The digital story of Christmas

For those of you who are addicted to new technologies like me... Time changes.

Chritsmas Homework

Here you have some exercises to revise the grammar we have seen so far. You can do it during the Chritmas break and I'll post the key when we come back.

Listening: Holidays

Check this out: different types of holidays. Which one do you prefer?

Now listen to these three people talking about how the like to travel and answer the questions. 

Revise and Check 2.

GRAMMAR

a 1. already

2. long

3. Since

4. Have

5. yet

b 1. been working. We haven’t seen this tense in class, so don’t worry about this sentence.

2. just made

3. more expensive

4. carefully as

5. the most

VOCABULARY

a 1. bank (It’s the place. The others are forms of payment).

2. mortgage (It’s a noun. The others are all verbs).

3. hungry (The other adjectives are all “strong” adjectives).

4. awful (It has a negative meaning. The other three have a positive meaning).

5. travel (It’s a verb. The others are nouns).

6. helmet (You wear it. The other three are vehicles).

7. Railway station (It’s related to rail travel. The others are all related to road travel).

b 1. filthy

2. tax

3. rush hour

4. lend

5. platform

6. inherit

7. boarding pass / card

8. tiny

c 1. off

2. out

3. for

4. back

5. by

PRONUNCIATION

a 1. coach /əʊ/

2. tiny /aɪ/

3. charge /ɑ:/

4. cycle /s/

5. earn /ɜ:/

b invest, security, luggage, pedestrian, terrified.

CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THIS TEXT?

a 1. a ; 2. b; 3. c; 4. a; 5. b     CHECK THEM AGAIN, THERE WAS A MISTAKE

b Fortunate = lucky

Charity = an organization which collects money to help people in need (who are poor, sick, etc).

Volunteer = somebody who offers or agrees to do something without being forced or paid.

Orphanage = an institution where children without parents live and are looked after.

Deposit = a percentage of the price of something you are buying which you pay in advance.

Annoyed = made angry.

Adopted = taken by a family and looked after as if they were their own children.

Useful = having a practical use.

Definitely = certainly, without doubt.

Commonly confused words.

Trip, journey or travel?
Ache, pain or hurt?
Borrow or lend? 

Homework for Monday 20

For those who don't have the photocopy, here you have the worksheet you have to do for next Monday.

Superlative songs

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By the way, isn't Coldplay one of the best bands ever? This is one of their songs I like the most.

Christmas Party

Here's the plan:

The film will start at 5 pm and at 7.30 approx. we'll have the Cooking Contest. You are all invited to participate. Snacks are also welcome!

Here you have the recipes.  Some of the are not so Christmassy, but yummy anyway!

Pumpkin Pie

Apple Pie

American Cheesecake

Brownies

Carrot Cake

Mark Zuckerber Person of the Year.

Do you know who this guy is? I'll give you a clue: he's somehow related to our next topic - technology.

He looks like an ordinary boy, doesn't he? But, in fact, he's one of the richest people on earth and has changed the we way relate to each other. He's been named Person of the Year by the Time magazine.

Do you agree with this magazine? Which other people should be named Person of the Year? Why? You can read about the other candidates here. Feel free to comment!

Functional language: giving opinions & suggesting.

Here you have some useful expressions.

Comparatives

Comparatives and superlatives ni1

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
As + adj + as
Complete the text with adjectives and adverbs
Geography quiz

Transport and travelling vocabulary

Road crossword.

Some phrasal verbs related to travelling, fully explained: 1 and 2.

Listen to these people describing transportation in their cities and answer the questions.

Film: The Queen

Here you have the link to my colleague Conchita's blog where you can find more information about this film we recommend you to see.

The Holiday

Sunday 12th @ 10pm

on TVE1

This is the film we'll watch at our Christmas party on Wednesday 22nd. It's also on TV this Sunday. Watch it in Spanish first, and come to watch it with us on 22nd.

Air traffic controllers strike

Speaking of the devil... Since we were talking about flying and airports last Wednesday in class, read about theair traffic controllers strike here (click at the bottom of the page for other related stories).

Watch the video and answer the questions with dates and figures.

When did the strike start?
How long did it last?
When were the check-in lines opened again?
When was the last time a state of emergency was declared?
What percentage of controllers were back at work on Saturday?
How much money has the Spanish tourism industry lost due to the strike?

Has anyone of you been affected? How long did it take you to get to your destination?

to be on strike, a strike - to stop working to protest against something.
Speaking of the Devil... - to mention someone's name who just then appears

At the airport

At the airport

View more documents from torrepacheco.

