taking care of children and to doing housework. Many women gave up their studies or resigned from their jobs when they got married in order to become wives and mothers. Besides, the Catholic moral had an enormous influence on the behaviour and the relationships between people. There were some strict rules of behaviour and social conventions which used to prevail over individual freedom. Moreover, until the eighties, Spanish women were considered like second-class people. For example, they needed their paternal or husband’s permission to get an account in a bank or to get a passport. But this situation started to change when democracy arrived.

In the last decades, women have changed a great deal. They have gradually become owners of their lives. The effort and the fight of many women together with social and economic changes and loss of power of the Catholic Church have led to Women´s Liberation. Nowdays, the number of female students at University exceed the number of male students even, in studies considered traditionally men’s, such as Medicine or Architecture. At the same time, women have reached a relevant place in public life.

However, some factors such as the economic crisis and immigration, are making conservative stances appear, which could lead to a backward movement, so we should be on the alert.

(Gloria Gómez)

-----

RECOGNITION OR REQUIREMENT

There is no doubt that the role of women in our society has suffered a spectacular change in the last 30 years, but did this revolution take place as recognition of their worth or simply as a requirement of labour?

As recently as the 1960s in Spain there were some posts women were not allowed to apply for, such as those of judge, state lawyer or notary. There were more appropriate jobs for a decent woman like being a teacher, working in a kindergarten or in a residential home for the elderly in case she wanted a pastime out of her obligations as housewife, provided her husband had given his permission, since marital consent was required for any legal and economic matter until 1976. But we don’t have to go back so far to find that in an Engineering School there were only washrooms for male students.

Fortunately enough, all this is a thing of the past. Today men and women have the same opportunities to do a degree or to sit a competitive examination. More and more women hold an important position in companies or in the government.

Do these changes mean the recognition of women’s worth? To be honest, I think the entry of women into the labour market was only because of the need of manpower to create wealth in society. Day by day they have had to win everyone’s respect working very hard. In fact, there are still a lot of barriers to overcome.

(Sara García)

Advanced Level Topics

2012-01-19T11:22:00.003+01:00

Here's a list of general topics to be studied at your level (and in Advanced 2). They’re in Spanish because they’ve been taken out of the official Curriculum for EOIs. Together with the topics you also have a series of linguistic functions you should be able to perform when you speak or write about these topics.

Ask your class representative about how you're going to get organised for the preparation of these topics

The four ways sound affects us

2012-01-17T12:36:00.006+01:00

As a follow-up to the listening comprehension exercises we did yesterday in class, here's a video that you can watch with subtitles in English where Julian Treasure explains the four ways in which sound affects us.

Very short stories

2011-12-26T11:26:00.003+01:00

Dear All,

Here's the stories I promised to post in case you want to read them during the holidays. They're very short, and different in nature - some funny, some sad...

Page 1

Page 2

They're from the collection True Tales of American Life, edited by the US writer Paul Auster, and written by radio listeners who contributed their own stories to an NPR program. Auster wanted "stories that defied our expectations about the world, anecdotes that revealed the mysterious and unknowable forces at work in our lives, in our family histories, in our minds and bodies, in our souls, true stories that sounded like fiction".

Hope you want to read more of them after these four!

Key to Revise & Check Exercises, Unit 2, p. 35

2011-12-26T10:31:00.002+01:00

Grammar

Ex. A

1. I used to have / had; 2. The boss appears to have; 3. Did you really use to wear; 4. correct; 5. I need to get my passport renewed; 6. correct; 7. correct; 8. correct; 9. Could you get your brother to have a look; 10. she was wearing trousers.

Ex. B

1. (that) I had made a big mistake; 2. seems to have; 3. you get the tap fixed; 4. is expected to resign; 5. According to the Daily Mail; 6. it will get broken; 7. There are said to be; 8. They don't usually get to the airport; 9. the dog had been sleeping on my bed all night.

Vocabulary

Ex. A

1. friendship; 2. Freedom; 3. neighbourhood; 4. fear; 5. shame; 6. poverty.

Ex. B.

1. take; 2. spare; 3. get; 4. cope; 5. left; 6. know.

Ex. C

1. lost; 2. pushed; 3. life; 4. nerves; 5. message; 6. way; 7. out.

Ex. D

1. by; 2. at; 3. before; 4. off; 5. down; 6. away; 7. out; 8. over.

Merry Xmas and Happy 2012!

2011-12-23T21:35:00.004+01:00

Happy Public Schooling

And my traditional Xmas greetings:

Revising vocab related to work

2011-12-16T11:40:00.004+01:00

Listen to this news story and complete the following sentences:

Lauren Frayer reports on how Spaniards manage to ___(1)___ with low pay and no benefits.

The definition of "mileuristas" is that of workers on ___(2)___ that pay a thousand euros a month.

According to David Horcajada, five years ago, "mileuristas" were ___(3)___.

Esther Sanz, a certified teacher can't find ___(4)___.

The ___(5)___ for young people is 46%.

30% of workers have no ___(6)___.

___(7)___ 1,000 euros there's no way you can have your own apartment.

It was easy, eh? The answers are in the comments. ;-)

Breath-taking photographs

2011-12-15T14:31:00.003+01:00

Hi there!

