KALEIDOSCOPE

Proyecto de blog de aula para alumn@s y profesor@s

Sunday 7 December 2008

If he can do it, we can do it too!

Hi dear students!

I hope you're having a nice bank holiday.

If you're bored at home and don't know what to do, I recommend you to have a look at this video. I think you'll get a lot of motivation from watching it.

It's a proposal by Francisco Maeso, from B2-D (thanks a lot!)
Have fun!

Friday 5 December 2008

Audacity Download

Hi dear students!

Here you are a link to download AUDACITY in your computers:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/


Here you are some easy instructions and tips:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/

Have a nice bank holiday!

Wednesday 26 November 2008

LEARN ENGLISH


Hi dear students

here you are a proposal by David, from B1-B... which ones do you prefer?:


Let's go Don't fuck me
Vamos no me jodas


From lost to the river
De perdidos al rio

The mother who gave birth to him
La madre que lo pario


Sissy the last
Marica el ultimo

For if the flies
Por si las moscas


Great sissy the last
Maricon el ultimo

Everywhere they boil beans
En todas partes cuecen habas


Composed and without girlfriend

Compuesto y sin novia

Go out by legs
Salir por piernas


If I have seen you I don't remember
Si te he visto no me acuerdo

Switch off and let's go
Apaga y vamonos


It is not turkey mucus
No es moco de pavo

It sweats me
Me la suda


That if you want rice Catherine

Que si quieres arroz Catalina

Shit little parrot
Cagate lorito


Morning-singer
Cantamananas

Another who such dance

Otro que tal baila


To another thing butterfly
A otra cosa mariposa

What of-taylor
Que desastre


Among whistles and flutes
Entre pitos y flautas

Like water of May
Como agua de Mayo


To fuck the female pig
Joder la marrana

Marking parcel
Marcando paquete


To put in a cigar
Meter un puro

My happiness in a hole
Mi gozo en un pozo


Sissy beach
Marica playa

Which-o
Cualo


It finished what it was given
Se acabo lo que se daba

To go by the Ubeda's mountains
Irse por los cerros de Ubeda


You see less than Joseph Milks
Ves menos que Pepe Leches

Until then Lucas
Hasta luego Lucas


What brown
Que marron

The gold that shited the Arabian man
El oro que cago el moro


What so doggish life
Que vida tan perra

You shited Burt Lancaster
La cagaste Burt Lancaster


You roll yourself like a window blinde
Te enrollas como una persiana

Go away to frie asparagous
Vete a freir esparragos


Send eggs
Manda huevos

Who sings his bads frightens
Quien canta sus males espanta


It peals me it
Me la pela

Good of the Paraguay
Guai del Paraguay


You hallucinate little cucumbers
Alucinas pepinillos

Without-shame
Sinverguenza


I don't give foot with ball
No doy pie con bola

My pan has gone
Se me ha ido la olla


You have more tale than little street
Tienes mas cuento que calleja

Neither fu nor fa
Ni fu ni fa


To make the Mongolian man
Hacer el mongolo

You are more silly than arse's hair that see the shit comming and don't move away
Eres mas tonto que los pelos del culo que ven caer la mierda y no se apartan


I can't with my soul
No puedo con mi alma

Saturday 22 November 2008

class vocabulary

Here you are Conchi's job (thanks!):

Hello Leticia, what's new?
Here you are the new words of this week. They aren't meny, but...

-Mend
-Look up
-Pedestrian
-Anyway
-Kick
-Queue
-Hire
See you

Wednesday 12 November 2008

our class vocabulary



Dear students:
We have a scribe (escriba) in Básico 2A who is going to record all the new words you want to learn during our activities.

She has started her work very quickly and here you can see what she has done.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH CONCHI!!

Hello Letícia,
I'm Conchi (2º A), I leave you the new words that appeared during the class 10th of November.
- Speech Bubble
- Sculpture
- Sending a sms
- Dialling a number
- Look after
- Ballot
- Sorrow
- Clause
- Try on
- Bell boy
- Garlic
This is all for now
See you
Conchi
AH!! Congratulation for your blogs, I like it!!!!!

