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.

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!

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.

• Reading Part 2: place the sentences in the correct gap.
• Use of English Part 3: word-formation
• Listening Part 2: open answer

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!

Idioms; FCE exam practice

Hi everyone!

Happy New Year!! I hope you've all started 2013 in high spirits, full of energy and eager to launch new projects! Since it's a fresh new year, here you have some idioms about new beginnings!

I take it for granted that you've taken advantage of these days to read Starting Over. It's true that the vocabulary is pretty colloquial and idiomatic at the beginning, but don't despair. Remember that you are reading the book for general meaning (that's called 'extensive reading'), so you don't have to look up every single word in the dictionary (but you can if you want to, by all means!). Besides, once you get used to Parsons's writing style, the reading is a lot smoother, and the vocabulary becomes increasingly easier.

I'm confident you've also been busy completing the vocabulary unit about transport and travelling, and writing the composition (remember this one has to be between 125 and 150 words!). Please, have everything ready for the 8th January (the deadline of the composition is extended till 23.59h).

Apart from that, with the advent of the New Year I also wanted to provide you with some exam practice material for you to do at home. If you can't get round to doing it these days, that's fine, but make sure you do it as soon as you find a window (hueco).

• Reading Part 1 (Multiple choice): "Social networks"

• Use of English Part 2 (gap-filling): "The Goulburn Valley"

• Listening Part 1 (8 conversations, multiple choice)

Finally, I wanted to inform you that we have completely updated the School's website. If you haven't checked it in these days, please do. We believe we've made it 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 :)

www.eoiroquetasdemar.org

And that's all for the moment! See you again on the 8th!

Be happy, be good.

FCE Test Practice ONLINE! :)

Hi again,

Looking for materials that some people from 5º CAL had asked me for, especially reading, I have come across a website with several real FCE tests that you can do online (awesome!!).

Because there's quite a lot of material there and I don't want you to feel overwhelmed, I'll regularly make a selection of tests for you to do during the week/weekend, or whenever you manage to put some time aside. Here you have three of them.

• Reading Part 3 (Which person...?): Book reviews

• Use of English Part 1: Fill in the gaps with multiple choice

• Listening Part 3: Match Speakers 1-5 with statements

Apart from that, I have also visited the website of the EOI in Ciudad Real and they have a list of listenings for B2, classified according to topic. The level of these listenings is not very well measured, and the activities are not exactly exam-like, but they can be good for general practice; you can also have access to the transcription. Click here for the link.

If anyone finds any other interesting website on the Internet, please tell me and I'll post it here so that everybody can use it. Remember that what you do at home makes all the difference :) Thank you!

Week 12th - 16th November: reading, videos and Indian cuisine; Skyfall

Hi there!

As usual, here I post a summary of what we did last week along with some other complementary/extra material that you may find useful.

Last week we started Unit 3. We began talking about places and travelling, and discussed some sights that we thought were overrated. I've found a link on the Internet about the "10 most disappointing Attractions in Europe". Check it here!




We also did a listening about an anecdote on an air taxi (funny, yet still terrifying if we had been there!). On the Internet I found a video of a girl who had another "dangerous" situation with a taxi. Click here to watch it.

As promised, in 5ºA we finished with the song "Set fire to the rain". Here I leave you with a live version at the Royal Albert Hall:



On Thursday 5º CAL had normal class, and we eventually got round to doing the activity on the film "Skyfall". Here I leave you the first video, so that you can watch it again at home.



And here you have the interview with Javier Bardem:



During 5ºA's lesson time we attended a presentation by Susen Ahwulalia, a Londoner from Indian descent. It was absolutely superb, and we all learnt a lot about traditions and festivals in India!

Maybe you'd be surprised to know that she's actually an expert in Indian cuisine! If you are interested in cooking, visit her blog and check out a few Indian recipes! (Be careful not to get a "Delhi belly" though! haha).

"Top Ten Beaches in the World" - thanks to Pablo Suárez

Hi everyone,


I hope your week is off to a good start! :)

The other day we talked about places and discussed sights that had lived up to our expectations, sights that hadn't, and also places we felt guilty about not having visited. Pepe (5º CAL) talked about the Cies Islands, and that reminded Pablo of an article by The Guardian entitled "Top Ten Beaches in the World".

