B1- Poppy Day ( Remembrance Day) 11th November

November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars. Read more..

Remembrance Day Poems: John McRae's " In Flanders Fields"
 In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

EXERCISE: Look at the rhyming sounds at the end of each verse of this poem.
Classify the words into their correspondent sound column

1. /i:/ :  
2. /e/:
3. /ai/:
4. /Әu/:

--Think of more words with these sounds and write them down.

B1- ( The Flatmates) : Reading Keys---Linking words

Here are the keys to the reading material about the Flatmates I handed out last week.
If you want to be familiar with the Flatmates materials and video lessons, do this activity first:
1. Meet the flatmates online (Download the reading worksheet here).
2. Keys to the reading


LINKING WORDS 2 Lesson- Archive episode 107.
As you know linking words connect sentences and are used for different purposes.
As we've seen in class, linking words can be used to: add, contrast, sequence ideas, etc...
For more information, visit this link Linking words 2.
Here's a link to the video ( Khalid lends a hand) and quizz ( pdf quizz) practice.

FYI ( for your interest):FREE AUDIO BOOKS

Here's a link where you can download audio books for free.
http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/
Enjoy reading!

B1 Homework: BBC The Flatmates: Introductory lesson

Homework for Monday 14th Jan.

MEET THE FLATMATES.
What do you think is this post about?

Download this worksheet and get through the exercises.
We'll go over it in class.

B1 BBC NEWS: London Underground's 150th anniversary

1. Transport for London link.

London Underground's 150th anniversary
Read more...

     2. BBC news article.
London Underground celebrations to mark 150 years

 

"Next January it will be 150 years since the first ever London Underground railway operated on the Metropolitan Railway between Paddington and Farringdon". Read more...

B1- NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

Happy New Year 2013 to everyone!



Have you ever heard of the New Year's Resolutions?

1. READING ACTIVITY: Read this article from the Times and then download this worksheet and the instructions.

2. LISTENING + VOCABULARY ACTIVITY:Follow the instructions and do the activities from this link. (Read the BEFORE YOU LISTEN instructions at the bottom of the page).

3. WRITING: After doing this, think of your New Year's Resolutions and post them on the blog.
I wish your wishes come true!

B1 ( reading and writing) : Guy Fawkes Night ( Bonfire night): 5th November

 Meet Britain's most famous traitor ( Guy Fawkes)

Task: Read the information below and post a comment explaining in your own words what happened in 1605 and the importance of this festivity in England.

• Learn about Bonfire night here. (Read about Guy Fawkes and his plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament).
  

•  Play the interactive BBC gunpowder game  here.

•  Read my last year's post on Guy Fawkes.

•  Read the FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions) about The Gunpowder Plot and post a comment explaining what happened in 1605.
• Learn about today's tradition in The Houses of Parliament 
• A film about Guy Fawkes: V for Vendetta

B1- Keys to reading exercise File 1C

Student's book, page 14, reading exercise 3 ( We are family....To sisters tell the truth about themselves - and each other).

3b and c
1 C 'she had bright red spiky hair'
2 W 'I always thought Carnie was really cool'
3 C  'I used to follow them, but she hated that'
4 W 'I desperately wanted to be with her'
5 W 'I sometimes think poor Wendy has spent all her life competing with me'
6 C  'I wasn't interested in studying'
7 W 'Wendy used to tell my parents'
8 C  'I used to pinch her and bite her'
9 C  'I was very jealous of Wendy'
10 W ' She always defended me'

3d 
1b  2a  3a  4a  5b  6a  7a  8b

B1- Writing: Open-ended Spooky Stories

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES

Activity 1 Reading comprehension ( level A2-B1 easy):  The Origins of Halloween. Download here worksheets + keys.

Activity 2 Writing ( spooky Halloween stories). Visit this link and read the writing task instructions. Choose one of the stories and write a spooky ending. Please submit them on the blog.

Look forward to your story endings.

Elementary A1: readers 2012-2013

2nd term : This is London. Ed Macmillan

3rd term: The Boy from yesterday. Ed Richmond

Intermediate B1: readers 2012-2013

1st term ( 12-12-2012) : The British Isles ( step2) Black cat. VicensVives.

