Ana Bueno - E.O.I. Basic Level 2: 2013

Latest posts

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Some studying tips... FOR THE WHOLE YEAR!

Hi there!

Now that the exams are round the corner, here I leave you with some tips that will help you learn better. Hope you find them useful!
  • Don't overdo it: studying 15-30 minutes per day is more effective than studying 2 hours once every week.
  • For a whole week, try studying 15-30 minutes each day. Not less. And definitively not more than that (even if you could).
  • You will see that the following day, studying is much more fun, simply because you didn't push it to the limit the day before.

Monday 2 December 2013

The 50 most common spelling mistakes

While the Spanish strive to learn English... Cambridge University reveals the 50 most common spelling mistakes we make. See if you can find them!

ESQUIRE | 06 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2013

wich
confortable
becouse
accomodation
posible
belive
diferent
bycicle
enviroment
beatiful
recomend
begining
reponsability
demostration
recived
oportunity
advertisment
untill
ruber
bussiness
succesful
adress
nowdays
necesary
enought
tipical
hellow
embrrasing
reponsabilities
responsable
recieved
decission
bougth
arround
whith
se
recive
goverment
bussines
polution
dificult
posibility
nervious
imposible
diferents
comunication
coffe
whises
whe
possitive 

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Choosing a topic for your oral presentation

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B.2.1)
Hi there!

For next Monday (11th November) you have to prepare your first oral presentation. I have given you the choice to talk about any topic you want, but... how do you decide what to talk about?

Normally, students choose the topics based on one of the following criteria:

  • They talk about what they think the teacher wants to hear.
  • They choose topics that they perceive as easy.
  • They choose a topic that inspires or excites them.
In my view, the best results happen when the students choose the third option: they are inspired by the topic.

The truth about your presentation is that if it doesn't excite you, it won't excite your listeners. If you're not fascinated by the content, your insights will be mechanical and unattached. Plus, you'll lose motivation along the way.

So, the next time you ask yourself, "How do I decide what to talk/write about?", start with what inspires you and build from there.

Adapted from www.eslbasics.com

Monday 4 November 2013

Readings C1 (2013-2014)

This entry corresponds to C1
Here you have the Set Readings for this year.
Since all the books are original, it doesn't matter if you buy a different edition. That is, the cover doesn't have to be the same one I have shown you.


Readings Advanced Level 1 (2013-2014)

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B.2.1)
Here you have the Set Readings for this year.

Since the books for the 2nd and 3rd terms are original, it doesn't matter if you buy a different edition. That is, you don't need to have the same cover (portada) that I have shown you.

Set Readings Avanzado 1 by ana_uk877884

Health; going to the doctor's; good stress; present perfect simple vs. continuous

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B2.1)
Hi there!

These days we've been talking about health and eating habits. In one of the first sessions we discussed whether milk was good for the body or not . Here I post the video in case you may want to watch it again. If you open it directly on YouTube remember that you can activate subtitles. However, remember that they are computer-generated, so you may find many mistakes. Still, they are still helpful to follow the main ideas.






We've also talked about going to the doctor's, and we've learnt plenty of vocabulary related to illnesses and symptoms. Below you have two listening exercises about talking to a doctor:


You might find them rather easy, as they are from the Intermediate level, but still they're good for practice.

We also discussed whether stress was good for you. Well, apparently it is! Check out the video below!



About grammar, we've been revising the differences between the present perfect simple and continuous. Here you have quite a completely summary about when to use each:


Taken from www.ego4u.com
You can practise doing the exercises below:


And that is all for the moment!

Ana.

Sunday 3 November 2013

Language, culture and identity; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This entry corresponds to level C1
Hi there!

In these weeks we've mainly been talking about culture and identity, and we've discussed identity icons that define us, our country, or other countries.

In one session we also talked about the relationship between language and identity, and in that sense I'd like you to know a little bit about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which holds that the structure of a language affects the perceptions of reality of its speakers and thus influences their thought patterns and worldviews.

Please, check the video below (it's only 6 minutes; the remaining 2 are for credits). If you open it on YouTube, you can activate the option of "subtitles". As you know, those subtitles are computer-generated, so you're going to find many mistakes. However, they can still help you to follow the main ideas.






