Like Medium? See the Monográfico B2+ section on the right.

Hi, folks! Long time, no see. We've been dealing with the supernatural so, if you, like me, like Medium, check the Monográfico B2+ section on the right, you'll see three links that will take you to interviews with the real Allison DuBois, and Patricia Arquette, the actress who plays her role on the TV series. Enjoy.
And Merry Xmas, you people.

Just a few things about Scotland for you.

We had Siobhan today, and we learned a little bit about Scotland, see the map here. We saw a bit about Billy Connelly, probably the best known Scottish stand-up comedian.


If you want to see the transcript, click here.

Obama's victory speech

It's Halloween, folks!

Thanks again to my dearest friend Sara, for this video with English subtitles about the history of Halloween . If you are interested in the subject and enjoy terror movies click here to see what Sara has on her web.

Laughs & criticism

Check out this video.


Obama Promises To Stop America's Shitty Jobs From Going Overseas

To revise character adjectives.

Nieves sent this link. It's a "hot potato" to revise character adjectives. Study first and then click here to do the online activity.

Even the BBC makes big mistakes.

Click here to see the video, and then on "más información" on the top right hand corner of the screen to see the explanation and the transcripts. Unbelievable!

The Catherine Tate Show. Derek at the men's health clinic

Click here to see it. And if you want to find out more about Catherine Tate herself, click here. Enjoy!

Sex and the City. Romance-intolerant.

This is part of what we did on Friday. If you didn't come to class and want to do it at home, or simply you liked it so much you want to see it again and again, click here to see the document and here to see the video.

Thank you, Nazaret, for sending "you gotta be".

We worked with "You gotta be", by Des'ree, in class and Nazaret has been kind enough to send this link. It's cool because you can watch the video, read the lyrics and the translation at the same time, but some translations are not very accurate.

John Cleese, ex- Monty Python, on Sarah Palin

Click here to watch the video and then answer the following questions:

1. What does he think of her?
2. Would he vote for McCain, if he was American? Why? Why not?.

US rivals in final debate

If you want to see the report on BBCNews about the final televised debate between Obama and McCain, click here.

A short film about nuclear power in Navaho Country, USA

The "Don't vote, please" link is working again

Yes, I re-posted it, with the help of my dear friend and collegue Sara. It works now. Take a look at it, see if you understand, then report to the class!!!!!

Goodbye, Paul Newman.

Yes, Paul Newman died. A tribute to him here.

What Viggo had to say about success.

I don't know if you know, but I'm a big Viggo Mortensen's fan. So, occasionally I check up on him. And look what I found. A very short interview where he gives advice on how to be successful. Click here to see the video and them answer the following question:

• what's his advice?

Post your answers in the comment section.

If you want to understand the finantial crisis...

This has been sent to me by my friends in Ourense, Ana & Matt. I want to share it with you because it made me laugh. So, if you want to understand how this finantial crisis came to be, click here.

Please, don't vote.

One of the topics we are going to be dealing with this year is politics. You may know there are general elections in the US this year and this is the video some of Hollywood's biggest stars have released to encourage American citizens to vote.

More about speed dating.

This time a video from the BBC. They use the terms "sugarmmamma" and "toy boy". What do they mean? Don't be shy, add your comments!!!

Speed dating

Click here if you want to read the original article from The Observer.

Have fun with English.

Nieves, my fellow NA1 teacher, sends the following link to share with us. Click here, it's hilarious.

If you want to read the original article from The Guardian

Hi, there. If you are interested in the real, unadapted words of Norah Jones, click here. And if you have problems with the vocabulary, click on this online dictionary.

Pronunciation poem, thanks to Nieves.

Yes, it was Nieves, my NA1 fellow teacher, who found and sent this pronunciation poem. Click here to access the page where you can download the mp3 file. Read it at home, it's great practice!!!!

Pronunciation poem

Here is some pronunciation.
Ration never rhymes with nation,
Say prefer, but preferable,
Comfortable and vegetable.
B must not be heard in doubt,
Debt and dumb both leave it out.
In the words psychology,
Psychic, and psychiatry,
You must never sound the p.
Psychiatrist you call the man
Who cures the complex, if he can.
In architect, chi is k.
In arch it is the other way.

Please remember to say iron
So that it'll rhyme with lion.
Advertisers advertise,
Advertisements will put you wise.
Time when work is done is leisure,
Fill it up with useful pleasure.
Accidental, accident,
Sound the g in ignorant.
Relative, but relation,
Then say creature, but creation.
Say the a in gas quite short,
Bought remember rhymes with thwart,
Drought must always rhyme with bout,
In daughter leave the gh out.