2nd term: Slumdog Millionaire.Ed. Macmillan.

FYI -UNIT 4C: TOP 10 PRACTICAL JOKES ( PRANKS)

This post is related to April Fool's Day post and unit 4C

There's something funny I want to share with you.

Click here if you want to laugh your head off. 

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?

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY!

 

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY!

Best stories ( The Daily Telegraph)

From Wikipedia: April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. (read more)

What is a hoax?
Hoax quizz : Spot the fakes!

Now answer this question:
In Spain we have a similar tradition. Which one? 
Please, submit your answers.

17 March: Happy St Patrick's Day!!

Hi!
Today's post is dedicated to Ireland, the Irish and English speaking countries that celebrate St Patrick's Day. 
To learn more about this tradition, I have the pleasure of counting on the experience of our language assistant teacher, Caitlin, so that she can explain to us how Americans celebrate St Patrick's Day. Caitlin will post her comment with this information next week and, by the end of it ( Friday), you'll be able to read it, and, likewise, leave your opinions, comments by replying to her.
I'm sure we'll learn interesting things and I hope you like this post.
Thanks for your collaboration and.......Happy St Patrick's Day!!

• INTRODUCTION TO IRELAND
• About St Patrick
•  What's the meaning of St Patrick's symbols?
• Top 10 St Patrick's Quotes, Irish Sayings and Blessings.( READ THEM BELOW)

•  Top 10 Saint Patrick's Quotes, Irish Sayings and Blessings

  
  · An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth - Irish saying
  
  · There are only two kinds of people in the world, the Irish and those who wish they were - Irish saying
  
  · Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbor. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him - Irish saying
  
  · Never iron on a four leaf clover, because you don’t want to press your luck. – unknown
  
  · A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have – unknown
  
  · St. Patrick’s is an enchanted time- a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic – Adrienne Cook
  
  · May your blessings outnumber, the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you, wherever you go – Irish blessing
  
  · The list of Irish saints is past counting, but in it all no other figure is so human, friendly, and loveable as Saint.Patrick- who was an Irishman man only by adoption – Stephen Gwynn
  
  · May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten- Irish blessing
  
  · If you hold a four-leaf shamrock in your left hand at dawn on Saint.Patrick’s Day, you get what you want very much but haven’t wished for-Patricia Lynch
  
  

FYI: 8 March is the International Women's Day

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/resources.asp

Verbs of movement: how do we move our body?

Watch this video to learn how to say some of the most common action verbs

Now visit the links below to learn more advanced verb movements.

Quiz - How do we move our body?

Vocabulary quiz testing various verbs expressing various movements

bodily verb movements 1
answers 1
 

bodily verb movements 2
answers 2

bodily verb movements 3
answers 3

bodily verb movements 4
answers 4

BBC news in pictures: Sir John Lavery and the Origins of Golf

1. Before reading, answer these questions: 

• Have you ever played golf? Do you consider it an expensive hobby?

2.  Click on the title below and read the information on the pictures. Pay attention to the words used to talk about golf and submit your words on the blog.Then answer the comprehension questions.

THE ORIGINS OF GOLF

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Where are the pieces of art going to be exhibited?

2. What is an auction?

3. What's the most reputable auction in the world?

4. What items does the collection feature?

5. Where did Sir John Lavery's paint the paintings in his collection?

6. In picture no. 3 there's a putter. What's its name in Spanish? Who owned it? How much is it worth?

7. If you had to bid in this auction on one of the items, which one would you bid on?

Digital Storytelling: Create your own story

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

Saint Valentine's Day!

Legends of St Valentine's Day

Now some fun!!

Are you and your partner made for each other? Do you have a crush on someone?

Only if you're brave enough... test yourselves at our fun Match Maker Test to find out how compatible you both really are!

Learn the vocabulary of love ( Idioms)

Be a writer

Write your love poem, story, letter with storybird and submit it on the blog.

What is storybird?

Visit this page to learn how to create your own stories.