A colleague of mine just recommended this book by the photographer Linde Waidhofer. The pictures are just breath-taking, but as a reading exercise, you can also download the book (it's free) and read the texts in English during the holidays.

Enjoy!

Key to "Distancing" exercises (p. 140 Student's Book)

2011-12-12T12:23:00.002+01:00

1. seems / appears; 2. would; 3. seems / appears; 4. said / supposed; 5. According; 6. seems to / appears to; 7. There; 8. to; 9. that.

1. appear / seem that people who work night shifts die younger; 2. have escaped to France; 3. expected to make a statement this afternoon; 4. has been announced (by the company) that the new drug will go on sale shortly; 5. are believed to be responsible for the rise in life-expentancy; 6. to the manual, you have to charge the phone for at least 12 hours; 7. appears to be intending to lower interest rates; 8. has been suggested that the painting is fake; 9. seem / appear to be more cyclists than there used to be.

"You guys"

2011-12-01T10:21:00.003+01:00

Hi there!

Francisco (17:30 group) sent me this video and commented he was surprised by the informality of the speech. The speaker refers to the members of the European Parliament as "you guys".

The speaker is definitely outspoken, even looking for direct confrontation, but the register of his speech can still be considered, in general, a formal one. The use of "you guys" is informal but not to the point I think Francisco or you guys might think it is: when the speaker (or your teacher) says "you guys" they're not calling you "tíos/tías" ;-) "You guys" is only a plural form of "you".

Thank you very much, Francisco, for drawing our attention to this video and to this aspect of English grammar!

Here's a more comprehensive explanation from Wikipedia:

New plural forms

Because you is both singular and plural, various English dialects have attempted to revive the distinction between a singular and plural you to avoid confusion between the two uses. This is typically done by adding a new plural form; examples of new plurals sometimes seen and heard are y'all, or you-all (primarily in the southern United States and African American Vernacular English), you guys (in the U.S., particularly in Midwest, Northeast, and West Coast, in Canada, and in Australia; regardless of the genders of those referred to), you lot (in the UK), youse (in Scotland, the north east of England and New Zealand), yous (in Liverpool and some parts of Ireland), youse guys (in the U.S., particularly in New York City region, Philadelphia, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and rural Canada; also spelt without the E), and you-uns/yinz (Western Pennsylvania, The Appalachians). English spoken in Ireland, known as Hiberno-English, sometimes uses the word ye as the plural form, or yous (also used in Australia, however not the form ye). Although these plurals are useful in daily speech, they are generally not found in Standard English. Among them, you guys is considered most neutral in the U.S. It is the most common plural form of you in the U.S. except in the dialects with y'all, and has been used even in the White House.

Gravel

2011-11-30T15:53:00.007+01:00

Hiya! As announced in class yesterday, next week you'll have to read a story by the Canadian writer Alice Munro. You can find it here or ask your student representative for a hard copy.
Here's a glossary you can check so that you don't have to look up many words in the dictionary
A good idea is to number the pages and the lines (every 5 lines) so that the discussion is easier when we have it in class (on Tuesday 13 December).

Hope you enjoy the story!

Here are a couple of audio files containing two stories from Munro's last collection, Too Much Happiness, in case you want to listen to them during the holidays. We have a copy of the collection in our Multimedia Room ;-)

Free Radicals

Some Women

Learning Styles

2011-11-28T19:41:00.002+01:00

Hi there!

My colleague Carlos suggested this link for students to learn about their learning styles. The questionnaire can help you to find out the best ways to learn, so give it a try!

Working towards fluency

2011-11-25T10:48:00.005+01:00

Here’s the kind of exercise we did in class yesterday, which you have to do again on your own in order to improve your fluency:

Think about your earliest memory and distribute the information according to the following outline:

1 – When and where the event took place

2 – What happened

3 – How you felt then / feel now that you remember it

You may take notes and look up vocabulary to build up a beautiful account. You can even write the whole thing down, although you shouldn’t read it when you tell it.

Practise your mini-presentation with a timer in hand. It should be at least two minutes long.

Rehearse a second time, telling the same things as the first time. But now set a time limit of 1m 30s.

Produce your mini-presentation a third time, limiting it now to 1 minute only.

If you record the whole exercise you’ll see that the third time you do it, the words run together, there are fewer hesitations, and that you have even corrected yourself as regards grammar, pronunciation, and so on.

Be prepared to present your earliest memory to the rest of the class on Tuesday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:28:00.000+01:00

Election 2011

2011-11-22T11:40:00.005+01:00

Here's an article on the election held on Sunday. I have highlighted some vocabulary so that you do the following: read the article once and try to guess the meaning of words from the context. Make notes making up definitions for those words and expressions. On a second reading, check with a good dictionary and make sure the meanings you guessed are correct and write down the definitions or synonyms for the new words and expressions.

Decide which vocabulary you want to learn from the text, either because you liked the words or because you think they can be useful.

We'll comment on this exercise on Tuesday 29 November in class

Key to Revise and Check

2011-11-18T12:01:00.003+01:00

Student's Book, p. 19

Click on the image to enlarge it and if you still have questions, please ask them in our next class.

Have a great weekend!

