5C Work extra documents

• Warm up
• Pronunciation
• Do you know anyone who...?

File 5A extra documents

• Vocabulary from listening and reading.
• Listening
• Slow Mérida and the Slow Movement.

Documents from file 4C (Houses and decoration)

Here you have a list of extra documents I gave you in class in case you didn't have them.

• Still friends (a survey)
• Do you need to edit your friends (cloze)
• Listening and speaking

Another Brick in the wall

Here, as promised, you have a link to the video of the famous song. If you click on lyrics youll be able to read them. Hope you enjoy it! Add comments if you wish. I also include a version with spanish subtitles.

• Video
• Video with spanish subtitles.

Crash Thursday 11th, November 19.00 (Bibloteca del Estado)

This Thursday we're going to watch a great film- CRASH- directed by Paul Haggis. Here you'll be able to watch the Trailer in English and Spanish.

Trailer (English version)

Trailer (Spanish version)

No need to argue (The Cramberries)

No need to argue (lyrics)

Romeo and Juliet (suggested by Antonio Galán)

We did this song last week. It was suggested by some of your classmates. It's beautiful, isn't it? Here you'll be able to watch the video as usual, with and without lyrics.

• Video
• Video with lyrics
• Exercise we did in class

And now you can suggest your favourite songs. I promise to use them in class.

Talk about an ideal house listening

We did this listening last week. Here you'll be able to listen to it again and have access to the questions. I'll post the answers tomorrow when everybody has listened to it.

• Audio
• Listening exercise (with key)

Do you keep in touch with old friends?

This week we are going to talk about our old friends from school or from our street. Are they still your friends? How often do you keep in touch with them?

Have you ever tried to get in touch with an old friend? Did you succeed? How did you manage to find him /her?

In the book they talk about friends reunited as an example of the use of the www to find old friends.

In my opinion the number one site nowadays is Facebook. Here I include a link to a page with facts and figures about facebook we might use in class. In the meantime whyu don't you introduce some comments on the topic of Facebook. Have you ever used it? What for? Is it a useful tool?

• Facts and figures about Facebook.

Our house (Madness)

We'll be working with this great song by Madness. Here you can find links to different videos of the song.

Original video

Lyrics

Houses 25th to 28th of october

This week we are going to describe our house and also to give opinions about the places where we live and where we would like to live. Here are the links to the material we are going to use in class and to some pages where they talk about houses.

• Describing a house (vocabulary)
• Virtual House (you can listen to names of different rooms and furniture)
• Different types of houses (description)
• Listening vocabulary (textbook)

Writing exercise 18-22nd of october

I must apologize for not posting this earlier. It's a busy part of the year. Anyway, I'll try to avoid doing it again in the future. Last week we learned how to plan a writing exercise with the title: "Are schools these days easier?" Here you'l find links to the document I used in class and also to the diagrams we used in class to start our planning:

• Lesson.
• Plan.

That'll teach 'em

This week we are going to do a listening about a reality show. There was a similar programme on Spanish tv called "Curso del 63". Here you have two interesting links. One is the web page of the British programme. You could have a look at the section "Yesterday and today" and "Ciritisizing education". See what you can make out of it. The other link is to a video of the British programme. It's quite shocking.

• Web page.
• Video.
• Listening exercise.
• Listening Exercise (answers)

Once you have a look at them you could introduce comments and opinions here. Did you like it? Do you think school was better in the past than nowadays?

Grades (Listening Comprehension)

This week we are going to start training for the real world of English. How are we going to do this? By listening to native speakers talking about the topics we deal with in class. In this case we'll be listening to Todd and Nydja (Standard American English accent) talking about grades (marks). Do you think marks are important? Did you have to work hard to get good marks? Did you succeed?
Here you have the links to the conversation and the transcript. Don't worry! I'm aware that it's a difficult exercise. I don't want you to understand everything.

