Merry Christmas!

Click here to do a reading activity about how to survive Christmas.


Watch the video and fill in the gaps here. Check your answers in "comments".




Watch this other video in which they explain how they created the ad. You can then watch it again with the subtitles to check if you understood the main ideas.

Más jornada navideña

DESSERT CONTEST DEPARTAMENTO DE INGLÉS (haz click en el póster para ver las recetas)

Tendrá lugar el 21 de diciembre en el aula 501. Si quieres participar, habla con tu profesor y cocina uno de los postres.

• Trae tu postre el día 21 entre las 16.30 y las 17.30 horas.
• La degustación para los participantes tendrá lugar entre las 18.30 y las 19.30 horas.
• La entrega de premios se celebrará a las 19.30 horas.

JUEGA Y APRENDE CON KAHOOT EN INGLÉS

Aula 603. Habrá 2 sesiones: 16.30 y 19.45 horas. Se formarán equipos con los asistentes a cada una de las sesiones.

CANTA `HALLELUJAH´ DE LEONARD COHEN (haz click para ver la letra)

EDUCATION

Click here to see some vocabulary about education that you need for the photocopy with collocations.

Medical tourism

1. To complete the information click here.
2. To listen to three people talking about it click here.

Jornada Navideña

On Thursday, 21st December we will celebrate Christmas with different activities. There will be a dessert contest, a karaoke and a book market. Please, read about it here and participate!! 

Nosebleed

Watch the video ‘How to treat a nosebleed’ and complete the gaps. Check your answers in "comments".
Noses can bleed for various reasons:
- a hit in the __________________ or ____________________.
-it can be really _________________________.
You have to call the doctor right away if:
-you suspect _______________ __________________
-if the bleeding is __________________ or _________________ coloured.
If it’s a less serious nosebleed you have to:
 -__________________ the __________________ part of your nose with your thumb and forefinger for___________________ minutes and lean _________________.
-If you lean back the blood can drain down your __________________ and can gag you, make you uncomfortable and you’ll _________________.
-If it’s still bleeding do the same. If after doing it twice more it doesn’t stop, you need to _____________ _________________ about that.
-If you suspect your nose’s been broken because it’s ________________ or it looks _______________, get it checked out.
-Afterwards you can put ice to your nose and ______________ to help with the ________________ and the ____________, but stay away from _______________ because it can make the bleeding worse.
-If you have other symptoms like confusion, _______________ or slurred _________________ or people not _______________ like themselves, especially after head trauma, call your doctor.

How healthy are you?

1. Click here to do a quiz and find out how healthy you are.

2. Click here to watch a video about being healthier. Take notes and check your ideas in the script below.

3. Listen to a podcast about how daily exercise leads to better health. Take notes and check with the script.

4. Click here and find out about your fitness personality.

5. Click here to listen to a short presentation about health and fitness.

HEALTH

Vocabulary:
1. Learn some vocabulary about illnesses and remedies. Listen to the words and look them up in a dictionary if you are 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. Learn the differences between: injure/ wound / hurt / harm / damage as verbs / adjectives / nouns.

Introvert... and proud!

Click here to listen to a conversation about being introvert. Take notes and learn some vocabulary. The script is on the website.

Hobbies

Click here to read an example of how to talk about hobbies. 

Click here and select "Playing tennis tournaments". Listen to a man talking about playing tennis and do the test. 

Personality

Some vocabulary:

 




 Listen to the definition and choose the correct adjective.

Speaking: 

Click here to see possible ways of talking about personality in an oral exam.


A very interesting website. It includes a video and you can see the transcription and more examples below it. It gives you ideas about possible structures  and vocabulary you can use. Another two lessons about the same topic: positive and negative traits.


Some listening activities:

1. Best qualities.

2. Worst qualities.

3. Listen to Simon talking about his weak and strong personality traits.

Thanksgiving Day

I. Click here to watch Donald Trump pardoning his first turkey.

II. Click here to learn some vocabulary and read a text about this holiday. The key is included.

III. Watch the first part of this video (55" to 7'08") and answer the questions. First there's some history about the holiday and then three people explain what Thanksgiving means for them. Find the answers in "comments".

