Hello everybody! :)
Last week we finished unit 5 correcting some revision exercises and having a look at the list of irregular verbs I gave you. I post it here in case you don't have it.
Irregular_verbs.pdf by ana_uk877884
Los verbos irregulares tienen la dificultad de que tienen que aprenderse de memoria, pero, como vimos en clase, no son tan irregulares como parecen: muchos de ellos pueden clasificarse en grupos que presentan exactamente la misma irregularidad tanto en ortografía como en pronunciación. Veréis cómo os resulta mucho más fácil aprendéroslos así.
On Wednesday / Tuesday we started Unit 6, and we learnt a lot of useful vocabulary about houses and rooms in a house. Then we listened to a couple visiting a house: there was something "strange" with one of the bedrooms, but they decided to rent the house! Finally, we learnt the structure there is (+sing) / there are (+plural).
With Basic Level E we had time to see a photocopy about prepositions; Basic Level D did a dialogue in a gift shop (page 60).
Next week we'll continue with Unit 6, and we'll revise for the exam.
Have a nice weekend! :)
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Saturday, 5 March 2011
The past simple / -ed pronunciation
Good afternoon everyone,
I'm sorry I didn't update (actualizar) the blog last week, but I didn't have Internet access during the bank holiday... So here you have the summary of weeks 21 and 22!
First of all, we talked about travelling, and we read a story of two friends who wanted to fly to Sydney, Canada, but they arrived in a different place...! We also listened to a couple filling out a complaint form because their holidays were not good. In fact (de hecho), they were awful!
About grammar, we saw the past simple of the verb to be, regular and irregular verbs. Click here for a very complete and clear explanation of the past simple. We did a lot of practise, but here you have some more. You can do all the exercises, or select the most interesting for you:
- Was or were?
- Exercise on past simple
- Exercise on questions
- Exercise on interrogatives with a question word
- Text about Chicago
- Text about Oxford
Remember that in regular verbs, the pronunciation of the -ed is very important. Raquel Marín, from Basic Level E, gave me this link (thank you). I hope it helps you!
We also read and listened to the stories of three girls that had a night out in Moscow, Beijing and Rio. Was your last night out similar to theirs? Would you like to post a comment telling us about your last night out?? :)
We also read and listened to the stories of three girls that had a night out in Moscow, Beijing and Rio. Was your last night out similar to theirs? Would you like to post a comment telling us about your last night out?? :)
Finally, last Wednesday/Thursday we read a story about a murder... Can you remember who the murderer was?? I still can't believe it!! Then, in Basic Level D we played a very funny game called "Alibi". Basic Level E will play it next week!!
I hope you have a great weekend!
Ana.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Retro back (Mª Carmen Rodríguez, Intermediate F)
Hi everyone,
Today I post some information about a festival of classic films that's taking place in Granada (Retro back). All the films are in original version with subtitles, so why don't you talk to your classmates and arrange to watch one or two??
Here you have the complete programme -thanks to Mª Carmen Rodríguez, from Intermediate F, for the information:
Retro_Back
The festival has been going on since the19th February, but I haven't been able to post the information until now. Anyway, there are films on until the 27th.
Today I post some information about a festival of classic films that's taking place in Granada (Retro back). All the films are in original version with subtitles, so why don't you talk to your classmates and arrange to watch one or two??
Here you have the complete programme -thanks to Mª Carmen Rodríguez, from Intermediate F, for the information:
Retro_Back
The festival has been going on since the19th February, but I haven't been able to post the information until now. Anyway, there are films on until the 27th.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
/i/ vs. /i:/; possessive adjectives & pronouns; at a clothes shop
Good morning (almost afternoon!)
As usual, here you have a summary of last week:
On Monday / Tuesday we continued talking about films and you read your summaries (which were very good!!). Then we did an exercise on pronunciation to learn the difference between /i/ and /i:/. For some of you this exercise was a bit difficult, so click here if you want to practise a little bit more.