Here you have the link.

Check out for number one! :)

Thanks for sharing, Pablo.

Week 5th - 11th November: Child prodigies; Españasmus

Hi! How's the weekend going? I hope you are making the most of it! :)

In this entry you have a brief summary of what we've done in class this week, together with some other interesting material you might find useful. This week we've mainly focused on speaking and listening, although we've done a little bit of grammar as well: like and as and collocations in 5º CAL; expressing opinion in 5º A. (Please, note that I cover the same areas with both groups, but sometimes on different days).

On Tuesday we "played" a funny game where you had to decide who had to jump from the hot air balloon. I can't yet believe some of you even volunteered!! haha. On Thursday we also started with a speaking activity with cards. Some of the questions were rather controversial, and we held a heated debate on some of them.

On Thursday we also discussed the topic of nature (/ˈneɪtʃə(r)/) vs. nurture (/ˈnɜːtʃə/) and we watched a documentary about Vanessa-Mae, a child prodigy with the violin -remember that you can watch it again at home with the CD at the end of your book-.

The other day I watched this video about three brothers who are undoubtedly gifted in instruments as well! "The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys" they're called. Check it out!




Finally, here you have a newspaper article from the magazine "TIME" entitled "The downside of being a child prodigy". Do you agree with what it says?



As for Friday, thanks so much to the people that came. I truly appreciate your attendance :) In both groups we worked in a writing workshop, which we'll finish next Tuesday. Little by little during the year we'll do different types of exercises to help you with the difficult task of writing.

In 5º CAL we worked with a song, and in 5ºA we did an activity about "Skyfall", the last Bond film. I'll post the videos next week, when I've done the two activities in both groups :)

For homework, do the copy about "metaphors" and the FCE reading.

Finally, today I wanted to post this video that a friend shared on Facebook the other day. It's a Vodafone commercial based on how the Spanish get on with the Erasmus students.

 

To be honest, I find the video quite funny, but... isn't it time we broke the stereotype that the Spanish can't learn a foreign language? Please, feel free to post a comment below with your impressions. Thank you!

My Sister's Keeper; cloning food

Hi everyone!

I hope you've had a nice weekend! It's been scorching hot, so maybe some of you have already started to enjoy the beach! :)


On Tuesday we started talking about some questions related with science and then we discussed some moral dilemmas. One of them had to do with modifying embryos so that the born child would be compatible with his/her brother/sister. This reminded me of the film "My sister's keeper" (2009), a film I thoroughly recommend. I post the trailer below for you to decide whether you want to watch it or not!






Someone in Avanzado 1 A was also talking about cloning food to feed the world's population. This reminded me of a piece of news back in February: a scientist in Holland was developing a hamburger in a laboratory!! Click here for the article from BBC News. What do you think of this? Feel free to post your opinion in a comment below!

After that we did the test on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and we corrected the activities we had left in the book.

On Thursday you talked about Feng Shui with Leah. If you want to learn a bit more about it, go to this website called Feng Shui Your Life". In my hour we corrected the copy about "Crime and the law". I know there's a lot of vocabulary there, but it will be a lot less if you organise it properly. Remember:

"Work hard but, most importantly, work smart" :)

Homework: On Tuesday we'll correct the text on Nanotechnology (Module 5) and Thursday is the deadline for your composition: How would a day in my life be if I was a man/a woman? Here I give you an opportunity to explore your originality and sense of humour! :)

See you on Tuesday then!

Conditionals; crime; Jack the Ripper

Hi everyone!

I hope your weekend is off to a good start (nice expression to learn!), although the weather is absolutely miserable!! Let's hope this howling wind goes away soon!

Last week we corrected the unit about "The Natural World". It's a lot of vocabulary, I know, but, remember, take things calmly: sit down, select the words you don't know, copy them in your notebook and check them regularly.


Last week we also started to talk about crime and we learnt some words such as:

On Tuesday we didn't have class because it was a bank holiday, and when we came back on Thursday I gave you back your compositions. I'm very glad to say that I can see a big, big improvement in comparison with the first compositions you sent me. Well done, and keep up the good work, guys. Keep up the good work :)

With Leah you talked about World Book Day and in my hour we corrected the unit about the Conditionals and some exercises which were lagging behind (que se nos habían quedado atrás). If you want to practise a bit more, try doing the following:
Conditionals


This week we also had class on Friday. Thanks once again for all the people that came. I truly, truly appreciate your effort :)

We talked about famous criminals and serial killers, and we focused on Jack the Ripper, who really existed! Below I post some of the newspaper articles that were published after his murders (1888). Really interesting!

