FILE 2A: PRESENT AND PAST HABITS WITH WILL AND WOULD

The Flatmates. BBC episode.
Listen to the conversation.



2. video: modals- will present habits 3.video: modals - would past habits

Formal Letter Writing : tips

How to Write Formal Letters

Help with formal and business letter writing. A summary of writing rules including outlines for cover letters and letters of enquiry, and abbreviations used in letters.

Jump to:

• Layout of a formal letter
• Formal letter writing rules
• Content of a formal letter
• Abbreviations used in letter writing
• Outline for a covering letter
• Outline for a letter of enquiry

writing formal letters-

A LESSON ON FORMAL LETTERS FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS.

Presentation: How to write informal emails.

Excellent presentation by Diego Suárez on how to write informal emails.

B2 Listening: Steve Jobs

 

 You are about to watch a video in which Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs delivered the commencement address to graduating students at Stanford University( one of the most prestigious universities in the world)( 2005). 


Follow the instructions and complete the exercises in part A ( comprehension questions) and B ( gap-fill and use of English).
1. Part A: Watch the video once and answer the following comprehension questions. Then check your answers with the keys. 
2. Part B: Listen again, fill in the gaps and answer the questions. To check the keys, go to the last page of this worksheet.

Hope you find it inspirational.

Recommended grammar books

My Grammar Lab Intermediate ( B1/B2) with key.
Mark Foley and Diane Hall.
Pearson

Have a look at the contents  and some unit samples here.

GUY FAWKES: Remember, remember the 5th of November...

See the video and do this quizz 

The Gunpowder Plot

Remember, remember the 5th of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot,

I see no reason,

Why gunpowder and treason,

Should ever be forgot!

Houses of History-

Explore the story of the Parliament and Democracy

Interactive practice: Verb + -ing/ to + inf

Touchstone e-course level 4

Mind mapping to start writing/speaking

What is mind mapping?

Mind mapping examples
1. Shakespeare
2. Suffixing rules

3.HOW ICT CAN ACCOMMODATE LEARNING STYLES

To learn more click here.
mind-map tools

B2 ( Vocabulary warm-up): YOUR TAGXEDOS on crime and punishment

http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasaldictionary.htmlMany thanks for your tagxedos!
As I mentioned in class, using and creating word clouds can help you memorize and revise the vocabulary learnt in each unit. So far, I've received 2 tagxedos. Now.... remember that you can use any vocabulary or piece of language that you find either difficult or interesting to revise. For instance, try with phrasal verbs, idioms and proverbs, adjectives to express feeling/emotions, etc.
You can also include vocabulary from your student's books or from the graded readers. When you email your tagxedo, please include the unit number and title it makes reference to. Here's an example:  unit 1- studies, learning, university, languages; unit 2: present and past habits, food,etc.

EXERCISES
Together with all your word clouds, I'll be posting articles or similar material. Please read them and submit your comments in this entry. Remember to revise the vocabulary below and their special uses in your books before answering the questions.



1. This is the first BBC article.
Free Speech: Should a criminal be punished or educated? What are your views on this?

  Antonio García Hiraldo UNIT 3- VOCABULARY ABOUT CRIMES JUAN A. Gil de los Santos UNIT 3- VOCABULARY ABOUT CRIMES AND CRIMINALS Sandra Eliana Alzate Vargas-UNIT 4     PHRASAL VERBS 
Exercise: Look at the star....and work out the prepositions/adverbs that can be combined with the verbs to get different meanings. To check your answers  please visit this online phrasal verbs dictionary. You can then submit your answers.

EXERCISE: work with a dictionary to match the following particles with the verbs above and find out new meanings. Submit your answers here.

On
Up
Out
Over
Off
Away
Out
Off
Out
Round
Up
Up
Out
After
Over
Away
On
Out
On with
Run out


Claudia González Caracuel--UNIT 5- ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Yolanda Romero Mena YolandRomero Mena

B1- B2: Connectors and Punctuation

Click on this link to read the explanation I found online on connectors and how to punctuate them.

 I'm sure it'll be useful.

SUMMER REVIEW MATERIALS: ESSAYS

This post contains a list of links to help you improve your writing skills.

Download the Word document here.