• Grades (conversation and transcript)

Keep Learning NI2 (Great Blog)

My colleague and friend Nieves, teaching at EOI Mérida as well, has just published a blog for NI2 and NA1 students. Have a look at it. It's really interesting. For instance, there is a section this week on conditionals which you shouldn't miss.

• Blog
• Conditionals

Wonderful world (Sam Cooke)

Now starting with the new topic of education we'll be listening to this song just to revise some subjects. Here you have the link to the video.

• Video with lyrics.

And since we are talking about subjects. Can you tell me which were tha subjects you preferred and hated at school?

Bad romance

Here is the song we're going to do in class. You'll find a link to different videos of the song.

• Original video
• Video with lyrics
• Game with lyrics
• Video with lyrics in Spanish

We could also talk about your opinion on Lady Gaga. She is quite a controversial figure.

Do you like her or do you think she is a freak?

End of course best wishes from Juanma

Well, it's all over. It's amazing how fast the course went by. I just wanted to thank you all for being such good pupils and putting up with me during the year. I hope you all pass (specially those of you who worked really hard). However, before saying goodbye I'd like to ask you one last favour. I'd love you to post comments on the year (things you liked and things you didn't like, what you've learned, what you need to learn, how you'd like to learn in the future, positive and negative aspects about me). I accept anything as long as it is done with respect.

I'd like to finish, guess what?, with a song. This is my favourite song. It's a love song. The most beautiful love song ever written (for me, of course). My friend and best man Richard sang it the first time I heard it. Here is the link (can you understand it?).

• The Price I pay (Billy Bragg)

And yes, this is the end. Have a great summer! See ya!


PS: I'm sorry about the trip to London. It's the second time I make a mess of it. EL PILAR weekend is now my aim.

Nathalie du Toit- Bethany Hamilton

This week we are going to read about these two amazing women. They both lost a limb and they made an effort to continue with their lives as they had been before. Have you ever thought of how you would cope if you had a disability. Do you know anyone who has gone through a similar experience and has succeeded? Here you have the links to Nathalie's and Bethany's webpage and also to two videos talking about their lives. The videos are very difficult, I know, but I think that with the visual aid you will be able to understand something (give them a try!).

• Nathalie du Toit' webpage
• Nathalie's video
• Bethany Hamilton's webpage
• Bethany's video

Now you can write comments giving your opinion about both stories or telling the story of a similar case you've come across.

Listening practice on descriptions

As I told you in class I've found some links to listening exercises which have something to do with descriptions. I hope you find them useful:

• Which woman is it?
• Hair description
• Description of couples

Reading on British manners (end of file 3A practice)

Just to finish with the topic of manners we are going to do this exercise in class based on a web page made by a British school. All you have to do is read the information on the page and do the vocabulary exercise. You can write comments on DOs and DON'Ts in Spain.

• Acceptable behaviour in Britain webpage.
• Exercise.

Listening exercise on carousel activity

As I told you here is the link to the listening exercise we did last wednesday in class. It a great page to practise your listening skills.

• Traffic woes.

Happy Easter! And File 2C

We'll I hope you had a great holiday. Just as a reminder I'm sure you remember that before Easter we finished File 2C. Here you have a few activities we did in class and some extra tasks for you to practise.

1. Vocabulary on Race to the Sun reading exercise
2. Extra reading on travelling to London (without answers, it's a piece of cake)
3. Extra reading on dangerous things when driving
4. Extra listening (how is transportation in your town)
5. Song (All the single ladies)

• Song
• Song with lyrics
  

Do you fancy going to Britain for a few days?

Last week when we finished the lesson we were talking about going to practise our English to Britain for a few days (Isabel suggested it). I've also seen that Isabel left two comments in the previous article. I think it's a great idea but I'm a bit concerned about dates basically. If we can agree on a date and we get a good enough number of people who are interested I'll do my best to organise it. All I want from you is comments with date and place. After a week we'll see what we can do. Come on! It'll be fun!