Wear a boot upon your foot.
Root can never rhyme with soot.
In muscle, sc is s,
In muscular, it's sk, yes!
Choir must always rhyme with wire,
That again will rhyme with liar.
Then remember it's address.
With an accent like posses.
G in sign must silent be,
In signature, pronounce the g.

Please remember, say towards
Just as if it rhymed with boards.
Weight's like wait, but not like height.
Which should always rhyme with might.
Sew is just the same as so,
Tie a ribbon in a bow.
When You meet the queen you bow,
Which again must rhyme with how.
In perfect English make a start.
Learn this little rhyme by heart.

An advert with a message.

With thanks to my Ukranian friend, Masha, who sent it.

Funny mobile advert with thanks to Ana Ramos

More links to revise grammar and vocabulary

Well, we are almost done. But you have a couple of weeks to revise and this blog will help you. Don't forget to visit it as I will try to post interesting links to help you with practice. Here are a few more quizzes that are good to revise some of the topics we have dealt with.

• Health
• Business
• Time clauses
• Crime and punishment
• Crime verbs and prepositions
  
• Do and make
• Multi-word verbs
• Future
• Politics

Enjoy.

A link to more listening activities

Check this one out. It has different levels of difficulty and exercises. American English. And I found it browsing through Sara's web, which I strongly recommend. Don't get frustrated if you don't understand, just click on the easy ones. Enjoy and learn!

Permanent link to Sara's web

I like it so much - and I'm not the only one, Mª José, student of mine told me yesterday she had enjoyed thoroughly Rowan Atkinson's sketches - that I've asked her permission to post it here as a permanent link. Thank you Sara, for your excellent work, enthusiasm and sense of humour.

Listen and laugh!

Here is a link to a hot potato created by a dear friend of mine, Sara Pro, teacher at the Drassanes EOI in Barcelona -I hope I spelled it right.I also hope the link works. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

A gender joke

Thanks to Concha Lana for sending this joke.

THE HUSBAND STORE


A store that sells new husbands has opened in Cheltenham , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs.

She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.

'That's nice,' she thinks, 'but I want more.' So she continues upward.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.

'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous and Help With Housework.

'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!'

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

PLEASE NOTE:

To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.
The first floor has wives that love sex.

The second floor has wives that love sex, like beer and have money.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

To improve your pronunciation. Part II.

Thanks to Fernando Viñuelas, Year 4 student, for sending me the following links to practice pronunciation:
Link 1.
Link 2.

Very helpful for vowel sounds.

The great quizz?

Very short quizzes. It won't take long to do them, I promise.

To revise :

- grammar.

1. "need + -ing " and "have something done"
2. conditional sentences,
3. conditionals and modals
4. relative clauses

- vocabulary for

1. crime and criminals, click here
2. the house, click here
3. clothes, click here

Extremadura: staying in Spain's Paradors

Thanks to María Martínez Candela, fellow teacher and dearest friend, for sending this link. Don't miss it. We'll probably be working with it in class.

Down on my knees

Thanks to a dear friend, Leticia, for sending me this link to a beautiful song. I just wanted to share it with you folks!

For 4º B students (Tuesdays and Thursdays 18.00-19.40)

We are meeting for drinks on Wednesday 30 April, at 23.30 in the Plaza de España El Juli Kiosk, the one closest to Telepizza. As the old English saying goes, "The more, the merrier", so I'll see you there.

Spain's "Mum" minister takes critics by storm

With thanks to Concha Lana, again, who always supplies me with interesting material. Click here to read the article and print the activities below to do the exercises.

Spain’s “Mum” minister takes critics by storm

Vocabulary

As you read the article, match the following vocabulary with the most suitable translation:

1. Take sth / s.o by storm	a) Admisiblemente, por cierto
2. Stand to attention	b) (Mil.) Cuadrarse
3. Hastily	c) A toda prisa
4. Admittedly,	d) Albergar pensamientos machistas
5. Harbour machista thoughts	e) (Mil.) Asaltar / (fig.) Cautivar
6. Aim	f) Apuntar
7. Authoritative	g) Autorizadas, con autoridad
8. Smock	h) Blusón pre-mamá/baby
9. Sneer at	i) Burlarse de
10. Command	j) Comandar
11. Cabinet	k) Consejo de Ministros
12. Convene	l) Convocar
13. Summit	m) Cumbre
14. Fulfil	n) Cumplir
15. They had better …keep them to themselves	o) Es mejor que se los guarden
16. Stopover	p) Escala
17. Stampede	q) Estampida
18. Be delighted with	r) Estar encantado con
19. Affect	s) Fingir
20. Make some criticism	t) Hacer críticas
21. Attempt	u) Intento
22. Derision	v) Irrisión, risa
23. Coupled with	w) Junto con
24. Emergency measures	x) Medidas de emergencia
25. Seamstresses	y) Modistillas
26. Unaffected	z) Natural, sin fingimientos
27. Appoint	aa) Nombrar
28. Peacekeeping operations	bb) Operaciones de paz
29. Review	cc) Pasar revista
30. Chair	dd) Presidir
31. Parched	ee) Secas
32. Loose	ff) Suelto, holgado
33. Radio discussion	gg) Tertulia
34. Panel	hh) Tertulia (grupo de tertulianos)
35. Transfer	ii) Trasbordo
36. Notoriously	jj) Tristemente célebre