In Unit 3 we've started talking about relationships, and I've asked you to read the short story "Imitations", by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

She's an Igbo writer from Nigeria. She has been labeled as the most prominent of a procession of acclaimed young anglophone authors that has succeeded in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. Since she's settled in the US, some of her stories also show the cultural clash between the Western and African views of the world.

Listen to her on this very interesting talk about the power of stories. You'll find her extremely easy to understand due to her crystal-clear diction and her outstanding communicative skills.



If you want to read a little bit more about her life, and her writing career, check the document below. You can also visit her official website here. I strongly recommend you to read something else by her.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie by ana_uk877884



For Tuesday, remember you have to record a video about a day in your lives; on Thursday you have to hand in the second writing of the term.

Have a great Sunday!
Ana.

Thursday 24 October 2013

On public speaking

Hi there,

I've just come across this article on "public speaking", which is -fortunately- becoming an important matter for educationalists in Spain.

Why is "public speaking" taught in British schools but not in Spanish ones? What are the consequences of this? Read the article to find out...

¿Por qué los colegios ingleses enseñan oratoria y los españoles no?




Monday 14 October 2013

Want to stretch your English writing skills?

If you want to improve your writing skills, try one of these fun writing activities!

  1. Write a story that is made up of 26 sentences, where each sentence begins with a different letter of the alphabet. The first sentence will start with “A”, the second sentence will start with “B”, and so on.
  2. Practice using the common suffix “-ion” by writing a paragraph that includes at least 15 words that end in “-ion”.
  3. Write a sentence that contains no nouns.
  4. Write a sentence that contains four nouns, three verbs, two adjectives, and one adverb.
  5. Write a sentence in which each word only has one vowel in it.
  6. Write a sentence that contains every letter of the alphabet at least once.
  7. Write the longest sentence that you can – without using the letter “e”.
  8. Write a paragraph about your most valued possession, using as many possessive pronouns as possible (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, and theirs).
  9. Write a dialogue between two people with as many questions as possible.
  10. Write down the lyrics of one of your favorite songs. Then use formal English formatting and language to transform those lyrics into a business letter.
Taken from ESL Basics

Friday 11 October 2013

New blog!

For all of you who were following this blog, please visit the new version at www.anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com

Make sure you visit the section called: "How to use this blog".

You can register by e-mail entering your address on the box on the right. That way you will receive all the updates and new posts on your e-mail account.

Thank you!


New blog!

For all of you who were following this blog, please visit the new version at www.anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com

Make sure you visit the section called: "How to use this blog".

You can register by e-mail entering your address on the box on the right. That way you will receive all the updates and new posts on your e-mail account.

Thank you!


Thursday 10 October 2013

Emphatic structures; Oklahoma tornado; stereotypes; Lonely Planet

Hi there!

You might not believe it, but we've nearly had a month of lessons already!

Today I post our first entry in the blog. I'll regularly try to post a brief summary of what we've been doing in the lessons but, most importantly, I'll publish extra material with which you can practise at home and expand what we do in class.

We've already finished Unit 1 about cities, and now we've just started Unit 2, on culture and identity. We've learnt plenty of vocabulary, and we've also revised perfect tenses and emphatic structures. If you want more information on the latter, please check this link.


In Unit 1 we watched a video about recovery after a natural disaster. I post it below in case you might want to watch it again:




We also had a session on urban legends. Check the video below about the 25 most popular urban legends still being told!



In Unit 2 we've already done some interesting activities on stereotypes and the relationship between language, culture and identity.

Here I post a video about how Madrid is described in the Lonely Planet guide. Do you agree with the image given of the Spanish capital city?





Have a great weekend and see you on Tuesday!

How to get your point across in Spain

Hi there,

I've just found this very interesting article on how we communicate in Spain. I believe the writer manages to capture many of our cultural features, and how we display them in communication... or doesn't he?

How to get your point across in Spain


What do you think of the image given of the Spanish? Do you agree with the way we are portrayed? Feel free to post a comment below!

Revision of tenses; personality adjectives; relationships

Hi everyone!