WRITING LINKS

Online exercises:

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/FCE_writing2.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/FCE_writing.htm

EBOOK FCE WRITING

http://www.brays-ingles.com/support-files/ebookfcewriting.pdf

Academic wikidot

http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/practical-exercises

For and against essays:

http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/for-and-against-essays

OPINION ESSAYS

http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/opinion-essays

FYI: FIESTA FIN DE CURSO 2012

END OF SCHOOL YEAR PARTY 2012
Download the programme here.

 JOIN US!
THE MOTOWN REVIVAL

WANTED!

We need male/female singers! If you feel like singing and having a good time with the English Department staff, join us in the choir.

The song: Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Check these videos out! (Lyrics and original sound by the Motown's Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell at the end of the post). 


WE COULD SOUND "LIKE" THE MOTOWN!

 

MOTOWN HIT BY MARVIN GAYE and TAMMI TERRELL

THE 60'S DRESS UP IDEAS.
Watch this video to get the 60's look.Check the transcript at the bottom of this webpage.

 


Finally, here's a tribute to two of the best artists from the Motown: Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Here's the video upside down.
 Read some facts in the the Motown Artists section here.

FILE 4B: DEFINING, NON-DEFINING CLAUSES

Defining vs non defining relative clauses-advanced

View more presentations from Elena Gómez.

FCE PRACTICE TESTS

To download tests, click on the link below and on SUPPORT FOR FCE sample papers ( right at the bottom of the page).
DOWNLOADABLE TESTS

HOMEWORK -KEYS- File 7C- Word building (2)- PREFIXES

In unit 2C we studied suffixes and word formation. Click here to learn more.

Now, it's time to study prefixes. Below are some tips about this and the keys for page 65.

FILE 7C Word building (2) prefixes.

TIPS:
1. Remember that prefixes are not normally stressed. 
2. We always use hyphens with :
    pro-, anti-, ex-, self- and non- 
3. With other prefixes, it depends on the word.
4. Some words beginning with multi- are often spelt with or without hyphens ( multimillionaire, multi-millionaire).

 To check the keys for exercise3 on page 65, go to page 141.

VOCABULARY REVISION:BOOKS AND READING

FYI: WORLD BOOK DAY-What's your favourite read?

 

By celebrating this Day throughout the world, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature, since 23 April 1616 was the date of death of Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. 23 April is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

Read more....

Exercise:

Read this BBC article and the readers' opinions and submit your answers on the highlighted questions in red:

World Book Day: What's your favourite read?

Are you a bookworm?

 

British libraries pull in more visitors than football matches, with 405 million books borrowed every year. World Book Day is being celebrated on 6 March and is opened online with Nigella Lawson's announcement that Britain reads more books than any other European country.
American Bill Bryson is the winning writer who best captures the zeitgeist of modern England in the festival's poll, beating Jeremy Paxman and Zadie Smith.
Welsh readers chose Work, Sex And Rugby by Lewis Davies, Scottish readers picked Me And Ma Girl by Des Dillon while Northern Ireland voted for Desire Lines by Annie McCartney.
What makes the British such bookworms? What do you like about your favourite book?  Have your reading tastes changed?

 

---

This debate is now closed. Read your comments below.
Your reaction:

It totally immerses you in medieval culture and politics Ann, USA

I simply adore Eco's The Name of the Rose! It totally immerses you in medieval culture and politics, while still asking some rather wonderful questions about education, what is appropriate content, and how far ought one to go both to guard your heart as well as protect those over whom you have authority. It's wonderfully deep and delightfully simple all at the same time. Definitely a thinking book, but it reads like a thriller nonetheless!
Ann, USA I have just read 1984 for the first time and it has blown me away. Possibly one of England's finest thinkers.
Ben Franklin, UK
Difficult choice. I can't decide between Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" or Huxley's "Brave New World". Very different I know but they both had a lasting impact on me.
Paul, England
Any book that you were supposed to read for school and actually enjoyed reading is a sign of a good book. For me, it was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Fred Fenster, Uk

The most accomplished observer of human behaviour Linda, UK

Jane Austen, every time - Pride and Prejudice or Emma. The most accomplished observer of human behaviour. Also enjoy Shakespeare; can't bear Dickens; struggled through Lord of the Rings, not likely to try again; can't read Bill Bryson in public because he makes me laugh out loud! (Yes, I was that manic woman on the train!)
Linda, UK All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque. At this time of indecision about the rights and wrongs of war, this is a must read for anyone not convinced of the human cost of battle, both physical and psychological.
Myles Donnelly, USA, originally from Ireland
"Winters Tale" by Mark Helprin, sadly out of print in the UK. This is really a book that takes you away into a completely different world.
Peter Galbavy, UK

