Are teachers whiners, always moaning about their students not doing their homework? Am I a whiner, I wonder. Yes, I think I am. Anyway, if you do not want to have to put up with my whining, make sure you have a look at the links below:
Last Thursday we talked about strikes, the right to strike and whether it is effective means of protest or not. Read the document below if you want to find some useful expressions to talk about this topic:
The Nobel Peace Prize was announced last week. Many people took it for granted that it was going to be awarded to Malala Yousafzai, but she didn't win it. Do you wish she had won it? Do you know WHO has won it? What's your opinion on these prizes?
What's Shunga? Here you are a few videos that explain what Shunga art is: Honolulu
Museum of Art Japanese Shunga Podcast 1: Greeting by Stephan Jost,
Director: http://youtu.be/DFnIrAjJ-uk Honolulu Museum of Art Japanese Shunga Podcast 2: "Nishikawa Sukenobu" Narrated by Sati Benes Chock:http://youtu.be/5DXbvxMHQF8 Honolulu Museum of Art Japanese Shunga Podcast 3: "Concepts of Gender" Narrated by Kristin Remingtonhttp://youtu.be/jS9wmO4mMZM Honolulu Museum of Art Japanese Shunga Podcast 4: "The Yoshiwara" Narrated by Dietra Cordea: http://youtu.be/lDFqsxYNxE4 Honolulu Museum of Art Japanese Shunga Podcast 5: "The Sugimura Jihei" Narrated by Stephen Salel: http://youtu.be/VBDTW0XgBeY
TO GRIND TO A HALT, FOUL MOOD, TO LOOM, BAFFLED, TO STAND SB UP, OFF-LIMITS, TO TAKE A QUIZ, CRAMP,... these are terms and collocations that we saw yesterday in class. Nice, aren't they?
Besides, we learnt some facts about Lady Liberty. You will find the link to the quiz below.
Does true love have to be monogamous? Yesterday we heard part of a radio programme (The Why Factor, BBC Worldservice) about different types of romantic relationships: people who decide to remain faithful to each other; couples who opt for an open relationship; polyamorous families...
This is the link to the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f89zy
Now you can listen to it again paying attention to more details, to the pronunciation of words you were not very sure about, to the intonation of the speakers...
Hi there! A new school year is about to start at the Official School of Languages in Torrevieja. And a new level too. This year we are having level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for the very first time.
"The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad divisions that can be divided into six levels:
A Basic User
A1 Breakthrough or beginner
A2 Waystage or elementary
B Independent User
B1 Threshold or intermediate
B2 Vantage or upper intermediate
C Proficient User
C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced
C2 Mastery or proficiency
The CEFR describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing at each level." (from Wikipedia)
Orden EDU/3377/2009, de 7 de diciembre, por la que se establecen los currículos y las pruebas correspondientes a los cursos especializados para el perfeccionamiento de competencias en idiomas de niveles C1 y C2 del Consejo de Europa impartidos en las Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas de Ceuta y de Melilla: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_Nb3d84W0THX0dxaGhrVW9sd3M/edit?usp=sharing
Let's hope that everybody in the group finishes the year being capable of doing everything the Framework establishes for C1 and let's hope they enjoy the lessons and find them useful.
Delicious or repulsive?Are there any foods that are normally eaten in your area and you find disgusting, revolting? What about foods that are common in other parts of the world and that you find you couldn't stomach? Have you heard about the United Nations report saying that we should all eat insects? How do you feel about that? Well, here you have a few links where you can read and listen about this issue: First you can do a bit of reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22508439
And now, let's listen to different people talking about it:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, with William Redfield, and introducing Brad Dourif.
The film was the second to win all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Actor in Lead Role, Actress in Lead Role, Director, and Screenplay) following It Happened One Night in 1934, an accomplishment not repeated until 1991 by The Silence of the Lambs.
The film is #20 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movies list. It was shot at Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, which was also the setting of the novel. Plot
In 1963 Oregon, Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a recidivist anti-authoritarian criminal serving a short sentence is transferred to a mental institution for evaluation. Although he does not show any signs of mental illness, he hopes to avoid hard labor and serve the rest of his sentence in a more relaxed hospital environment.