Here you have the first entry of the year! I'll regularly post a summary of what we've done in class but, most importantly, I'll also post extra material to consolidate and to expand what we do in the lessons.

We've already advanced quite a lot and are almost finishing Unit 1! These days we've been revising tenses, question formation and auxiliaries. As for vocabulary, we've talked about relationships and also personality.

If you want to continue revising English tenses, try the following exercises online:

  • Revision of tenses 1: here you have exercises with pairs of tenses (present simple vs. present continuous; past simple vs. past continuous; past simple vs. past perfect, etc).

Below you have some other useful personality adjectives!


Finally, here I post two listenings about relationships, and also a video about "how to prepare your relationship for a baby":

  • Video: Click here for some activities before you watch the video. You mainly have vocabulary and expressions. Then watch the video below and take this quiz!


For next Wednesday remember you have to write a composition:

How has my life changed in the last 10 years? Include aspects related to:

  • Appearance
  • Personality
  • Work or Studies
  • Hobbies
  • Family & friends
250 words; Times New Roman, 12; 1.5 interlining; deadline 16th Oct 23.59h


Have a nice weekend and see you on Monday!
Ana.

Monday 7 October 2013

42 Idiom Origins

If you are a "word nerd", check out the following video: the origin of 42 idioms explained in under 10 minutes!



Saturday 5 October 2013

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

I've finally set the blog in motion again! :) Make sure you check the section "How to use this blog" to make the most of it!

I intend to make this blog a place where we can all communicate and share ideas, impressions and materials that may be useful for all of us. Apart from that, we'll try to keep a record of what we do in class every week.

In the following days I'll publish the first entry with a summary of what we've been doing in the first weeks of the course.

Welcome aboard, guys! :)

Friday 4 October 2013

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

I've finally set the blog in motion again! :) Make sure you check the section "How to use this blog" to make the most of it!

I intend to make this blog a place where we can all communicate and share ideas, impressions and materials that may be useful for all of us. Apart from that, we'll try to keep a record of what we do in class every week.

In the following days I'll publish the first entry with a summary of what we've been doing in the first weeks of the course.

Welcome aboard, guys! :)

Thursday 3 October 2013

What to do with new vocabulary

Hi there,

Yesterday in class we talked a little bit about what to do with all the vocabulary that comes up in the reading texts and the extra handouts I give you.

From the Advanced Level onwards we still learn some grammar, but basically we'll revise what you already know and we'll mainly focus on your vocabulary to polish and refine your English. Get used to using a highlighter to mark all the new expressions you come upon. After each unit, revise everything you highlighted and copy it to your notebook. That way you'll revise your vocabulary after every unit and studying won't be so hard at the end of the year.

I know it takes time, but believe me, it's really, really worth it, and you'll be more than happy to have that list for the final exam in June. And for all your subsequent years learning English. Take my word :)

Saturday 28 September 2013

The Magic E (pronunciation)

Today I wanted to post two "songs" which are used in schools in English speaking countries to show the pronunciation effect of silent <e> at the end of words. We talked a bit about this in Advanced Level 1 A; I'll comment on it in the CAL group next week.




They're songs for children, I know... But they're rather catchy! And they can help you too! :)







Friday 27 September 2013

Linguistic Exchanges in Almería and Aguadulce

Hi,

Here I post some information that may be of interest to you: linguistic exchanges in Almería (bar "Cátame") and Aguadulce (bar "L'arrivée").

Every week, for free :)


Thursday 26 September 2013

¿Por qué se nos atraganta el inglés?, in ABC

Here I leave you with another item of news published in ABC, entitled "Por qué se nos atraganta el inglés".

http://www.abc.es/sociedad/20130915/abci-atragantados-ingles-201309141744.html

Do you have any comments or opinion? Please, feel free to post below.

"Cero en expresión oral", in ABC

Please, check this newspaper article on the art of public speaking.

http://sociedad.elpais.com/sociedad/2013/09/13/actualidad/1379089531_961683.html

It was published in ABC following Ana Botella's performance to defend Madrid's venue for the Olympics.

Very insightful, indeed.


