martes, 20 de noviembre de 2018

Speaking activity



Desperate Housewives  
from TVseries4learning
Verbs in the simple past

Level: Intermediate
Age: Teens/Adults


Before you watch

1.         What do people usually talk about with their families when they get home from school/work?

2.         When you get home from school/work, what do you usually talk about with your mother/father/brother/friend?

While you watch

3.            Watch the segment once and answer: what’s the relationship between the two people? What are they talking about?

4.            Before watching again, try to remember what each one of them says. In the script below, write H (Husband) for what he says and W (Wife) for what she says. After that, watch the video again and check if your answers are right.

(   )  I am finally home.
And just so you know, I had the worst day ever.

(   )  Did you?

(   )  Yeah, I-I-I had to meet with one surly client after another.
Our computers went down.
I spilled coffee on my shoe.

(   )  Sounds like you went through a lot.

(   )  But I'm much better now.
Oh, m... Oh, oh, oh, God!
I forgot to ask... How did the pitch go?

(   )  Good. We got the job.

(   )  That is fantastic!
Oh, my God. You guys are just getting started, and you're already kicking ass!
I am so proud of you!

(   )  Well, it was mostly Renee.
She did the lion's share of the work.
She's an amazing woman.
(   )  Yeah.
Everything okay?

(   )  Yes, of course. I, um...
I made some hot chocolate for the kids, would like some?

(   )  That sounds great.

(   )  Yeah? Might be a little cold. Do you want me to heat it up?

(   )  No, it's okay.

(   )  Mm!
Aah!
It's... it's.. it's boiling!

(   )  Is it?

(   )  I-I-I burned my tongue!

(   )  Oh, I'm sorry.



















After you watch

5.            How was his day? Tell your classmates.
6.            What verb tenses can you identify in the dialogue? Which one is predominant?
7.            Go back to the script and circle the verbs in the simple past.



domingo, 18 de noviembre de 2018

Queen - We Are The Champions Lyrics

I was surprised by Jerome (one of my students from 1 ESO)  a few days ago when he said his favourite band was QUEEN. I guess I thought all their fans were a lot older. I don't consider myself "a fan", I do* like some of their songs. I think Freddy's voice is fascinating, Brian May playing the guitar is something magic,...well I may like them a bit. Anyway,  I just wanted to say that I  went to see the film "Bohemian Rapsody". It is not a great film but as always it is good music.  So I am bringing "We are the champions " for you to get familiar with the PRESENT PERFECT. Yes, I know we are not there yet, but you will be familiar with it when we get there.
*(I will let you know why I am using this "do" here, not common just for emphasis)

I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes 
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through

For those who have been to the film and want to know more about Live Aid 85
http://teachingenglishpalmira.blogspot.com/search?q=we+are+the+champions

Creating bilingual minds | Naja Ferjan Ramirez | TEDxLjubljana

Interesting talk. According to what she says in the last minutes of her speech, we can have bilingual minds if  as babies we interact with native speakers. Well, maybe it is too late for most of us but we can still improve listening to talks like this, music, reading, watching films...











miércoles, 24 de octubre de 2018

PODES TRADUCIR ESTAS IDEAS Ó INGLÉS. REPORTED SPEECH,

Dixéronnos que chegarían tarde á festa porque tiñan que rematar un traballo.
Ofrecéronse a mercar as bebidas.
Preguntámoslle se atopara as chaves.
Pediunos que baixaramos o volume do ordenador e engadiu que non se podía concentrar.
Díxolle que se  quedara sen gasolina e que non sabía como seguir.
Díxolle que  gardara o segredo, que non llo contara a ninguén.
Disculpáronse porque estaban equivocados.
Admitiron ter roubado (haber robado) o coche.

viernes, 19 de octubre de 2018

Swapped at birth, then adopted by mistake: 'For 41 years I lived someone else's life'

Sometimes I read the press, The Guardian is the British newspaper I read more often but not that often, just looking for  texts that may be interesting for my students. And sometimes I find incredible stories like the one I have read today and that you can find in the link below. I have just missed today’s nap, which  I needed desperately, but  as long as you read and enjoy it,  that will be worthy.  I did enjoy this astonishing and moving story, very well written too. I will have a nice cup of tea now.
Let me know what you think.

jueves, 18 de octubre de 2018

2 BACH. LEARNING WITH SONGS


Yesterday  I heard that Spanish scientists had managed to cure a few patients of AIDS by transplanting stem cells. I though: what an extraordinary piece of news!.  And my mind went to some of those who died too soon such as Freddy Mercury.
It was my plan to include a song every week so you could have a look at the lyrics, listen, practise pronunciation and sing during the weekend. I am not sure that will happen every single week but let’s do it as often as possible.
Going over Freddy Mercury’s biography I was happy to discover that Feltham was our first destination in London. I only spent a couple of weeks there but kept going back for years as I had great friends living there. I also read about his former girlfriend Mary Austin, who, by the way, inherited his magnificent house in Kensington and a fortune.  And it took me to newspaper articles like the interview with his mother 20 years after his death. She has been to WE WILL ROCK YOU the musical 6 times, I may have been even more as I have taken  my students to that musical as first opiton for years . Well, that is the idea. If you are curious about something: read, explore,  enjoy and you will be learning.

  • In the  part of the song bellow he missed some words. Can you find more apart from the underlined?
  • Find a synonym for tremble and pain.
  • Phonetics. Find the word with a different sound:  face  aching  away  again 
  • What does he regret in the last line, why is he using past perfect?

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooo (anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all




1st type conditional

First conditional  Condition (  If+Present)   ----- Result ( Future tense with WILL / WON´T) If I go to bed now ,   I won't be tired tom...