New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!!!
This is what British and American people do on New Year's: they write their New Year's Resolutions and try to stick to them. Here is the story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_resolution

What are yours??

And... here are mine!!

1NB - Open Up

 

You CAN be rich...



 

Happy MERRY CHRISTMAS

What a Wonderful World!!

Hiya all,

Look what I found. Wonderful, isn't it?



Lyrics
I see trees of green, 
red roses too. 
I see them bloom, 
for me and you. 
And I think to myself,
what a wonderful world. 

I see skies of blue, 
And clouds of white. 
The bright blessed day, 
The dark sacred night. 
And I think to myself, 
What a wonderful world. 

The colors of the rainbow, 
So pretty in the sky. 
Are also on the faces, 
Of people going by, 
I see friends shaking hands. 
Saying, "How do you do?" 
They're really saying, 
"I love you". 

I hear babies cry, 
I watch them grow, 
They'll learn much more, 
Than I'll ever know. 
And I think to myself, 
What a wonderful world. 

Yes, I think to myself, 
What a wonderful world. 

Oh yeah.

Money. Price tag - Jessie J.

A Good Woman - trailer

A Lady of Certain Age - Money

Homeward Bound - I WISH

1ºNB - My name is Luka

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

hiya all,

Today we celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here you have some bits to watch or listen to. I encourage you as well to do something of your own and send it to me for the coeducational project at school. Here you have some pictures, a song and some videos. There are more songs and commercials in previous entries. It's an important issue, take part!!!

"I'm OK" by Christina Aguilera

 

 

Some commercials:

 



 

Some interesting videos to watch:

 

 

Thanksgiving

Did you know…

Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November?

             In Canada, Thanksgiving is in October?

The turkey, the cornucopia, the corn or the pumpkin are the symbols of this celebration?

People give thnks for everything good in their lives?

Every year the President of the united States pardons the lives of two turkeys, one of which is named the National Thanksgiving turkey?

Every year there’s a spectacular parade in many American cities like New York or Chicago?

THE PILGRIMS

And.... a great song for the day!!!

General Strike and Billy Elliot

NA - used to/would - Somebody I used to know - Gotye

NA - Sandy on the News

Obama laments 'heartbreaking' storm as Sandy leaves US east coast daunted

Officials warn superstorm that claimed 48 lives in the US 'not over yet' as New York and New Jersey face dire aftermath

The Guardian 31st October 2012

And.... don't worry!!

NORMAN FOSTER

Norman Robert Foster, British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners. Foster was raised in Manchester in a working-class family and was intrigued by design and engineering from a young age. His years observing Mancunian architecture subsequently influenced his works, and was inspired to pursue a career in architecture after a treasurer clerk noticed his sketches and interest in Manchester's buildings while he worked at Manchester Town Hall.[1] Foster gained an internship at a local architect's office before submitting a portfolio and winning a place at the University of Manchester School of Architecture. He subsequently won a scholarship to study at the Yale School of Architecture in the United States of America.


                                                                                                                                        The Guerkin

The National Gallery

And here is a door to the fascinating world of Painting

The National Gallery

Audioguides and Tours 

A Tale of Two Brains

Hiya all,

Here is the video we watched in class. It's easy and it's quite accurate, isn't it?

NA - Logical Song, Supertramp

Hiya, A good bunch of adjectives to use (or not to use). It's up to you!!




When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, it was beautiful, magical 
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily, joyfully, playfully, watching me 
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible, logical, responsible, practical 
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical 
There are times when all the world's asleep 
The questions run too deep for such a simple man 
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned 
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/supertramp/the+logical+song_20133850.html ] 
I said now, watch what you say, now we're calling you a radical, a liberal, fanatical, criminal 
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable 

But at night, when all the world's asleep 
The questions run so deep for such a simple man 
Won't you please (Won't you tell me), (You can tell me what) please tell me what we've learned (Can you hear me?) 
I know it sounds absurd, (Won't you help me) please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am, who I am 

But I'm thinking so logical 

Did you call, one two three four 

It's getting unbelievable

International Day of Languages 26th September

Hiya all,

Today is the International Day of Languages. And this is what I need you to do in order to celebrate it creatively... Choose the word you consider to be most beautiful.. It might be English it might be not. Think of the reason why or write a complete definition of the word. We'll be doing something with it.
Here is mine

1. International Day of Languages

2. Autoevalúa tu competencia lingüística en... cualquier lengua

 

 

 

 

 

Very funny, see what you understand

 

 



NA2 Queen - I want to break free

And Queen, which you requested with the lyrics. Great song!!!