Wednesday 25 September 2013

How to use www.soziety.com

Hi there!

In this entry I tell you about the website www.soziety.com, where you can practise your oral skills from home and completely for free!

The website works as follows: you select your mother-tongue, the language you want to practise and your current level; the website will then look for your perfect matches. Normally, you'll talk to English speakers who want to learn Spanish: that way, you do each other a mutual favour. And, by all means, you can practise other languages too!

When registering, you can chose your preferred mode to talk: by phone, skype or google voice.

Go to the website and click on "Apply for an invitation". You will be re-directed to this page where you have to include your details:





Once you fill everything in, you'll be sent an invitation and you'll be able to access the platform.


Happy speaking! :)

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Learn a phrasal verb a day!

Good afternoon!

Having trouble with phrasal verbs? Here I leave you with this link to learn a phrasal verb a day!

Thanks Pepe, from Avanzado 1 CAL for the contribution!

Thursday 18 April 2013

Infinitive or -ing?

Many of you still have problems with verbs followed by infinitive or -ing.

Click here for a revision and here to do an activity online.

Monday 11 February 2013

February: Week 1

Hi everyone,

Last week we finished Unit 6, and started Unit 7 a little bit.

On Tuesday we corrected the photocopy about family and friends, and you discussed some questions in pairs. Apart from those questions, I asked you if you believed that boys and girls could be friends, and just friends.

After that, I told you about a video recorded at Utah State University about this topic ("Why men and women cannot be friends"). It's in English with subtitles in Spanish, so check it out! I'm sure you'll find it very funny :)


On Wednesday and Friday we had your oral presentations. Thank you very much for your effort, and for sharing some important episodes of your life with the rest of your classmates, and with me. It's a real pleasure listening to you :)

On Wednesday we also worked with negative prefixes (prefixes to form opposite words). Click here for an online exercise to praticse a little bit more! And here you have a very good list of adjectives with their corresponding prefix. Very useful! (Note that the adjective "satisfied" can have to opposites: "unsatisfied" and "dissatisfied").

Finally, I wanted to inform you that we've just updated (actualizado) all the useful links in the School's website. Please, find some time to check them and decide which ones work for you. They are clearly organised into different sections, so you can find what you're looking for more easily. Below you have a snapshot (captura de pantalla) of some of them.




You can find all of them on the right, in "Departamento de Inglés", "Recursos en línea de inglés" (the URL address is: http://www.eoiroquetasdemar.org/wp/recursos-en-linea-de-ingles).


See you this afternoon!

Negative prefixes; why men & women can't be friends

Hi everyone,

Last week we finished Unit 6, and started Unit 7 a little bit.

On Tuesday we corrected the photocopy about family and friends, and you discussed some questions in pairs. Apart from those questions, I asked you if you believed that boys and girls could be friends, and just friends.

After that, I told you about a video recorded at Utah State University about this topic ("Why men and women cannot be friends"). It's in English with subtitles in Spanish, so check it out! I'm sure you'll find it very funny :)






On Wednesday and Friday we had your oral presentations. Thank you very much for your effort, and for sharing some important episodes of your life with the rest of your classmates, and with me. It's a real pleasure listening to you :)

On Wednesday we also worked with negative prefixes (prefixes to form opposite words). Click here for an online exercise to praticse a little bit more! And here you have a very good list of adjectives with their corresponding prefix. Very useful! (Note that the adjective "satisfied" can have to opposites: "unsatisfied" and "dissatisfied").

Finally, I wanted to inform you that we've just updated (actualizado) all the useful links in the School's website. Please, find some time to check them and decide which ones work for you. They are clearly organised into different sections, so you can find what you're looking for more easily. Below you have a snapshot (captura de pantalla) of some of them.




You can find all of them on the right, in "Departamento de Inglés", "Recursos en línea de inglés" (the URL address is: http://www.eoiroquetasdemar.org/wp/recursos-en-linea-de-ingles).


See you this afternoon!

February: Week 1

Hi everyone,

Last week we finished Unit 6, and started Unit 7 a little bit.

On Tuesday we corrected the photocopy about family and friends, and you discussed some questions in pairs. Apart from those questions, I asked you if you believed that boys and girls could be friends, and just friends.

