Social networks

Social networking websites, such as MySpace, Facebookor or Twenti, have become very popular these days. They are places where you can connect up with friends and family, meet people who have the same interests as you and share photos, videos and things like that.

See how they work with this video by Commoncraft. Afterwards, you can read its trascription.

As you can see, social networks may have some advantages. However, not everyone loves them:

If you want to read the captions for this video, visit LangoLab

Remember, dear students, your writing on social networks have to be handed in soon.
You may write about their advantages and disadvantes or you may write about your own experience using them (I know most of you have an account on Twenti)

A little bit of grammar with U2 & Bruce Springsteen

Complete the song.

1. (climb) => present perfect

2. (high) => superlative

3. (run) => present perfect

I ________________ (1) the (2)___________ mountain

I ______________ (3) through the fields

Only to be with you (x 2)

4. (run) => present perfect

5. (crawl) => present perfect

6. (scale) => present perfect

7. (this) => plural

I ________________(4), I _______________ (5)

I _________________(6) __________(7) city walls

____________(7) city walls

Only to be with you

8. (find) => pres. perfect - neg

9. (I/look for) => pres. cont.

But I still _______________(8) what ______________(9) for

10. (kiss) => pres. perfect

11. (speak) => pres. perfect

12. (hold) => pres. perfect

13. (hot) => the opposite

I ____________________(10) honey lips

Felt the healing in her fingertips

It burned like fire

This burning desire

I ____________________(11) with the tongue of angels

I ____________________(12) the hand of a devil

It was warm in the night

I was ___________ (13) as a stone

But I still ...

14. (believe) => present simple

15. (bleed) => future

16. (run) => pres. continuous

I _____________(14) in the kingdom come

Then all the colors ____________(15) into one

Bleed into one

Well, yes, I'___ still ____________(16) .

17. (break) => past simple

18. (loose) => past simple

19. (carry) => past simple

20. (know) => present simple

21. (believe) => present simple

You ____________ (17) the bonds and you

________________ (18) the chains

________________ (19) the cross

And all my shame

All my shame

You ______________ (20)I ________________ (21) it 

But I still ...

If you want to download the exercise click here

Good Luck!

To those who are taking the SLP exam next Monday: GOOD LUCK

If you want to do some tests, visit: English Test.net

IVH and AIDS

Global Warming

Conditional sentences

First Conditional
If + present simple + future simple

If you don't know me by now, you will never know me (Simply Red)


We can use a modal verb in the if sentence
I can't help you if you don't help yourself. (Amy Winehouse)


(Listen to the song and find a grammatical mistake)


In the main sentence, an imperative can be used instead of a present.
If you need me, call me (Marvin Gaye - Ain't no mountain high enough)


Second Conditional
If + past simple + conditional simple(would + bare infinitive)
What would you do if I sang out of tune? (Joe Cocker / The Beatles)




If I were a rich man

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.


To be continued ....

One way or another ...

My dear Bachillerato students:

One way or another I'm gonna make you remember how to say "manera" in English. Yeah! I'll do it.




For those who prefer another kind of music:



And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear;
I'll state my case of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full -
I've travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself - Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.

Yes, it was my way.

And for our younger students: This is the Way, a traditional song you can listen to at the British Council site

Grace Kelly, Freddy Mercury & Mika

It's time to write!!! Most of you have been asked to write a short biography of a famous person.

Go to pages 68-69 and 119 (English in Context 2) to learn some useful tips and expressions.

Then choose one of people in the title of this post and start writing. As one of Mika's songs says 'Relax, take it easy' (You will be given some notes about these people during our lesson today)

Do I attract you?
Do I repulse you with my queasy smile?
Am I too dirty?
Am I too flirty?
Do I like what you like?

I could be wholesome
I could be loathsome
I guess I'm a little bit shy
Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me without making me try?

I try to be like Grace Kelly
But all her looks were too sad
So I try a little Freddie
I've gone identity mad!

I could be brown
I could be blue
I could be violet sky
I could be hurtful
I could be purple
I could be anything you like
Gotta be green
Gotta be mean
Gotta be everything more
Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
Why don't you walk out the door!

How can I help it
How can I help it
How can I help what you think?
Hello my baby
Hello my baby
Putting my life on the brink
Why don't you like me
Why don't you like me
Why don't you like yourself?
Should I bend over?
Should I look older just to be put on the shelf?

I try to be like Grace Kelly ...


I could be brown ...

Say what you want to satisfy yourself
But you only want what
everybody else says you should want

I could be brown ...

