Merry Christmas!

Mandela's event interpreter

Read about what happened and watch a video here.

You can watch more videos and see other comments here.

Nelson Mandela

Watch the video and answer the following questions. Check your answers in 'comments'.

    1.      When was he born?

    2.       What does ANC stand for?

    3.       When did he become head of the ANC’s Youth Wing?

    4.       What did his law firm do in Johannesburg?

    5.       What happened in 1960?

    6.       Why was he arrested and put on trial in 1962?

    7.       How did he defend his actions?

    8.       What was he sentenced to two years later?

    9.       Why was he freed?

  10.   When was he elected the first black president? How old was he?
 11.   How long was he president? 

  12.   Why did Mandela and Mr de Klerk get the Peace Nobel Prize?

  13.   Why was he critized when he was president?

  14.   When did he retire from public life?

  15.   What did he turn South Africa into?

"Still" and "Anymore"

Visit this website to see a short lesson about the use of these two words.

Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving

Watch this video about the origins of Thanksgiving.



Listen to a girl called Angela talking about how Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA and answer the questions (check your answers in 'comments').

1.    According to Angela how many holidays are there at the end of the year in the US?

2.    When do dinner preparations begin?

3.    What’s the typical menu? Main course:

Side dishes: _________  _________  , _________ , cranberry _________  , _________   _________   and _________  on the cab.

4.    What’s the most popular dessert?

5.    Where does Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade take place? Why is it mentioned?

6.    What time is dinner usually served?

7.    What do most people do in the afternoon?

8.    What do some people do on Thanksgiving Day? Why?

9.    What is ‘Black Friday’?

President Kennedy "taken from us" 50 years ago

Watch this video about the 50th anniversary of JFK assassination. Click on the right to see the script.

Adjectives ending in -ed and adjectives ending in -ing

1. Click here to learn the difference, read and listen to some examples. There's a long list of adjectives too (it's translated into Spanish).
2. Exercise 1. 
3. Exercise 2. 
4. Another website with a short explanation and an exercise.

Feelings

Talk about your feelings like a native speaker.

Happy Halloween!

EnglishCentral is a great website to help you learn English. Watch this video about the origin of Halloween. There are many things you can do to learn with it.

Reuters Video: Trick or treats as big business. Watch this video about what Americans spend on Halloween (it has the script).

Click here to see an interactive greeting card.

Visit old entries to see more things about Halloween.

Lou Reed

Lou Reed, Rock ’n’ Roll Pioneer, Dies at 71. Read about it here.

PRONUNCIATION

1. Pronunciation tips.
Have a look at this old post:

10.09.2009  PRONUNCIATION

2.Another old entry

Pronunciation of -ed endings

10.22.2009

Agreeing and Disagreeing

1. A short grammar explanation.
2. So / Neither - grammar and examples.
3. More grammar and exercises.
3. Practice:
- Exercise one
- Exercise two
- Exercies three

You can also check this old post:  So do I (10.02.2009)

Subject and object questions

Click here to see a lesson about the topic.

The Beatles Debut Album: 50 years ago

Watch this video and answer the questions (check your answers in 'comments').

1. How long did they spend recording the album?
2. How much did it cost?
3. How many copies did they sell?
4. Was it unusual to record an album in such a short time?
5. What did the band retreat to Abbey Road Studios suppose?
6. How long do some bands take to record an album now?
7. What do you really need to sell a record?

An interview with Malala

Malala sat down with Stewart to talk about her views on education and terrorism and how she plans to continue her fight to open up classrooms for girls all over the globe.
Watch part of the interview and answer the questions (check them in 'comments').


1. What feels very good according to the interviewer?
2. Why does she think terrorists are afraid of education?
3. When did the real terrorism start in Swat?
4. How many schools did they blast?
5. What did she do to speak out against terrorists? Why?
6. When did she realise the Talibans had made her a target?
7. Did she believe it? Why/ Why not?
8. What did she think she would do at first?
9. How does she think you might fight others?
10. What does the interviewer want to do?

