Video with Roberto Begnini at a talk show on BBC2!

 Hi everyone!

 At this particular moment you must be more than nervous  or simply  on the point of a nervous break-down due to the finals. However, just  to  take those bad moments off your mind,  I just wanted to share with you all this hilarious video.

This is a very short video  where Roberto Begnini( the famous Italian actor) is being interviewed at a talk show on BBC 2 and where he struggles to explain( in  a terrible English) an incredible encounter he had with the Pope Benedict XVI.
It's hilarious and to be honest, I laughed my head off at this!

Hope you understand it and enjoy it as much as I did, ok?





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ygjC553eE

New Podcast: Robin Hood Legend

 Hi everyone!

Well.... this school year is   coming to an end by the minute, and so  is homework, so don't worry, I won't be pressing you anymore , right?

This is for my stressed out 2nd INT students.   Here below you have the link:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/rss.xml


Hope you enjoy it!
bye
JL

Podcast on the Loch Ness Monster

 Hi again!

Believe it or not, the current school year  seems to be  sliding  away through our fingers and the finals are just round the corner, aren't they?. Ok, I promise I won't send you over more homework in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, please do it and make a final effort. It might be worth it!!

This is an audio file on the myth of the Loch Ness Monster. I guess you all know something about it, but let's see what new things you learn from it. Click here 

or copy and paste the following URL onto your address bar.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/rss.xml

Have fun!

A brand-new Podcast on "Signs of the times"

Hi everyone!

Sorry about all this, but you should  listen  to audio files  as much as possible! For that reason, here you have a short Podcast on "Hollywood sign" which long time ago was about to be demolished,  but thanks to Hughes Hefner's investment( Managing Director for "PLAYBOY magazine),demolition of the sign was stopped. Either click here or copy and paste the URL below onto your address bar.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/rss.xml



Hope you enjoy it!

Podcast on "talking about your job"

 Hi everyone!

 I thought  it could be a good idea   for you to  listen to this podcast( audio file) about two people talking about their job and their company. You also have some comprehension questions I'd like you to answer too.

Click here to listen to the podcast or copy and paste the URL  below onto your address bar:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/businessenglishpod

Hope you like it!
PS: Any comments  are welcome!

New Podcast on "Rainforests"

 Hi everyone!
It's ages since I last posted a podcast for you to listen. Well, time has come for me to post one! This is a podcast from the BBC world service from a listening series called "6-minute English ".

 Click here  or copy and paste the URL below onto your address bar.

 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/rss.xml


Try to tell me what this podcast is all about   for the next class, ok?

hope you enjoy it!
JL

Volcano ash cloud across Europe! Big chaos at airspace!!

As you have probably heard on the news, a huge volcanic ash cloud is  disrupting  a large number of flights across Europe. Here you have a piece of news from the BBC news website, where some correspondents from different European countries report  on the current situation in each country:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8631603.stm

 Also I do suggest you to read  some of the stories  which some passengers  are still going through at some European airports:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8628289.stm

 Said  that, first of all, I'd like you to spot  all "examples" of passive voice sentences  you find in every piece of news from the first link. Secondly, I kindly request you to choose one of the stories from the second link , read it and try to sort of memorise it so that you can retell it to  us next day in class.

Good luck!!

6-Minute English! " A listening file on how people grow old"

 Hi guys!
I'm just  posting a new entry with a new listening file.Actually, I was just listening to  this audio file when all of a sudden, I noticed that I had made a terrible mistake. As you already know, I did post a previous listening called "Growing old" a couple of weeks ago, but as you all will have found out it's not about "Growing old" but " Parkour" instead. Well,  for that reason, I have decided to post this entry with the real podcast about "Growing old".

Anyway, here you have the podcast I wanted you to listen to in the first place. Click here   or paste the URL  below on your address bar:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/03/100325_6min_gettingold_page.shtml


Hope you can  be understanding for that terrible mistake of mine.
bye for now
JL

APRIL FOOL'S DAY PRANKS

Hi everyone!