"Master and Margarita" - intelligent, surreal and very funny Caroline, UK

My all time favourite has to be Mikhail Bulghakov's "Master and Margarita" - intelligent, surreal and very funny. And nothing beats Terry Pratchett's Discworlds novels for a bit of light relief!
Caroline, UK My favourite of all time has to be series written by David Eddings, The Belgariad and the Mallorean along with the two prequels Belgarath the Sorcerer & Polgara the Sorceress. If you liked Harry Potter (can't wait for the 5th book!)you'll enjoy these.
Ned O'Brien, UK
Years ago I read a book of the true letters from a downed Second World War aviator. He knows he is dying from his burns and sees his life in brutal honesty. He knows he has been a liar and cheat all his life and doesn't hide it. He was also a man of great intelligence. It affected me greatly - so much so I joined the forces as well. The book is now out of print but was called The Pitcher and the Well by J D McDonald. It makes you reflect on the kind of human being you really are.
R, UK
I enjoyed all Bill Bryson's books very much, but as another reader remarked, the ones in which he makes fun of Americans are much the funniest, so my favourite is Notes from a Big Country. However, Notes from a Small Island did capture something very truthful about our weird and wonderful country, especially the descriptions of the careless destruction of our heritage by pulling down or defacing beautiful old buildings. We have so much history that we have grown careless with it.
To choose a favourite book generally, is impossible, but I am currently enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy and feel that this also represents something about England. Middle earth, especially the Shire, seems to be Tolkien's image of a perfect rural England, maybe a England that never really existed, but one that is definitely part of our national consciousness.
Lisa, UK

What about you? What's your best read?

Don't miss this: Drama and Comedy on BBC radio 4

Why listening to the radio? Listening to the radio is an excellent way of improving your listening skills. If you try listening to a programme day by day, I'm sure you'll end up understanding more spoken English.

Why BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA? BBC 4 Radio 4 extra offers drama and comedy series and documentaries on a daily basis which will provide you with interesting cultural input.



Read below to learn more about the BBC.


 BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA-( from Wikipedia)
 BBC Radio 4 Extra, formerly known as BBC 7 and BBC Radio 7, is a British digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and children's programming nationally 24 hours a day. It is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's archive of spoken-word entertainment. The station relaunched as BBC Radio 4 Extra on 2 April 2011 to bring the station closer to its sister station, BBC Radio 4.




Excellent resource for learning English, listening and entertainment. Great choice! I love it!

•  Click here to see daily schedules.

Here's an example of what you can listen to:

• This week: Bram Stoker's Midnight tales

• Below are a selection of interesting different programmes you can also find:

1. –10:50
   The Chronicles of Narnia
   Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian, Episode 4

   7 days left to listen

   4/4. The plotting Glozelle encourages the king to accept Peter's challenge for a battle.
2. 10:50–11:00
   David Attenborough's Life Stories
   Series 1, Salamander

   7 days left to listen

   9/20. The naturalist recalls his first pet, a fire salamander given to him on his 8th birthday. 

   Learn by listening!

   Enjoy listening!

Today's news: TITANIC 100 YEARS LATER

Titanic 100: We survived

Just over 700 people escaped from the Titanic after it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on the night of 14 April 1912. More than 1,500 others were not so fortunate.

The survivors scrambled into lifeboats or plunged into the icy water. In the years after the disaster, some of them spoke publicly about the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage.

Here, with the help of archive images and audio, listen to what happened through the voices of crew members Charles Lightoller and Frank Prentice and passengers Eva Hart and Edith Russell.

Titanic gallery: Titanic Southampton remembers

• Unsinkable Vocabulary: Words for the Titanic Centennial  From the visual Thesaurus:

"This weekend marks the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, so let's commemorate the occasion by looking back on some words and phrases that were particularly associated with the maritime disaster." read more.

• Titanic deck chairs' sad symbolism lives on

SURVEY

• Survey: Should we raise the Titanic?  Watch both National Geographic short videos which present their views on this issue and submit your vote. 
• What do you think? Should we raise the Titanic?Leave your comments