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook

Malala Yousafzai

On 9 October 2012, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Atta Ullah Khan, a Taliban gunman. One year later she has been nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, although The Norwegian Nobel Committee has finally decided that the prize should be awarded to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

Here's a video shot before the attack. Watch it and answer the following questions (check your answers in 'comments').





1. What will happen on 15th January?
2. What does Malala's father do?
3. What has the family decided to do?
4. Why can't her father risk to keep his school open?
5. Why does Malala's father have to be careful?
6. How has the situation already affected the school?
7. Why does Malala's father face the end of his career?
8. Is Malala still hopeful?

What makes you happy?

Click here to see some tips to prepare your monologue for class.

Intermediate Listening Lessons

You can visit this website to listen to some conversations in English. Follow the instructions and try to make the most of it.

Vaughan Radio

You can listen to it here.

Extreme Sports

Click here to watch a video about extreme sports and do some activities.

Pepe's Pot

Just for fun!

Pepe's Pot, a cook from Gibraltar with Vanessa on GBC (TV Gibraltar). They both speak 'yanito', a perfect combination of 'andaluz' and English.

TOURIST ACCOMMODATION

Listen to a conversation between a couple and a travel agent. Have a look at the exercise (T/F) but don't look at the script. Click here to listen.

House Hunters Madrid

Watch this video 2’55 to 6’56”. Complete the sentences or answer the questions. Check your answers in ‘comments’.

1. _____________ in central Spain, Madrid is the largest city on the Iberian península. A major _____________, political and _____________ hub.

2. What is this Cosmopolitan city known for?

3. Why is location going to be a challenge?

4. How are Miguel and Celsie’s tastes different?

5. What should the house be like?

6. What’s high in central Madrid?

7. Where’s the first house?

8. Is it near public transport?

9. House 1 is a _____________  _____________ _____________ one bedroom. It offers an easy _____________ to school or a quick _____________ _____________ for a midday siesta.

10. What’s the problem?

11. What do they like about the living room?

12. What’s the problem with the view?

13. What do they think of the kitchen?

14. What do they think of the bathroom?

15. What’s the problem with the bedroom?

16. What are their general views on the house?

17. What’s the problem?

Travels

Listen to this extract from a radio programme presenting writers Lesley Morris and Wendy Johnson who have just published two interesting books about tourism. Do the exercises and then listen and read the script.

View it, love it, live it

TOWAN VALLEY

Watch the video from 2’20” to 4’50” and complete the sentences. Check your answers in ‘comments’.

1.       Each property has its own ____________  ____________ and secure ____________  ____________  ____________.

2.       It’s a ____________  ____________ beach house that has been built with loving care and the ____________ in mind.

3.       Many of the ____________ have been sourced from the ____________  ____________.

4.       It’s ____________, comfortable, really ____________  ____________.

5.       You’ve got ____________ and digital television.

6.       The kitchen’s been fitted with all the ____________  ____________ that you require for a ____________ ____________.

7.       ____________ there are 3 bedrooms,  ____________ up to six people and a ____________  ____________.

8.       The master bedroom has an ____________ bathroom.

9.       There’s an onsite ____________ and it’s ____________ friendly as well as family friendly.

10.   In the area you there’s a lot to do: ____________  ____________ , beach and cliff ____________... The North Cornish Coast is a ____________.

11.   Each property also has a lovely little ____________ to enjoy the evenings.

12.   Towan Valley offers a ____________  ____________ in holiday experience. You can choose to ____________  ____________ from it all or you can stay right there and meet some ____________  ____________  ____________.

LOOK AT OLDER POSTS ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC: HOUSES

HOUSES

VOCABULARY
1. Have a look at this slide presentation to learn about different kinds of houses.
2. On this website you can learn some vocabulary about parts of a house (you can listen to it and if you click on 'options' you can do a quiz or see the spelling).
3. Some places. 

FOOD

Do you live to eat or eat to live? Do you have a complicated relationship with food? Listen to this article to find out more about food.

Do the Preparation task first. Then go to Text and listen to the article (don't read the script). Next go to Task and do the activity.

Ten simple steps to a healthier lifestyle

Watch the video and take notes. Then check your notes with the script at the bottom of the page.

Healthy lifestyle

Watch the video: How to start living a healthy lifestyle. The script is at the bottom of the page.