It was just a holiday but it changed my life

Today we're going to read this story about two women, Victoria and Sally, who decided to change their lives completely after a holiday. Here you'll find links to the material I'm handing out this evening and also to the original article where these stories were taken from.

• Reading work
• Speaking work
• Original article

Now it's your time to give opinions. Can you imagine a holiday that could change your life? Has this ever happened to you?

Train your accent

This is a great exercise you can do from time to time to improve your pronunciation. You can read some texts in different topics and listen to a native speaker reading them. Here is a link to the page and also to the lesson we did in class. Make the most of it.

Train your accent page.
Lesson

Sky news 22022010

This week we have been working very hard on a quite demanding task. We have been watching the news headlines of a TV channel. This is an incredibly demanding and tiring task. At this stage the only thing you are expected to do is to get a general idea of what the news is about. In class I asked you to get the general idea and also to write the keywords you could gather. And I must admit you did an excellent job. Congratulations! Here you will be able to watch the news again and also the script.

Script.

My life without money

Today, just to finish with the topic of money we are going to read about the story of Heidemarie Schwermer, who decided to live without money. In the following links you'll be able so see a short video of Heidemarie and also an interview with her at a BBC radio programme.

• Video
• Radio programme

And now I'd like you to make comments on this topic.

• Can you live without money?
• How important is money in your life?
• What do you think of Heidemarie?

Material Girl

As you know last week we worked with this lively song by Madonna. Here is what we did in class plus some extra information.

• Exercise
• Video of the song
• Information about Madonna.

ONCE (Great film, don't miss it)

Next Monday (25thJanyuary) you'll have a chance to see this grat film at the Delgado Valhondo library. Since the lesson is the film let's make the most of it and use it as class material. I've made a worksheet for you to follow and do some thinking and speaking before and after the film. I have also included some links to the trailer and a song.

1. Worksheet.

2. Trailer.

3. Song


And don't forget to post your comments here when you watch it. Did you like it? Why/ why not?

Information about exams, film and Friday

Please remember the following:

• Next Friday 22nd of January we have a lesson (we are going to do listening practice and also some writing)
• Next Monday 25th of January the class will take place at "Jesús Delgado Valhondo library" where we will watch an excellent film (Once). I'll prepare some questions for you to answer at the end.
• On Wednesday 27th of January we'll do a listening test.

Speaking activity on descriptions and vocabulary

Today, I asked everybody to describe a friend or member of your family answering the following questions:

1. Why did you choose him/ her?
2. What does he /she look like?
3. What is he/ she like?
4. Has the position in his / her family had an influence on his/her personality?

I gave pupils 5 minutes to think about it and then talk to at least 2 people in the class. I asked them to use the vocabulary on descriptions I handed out in class and also some vocabulary from the listening exercise we did last monday. You can have a look at it here.

The Wilsons

Last week we were reading about them. Today we are going to listen to one of their famous hits. In the following links you'll be able to have a look at the vocabulary from the reading I've selected and also to the song.

• Vocabulary from reading
• Exercise on the song
• Song

Extra practice on resolutions

For those of you who want more extra practice on New Year's Resolutions here is an interesting link. The level is probably a bit difficult for you but you can download the audio and the script and listen to it as many times as you want.

• 6 minute English: New Year's Resolutions.

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday. Well, here we are again trying to brush up our English after such a long period. As you know in class we started by talking about our plans for the new year. You made your own resolutions and so did I. One of them is to keep the blog up to date and I'm determined to do it from day 1. Here you have what we did in class yesterday.

• Resolutions worksheet.
• Listening on resolutions.
• Song by Jamie Cullum
• Video of the song
  
• Speaking revision game.

And since I've mentioned my resolutions I'd love you to write some comments on your resolutions for this year. Try to use some of the vocabulary included in the worksheet. I'm looking forward to reading them. Thanks!