1. What kind of celebration was Thanksgiving in colonial times?
2. How did they offer thanks?
3. What did the Pilgrims of Plymouth celebrate (the most famous celebration)? When? Who with?
4. When did Abraham Lincoln proclaim the Day of National Thanksgiving?
5. What happened in 1941 by an Act of Congress?
6. Diana
a. What two elements did the celebration have in her family when she was young?
b. What did they use to do?
c. How is it different now?
d. What element is missing according to her?
7. Chris
a.  Why does he describe it as "a secular national Sabbath"?
b. What do people usually do?
c. Why is it different to other family meals?
8. Amy
a. Why do her granddaughters like the holiday?
b. What is the heart of the celebration?


 

Films in English!!

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs used for emphasis



Questions tags

Watch the video and do the exercises.

Reply questions



Agreeing (So do I / Neither do I)

Click here to review how to use these structures and do the activities.

My Grammar Lab

If you want some extra practice about linkers click here and do Module 15 (pages 248-261 in the pdf / pages 237-250 in the book). You have the key on pages 399 and 400 in the pdf.

Cersei's Prophecy

Be aware of potential spoilers!! 
You've been warned!!

Watch the video. Answer the questions and complete the prophecy. Check your answers in "comments".



1. According to the girl (young Cersei), what did people say about the woman?
2. What does she think about her?
3. What does Cersei want?
4. Why does she say she has to do it?
5. What's Cersei's threat?
6. What does the woman need?
7. How many questions can she ask?
8. What are the questions?

9. "You'll never wed __________________. You'll wed __________________."
10. "You'll be ____________________________________. Then comes another, __________________, more beautiful, to __________________ and take all you hold dear."
11. "The king will have __________________ and you'll have __________________."
12. "Gold will be __________________ and gold will be their shrouds*"

*Shroud: a cloth or long loose piece of clothing that is used to wrap a dead body before it is buried.

-ed pronunciation

EDsongs 1 from Luiz Otávio Barros on Vimeo.

Festivals and celebrations

Vocabulary:

1. Celebrations, parties and special occasions.
2. Celebrating and entertaining.

1 & 3 tg5 - fetivals and special ocassions de David Lobato

Click here to see some notes for the episode in the video above.
Here you are some activities related to the same video and notes.
This is the website where you also have the script.


Practice



Listening

1. Celebrations

2. Unusual British Festivals

Click here for an old post about the same topic.

A trip to Murcia

Click here to see the explanation of the visit.

Covering email for job application

Writing a covering email to accompany your CV

If your CV is attached to the email, then use the main body of the email as your covering letter. Tell the employer how you meet their key requirements so that you can immediately make a good impression and entice them to open the attachment and look at your CV in more detail.

• In the subject line of the email, list the vacancy title, reference number and where you saw or heard about the vacancy
• Use the body of the email to convince the recruiter (qualifications, experience, skills) that you are the right person for the job
• Send the CV as an attachment clearly labelled with your name
• Spell-check before sending the email

Here's an example:

Web Content Manager Cover E-mail

Subject Line of Email Message: Web Content Manager - Your Name

Email Message:

Dear contact person,

I am writing to express my interest in the Web Content Manager position listed on Monster.com on 23th October.

As you will see from my CV, I hold a degree in journalism and I am currently finishing a course in web related marketing and development at Oxford University. I have fairly good knowledge of HTML, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and MS-FrontPage.

At the moment I am working as a self-employed content developer for different companies. I am good at understanding the objectives of the different organizations and their target audience. My responsibilities range from developing unique ideas, editing and proofreading the articles before publishing them to managing social media. Much of my experience is in the business world and I am used to creating web content based on analytical reports, press releases or survey reports always presenting them in a lucid, simple and easy to understand language.

My experience has taught me how to build strong relationships with all departments at an organization. I can also work with web engineers to resolve technical issues and implement design and functional enhancements. I am a hard-working and responsible person with excellent communication skills and I would like the opportunity to develop those skills in more of a team environment. For these reasons I am very interested in working for your company.

I would be pleased to discuss this email and my enclosed CV. Thank you for your consideration.