Now answer the following questions:

1. Why is Chacón’s trip controversial?
2. What do you think of the fact that the cabinet is mostly female?
3. What’s ABC’s position with respect to Zapatero’s appointments? What do you think about it?
4. What is Elizabeth Nash’s opinion about the whole thing?

If you, like me, like House, check this one out!

Hugh Laurie, very popular English comedian and actor, interviewed by Dave Letterman. Funny.

More about inventions

What do you think of this invention? You have the text and the audio. And then you can comment on what you think of it. Come on, don't be shy, post you comments!!!.

Great ideas from around the world

Thanks to Concha Lana I'm posting a new link to interesting podcasts from Reader's Digest. This time, American English. Click on this link; it will lead you to the podcasts page of RD, then click on the link with the title Great ideas from around the world and download the podcast. Here is an exercise you can do to help you understand:

World’s Great Ideas

Discuss:

· Think of inventions in the past that you consider great ideas because they have made our life easier.

· Now use you imagination to think of future inventions that will improve our lives.

We are going to listen to a programme called Great Ideas. Before listening, look at the vocabulary below, make sure that you understand it and try to predict what they are going to say about it:

• Owning a football team
• Soccer team
• Sneakers
• Germ detecting wipes
• Bio hazards
• Plantic
• Food packaging
• Biodegradable
• Corn starch
• Faucet
• Sustainable dance club
• Eco-friendly
• Hopping around
• Self-sustainable
• Toilets that flush with rain water
• ATM (Automated-Teller-Machine) for books.

Now listen and check your answers.

Good luck with it. If you need to use the dictionary, click here.

New link to a more than interesting resource. Short videos subtitiled in English and Spanish

An ex-student of mine, Pedro Colmenero, sends me through Jorge Gozalo, present PALE student, this interesting link. With so much on the internet, if you don't learn English it is because you don't have the time, or the interest.

Talking about stereotypes....

Well, you remember the other day we talked about the stereotype of blondes....Mª José, year 4 student - thank you, dear- sends this as an example of the stereotype. Incredibly incoherent speech. Have fun.

BBC - Radio - Podcasts - The Archers

BBC - Radio - Podcasts - The Archers: "Contemporary drama in a rural setting from the world’s longest running radio soap opera. Follow the lives of the residents of the fictional farming community of Ambridge" With thanks to José Ignacio, Portuguese teacher at the School, for recommending it.

If you want to learn a litle more about Scott's expedition

Thanks to Fernando Viñuelas, Year 4 student, you can see pictures of Scott's tent and supplies. Check it out, it's interesting.

Do you want to improve your pronunciation?

Thanks to Concha Lana, again, who keeps me posted on anything fascinating on the web. Click here, write any word you don't know how to pronounce, click "say it", and they'll say it for you. If you run the mouse over the picture, they'll follow it with their eyes. It is trully amazing. You can even choose the speaker. Try it. It's great!

Blanca Ayuso on the digital newspaper

This is for her and for those Year 4 students who had the good fortune of sharing the class with her. Click here to see how she's doing. Blanca, my dear, I miss you. And thank you, Concha, for sending me the link.

Films in original version: Europa S. XXI and II Festival de Cine Posible

Hi, folks. As some of you may know The School is collaborating with the Filmoteca de Extremadura and together we are going to show a few films in original version. This is the programme:

• Thursday 3 April. Vier minuten (Germany)
• Thursday 17 April. Le goût des autres (France)
• Thursday 24 April. This is England (United Kingdom)

The films start at 20.30 at the Centro Cultural Alcazaba.
Tickets: 1,00 € (if you have Carnet Joven: 0,50)

I recommend the II Festival de Cine Posible: you'll see short movies from different countries at the Centro Cultural Alcazaba , always at 20.30 from 8-10 April. If you like the cinema and you enjoy knowing different cultures, different realities, don't miss it.

The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard

Hello, everybody. I know we have "technically" finished the topic of politics and history, but my fellow teacher Concha Lana has just sent me another interesting link I couldn't just let go of. So, if you're interested, click here for an excellent portrayal of how our consumer society works. It's longer than the usual forward so you may want to watch it by chapters. It is too good, don't miss it.

