Class Diary - Weeks 11 & 12 (10 - 20 December)

Dear students & readers of this blog,

This is what we've done in the two weeks just before Christmas:

2º NB

Contents:
- Talking about daily routine
- Vocabulary: adverbs & expressions of frequency

- Christmas vocabulary
- Expressing ability, possibility & permission: can/can't

Students' book:
- p. 30 ex. 3 a & b

- p. 31 ex. 3 d; ex. 4 (at, in, on) + p. 130; ex. 5 (speaking)

- pp. 29 & 30 - pronunciation

- p. 32 ex. 1 + p. 157; ex. 2 b, c & d.
- p. 130-131 (grammar & exercises)
- Game: at/in/on
- Game: frequency adverbs
- p. 33, ex. 4 a & b
- p. 36 + p. 158 (verb phrases)
- p. 36, ex. 2 a, b, c, d & e + p. 132 (grammar: can/can't)
- p. 37, ex. 3 (sentence stress)

Homework:
- Writing: my favourite day (p. 112)

- p. 158 (revise & check)

Photocopies:

- A day in the life of an aerobics teacher

- Prepositions at/in/on

Videos:

- Can you understand these people? ( revise & check units 3 & 4)
- A British policeman (see on itutor)
- A summary of 2012

2º NA

Contents:

- Talking about technology

- Distancing
- Debate: should prank calls be banned? (see blog post Dec 15, 2012)
- Talking about time & technology
- Pronunciation: linking; French borrowings
- Christmas: discussion questions, Christmas adds, 2012 News Quiz, Christmas Trivia

Student's book:

- p. 24 ex.1 b

- p. 25, ex. 1 d (lexis in context)

- p. 26, ex. 3 a, b, c, d, e, f, & g

- p. 27, ex. 4 a + time proverbs
- p. 28, ex. 1 a, b, c; p. 29 ex. 1 e

Videos & interactive games:

- Cell phone Addiction
- p. 34: In the street
- p. 34: Interview to Tony Hawks
- Digital Christmas

Photocopies:

- Cell phone Addiction

- Time proverbs

Homework:
None

The End is Near - Domesday 2012 according to the Mayans

Dear students & readers of this blog,

In the middle of all our Christmas preparations, rumours, or rather, beliefs that the world is going to end next Friday, December 21, are all over the media. Apparently, the Mayans, an Ancient people of Central America, forsaw the 'Domesday', or the day the world will end, in a catastrophe that will be preceded by natural disasters. Most people seem not to believe the world will end next Friday, but some others are getting ready for a catastrophe.

'Recent hurricanes, unrest in the Middle East, solar flares, mystery planets about to collide with us - all "proof" of that the ancient Mayans knew would come to pass on 21 December 2012.'

(Source: BBC)

So what do you think? Do you believe the end is near? Please COMMENT to give us your opinion.

If you want some more information on this subject, read the following article published on the BBC website: MAYAN APOCALYPSE: THE END OF THE WORLD, OR A NEW BEGINNING?

Or rather, if you wish to listen about it, rather than read about it, click on the link to the programme on BBC Radio 4 '2012 - The End of Time'.

Let's hope that the Mayans were wrong, and that we still have many hears ahead of us, to learn about English and English-speaking cultures!!

Favourite English words

Dear students & readers of this blog,

As you remember, the library corridor of our school has been full of words in 5 different languages. With this iniciative, we've ment to celebrate the beauty of language, and our passion for foreign languages in general, and for English in particular. Please find below the words that were more popular among those you chose.

Our acknowlegment and gratefulness to our colleague Federico for coming up with this idea and for creating these two beautiful images!!

Debate: are we facing the end of prank calls?

Dear students & readers of this blog,

On December 3, British people received with joy the news that the Duchess of Cambridge was expecting a baby. A few days later, though on December 7, the whole world was struck with the news that one of the nurses that worked at the King Edward VII hospital, where the Duchess was hospitalized due to severe morning sickness, was found dead in her room, in an apparent suicide.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was one of the two victims of a prank call (also called 'hoax call') made from an Australian radio station by DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig, who pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, to inquire after the Duchess.

