2º Nivel Básico - Let's have some Coldplay...

As promised, here you have the song we listened to in class. Enjoy!

Presidential Inauguration 2009

Barack Obama has already made history. He has been sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. You can witness the moment when he takes the Oath of Office over President Abraham Lincoln's Bible, at 12:05 p.m. Eastern Time (18:05 Spanish time), as well as his Inaugural Address. From NBC:

It is traditional that, after taking the Oath of Office, the President addresses for the first time as such to the people. This speech is followed with enormous attention by everyone, as it is supposed to outline the main lines of action of his presidency. Please find the full text of President Obama's Inaugual Address here.

I have a dream...

On the third Monday of January every year Americans celebrate the birth of this great man, Martin Luther King, whose main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States. He is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today (Source: Wikipedia).

Now that a black person is going to enter the White House as the President of the United States, it just seems natural and appropriate to remember his words. Here you have an extract of his long-remembered speech delivered on 28 August 1963:

If you click here you'll find the full speech with its transcription. Enjoy it! It will be worth your time!

Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. Here's the original news report from the CBS. Worth watching, even if you don't understand everything. Trust me!

If only he could have lived to see this January 20th!

Photos that made history

Now that we have talked in class about photos that portrayed important moments in world history, here you have a slideshow with some of them. What, do you think, was the photographer feeling when he took them? What was he thinking?

A2 - Irregular verb list

Here you can find an online list of irregular verbs that might be useful for you. It includes information on how each form sounds, but it is not a phonetic transcription, so you should check this anyway. It is arranged in alphabetical order and it includes a translation. Have fun!!

USA Quiz

Find out here how much you know about the United States.
Test your American geography here.
Difficult, huh?Oooookay, here you have some help.
Now some American culture.

Chinese Horoscope

We are soon to celebrate, on the 26th of January, the Chinese New Year in such important cities as London, New York or San Francisco. Every year has the name of an animal. 2009 will be the YEAR OF THE OX. Those who will be born this year will have the personality of the ox. What year were you born? Would you like to find out which is your Chinese horoscope sign? Click here.

(Good to learn personality adjectives!)

Happy New Year 2009!!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned.(Source: Wikipedia)

Do you want to know how to make your own New Year's Resolutions? Find some useful tips here.

Maybe if you watch this video you'll find some useful suggestions:

New Year's Resolution List - Click here for more blooper videos

New Year's Resolutions, 'bad for your health'? Check here.

LISTENING: Listen to Episode 23 of The Flatmates (BBC Learning English) on New Year's resolutions.

And finally, why don't we listen to a nice song on the topic. New Year Baby, by Jamie Cullum:

Click here for the lyrics.