Key to the work vocabulary exercise

2011-11-18T11:55:00.003+01:00

Photocopy given out in class:

1. charge of; 2. off; 3. a team; 4. prospects; 5. be / get promoted; 6. short-term; 7. employees; 8. staff; 9. training; 10. qualifications; 11. self-employed; 12. made redundant; 13. out of work; 14. voluntary / unpaid; 15. challenging; 16. repetitive; 17. career; 18. benefits / perks

Key to the "have" exercises

2011-11-18T11:47:00.003+01:00

Photocopy given out in class:

Exercise A)

2. I've been reading; 3. both; 4. to have escaped; 5. Don't you have; 6. already have; 7. I'll be having; 8. didn't have to; 9. have it dry cleaned; 10. both.

Exercise B)

2. I've been having / I've had; 3. has this been going on; 4. having my hair cut; 5. I've seen; 6. doesn't have / hasn't got; 7. Do you have / Have you got; 8. I have / I've got

Key to pronouns exercises

2011-11-18T11:42:00.003+01:00

Photocopy given out in class:

Exercise A)

2. It's; 3. themselves; 4. it's; 5. you; 6. you; 7. there's; 8. their; 9. themselves; 10. one another; 11. they; 12. there's

Exercise B)

2. there; 3. they; 4. one; 5. It; 6. you; 7. they; 8. yourself; 9. they; 10 you; 11. there; 12. it

If you still have questions, please ask them in our next class!

Why do we sometimes make simple things so complicated?

2011-11-18T11:33:00.000+01:00

The Prado Museum, online and in English!

2011-11-17T11:34:00.005+01:00

Inspired by the New English File activity we did in class the other day, I realized students can enjoy some of the Prado's masterpieces online and in English. You just have to go here, choose a work and click on "listen to the audioguide" to get the story of the painting in English. If you prefer to read, the option also exists.

Enjoy!

Listen

2011-11-17T11:24:00.001+01:00

Next written assignment

2011-11-16T09:35:00.003+01:00

As explained in class, your next written assignment is a letter of application. It's due on Tuesday, 22 November. All the instructions are in your book (p. 17).

Pantomime in English

2011-11-16T09:28:00.003+01:00

The Madrid Players are presenting a new pantomime for children. Maybe you want to take your children, nephews and/or nieces to the theatre!

Here's more info on the event.

Interview with Keith Jarrett

2011-11-15T09:28:00.007+01:00

Listen to this interview with pianist Keith Jarrett and relax... The speakers speak slow, the interview is accompanied by music, and the questions I'm posing below shouldn't be too difficult for you to answer, so this exercise is meant to make listening comprehension not a stressful but a relaxing experience ;-)

1. On April 9th 2011, Jarrett presented the album he had been working on for two years. True or false?

2. What factors does the pianist mention as guiding his compositions?

3. What does the pianist mean by having "an out-of-the-body experience"?

4. What's the disadvantage of playing solo, according to Jarrett?

5. The story Jarrett is telling in his last album is the story of his divorce. True or false?

6. Having played for so many years makes it easier for the pianist to perform in front of an audience. True or false?

7. According to Jarrett, it was the atmosphere in Rio that determined the success of his concert. True or false?

You can find the answers in the comments. If, after listening, you still need to check some words, here's the transcript

Theatre in English

2011-11-03T09:54:00.004+01:00

More info on the monologues here

If you want to come on Friday 11 at 9pm, let me know in class. We'll get reduced prices if we're a big group.

How I Got My Song

2011-11-02T10:46:00.005+01:00

Hi there!

The last Prince of Asturias Prize for Letters, as you may know, is Canadian poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen. Here's his speech at the award ceremony, which can be easily understood:

Further entertainment for Cohen fans here

And my favourite version of one of Cohen's songs (I think even Cohen admitted Buckley's cover was better than the original ;-)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:00:00.000+01:00

Hi there!

Here's a video on the history of Halloween. Listen and answer the questions below:

1. The history of Halloween starts with ...................... (a diverse group of tribal societies from Europe).

2. The end of the harvest season was celebrated on .................. (date)

3. Why was it a magical night?

4. On Samhain (pronounced /sauin/), people sat around .................

5. When did the church start to appropriate the pagan festivity?

6. Both the pagan and catholic festivities had to do with ...................

7. "hallow" means .......... or ..........

8. Who brought the holiday to the United States? When?

9. Some of their customs included bobbing for apples and "playing tricks on ...........

10. The young pranksters wore ........... not to be recognised.

11. In the 1930s the holiday became dangerous because of ..................

12. What is Halloween's holiday greeting?

(The answers are in the "comments")

Stress in the workplace

2011-10-29T20:11:00.005+02:00

Click here to listen to a 6-minute audio text dealing with stress in the workplace.

Which job do you think is more stressful? You'll find out at the end of the programme

- Airline pilot

- School teacher

- Surgeon

Phonetics practice - Consonant sounds

2011-10-28T12:29:00.001+02:00

Here's a web page where you can practise all the consonant sounds we have studied in class so far. Click on any consonant symbol to watch the video. Hope you do the exercises as well!

Key to the homework on discourse markers

2011-10-28T12:16:00.004+02:00

2. consequently; 3. so as not to; 4. in case; 5. though; 6. Although; 7. but; 8. As a result; 9. so that; 10. However; 11. Despite; 12. As; 13. so as to; 14. so that; 15. because of

And now, write your paragraph (on paper, not in the blog) about a challenging experience, using at least five of the discourse markers from the list. This is homework for 3 November.