Monday 10 November 2008

PHONETICS BLOG

Dear students:

I've recently received this message from another EOI teacher inviting us to use her phonetics blog:

Hi Leticia;
I'm Ana López Pozo,a phonetics teacher trainer and an English teacher at an EOI.We did an on-line course together last year, remember?
I like your blog and would like to invite you to use mine, Alpozo phonetics blog http://allphonetics.blogspot.com/ with your students if you wish. The activities are all based on songs, and cover most sounds of the phonetic alphabet. Apart from different charts to practice sounds individually, you can also use the phonetic transciber, one of the tools I've recently inserted in the blog.
Bye for now,
Ana


I've added a link to Ana's blog under the section "Interesting Blogs" so that you can enter it and practice with all the exercises she's posted there.

I really think it can help you improve your pronunciation and understanding of the English language in an amusing way.

So, mates, have fun and see you soon!

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Bus' buzz


Hi dear students!

At Maika's request, here you are a couple of links with extra practice for sounds /s/ and /z/:

http://www.inglesmundial.com/B7/pronunciation.htm

http://www.english-zone.com/convo/pron-s1.html

See you!

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Important Information

Hello everybody! Your classmate "DVD" from group B2-A has left this comment for you in our blog:

Hello Leticia and the other students! I´m a student of basic "a" and I just want to tell you that i´ve found some important files that may help us. For example, for the people who wants it, I have the book "Girl On a Motorcycle" in .pdf to print or just to read on the PC. I also have visual dictionaries and other books to read that are so interesting. If you think that is a good idea to give it to you and share with the other students, just tell me and i will send it all to your e-mail. See you in class Leticia!

Thank you very much for your information!

I will try to bring the classlist you did (with your personal information) so that you have your classmates' emails and you can send them all the files you've found.

See you in class!

Sunday 19 October 2008

Playing with sounds

Dear students:

Click HEREto practice the sounds of English

See you!
Leticia

Tuesday 7 October 2008

TIPS TO LEARN ENGLISH

What type of learner are you? Are there any tips to learn English better depending on your learning styles?

Students from Básico 2 have the answer to these questions... Just read the comments below!

Wednesday 1 October 2008


Dear Students

Welcome to your new class!

Here you are some links related to el Portfolio Europeo de las Lenguas just in case you are interested in this optional activity.

Click here to learn more about this project.

Click here to download it and start using it. Go to "Portfolio Adultos" at the end of the page.

See you soon!

Friday 4 July 2008

INDEPENDENCE DAY


Hi everyone!

Here you are a wikipedia article on the fourth of July and Independence Day celebrations.

Have fun wherever you are!

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer. Whether John Hancock, as the elected President of the Second Continental Congress, or anyone else signed the document that day is unknown, because that document has been lost — presumably destroyed in the printing process.[1] Hancock's name and that of a witness do appear on the typeset broadside that was published within a few days. On August 2 in the following month, an engrossed document in script form[2] was signed by Hancock and other delegates.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.

Independence Day, the only holiday that celebrates the United States, is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (like the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation's heritage, laws, history, society, and people.

Families often celebrate Independence Day with a picnic or barbecue, and take advantage of the day off and in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem ("The Star-Spangled Banner"), "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", and, regionally, "Yankee Doodle" in northeastern states and "Dixie" in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. Illicit traffic transfers many fireworks from less restrictive states.

Major displays are held in New York on the East River, in Chicago on Lake Michigan, Boston on the Charles River, in St. Louis on the Mississippi River, and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During the annual Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario host one of the world's largest fireworks displays, over the Detroit River, to celebrate both American Independence Day and Canada Day.

While the official observance always falls on July 4th, participation levels may vary dependent upon which day of the week the 4th falls. If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region.

Sunday 15 June 2008

Results


Dear students

I'd like to congratulate you on your exam results.

If you've failed any part, you still have a chance in September. I'll try to post some resources in this blog for you to practice listening. In case of speaking, you know what you have to do... and please feel free to send me any compositions per email if you want to. I'd be also really glad to receive some news about you, your holidays...

If you've passed, I really wish you the best of luck next year!

Take care and have a wonderful summer!

