NB 2 - File 4: Time is running out - Talking about times and routines

Dear students & readers of this blog,

In our Basic level class, we have been talking about routines and, to be able to speak about our daily routine properly, we need to use the time and time expressions. Let's make a summary of what we saw.

How can we ask for the time to someone? We have different ways:

- Excuse me, what time is it, please?
- Excuse me, what is the time, please?

There are two ways of giving the time:

- Analogue

- Digital

To learn to say the time from an analogue clock, click on the words ANALOGUE TIME

For the Digital time, you just have to read the numbers on the watch, saying the hour first, and then the minutes.

Want to practise? Click on Bang on Time and start playing!!

We have talked about the time in connection to the PRESENT SIMPLE. Remember that we use the present simple to talk about THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS TRUE, & about OUR DAILY ROUTINE. Here you have a video that might help you:

But when you want to explain what your daily routine is like, you don't need only to know the present simple. You also need some vocabulary on DAILY ROUTINE ACTIVITIES:

Now some music:


"Time Is Running Out" by Muse

I think I'm drowning
Asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
That you've created

You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction

You will be the death of me
You will be the death of me

Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it

Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out

I wanted freedom
Bound and restricted
I tried to give you up
But I'm addicted

Now that you know I'm trapped
Sense of elation
You'd never dream of
Breaking this fixation

You will squeeze the life out of me

Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it

Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out

How did it come to this?
Oh

You will suck the life out of me

Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out

How did it come to this?
Oh

Poets and World War I

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Last Nov 11 we commemorated the anniversary of the end of World War I, one of the most devastating conflicts in the story of humankind. On such a date, people in Britain celebrate Remembrance Day, to remember those who served and died in the war. The school, and most particularly, the School Library, wants to join the celebrations, by remembering the writers and poets that were involved in the conflict. And we're going to do it in the form of a POETRY READING SESSION next Dec 3. (Please check the school website for more info).

Do you fancy poetry? If not, would you like to discover it?

Before going on to showing you the poems that will be read, you might find this video interesting. It's well-known how afraid we seem to be of poetry. It seems to be something so far from us, so conceptual and difficult to understand. If you watch the video below, you will see that it is not as bad as it seems:

Here are the poems we are going to read. Take some time to get familiar with them:
 

TWO FUSILIERS

by Robert Graves.

And have we done with War at last?
Well, we've been lucky devils both,
And there's no need of pledge or oath
To bind our lovely friendship fast,
By firmer stuff
Close bound enough.

By wire and wood and stake we're bound,
By Fricourt and by Festubert,
By whipping rain, by the sun's glare,
By all the misery and loud sound,
By a Spring day,
By Picard clay.

Show me the two so closely bound
As we, by the red bond of blood,
By friendship, blossoming from mud,
By Death: we faced him, and we found
Beauty in Death,
In dead men breath.

 

SUICIDE IN THE TRENCHES

by Siegfried Sassoon

I knew a simple soldier boy

Who grinned at life in empty joy,

Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,

And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,

With crumps and lice and lack of rum,

He put a bullet through his brain.

No one spoke of him again.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye

Who cheer when soldier lads march by,

Sneak home and pray you'll never know

The hell where youth and laughter go. 

 

THE SOLDIER

by Rupert Brooke

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

This is how the Tower of London looked like until not very long ago.

As you can see, its moat was flooded with ceramic poppies. As you may know, the poppy is the symbol of the British Legion, and people wear one on Remembrance Day to remember those who died to guarantee freedom and democracy in the world. If you want to learn more, please click here.

For advanced students, here you have the chance to practise your listening comprehension skills but watching this and answering the questions below:

Questions:

1. Why did this initiative start?
2. When did this idea start?
3. How much did they collect last year?
4. How many collectors do they have?
5. According to the two male interviewees, what does poppy symbolize?


For the key, click here.

(Thanks to Laura Parrilla Gómez, from EOI Constantina, for sending this to me!!)

Lest we forget!

Are you afraid of HALLOWEEN 2014?

'Where there is no imagination there is no horror' - Arthur Conan Doyle

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Once more, Halloween is here. It is a festivity especially associated with the U.S., although its origins are to be found quite far from there. Anyhow, Halloween is gradually imposing again on the continent where it was born. Many of us know something about it through films or TV shows. Many others have heard about it, but don't really know much about Halloween traditions, or what people do to get ready for the night when the limit between the world of the living and that of the dead disappears. So let's find out...





