click here to see the grammar units

Listen to podcasts this summer

All of you, but particularly those who need to improve their listening skills by September, should listen to podcasts. Here's a list of pages from which you can download interesting podcasts: Better at English, ESLpod, British Council, Culips, BBC learningenglish-How to, BBC Mundo Aprenda Inglés, Podbean, Speakingenglish Podcasts.

You can listen to them on the computer, or better still, you can download them onto your MP3-player.

To work on one particular podcast, here's a suggestion in 6 steps:

STEP 1: listen to it carefully (closing your eyes might help), trying to understand and remember the main (=principal) ideas.

STEP 2: stop the MP3-player and write down what you think you understood.

STEP 3: listen to the podcast again and check with what you wrote, making corrections.

STEP 4: read the script, if it is available (="disponible") on the webpage, and see where you were right and where you were wrong.

STEP 5: look up the difficult words in the dictionary. Listen to them on your online dictionary (e.g. macmillan).

STEP 6: listen to the podcast again, with or without the script.

TIPS:
- if you feel it is too difficult, try another podcast that is closer to your level.
- follow the 6 steps just with some of the podcasts (maybe one every week/ day, depending on the time you have), but listen -just to get exposure to the language- to as many podcasts as you can.

ABOUT THE EXAMS

These are the times for tomorrow's exam:

1. COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA: 16:30-17:15
2. COMPRENSIÓN ORAL: 17:20-17:40
(Descanso de 15 minutos - sólo se permitirá abandonar el aula una vez todos los cursos hayan terminado sus Comprensiones Orales)
3. EXPRESIÓN ESCRITA: 17:55-18:55
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
4. EXPRESIÓN ORAL: días 2 y 6 de junio, según convocatoria. Pinchar aquí.

I wish I could see you soon (and I don't mean September)

"Sometimes, ordinary things become extraordinary". This is my own translation of the sentence that comes at the end of this video, which you'll probably see hundreds of times this summer. I dedicate it to all of you from my 2nd year classes of 2010-11. Enjoy this Mediterranean story while you listen to the beautiful song. Then, if you're curious about the lyrics, click here and fill in the gaps. If you're even more curious, click here to get the full lyrics.



TALKING ABOUT WISHING ... I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK FOR TOMORROW'S EXAM!

Test yourself before the final test

Would you like to see a sample of our Basic Level tests? Click here to take a Reading Comprehension test and a Listening Comprehension one. Then, check your answers. You might also want to do the writing test, but you'll have to ask somebody to help you to check it. Remember that our FINAL EXAMS will be next WEDNESDAY, AT 4:15, in CLASSROOM 1. Check the blog again, as I'll soon post the timetables for the ORAL EXAMS.

Annoying?

The other day, the word "annoying" came up in class. I was surfing the net today when I came across the review of a book about "what annoys us" or, more colloquially, "what bugs us". Well, it may be a bit difficult for your level, but I think you'll probably understand enough to tell me of a few things which typically "annoy" people, according to the article. When you find them, write them on a piece of paper and hand it in to me in class. (Click on the picture to get to the article).

Review your modals

For a quick review of the modal verbs we have worked with so far, download this simple Modal verbs handout.

Have you ever been jealous?

Listen while you read these "Express English" interviews about jealousy.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

What did people in London answer when the BBC asked them these questions? Listen and read this "Express English" round of interviews.

Wouldn't it be nice?

Watch while you read and sing the lyrics! What other songs with conditionals do you know? Send me the link -or simply the name- and I'll post it!

"Essential Grammar in Use", 3ª Edición en español

Here's the list of contents from the Cambridge grammar book that you should go over. Take some time during the Easter break to check which ones you have done, and which ones you still have to do -some of them correspond to things we haven't seen in class yet, though.

What would you do if ...?

... if you won 10,000 dollars, pounds, euros, pesetas, yens...? Watch these interviews and get some inspiration, in case it happens! (You never know!). Well, now seriously, copy down all of the things the people on the video would do, and bring the list to class on Monday.

Second chance for First Conditionals!

If you missed the classes on conditionals and/or if you want to reinforce it, check with Jennifer, not our Jennifer at the EOI, but the online teacher who will send me to the dole queue ;)

If I were a boy ...

Watch this song by Beyoncé to believe you can really say "If I were ..."