Sunday 1 June 2008

Past Tenses Practice


Hi everyone

Here you are some links to practice grammar on past tenses.

Please don't hesitate to contact me or to leave a comment here in case of doubt ok?

Click HERE to practice the use of Past Simple and Past Continuous

Click HERE to practice Simple Past and Past Perfect

Click HERE for exercises on Past Simple and Present Perfect

Finally, click HERE to practice Past Simple, Past Perfect and Present Perfect.

See you soon!

Friday 30 May 2008

Bunch of Flowers


Dear students

I'd just like to thank you again for your lovely bunch of flowers and the card you've given me.

I've been really moved (=emocionada) by your messages and I'd like to tell you that such feedback is really helpful for me to improve my teaching.

Thank you also for the nice time yesterday having something to drink. Perhaps you could start a Thursday evening English meeting... some beer, nice company and a little bit of English, sounds like fun!

I'll post some exercises to revise verbal tenses at the weekend ok?

Thanks again and see you in a week.
Leticia.

Thursday 29 May 2008

Last Day


Dear students

Today is our last day in class...

I've just posted this entry to tell you that I've enjoyed this year a lot and I'm very grateful because I've learned many things from you as well.

You know you can contact me per email just in case you have doubts or questions before your final test.

Here you are some exam tips.
Best of luck!

SOME ADVICE FOR EXAMS

Writing exams is sometimes a problem for students, but there are some suggestions which can help students to make better exams.

Before the exam, check the time and place of the exam to be punctual and sleep and eat well. And don’t drink too much alcohol the day before, that’s the worst thing you can do before an exam!

During the exam, read everything first, underlining important words and the instructions. Many students feel initially that they cannot answer any questions adequately, but this is a common reaction. In this point, relax is very important. Then, the order to answer the questions is: easy, favourite and, finally, difficult. Another advice is to answer all the questions because the first 50% of marks are easier to obtain than the next 50%.

A very important point is to plan the answer. Perhaps you think it is stupid, but don’t forget to read the instructions carefully! Use about 10 minutes to plan the words and sentences to answer the questions. Think: ‘is the answer logically explained?’ and ‘am I answering to all important points?’

When you write your answers, check the language you are using. Did you forget to write any subject (for example, ‘it’)? Did you forget the famous third-person ‘s’? Is the word order in your sentence good? Are you sure about the spelling of a particular word? A language exam is not a honesty exam and you will not be penalised if you tell the examiners that you are twenty-nine years old because your don’t know how to say or write thirty.

If you have to do a multiple-choice exercise (a, b, c or d) don’t forget that examiners can choose the same letter successively for the correct answer. Many students start to feel confused and worried and they choose another letter. Don’t do that! Your comprehension is more important than the order of letters. If the multiple-choice exercise is based on a text, don’t choose and option just because the same word appears in the question and in the text. This type of exercise is used to check your comprehension of ideas, not of single words.

Be relaxed in the speaking exam. The questions and topics you have to speak about are normally based on you and on the activities you have done in your course. Meet your oral exam partner to speak about the topics you've covered in class. And of course, make sure you understand your examiner’s instructions well. If not, you can always ask for clarifications!

The most important thing in the listening test is concentration. Read the options and instructions carefully. Examiners sometimes give options which match more or less the information from the recording. For example, a person says that she is going to be late for the meeting and the question is: T/F Finally, she was late for the meeting. What would you answer?

Monday 26 May 2008

One of the Lads

Hi everyone

Tomorrow we will deal with your last story from Frozen Pizza, so here you are a review about One of the Lads by Mariló from group L

The title of this story is ‘One of the Lads’ and it suggests a story about a gang of young boys who study in the same school.


The story is about Luke Thomas, a Chelsea supporter who belongs to a gang of troublemakers: Luke himself, Big Dave, Mick, Gerry and Steve.

Luke copies the rest of the gang so completely that his teachers and his parents believe that he is the same as the others. None of them pass any exams so they leave school without any qualifications, but Luke decides that he wants to be a carpenter and so his new teachers and his parents are very pleased and proud of his work. However he can’t share out this feeling with the gang because “the lads”, as they call themselves, only think and talk about fights.

