Merry Christmas!

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 :-(

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

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!

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! ;-)

Dancing under the Gallows

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

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

Cartel Asher B Durand

Landscape + The Dumb Waiter

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!

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

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!

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

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

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...

...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

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!

Other / Another

Hi there!

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

I Got a Feeling

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

Thanks, little sis!

Lamb Curry

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!