Have a great weekend!

The Schwa

2011-10-28T11:18:00.000+02:00

Here's a video about the Schwa

English Irregular Verbs

2011-10-28T00:51:00.001+02:00

Revision: a list of irregular verbs with the pronunciation of the three forms. Voilá!

You have six links within that page to access a good number of irregular verbs. Remember that you have to revise them so as not to forget!

A more comprehensive explanation of the use of "they/their"

2011-10-27T11:53:00.004+02:00

Motivation

2011-10-23T14:16:00.003+02:00

Somebody mentioned Steve Jobs as an example of a successful person when we spoke about motivation in class the other day. Here's an interesting video you may want to watch. You can try without reading the Spanish subtitles.

Occupy World St.: From NYC to Everywhere

2011-10-19T11:23:00.006+02:00

Watch the video and answer the comprehension questions below. You can find the key to the answers here.

1. For what action were some protesters arrested in New York?

2. What is the relationship between governments and corporations, according to the female protester interviewed in NY?

3. In London, the police tried to disperse crowds. Why?

4. What is making protesters in London take action, what is galvanising them (stimulating them into action)?

5. What was the UE government’s reaction to the protesters intentions in Brussels?

6. Who are the protesters in Brussels?

7. The Madrid correspondent mentions several of the reasons for the protests in Madrid. Which are they?

8. What is the profile of the protesters, according to the correspondent in Madrid?

Bilingual Schools

2011-10-17T12:39:00.003+02:00

You may want to read this article on bilingual schools and write your opinion on the topic. You can do so in the comments below

Another performance by Luna Company

2011-10-15T10:06:00.001+02:00

Synopsis

Poster

What literature can do for us

2011-10-14T14:50:00.008+02:00

Watch the first four minutes of the video below and answer the questions. You can then check your answers here. After the exercise you may want to see the whole video (20 mins in total) without subtitles or with English or Spanish subtitles.

Comprehension Questions:

a) Elif Shafak was born and lived in Turkey during her childhood. True or false?

b) In what ways did she feel her family was different from other families?

c) Which are the two models of women the writer grew up with?

d) The writer’s grandmother’s practices to heal patients’ warts included: an apple, words, rose thorns and ________________

e) As a witness to her grandmother’s healing practices, the writer …

1. believed what she saw

2. questioned the power of the healing

3. thought her grandmother was crazy

f) What was the lesson the writer learnt from her grandmother?

g) According to an Eastern tradition, it’s not good to stare at one’s own reflection for too long. What many women do, then, is…

1. not to buy mirrors

2. to cover mirrors with velvet

3. to turn the mirrors upside down

h) One of the dangers of this globalized world is…

i) What is the power of story-telling, according to Elif Shafak?

Did you know that...? You can also do something for public education

2011-10-07T09:57:00.005+02:00

Something for all the citizens of Madrid

Something for students (or future students) of Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas

Now, if you want to react, print the last page of this document and take it to a registration office or to your teacher

Education Systems

2011-10-01T11:11:00.004+02:00

Minimum staffing levels

2011-09-20T09:15:00.002+02:00

Related News

2011-07-28T09:19:00.005+02:00

On private and state schools

Lucía Figar on education in Spain

Soy Pública (blog)

Educación Alerta (blog)

SOS Educación pública (blog)

Ante los recortes de la Consejería de Educación

2011-07-25T22:39:00.003+02:00

La Comunidad de Madrid debe retirar los recortes en educación pública

Actúa ahora

Tu nombre
Tu apellido
Tu correo-e
Cód. Postal
	Acepto las Norm. de Uso y Pol. de Priv.

New performance by Luna company

2011-06-03T08:28:00.004+02:00

Poster Las Manos

"Aulas Europeas"

2011-06-01T08:13:00.001+02:00

Grants for teachers to study English and French this summer

And another one called "What Teachers Make"

2011-05-20T17:57:00.000+02:00

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

A poem by Taylor Mali

2011-05-20T17:51:00.000+02:00

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Lamb Curry

2011-05-06T15:10:00.005+02:00

Here's the most famous Brit cook of all times. You can follow the recipe by watching the video and the lyrics. How many ingredients, cooking verbs and kitchen utensils can you hear / understand?

LAMB CURRY GIVE IT TO ME HOT!

Words & music by Leigh Haggerwood
Performed by Jamie Oliver
Back vocals by Haggerwood / Brannan

Get yourself a pan and get it hot,
Get your lovely lamb and slice it up,
Whop in with some mustard seeds, two teaspoons will do
Wait until they pop and they spit at you.

Then a teaspoon of Fenugreek is nice,
You need three hot chillies; red or green,
De-seed them and finely slice, give a stir once or twice,
Oh my god its so nice, so nice!

I’ve found this new revelation its called curry leaves,
Get yourself a handful and throw them in with ease,
Got my friend ginger just give him a peel,
Its so damn juicy, the flavour is unreal,

Skin three sweet onions and give them a chop,
I use the food processor saves time a lot.
Whack ‘em in, throw ‘em in,
Give it a shake; we start to make great curry, why ay ay ah.