NA2 - Banksy is Back - Listening

Banksy is a controversial contemporary British artist and illustrator. This video quiz about an exhibition of his work will help you practise your listening skills.

Instructions

Click on the play button in the centre of the screen to watch the video. You can pause the video, or rewind it and watch it over again as many times as you feel you need to.

Watch the video again and listen out for the missing words.

When you have watched the video, scroll down the page and do the quiz to test your understanding. If you get stuck on any of the questions, watch the video again to help you with the answers.

Choose the correct answer for each question

1.       What type of artist Bansky?

2.       What is Bansky real identity?

3.       Where is Bansky Exhibition held?

4.       What is the rabbit doing in the video?

5.       What type of animal does Bansky use to depict Members of Parliament?

6.       Which city does Bansky come from?

7.       Does Bansky go out of his way to point out that his art is for sale

8.       Which other famous artist is named in the video?

9.       One of the Exhibits is a spoof on what?

Fascinating Aida - low cost flights

Hiya all,

Looking for a flight, this is how I feel!!! Lots of difficult vocabulary but very funny.

And ... some vocabulary
travel deals: ofertas
bedad: exclamación irlandesa
be billed: ser añadidas, cargadas
begorrah: exclamación irlandesa
abreast: juntos/as
key change: cambio de clave (música)
reams: grandes cantidades
feck: informal y menos soez que "fuck"
a load of crap: una mierda (excuse my French)
packed: abarrotado
arse: culo
jack: enchufe, cinturón
shuffle up: arrastrar los pies
aisle: pasillo
a hint: una pizca
thump: golpe
Enjoy!!

50 people, One Question - London and Postsecret

Hiya all,
Here you have: 50 answers to just one question ... "Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?"

Where would you??


And now another one... Postsecret: Confessions on death, life and God. "What's your secret??"




So... What's yours??

A true story

A 50- something year old white woman arrived at her seat on a crowded flight and immediately didn't want the seat. The seat was next to a black man. Disgusted, the woman immediately summoned the flight attendant and demanded a new seat. The woman said "I cannot sit here next to this black man." The fight attendant said "Let me see if I can find another seat." After checking, the flight attendant returned and stated "Ma'am, there are no more seats in economy, but I will check with the captain and see if there is something in first class." About 10 minutes went by and the flight attendant returned and stated "The captain has confirmed that there are no more seats in economy, but there is one in first class. It is our company policy to never move a person from economy to first class, but being that it would be some sort of scandal to force a person to sit next to an UNPLEASANT person, the captain agreed to make the switch to first class." Before the woman could say anything, the attendant gestured to the black man and said, "Therefore sir, if you would so kindly retrieve your personal items, we would like to move you to the comfort of first class as the captain doesn't want you to sit next to an unpleasant person." Passengers in the seats nearby began to applause while some gave a standing ovation.

The story of Stuff

Hiya all,

here is a quizz to discover What Kind of Changemaker you are. You can trust these people so do not worry about giving your personal details. They will only and very rarely send you the new videos they design and they are really good!!!

THE STORY OF STUFF - What Kind of Changemaker Are You?

DOWNTON ABBEY

Hiya all,
Here is a highly recommendable (in English, of course) British series.

Downton Abbey portrays the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them during the early 1900s. It is a British television series set on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, England.

Reception of the programme was predominantly positive; ratings were extremely high for what is usually considered a "period" show, and the first series picked up a number of awards and nominations after its initial run. It has subsequently become the most successful British costume drama.
It follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. The first series spans the two years before the Great War beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which sets the story in motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special covers the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920 (Wikipedia).

