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?