We then watched some fragments from the film "From Hell" and with Advanced Level 1 A we also had time to play a game called "Ullaby"... All the suspects were found guilty!! If you're interested in this case, check this website, where you have plenty of information and videos about the mysterious Jack the Ripper.

Have a nice weekend! :)
Ana.

International Day of the Book

Hi again!

As you all know, yesterday was the International Day of the Book.

I've just found this video from the Book Council in New Zealand, whose aim is to promote reading.

Watch it till the end, even if you don't understand what the man is reading. It perfectly shows the magical and unique effect that reading has in our heads :)

Easter holidays

Hi everyone!

Wow, so we've come to the end of the term! I can't believe Easter is already round the corner!!

I hope you've all made the most of these nearly three months of class we've had in the second term, and that you come back after Easter with renewed energy and eager to continue learning and enjoying the lessons :)

I don't know your plans for the Easter holidays, but why don't you find some time to watch films in original version or read? I've told you a hundred times in class, but I repeat it again here: reading is by far the best way to improve one's language, both in Spanish and English! It's scientifically proven that people who read a lot learn easier and faster. It might well be the magic recipe you're all looking for!

The library in the Escuela will start running very soon, and then you'll be able to borrow as many books as you want, preferably in original, unabridged version, of course. Meanwhile, why not read newspapers online? Or e-books? I'm sure many of you already have Kindles or e-book readers!

Talking about reading, click here for an article from the New York Times talking about the benefits of speaking two languages. Let's see if it boosts your motivation a little bit!

Have very nice Easter holidays and see you again on the 10th April!

Week 10: reporting verbs / newspaper articles

Hello everyone!

Last week we finished correcting the handout on Reported Speech and we learnt the use of some reporting verbs. Remember that each verb is different, so you have to learn them separately.

I found this document from the University of Adelaide (Australia), where you have a wide array of verbs classified according to their meaning and whether they're weak, neutral or strong. On the second page they tell you which ones are followed by a preposition, -ing or a that-clause:
Reporting Verbs





After that, we worked with a handout about what to do in awkward social situations. We watched a video where Andrew was offered food and drink he didn't like... but he didn't know what to do! On Thursday we continued working with this and we saw some expressions we could use. Surfing the Internet I've found a short article from the CNN talking about what to do when you can't remember the name of the person you're talking out. Check it out here!

Finally, you had one hour with Leah and you talked about Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I don't know if you watched it on the news, but Friday turned out to be quite a violent day because of some crazy shoppers. Check out this article entitled "Big crowds, big mischief on Black Friday". You also have several videos which show what happened when shops opened.

And that's all for now!

See you tomorrow!

The Statue of Liberty Anniversary - 125 years

Lady Liberty, whose full name is “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was a gift from France to the United States on October 28th 1886, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Independence.

"The statue has evolved in meaning since she first graced our shores 125 years ago," said David Luchsinger, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, in a release. “She began as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States, evolved into a symbol of our great country, and is known today as an international symbol of freedom for people everywhere. This coming Friday is an opportunity to celebrate her complete legacy.”

The Statue of Liberty was of special importance to all the immigrants sailing to the New World during the end of the 19th century. The European ships would arrive in Ellis Island, only a few miles away from the Statue of Liberty. After several months of voyage in extremely poor conditions, with people falling ill and dying around you, the sight of the Statue of Liberty made everyone jump of joy, for it meant the journey was over and a whole world of opportunities was open before your eyes.

Seeing the Statue of Liberty meant leaving behind the famine and the political and religious persecution in Europe; in short, it meant the start of a new life.

(A boy was screaming with joy, "wake up, wake up you can see the Statue of Liberty - you can see the Statue of Liberty"). Picture of a letter by a witness to people arriving at Ellis Island. Picture taken at Liberty Island Museum.

On the day of Lady Liberty's 125th Anniversary, the CNN decided to interview several immigrants and recall the passage from Europe to the New World. Click here to watch the video and read the item of news. Extremely chilling!!