Revise the vocabulary seen in class with this video.

Transport: the tube

Since we are going to be talking about transport for the next couple of days, warm up a bit with this recorded conversation on the tube. You can download the transcript and read it as you listen, if you find it difficult.

Some interesting lexis:

get around
delay
trip
rush hour
get ond and off the train

Describing a person.

I've chosen a couple of your emails so you can have them as a model for any future writings. Notice how you classmates:

- distribute their ideas into balanced paragraphs, not in isolated sentences.
- make use of connectors to smoothly link sentences, so they don't look so simple but, at the same time, not too long!
- include the vocabulary we have seen in class and avoid writing about things which are way too complicated for you and only make you make mistakes!
- use different structures and tenses (as Jose Antonio does).

I've chosen these three but I could have chosen some others, too. Many of you have done a great job!

Hope you find it useful.

Here you have also the sheet with the common mistakes.

Irregular verb patterns

Have you noticed irregular verbs in English follow a certain pattern? Check this list out, you may find it easier to learn them like this.

Thanksgiving miscelanea

Here you have the video Group A watched in class and Group B had no time to.



If you prefer reading, here you have a little text.

In case you want to celebrate Thanksgiving at home and want to have some turkey, here you have how to cook it. Yummy!

Finally, enjoy some Friends thanksgiving moments. Hilarious!

Story of Stuff, Full Version; How Things Work, About Stuff

Yesterday, when we were talking about money and how to spnd it, I agreed myself of this video that it made me think very much about the word in which we live. Although we are not to except of it I believe that it is important that at least we are conscious of it

Present perfect vs. past simple

Present Perfect

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
More exercises 

How words work

Each other or reflexive pronoun?

Money Love

Try this quiz and find out how important money is for you.

Party "Torre de Babel"

Saturday 20th November

from 10pm onwards

PARTY

"TORRE DE BABEL"

An excellent opportunity to meet people and practice your English 

Organised by LONDINIUM IDIOMAS 

at Fitzpatrick's Irish Pub

(near Bulevar Cetina)

Murcia

Free Foster's beer and mixed spirits at 4€

Feel free to come!

Everyone's invited!

William and Kate to tie the knot.

Prince William is shown telling the Queen: "We decided on 2011 so we don't upstage the Olympics..."

If you upstage something or someone, you draw attention away from it by being more attractive or interesting. The London Olimpics will take place in 2012, so by holding the wedding next year, the royal couple makes sure there's no competition between the two events. (I think this is meant to be ironic!)

Via The English Blog

Learn more vocabulary related to weddings and marriage here and here.

This is the video we watched in class.



to tie the knot - to get married
to propose to someone - ask sone. to marry you
to be engaged -  to promise to marry sone. in the future
a fairy tale - a story for children with princes and princess, fantastice cratures etc.

Aches and Pains board game and some fun stuff

Here you have the game we played in class. Lots interesting vocabulary, by the way.

Look what can happen to you if you go to the dentist... :P

Banks and Money

Banks and momeny vocabulary

Money in songs

There are plenty of songs which talk about money matters. Check out these videos or click on the titles read the lyrics as you listen to them. Which one do you prefer?

Money, by Pink Floyd



Money Money Money by Abba



Money Money from the film Cabaret



Material Girl by Madonna

Tests File 1

Quick Test & Key

November 11th - Remembrance Day

November 11^th is Remembrance Day in countries like the UK, France, Belgium and those belonging to the Commonwealth, like Canada or Australia. The country honours those who died in wars. Many communities have ceremonies. At 11:00 A.M., everyone is silent for two minutes.

War Cemetery, 1939-1945, World War II, Bayeux, Basse Normandie (Normandy), France

World War I ended on November 11^th, 1918. The armistice -- the agreement ending the war -- was signed that morning. The fighting ended at 11:00 AM that day. It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

As these countries fought in more wars, the purpose of Remembrance Day has changed. It is no longer only a reminder of the end of World War I. It has become a day to honour all people who has died in wars.

The poppy is a symbol of Remembrance Day. During World War I, a Canadian army doctor named John McCrae wrote a poem about poppies growing in a cemetery. This poem – “In Flanders Fields” became very famous. Now, poppies remind many people of those who died in wars. Around November 11^th, they wear artificial poppies to honour those dead.

What's in the news?

On the right side of this page, you'll find a new widget which links you to the Learn English section of the BBC website. There you can read a piece of news with new and interesting words in bold explained and pronounced. It'll just take you 5 minutes and if you do it every day you'll see how your English improves!