CHORUS

Lamb Curry, you give it to me hot,
Ain’t no worries when you cook it from your heart,
Lamb Curry, you give it to me hot,
Ain’t no worries when you cook it from your heart.

Gonna give it to my brothers and sisters,
Gonna give it to the Mrs and the Mrs,
Gonna give it to my brothers and sisters,
Why ay a yeah.

Now back to the pan where all the action happens,
Just one teaspoon of chilli powder for a little extra passion,
One teaspoon of turmeric that lovely yellow stuff,
Using the same processor add six ripe tomatoes

Give ‘em a pulse to make some sauce, lovely lovely sauce
Now find a tin of coconut milk and open it up,
But mind your bloomin’ fingers they’re so easy to cut!
You can smell the sweet aroma as it hits your face,
With a good pinch of salt you should season to taste,

Throw ‘em in, whack it in,
Give it a shake, we start to make great curry,
Why ay ay ah.

CHORUS

Speaking practice

2011-05-03T09:25:00.005+02:00

Hi there!

Here's a good page where you can watch videos, record your voice, get a score for your performance and compare it to the native speakers'. I think you'll have to register at EFL Classroom 2.0, but it's worth the experience! It's free and you can do lots of practice!

2011-03-24T17:21:00.002+01:00

Hi there!

Your classmate, Gema, suggests you can use the following page to do exercises on different areas of English: http://www.mansioningles.com/index.htm
I've checked the listening exercises and they're quite good! I think you can even do the intermediate level exercises if you think the elementary ones are too easy...

Thanks, Gema!

Do schools kill creativity?

2011-03-21T11:49:00.003+01:00

Hi there!

You can watch the following video with subtitles (preferably in English). Now that we're talking about education in class, I'd like you to give your opinion on this video. Do you agree with the speaker that schools kill creativity? In what ways could teachers foster (fomentar) the creativity of their students? (Leave your comments in the comment section)

Happy Paddy's Day!

2011-03-17T15:57:00.003+01:00

Volunteer work

2011-03-14T20:13:00.001+01:00

Campeonato 2011_getafe

Jumble Sale!

2011-03-14T19:59:00.002+01:00

Hi there! Since today (14 March) and until the 25th, you can bring old books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to the School to collaborate in the jumble sale that will start on 4 April.

Leave your material at the entrance with Mari or Santa

Grants

2011-03-14T19:18:00.001+01:00

Check this out for grants!

http://www.educacion.es/horizontales/servicios/becas-ayudas-subvenciones/para-estudiar/idiomas.html

Reading Literature

2011-03-11T14:49:00.003+01:00

Hi there!

Some of you have asked me to suggest some reading material. Not long ago, I saw an interesting collection at FNAC, but I'm sure you can find it in other bookshops as well. It's a collection of titles of short story writers, with their short stories in the "original version" (not adapted). The books are about 9 euros and include a CD. The difficult vocabulary is translated , so that you don't have to check a dictionary all the time. The collection is published by Pons.

My favourite writer has one story published there. Her name's Alice Munro and the story is called "The Progress of Love". It comes with a story by another famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood.

Hope you enjoy your reading!

The tragedy of first position

2011-03-04T10:33:00.001+01:00

My friend, Ana, sent me this. Isn't it sweet?

Health in the UK

2011-02-18T10:25:00.004+01:00

Watch this video about the health system in the UK and fill in the gaps below:

As well as health care, ____(1)____ and ____(2)____ are important.

When you're ill, you go and see your ____(3)____, which stands for ____(4)____ (2 words).

One third of family doctors in Britain are ____(5)____.

The doctor writes a ____(6)____ when you need medicine, and then you go to the ____(7)____ or ____(8)____.

You don't have to pay for the medicine if you are a ____(9)____, ____(10)____, or ____(11)____.

You'll have to go to a hospital if you need to see a ____(12)____ doctor or ____(13)____ an operation.

The ____(14)____ provides free treatment for everyone in Britain.

Britain has one of the highest levels of ____(15)____ (2 words) in the world.

The system costs almost ____(16)____.

Alternative types of medicine include ____(17)____, ____(18)____, and ____(19)____.

Medicine helps people ____(20)____ (2 words).

Better diets have raised ____(21)____ (2 words).

You can find the answers in the "comments". But check them only when you have tried several times!!! ;-)

Speaking practice

2011-02-16T19:20:00.004+01:00

Hi there!

Here's a very good page I found for you to practise dialogues. Here you can listen to short dialogues on everyday situations. And here you can practise the part that you would do as a user of English in real life situations (similar to the first task of the oral exam, where you do a role-play with the examiner).

Hope it helps!

Happy Valentine!

2011-02-15T13:12:00.002+01:00

Although a bit late, here's my Valentine greetings and some related English practice:

http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omclassics2/AsTimeGoesBy.htm

Can't wait to read your love poems later today! ;-)

Truths and Lies

2011-02-03T16:44:00.005+01:00

Hello everybody!

Here's the announcement of a performance directed by one of my ex-students here at Embajadores. I once saw them play thatre and enjoyed it very much. Hope you can see them in action. I'm sure you'll love them!

Poster LAGRADA

Nothing stupid

2011-01-25T14:06:00.003+01:00

Hi there! Here's a performance of Mercedes' (NB2 19:30) niece of a song called "Something Stupid". Congratulations to aunty and niece! You see, how songs can help you to pronounce really well?