Extra listening activities

Click here to listen to 'People who live in Australia'
Click here to listen to 'Oscars Nominations'

Extra listening activities

Here you have the recordings for the two listening activities I gave you in class. 
Click here to listen to Sports and Exercise.
Click here to listen to Alek Wek.

Cancer treatments

Click here to see the video we watched in class.

Supposed to

Watch the video and then try the quiz to check your knowledge.

23rd April- World Book Day

1. Watch this book trailer video for a short animated film based on Lane Smith's It's a Book, an adorable picture book for children that celebrates traditional books. Watch as a book-loving ape and a tech-savvy donkey exchange words.

2. Listen to this piece of text about libraries and do the activities.


Watch this funny video ad that takes place in a library.



3. The book with 11 different endings. Watch the video and take notes. Then watch it again and check your notes with the script.

4. World Book Day in The UK and Ireland. Read about it here.

22nd April, Earth Day 2013

Amazing videos of Planet Earth

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of our planet Earth for Earth Day 2013.  

Watch this video and learn some vocabulary.

Watch this video about global switch-off for Earth Hour.

An interactive activity.

Cloze tests

I've found these clozes in another teacher's blog. 

  Clozes final de curso

BBC one-minute news

Watch the video and complete the news stories. Check your answers in 'comments'.

-      A special interrogation team is waiting to _________ the teenager suspected of bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is under armed guard in _________   where his condition is described as _________  but _________ .  Police _________  him following a gunfight after he was found hiding in a _________  in a suburbian garden. Much of Boston _________  _________  _________  during the search after his older brother was killed _________ _________ _________ in a shoot-out with police.

-      A powerful _________  has hit the southwest Chinese province of Sichuan. _________  _________  have been trying to find survivors in collapsed buildings. More than _________  people have been killed and _________  have been injured.

-       Italy’s_________  _________ , Giorgio Napolitano, has been _________  to serve another _________  time.

CNN Student News

Watch the news and take notes. Then read the script and check your notes.

Lance Armstong's confession to Oprah

Cyclist Lance Armstrong spoke exclusively with Oprah in his first interview since he was stripped of his Tour de France titles. He addressed the doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating and the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. Watch his confession and look back at this two-night special event.
Here's the video.

Doping

1. Read this short text about drugs in sports.

2. Blood doping. Watch this video and learn about it.

3. Should performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids) be accepted in sports? Here you have some ideas pro and against them. If you select part of the text, you can listen to it.

Doping evidence against Armstrong

New evidence released by the US Anti-Doping Agency says Lance Armstrong ran the most sophisticated doping ring in sport history. Julie Noce reports.

1. A new report from the US Anti-Doping Agency includes first-hand accounts, __________ documents, financial payments, __________ and lab __________.
2. According to the report, Armstrong was not only a __________  __________, but the ringleader of a sophisticated doping ring.
3. 11 former __________ have testified, including George Hincapie, one of Armstrong’s most __________ and trusted friends __________.
4. Last month Armstrong received a __________ __________ from professional cycling.
5. The International Cycling Union has __________  __________ to file an appeal.

BBC News / passive

Watch this video and complete the news stories:
(check your answers in 'comments')

The star dancer who___________  ___________ (1)of orchestrating an attack on his boss at the Bolshoi Ballet has told the Moscow court he had ___________  ___________  (2)that acid would ___________  ___________(3). Pavel Dmitrichenko said he´d expected that Sergei Filin would ___________   ___________ (4) on the head.

The body of the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, is now lying in state at the Military Academy in Caracas. His mother and children gathered  around the open casket to ___________ (5) their respects, that's before members of the public ___________  ___________  (6) in.

The UN has begun ___________ (7) with opposition fighters in Syria to secure the release of 21 observers seized by Syrian opposition fighters. All the captives ___________  ___________ (8) to be from the Philippines. (=They think that all the captives are from the P.)

Election officials in Kenya are continuing to count votes by hand. That´s after the electronic system ___________  ___________(9). The head of the electoral commission has warned that it maybe Friday or even Monday before the result ___________  ___________(10).