To celebrate the anniversary, five webcams have been installed around its famous torch, giving people around the world outstanding views previously off-limits to even the statue’s in-person visitors. The cameras will stream live video footage 24-hours a day, seven days a week of vistas of the New York City skyline, New York Harbor, Ellis Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island and the Freedom Tower.

Here you have a video explaining the installation of the cameras. And... wait for it! You can see the live web cameras clicking here! Absolutely amazing!

Seeing the Statue of Liberty from the ferry sends a shiver down one's spine, especially thinking about the feelings, dreams and hopes of the people that travelled for months and months yearning for a better life. The sight of the Lady Liberty meant their effort had been worth it, and their suffering would for once and for all come to an end.

The future; reading practice online

Hello everyone!

How is the weekend? :)

Last week was very short because we only had one day of class. We played a game where you had to guess the definition of some words (foggy, staycation, guffaw and gobsmacked), and the winner had a prize that I hope you liked! :p

The word staycation is not in the dictionary because it is a very new creation. It refers to a new trend where people stay at home for their holidays, because (i) they don't have enough money, (ii) they want to help the environment or (iii) they want to know their country better. Have a look at what wikipedia says about this.




We talked about this new phenomenon and we also read a text where 6 people gave their opinion. Finally, we learnt how to talk about our plans and predictions for the future with the expression (be) going to + infinitive (remember that the verb be changes according to the person).

Here you have some links to practise this:

Exercise 1: Very basic exercise to practise the structure in (+) affirmative sentences.
Exercise 2: Here you have to answer questions using the future.
Exercise 3: Here you have to form negative sentences.
Exercise 4: And, finally, ask questions in the future.

Some people asked me to post readings with exercises to practise at home. I found this link where you can find a lot of readings from different topics (temas). The majority of them have comprehension exercises, and some of them also have the possibility of listening (audiotexts). Of course, only do the ones from the easy level.

For homework, I want you to do exercises 1a and 1b on pages 82 and 83. Please, also complete Grammar Banks 7C and 7D at the end of the book.

See you tomorrow / Tuesday!

The Canterbury Tales

Hello everyone,

During these days I'd like you to read The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer. I know it's a book you have to read for the Escuela, but, please, don't read it with a feeling of obligation: I want you to enjoy the book, and to appreciate the real treasure you have in your hands. It's one of the best works ever written in English, a veritable masterpiece, and don't forget that Chaucer is known as the Father of English Literature.

Some of you might not like reading, but, trust me, The Canterbury Tales has something for everybody's taste: some stories are deep, some others are hilarious, some are a bit bold/dirty, others are a lesson of morale... And they portray a perfect picture of 15th century England.

As I said in class, the context of the tales is that of a group of pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury Cathedral to visit Thomas Beckett's tomb; they are people from all the levels of society, from a miller to a knight, from a squire to a priest. The original idea was for every character to tell four tales, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. But, instead of 120 tales, the text ends after twenty-four tales.





The original text was written in verse and in Middle English (you'll see how different it is from the English we speak now!!). You can have a look at the original manuscript here. Click here to read part of "The Nun's Priest's Tale". If you know a bit of German, Latin or a bit of History of the English Language, you might be able to understand a few words!

And here you have a video where you can actually listen to how Middle English sounded like!

I've found a website where you can read all 24 tales. The only thing is that they are not adapted, and they're in verse -I'm sorry but I haven't been able to find any adapted version on the Internet-. Anyway, it's a chance to try your hand at something different! :)

Now, here I leave you some links for your stories. Remember that you have to prepare a summary for your classmates, and add any extra information you feel like:

Geoffrey Chaucer and his world: Click here to read about Geoffrey Chaucer, his life, his style and his importance in English literature. Also talk about the context he wrote in.

Thomas Beckett: click here and read the assassination and the legacy.

The General Prologue: Click here for an analysis of the Prologue. When it comes to describing the characters, only pay attention to the 5 in our stories (The Knight, the Nun's Priest, the Pardoner, the Wife of Bath and the Franklin).

The Knight's Tale: Click here and here for some more information about "The Knight's Tale", and an analysis of its real meaning. Remember that our book is an adaptation, so many details have been deleted. Tell us about them in class.