One day, they decide to visit Amsterdam and watch England - Holland, and this day everything changes for Luke. He decides to go back home and accept a job from a handmade furniture company. He hadn’t said yes yet because I had known that the lads wouldn’t agree to it.

As regards the story's linguistic interest, the author‘s style is informal. She uses everyday words in the dialogues and a lot of adjectives in descriptions, for example: “Dave put his glass down firmly on the table that was damp with spilt beer”.

Some new words I’ve learnt from the story are:

  • Verbs: mutter (murmurar), swear (jurar), nodded (asentir con la cabeza).
  • Noun: crowd (tumulto).

I like this story very much because it’s about a teenager who decides to change the things that doesn’t like in his life and abandon the gang.

I recommend this book to all type of persons that think that changing their lives is very difficult

Friday 23 May 2008

Role Play

Dear Students:

Please have a look at the following youtube links to listen to some advice as to what to do and what no to do in your role play task.

The type of exam they're talking about is not exactly the same as your interaction task and it all seems quite old fashioned, but in my opinion it's quite easy to understand these women, so at least you can practice some listening.

Have a nice weekend!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa9lU4KJ26Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCfyLOvNbok&feature=related

Saturday 17 May 2008

Relatively Speaking

Dear Students:

I've gathered some links which contain exercices on relative clauses just in case you need further practice.

Click here to work on defining and non-defining relative clause distinction.

Click here to work on non-defining relative clauses only.

Click here to work on pronouns 'who', 'which' and 'that'.

Click here to work on relative pronoun omission.

Click here for more exercises on relative pronoun omission.

Click here to take a short test on everything.

Have a nice weekend!

Wednesday 7 May 2008

The Old Oak Bowl


Hi everyone

As you may already know, the next story you have to read is 'The Old Oak Bowl'

Jose María from group L has written the following review, so I hope it will help you with your reading...

The story I’ve written about is “The old oak bowl”. It’s about an English man called Robert Walker who is a history schoolteacher. He is old, and his life is a bit boring. Robert thinks that people have to behave properly all the time. This is the reason why he doesn’t say his opinions about some topics. For example, he firmly believes that English people are only the people who have English ancestors.


In the story, we can see how he thinks and how he acts in different situations. His favourite hobby is to restore old wooden pieces. In fact, although he restores a lot of other people’s objects, he doesn’t accept any money and only says “it’s just my little hobby”. In one of these cases, a woman gave him an old oak bowl from about the thirteenth century, and Robert fell in love with it.

That night he had a dream. There was a monk with the bowl. It contained some herbs and the monk was speaking a strange language. When he told his dream to another history teacher, the teacher told him that the language the monk was speaking was probably French, because in 1066 there was a Norman invasion and a lot of foreigners arrived to England. Moreover, he told Robert that “Robert” is a Flemish name. Robert couldn’t accept it, because it contradicted his strong beliefs. But the following week, he took some books from the library and investigated about it. It was true! He couldn’t believe it! After this discovery, he continued reading a lot and he finally had to accept it. Most of the English people were, in fact, “foreigners”. This changed the way he saw things, and he asked himself if it was time to retire and spend his time restoring old wooden objects.

In my opinion, it is a good story because it shows the main character’s personality very well and his beliefs about an actual and controversial topic: immigration. It shows us different points of view about it and I think this is a very good thing. The language is not very difficult and it can be easily understood. In conclusion, I recommend you to read this story.

Thursday 1 May 2008

Spanish for your Nanny

Dear students

Who says language teachers are not socially commited? Here you are an example of how a Spanish teacher fights the typical attitude of high society women...

Have fun and a nice bank holiday too!

(Thanks to Eloísa for this video. More sketches in www.monkeywithashotgun.com)

Monday 28 April 2008

Frozen Pizza


Hi everybody

I hope you had time to read the short story Frozen Pizza. If not, this great review by Carolina (group L) will help you for sure.

I’m going to write about one of the stories I read: “Frozen Pizza”. When I read the title of the story I couldn’t imagine what the chapter was about. I thought that it was only about junk food. But at the end I realised that there was an important thing in that story: the family.