  

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Name and surname

Email: firstlast@gmail.com
Mobile phone: 555-124-1245

Listening practice: a ghost hunter

You will hear a radio interview with a ghost hunter called Carlene Belfort. There are seven multiple-choice questions and you should listen to it twice.

Horror Stories

Do you like horror movies?


Listen to the story of Annabelle the doll, which is in the opening scenes of ‘The Conjuring’ and was released as a prequel to the film. It is based on a true story.

Click here to read the story. It includes a glossary at the bottom of the page.



'It Hurts a Bit'

You can listen to the story below and read it here.

Happy Halloween!

The History of Halloween

Instructions: Go to the bottom of the page!

Step 1: You will listen to an article about Halloween (don't read the script). The article is about four and a half minutes long. Listen only, and don't worry about understanding everything.
Step 2: Read and understand the questions, then listen again. As you are listening, try to answer the questions in your head. Don't write the answers yet. Next, listen again and write the answers this time. Check your answers with a partner.
Step 3: Read the article. Check in your dictionary any unknown words. Now listen again. Can you understand more?
Step 4: Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to the article on the train or in your free time. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!

Glaswegian accent

As you know, our conversation assistant this year (Louise) is from Glasgow. Although she doesn't have a strong accent, she sometimes pronounce things in a little bit different way. Here are some of the differences you can hear.

How I became an entrepeneur at 66

It's never too late to reinvent yourself. Take it from Paul Tasner. After working continuously for other people for 40 years, he founded his own start-up at age 66, pairing his idea for a business with his experience and passion. And he's not alone. As he shares in this short, funny and inspirational talk, seniors are increasingly indulging their entrepreneurial instincts -- and seeing great success. 

Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the sentences below. You'll find the answers as a comment to the post. You can also turn on the subtitles and watch it again after doing the task.

1. Paul used to work as a _______________________________ at a consumer products company.

2. Although he had been fired he was not so worried as he had a good _________________ and _________________ .

3. For the next couple of years he turned to ___________________ but without any passion.

4. Then, and idea began to take root, born from his ________________________.

5. He had a lot of issues to deal with: manufacturers, outsourcing, _____________, patents, partnerships, _______________, etc.

6. He had to compete for funding with very young people from _______________.

7. Five years later, they have won ___________________________.

8. He's now doing the most __________________ and ____________________ work in his life.

9. The Small Business Administration states that _________________ of new jobs created in the private sector in the USA are thanks to small businesses like his.

10. According to CMI, the older entrepreneurs in his country have a 70%  _______________  starting ventures and that number plummets to _____________ for younger entrepreneurs.

The toughest job in the world

This is the video we watched in class. You can see part of the script below.

The title that we have going right now is director of operations, but it's really kind of so much more than that. Responsibilities and requirements are- are really quite extensive. First category for the requirements would be mobility; this job requires that you must be able to work standing up most or really all of the time, constantly on your feet, constantly bending over, constantly exerting yourself--- a high level of stamina.

Okay

That's a lot.

For how many like for how many hours?

135 hours to unlimited hours a week. It's basically 24 hours a day,  seven days a week.

Sure you have a chance from time to time to maybe just sit down here and there.

You mean a break -- no there are no breaks available.

Is that even legal? Oh yeah of course -- -- --

no lunch?

you can have lunch but only when the associate is done eating their lunch.

I think that's a little intense

No! No! That's crazy! –

This position requires excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills. We're really looking for someone that might have a degree in medicine, in finance and in culinary arts. You must be able to wear several hats. The associate needs constant attention. Sometimes they have to stay up with an associate. throughout the night and be able to work in a chaotic environment. If you, if you had a life we'd ask you to sort of give that life up; no vacations- in fact Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and holidays, the workload is gonna go up and we demand that with- with a happy disposition.

That's almost cruel how -- it's almost a very very sick twisted joke.

When there's time for sleep or –

No time to sleep.

all encompassing almost

That's exactly right

360 days a year

yes --.

No! That's inhumane!

That's very insane.

The meaningful connections that you make. The feeling that you get from really helping your associate are immeasurable.

Also let’s cover the salary. The position is gonna pay absolutely nothing.

Excuse me?

No!