BUY NOTHING DAY

I know it is not November but it's never late or early to give it a thought

The History of English in 10 minutes

Quite funny and quite accurate!!!

And... this is how the Guardian sees Spain.... Not a bad idea that of the art.

Spanish fans celebrate the county's win in the Euro 2012 final against Italy on Sunday. 

Spain woke up this morning groggy with euphoria as the national football team made history by winning three international competitions in a row when they beat Italy in the Euro 2012 final and proved that the Italians are not in their class when it comes to kicking a ball.
The victorious team arrived back in Madrid on Monday to meet King Juan Carlos and parade through the capital in an open-top bus to celebrate their team's crushing 4-0 victory in Kiev.
But the euphoria was dampened somewhat by the latest Eurostat figures showing that youth unemployment continues to rise, with 52.1% of the under-25s officially out of work compared to 7.9% for the same age group in Germany. To excel at any sport demands dedication, discipline and hard work, traits that northern Europeans claim are absent in a country where they say "now" means "later" and mañana means "never" or, at the very least, "not now".
Is it really the case that the under-achieving Spaniards can only rouse themselves when it comes to sport? It's not only football that Spain excels at. They are the reigning European basketball champions and took the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. They are the current champions in all three classes of the world motorcycle championships, while two-time world champion Fernando Alonso currently leads the field in Formula One.
Spanish cyclists have won the Tour de France in nine out of the past 20 years, including Miguel Indurain's five in a row in the 1990s. Rafa Nadal may have flopped at Wimbledon this year but he's still the world No 2 and Spanish men occupy five of the top 20 places in the official tennis rankings. Spain also excels at lesser-known sports, such as handball. Meanwhile, Barcelona kiteboarding star Gisela Pulido has been world freestyle champion for the past three years and the women's synchronised swimming team took silver in Beijing.
But unfortunately not all of Spain's unemployed youth can become sports stars. They need sustainable employment and today's data showing the worst prospects for Spain's manufacturing sector for three years does not augur well for more jobs in that crucial sector.
However, Angels Valls, professor of people and organisation management at ESADE business school, says that, bad as they are, the youth unemployment statistics mask the true problem, which is that the bulk of the unemployed are middle-aged men who lost their jobs in the construction industry and are unlikely to be able to keep up with their pension contributions. "Young people dropped out of school during the boom and their education level is very low," she said, adding that what is needed is more apprenticeships and a closer relationship between the worlds of education and work.
Perhaps another factor behind Spain's sporting prowess is that sport is a sector where talent encounters fewer obstacles on the road to success. Unlike, for example, starting up a business. Spain is ranked 133 out of 183 countries in ease of setting up a business and it sits at number 31 in Transparency International's corruption index, one place above Botswana.
It takes around 140 days to set up a business here, giving Spanish civil servants, many of whom seem to carry a special "No" chromosome, ample time in which to crush even the most entrepreneurial spirit. As a result of all this, around a fifth of the economy is, as they say here, submerged. And as everyone knows, it also provides work for quite a few of those statistically unemployed youth.
Spain does have its non-sporting success stories. In retail clothing, for example, Zara, Mango and Desigual are global giants. But even if all the three million immigrants who have arrived in the past 10 years go home – which they won't – in the medium term there is not going to be nearly enough work to soak up the surplus. So, with only a low and uncompetitive industrial base and poorly paid agricultural jobs to choose from, what should young people turn their hand to, aside from sport? The arts, perhaps?
After all, in recent years many young Brits discovered that picking up a guitar, a pen or a paintbrush can be more profitable – and more fun – than wielding a hammer or a trowel. So, in echoes of Britain's cultural flowering of the 1990s, perhaps Spain's sporting success can translate into more success for its world-class fashion and design industries, turn the tide of gloom and pessimism and usher in a hopeful era of Cool España.

BBC - Planet Earth

Humpback whales intervene in killer whale hunt

A BBC/National Geographic film crew have recorded rare footage of humpback whales intervening in a killer whale hunt.