About grammar, we revised object pronouns and we learnt possessive pronouns. We worked with a photocopy to revise how to express possession in English: possessive 's, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. Click here and here to do some more activities related to this. Remember to visit New English File online too and to complete the workbook :)
On Wednesday / Thursday we listened to two film critics talking about 5 different films. I know it was a bit difficult, but you did very well! So... congratulations!! :) We also learnt expressions to use in a clothes shop. Click here if you want to revise this.
Remember to bring the book England to class on Monday / Tuesday. Thank you.
As usual, here you have a summary of last week:
On Monday / Tuesday we continued talking about films and you read your summaries (which were very good!!). Then we did an exercise on pronunciation to learn the difference between /i/ and /i:/. For some of you this exercise was a bit difficult, so click here if you want to practise a little bit more.
About grammar, we revised object pronouns and we learnt possessive pronouns. We worked with a photocopy to revise how to express possession in English: possessive 's, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns. Click here and here to do some more activities related to this. Remember to visit New English File online too and to complete the workbook :)
On Wednesday / Thursday we listened to two film critics talking about 5 different films. I know it was a bit difficult, but you did very well! So... congratulations!! :) We also learnt expressions to use in a clothes shop. Click here if you want to revise this.
Remember to bring the book England to class on Monday / Tuesday. Thank you.
Friday, 11 February 2011
"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:
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.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Consonant sounds; clothes; songs
Hello guys!
Last week we talked about the differences between men and women related to shopping and we learnt the pronunciation of the sound /ŋ/ - click here to revise some of the consonants we know. We learnt vocabulary about clothes and how to say what we are wearing. You can revise clothes here.
On Wednesday / Thursday we started to talk about films. We read a summary of the film Ghost, and we learnt "object pronouns", which are used to substitute nouns and after prepositions. Revise Grammar Bank 4C and practise with the Workbook.
Por último, dejo aquí tres canciones con un enlace al videoclip subtítulado y actividades para hacer online. Elegid la que más os guste, o haced las tres! :)
Last week we talked about the differences between men and women related to shopping and we learnt the pronunciation of the sound /ŋ/ - click here to revise some of the consonants we know. We learnt vocabulary about clothes and how to say what we are wearing. You can revise clothes here.
On Wednesday / Thursday we started to talk about films. We read a summary of the film Ghost, and we learnt "object pronouns", which are used to substitute nouns and after prepositions. Revise Grammar Bank 4C and practise with the Workbook.
Por último, dejo aquí tres canciones con un enlace al videoclip subtítulado y actividades para hacer online. Elegid la que más os guste, o haced las tres! :)
- "Change the world", by Eric Clapton
- "Sick of Love", by Robert Ramírez
- "1973", by James Blunt
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
"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:
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 :)
Sunday, 30 January 2011
"Can"
Hello everybody,
Last week we corrected the First Term Revision and we started Unit 4. On Monday / Tuesday, we talked about things we can do and things we can't do; we talked about our abilities.
Click here for an online exercise with the verb can.
Remember that can is a special verb like be: we NEVER use the auxiliary verb do/does; don't/doesn't:
(+) You can programme a video
(-) You can't programme a video - we add not to the verb.
(?) Can you programme a video? - we change the subject-verb order.
On Wednesday / Thursday, we talked about shopping: things we like buying and things we hate buying. We talked in pairs and then we listened to four different people talking about their personal preferences.
With these conversations, we learnt that the verbs like, love and hate are always followed by a verb in -ing:
Last week we corrected the First Term Revision and we started Unit 4. On Monday / Tuesday, we talked about things we can do and things we can't do; we talked about our abilities.
- I can swim
- I can drive a car
- I can't take good photos
- I can't play the guitar
Click here for an online exercise with the verb can.
Remember that can is a special verb like be: we NEVER use the auxiliary verb do/does; don't/doesn't:
(+) You can programme a video
(-) You can't programme a video - we add not to the verb.
(?) Can you programme a video? - we change the subject-verb order.
On Wednesday / Thursday, we talked about shopping: things we like buying and things we hate buying. We talked in pairs and then we listened to four different people talking about their personal preferences.