FOR NB STUDENTS - Take a look at this video:




What do we know now?

...that Halloween has Celtic origins. The Celtic festival SAMHAIN [pronounced /saun/] celebrated the end of the year, which finished in October.

...that the Celts believed that ghosts, witches and evil spirits entered the world of the living on the night of the 31st October.
...that trick-or-treating comes from the ancient "Souling", when poor people used to go around asking for "soul cakes" to eat in exchange for prayers for the family.

...that people wore costumes to scare the evil spirits away.

...that the word "Halloween" comes from "All Hallows' Eve", which is the day before All Saints' Day.

...that in some English-speaking countries people wear scary costumes and masks and go to parties.

If we could reduce Halloween to numbers, this would be it:

Jack-O'-Lanterns are made out of pumpkins. People put Jack-O'-Lanterns in front of their windows or in their gardens, to frighten evil spirits. Did you know that this tradition originated in Great Britain and Ireland and that, originally, people used turnips?

Would you like to know how a Jack-O'-Lantern is made? Watch the video below:

Anyhow, we have never thought how terrifying this is for pumpkins, have we? So please, don't miss this excellent, and really scary, short film about THE LIFE & DEATH OF A PUMKIN:


(source: tlfclips.com. Thanks, Rosa!)

For the transcript, click here.

And now that we are with scary stories, why not one more? Don't miss SUCKABLOOD!!

• For vocabulary & comprehension questions, click here.
• For the transcript, click here.

Have you been to Halloween town? Watch the following video and sing along:

TO ALL, HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

NA2 - Ways of responding: question tags & echo questions

Dear students & readers of this blog,

These days, in our advanced class, we have been revising the different ways one has to respond in English to what other person says. Short phrases like "¿ah sí?", "¿De verdad?" are of frequent use in Spanish. But English uses something completely different, a short grammatical structure that is usually very hard for Spanish speakers to incorporate to their active set of structures to manage. 

This, basically, has to do with the extended use of AUXILIARY VERBS, those underrated and underestimated nice little words. They can be used in all sorts of ways:

• For emphasis: I do believe you.
• In 'echo questions': I'm going to buy a house / Oh! Are you? How wonderful!
• In question tags: You locked the door, didn't you?
• To avoid unnecessary repetitions: My friends loved the film, but I didn't.

That's why, taking advantage of the chance our student's book gives us, we had a look at it again. Because...guess what? English speakers find it veeeeery difficult to use these structures on a regular basis and without thinking.

So let me give you a hand. Here are some wonderful power point presentations I found on the Net. Enjoy!!

ECHO QUESTIONS

Interesting cultural-facts-echo-questions from leticiaeoiplasencia

QUESTION TAGS


 

Question tags from leticiaeoiplasencia

Thanks to the person who generously posted this on the Internet!!

For more on question tags. Click here.

Interesting, isn't it?

NA2 - Unit 1A Sibling rivalry

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Have you got any brothers or sisters? How do you get on with them? What do you have in common? Have you ever felt jealous or envious? Do you compete with one another?

If you have answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you suffer from 'sibling rivalry'. This rivalry may be positive, in the sense that you may have a bit of healthy competition and stay friends with your brother or sister. But sometimes, sibling relationships are difficult.

The short film you're about to see illustrates what I'm talking about. It's a semi-real, semi animated film, which tells the story of a teenage girl and her relationship with her brother. You will find the exercises we used to practice in class below.

(source: British Council)

• Exercises
• Key
• Transcript

In the following video clip, parenting expert and show host, Bill Corbett, interviews outlines tips on handling sibling rivalry.

Answer the following questions:

• What tips does he give to handle sibling rivalry? Can you give details about each one.

Feel free to write a COMMENT answering the questions above.

Do you know any siblings that are also rivals? Here you have some notorious examples, that are mentioned in our textbook (just in case you want to find out something more about them and what their relationship was like):

• Rudi & Adi Dassler: the brothers who revolutionized sportswear.

• Joan Fontaine & Olivia de Havilland: Eternal enemies. 