International Happiness Day

The United Nations has declared 20 March as the first ever International Day of Happiness.

It hopes the initiative will encourage governments to consider the well-being of their citizens, rather than focusing efforts solely on economic growth.

1. Watch this video about people in the UK. What makes them happy? (Answers in 'comments').

Speaker 1:

Speaker 2:

Speaker 3:

Speaker 4:

2. HAPPY is a feature documentary that takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Calcutta in a search of what really makes people happy. Combining powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research and real life stories of ordinary and extraordinary people around the world, HAPPY uncovers the secrets behind our most valued emotion. Director: Roko Belic. Click here to watch the trailer.

The History of St Patrick's Day

Watch this video about the history of St Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day

A. Listen to Franck talking about St Patrick's Day and answer these questions (key in 'comments').
1. What is St Patrick's Day?
2. When is it?
3. Who is St Patrick?
4. Why did he come to Ireland?
5. What did Franck use to do?
6. What did the parade contain?

B. Go to the bottom of the page. Listen to this article about St Patrick's Day and take notes. Then listen and read the script to check your notes.

Click on 'Festivities' and have a look at older posts about the same topic.

Listening: a summer course

You can do a multiple choice listening activity here. 
You will hear a radio interview with the manager of a summer activity course. For each question, choose the correct answer (remember wrong answers will be penalises).

The Environment

This is the recording for the multiple choice listening. The key is in 'comments'.

Visiting endangered places around the world

Listen to this radio programme about a book called 'Disappearing Destinations' and learn about some several endangered natural and cultural treasures.

Articles

1. First do the vocabulary activity. Listen to the article  about Environmental Protest Groups and take notes. Then do the comprehension activity and finally listen and read the script. 

2. Do the same with this article about Ecotourism.

Deforestation in Kenya

Listen to David talking about deforestation and the problem it causes.

Eco Tips

Steven, a student from Costa Rica, talks with Rachel about how he tries to help the environment.

Save the Earth

Listen to this interview with a girl who gives us tips to help to save the Earth.

Saving energy

Watch the video and answer the questions (check them reading the script).

1. What’s the aim of the video?

2. Get ______________  ______________  ______________.

3. Give an example of green accessories available for your gadgets:

4. Which computers use less energy?

5. What are energy drains for gadgets?

6. What happens if you use the viewfinder instead of the electronic display?

7. You can save energy by:

 -

 -

8. What are described as ‘energy vampires’?

9. Why is convenient to use a power strip?

10. How can you get your computer running with maximum efficiency?

A lecture

Listen to this lecture about Sustainable Economic Development and the Protection of Biodiversity. Listen without reading the text and take notes. Then you can check with the script and try to complete the gaps.

Tips for the oral exam

1. Tips for the monologue.
2. Tips for the interaction.

Natural Disasters

1. Have a look at these animated guides about different natural disasters.
2. Listen to six people talking about natural disasters.
3. Listen to Tarta talking about how she responded to the 2006 Tsunami.
4. Watch this funny video. They laugh at how BP responded to the oil spill.

Love in the age of Twitter

1. Listen to an article about this topic.
2. A podcast about 'love letters'. You have some vocabulary and you can read the script.

The Origin of Valentine's Day

1. Watch this video and learn about the origin of Valentine's Day.

2. Don't look at the script. Go to the bottom of the page and follow the instructions.


Look at older posts about the same festivity.

An anecdote

Watch Leila telling an anecdote and answer the questions. (answers in "comments")

*Haggle: to argue in order to agree on the price of something.

1. What is the anecdote about?
2. Why did she go to New York in the first place?
3. Why did she and her friend Elton go to Manhattan?
4. What time was the last train back to New Jersey?
5. How much was a taxi there?
6. How much did Elton agree to pay the taxi driver?
7. What happened when they got to New Jersey?
8. Why did Elton leave the car?
9. What happened next?
10. How was she feeling when they got home?

The Tragic Tale of Ruddy Wee Hoody

1.A little story. Fill the gaps with suitable forms of the verbs given in brackets. You have some vocabulary at the bottom of the page.

