Christmas Activities

Learn about how Christmas is celebrated in the United States:
http://www.costumerack.com/christmas04.asp

Sing Christmas Carols! Here are links to a few classic Christmas carols that can help with reading and pronunciation.
Joy to the World
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Jingle Bells

Other Christmas games, activities, and vocabulary practice:
Christmas Hangman
Matching Game
Games
Trivia


Happy Holidays!

December 10th is Human Rights Day

What are Human Rights?

Visit this website to see videos and read a modified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/
http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/articles-1-15.html

25th November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

on November 25th we celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, but do you know why?

Who were the Mirabal sisters?

Where were they from?

How did they die? Why?

When did they die?


Now listen to This Time, By Celine Dion, a beautiful and sad song about this type of violence.


Now watch this advert

Elements of a short story

What are the main elements of a short story?

What are the elements of a plot structure? Watch this video here

Narrative

After watching this video, answer these questions:

What is Narrative?
How many types of narrative structure do you know?
How many character roles are there in a narrative?
How many stages are there in a narrative?

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Do you know the differences between Simple Present and Present Continuous watch this video and find out.


Present Simple

Daily Routines

Which tense do you use to express daily routines?

Daily Activities

Halloween Cookies

These are the photos of the

and cake. I hope you enjoyed your Halloween party!

You can see the recipe here Now, translate the recipe into English.

The History of Halloween

- What is the origin of the word Halloween?

- Who were the first people who celebrated this festival?

- Why did they celebrate Halloween?

Ghost stories

After watching this video answer these questions?

- What is the story about?

- When and where does the story happen?

- How many people died in the story?

- Do you believe in ghosts?


Now read this Halloween story

- What happened in the story?


HALLOWEEN

- What is the Origin of Halloween?
- When is Halloween celebrated?
- How many traditions and costumes can you see in the video?

How to write a letter of application

Watch this video and learn how to write a letter of application, a type of formal letter.

Formal letter Now watch this video to know how to write a formal letter

How to write a friendly letter Now watch this video about a friendly letter

A job application letter

QUESTIONS:

- What are the main parts of a letter?

- What are the differences between a formal and a friendly letter?

Present Continuous

Do you remember how Present Continuous is formed? Watch this video and find out. Then write five sentences with this verbal tense.


What are you doing?

Auxiliary Verbs

Watch this video about Auxiliary Verbs and see the difference between Auxiliary Verbs, Modal Verbs and Full Verbs. Which verbal tense do you know? Write a sentence with each of them.

Question Words

Do you remember question words? Watch this video and write a question with each of them in your notebook.

Cristina Aguilera - I Am

Listen to this song by Cristina Aguilera. Make a list with all the personality adjectives, parts of the body and verbal tenses.

Types of Communication

Read this article and answer these questions:

- How many types of communication are there?
- What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?

Watch this short video about The Commnication Cycle here

Non-Verbal Communication

Read this article and name the different kinds of non-verbal communication that are mentioned in the text.

- What type on non-verbal communication do you use when you talk to people?

Watch this video about Reading Body Language

The Sound of Silence

Listen to this song and answer these questions:

- Who sings the songs?
- What do you know about the singers? Look for information about their lives and describe them physically.
- What is the message of the song?
- What verbal tenses can you find in the song?


Leave your comment about this song here.

The Importance of Silence in our Health

Watch this video with or without subtitles in English or Spanish and answer these questions:

- How many ways of listening are mentioned in the video? What is the difference between them?

- Are headphones good or bad to listen to music?

- What problems can noise cause in our health?

- What is the best sound we can listen to?

Five ways to listen better

Watch this video (with and without subtitles in English and Spanish) and answer these questions:

- Are we losing our listening? Why?
- What can we do to listen better?
- Is it possible to listen to the silence?
- Can we communicate in a world of noise?


Leave your comment on this blog.

My Summer Holidays

"Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind." By William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Ode: Intimations of Immortality, from Recollections of Early Childhood (l. 177-180)

Answer these questions:

- What is the name of this place?
- In which country can you see it?
- Who built this place?
- What language do people speak there?
- Where did you go this summer? Bring a picture of a place you visited last summer and choose a poem you like to decorate the photo.