After that, I told you about a video recorded at Utah State University about this topic ("Why men and women cannot be friends"). It's in English with subtitles in Spanish, so check it out! I'm sure you'll find it very funny :)


On Wednesday and Friday we had your oral presentations. Thank you very much for your effort, and for sharing some important episodes of your life with the rest of your classmates, and with me. It's a real pleasure listening to you :)

On Wednesday we also worked with negative prefixes (prefixes to form opposite words). Click here for an online exercise to praticse a little bit more! And here you have a very good list of adjectives with their corresponding prefix. Very useful! (Note that the adjective "satisfied" can have to opposites: "unsatisfied" and "dissatisfied").

Finally, I wanted to inform you that we've just updated (actualizado) all the useful links in the School's website. Please, find some time to check them and decide which ones work for you. They are clearly organised into different sections, so you can find what you're looking for more easily. Below you have a snapshot (captura de pantalla) of some of them.




You can find all of them on the right, in "Departamento de Inglés", "Recursos en línea de inglés" (the URL address is: http://www.eoiroquetasdemar.org/wp/recursos-en-linea-de-ingles).


See you this afternoon!

Phrasal verbs; FCE practice

Hi everyone,

Last week we finished Unit 5 and started Unit 6 (only 5ºA). On Tuesday we worked with phrasal verbs (or multi-word verbs). Below I post a mind-map that can help you remember them. The phrasal verbs thereby included are somewhat easy, but what I want you to see is a possible organisation for the new phrasal verbs you learn. Remember that the way you organise your vocabulary is as important as the time you spend studying it.





In this blog entry I also leave you with three exam practice activities.

Finally, I wanted to inform you that we've just updated all the useful links in the School's website. Please, find some time to check them and decide which ones work best for you. They are clearly organised into different sections, so that you can find what you're looking for more easily. Below you have a snapshot of some of them.




You can find all of them on the right-hand bar (columna lateral derecha), "Departamento de Inglés", "recursos en línea de inglés" (The URL address is: http://www.eoiroquetasdemar.org/wp/recursos-en-linea-de-ingles/).

For CAL students, your links have also been updated. Find them in "Departamento de Inglés", "Recursos CAL" (The URL address is http://www.eoiroquetasdemar.org/wp/recursos-c-a-l/)

See you tomorrow in class!

Thursday 7 February 2013

From Roberto Romera, 2ºB

Hi everyone,

Roberto Romera, from 2ºB, has found this extremely useful website for pronunciation: www.forvo.com As you know, you can check the pronunciation of a word in a normal dictionary, but many of them aren't included, for example proper names. In this website you can consult the pronunciation any word. Just make sure you choose the pronunciation is in English! Here I include the word I looked up: "Brussels":



I'm sure you will use this website a lot, for example in your presentations, where you include names that don't appear in the dictionary. Thanks for sharing, Roberto!

In this entry I also post another link that you can use for listening. It has plenty of (many) listening podcasts that you can listen to online, or download to your computer. Click here and check it out!

www.es.forvo.com - thanks to Roberto Romera

Hi everyone,

Roberto Romera, from 2ºB, has found this extremely useful website for pronunciation: www.es.forvo.com. As you know, you can check the pronunciation of a word in a normal dictionary, but many of them aren't included, for example proper names. In this website you can consult the pronunciation any word. Just make sure you choose the pronunciation is in English! Here I include the word I looked up: "Brussels":



I'm sure you will use this website a lot, for example in your presentations, where you include names that don't appear in the dictionary. Thanks for sharing, Roberto!

From Roberto Romera, 2ºB

Hi everyone,

Roberto Romera, from 2ºB, has found this extremely useful website for pronunciation: www.forvo.com As you know, you can check the pronunciation of a word in a normal dictionary, but many of them aren't included, for example proper names. In this website you can consult the pronunciation any word. Just make sure you choose the pronunciation is in English! Here I include the word I looked up: "Brussels":



I'm sure you will use this website a lot, for example in your presentations, where you include names that don't appear in the dictionary. Thanks for sharing, Roberto!