McMurphy's ward is run by Nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher), who employs subtle humiliation, unpleasant medical treatments and a mind-numbing daily routine to suppress the patients. McMurphy establishes himself immediately as the leader. McMurphy's and Ratched's battle of wills escalates rapidly.
McMurphy steals a hospital bus, herds his colleagues aboard, stops to pick up Candy (Marya Small), a party girl, and takes the group deep sea fishing on a commandeered boat. He tells them: "You're not nuts, you're fishermen!" and they begin to feel faint stirrings of self-determination. Soon after, however, McMurphy learns that Ratched and the doctors have the power to keep him committed indefinitely. Sensing a rising tide of insurrection among the group, Ratched tightens her gripon everyone.
The struggle with Ratched takes its toll, and with his release date no longer a certainty, McMurphy plans an escape.(Adapted from Wikipedia)
Reed Warbler feeding a Common Cuckoo chick in a nest. Brood parasitism
Photograph by Per Harald Olsen
The cuckoo is a bird with a call that sounds like its name.
Most species of cuckoos leave their eggs in the nests of other birds, that's why they are called brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. The cuckoo egg hatches earlier than the host's, and the cuckoo chick grows faster; in most cases the chick evicts the eggs or young of the host species.Cuckoos have evolved various strategies for getting their egg into a host nest. Different species use different strategies based on host defensive strategies. Female cuckoos have evolved secretive and fast laying behaviors, but in some cases, males have been shown to lure host adults away from their nests so that the female can lay her egg in the nest. (Adapted from Wikipedia)
Listen to David
Attenborough giving us some more information about this fascinating species:
And here you have the transcript in case you want to check some of that information:
“The
spring song of the male cuckoo. I'm sure all of us can recognize this
bird from its song but how many of us can say that we've actually
seen the bird itself. It's perhaps no surprise then that William
Wordsworth(1) wrote
Shall
I call the Bird, Or
but a wandering Voice? Male
cuckoos are indeed great wanderers spending their winters in Africa
and their summers in Europe. But it's only very recently, thanks to
modern technology, that we've been able to confirm this and
scientists have been able to follow a number of cuckoos as they
migrate south to the dense equatorial forests of Central Africa.
Male sparrowhawk capturing starling Photograph by Pierre Dalous
This
will all come as a real surprise to our ancestors who believed that
the cuckoo turned into a sparrow hawk in winter. Not perhaps as silly as you might think, given that both birds are grayish in colour and have barred plumage and long tails.
After spending winter in the south, the migratory urge propels the cuckoos northwards and for many of us the return is a welcome sign that spring is well and truly here. "
(1)
William Wordsworth (7
April 1770 – 23 April 1850) was a major English Romantic poet who,
with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in
English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.
Last Tuesday, April 23rd, wasWorld Book Day and Saint George's Day. In class we talked about both. We also watched a video where a lovely little girl, Millie , tells us the story of Saint George. Do you know where he was from? Do you know why he had to fight with a dragon? Do you know of any places he is the patron saint of? If you watch the video you will find the answer to some of these questions!
Is it true that native speakers of English are quite tolerant with the mistakes we, non-native speakers, make? Is it true that they always praise us no matter what our level is? Well, listen to this (British?) radio listener addressing the presenter of a Spanish radio programme (go to minute 29'10''):
• Watch films, series, documentaries, talk shows, quizzes, etc in English
• Read aloud
That's all, folks!
.
I WANT TO LISTEN TO ENGLISH!
Where can we find audios to listen to?
Well, there are so many sites that we would need a thousand lives to listen to everything!From the so well-known YouTube, where you can find practically everything,to radio and television webpages, podcasts, trailers, etc. Plus all the webpages designed for English learners. Here are some examples:
My name is Esther Cuenca and I have created this blog to upload materials and information that I find interesting for my students -or for anyone who might pass by.
Hope you enjoy it and learn something!!!
If you want to contact me, you can write to this email address: cuenca_estmar@gva.es
Cheerio!