• Noel & Liam Gallagher: Life beyond 'Oasis'

• Venus & Serena Williams: Friends in life, rivals at court.

TALK TUESDAYS - Will you join us?

Dear students & readers of this blog,

If you are, or were, a student of the Official Language School of Plasencia, and you miss the chance to be able to practise your English and meet new people or your old friends, or if you have finished your English studies at the school and you need to find somewhere to keep the language living and fresh...

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to start what we have called 'Talk Tuesdays'. Student old and new will meet at the SCHOOL LIBRARY, have some tea with pastries, NEXT TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER, from 7 to 8 p.m. 

This will only be the start. After next week, we will meet every two weeks, but this time, from 8 to 9 p.m. 

 

PLEASE JOIN US!!

Course 2014-2015 is here. Are you ready?

Dear students & readers of this blog,

How are you all? I hope that you had a good summer, and that you could rest and relax. Why? Because now...

IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK!!!

This year, I will be teaching Basic level 2 and Advanced level 2, so the contents that will be published here will be primarily designed for my students in these levels. But at this point, I think there's no need to say that this blog is open to all of those who have been students of mine before (or not) and those who simply like English and the culture of English-speaking countries. Here you will find some practice on the topics we study in class, links to some interesting English-learning websites, a place where you'll be able to learn about the culture of the different English-speaking countries, and much more!!

Please take time to browse and explore. Take a look at the sidebar. Find out what the weather wil be like in Plasencia, join the site or sign up to receive updates of the posts in this blog. Read Spanish & English newspapers in English, or get some skill-based practice.

These will be the coursebooks this year:

Advanced Level 2: CUTTING EDGE, Upper-Intermediate. 3rd Edition. Pearson Longman.

Basic Level 2: New English File, Elementary, third edition. Oxford University Press.

 

For more info on what the course will be like this year...COME TO CLASS!

Otherwise...

WELCOME HOME!!

NA 2 - File 5A: An Education

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Last week, in our Advanced class, we've been dealing with the topic of education. And the starting point has been a famous comedy panel show from the British Television: QUITE INTERESTING, a.k.a. QI, hosted by actor and comedian Stephen Fry.

This is not the usual kind of quiz show. It's based on different premises from those of any other programme of the kind your mind might come up with. To start with, yes, there are questions, but you are not expected to know the answer. It is all rather the matter of having a good luck while proclaiming your love for knowledge and your innate curiosity. Click here if you want to read about the philosophy behind the show.

Here's a taste of it:

The spirit behind QI is that everything in life is interesting. The creators of the show believe in an education system that doesn't kill creativity, that enhances the student's curiosity and where children can decide what to learn and when to learn it. Do you think this is possible?

There are many different views as to what education should be like, and about the adequacy of the different education systems in every country. Here there are some of them. Take some time to watch the following videos, and if you wish, you can leave a COMMENT  below with your opinion:

CHANGING THE EDUCATION PARADIGMS

BRING ON THE LEARNING REVOLUTION




DO NOT MISS THIS INTERESTING DOCUMENTARY: How do they do it in Sweden?

'Sweden's attitude to teaching nursery children seems incredibly relaxed and informal. There's little structured learning, play is paramount, there are few locks or security-coded gates and children are encouraged to help with cleaning and catering.

Most Swedish children who leave pre-school at six can't read or write. Yet within three years of starting formal schooling at the age of six or seven, these children lead the literacy tables in Europe. 

This video travel to Motala to discover just how they achieve such stunning results, and asks whether the absence of testing, inspection and excessive paperwork, combined with a strong empasis on play and relaxation, could be the secret to their success...'

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Enjoy!

The Official Language School of Plasencia turns 25

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Our Official Language School of Plasencia is in full celebration mood. We are celebrating no more, and no less, than our 25 years of existence, helping the citizens of Plasencia and Northern Extremadura to get in contact with other languages, other cultures and other ways of
thinking. In this 25 years, we have enjoyed showing you why we love languages and our job as teachers and transmitters. That is why, as you already know, we have been preparing different events and activities to get you involved in our celebration. Because...