Would Jack Sparrow download files from the internet for free?

Jack Sparrow is the character played by Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean", a successful Disney film where not all the pirates are considered bad guys. On the contrary, Sparrow is one of the heroes of the movie, along with the characters played by Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. So, what would happen nowadays if he had the opportunity to listen to music or watch a film without paying?

What is your opinion about internet files sharing? Do you think piracy seriously damages the music and movie industry? Or do you believe that it is a question of freedom to share what you own with other people? You can see both views in these commercials.

Pro-piracy



Anti-piracy

Finally, you can try this link to read (and listen) about some surprising words by Robbie Williams on the subject.

BBC Learning English

Thank you

THANKS, THANK YOU, THANKS A LOT to all those teachers who share their knowlede and their work on the web.

Lots of our colleagues love their job and work very hard. On top of that, they share their work with everybody.

We want to pay homage to all of them. From now on, we will make an effort to let you know these wonderful professionals.

To start with, let us introduce esl teaching reources, a blog written by an English teacher who works in South Korea. You can't miss her videos. They are fantanstic!
Wanna see one, huh?



(Thank you, Captain KungZoo)

Moreover, her blog is full of useful advice, useful ideas and useful links.

Is beauty so important?

The Spanish version of the popular American TV show Extreme Makeover has arrived in our living rooms. Antena 3 is broadcasting Cambio Radical.

On Cambio Radical, participants are away from their families for several weeks. During this time, they undergo a number of different cosmetic procedures, including plastic surgery, diets, hairdressing and so on. They also meet personal trainers and fashion consultants who teach them how to improve their look.

Thousands of people have applied for a place on this reality show.

- What do you think of it? Would you like to be a contestant in a programme like this?
- Would you undergo plastic surgery? Why? (or why not?)
- Why is plastic surgery so popular nowadays?
- Some people claim that this kind of realities are sexist. Do you agree?
- Is beauty so important?
- Do we need to change our bodies or to change our minds?

Nuclear Power: No, thanks?

Two weeks ago, the former vice-president of the USA, Al Gore visited Madrid. He wanted the Spanish people to know that global warming is an increasingly worrying problem. Thus, if CO2 emissions keep on growing, Spain will be 8º C hotter than what it is now in 60 years time.

In order to reduce carbon-energy consumption levels, some scientists have proposed the “so-called” environmentally friendly energies such as solar, wind or sea powers. Many improvements have been developed on that field in the last decades. However, it
does not seem to be enough for a bigger and bigger demand.

There are also voices that have pointed to nuclear power as a solution for global warming since CO2 emissions will be drastically reduced.

What is your opinion? Will nuclear power stations solve the problem? If so, how would you feel with one of these stations next to your home? Finally, what about nuclear wastes?

If you want to know the advantages and the disadvantages of nuclear power, visit Energy Resources, a web page created by the Science teacher Andy Darvill.

No tengo ...

A new section is born: Learning with songs.
We know that most of our students love songs. So we have decided to post a song from time to time.
To start with, why don't you listen Ain't got no/I got life by Nina Simone.


I ain't got no (1)____________, ain't got no (2)____________
Ain't got no (3)____________, ain't got no (4)____________
Ain't got no (5)____________, ain't got no (6)____________
Ain't got no (7)____________, ain't got no (8)____________
Ain't got no mind
1. Another word for “house”
2. You put them on your feet.
3. This is what you get when you work.
4. A group in a society with the same social and economic position. (Or a group of students)
5. Women are used to wear them instead of trousers. Men like them “mini”
6. Another word for pullover.
7. It is a liquid which smells very well.
8. The place where you sleep on at night.

Ain't got no (9)____________, ain't got no culture
Ain't got no (10)____________, ain't got no schooling
Ain't got no (11)____________, ain't got no (12)____________
Ain't got no (13)____________, ain't got no token
Ain't got no (14)____________
9. Your father’s wife is your _______ (OK, not always, but most of times)
10. The people you tell your secrets to.
11. It is something your boy/girlfriend feels for you.
12. My _________ is Miguel and I’m 37.
13. It is something you need to see a movie at the cinema.
14. It is said that He is in Heaven and everywhere. Muslims have one and Catholics a different one.

And what have I got?
Why am I alive anyway?
Yeah, what have I got
Nobody can take away?