In the story there is a young man who went to England to improve his English. He thought that living in a family would help him improve his English, but when he arrived at the house he saw that he should have stayed at university. The family was very strange. They didn’t talk to each other and they didn’t even meet up for dinner. The next day the young man went to the university housing office and he moved out because he didn’t like them. But the woman who lived in the house didn’t understand why.

The author’s style is informal and easy. I hardly used the dictionary. Moreover, the story is interesting and funny and I liked it very much. I liked the situation in the bedroom and in the kitchen with the woman, it’s fantastic! Poor young man!

As regards this story’s linguistic interest, I’ve learned some new words such as “stencil” which the woman explains to the young man. She tells him: “It’s like a thick piece of paper with shapes cut out and you stick it on the wall and paint inside the shapes”. The sentence that grabbed my attention is at the end of the story: “Unsuitable, except for independent teenagers. Note: no conversation practice, no home meal, frozen pizza” In my opinion, that sentence sums up the story perfectly.

I liked the story because that could happen. I have some friends that had a similar experience abroad. The other stories in the book are interesting too, although I didn’t like all of them. I think that some of them are boring.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to people who want to improve their English because the language is easy and colloquial.

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Pineapple Radio


Hello dear students!

I'd really like to encourage you to listen to this funny and dynamic radio interview about money by Fátima, Ángela and Paula from group J.

Saturday 19 April 2008

Learning to Speak on the Phone

Hi everyone

While I try to solve the problems I'm having to post your partner's interview, you can have a look at the following pedagogic video about learning to speak American English on the phone.

Have a nice weekend!

Friday 4 April 2008

Who says Spaniards can't speak good English?


Hello you all

Some days ago a person recommended this video in an educational forum. I liked it a lot and I think it can be useful for you to practice question formation.

The Spanish genius in the video needs no introductions, just watch him and enjoy.

Have a nice weekend!

Friday 28 March 2008

Burials in the Moon!


Hi everybody!

Here you are a BBC video about a new invention: moon burials. Do you know what a 'burial' is? Click here to find out.

This video is not related to what we are currently doing in class, but the point is that you can listen to both British and North American speakers of English, so I think it can be interesting for you...

There are 4 speakers: the commentator,Charles Chafer and two people in the street. Who speaks Britsh? who speaks American English? Give it a try!


Thursday 20 March 2008

Easter Traditions in English-Speaking Countries



Hi!

I hope you're having a nice holiday! Here you are an excerpt from the Wikipedia about non-religious Easter traditions in English-speaking countries just in case you desperately miss our class and need some activities in English... :)

Some words are clickable, so that you can see what they mean.

As with many other Christian dates, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origins, it has been a time of celebration and feasting. Today it is commercially important and there are wide sales of greeting cards and confectionery such as chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, Peeps, and jelly beans.

In North America, Australia and parts of the UK, the Easter holiday has been partially secularized, so that some families participate only in non-religious traditions such as decorating Easter eggs on Saturday evening and hunting for them Sunday morning, by which time they have been mysteriously hidden all over the house and garden. Chocolate eggs have largely supplanted decorated eggs in Australia.

In North America, eggs are delivered and hidden by the Easter Bunny in an Easter basket which children find waiting for them when they wake up. Many families in America will attend Sunday Mass or services in the morning and then participate in a feast or party in the afternoon.

In the UK children still paint coloured eggs, but most British people simply exchange chocolate eggs on the Sunday. Chocolate Easter Bunnies can be found in shops, but the idea is considered primarily a US import.

Many families have a traditional Sunday roast, particularly roast lamb, and eat foods like Simnel cake, a fruit cake with eleven marzipan balls representing the eleven apostles. Hot cross buns, spiced buns with a cross on top, are traditionally associated with Good Friday, but today are eaten through Holy Week and the Easter period. In the north of England and the north of Ireland, the tradition of rolling decorated eggs down steep hills is still adhere
d to.

Friday 14 March 2008

About Houses


Hi everyone!

Would you like to practice some reading?

