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 ..."

Vocabulary on "Education"

After today's class with the language assistant, you may want to extend your vocabulary on education. Click here and here to get what you want.

If something can go wrong, it will

Would you like to read the Murphy's Laws you wrote in class yesterday? Click on the t-shirt above.

Trying to remember

Read (and try to memorize) this story. A student from your class wrote it, using all the verbs in your list which are followed by to-infinitive. He made it up (=invented it) to try to remember the list of verbs: A story to remember

Question: have you noticed there are other uses of to-infinitive in the story? Send a comment with the 2 examples and explain why you use to-infinitive.

 Challenge: can you write a story using the verbs which are followed by "-ing"? E-mail it to me.

My most exciting sports event

I don't like football much, but I thought this moment was soooooo exciting!

We are still the champions!

We have been the champions of the world for half a year!

 Here's a challenge for you: try to sing the song without reading the lyrics. Just watch the video and sing along with Freddy Mercury and his band. Click here to start.

KEY TO THE CLOZE "MY LOVE STORY"

Here's the key to the cloze (=text with gaps to fill in) I gave you a couple of weeks ago, called "My love story". If you haven't done it yet, don't read it, scroll down the blog and test yourself first:

Why are you wearing green today?

Watch this video about the GREENEST DAY, and write in "comments" what you understood from this video.

St. Patrick's Day

 March 17th is a big day in Ireland. Do you want to find out why?
 Do this "treasure hunt" about St. Patrick's Day and learn all about it.

 

Film series in original version

The following films in original version are shown on Thursdays at 19:30 and  22:00 at Nueva Condomina. The tickets are only 4 Euros, and it's a great way to improve your English -and other languages- and to enjoy cinema to the fullest:

17/03/2011
TETRO (Francis Ford Coppola)

24/03/2011
La cinta blanca

31/03/2011
Two Lovers

07/04/2011
Capitalism: A Love Story

14/04/2011
El concierto

21/04/2011
FROZEN RIVER

28/04/2011
London River

Listening: Moving out of your parents' home

4

Listen to this girl from Hong Kong talking about the "pros and cons" of living on your own. Read these sentences about what she says. THREE of them are false: which ones?

1. Living with your parents isn't common in Hong Kong when you've already found a good job.
2. One of the reasons why some young people don't move out is because they can't do the housework on their own.
3. Her parents think it is good for her to live alone.
4. She lives further away from work now.
5. She enjoys making her own decisions.
6. She had problems in the kitchen of her apartment.
7. Some of the bills she has to pay now include: the rent, phone and gas.
8. Tidying up the kitchen and cooking take her a long time every day.
9. All in all, we can say that she has adapted quite well to her new life by herself.

 Press "Read more" below to get the KEY TO THE EXERCISE:

St Patrick's Day is coming up!

My love story

Click on the image to download a cloze to put into practice your vocabulary related to love and relationships.

"Superlative" accommodation

Publish a comment with a superlative adjective about this photo (about the tree-house, the landscape, etc). Eg: this is the most beautiful house in the world.

Practise the present perfect

Watch this video to practise the present perfect. After the introduction, you'll see a series of situations. After each situation, the narrator will ask you what the people have done. ANSWER THE QUESTION! After a few seconds they'll give you the right answer. They speak very slowly, because it's a video for beginners. But remember: in real life, we nearly always contract "have/has" in affirmative sentences. So, at least, the second time you watch it, try to do it that way.

Pick the right article of clothing

Click here to listen to an activity where you have to click on the article of clothing the man is describing.

Madonna's "TRUE BLUE". Sing along, now that you know the lyrics!

What do you think of her looks?

Extra, extra .... extra conversation classes this week!

Throughout this week and the following, our language assistant, Jennifer will be available in the library for some extra conversation classes. Click on their name to find out when she will be teaching Basic 2 level: Jennifer

Short readings to practise your understanding

Read this funny story and do the comprehension activities online:

 NASREDDIN AND THE POT

 

 There are five more stories! Come on, keep reading!

Into the future

Are you still having trouble using "will", "going to" and the present continuous with a future meaning. Did you know about the use of the "present simple" (that's right, the present simple) to talk about schedules?. Read these notes and do the exercises at the bottom of the pages.

4 WAYS OF TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

"WILL" OR "GOING TO"?

Plans for tonight

Click here to listen to 6 people talking about their plans for tonight. The transcript is below, but DON'T CHEAT!, that is, don't read it until you have listened to the speaker and ticked the answers to the questions.

Comments on the blog

GOOD NEWS! I have changed the settings for comments on the blog to make it easier to leave a comment. Try now and tell me if you had any problems.

Here's the key to the blogquest I gave you: "Get to know your class blog".