Gray whales migrating along the coast of California, US are often targeted by orcas.One mother and calf's journey was being filmed for the BBC series Planet Earth Live when the third party became involved in the drama.Onlookers suggest they were deliberately disrupting the hunt.Working from a whale-watching boat from Monterey Bay Whale Watch, the team set up to film in an area known for sightings of gray whales.Every year female gray whales travel north from the birthing waters off the coast of Mexico to the nutrient rich waters of the Bering Sea with their calves.Along the route, they are targeted by orcas, which co-ordinate their attacks - aiming to separate the defenceless young from their mothers.Using a camera mounted on the boat, Ms Bromley told BBC Nature: "we saw a lot of grey shapes in the water and quickly realised they were humpbacks."

According to the crew the additional whales were not just observers of the hunt but were actively involved.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteAlisa Schulman-JanigerCalifornia Killer Whale Project.

They deliberately stayed in our area, loudly announcing their presence”The humpbacks at Monterey Bay were trumpeting, diving and slapping their pectoral fins against the water."It didn't seem at all like they were confused… they were definitely there with a purpose," said Ms Bromley.

Shortly after the crew arrived the orca successfully caught their prey. The mother whale fled the scene but the humpbacks remained.After the attack, two humpback whales moved into the area where the calf was last seen alive. They continued to make trumpeting calls, rolled in the water and slashed their tails aggressively at killer whales that came near.According to Mrs Schulman-Janiger the whole encounter lasted seven hours.

"An extraordinary number of humpback whales had appeared "overnight", feeding within a five mile area: about 100 humpback whales - converging on an abundance of krill that had grown concentrated after two days of very strong winds," she explained."The whales [we watched] should have been off feeding: instead, they deliberately stayed in our area, loudly announcing their presence."The researchers have sent photographs of the humpback whales to a research centre for identification against the North Pacific humpback whale catalogue."Female humpback whales would be expected to react much more strongly to the protection of a youngster," said Mrs Schulman-Janiger."This was not a curious approach by these humpback whales: they seemed truly distressed

I want to break free - Queen

Hiya all,

Now are almost on holiday... don't you feel like this??
The video is great. Enjoy and sing along.

Chasing Cars - Listening Practice

Hiya all,

This song is beautiful and so slow that I'm sure you can understand and write down every single word. Give it a try!!!

"Chasing Cars"

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we’re told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

NI - Questions and topics

Hiya all,

As I said in class, there's some interesting vocabulary here. Have a look at the questions and revise!!!


Television and The Media

Reading

Films and the Film industry

Money

The Environment

Shopping

Charles Dickens - 200 years

Hiya all, Not long ago British people celebrated the 200 centenary of Charles Dicken's Birth. Charles Dicken is one of the greatest British writers. He depicted the Victorian Age and created characters that are still alive nowadays. The Adventures of Oliver Twist is his best known novel and it has been made into a film on different occasions

Punctuation is powerful

Hi!!
Have a look at this and learn how important punctuation is.

NI - Guia del Candidato Pruebas Unificadas de Certificación

Hiya all,
I've already sent this document to you via email, but... just in case!!! Take it easy

Guia del Candidato

NB - More quotations!!

" To be o not to be, that is the question" Shakespeare

"What ar thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to die?" Shakespeare

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"  Jane Austen

Mª José

NB - Irregular Verbs Game

hiya,
Here is a game to practice your irregular verbs. I know ponunciation isn't in there but... just try chosing a verb, writing the simple past and the participle and thn, checking!!! Enjoy

Irregular Verbs

NB - Since and For

Hiya,
Here are some links to for and since exercises with the present perfect. They are very easy...Enjoy!!