Here you are a text I found at www.britishcouncil.org about houses, techonology and environment. I think it's quite interesting and you can also do some activities on the text here


ENERGY SAVING HOMES FOR EVERYONE
Energy-saving homes are no longer just a high-priced hope for the future. A housing project just outside of London is showing that technological housing can be built to help the general population and the world's environment.

HOW DOES THE PROYECT WORK?
he Ecopark project has built 39 houses that use a selection of energy-saving technological fixtures and fittings. None of these are brand new inventions - many of them have been around for some time but have often been considered too expensive. This project proves that times have changed; saving energy is no longer just for the wealthy who can afford futuristic homes. When these simple devices are used together, in everyday housing, the result is modern energy-saving homes that most can afford.

HOW IS THE ENERGY SAVED?
Each house will save energy by creating its own power through solar collectors, which use the sun's energy to heat water. Under-floor heating offers a more cost-effective source of warmth. Low flush toilets and spray taps save water. Sunrooms provide spaces that are lit and heated by the sun's energy. Rooms are painted with water-based paints (rather than oil-based paints that are a drain on the Earth's natural resources). Non-drinking water for washing is recycled for flushing. These will save energy; just as importantly, they will save money through lower water and electricity bills.

SHOWING US HOW
So that people can see how the energy-saving technology works, the project includes a Naked House. This is part of the site's visitor centre. Built with see-through walls and cut-away sections, this offers visitors the chance to see each device in action.

The visitors' Centre is open to the general public and bookings can be made at http://www.gallionsecopark.co.uk.

WHY BUILD ENERGY-SAVING HOMES?
Energy-saving is more important today that it ever was. The Earth's own natural resources are slowly reducing year by year; meanwhile, the population is growing. Projects like this are vital if we are to sustain our living standards and the planet we live on.

WHAT NEXT?
Ecopark shows us that innovation is part of everyday life - that inventions are not dreams for the future. This project proves that energy-saving can work in everyday housing. Today, it's a new idea; tomorrow it could be the standard way to build every home.

Saturday 8 March 2008

IKEA


Hi everybody!

Do you remember the listening exercise we couldn't do last Thursday? Well, here you are the recording.

After you listen to it... do you feel more identified with Gillian or with Sue?



Have a nice weekend!

Monday 3 March 2008

Interviews on mobile phones


Hi everyone!

Your classmates from group J and L have already recorded their interviews about mobile phones, so have a look (or rather an ear) at them:

Susana and Jorge:


Helena and Ángel:

Wednesday 13 February 2008

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse. British, 24. Winner of 5 Grammy Awards. Some people think she doesn't deserve it. Here you are her hit Rehab (colloquial for rehabilitation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD5sahXoj0U



Amy Winehouse - Rehab lyrics

Friday 8 February 2008

Jack Brown

This is the story of Jack Brown. For more information you can visit his webpage:
www.jackbrownappeal.org

Friday 1 February 2008

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL


Hi everybody!

Perhaps some of you like carnival celebrations and have planned some funny costumes for this weekend.

Here you are some information and a video about the biggest carnnival celebration in London: Notting Hill carnival. Unlike our carnival party Notting Hill takes place in August which is, in my opinion, a perfect time to dress up as whatever you like.

Have fun whether with or without fancy dresses!

The Notting Hill Carnival is an explosion of fun and culture. Nowadays, every year at the end of August up to two million people pass through the streets of west London. It is one of Europe’s largest festivals.

This festival was created by Caribbean immigrants in the 1950’s to bring peace after extremely violent situations. The Carnival helped transform negativity and today all nationalities live in harmony in the Notting Hill area.

Notting Hill Carnival officially starts on Saturday 27th with the national music competition ‘Panorama’. Sunday is traditionally the kids Carnival and on Carnival Monday people celebrate this festival on the streets of West London until 9 pm. Then, the party continues at night in clubs and bars throughout London.

The most important elements in Notting Hill Carnival are costumes and music. People hear and dance Calypso, Soca, the Static Sound Systems, the Masquerade bands and Steelpan.



Monday 28 January 2008

Saint Thomas Aquinas



Hello you all.

