Christmas 2015 is here! Come and join us for a Christmas celebration!!

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Christmas is just a few weeks away. We have completed our first term at the school and that is something to celebrate, so...

COME AND JOIN US NEXT 22 DECEMBER, AT 18.00, FOR A FUN CHRISTMAS PARTY!!


This is the programme for the evening:

Cartel promocional fiesta navidad from leticiaeoiplasencia

We'll have A COOKING CONTEST, A CHRISTMAS QUIZ, CAROL SINGING...and of course, FOOD AND DRINK!!

Afterwards, we'll join the rest of the Departments of the school and we'll share some time with French and German students. A unique opportunity to relax and get to know other people!!

DON'T MISS IT!!!

We all know how people celebrate it in Spain, but maybe we are not so familiar with Christmas traditions in the UK. For example, do you know what is...

• Advent?
• Boxing Day?
• mulled wine?
• mistletoe? 

If you want to learn the answers to these and other questions, click here.

If cooking is your thing, click on the mince pies below, and you'll get the recipes  for lots of traditional British dishes: 

Yes, but Christmas is also celebrated in other English-speaking countries. How do people celebrate Christmas in...

• The USA?
• Australia?
• South Africa?
• Canada? 

What's the story or Christmas Carols? To find out, click here.

These are the Christmas Carols we will be singing at the party. Why don't you practise a bit before?

DECK THE HALLS  

Click here if you want the lyrics with some notes about the vocabulary.

LET IT SNOW (with lyrics)

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY START OF 2016. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2015 everyone!!!

Thanksgving, one of the most important festivities in the US, is here. The time is come to learn about how people celebrate it.

Did you know that...


...Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November?
...in Canada, Thanksgiving is in October?
...the turkey, the cornucopia, the corn or the pumpkin are the symbols of this holiday?
...people give thanks for everything good in their lives?
...every year, the President of the United States pardons the life of a turkey, which ends up in Disneyland?
...every year, there's a spectacular parade in many American cities like New York or Chicago?

If you want to read about Thanksgiving traditions, click on the image below:

Now some history. What's the origin of this festivity? Where do its main traditions come from? Take some time to watch this video:

Want to know some facts about the ship that took the Pilgrims to America? Watch the video below:

Millions of turkeys will be stuffed, roasted, and served this Thanksgiving. But yesterday, one lucky bird got free to live in a farm thanks to the traditional Presidential pardon. Please know the lucky winners:

YOU ARE THE HISTORIAN. Hey, don't miss this!!! Click again on the picture below if you want to find out more about the festivity. It will be worth your time, believe me!!

And to end on a humorous note, don't miss "I will survive":

For all of you, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

NA2 - UNIT 9: Work, work...

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Recently we have been dealing in class with the topic of work and all related to it: job hunting, things we should ask ourselves when choosing a career to follow, how to dress for work, what makes you happy at work...Take some time to have a look at the contents of this post. It will be worth your while!!

Thanks to my colleague, Federico, for sharing all this with me!!

First of all, you have to think carefully about your future career, and what you want to do. Maybe you have to ask yourself a few questions:




(source: Psychologies Magazine. September 2012)

If you are job-hunting, you need to have a good CV. Click here if you want to read about the DOs and DON'Ts of CV writing.

Now, click here to take a test on CVs.

First of all, what do we need to know to face a job interview and succeed in getting a job? Watch the following video:

It’s understandable to feel a little nervous before an interview. Maggie Mistal offers some practical advice to help ensure that you put your best foot forward.

• Show up on time.
  
  
• Dress appropriately.
  
  
• Smile and try to relax! Remember, an interview is a conversation and your interviewer is a person, too.
  
  
• Be prepared to answer key questions like, “Why are you looking to leave your current position?”  It is key that you always stay positive, even if you are currently in a difficult situation.
  
  
• A way to turn tough questions into positive talking points is to bring the focus to things you are looking for in your next job.  Instead of bashing your current company for their lack of leadership or your lack of mangement experience, emphasize that you are seeking a job where you can work closely with a mentor or take on greater responsibility. 
  
  
• Don't get defensive if the interviewer makes a comment like, “you’re over-qualified” or “you’re under-qualified.” Turn the comment into a positive note, addressing the interviewer’s concerns behind the question: "I understand why you might feel I’m overqualified, but at this stage in my career I’m really looking to downshift and am looking for an opportunity where I can contribute but don’t necessarily have to run the show."
  
  
• Get as much experience as you can (especially if you are still in school). Highlight your past accomplishments. Show how you have learned, grown and succeeded in the past. Offer references of people who can attest to your ability to learn quickly and perform well.
  
  
• Do not be the one to bring up salary. Sell them on why you’re the ideal candidate first.
  
  
• Be prepared to answer salary-related questions if asked by the interviewer. Checkout online salary calculators to find out what your role is worth in your geographic area.
  
  
• Do not bring up benefits in the first interview; wait until you are invited back for another interview to ask about other benefits like vacation, 401K, etc.

Remember, an interview is the chance to find out if you are right for the company and if the company is right for you. Your odds of getting the job (and perhaps negotiating a higher salary) will improve if you first prove to them why you are the ideal candidate for the job.