With these conversations, we learnt that the verbs like, love and hate are always followed by a verb in -ing:
- I love going to clothes shops.
- I like going to the supermarket.
- I don't like going to big shopping centres.
- I hate traveling by boat.
Basic Level E had one hour with Lauren, the language assistant. I hope you liked the lesson! :)
For homework, you have to do the exercises in Grammar Bank 4B, page 129.
See you tomorrow / on Tuesday!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
First Evaluation Session
Good evening everyone!
La semana pasada tuvimos la primera sesión de evaluación, y el miércoles / jueves ya os di los resultados. He de decir que estoy muy contenta con todos vosotros, sobre todo por la parte oral. Es fundamental que perdáis el miedo a hablar en otro idioma, en este caso inglés, y que os déis cuenta de que "speaking" y "listening" son las destrezas que más vais a utilizar cuando salgáis a la calle. Así que enhorabuena a todos.
Mañana ya empezaremos el segundo trimestre, y entraremos de lleno con la unidad 4. I hope we all continue learning a lot and enjoying the lessons.
See you in class.
PS: By the way (por cierto), remember that you have to send me your vocabulary list / glossary about England before the 30th January.
La semana pasada tuvimos la primera sesión de evaluación, y el miércoles / jueves ya os di los resultados. He de decir que estoy muy contenta con todos vosotros, sobre todo por la parte oral. Es fundamental que perdáis el miedo a hablar en otro idioma, en este caso inglés, y que os déis cuenta de que "speaking" y "listening" son las destrezas que más vais a utilizar cuando salgáis a la calle. Así que enhorabuena a todos.
Mañana ya empezaremos el segundo trimestre, y entraremos de lleno con la unidad 4. I hope we all continue learning a lot and enjoying the lessons.
See you in class.
PS: By the way (por cierto), remember that you have to send me your vocabulary list / glossary about England before the 30th January.
Saturday, 15 January 2011
CNN news: smoking ban in Spain
Hello everybody,
This week we mainly focused on revising several basic aspects for the first evaluation session, which will take place next week. We also did a mock oral exam, so that you could get an idea of what is expected from you in this part of the test. Finally, we had one lesson with Chanelle, where we compared cities and their means of transport.
With Intermediate E we had time to watch a CNN report on the new Spanish law which bans smoking (up to 1'20'' only). I post it here, with the exercises and their answers.
(The following video is from youtube, but you can access the original item of news here).
Spain's Smoking Ban Begins
I hope you're having a good weekend!
This week we mainly focused on revising several basic aspects for the first evaluation session, which will take place next week. We also did a mock oral exam, so that you could get an idea of what is expected from you in this part of the test. Finally, we had one lesson with Chanelle, where we compared cities and their means of transport.
With Intermediate E we had time to watch a CNN report on the new Spanish law which bans smoking (up to 1'20'' only). I post it here, with the exercises and their answers.
(The following video is from youtube, but you can access the original item of news here).
Spain's Smoking Ban Begins
I hope you're having a good weekend!
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Adriana's Theatre Play
Entrada de Adriana Moyano - Nivel Básico E
Meigas Teatro Presenta:
No Me Quejo !4 Actrices, 12 HistoriasViernes 14 y Sábado 15 de enero a las 21.00h
en El Apeadero
Aforo LimitadoCallejón del Ave María s/n (entre calle Molinos y Santiago)
(El sábado 15 la obra se representará a beneficio de la Campaña Rumbo a Gaza (www.rumboagaza.org)
Actúan (por orden de aparición):Raquel Hernández, Olga Cárdaba, Beba Jiménez y Nadia HindiDirección:Adriana Moyano
Sunday, 9 January 2011
How to make your homework less work / how to improve your study habits
Hi everyone,
Here I post a video about how to make your homework less work , and how to improve your study habits.
Click the play button in the center of the video to begin; click the pause button is you need to make notes at any point; click the re-wind button to go back to the start of the video and watch it again.
Think about the suggestions made in the video and write down any tips you could use to improve your study habits.