Summer Solstice

- Do you remember when is the shortest day of the year?
- In Which season is the longest day of the year?
- What do you know about San Juan night? Click here and find out.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Watch the trailer of the film we watched last week and do these activities here


Did you like the film?

Who is your favourite character?

What is the moral or message of the story?

Gastón's favourite group Linkin Park

If you haven't seen the presentation, click here

Do you like this band?

The Hare and the Turtle

Read and watch these videos about this fable and answer these questions:

- What are the main characters of the story?
- What are they like?
- Why did the Hare challenge the Tortoise to run a race?
- Who won the race and why?
- What is the moral of the story?
- Write a different ending for the story


If you want to know more about fables click here and here


You cand find some Aesop's Fables in English and French here

Aesop's life and fables

Answer the following questions:

Who was Aesop?

When and where was he born?

What type of stories did he write?

Write the names of three fables written by Aesop:
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

What is a fable?

How many elements are there in a fable?

To find more information about Aesop and his fables click here and here and here

AT THE HOTEL

Watch this video and learn how to book a room at a hotel. Then, make up your own dialogue.

Heliche English Bilingüe: Describing a picture

Heliche English Bilingüe: Describing a picture


Describe this famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh here

Easter

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian Church year. For us in the UK it starts with Maundy Thursday when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.

On Maundy Thursday in Britain, the Queen takes part in a ceremony of the Royal Maundy, which was started by Richard I.
Maundy Money is given to deserving senior citizens (old people) that are chosen because they have done a good deed or service for the community.
They receive the coins in special red and white purses. The white purse has the coins and the red purse has money for the poor.



On Good Friday, the day Jesus died, many people go to mass. When people go to the church they wear their best clothes.
A traditional caked called a 'hot cross bun' is made on Good Friday. It is a bun with spices, currants and raisins inside and a white icing cross on top.
The cross is the symbol of Christianity.

There is a famous song that children sing about hot cross buns.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

On Easter Sunday we go to mass again and we send some Easter cards which are often green or yellow and show baby animals because lots of animals are born in spring. We give our friends and family Easter Eggs. They used to be decorated eggs but now they are made of chocolate. Young children believe that the Easter Bunny hides the Easter Eggs. The British children hunt for Easter Eggs which are hidden around the house or in the garden by the 'Easter Bunny'.










For Easter, schools are on holiday for 2 weeks.

The traditional Easter meal is Roast lamb for dinner. It will be served with spring vegetables and potatoes, and gravy, a sauce made from the juices of the meat and stock.



Easter is a time when hat parades are very common. Many schools and clubs have Easter Bonnet parades.

The children make their own hats and have a parade wearing their hats marching to music. They have prizes for the best hats. There are many Easter parades in Britain and the most popular one is in Battersea Park in London.

In some areas 'Egg Rolling' is very popular. People takes eggs to the top of a hill and roll them down and the first egg to reach the bottom is the winner.
In England, special springtime dances are performed. These are called Morris dances and it is a very old tradition. They wear very strange outfits with bells attached to their legs!

Easter Monday is a favourite day for funfairs with rides and roundabouts, the oldest is traditionally held on Hamstead Heath in London.

During Easter time, a special cake is made, called Simnel cake. It is a fruit cake covered in marzipan then toasted. On the top of the cake are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus, but Judas is not included. Sometimes Christ is also included by a ball in the middle of the cake.The cake is made from flour, sugar, butter, eggs, spices, dried fruit and zest and peel from the fruit.

It is Semana Santa next week. Last year I was in Madrid for Semana Santa and I enjoyed it very much, so I am very excited to see it here.
I love to tell people about Easter in Britain! Please tell me about Holy Week for you!

Traffic Rules

Have a look at these traffic rules and make sentences with MUST or MUSTN'T for obligations and prohibitions.