(Thanks to our colleague Elena Rebollo for her contribution to this post!)
---
 

One of the most difficult issues to deal with when thinking about work and its importance in our lives, the subject of WORK-LIFE BALANCE comes up. Please watch Nigel Marsh's TED talk and note any interesting ideas and vocabulary related to this topic.

Please note: If you wished to check the transcript or see it with (English) subtitles, click here.

--------

Once you get the job, you have to worry about what you wear for work. Have a look at the following article:

(Source: Psychologies. September 2012)

And to finish, some tips on HOW TO LOOK BUSY AT WORK.

1. Never walk without a document in your hands

People with documents in their hands look like hard working employees going to important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they are going to the canteen. People with a newspaper in their hands look like they are going to the toilet. Most importantly, make sure you carry a lot of paper home with you at night, this will give the false impression that you work longer hours than you actually do.

2. Use computers to look busy

Any time you use a computer, it looks like 'work' to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mails, chat, read this story, and generally have fun without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren't exactly the social benefits that the fans of the computer revolution would like to talk about but they're not bad either. When you get caught by your boss – and you WILL get caught – your best defence is to claim you're teaching yourself to use new software or English, and so saving the company the cost of expensive training.

3. Untidy desk

Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we're not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your work area. To the casual observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work. It is the amount of documents you have that is important. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your desk, bury the document you know they will want halfway down an existing pile and rummage for it when they arrive.

4. Voice mail

Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don't call you just because they want a chat – they call because they want YOU to do work for THEM. Screen all calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice message for you and it sounds like impending work, reply during their lunch hour when you know they will be in the canteen – it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious.


5. Looking impatient and annoyed 


Always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your boss the impression that you are always busy.

6. Leave the office late

Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still working. You could read the magazines and books that you have always wanted to read but have had no time. Make sure you walk past the boss' office as you are leaving. Send important e-mails at unearthly hours (e.g. 7.05 am, 9.35 pm) and during public holidays.

7. Sighing for effect

Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

8. Piling strategy

It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor, etc. (thick computer books are best).

9. Build vocabulary

Read some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases when in conversation with the bosses. Remember: They don't have to understand what you say, but you will sound impressive.

10. Have two jackets

If you work in a big open plan office, always leave an extra jacket on the back of your chair. This gives the impression that you are still in the office. The second jacket should be worn while you are away from your desk doing something more interesting than work.

Has anyone got any additional suggestions?

Dear students & readers of this blog,

What would we do without books? Who would we be?

As every year, we celebrate the World Book Day on April 23. Plasencia is going to have its customary Book Fair in the Main Square, to which, of course, you are all invited. 

There will be some specific events addressed to language students. You will find the information below:

Feria del libro from leticiaeoiplasencia

Please take a few minutes to watch the video below. Why can't we like with books? Please watch and read the answers of some secondary school students, and then, write a COMMENT giving your reason. WHY CAN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT BOOKS?

How will we celebrate it at the school? We'll read!! So next Thursday bring to class a book, a magazine, a poem... we'll read it together.

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY!!

NA 2 - Discovering Mr Turner

Dear students & readers of this blog

Next Thursday, 5 March, at 20:30, we'll have the chance to watch a very interesting film, offered to us by the FILMOTECA DE EXTREMADURA  in Plasencia.

The film is called MR TURNER, directed by the prestigious British director Mike Leigh, and starred by Timothy Spall. For a taste of it, here you have the trailer:

But who was this "Mr Turner" that deserves a place in history?

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775- 1851) was a British landscape painter, watercolorist and printmaker, quite controversial in his day, but who is considered today as "the painter of light" and inspirer of the 20th century abstract art.

For more info, click here for a short biography.

As it has already been mentioned, Turner was renowned for his landscapes. If you don't have the chance to travel to London to see his paintings, don't miss the following slideshow. Which one is your favourite?

Now, talking about the film, who is who in Mr Turner? Have a look below:

• Joseph Mallord William Turner, a painter, played by Timothy Spall.
• Hannah Danby, Turner's devoted housekeeper and lover, played by Dorothy Atkinson.
• Sophia Booth, Turner's landlady and second lover, played by Marion Bailey.
• William Turner, Joseph's father, who lived with him until he died. Played by Paul Jesson.

For more info, wikipedia!

What were Mike Leigh's intentions when he made the film? How did some of his cast prepare it? Watch the video below and answer the questions below:

1. When did Mike Leigh become aware of JMW Turner's work?

a) In the 60s, when he saw his paintings in a museum

b) In the 60s, when he was studying art

c) In the 60s, when he read about him

2. How many films had been made before Mike Leigh decided to make his?

a) Two

b) Four

c) None

3. How much did actresses Marion Bailey and Dorothy Atkinson know about Turner before shooting the film?
 

a) They were quite familiar with his work, but not with his life.
b) Only a few details of his life

c) They were only aware of the extent of his work.

4. What did Marion Bailey prepare her character?

a) She listened to some recordings from the 1950s

b) She visited the area of Kent

c) She talked to people in their 90s from the Kent area

5. How did Mike Leigh build Mr Turner's character?

a) By building a whole pattern of behaviour and motivations

b) By studying his life in depth

c) By studying the way he talked

(ask your teacher for the answers)

 I hope this helps you understand the character and the film.

See you at the Filmoteca!!

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.

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 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...