The Nun's Priest's Tale: out of curiosity, click here to have a look at the original; click here for some more information about "The Nun's Priest's Tale", and an analysis of its real meaning. Remember that our book is an adaptation, so many details have been deleted. Tell us about them in class.

The Pardoner's Tale: click here for some more information about "The Pardoner's Tale", and an analysis of its real meaning. Remember that our book is an adaptation, so many details have been deleted. Tell us about them in class.

The Wife of Bath's Tale: click here for some more information about "The Wife of Bath's Tale", and an analysis of its real meaning. Remember that our book is an adaptation, so many details have been deleted. Tell us about them in class. You can also watch this video of the story!



The Franklin's Tale: click here for some more information about "The Franklin's Tale", and an analysis of its real meaning. Remember that our book is an adaptation, so many details have been deleted. Tell us about them in class.

"The Birthmark", by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hello guys,

Just as we did with "Young Goodman Brown", we're going to work a little bit further with the second short story: "The Birthmark". I'm going to post several links below and, after reading/watching them, I'd like you to prepare the questions at the end of this entry:

Original story: here you have the link to the original story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Remember that it was written in the 19th century, so the English language has changed a lot since then.

Plot: here you have a summary of the story. You can either read this document, or watch the trailer below (or both!):



Character analysis: click here for analysis of the two characters in the story: Aylmer and his wife Georgiana.

Symbolism: finally, here you have some information related to the main topics and symbols in the story. This might probably be the document you find most useful.

After you read these documents (they're really short), I'd like you to think about the following questions:

• How does the character of Georgiana evolve during the story?

• What made her want to remove her birthmark?

• Where should the limit between science and nature be?

• How much would you be willing to pay for perfection?

• Can we find representations of this story in our everyday lives today?

We'll discuss all this next Wednesday / Thursday in class.

Thanks beforehand for your time and effort.

"Young Goodman Brown", by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hello everybody,

I've just finished reading your comments on Hawthorne's short stories. Thank you for all your contributions. I must admit I've been surprised by the depth of some of them. Well done! I didn't know some of you were such literary critics! :)

Once you've read the stories, reflected on them, made a comment and read your classmates' contributions, I think it's time to discuss the real meaning and symbolism of the stories in class. We'll start with "Young Goodman Brown", which is undoubtably the most obscure and difficult to understand.

I'm going to post several links below. I want you to read the information carefully and prepare the answers to some questions: I want everybody to participate when we discuss the story in class.




The original story: Rubén was suggesting it would be a good idea to have the original story: surely the characters and events will be described better. Click on Download PDF and it will automatically be saved in your computer. Don't forget that the story was written in the 19th century, so the English used is slightly different from contemporary English.

The plot: if you don't have time to read the whole story again, or simply if you prefer to read something slightly different, read this summary of the plot. You can also watch the silent film below:



Character analysis: here you have an analysis of the three main characters in the story: Goodman Brown, Faith and the Old Man.

Symbolism: click here for an explanation of the main themes, motifs and symbols in the story. This might be the most interesting document.

Now, I'd like you to prepare an answer for the following questions:

• Who do you think the dark figure in the forest was? Can the dark figure be any other of the characters in the story?

• What did Goodman Brown learn in the forest?

• Why do you think Goodman Brown didn't speak to the people of the town the next day?

• Why do you think Goodman Brown's "last hour was very sad and hopeless"?

• Why do you think Hawthorne called Goodman Brown's wife Faith?

• The story was written in the 19th century, but do you think it can still have present-day relevance? If so, in what sense?

• Can you think of a different interpretation of the story?

We'll discuss this in class on the 9th/10th February, so you have a whole week to read the documents and prepare your answers :)

Air controllers' strike

As you know, the air controllers strike has been the focus of attention during the whole bank holiday, both in Spain and abroad. I guess you've all seen the Spanish news / read the Spanish newspapers and know about the reactions in our country. But how has the rest of the world seen the strike?

Well, here you have an article by The Guardian. It was published on Sunday and it gives a full account of the whole odyssey that started on Friday afternoon. The BBC also has some videos and telephone conversations of Britons that were stranded at the airport. Click here to watch / listen to them. Finally, here you have an article entitled "Your Stories", where several people tell their experiences at the airport.