Here you have today's article on food, one of the topics we have seen so far.

We are family

If you like the song, here you have a newer version.

Personality adjectives

Here you have some more adjectives and their opposites: this is a good way to learn new words and kill to birds with one stone.


Listen to the definition and choose the right adjective (you may need to you an online dicitonary)

Take this personality quiz.

Revise and check 1 - Key

GRAMMAR

1. did you get         6. had changed

2. bought                7. 'm meeting/ 'm going to meet

3. Do you like        8. finish

4. hit                      9. 'll pick you up

5. was driving         10. 'll love/ 're going to love

VOCAB

a)  1. seafood (not an adjective)

2. fried (not a kind of meat)

3. roast (a way of cooking - the others are cutlery)

4. pitch (not a person, but a place)

5. beat (a verb, not a place)

6. affectionate (the other adjectives have a negative meaning)

7. moody (the other adjectives have a positive meaning)

8. family (it's a "group"- ther others are individual members)

b) 1 spicy    2 starter   3 draw   4 injured   5 stepfather   6 selfish   7 mean

c) 1 for, out   2 for   3 up     4 on

PRONUNCIATION

a) 1 course / o:/   2 food /u:/   3 roast /eu/   4 draw /a:/    5 frozen /eu/

b) MEnu    refeREE   imPAtient   SOciable   irresPONsible 

READING

a) 1F   2 DS   3 T   4 T   5F    6F   7DS    8T    9DS    10 T

B) nutriotinist - an expert on diet

rejects - doesn't want

solid - the opposite of liquid

craves - wants very much

choking - not being able to breathe because you have sthing in your throat

in advance - before you do something
 

What does this flower represent?

Future forms

Will or going to?

going to, present continuous, will / shall (1)

future forms: going to, present continuous, will / shall (2)

Future forms and present simple

Conversation Exchange in Alhama

One of your schoolmates has given me this:

Conversation Exchange in Alhama

Where?: Partido Popular's Head Office, Los Pasos Street, Alhama de Murcia City Centre.

email: conversationexchangealhama@hotmail.com

Join us in Facebook: facebook,com/conversationexchange.alhama

"Learn English with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie"

Read this article published today by El País on the dubbing of foreign films in Spain. What do you think about it? Do you usually watch films in origianl version? Do you think all films should be like that in Spain? Share your opinion with us!

NI1 Yearly Plan

One of your classmates has asked me if I could provide you with the programme for this year, to know where we are, what we have seen and what we have left. Here you have the approximate yearly plan then. As you can see, we are doing great as far as the timing is concerned.

1C Listening

Do this listening about family roots (it's got nothing to do with The Simpsons, by the way).

Can you relate Bart Simpson to the rest of his relatives?

Modern British Families

Read this article from the BBC talking about the new British families. Are these changes also happening in our country? Do you think this is positive or negative, or it is just the way society evolves?

The family puzzle

Can you solve the puzzle?

My name’s Frank. Who is my mother’s younger sister’s father’s brother-in-law’s wife’s father’s only great grandson? My uncle is called John and his father is called Jim. Jim has two brothers called Jack and Jeremy.

Here you also have the warming-up activity we did in class? Can you rememer the meaning of the new words: relatives, stepmother, close/distant family, godfather?

PROE (NEW TIMETABLE)

Prácticas de Refuerzo Oral y Escrito

For all Intermediate students

Every Wednesday from 17.30 to 18.45

Room 2

Pronuciation of the -ed.

Play this game to practice the pronunciation of the -ed ending for the past simple. Highly recommended!!

The Haunted History of Halloween

I know it's hard to understand, but you should listen to authentic materials too, not always adapted one. So, don't panic, take it easy and enjoy!




You have the task, here, and the key in the comments section.

Moon over Bourbon Street

As you can see, this song is part of the soundtrack of Interview with the Vampire. Have you seen the film? Do you like vampires?

In Memoriam

Talking about sports...

What do you think of Paul the octopus?

The News: First patients welcome the 'paid factura' given to them in Andaucian hospitals.

Read more

Glossary:

invoice (n) - bill
to praise - to approve
to lauch - to start
scheme (n) - model
to issue - to publish

The News: Legionnaire's disease in Madrid

Two dead and 27 affected by outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease in Madrid. Read more. 

Do you eat healthily?

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Try this quiz.

Are you a hypochondriac?

Here you have the quiz we have done in class.

