Review - Telephone conversations

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

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

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"

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

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

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

"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?

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

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

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