New homework for my Year 4 students

Hi, there. So you thought I wouldn't ask you to do a composition again, didn't you? Wrong! So, because we have just finished working with History, Politics and Making deductions and speculations in the past you have to write an article about a historical character in 200 words making speculations about his/her life - you know, what his life must have been like, might(not) have been like and can't have been like. There. You have a week and a half as from today.
A special word for Diego: patience, my friend, lots of patience.

Thank you José Ignacio.

José Ignacio, Portuguese teacher in the EOI Mérida has posted a comment with a slide show of the School Day (under Some videos about Spanish Politics). Click on it to see what you missed!!! We did have fun, and the poetry reading was lovely. The food, excellent, as usual. The company...wonderful, but I did miss my students!!!!!

Venice and me. Slide Show. With thanks to Manolo and Mª José, dearest friends.

Short videos about Spanish politics

Don't miss this page. You have a few videos to choose from. And they are conveniently short, so you won't have time to get bored and you can listen again and again until you understand everything they say. Very good to improve your listening skills and your vocabulary about politics. Have fun.

An astonishing ballet

Concha Lana, a fellow teacher at the school has forwarded an e-mail with the most astonishing ballet I have ever seen. I wanted to share it with you. Don't miss it. It is unbelievable. Have a nice holiday

Have a very interesting Easter Holiday

Well, well, at last Easter Holiday is here. And it finds us ready and willing to enjoy ourselves, rest, see friends and family, maybe travel somewhere. If you choose this last option, click here to learn about air travel.
I don't know where I'll be, or if I'll have easy access to the Internet, but if I can I'll try and post something for you. So, don't forget to keep an eye on this blog, you might find something interesting, even funny. Have a nice one, people.

From Venice to "In the ghetto"

Hi, folks. Many of you know I spent last weekend in Venice. A most lovely town. If you've been there, you know one of the borroughs you can visit is "il ghetto", which is where the Jewish population used to live. Talking to my friends about it, they reminded me of the famous Elvis song "In the ghetto" and its infamous version by El Principe Gitano. Quite a laugh. (Chayo, this is specially for you; as always, your wish is my command)

New: An article of the BBC about the results of yesterday's Spanish elections

Hi, people. We are going to be working today with this article to talk about the results of the Spanish elections:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7287095.stm
Enjoy and learn.

Celebrating "El día del centro"

Hi, folks! As you know, next Thursday, March 13, we are celebrating "El día del centro". Timetable as follows:

• 18.00. Eurotrivial 2008. Cultural Quizz about the countries where the languages we theach at the school are spoken. We need volunteers. Get in touch with me before Tuesday 11.
• 19.00. Poetry reading. We have chosen the poem "Words from the other side" by Moira Donaldson. We need volunteers. Get in touch with me before Tuesday 11.
• 20.00. Party. Come and enjoy yourself. Don't forget to bring some food and drink to share with your School mates and teachers. I'll be fun.

Come and celebrate with us!!!

Look at what's new!!

Hi, people. You'll find on the right a new section called New!!! In here you will find the new things I'm posting. As you know, it's politics now, what with the general elections in Spain and the Primaries in the US. So you'll find three interesting links, some for listening, some for reading. Enjoy and learn.

For all my students

As you know there has been a very important debate between Zapatero and Rajoy. Read about it clicking on this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7264121.stm

For my Geography/History teacher PALE student

And this is for Jorge, of course.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/

For my Maths teachers PALE students

This is for you, Rosa and Rafael, see if you like it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/

For my Physical Education PALE students

Carlos and Pando, this is for you.Here is a link to a BBC website that specializes in GCSE students (secondary education students). You might find it useful.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/

For my PALE students: Woman's Hour: life without sex

For those of you who wish to listen to it again, here is the link. I hope it works. Enjoy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/05/2007_37_fri.shtml

Dates: listening comprehension exams Feb 08

Hi, there. Let me remind you the dates for our February Listening Comprehension Exams:

• 4º A (17.00) Wednesday 27th.
• 4º B (18.00) Thursday 28th.

Good luck to you all. Remember not to panick if you don't understand everything. We are just interested in checking that you understand what we ask you in the questions.

Here I am

Hi, there, everyone. This is my first blog. I'm not sure yet what to do with it, but it will come to me, don't worry. Ok, what I would really like to do is to use it as a tool to communicate with my students. Maybe tell you what we are doing in class, exam dates, interesting links and documents...See how it goes. Oh, yes, and also tell you that I'm well on the road to recovery - as you know I've been taken ill with pharyngitis- and I'll be "back on the saddle" next Monday (Feb. 25th) - so normal class then. Cheerio.

For my PALE Advanced students

If you can't come to some of the lessons, or you would like to listen again, you will find here some of the material we'll be working on:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1453_uptodate3/page21.shtml