Today is April 1st, and this is a special day in most English-speaking countries. I hope you have easily found information on what this festivity is all about. Here I am presenting you with a videoclip about some of the typical jokes people can make this day. Hope you like it!!

Could you possibly try to find one about jokes on April Fool's Day on YOUTUBE and post the URL address here and explain it in English what kind of joke is it?

Much appreciated it if you could do that so all your classmates and myself could share it too.

Videoclip on the 1st "Slow City" in Turkey.

Hi to my 1st Intermediate students!

Once you watch the videoclip, I would like you to answer the following questions on it. Let me give you a tip: I know you can listen to it as many times as you like, but do try to listen to it twice before you answer the questions below , because, as you all know, listenings will be only played twice at the final test.

1) As you already know, this "Slow City movement" began in Italy, but could you tell me why the Mayor of that Turkish town has decided to get his town into this movement?

2) In order to be credited as a "slow city", this Turkish city has to meet a long list of requirements. Could you possibly write down a few of them?

3) What is the main reason why this Turkish town wants to be part of this "Slow City plan"?

4) Are there any people from that town against this plan? If so, why?

4) What industry sector is now making a profit by getting into this "Slow City Plan"?

5) Who is going to benefit from this plan?

6-minute English: "Growing old" ( Listening file)

Hi everyone!

This is the listening file I couldn't attach on my last e-mail to you due to too many attachments in it. Here you have the listening file on its own. Click here
to go to that listening or copy and paste the URL below on your address bar:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/how2/rss.xml

the purpose of this activity is that you pay attention to the set phrases or expressions explained in that conversation so that you can explain them to me after your holidays.

hope you like it!

A bit of grammar revision on "USED TO/BE USED TO/GET USED TO

Hi Everyone!

I guessed you might be interested in getting a bit of more practice on "USED TO" and the like. For that reason, I have posted a link with a quiz on this grammar item so that you can do it. Click here and you will be taken to that website.

Also, I thought it would be necessary for you to get some extra practice on the different uses of "GET" we have looked at this week. Click here to do the quiz.

Have fun !
JL

FANCY A BIT OF GOOD MUSIC?

Hi everyone!

The other day, while I was just enjoying an icy cold pint of Murphy's beer at an Irish pub called "Black Sheep", which is quite popular here in Valencia, I could have the privilege of listening to the first notes of "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses.

At the time, I felt so good that I just wanted to share it with all of you.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Click here to listen to the song.


"NOVEMBER RAIN"
When I look into your ......................
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the .......................
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can (change/place)
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain
We've been through this
Such a long long time
Just tryin' to kill the(train/ pain)
Yeahh..
But lovers always come
And lovers always go
And no one's really....................
Who's lettin' go today
Walking away
If we could take the time
To lay it on the ......................
I could rest my head
Just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me
Then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain

Do you need some time
On your own
Do you need some time
All alone
Everybody needs some time
On their own
Don't you know you need some time
All alone

I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you

Sometimes I need some time
On my own
Sometimes I need some time
All alone
Everybody needs some time
On their own
Don't you know you need some time
All alone

And when your fears subside
And shadows still .....................
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to(pray/ blame)
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain

Don't ya think that you
Need somebody
Don't ya think that you
Need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

Don't ya think that you
Need somebody
Don't ya think that you
Need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

Don't ya think that you
Need somebody
Don't ya think that you
Need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

Don't ya think that you
Need somebody
Don't ya think that you
Need someone
Everybody needs somebody


Just a couple of questions on the song:
1) Can you find a synonym for " on my own" in the song?
2) "We've been through this". What dou you think it means? Can you give me a synonym for it?
3)There's an expression on the song similar to this one:" we will be able to work out a solution". Can you spot it on the song?

FALLAS time is getting near!!

We are about to celebreate "FALLAS" and one of the most popularand traditional desserts of this particular time are "bunyols".
I'm sure you all know how to cook them and all the ingredients needed to make them, but... do you think you know how to make the bunyols recipe in English?