Winning and shortlisted mini-sagas

2011-01-25T11:38:00.004+01:00

Shortlisted_minisagas_2010

The text for the prize ceremony was written by Laura Romero Chust

Thanks very much to all of those who participated and congratulations to the winners and shortlisted writers! (Several have been or are in my classes, and I'm proud of you! ;-) )

Tongue Stories Competition

2011-01-20T10:23:00.004+01:00

Here's a link to a competition you can participate in.

The European Day of Languages 2010 marks the launch of the competition Tongue Stories. Organised by the European Commission, the competition aims to demonstrate, through interesting and amusing anecdotes, how many different ways people can benefit from foreign language knowledge, and to inspire people to learn foreign languages. Citizens over 18 living in 31 European countries are invited to share their stories on the advantages of knowing languages.

Interested in knowing more about languages in Europe? News, information on language policy, initiatives and much more are available on the Multilingualism website of the European Commission.

More on the competition in the terms and conditions.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T12:31:00.004+01:00

This is becoming a classic, wishing you Merry Christmas and all the best for 2011 with "Baby, please come home" There are many versions, but I think this one's still my favourite.

Thanks for your messages and e-mails. Hope to see you all in January, completely recovered!
Big hug!

Cristina

It’s Christmas

Baby, please come home

The snow’s coming down

I’m watching it fall

Watching the people around

Baby please come home

The church bells in town

They’re ringing a song

What a happy sound

Baby please come home

They’re singing deck the halls

But it’s not like Christmas at all

I remember when you were here

And all the fun we had last year

Pretty lights on the tree

I’m watching ‘em shine

You should be here with me

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

They’re singing deck the halls

But it’s not like Christmas at all

I remember when you were here

And all the fun we had last year

If there was a way

I’d hold back these tears

But it’s Christmas day

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Baby please come home

Sick leave :-(

2010-12-05T17:56:00.005+01:00

Dear All,

this is just to let you know that I've been on sick leave since last Thursday. I'm getting better everyday, and I hope to be able to be back in class soon.

Here's the information you need to participate in the short story contest to be celebrated on the "Cultural Day" (21 December) at EOI Embajadores. I hope to encourage you all to display your creativity, originality, and, above all, to have fun while writing and reading the stories.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Cristina

Bases Concurso Micro-relatos

Teachers TV - On bullying girls

2010-11-12T13:23:00.008+01:00

I've just added a new link on the right column, under "Good links to check." It's a link to "Teachers TV", a web page that many of my students this year will like, since so many of you are teachers. To give you an example of how the web page can be used, (and to give you some extra listening comprehension practice) let me pose the following questions to the video you can find here (You can react to the programme by writing a comment):

A. Before you listen:

1. What is "bullying"? If you don't know, look it up in the dictionary. Words related to the topic are: the bully; the bullied boy / girl. Do you understand these terms?

2. Is bullying a problem in the school you teach? Or, if you're not a teacher, was bullying a problem in the school you studied in?

3. What vocabulary do you expect to hear in the programme?

B. While you listen:

4. The Director of Kidscape (an anti-bullying charity), Michelle Elliot, says that now the effects of bullying on girls can be __________.

5. The work that Valerie Besag does involves helping girls __________ that they're being bullied.

6. The expressions "It tears me apart" and "It rips me up" are used when somebody says something __________ to another person.

7. When bullying others, boys simply want to __________ their power.

8. Why is bullying different among boys and among girls?

C. After you listen:

9. Do you agree with the experts that bullying is even worse when it's between girls?

10. What measures can be taken to prevent children / teenagers from bullying others? ("para evitar que los niños / adolescentes acosen a otros")

Practice listening with songs!

2010-11-10T12:06:00.003+01:00

Hello!

I've come across a great page where you can do all the gap-filling exercises you want with songs.

Just click on the name of the song or the image of the video and then choose the difficulty (for NB2 students, it's probably good to go to "Beginner"). The song stops if you don't write the correct word, so you'll have to listen carefully! ;-)

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

2010-11-05T12:32:00.004+01:00

Learn about the celebration of the fifth of November by reading the text in this page.

The following is a nursery rhyme that summarizes the events:

Remember, remember

the fifth of November,

Gunpowder treason and plot.

We see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent

To blow up king and parliament.

Three score barrels were laid below

To prove old England's overthrow.

By god's mercy he was catch'd

With a darkened lantern and burning match.

So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.

Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?

Burn him!

And here's a game for you to check the understanding of the plot while having fun!

Dancing under the Gallows

2010-11-05T12:22:00.006+01:00

Here's the promotional video of a documentary on the oldest Holocaust survivor. My colleague Míchel draw my attention on it, and I must say that it's really moving and worth watching.

The importance of consonant sounds

2010-11-03T11:37:00.003+01:00

Hello!

Yesterday we dealt with the last consonant sounds of English and I promised to show you why these sounds are very important to make yourself understood. Here's a famous song that the Príncipe Gitano sings unable to pronounce the consonant sounds well. It's sacrilegious but very funny at the same time. When you listen to it the first time, try to understand the words without reading the subtitles. You'll be very imaginative if you can understand something at all. Enjoy!