And that's why we are preparing a very special event, that will take place next THURSDAY 3 APRIL, at the SALÓN DE ACTOS DE LA UNED, at 5.00 p.m. Here is the programme:

Programa 3 abril 2014 from leticiaeoiplasencia

Apart from this, we want to have a nice, informal chat with you while we have something to eat and drink at . 
the end of the ceremony. Why don't you join us? Please be so kind as to bring a little something to eat - much better if it is something typical of an English-speaking country!! -. We'll prepare some tables at our patio downstairs (weather permitting), that will be ready at 7.30

You will also have the chance to have a look at the exhibition we are preparing commemorating our 25th anniversary, with old photos, school children artwork, old student's books...at the school corridors. Here you have a taste of it. Do you recognize the place?

Happy 25th anniversary!! To other 25 years together!!! 

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit !! ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2013

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or simply Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.
The day is the national holiday of Ireland. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Montserrat. In Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday. (Source: wikipedia)


First of all, don't miss the video just below if you want to know something more about the BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW: ST. PATRICK'S DAY..

For Basic Level (NB) students, here's some info on St. Patrick's Day.

Everybody associates colour GREEN with St. Patrick's Day. But why do we associate this colour to the festivity anyway? Does it have any solid basis? Watch the video to find out!

What if you were walking around your town one day, and people suddenly started dancing? Watch the Riverdance Frashmob at Sydney's Central Station on Saint Patrick's Day 2012:




Now, some Irish songs that are perfect for a good St Patrick's day celebration.

WILD ROVER (Blarney Lads) 

I've been a wild rover for many a year 
And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer, 
And now I'm returning with gold in great store 
And I never will play the wild rover no more. 

chorus: And it's no, nay, never, 
No nay never no more, 
Will I play the wild rover 
No never no more. 

I went to an ale-house I used to frequent 
And I told the landlady my money was spent. 
I asked her for credit, she answered me "nay 
Such a custom as yours I could have any day." 

chorus

I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright 
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight. 
She said "I have whiskey and wines of the best 
And the words that I spoke sure were only in jest." 

chorus 

I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done 
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son. 
And if they caress (forgive) me as ofttimes before 
Sure I never will play the wild rover no more. 

chorus

DIRTY OLD TOWN, by the Pogues



I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town


St. Patrick's Day is also widely celebrated in the US, especially in the cities like New York and Chicago. We have learnt that, in Chicago, the river turns green (the colour of the festivity, the colour of Ireland) every 17 March. Watch this video to see how:

OH!! Before I forget. We are going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Official Language School of Plasencia. Please join us next Mon 17 at 7.00 ir at 8.00 p.m. Our language assistant, John Gaffney, is going to tell us about St. Patrick's Day. And who knows! There might also be SOME SINGING!!!!

DON'T MISS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit !!

NB 2 - Countable & uncountable nouns

Dear students & readers of this blog,

These past few weeks we have been working with COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS in class. Remember that the basic caracteristics of COUNTABLE nouns are:

- They can take the plural
- They can take the indefinite article a/an
- They can take numerals: one, two, three...
- They can take some/any in the plural

However, UNCOUNTABLE nouns are words that refer to something that cannot be divided in separate elements:

- We usually count them as singular
- They do not take the indefinite article a/an
- They do not take numerals
- They can be made countable by using PARTITIVES and CONTAINERS

And finally, we have those nouns that change meaning, depending on their being countable or uncountable, as in:

- paper (the material) = a paper (newspaper)
- coffee (the substance) = a coffee (a cup of coffee)
- glass (the material) = a glass (a container used for water, for example)


As you might need some extra help with it, here it is.

Grammar:

• English grammar
• Englishclub.com
• Learn English Online
• inglestotal.com

Exercises:

• usingenglish.com
• englishexercises.com
• how much/how many - esl.com

And maybe you might find this video also helpful. Enjoy!!

'The Tramp' turns 100

Dear students & readers of this blog,

On a day such as February 2, 1914, Charles Sydney Chaplin made his movie debut in Hollywood, in the film 'Making a living'. The film was not what we would call successful, but it opened him the way to his second appearance on screen, where this London-born actor, singer and comedian, coming from an acting family, would create his most famous and celebrated character: THE TRAMP. 

 If you want to read on, click here.

I would like to celebrate here, and in our classroom, such an important even in film history. So keep on reading!
 