In this entry I also post another link that you can use for listening. It has plenty of (many) listening podcasts that you can listen to online, or download to your computer. Click here and check it out!

Ten characteristics of a good teacher

Hi everyone!

Sonia Sánchez, from Avanzado 1 CAL, has sent me this article entitled "Ten Characteristics of a Good Teacher", by Patricia Miller. It is particularly interesting for the CAL group, but those in the ordinary group can obviously read it too. Really insightful!

Saturday 2 February 2013

Wikileaks; Bowling for Columbine; Sicko; Gandhi quotes

Hi everyone!

Last week we continued with Unit 5 and we've practically finished it by now.

On Tuesday we talked about Wikileaks (Unit 5.3. in your books). Click here for a newspaper article from The Guardian in which Assange, the founder of the website, criticises and attacks the new WikiLeaks film which is to be released shortly.





For the students in 5º CAL,  here I leave you with the link to the CLIL (AICLE in Spanish) materials I showed you in class. I hope you find them helpful and manage to implement them in your classrooms:




On Thursday I gave you back your compositions which, as I said in class, were astoundingly good this time. Congratulations on your work. The example of a problem-solution essay that you had in your books was about "gun control". Below I post the documentary "Bowling for Columbine" (2002), by Michael Moore, which explore the causes for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and other acts of violence with guns. It's veritably insightful (rated with an 8,0 in IMDB).

The video is in English with subtitles in Spanish:



There is an even more interesting documentary by Michael Moore about the American health system (rated with an 8,1 in IMDB). It is entitled "Sicko", a wordplay between the words "sick" and "psycho". I strongly recommend you to watch it, as it offers a comprehensive overview of how the health system currently functions in the US. You can watch it online by clicking on the link below:

http://www.documentarywire.com/sicko

And, finally, here I leave you with some famous Gandhi quotes. As  you know, the 30th of January is the International Day of Peace, a date which was precisely chosen to commemorate Gandhi's death. We had some time to work with them in 5ºCAL, but not in 5ºA, so here you have them:

For homework, remember to do the Grammar Bank corresponding to the passive voice (Unit 5.2.) and the section devoted to phrasal verbs/multi-word verbs.

Enjoy your weekend :)

Ana.

Sunday 27 January 2013

New website in the School!


Hi again,

I'm writing now to inform you that we have completely updated the School's website. If you haven't checked it already, please do. Now we believe it is much more intuitive and user-friendly than it was before. There is still some information that needs to be uploaded, but we're already working on it :)




New website in the School!


Hi again,

I'm writing now to inform you that we have completely updated the School's website. If you haven't checked it already, please do. Now we believe it is much more intuitive and user-friendly than it was before. There is still some information that needs to be uploaded, but we're already working on it :)




Units 4 and 5; Useful links

Hi there!

As they say in English... better late than never! :)

In this entry I leave you with some online activities to revise what we do in class, and also some websites that can especially help you with your listening.

When we came back from Christmas we finished Unit 4, where we talked about films, music and TV. About grammar, we learnt how to use the Present Perfect. Here you have a text about Loch Ness that you have to complete using this this tense. Check it out!

And here you have three tests where you can revise the present perfect:

In Unit 5 we've talked about the future (predictions and plans), and we have learnt how to use will, may, might and be going to. Please, revise all the exercises we have done in class, and also do your workbook. Thank you.

USEFUL LINKS

I wanted to tell you that I have just found a very useful website with videos adapted to our level. Here I leave you the first video of the series. I'm sure you can understand a lot!! And, of course, you can continue with the next videos at home!



If you like learning English with songs, there is a website called www.subingles.com. There you can listen to lots of songs with the lyrics in front of you and, besides, many of them also have online activities! You have different songs classified according to their level of difficulty:


When you click on a song, it starts playing and the website also suggests other subtitled songs by the same artist. You also have the possibility of listening to songs with activities.


And, finally, I leave you with another website called www.esl-lab.com, where you can do lots of different listenings. You can choose the type of activity you want (questions or filling gaps), and you have the transcription as well. Very useful!! :)

I hope you've had a very nice weekend, and I'll see you tomorrow in class!
Ana.

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