Tuesday 30 November 2010

An important song for you

Yesterday in class we read about Hannah and Jamie and how it all started with a song. Here is the song that was mentioned in the text. Watch the video and read the lyrics, then write on the comment section a song that is or was important for you and say why.



Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow,
I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called yellow
So then I took my turn
Oh all the things I've done
And it was all yellow
Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know you know I love you so
You know I love you so
I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh all the things you do
Cause you were all yellow
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow
Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know for you i bleed myself dry
For you i bleed myself dry
Its true look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine
look at the stars look how they shine for you

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Think how hard it is to be a turkey on Thanksgiving!!!


Have a look at this video explaining what Thanksgiving is about


And of course a new and Thanksgiving like version of the hit I will survive


If you are interested in knowing more things about Thanksgiving click here.
If you want to have a look at the powerpoint Lauren showed you on class last Monday click on the icon

Extra work

Dear all, I am really sorry about today's class but I am still not fully recovered from my sorethroat. As I mentioned on Monday today's class would have included listening practice, therefore here are some extra activities.


Practice your favourite skill:
listen a maximun of 3 times to the following audio tracks, remember to carefully read the questions before you start the activity and to leave 5 minutes for revision.
text 1 audio track 1 audio track 2

text 2 audio track 3 audio track 4



Here are two texts for exam practice on reading. Print the handout, carefully read the text and answer the questions. Do not spend more than minutes on each text. Pay attention to the questions before you read.
Text 1: Looking for love

Text 2: Travel book

Please bring the handouts with the answers on both listening and reading and I will correct them for you.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

EOI Library


Dear students,

This is just an informative post about the library opening times and sections:
Monday: 4 pm - 6 pm
Tuesday: 4 pm - 7 pm
Thursday: 4.30 pm - 7.30 pm
In the library you will find a wide range of materials (reading, grammar, general knowledge and text books, magazines, cd’s, dvd’s…)
The ones with the blue label are pre-intermediate.
Please colect your library card from the front desk (conserjería) and start reading!!!

Monday 22 November 2010

Say no to Violence

25th November:
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse or intimate partner violence , can be broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation.
Domestic violence has many forms including physical aggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, throwing objects), or threats thereof; sexual abuse; emotional abuse; controlling or domineering; intimidation; stalking; passive/covert abuse and economic deprivation. (Wikipedia)


Transcript of the clip: "If you think that this is an unsafe place for a woman, wait until she gets home. One out of six women in Europe suffer domestic violence, and it's time that it stops.
The Council of Europe wants you to speak upo whether you are a victim or a witness."
When it comes to social behaviour, the role of children's parents is often mentioned. Here is a clip that illustrates this position.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

My favourite photograph

Some of you brought their favourite or importa photographs to class yesterday. I asked you to do a description of a photograph (you can use the ones you brought or different ones, it is up to you).

I asked you to produce 100 words on the description following these guidelines (you can alter the order):
-What was happening when you or someone else took the photo?
-Where do you keep it? Why do you like it?
-Who took the photo? When? Why?
-Tell more about who or what is in the photo.


"My father took this photo in the summer of 1975 when we were living in Bern, Switzerland.We lived in a house in the countryside. Our neighbour was a cat lady, therefore I think I was looking for the cats to play with them when my father took the photo. I was probably singing too, my mother told me that when I was a child I sang all the time. I really like this photograph because I look so different from now that it always surprises me the way I looked when I was a child. My mother has this photograph on the wall in her bedroom."

Monday 8 November 2010

Greetings from London!!

Look what the mail brought us!!!


This is the lovely postcard Gloria sent to the class while she was in London a few days ago.

Iasked you to write a composition for me "My last holiday". Here is an example of one of your teacher's holiday.

"This summer I went to London for a week with a friend. We decided to go there because a friend lent us his flat for free. We got there by plane. The flat was in Camden Town two minutes walking from the underground station.
The weather was nice, it only rained one day and not for the whole day. It was not my first time in London so I did not go sightseeing like a normal tourist. I focused on museums, my favourite one was The Victoria and Albert Museum. I also went to a musical, "Dirty Dancing", because I loved the film when I was a teenager. At night we went out to pubs and clubs with Spanish friends who live or work in London.
I only had a problem, the bed I slept in was too short and I am too tall, but it was worth it!"

Remember: you can post your composition in the blog, send it to me by email or hand it in class.

-ed pronunciation

Today we have worked with the pronunciation of "-ed" forms, what have always been a challenge to Spanish speakers. I have found this video in youtube.com that I recommend you to see. It's a bit long, but it will be worth your time, trust me!!


Wednesday 3 November 2010

Extra work


I am sorry I could not make it for the lesson yesterday, I am sure you were very sad you missed the lesson. Therefore you can find two activities to do at home.

ACTIVITY ONE
Let´s start with your favourite skill, listening.
Please listen to "Vincent", one of Don Mclean songs. The singer was very impressed by Van Gogh's work and composed this song about him.

Download the handout and the audio track clicking on the icons:

1) Watch the video once just to get used to the music and the words while you read the lyrics.
2) Listen a second time and start filling the gaps.
3) Listen a third time and finish completing the gaps.
Do not worry if you do not understand all the lyrics, you are only required to identify words related to painting, body parts, colours and nature.

Once you have finished, have a look at the clip from youtube that includes the song and paintings by Van Gogh. I will send you the answers during the weekend and we will discuss the song in the next session.

ACTIVITY TWO
-Download this file where you can find a reading on a person who won the lottery and what happened to her and her family. Read the text carefully and answer the questions. If you print it and give it to me in the next session I will correct them for you and give you the mark.






No class today


I am not feeling very well, therefore today's lesson is canceled.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Let's read

Here comes the time for reading. Some of you asked me in the last weeks which books you were going to read this year, and the titles are finally here.

There will be tests on both books: the end of January for the 1st one (Henry VIII and his Six Wifes) and the end of April for the 2nd one (Tales of Mystery and Imagination). Here is some information on the books.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 Henry VIII and his Six Wives
Third Edition Janet Hardy-Gould

"There were six of them - three Katherines, two Annes, and a Jane. One of them was the King's wife for twenty-four years, another for only a year and a half. One died, two were divorced, and two were beheaded. It was a dangerous, uncertain life.After the King's death in 1547, his sixth wife finds a box of old letters - one from each of the first five wives. They are sad, angry, frightened letters. They tell the story of what it was like to be the wife of Henry VIII of England."


If you interested in the story I highly recommed the TV Series "The tudors"



Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Third Edition Edgar Allan Poe

"The human mind is a dark, bottomless pit, and sometimes it works in strange and frightening ways. That sound in the night . . . is it a door banging in the wind, or a murdered man knocking inside his coffin? The face in the mirror . . . is it yours, or the face of someone standing behind you, who is never there when you turn round?These famous short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, that master of horror, explore the dark world of the imagination, where the dead live and speak, where fear lies in every shadow of the mind . . ."