Exercise

Another one

NB - Día del Libro - "Quotations"

"Better to be king of your silence that slave of your words" (William Shakespeare)
"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I learn" (Benjamin Franklin)
Manuel

"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months" (Oscar Wilde) "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative" (Oscar Wilde)
Nuria

"To me, literature is a calling, even a kind of salvation. It connects me with an enterprise that is over 2,000 years old. What do we have from the past? Art and thought. That's what lasts. That's what continues to feed people and given them an idea of something better. A better state of one's feelings or simply the idea of a silence in one's self that allows one to think or to feel. Which to me is the same" (SUSAN SONTAG)
Ana Hildalgo

"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow" (Oscar Wilde)
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony" (Gandhi)
"You must be the change you want to see in the world" (Gandhi)
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all" (Hypatia of Alexandria)
"All art is an imitation of nature" (Séneca)
"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman" (Virginia Woolf)
"Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends" (Woody Allen)
Trini

And and extract from MATILDA
"By the age of one and a half, she could speak perfectly and knew as many words as most grown-up people. By the time she was three, Matilda could read newspapers. At the age of four, she could read fast and well. `Daddy' she said, `could you buy me a book?' `A book?' he said. `What's wrong with the TV? We've got a nice TV and now you come asking for a book! We're too good to you already, my girl! Nearly every afternoon, Matilda stayed in the house while her brother (who was five years older than her) went to school, her father went to work and her mother went to the cinema. One afternoon, Matilda walked to the library in the village. Mrs Phelps, the woman at the library, was surprised to see this small girl. `Where are the children's books, please?' asked Matilda. Mrs Phelps showed her. `Shall I find you a nice one with lots of pictures in it?' she said. `I'm sure I can find something,' said Matilda.

After that, she walked down to the library every afternoon and sat quietly in a corner reading. `What can I read next?' she asked Mrs Phelps one day. `I've finished all the children's books'. `You mean you've looked at the pictures.' `Yes, but I've read the books, too,' said Matilda. Mrs Phelps was very surprised. `How old are you, Matilda?' she asked. `Four years and three months,' answered Matilda. Mrs Phelps was even more surprised, but she was too sensible to show it. `What sort of book would you like to read next?' she asked. `A really good one,' said Matilda. `A famous one.' So Mrs Phelps gave her Great Expectations by `Charles Dickens, a very famous English writer. For the next few afternoons she watched Matilda in the corner with the book on her knees. Photo: Every afternoon Matilda read. The books took her to Africa with Ernest Hemingway, to India with Rudyard Kipling, and to many other wonderful places. During the next six month, Matilda read fourteen `famous books' by different writers, and Mrs Phelps watched with surprise and excitement. `You can borrow books from libraries and take them home, Matilda, 'she said one day. 'Did you know?' `Can I?' said Matilda. And after that, she visited the library once every week to borrow new books and to return the old ones. And every afternoon she read. The books took her to Africa with Ernest Hemingway(A famous American writer), to India with Rudyard Kipling(A famous English writer), and to many other wonderful places…" (Roalh Dahl)
Ángeles

NI - Practice vocabulary

Have a look at this page and practice your voca!! Good luck

INTERMEDIATE VOCABULARY

You are awesome!!!

Hi!!!
Here you have a charming short film!! It makes you smile (and it's got subtitles). Enjoy

2NB - Ain't Got no/ I've got life

Enjoy the original uncensored version by Nina Simone!!!

NB - SECOND CONDITIONAL

Hiya all,
Here are a couple of good songs to help remember the Second Conditional. You can't help dancing with the first one!! and thanks to the corner students for the second!!. You can also have a look at the poem (by Borges) in the previous entry. Enjoy.

Borges

Hiya all, I had a tiny problem with Borges. I'll have to keep it to myself. If there are no further problems you'll see posts around with more frequency. Enjoy!!

Bansky

I love this artist. You can see his graffitis in london. Until nobody knew who he was.
Banksy is a pseudonymous England based graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world.

REM

Thanks. I couldn't help stealing this. Enjoy it now that you can!! with lyrics and everything!!

50 people 1 question

and this is the question...
What are your biggest life regrets??
look at the faces. It's interesting...

1º Oral text practice

Some examples of A1 oral exam. very good practice!!!

Ithaca

Wonderfully read by Sean Conery. food for thought for the summer

ARABIC RECIPES

Here are the recipes you sent to me. I hope you enjoy them. If you want to see it better press more and full screen. You can cook delicious dishes.Thanks everyone.

ARABIC RECIPES on Prezi

2nd year students - Second Conditional

Very good to practice the Second Conditional and it has subtitles!!!
Enjoy it

In Spain, yesterday, today, tomorrow