Got my (15)____________, Got my (16)____________
Got my (17)____________, Got my (18)____________
Got my (19)____________, Got my (20)____________
Got my (21)____________, I got my (22)___________
I got my (23)___________, Got my chin
Got my (24)____________, Got my boobs
Got my (25)____________, Got my soul
Got my back, I got my (26)____________
15. (& 16) You have got 15 on your 16.
17. It is something you use to think or remember.
18. It is something you use to hear or listen.
19. It is something you use to see or look.
20. It is something you use to smell things.
21. You’ve got your teeth inside it.
22. A happy or friendly expression you do with your mouth.
23. Something you use to feel if something is sweet or bitter.
24. The part between your body and your head.
25. When your boy/girlfriend lets you down, your ________ breaks into pieces.
26. Some people call it “love” but most call it “to have ______”
I got my (27)____________, Got my (28)____________
Got my (29)____________, Got my (30)____________
Got my (31)____________, Got my (32)____________
Got my liver, Got my (33) _____________
28 & 29 in the upper part of your body are similar to 30, 31 & 32 in the lower part of it.
33. It’s a red fluid which runs through your veins.

I've got (34)____________, I've got my freedom
34. The time you live from when you are born until you die.
I've got the life
I've got the life
And I'm gonna keep it
I've got the life
And nobody's gonna take it away
I've got the life.

***********
Did you enjoy the song?
Now, if you want to know something about this artist you can visit her official web site
Read her biography and answer these questions:
What was Nina Simone's real name?
When was she born?
Where?
Did she have any brothers or sisters?
When did she die?

Time to work!

Saddam Hussein was hanged on December 30th. He had been found guilty of killing 148 people in 1982 and sentenced to death by an Iraqui Court.

Hussein's execution reopens the death penalty debate.

We want you to write a composition about the Capital Punishment.

You can get some ideas if you visit the following links.
cBBCnewsround. Arguments against capital punishment
cBBCnewsround. Arguments for capital punishment

You can also read some teenagers' opinion about this subject: cBBCnewsround. The death penalty - right or wrong?

Please, let's help each other. Click on comments and send your opinion. Are you for or against?

Bronca

¡Bronca va! Para que nadie nos ponga la excusa de no haber entendido lo que aquí se dice, les dejamos la traducción. Esperamos que no caiga en saco roto.

We are afraid we have to come down on you, dear students, for not working enough. Some of you are too lazy and will have to suffer the consequences.
Reports are just around the corner. If you fail your exams this term, it will be harder for you to pass the next ones.

You'll see! You have been offered free extra classes and you haven't taken advantage of it. You know you should hand a composition in every fortnight and some of you haven't written a single one (and this is the last straw if we take into account that we have provided you with useful vocabulary and some ideas. Do have a look at the blog and use your book!. You even have good on-line dictionaries in the side bar)
Last Tuesday you took an exam and were allowed to use your books and notes. Most of you didn't even bother to look up a single word. We wonder why. Do you have a good grasp of the subject? We are afraid you haven't.

No mater how good a teacher can be if his pupils don't study and don't exercise what they are learning. Be aware of this: if you want to acquire knowledge on a subject you shouldn't be satisfied with just understanding the subject. You must also be able to remember it and to put it into practice.

You are grown-up. As we have mentioned before, you'll be the ones who will suffer the consequences. For us, as teachers, your laziness makes us feel upset (but just that). But the price you will pay will be much higher: you are wasting your parents' money, you are wasting your time, you might fail your exams at school and you might have problems to gain admittance to your chosen university.

You'll see

Me temo que hemos de echarles la bronca por no trabajar. Son demasiado vagos y tendrán que asumir las consecuencias.
Las notas están a la vuelta de la esquina. Si suspenden la primera evaluación en el instituto, les costará más trabajo aprobar la siguiente.
Ustedes sabrán lo que hacen. Saben que tienen horas extras y algunos ni siquiera las aprovechan. Saben que deberían entregar, al menos, una composición cada 15 días y algunos de ustedes no han entregado ninguna. (Y esto es el colmo, más si tenemos en cuenta que hasta les hemos proporcionado el vocabulario y algunas ideas. ¡Miren el blog y usen sus libros!. Incluso tienen acceso a buenos diccionarios on-line en la barra lateral del blog)
El martes pasado hicieron un examen en el que se les permitía hacer uso del libro y de los apuntes. La mayoría de ustedes ni se molestó en buscar una simple palabra. Nos preguntamos por qué. ¿Acaso dominan la materia? Nos tememos que no.
No importa lo bueno que pueda ser un profesor si sus alumnos no estudian y no ejercitan lo que están aprendiendo. Han de ser conscientes de esto: si quieren adquirir conocimiento en una materia, no se deberían conformar con entenderla. Deben ser capaces también de recordarla y de llevarla a la práctica.
Ya son mayorcitos. Como les hemos dicho antes, las consecuencias las pagarán ustedes. A nosotros, como profesores, su desidia puede costarnos un disgusto (simplemente eso), pero a ustedes les costará mucho más: están malgastando el dinero de sus padres, están malgastando su tiempo, podrían suspender los exámenes y podrían tener problemas para acceder a la carrera que quieran estudiar.
Ustedes mismos.