Next cultural activity - Exhibition

2010-10-29T13:41:00.002+02:00

Cartel Asher B Durand

Landscape + The Dumb Waiter

2010-10-22T09:15:00.003+02:00

We're making a group to go to the theatre on 5 November at 9pm. We'll see two short plays by the British playwright Harold Pinter: Landscape and The Dumb Waiter.

If you want to join the group, please let me know before 26 October.

Here's the speech Pinter delivered on winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. It's entitled "Art, Truth, and Politics" (It's a bit long but worth watching; this one is with subtitles in Spanish).

Welcome back!

2010-09-11T13:33:00.006+02:00

Hi there everybody!

Hope you had a really good summer and that you're ready for the new year
Let's start with a humorous video, how could it be otherwise?
First, you have to watch this piece of news. Here's a talented story teller, no doubt:

And then you can watch the song somebody created based on the story:

Thanks a lot, Míchel!

Ken Loach's Films

2010-05-21T09:53:00.004+02:00

Hi there!

The British film-maker Ken Loach has decided to show his films for free on a You Tube channel.

Thanks very much, José, for sharing this with us!

2010-05-12T11:21:00.005+02:00

Here's the acceptance speech of the new British prime minister, David Cameron. Political speeches are not hard to follow (basically because we already know what politicians are going to say ;-)).

So listen to the speech and fill in the gaps in the sentences below.

Cameron admits that the previous government succeeded in making the country _____[1]_____ at home and _____[2]_____ abroad.

The most important problems facing the future are a huge _____[3]_____, deep _____[4]_____ problems, and the need of ____[5]_____ of the political system.

If they want to work for the common good of the country, Cameron and Clegg must _____[6]_____ their differences.

When Cameron specifies the tasks the government has to fulfil to rebuild trust he gives three examples: _____[7]_____ expenses, _____[8]_____, making sure people are _____[9]_____.

British citizens have to be aware that they are not only entitled to certain rights but they also have _____[10]_____ if they want real change.

Cameron publicly commits himself to _____[11]_____ the elderly, the frail, and the poorest.

His Government, he promises, will defend the values of _____[12]_____, _____[13]_____, and responsibility.

He expects that governing with a _____[14]_____ will not be easy.

Cameron’s acceptance speech finishes by emphasizing the importance of _____[15]_____ values.

If you need to check the transcript, you can find it here.

Teenage Brains

2010-05-05T09:07:00.003+02:00

Yesterday we talked about different stages in life and a discussion broke out about the teenage brain. OK, here's a link where you can listen and read (if you need to) about the reasons why teenagers don't think about the consequences of their acts.

(To read the radio script go to "transcript" on the right of "Listen to the story")

The Weather in Canada

2010-04-30T09:57:00.006+02:00

Hi there!

I've seen this video over and over again, and every time I see it, I have to laugh. I played it yesterday in the talk about Canada, but here it is in case you want to see it again. Some useful vocabulary follows below...

bundle up - put on warm clothes

windchill (factor) - an estimated measurement of the cooling effect of air and wind, esp. when applied to the loss of body heat from exposed skin; or "sensación térmica"

wallowed with another winter storm - 'to wallow' is what a hippopotamus does in the mud, enjoying the moment. Here the verb is used ironically, of course

to hover around - being nearly

8 balmy degrees - used ironically, since "balmy" means pleasant, soothing

swear words and colloquial expressions - holy crap!, you have to be freaking kidding me; tabernac!; suck it! ('Tabernac' is one of the worst words you can use in French Canada, where there is a strong tradition of Roman Catholicism. This sacrilegious word takes the word 'tabernacle' in vain)

Yes, we...

2010-04-18T11:00:00.003+02:00

...make a fool of ourselves if we boast of how well something is done when it wasn't well done from the very beginning. The new campaign for bilingual schools contains, as you may have heard, a grammatical mistake. Yes, we know that grammar is not the ONLY important thing in language learning and usage, but as a teacher I have to insist on the need to communicate and do it correctly at the same time.

Do we want to pursue this objective?

Yes, we do! or

Yes, we want to!

(Btw, could people stop repeating Obama's motto for a while? Such lack of originality is getting on my nerves...)

Review - Telephone conversations

2010-04-09T08:38:00.002+02:00

Hi there!

Here are some links for further practice of telephone conversations.

1. Revise the useful vocabulary.

2. Complete a dialogue where someone makes an appointment, and another one where someone leaves a message

3. Listen to this conversation and do the exercises.

Haiti "Orphans" Reunited with their Parents

2010-03-22T12:38:00.005+01:00

Remember the listening comprehension we did in the exam? Well, here's a kind of sequel to that radio programme. Listen twice and complete the information missing. (Do not read the text on the Web Page until you've finished).

Of the 33 children, _____[1]_____ were actually orphans.

The missionaries collected _____[2]_____ of the 33 children in the village of Calebasse.

A mother sent her two girls, aged _____[3]_____ and _____[4]_____ with the Americans.

The missionaries had promised parents that they would be able to _____[5]_____ their children in the Dominican Republic.

The missionaries were discovered because they had no _____[6]_____.

After the quake, the number of abandoned or orphaned children went up from 153 to _____[7]_____.

Families still need better shelter, _____[8]_____, water and _____[9]_____.

