Football fans

Listen to Phil talking about being a football fan in England and answer the questions in the quiz. You can also see the script.

FRIENDSHIP

Listen to the episode and learn some vocabulary about friendship. You can also try the quiz.

PERSONALITY

1. Listen to some personality adjectives and do an excise.

2. Listen to a definition and choose the right adjective.

3. Listen to a programme in which they explain the questions with "like".

4. Listen to Adrienne talking about her family traits.

5. Listen to Matt talking about his personality.

6. Watch these videos about stereotypes and do some exercises.

How to write a film review

1. Read some tips on how to write a film review.

2. Have a look at this website and try the different tasks:

The aims of these tasks are to help you to write a short movie review. The tasks use specially written reviews of recent movies which will help you to expand your vocabulary and recognize the form of a standard movie review. These tasks should be seen as the first steps you take before writing your own movie review.

St. Patrick's Day

1. Read an article about St. Patrick's Day.

2. Listen to a text about St. Patrick. You can do a comprehension activity and you can read the text too.

3. Watch the video "Facts vs Blarney" and learn about St. Patrick's History.

In the news: Child directs air traffic at JFK

I'm sure you heard this in the news a couple of weeks ago. They explain the main words in the story.

HOUSEKEEPER

Margaret McMullen talks about being a professional Mrs. Mop. You can listen to the interview and read the script. They explain some of the expressions that appear in the listening.

How to tell a story

Look at some ideas on how to tell stories.


Here you have some words you can use to sequence the events in your stories.

STORIES

- Listen to the story "The Golden Boys" and take notes. Then do the activity. Finally, listen and read it.
- Listen to another story "Look what the cats dug up" and take notes. There is also a comprehension activity and a glossary with some of the words that appear in the story.

Childhood memories

A. Listen to a woman talking about her childhood and answer these questions. (answers in "comments"). The woman uses "would" to talk about repeated actions in the past (it's the same as "used to", but you can only use it with action verbs, not with state verbs).

1. Where's she living now?
2. Where was she born?
3. When did she move to Galway?
4. Did she like Galway? Why?
5. What kind of school did she go to?
6. What did she do at weekends?
7. How old was she when she met her husband?
8. Why did she move to Paris?
9. Was she happy to live there? Why?

B. Listen to a woman talking about her childhood memories and answer the questions. (answers in "comments").

1. What are her best childhood memories?
2. What did she find one day at Easter?
3. Who take her and her older brother to a town?
4. What did they buy for her?
5. What did she wear?
6. What did she do that she'd never done before?

How to accept an Oscar

Watch this funny video in which they give you advice on how to accept an Oscar. You can take notes and then check them with the script you'll find bellow it.
I hope you like it!

MARCH LISTENING HANDOUT

I thought I had already posted it. Sorry!!!

I. A MATURE ACTRESS (2’20’’)http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html#/joy_seligsohn


II. WHICH ENGLISH SHOULD WE TEACH AND LEARN? (3’)
http://www.macmillanglobal.com/blog/teaching-tips/which-english-should-we-teach-david-crystal

III. CREDIT CARDS (6’)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/02/100211_6min_creditcard_page.shtml
The script: http://wsdownload.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/pdf/2010/02/100203160228_100211_6min_creditcards.pdf

IV. WORKING IN SPAIN AND WORKING IN THE USA (11’10’’)
http://www.eviews.net/1344/text.pdf
http://www.eviews.net/1344/

An interview with Gabourey Sidibe

Watch this interview with Gabourey Sidibe, nominee for best performance by an actress in the leading role in the film "Precious" and choose the best answer or answer these questions (key in "comments").

1. a) She had acted before and learned all the techniques.
b) Although she had no formal training, her performance evokes feelings.
c) She had terrible criticism because her performance was only words and techniques.
2. How did she get the role?
3. Had she thought of being an actress?
4. What did she think she’d be?
5. Had she read the book before making the movie?
6. How is the girl in the book like her?
a) She "knows" Precious, but she is completely different from her.
b) Precious is different from her in a lot of different ways and she doesn't "know" her.
c) Precious is like her in many ways because she has also had problems of self-esteem and she has been neglected and ignored.
7. a) The director chose her after seeing over 400 girls because she wasn't the "real Precious".
b) The director chose her because she was one of the 20 girls who were like the "real Precious" (abused, almost illiterate, with AIDS)
c) The director chose her because he could exploit her.
8. How does she feel about her weight now?
9. Has the movie changed her?
10. What is the story in the movie?
11. Why does she go barefoot on red carpets?
12. What does she want the film to do?
13. What does she want to keep doing?

THE OSCARS

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media, and many other award ceremonies such as the Grammy Awards (for music), Golden Globe Awards (all forms of visual media), and Emmy Awards (for television) are often modeled from the Academy. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself was conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss Louis B. Mayer.
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held Thursday, May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. It was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. deMille. The 82nd Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 2009, will be held on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, with actors Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting the ceremony.

Click here to see the trailer for the event.

Watch this video and meet the hosts.

Click here and watch the video with the nominees.

If you want more information about the awards, visit the official website. You can find, for example, synopsis of the films, the videos with the trailers and much more information. Only 4 days away!