Here you are an excerpt from the Wikipedia about Saint Thomas Aquinas:

Thomas Aquinas, O.P.(also Saint Thomas Aquinas, Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino; c. 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Catholic priest in the Dominican Order, a philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Universalis and Doctor Communis. He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of the Thomistic school of philosophy and theology.

Aquinas is held in the Catholic Church to be the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood (Code of Canon Law, Can. 252, §3). The works for which he is best-known are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles. One of the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is considered by many Catholics to be the Catholic Church's greatest theologian and philosopher. Consequently, many institutions of learning have been named after him.


You can read the complete article here

Have a nice day!

PS: the picture is by Fra Angelico

Wednesday 23 January 2008

'Money' by Olga and Carolina

Hi everybody:

Here you are the interview about money by Carolina and Olga from group L.

Enjoy it!

Sunday 20 January 2008

School Admission 'Law Broken'

Hi everybody:

I haven't been able to record and upload the video I told you last Thursday (although I have already gathered some other interesting materials)

But at least, here you are the audio recording:



Have a nice sunny Sunday!

Sunday 13 January 2008

HAN WKND!


Hi everyone

I found our dicussions and surveys about mobile phones last Thursday really interesting.

To sum up, we found out that:
- the most popular mobile make was Nokia
- the most annoying habit among mobile phone users was speaking too loud and too much in public places.

Now, here you are some information in case you'd like to learn more about mobile phones. It has been adapted from www.learnenglish.org.uk which is a didactic webpage linked to the British Council for learners and teachers of English.

MOBILE PHONES

When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances almost as clearly as if they were in the same room. Over the last two decades a new means of spoken communication has emerged: the mobile phone.

The modern mobile phone is a complex version of the walkie-talkie. In the 1940s, researchers experimented with using radio masts to pick up signals. (Scientists referred to each mast’s reception area as being a separate “cell”; this is why in many countries mobile phones are called “cell phones”.) However, 1940s technology was very primitive, and the “telephones” were enormous boxes which had to be transported by car.

The first mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper. When his invention was complete, he tested it by calling a rival scientist to announce his success. Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public. In Britain the mobile phone quickly became synonymous with the “yuppie”.

But in the mid-90s, cheaper handsets and cheaper prices meant that everyone could have a mobile phone. And the giant plastic bricks of the 80s had evolved into little objects. In every pub and restaurant you could hear the buzz of mobiles ringing and registering messages, also with primitive versions of the latest pop songs.

Younger readers will be amazed to know that, not long ago, people made spoken arrangements to meet at a certain place at a certain time. Somewhere around the new millennium, this practice disappeared. Meeting times became approximate, subject to change at any moment under the new means of communication: the Short Message Service (SMS). Going to be late? Send a text message! It takes less effort than arriving on time.

Like email before it, the text message has altered the way we write in English. The160-character limit has led to a new version of English for fast and instantaneous communication. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important when you’re sitting on the bus, hurriedly typing “Will B 15min late - C U @ the bar. Sorry! :-)”.

Mobile phones are now vital for people. Mobiles have become more and more advanced, with cameras and internet. And in the next couple of years, we can expect to see the arrival of the “third generation” of mobile phones: powerful micro-computers with broadband internet access, TV, internet files and video clips.

Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed if he could see how far the science of telephony has progressed in less than 150 years. If he were around today, he might say: “That’s gr8! But I’m v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite.”


To finish, here you are the most common abbreviations in English (so that you can find out what this post's title means):
GR8 Great
C u l8r See you later
BBFN Bye bye for now
KIT Keep in touch
THNQ Thank you
XLENT Excellent
LOL Lots of laugh
@ At
B Be
B4 Before
HAND Have a nice day
ILUVU I love you
PCM Please call me
PPL People
RU Are you?
SOM1 Someone
WANT Want to
WKND Weekend
X Kiss
XOXOX Hugs and kisses
2DAY Today
2MORO Tomorrow
2NITE Tonight
4 For

Wednesday 9 January 2008

'Anecdotes' by Nuria and Virginia


Hello you all!

First of all Happy New Year and welcome back to our English class life. I hope you had a great Christmas time and if not, be glad at least that it's already over.

Here you are Virgina and Nuria(group L)telling each other some interesting anecdotes. Enjoy them!