Here you have the link to a website where you will find the recipe of it in English.

let's see if you can tell me next class how to prepare bunyols in English, ok?

A bit of Irish humour!

Hi, everyone!

Here you have an Irish joke that one friend of mine sent over to me. As you know, St Patrick's day in getting near, so I do hope this joke make you chuckle at least. I do hope you all understand it, ok?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Donovan was walking down O'Connell Street in Dublin when she met up
> with Father Flaherty.
>
> The Father said, 'Top o' the mornin' to ye! Aren't ye Mrs. Donovan and
> didn't I marry ye and yer
> hoosband two years ago?'
>
> She replied, 'Aye, that ye did, Father.'
>
> The Father asked, 'And be there any wee little ones yet?'
>
> She replied, 'No, not yet, Father.'
>
> The Father said, 'Well now, I'm going to Rome next week and I'll light a
> candle for ye
> and yer hoosband.'
>
> She replied, 'Oh, thank ye, Father. They then parted ways.
>
>
>
> Some years later they met again. The Father asked, 'Well now,
> Mrs. Donovan, how are ye these days?'
>
> She replied, 'Oh, very well, Father!'
>
> The Father asked, 'And tell me, have ye any wee ones yet?'
>
> She replied, 'Oh yes, Father! Two sets of twins and six singles, ten in
> all!'
>
> The Father said, 'That's wonderful! How is yer loving hoosband doing?'
>
> She replied, 'E's gone to Rome to blow out yer fookin' candle.'

How about a bit of phrasal verbs?

Hi everyone!

Last Friday the students group I had a lesson with(2nd Int,125), dealt with one of the most difficult grammar items in English, the so-called "PHRASAL VERBS". In Unit 5, we have had the chance of taking a look at some of them related to "house" vocabulary.

For those of you who could not come last Friday or those who haven't had a lesson with me yet, I have spotted a couple of "quizzes" on everyday English phrasal verbs, so that you can check for yourselves how good you are at them.

Both quizzes are quite easy, so I don't think you are going to have much difficulty with them( or so I hope!!)

Here comes the first one
And here you have the second one

I hope you do well with them!

How about a bit of good music???

Hi everyone!

Hope you are getting ready for the oral test next week!
Anyway, let me tell you that you also need a bit of relax from time to time, don't you?

In that case, well, why don't you watch and listen to this good track by Rihanna that one of your classmates suggested me to post here on the blog.

Remember to fill in the blanks and focus on some expressions like "play for keeps". I'm sure you can give me a short explanation or a good synonym for that next day, can't you?

I hope you like it as much as I did!

PS: I'd appreciate it if you could post some comments on each entry, ok? As I mentioned when I started off this blog, this is a kind of communication channel between you all and myself, and we should make it get bigger and bigger by new posts and comments.

----------------------------------------
"Russian Roulette" by Rihanna

Take a Breath
Take it .................
calm yourself,
he says to me
if you play,
you play for keeps
Take the...................,
and count to three
I’m sweating now..
moving slow..
No time to ...................,
my turn to..................

And You can See
My Heart .......................
You Can See it through my chest
Said I’m Terrified
but I’m Not leaving..
I know that I must
Pass This ........................

SO Just Pull The ......................
(trigger, trigger)

Say a .............., to yourself
he says close your eyes
sometimes it helps
and then I Get, a Scary .............................
that is here means he is never lost

And You can See
My Heart .......................
You Can See it through my chest
said I’m Terrified but
I’m Not leaving
know that I must
Pass This ......................

SO Just Pull The .....................

And My Life................ before
my eyes
I’m wondering Will I ever see
another ..................?
so many won’t get the
chance to say goodbye
but it’s too late to pick up
the value of my life

And You can See
My Heart .................
You Can See it through my chest
said I’m Terrified but
I’m Not leaving
I know that I must
Pass This........................