The BBC has recently published on its website an interesting article on the issue of prank calls. The article reflects, among other things, on the fact that it is different to call a public figure, used to the limelight, from calling a common member of the public. Here you have an extract:

'The death of the nurse Jacintha Saldanha has put the business of hoax calls under the spotlight. Where is the line between humour and cruelty?

Hoax calls - where someone winds up a friend or colleague by pretending to be their boss or an important person - are almost as old as the telephone itself. They have been a staple of TV and radio entertainment programmes since the 1950s when American comedians Steve Allen and Johnny Carson began making them on the Tonight show'.

(Source: BBC news)

For the full article, click here.

Now some videos:

The facts (Source: Euronews)

The prank call (unedited, and without subtitles. Do not worry if you can't understand everything)



'We're both shattered. My first thought was: Is she a mother?'

Radio hosts at centre of prank give self-pitying interviews.
Australian presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian apologise for stunt.
Two interviews on Australian TV about death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

Greig: 'When I heard it was the worst phone call I have ever had in my life'. She adds: 'I care about the family and want their privacy to be respected'

(source: mail online)

The DJs who made the prank call break their silence:


Click here for a full transcript of the interview. Please note that you'll have to scroll down to find the transcription)

So after examining all the facts, please WRITE A COMMENT answering the question: SHOULD PRANK CALLS BE BANNED?

Don't stop the music: songs we've listened to in class

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Yes, we love music. And we love it more if we can learn English with it in a fun way.

We have listened to a few songs in class lately. You will find them below, so that you can listen to them again as many times as you wish.

Enjoy!


ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK - Sting

Click here for the lyrics.

SOMETHING STUPID - Robbie Williams (featuring Nicole Kidman)

Click here for the lyrics.

SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW - Gotye (featuring Kimbra)




Click here for the lyrics.

Class diary - Weeks 8, 9 & 10 (Nov 19 - Dec 5)

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Sorry I've been unable to update our class diary for a while. Here's what we have done in class in the last three weeks:

2º NB

Contents:

- Talking about jobs & uniforms.

- Festivities: Thanksgiving.

- Telling the time.
- Talking about your daily routine.

- Practical English: how to order a coffee at a coffee shop.

- Vocabulary: the family.
- Vocabulary: verb phrases.
- Grammar: Questions & question words.
- Grammar: Saxon genitive ('s)

Students' book:
- p. 22, ex. 2 a, b, c & d.

- p. 23 - ex. 6  (reading) a, b & c. ex. 4 (pronunciation)

- p. 24, ex. 1 (listening) a, b, c,d, e, f & g.

- p. 25, ex. 2 - Correction of homework . pag. 129 (word order)

            ex. 3 (questions and question words), ex. 4 (speaking)

- pp. 26-27 - Practical English: coffee to take away.

- p. 28 ex. 2 b
- p. 130 & 131 (grammar + exercises)
-p. 29 ex. 3 c & d, ex. 4.
- p. 30 1a + p. 156

Homework:

- Writing: a profile (p. 111)

- p. 157 - Time & time expressions.

Photocopies:

- Present simple in questions.

- The Origin of Thanksgiving.

- British Royal Family-
- Word order practice
- Saxon genitive practice

Videos:

- Song: You can't gobble me (see post on Thanksgiving on this blog).

- Song: Something stupid

- Bang on time: interactive game.

2º NA

Contents:
- Grammar: pronouns
- Grammar: narrative tenses, used to & would.
- Thanksgiving
- Speaking about childhood memories.
- Vocabulary: abstract nouns
- Writing: writing an article

Student's book:

- p. 13, ex. 3 + p. 138
- p. 14, ex. 4 a, b, c, d & e. Ex. 5 (language terminology)
- p. 21 & 21 - Reading, ex 1 a, b & c. Ex 3 (speaking)
- p. 139 - Narrative tenses, used to & would
- pp. 22 ex. 4 a, b, c, d, e & f
- p. 23 ex 5 a, b & c
- p. 32-33 - Writing an article

Videos & interactive games:
- About a boy: clips
- Bruce Springsteen childhood memories
- Song: Somebody I used to know.

Photocopies:

- Key revise & check
- Childhood questions
- Word building (abstract nouns)

Homework:

- p. 15 - Language quiz
- p. 138 - pronouns
- Revise & check (unit 1)
- Video: Bet you didn't know (Thanksgiving)