Task reflection:
Do you plan to change your study habits after doing this lesson? Why/why not?
Did you learn any new vocabulary?
If so, what new words did you learn? Make a note of any new vocabulary you have learnt in this lesson.
Here I post a video about how to make your homework less work , and how to improve your study habits.
Click the play button in the center of the video to begin; click the pause button is you need to make notes at any point; click the re-wind button to go back to the start of the video and watch it again.
Think about the suggestions made in the video and write down any tips you could use to improve your study habits.
Task reflection:
Do you plan to change your study habits after doing this lesson? Why/why not?
Did you learn any new vocabulary?
If so, what new words did you learn? Make a note of any new vocabulary you have learnt in this lesson.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Stories of Suspense
Hello guys,This entry is related to the first reading book of the course: Stories of Suspense, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As we saw in class, it has three short stories:
- "Young Goodman Brown"
- "The Birthmark"
- "Dr Heidegger's Experiment"
It also has comprehension activities and two cultural sections: New England and witchcraft; The magic of alchemy.
As we said before Christmas, I want you to read each story carefully and choose one to make a comment on the blog (minimum 2 paragraphs - 10 lines). After that, I want you to read your classmates' comments on the other stories and write about two of them (minimum 5 lines). This way, you will write a little something about the three stories in the book.
Below you have three different entries, one for each short story. These are the entries where you will upload your comments.
Remember that the deadline is 30th January, 23.59h
If you have any questions or doubts, please ask me.
Preparation for the exam: oral expression & interaction; listening practice ("men are the weaker sex"; families")
Good afternoon everyone,
Today I've started sending off my feedback on your oral presentations (if you haven't received it yet, you'll receive it shortly, don't worry).
Two of the most common comments are (i) that you didn't include enough information (the presentation was incomplete) and (ii) that you didn't use the grammatical structures and/or vocabulary we've seen in class.
As you know, in two weeks' time we have our first evaluation session. As regards speaking, you will be asked to talk about one of the topics we've covered in class:
How can you prepare for this at home? Well, take one topic and think about all the things you could say about it. As the exam will be done in pairs, think also about relevant questions that you could ask your partner.
Today I've started sending off my feedback on your oral presentations (if you haven't received it yet, you'll receive it shortly, don't worry).
Two of the most common comments are (i) that you didn't include enough information (the presentation was incomplete) and (ii) that you didn't use the grammatical structures and/or vocabulary we've seen in class.
As you know, in two weeks' time we have our first evaluation session. As regards speaking, you will be asked to talk about one of the topics we've covered in class:
- Food, eating habits
- Ordering at a restaurant
- Families and relationships
- Stereotypes and differences between men and women
- Money, stress, quality of life
- Changing your city (Slow cities)
- Comparing cities and means of transport
How can you prepare for this at home? Well, take one topic and think about all the things you could say about it. As the exam will be done in pairs, think also about relevant questions that you could ask your partner.
Once you have the ideas, the content, think about the best ways to express them in English. Remember that you are expected to use the grammar and vocabulary we've been working with in class. And, please, use also the expressions we have seen to express our opinion, agree and disagree.
Here you have two links where you can listen to Yvonne and Rob discussing two of the topics we've seen in class. You also have activities and vocabulary:
(This series of podcasts is called "6 minute English", and you can subcribe to it).
See you on Monday / Tuesday!
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Merry Christmas to all!! Digital story of the Nativity
I post this entry to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Espero que aprovechéis al máximo estos días y encontréis tiempo para descansar, pasar tiempo con la familia y amigos, viajar y empezar el nuevo año con energías renovadas.
I guess (and hope!) you all know the history of Christmas. I found a digital version of the story on the Internet and I wanted to share it with you. It's so good! I hope you enjoy it!
También espero que encontréis tiempo para repasar / estudiar lo que hemos visto en este trimestre. Recordad que a la vuelta de Navidad tenemos una semana de clase antes del examen, por lo que podréis preguntar todas las dudas que tengáis.
See you on the 10th January.
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