)

In the first place, and thanks to the generosity of my colleague Luis García, I would like to suggest you do a websearch. Click on the Charles Chaplin Official Website, do some research and answer the following questions:

1- What happened during Charles Chaplin's mother's days in Hollywood that was so important for her?

2- Who sings the song 'Swing little girl' in the film 'The Circus'?

3- Which two roles did Chaplin play in 'The Idle Class'?

The people who successfully answer these questions might get a little treat!!

Also, if you are students at the Official Language School of Plasencia, you might have seen some board panels hanging from the ceiling with shots of some of Chaplin's films. That is a game we are suggesting you. Take a slip of paper with the titles on the films, and go to the panels and try to match the film shots and the titles. Then go to the library to check your answers, and show your teacher (well, me) how many you got right!! Another treat, maybe?

And finally, for our next class on Monday 17 March, I suggest we have some debate on one of Chaplin's most famous films: MODERN TIMES (1936).

)
Watch it, and consider the following questions, that we will debate in class:

1. Who is your favourite character? Why?
2. What is your favourite scene?
3. What is the main idea in the film? What is it really about?
4. What do you think of how the director expressed his ideas?
5. How did the film make you feel?
6. This film was made some 80 years ago, but, is it an oudated film? Why?

If you wish to see other films by Charles Chaplin, you can find many of them on YOUTUBE. Go ahead and watch!!

• Chaplin's Hollywood debut: Making a living.
• The Tramp is born: first time Charlot appears on screen at 'Kid Auto Races at Venice'
• Chaplin's full movies

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLOT!!

Brand new PAPER RATER!!!

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Recently, my dear colleague Federico sent me the link to this website, which I found quite interesting. In it, you will find a way to check and proofread your writing tasks before handing them in to the teacher in class. It can help you learn from your own mistakes and improve the quality of your texts! It can be used by students of all levels. So why don't you have a look?

Click on the image below to go to the site.

PLEASE NOTE: you will find a permanent link to this site on the SIDEBAR of this blog, under the link to BUUSU.COM.

Thanks, Federico, for passing this on to me!

Make good use of it!

Oscars 2014 - Which of these films do you think will be the Best Feature Film of the year?

Dear students & readers of this blog,

The Oscars will finally be celebrated next Sunday, March 2 in Hollywood, as usual. The American movie industry and everyone who is related to it will try to look their best to enjoy their evening.

If you like films, and you're into making your picks and choosing your favourites to win the precious golden statuette on Sunday, here you have a chance todo it. Now, it is the time for the BEST FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR.

By the way, if you are curious to learn about the origin of the oscar statuette, click here.

This week, the students will stop being students for a while, and forget they are in Spain, and will become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Hollywood. Their task, and their resposibility, will be considerable: they will have to vote for the film which will receive the oscar for best feature film of the year. For that, you will have to focus on:

• Plot: what is the film about? Is the story appealing to the public? Is it interesting?
• The cast: who are the actors and actresses who play the main characters? Have they received any other awards? Are the well-known? How good is their performance, in your opinion?
• The director: is he a veteran or not? Have you seen any other films directed by him/her? Has he received any awards before?
• Which are the reasons why your favourite film should win?
• Any other aspects you might consider important to comment on.

And the nominees for BEST PICTURE are:

AMERICAN HUSTLE, directed by David O. Russell

For more info on the plot, characters, cast (actors & actresses), click on:

• Official website of the film
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, directed by Paul Greengrass.



For more info on the plot, characters, cast (actors & actresses), click on:

• Official website of the film
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, directed by Jean-Marc Valée



For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

GRAVITY, directed by Alfonso Cuarón.



For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

HER, directed by Spike Jonze



For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

NEBRASKA, by Alexander Payne



For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations 

PHILOMENA, directed by Stephen Frears



For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website 
• Wikipedia
• BBC films: Philomena
• Awards & nominations 

12 YEARS A SLAVE, directed by Steve McQueen


For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website 
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET , directed by Martin Scorsese.


For more information on the plot, cast, characters, etc, click on:

• Official website 
• Wikipedia
• Awards & nominations

If you are really into the Oscars, and you want to try to make your picks in all categories, here you have a printable ballot from the Oscars Official Site.

In order to speak properly about films and film making, we need a basic glossary of film terms, with words like 'script', 'cast' or 'location'. Click here if you want to learn more.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...