As for the missionaries, all except the _____[10]_____ have been released.

The key is in the "comments"

Karaoke Party

2010-03-20T19:09:00.002+01:00

Hi there!

I've just found a great website where you can sing along and get a score for your performance. It's a wonderful (and addictive) way of practising pronunciation ;-)

Go to Karaoke Party and register for free. Then, you'll be able to record your performance and listen to it

"English Villages"

2010-03-18T10:25:00.004+01:00

Hi there!

Not that I want to make free publicity for anybody, but here's a video that you can watch to know about a special English-learning experience.

There are some questions to answer below. (The key to the answers is in the "comments").

1. How does the programme work? Who are the "teachers" and who are the "students"?

2. What type of classes do the "students" get?

3. Do the students already know some English when they go to the English village?

4. Do the Anglos come from the same country?

5. What's the accommodation like?

6. How long does the programme last?

7. Do the "Anglos" have to pay for something? What do they get for their "work"?

8. What kind of activities are included in the programme?

9. What are the requirements to be selected as a "teacher"?

10. Would you like to take part in the programme? I guess you'd need to get more information on it, wouldn't you? Make a few web searches and tell us something about what you think (also in the "comments").

Madrid's Leisure Guide - Group project

2010-03-12T16:16:00.008+01:00

You're going to create a leisure guide of Madrid for English-speaking visitors to our city. You're going to work in groups and each of you will be in charge of a different area:

- restaurants and other places to eat.

- nightclubs or pubs.

- museums and art galleries.

- sightseeing places.

- fun for children.

- cinema and concerts.

Think about ONE place you would recommend in the area you were assigned. Once you have decided on the place, write a paragraph (maximum 50 words) where you include:

- A brief description of the place or tour.

- The reason why you recommend it.

- Don't forget to include the address, underground station, (average) price, or other important details your readers will need.

- You may want to use a picture to accompany your text. (Google one in "Creative Commons").

When you finish writing your text, give it to a partner for peer revision. You should put all the six texts together and email me one Word document per group. The final version of your guide will be published in this blog.

The best job in the world

2010-03-12T15:58:00.009+01:00

Watch the video and answer the questions or fill in the missing information below:

1. Applicants for the job came from _________ countries.

2. How many finalists were invited to the island?

3. The winner is ... (mention his age and origin)

4. How much will he earn?

5. He will have a __________ contract.

6. Is accommodation provided for him? Any details about it?

7. What are the winner's duties on the island?

8. What did the applicants have to do to apply?

9. Tourism Queensland received __________

10. What characteristics made the winner win the prize?

11. When will the winner start to work?

12. Will he be accompanied?

Women's Day

2010-03-08T11:17:00.002+01:00

"The majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women.

On average, women receive between 30 and 40 per cent less pay than men earn for the same work.

And everywhere, women continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women of reproductive age worldwide."

(United Nations)

... And some people still ask "Why Women's Day"?

Wanna Be a Filmstar?

2010-02-06T12:26:00.006+01:00

Dear All (present and former students),
one of your schoolmates, a student from the Advanced 1 level, has had a wonderful initiative: to record a video of our neighbourhood (Embajadores-Lavapiés) to show other people the many interesting places there are to see. The participating students would explain the history of buildings, squares, or other places in front of the camera (needless to say, in English). This has to be done outside the class hours, but I'm sure some of you will be interested to take part. Please contact me via this post or Santiago (Mo. & Wed. 15:30-17:30, Room 6).

Advertising

2010-02-04T10:04:00.003+01:00

Hi there!
Since we're going to be talking about advertising in class, I thought about a little exercise you may enjoy doing: pay attention to the ads you see on TV and spot the mispronunciation of words in English. (There are plenty, believe me!)
You can write your finds in the comments below. I'll give you a classical example: "Just for men"

Pain / Ache / Hurt

2010-01-27T12:12:00.003+01:00

Now that we're dealing with injuries, doing this vocabulary exercise might be a good idea!

Other / Another

2010-01-27T12:09:00.000+01:00

Hi there!

Here's some practice on the use of other / another. Hope you do well!

I Got a Feeling

2010-01-18T15:31:00.002+01:00

See how well this video was made (in just one take, and having everybody coordinated for the lipdub!)

Thanks, little sis!

Lamb Curry

2010-01-14T14:08:00.003+01:00

Here's one of Jamie Oliver's performances for you to enjoy. I gave the lyrics to the Mo. & Wed. group yesterday, and will give them to the other groups today as well. You can do a little activity with it:

1. Mark the names of food in red
2. Mark the names of kitchen utensils in blue
3. Mark the names of kitchen actions in green

Sing along and cook it well!

Xmas Is Coming...

2009-12-10T11:13:00.001+01:00

Dear All,
since Xmas time is approaching, here's a link to a webpage with Xmas stories Enjoy!

Against Sexist Violence

2009-11-28T11:27:00.004+01:00

I hardly ever publish posts that do not have to do with English, but this time I'm making an exception. This video was shown on TV on Thursday and I think everybody should see it.

I wonder, have we come a long way?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:46:00.002+01:00

Thanksgiving is celebrated today in the US. (In Canada, they celebrate it on the second Monday in October). Watch this video and google "Thanksgiving" to learn more about this festivity.