Watch this video to learn more about Traffic Rules and Symbols. Click here

Hotel vocabulary

Watch this video to learn some vocabulary about hotels and rooms in the hotel

Matching game

Play this matching game to practise your vocabulary about clothes!

Parts of Speech

It is important to know the parts of in English, so that you don't make mistakes in your writings and speaking.

Describing a picture

In this site you can learn how to describe a picture as well as revise prepositions of place and different structures.

Greek Mithology

If you want to learn more about the Greek Mithology, visit this site and find out where the Gods and Goddeses live and their relationship.

Irregular Verbs

Practise the pronunciation of Irregular Verbs with this video.

Then listen to this song by Anne Murray: "You needed me"

here

Clothes Vocabulary

In this site you can find a lot of vocabulary and useful information to make up your dialogue At the shops. I hope you like it. Leave also your comments.

Clothes Vocabulary

Watch this video and revise the vocabulary and the pronunciation on clothes so that you can prepare your dialogue about shopping for clothes.

Let's go shopping

Watch this video to prepare your role play: Shopping. You can also watch the other videos related to shoes and clothes shopping. Then make up your own dialogue.


Leave your comments and say if you find the conversations easy or difficult to understand.

CLOTHES

Watch this video and answer these questions:

1. What is Laurie wearing?
2. Who is wearing a blue dress?
3. How many people are wearing jeans?
4. What is a traffic warden's basic uniform? Who is wearing a traffic warden uniform?
5. What are you wearing today?


Leave your comments here.

How King Arthur becomes a king

Watch this modern version of the story and compare it with the other one.

King Arthur

Read the information about King Arthur and answer these questions?

1. Who was King Arthur?
2. Who were Arthur's parents?
3. What is the name of Arthur's sword?
4. Who was Guinevere?
5. What is the name of Arthur's best friend?
6. Where did Arthur live?
7. How did King Arthur die?


Leave your comments on this legend.

How do you learn English?

Watch the video "Thoughts from Brazil" and find out how people can learn and improve English.

Then leave your comments and say what you do to learn and improve English.

Norse mythology

Have a look at this link and answer these questions:

1. Who were the main gods and goddesses in the Norse mythology?
2. Where did they live?
3. What are the symbols of these gods?
4. The days of the week in English are named after some Norse gods, who are they?
5. Who is your favourite god or goddess? Write a short description and compare him /her to a Greek or Roman god.

Ancient Greek and Roman Gods

After reading the information about the Greek Gods, answer the following questions:

1. Who were the main Greek Gods?
2. Where did they live?
3. What were their symbols?
4. What do you know about Pandora's myth?
5. Choose a god, goddess or hero and write a summary of his / her story.

Beowulf

Read and listen to the story of Beowulf and answer these questions?

1. Who was Beowulf?
2. Where was he from?
3. How many monsters did he fight?
4. Who were the monsters?
5. What happened at the end of the story?

Myths and legends

What is the difference between a myth, a legend and a folktale?

Locations and directions

Watch this video and answer these questions:

1. Where is the deparment store?
2. Where is the bookstore?
3. How do I get to Madison Department Store?
4. How do I get to Fred's restaurant?
5. Where is the school?

Asking for and giving directions

Watch this video and answer these questions:
1. ¿Where does the man want to go?
2. ¿Where is the place?

Then you can watch the other videos you find in this site and answer where people want to go, and where the places are.

Tourist Information

Click here and watch this presentation on London.

After you have watched it, see if you can find these things in the video;

Museum
Palace
Bus
Train
Taxi
Art gallery
Underground/metro
Theatre
Bridge
Town Hall

Giving directions

Helen is in London and she wants to go to different places. Listen to the dialogue and do the activities.

Love Poem

Read this love poem and tell what you know about the author. Can you write a love poem?

Valentine's Day

On 14th February we celebrate St Valentine's Day, but  how much do you know about this celebration? Read the information on this site and leave your comments on this topic.

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

In pairs you have to create a presentation of one of the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Visit this website and choose one from the list.

At the restaurant

Watch this video and read the vocabulary, so that you can have an example of your own dialogue at the restaurant for The English Village.