DESCRIBING PHOTOGRAPHS

Here you can see some useful tips for describing photographs. You can also see some examples and you can do some practice to get the best at your speaking tests.

Explotación de la actividad

El visionado de este video va orientado a los alumnos de ESO y Bachillerato para mejorar la destreza de "Speaking", más concretamente  la descripción de fotos. Los alumnos van leyendo los consejos que se explican en las diapositivas  y tienen fotos con preguntas o indicaciones para que vayan haciendo su propia  práctica. 

Se plantea como una introducción, que luego puede ser ampliada en el aula con la descripción de diversas fotos elegidas por el profesor para "testing" o elegidas por el alumnado para presentar en clase. Las fotos pueden ser de tema diverso: sobre una "topic" concreta que luego plantee debate  (fotos de deportes, temas sociales, actualidad), una obra de arte, contraste de fotos etc.

International Women's Day

Women's Day, also known as Working Women's Day, has been celebrated all around the world on March 8th since 1909.
It celebrates women's advances in society and equality and encourages civil conciousness and human rights.
If you want to know more about it, click on the following and get to know more about it.

International Women's Day

In 2013 United Nations Theme for it is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women" and some singers and musicians gathered and created a beautiful song for it. 

ONE WOMAN

There are lots of songs to celebrate women's achivements and struggle to be equal, so if you want, listen to the following and the enjoy the music and images.

There are lots of women who have been fighting to achieve equality or against abuse and violence. So, as Cher in her song " Woman's world" says:
                                     "Stand up and come together, this is a woman's world"
Enjoy her video and her funny wigs and looks.

Charles Dickens Activity

In 2012 we  celebrated  the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens ( Portsmouth, February 7th, 1812) , one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Most of us have read books such as " Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield" etc in our childhood.

A lot of his novels have been adapted for the theatre and made into films or series, How many times have you seen " A Christmas Carol" ? and many of them, including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby were originally published in a serial format, with a new part of the book being published each month. Dickens often wrote the episodes without knowing what would happen next.
Most of his characters and stories were based on people and events in his own life which was really interesting.
His works reflected real life in Victorian times, different social classes, hard times, romance, adventure, mystery etc, everyting you can think about.
So I encourage you to get into his world and read some of his novels or even know more about him clicking in the following links:
Dickens2012
Charles Dickens
More about Dickens and works
Click on the following link and watch a cartoon about his life.

Go Ahead and answer the following questions about Dickens and send the answers to your teacher who would be really pleased.

1.What was his birthdate?
2. What was his birthplace
3. What was his father's name?
4. What was Charles Dickens' first job?
5. How old was he when he started working?
6. How long did he work in the factory?
7. Where did he return to study after working in the factory?
8. What was 'Boz'?
9. Whom did he marry?
10. How many children did Dickens and Catherine have?
11. What novel was published in 1837-38?
12. In which other country was Dickens very popular?
13. Which famous novel did he write in 1843?
14. Which novel is considered to be largely autobiographical?
15. Where is Dickens buried?

21st century Flux: borrowings in English

English is a varied and changing language with lots of influences. There are lots of serious studies about that, but here you can see a different and funny way to see how it is evolving

Watch this rap created by rapper Dizraeli and enjoy it!

If you want to read the poem, click here.

There are many words which come into a language from different countries, these are called BORROWINGS

1. Borrowings in English: Match the borrowed words on the left with their language of origin on the right.

                     1 yacht                                a French

                2 tsunami                         b Australian Aboriginal

                 3 wiki                                   c Chinese

                4 shampoo                       d Arabic

                5 kudos                               e Greek

                6 giraffe                               f Japanese

              7 cuisine                         g Hindi

               8 boomerang                     h Hawaiian

               9 ketchup                          i Dutch

2. Can you think of any words in English that have been borrowed from your language? 

3.Can you think of any words in your language that have been borrowed from English?

Endangered Tribes

I suppose most of you have seen "Avatar" by James Cameron, but did you know that there are tribes in danger as the Na´vi ?.

 One of these tribes "The Dongria Kondh" in Orissa, India is fighting for the survival of their sacred mountain. They appealed to James Cameron for help.
There are more tribes like the Dongria, so if you want to know more about them or do something to help, click on the link and share your reflections with us.

http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes

A WebQuest on MUSIC FESTIVALS

Have you ever been to a Music festival? There are lots of them everywhere.

If you want to know more about them, log on these webs sites and answer the questions, then submit the answers to your teacher’s mail or include the answers as a comment here.

 Edinburgh International festival   

WOMAD 

Music Festivals   

Festival Finder ( to know what is being held right now)   

Royal Albert Hall    

Benicassim Festival

1. Write the names of three singers who performed at The Woodstock Festival from August 15^th to 17^th, 1969
2. What is Mardi Grass Festival ? Where does it take place?
3. What kind of festival is Glastonbury ? Where is it held?
4. When does The Edinburgh International Festival take place?
5. There is a WOMAD festival held in New Zealand in 2011. In what park?
6. When was the first concert in The Royal Albert Hall?
7. When did The Benicassim Festival start? Who played there?

Irregular Verbs

Do you consider irregular verbs a nightmare?

They can also be fun, click on the links, learn, have fun and surprise your teacher.  

1) Irregular verbs -http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/irregular-verbs
A British Council activity with list and matching exercise.

2) Grammar Snack - http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-snacks/past-simple-irregular-verbs 
Another British Council activity with a dialogue between two students who talk about irregular verbs, list and lots of activities; True and false, gap filling etc. 

3) Macmillan wheel - http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/features/verb-wheel/
a wheel to practise irregular verbs in a different way.
4) Irregular verbs -  http://theirregularverbs.com    
List of verbs with drawings lots of examples and pronunciation.

5) English Exercises
 http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2030
A web with video showing the list and pronunciation. and lots of activities and games.  
6) Irregular verbs
http://www.engames.eu/irregular-verbs-straightforward
 A website with videos with the irregular verbs and games.

 A good way of studying them is using mind maps like this one:  

GAMES TO PRACTICE IRREGULAR PAST PARTICIPLES
Invaders Game
Half a Minute Game