What is your opinion about "Big Bottle" (Botellón)?

(Situation. Chiqui and Miguel's PAU pupils are waiting outside Shark'o School. They start talking about the next composition: a letter to a friend about Botellón parties)

Chiqui: Enrique, have you ever been to a "Botellón" party?
Enrique: No. Never. Pedroja and Pablo have told me about it, and I don't think I'll enjoy it because I only drink pineapple juice...
Keila: Ha, ha, ha. Are you kidding? Last Saturday you were having fun with Lorena and Cristina outside La Carpintería... And you didn't seem to be drinking soft drinks but something stronger.
Regina: Yeah, I think it was a "cubata". You know, rum with Coke.
Lorena: It wasn´t rum with Coke but with Malibú.
Pedro: Aahjjj! Rum with Malibú? How could you drink that? That's too sweet, isn't it?
Cristina: It was not bad... The worst thing is that I had a really nasty hangover on Sunday afternoon when I woke up.
Pablo: Cristina, I thought you didn't use to drink. You shouldn't drink such sweet beverages 'cos they're very bad for your head.
Enrique: You're right. I had a terrible headache last time I drank my pineapple juice...

(Miguel is coming from the bar near the school. He's bringing a bottle of pineapple juice in one hand and a bottle of Arehucas in the other)

Miguel: Enrrrrriquue, herrrre I am. I went to buy what you told me to make your favorite drink. Let's go to La Paz Square to have a Botellón. Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiihhhhhhhhhaaa!

(Miguel's astonished PAU pupils look at each other ... and decide to leave him alone and go to Chiqui's lesson instead because they're very responsible and would always prefer to work)

THE END

OK! Now I want you to write a letter to a friend of yours telling him the situation and your opinion about Botellón in Spain and in your hometown?


Useful vocabulary
alcohol, alcohol consumption, alcoholic, alcoholism
drink (noun / verb)
drunk, get drunk
sober
alcoholic beverages: beer, wine, spirits (whisky, vodka, rum ..)
soft drinks
party
binge drinking
hangover (n) / hungover (adj.)
bar, pub, disco
get together, meet, congregate
street, square, in the open air
party
a right to ...
nuisance
noise
rubbish
stench (bad smell)
vandalism
fighting
health
neighbour, neighbourhood
young people, youngsters, the youth (youths), teenagers
to be in favour of ...
to be against ...

Should P.A.U. exams be abolished?

Can you find the label "Bachillerato"? (Of course, you can. It's on the right) Well, ésta es una sección dedicada a nuestros alumnos de ... bachillerato, ¡cómo no!

En ella, propondremos periódicamente nuevas actividades. Esperamos vuestra participación.
De momento nos centraremos en los "writing"

Sabemos de sobra que una de las cosas que más odiáis, en lo que al inglés se refiere, es tener que escribir composiciones. However, you have to do it (y más teniendo en cuenta el tipo de examen que os exigirán para la P.A.U.) También sabemos que, en ocasiones, lo que falta son las ideas a la hora de componer la redacción. Por eso, os proponemos hacer un "writing" entre todos.

El tema elegido es: Should "P.A.U." exams be abolished?

After finishing "Bachillerato", Spanish Students who wish to go to University must take a general university entrance examination (P.A.U). The University course they are able to follow will depend on the result of this examination along with their Bachillerato marks.

De momento nos conformamos con que "posteéis" una o dos frases sobre el tema.

Useful vocabulary:
fair / unfair
university entrance exams
academic performance
discrimination
equal opportunities
learning
attend school/university
marks
assesment
homework
progress
classroom assignments
feel/get nervous
pressure situation
to be under stress
measure
overall performance

En cuanto a las expresiones útiles con las que expresar una opinión os recomendamos que consultéis el libro (page 128, los de 1º; page 117, los de 2º )

Come on! Don't be lazy and send your opinion. Let’s help each other!.
We will collect your composition next Thursday. Remember: This is a shared composition. You can not only use your own opinions but also your partners'.