My English class: diciembre 2007

viernes, 28 de diciembre de 2007

Christmas time

I hope you are really enjoying your Christmas' break. I wish you all a nice 2008. Be good! hehehe

lunes, 17 de diciembre de 2007

Keala Kennelly

I've posted the links of the interview and the promos of "John from Cincinnati" and "Blue Crush."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfUa4to7sM&NR=1 M&NR=1 (the add from "John from Cincinnati")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNnqohwRaf4 (The interview)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LveBsVzX3oU (from the film "Blue crush")

viernes, 14 de diciembre de 2007

Some useful links

If you just want to check which are the steps you have to follow to write an essay ( an academic essay), you can go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaCxigjUJ7Q
Here you have an online dictionary, which has also forums to check informal expressions and different uses of many words. It's really useful: http://www.wordreference.com/

A mini saga is a story told in exactly 50 words (no more, no less)
It’s easy and fun to write mini-sagas because you don’t have to write long essays and the topics are varied.

However, it’s also challenging because the story has to be short and interesting at the same time (you only have 50 words to say everything and the story has to have a start, a body and an ending.)

Here you have some funny examples:

Love at first sight

John was a regular in that train. Today seemed different, probably because of Sally who was in New York for work. They started the conversation casually but both became very close in less than thirty minutes. They exchanged phone numbers, of course. John promptly called a day later – “Wrong number!”

The line between success and failure

A girl was sitting for her A-levels. She was very confident about her results. She saw her results. The results were so bad that she could not accept them. She screamed and fainted. She was sent to the hospital. In the hospital she became mad. Her life ended up there.

Like mother, like son

1955
Dear Mummy
I hate this boarding school. Food awful, prefects bully me. Please take me home.
Love, David.

Dear David
Nonsense! Chin up.
Mother.

1997
Dear David
I hate this home. Food awful, nurses treat me like a child. Fetch me immediately.
Mother

Dear Mother
Nonsense! Chin up.
David

Some useful tips

1. Start by thinking a possible story answering this question: “What has happened to him/her?”
Remember that you have to use for, since and ago and keep in mind when we use them and with which verb tense they are used.

Give a name to your protagonist and situate him/her somewhere, doing something. There are many possibilities:

Protagonist: he/she can be a burglar, a painter, an actor/ actress, a student, etc.

Place: he/she can be in another country, in a living-room, in a theater, in a school, etc.

Action: What has happened to him/her? The plot of the story.

2. Now you are ready to start writing your own story.

3. Count how many words your story has. If it has more than 50, shorten it. You can eliminate all the things that are not important for your story. Rewrite your story.

4. Finally, count the words your story has again and make sure that it has exactly 50 words. You might need to change some expressions or sentences in your story for this purpose.

You can post your mini-sagas clicking "comentarios"

Read your mates' mini-sagas and choose your favourite one.

sábado, 1 de diciembre de 2007

Curiosities

I think after seeing this video you 'll be very happy of our teaching methods. It's from a Japanese TV channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbl-FZ7eb50

If you like karaokes, here you have a free website to use with friends. Have a laugh! http://www.amusicalbox.com/fr/output.php3?id=632 Mika "relax"

Here you have the Beckhams arriving to Los Angeles. Hilarious!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34jR5U__Vqs

More of the same, but this time with X'mas carols. If you want to sing with your family and show off of your English. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/carols/