And You can See
My Heart ...................
You Can See it through my chest
said I’m Terrified but
I’m Not leaving
I know that I must
Pass This test

SO Just Pull The ......................

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES FOR CHARACTER!!(Repetition)

Hi, everyone!
This is the exactly the same post I published a few weeks ago. The reason for that is that part of the information couldn't be seen as the paragraphs weren't properly framed.
Anyway, hope you can see it properly this time.

This type of vocabulary is useful to describe people as well. Let me just give you all a concise explanation:

Compound Adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective which is made up of two parts and it is usually written with a hyphen. The second part of the compound adjective is frequently a present or past participle

1. A large number of compound adjectives describe personal appearance: curly-haired, blue-eyed, tight-fitting, ...

2. Another set of compound adjectives describes a person's character: absent-minded, easy-going, two-faced, ...

3. Another group of compound adjectives are those where the second part is a preposition: an all-out strike (total), a burnt-out car (nothing left in it after the fire), a broken-down bus (it won't work),
worn-out shoes (can't be worn anymore), a drive-in movie (you watch from your car)

Here you have another activity for you to do. You have to match these character adjectives to their corresponding definitions:

bad-temperated ,self-assured , open-minded , laid-back, strong-willed,big-headed,narrow-minded,self-conscious,easy-going,self-centred,level-headed.


a)people are determined to behave in a particular way, even if other people disagree with them.
b)shy people easy to get embarrassed because they think that everybody is looking at them and judging them.
c) people are relaxed and appear not to be worried about anything.
d) people are happy to accept ideas and ways of life from other people.
e) people are only interested in themselves
f) people don't want to accept new ideas or opinions.
g)people aren't easily upset, worried or annoyed by problems or other people's actions.
h)people think they are more important or cleverer than they really are.
i) people are often annoyed, angry or impatient.
j) people are calm and able to make sensible decisions in difficult situations.
k) people have confidence in their own abilities.

Top 10 Strange Alternative Medicine Practices!!

Hi everyone!

Have you ever thought about trying any kind of alternative medicine practice after having been through a long and unsuccessful treatment for an illness in the past? Well, may be after watching this video clip, you might want to try any of these practices to cure a long-lasting and painful illness of yours.

Click here and find it out for yourself.


Now, let's see if you can answer these questions about the video clip:

1) What date is the programme taking place?

2) He says that "none of these alternative practices are effective and that they are not worth trying them." Do you think it's True or False?

3) "Cupping" is one of these alternative medicine practices. Can you tell me what these cups are made of and also what kind of illnesses can be used for?

4) How does he define "blood-letting"? he was diagnosed a kind of "blood-letting called "humo chromatosis". did you understand when he was diagnosed this illness?

5) "Breatharianism" is another alternative medicine practice. Could you tell me what it is about?

6) It is also mentioned in the video clip a medicine practice which was very common in medieval times and that was for people who suffered from mental disorders. Can you give me the name of it?

7)" Rumpology" is also popular known as.............. ....................... Can you also tell me what it is all about?

BAD MANNERS IN BRITAIN?

Hi everyone!
Today we'r going to start off with Unit 3A, which is about SOCIAL MANNERS TODAY. Well, you know that British people are widely known for their extremely good manners.

Believe it or not, Here you will see a video clip on how rude and impolite British can be.( If you have any problems with the link, copy and paste the following URL onto your toolbar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF2Kkmso2is )

After watching the video clip:

1)Write down "the top rudest behaviours" in UK.
2) What are the top rudest social manners here in Spain? Make a list of them, too.

Have fun with this song!

Hi everyone!

I thought this song"Human" by "the Killers" could be a good way to keep your spirits up right halfway through the week.

Enjoy this video clip live at the Royal Albert Hall in London by clicking here ,

or if you have any problems with this link , copy and paste this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW5in7A-dmM
onto your toolbar in your browser.




While watching the video clip, here you have a few activities on the song.


Have fun!