2. Listen and read Roald Dahl's version of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

Narrative tenses

This podcast is about narrative tenses (past simple, past continous, past perfect). To master the use of these tenses you have to deal with their form, their use and their pronunciation - both for listening and speaking. A full transcript, pronunciation drills, grammar notes and advice are all available for this episode.

Pronunciation of regular verbs in the past

Why people fail after reaching success

Watch this video and work with it.

Europe's first swine flu case

Do the vocabulary activities at the bottom of the page before listening to the news story. Don't look at the script and try to listen and answer these questions. Finally, listen and read the script to check your answers.

1. How old is the patient?

2. When did he come back from Mexico?

3. What symptoms did he have?

4. When was he isolated?

5. How is he being treated?

6. How has the health minister described his condition?

7. How many other suspected cases are there in Spain?

8. What's an urgent priority according to the minister?

9. Is Spain ready to fight the flu according to her? Why?

A healthy lifestyle

Listen to the conversation and do the exercises. Listen again and read the script.

1. A doctor's appointment. Listen to the conversation and do the exercise. Then you can listen and read the script and do the vocabulary activities.
2.What's the matter? Listen to the conversation and do the exercises.
3. A conversation at a pharmacy.
4. A conversation at a doctor's
5. Having skin problems. Listen to the podcast. First you'll hear the conversation slowly. Then you'll listen to an explanation and finally you will hear the conversation again at a normal speed.
6. Suffering from allergies. Listen to the podcast (same instructions as above).

Health problems

Vocabulary:
1. Learn some vocabulary about illnesses and remedies. Listen to the words and look them up in a dictionary if you're not sure about the meaning.
2. Check this website if you want to learn more medical vocabulary. You have the definition and an example.
3. What's wrong with...? Review some health problems here.
4. Learn the differences between: injure/wound/hurt/harm/damage as verbs/adjectives/nouns.

Preventing the 5 most fatal accidents at home

Watch the video and learn how to prevent accidents at home.

Minor medical injuries

Listen to the podcast and take notes (it includes vocabulary explanations). You can read the script.

Friday night mishaps

Listen to a conversation and do the activities.

Accidents

Watch this video and complete the script (check your answers in 'comments').



Humans.
We mean well, but we're _________(1) creatures living in a beautifully _________(2) world. Sometimes the little _________(3) get us and other times the not so little.
It's _________(4) we've made it this far.
Maybe it's because when one of us _________ _________(5), someone else comes along to _________ _________(6).
At Liberty Mutual Insurance we get that it's tough out there, and our _________(7) is to make it less tough. That's the thing about _________(8), when things are at their _________(9), we're at our _________(10). 
See how at libertymutual.com. Liberty Mutual Insurance: _________(11). What's your _________(12)?

You're hired

"You're Hired" videos

WebWare, a successful IT company, is suddenly in need of a new sales director. Follow Philip Hart and Marcia Boardman as they take us through the process of recruiting a new team member.

Job interview questions

1. Watch this video about how to define your strengths and weaknesses and answer the questions (check them in 'comments').

Carolyn:

The best way to answer this question is to identify what your ___________   ___________ are and answer the question very ___________ . As regards to your  weakness question, focus on something you’ve ___________    in the past.

Nina:

Pick up ___________   ___________   and give an ___________   of it.

Just ___________    ___________ . Talk about how it is both a ___________  and a ___________ .

Kate:

Pick strengths that are completely ___________  to the job and weaknesses that aren’t ___________ .

For example, if you apply for a customer service role, a strength would be that you’re passionate about ___________    ___________. Don’t choose ___________  as your weakness.

Kevin:

Focus on probably no less than ___________   ___________   (not technical ___________ ) and be able to articulate ___________. In terms of weaknesses, don’t focus on ___________    ___________ .

Jo:

Think about a ___________   , the ___________  , the ___________  that you took and the ___________.

Kate:

A job interview is all designed to ___________   your weaknesses and strengths, so ___________    ___________.

2. Career advice videos. If you want to watch more videos like the one above, visit this website. You'll find a Career Tips mini-series to learn how to perform the essential steps in submitting a job application, landing your ideal job and managing your career progression.

3. Read an article including the 25 weirdest job interview questions of 2012.