Facebook

Have you got a Facebook/Tuenti/Twitter account? Do you use it to keep in touch with your friends? What do you think about the rising of social networks? Find out more on this issue in this reading exercise.

Have you seen the film about the founders of Facebook?

What were you doing when...?

Today in class we talked about a really exciting sports event you saw, and many of you chose to talk about this one. Go to the comments section and tell us what you were doing then and how you felt.

Did Alberto Contador cheat?

Alberto Contador was accused of dopping some weeks ago. Do you think he's innocent or he cheated?

1B Grammar: Past Tenses

Past perfect senteces

Past perfect: choose the correct answer

Past simple or past perfect?

Past simple or past continuous?

Past simple or past continuous (2)?

Learn something new everyday

Click on the picture below to learn something new every day (in English, of course)

1B Sports

Listen to these three people talking about different sports and try to identify what sport they are talking about. Then, listen to these other people talking about their favourite sports and answer the questions.

1B - Sports: Vocab

Sports

View more presentations from torrepacheco.

Intermediate 2 Class Blog

My colleague Conchita, teaching at our school too, has just published a new blog for her Intermediate Level 2 students. Check it out, you'll probably find useful and interesting resources.

1A- Grammar: State Verbs

Pay attention to exceptions such as think or have. Here you can dowloand a more comprehensive list of state verbs.

Footbal, tennis & skiing vocab

If you are a big football fan, you may be interested in learning some new words related to this sport. You do not have to learn them all!

Still, man does not live by football alone... If you are more into tennis or skiing, here and here you have some more words, too.

Sports: Do, play or go?

Use play with any competitive game you can play, go with activities which can be done alone and do with groups of related activities. Choose do, play or go.

1A: Grammar and Vocab

Let's revise some vocab related to food first:

Fruits and vegetables

Meat, fish and others and here too



Now, let's practice the grammar in this unit:

Present simple or present continuous? (1)
Present simple of present continuous? (2)

Useful sites for NI1

Here you have this document where you can find plenty of websites to practise the four skills, read the newspaper, improve your pronunciation, etc. Hope you find it useful

A fun way to learn English

Here 's a website where you can learn in an easy and funy way, with subtitled songs and various gameplay exercises.

Subtitled songs Click here

Listen and type the word sounds (you must register to get your score) Click here

For example:

And HERE you can find the translation of the song

Introducing people

Look at the different ways you can introduce someone in English. By the way, do you like Friends?


Just for fun, find out which Friends character you are.

Correspondence between our textbook and English Grammar in Use

Here you have a table showing the correspondence between the units in our textbook and those in English Grammar in Use.

Revision: Question formation

Let's revise question formation in English, something you usually have problems with, with this couple of exercises

Question formation 1
Question formation 2
Question formation 3

Some interesting WEBSITES

Hello classmates.

I leave a couple of websites I've found on English with many resources, theory and exercises at all levels that I think more than one we can come in handy.





Are these two:

THE ENGLISH MANSION

URL: http://www.mansioningles.com/index.htm
There are lots of resources, courses, grammar, exams of first certificate, etc ...

ENGLISH COURSE

URL: http://www.curso-ingles.com/
Also handy for those people who needs to refresh (like myself)

I hope that you find interesting.
Greetings

Some notes on Phonetics

Hi there,

here you have the notes on phonetics I told you about in class. From now on, everytime you look up a new word in the dictionary, don't just look at its meaning in Spanish, but pay also attention to its pronunciation. It's as important as its meaning!

Textbooks

This is the textbook we shall be following this year. I'm sure most of you are already familiar with this series:

And this is the grammar we recommend you to use:

However, if you feel you may need to revise the grammatical contents corresponding to the basic level, you can get yourself a copy of this: 

Nuevo blog para los alumnos de Intermedio 1 de la EOI de Alhama

Como ya os comenté un poco en clase el día de la presentación, he creado un nuevo blog para que, todos aquéllos que queráis, podáis participar como autores, y así ir compartiendo todo aquello que encontremos en la web que os pueda servir de ayuda en vuestro proceso de aprendizaje.

Para ello sólo necesito que me digáis quiénes estaríais dispuestos a participar, os doy la clave de acceso, y a postear! Yo, por supuesto, seguiré subiendo todo aquello que me parezca interesante y que esté relacionado con lo que vayamos haciendo en clase, pero creo que puede ser una experiencia mucho más enriquecedora si todos aportamos algo. Ah. y cualquier sugerencia será bienvenida.


Espero vuestras entradas!