ECLIPSE, from Twilight Saga

Hi, Guys!,

Did you enjoy watching and reading Twilight and New Moon? Well, I suppose you already know that next Wednesday 30 th June, you could see the next film of the Twilight Saga, ECLIPSE. Once again, I encourage you to read these entartaining novels, in English, not in your mother tongue, I'm sure you'll improve your English and learn new words.

In this new book / film, ECLIPSE, the Cullens and the Wolf Pack must form an alliance to defeat the fearsome newborn vampire army. At the same time, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob — she is aware of her important decision, because her choice could provoke an amazing struggle between vampire and werewolf. Very soon, she is going to be graduated, she has no time to take her crucial decision.

Now, let's see some excting videos taken from the new film ECLIPSE. I hope you'll like them.

If you are more interested, click on here: http://www.twilighted.net/

Personalizing Content - Lesson Ideas

Hi, teachers!,

Thanks to "When One Teaches, Two Learn", I've just seen this fantastic video. As a teacher, you can get loads of interesting ideas for your lessons.

I strongly recommend you to watch the following video. It's really helpful!

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Would you like to be a better English teacher?

Hi, teachers!,

Would you like to become a better English teacher? How can you improve? Well, I've just found this interesting video about Teaching Skills, I hope you'll take advantage of it!

Have a nice day and enjoy watching this!

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Audrey Hepburn

Hi, there!,

Since I love this extraordinary actress so much, I've just decided to write about her, about AUDREY HEPBURN.

Undoubtedly, Audrey Hepburn is a significant icon of HOLLYWOOD, FASHION and HUMANITARISM.

In 1935, when her parents got divorce, she was living in Netherlands with her mother. When the German invasion and occupation of World War II, she changed her name because an "English-sounding" name was considered dangerous. From that moments onwards, she suffered from malnutrition and developed constant health problems.

After the war, Audrey and her mother moved to London, where she studied ballet. She worked as a model, and in 1951, began acting in films, mostly in minor or supporting roles as Audrey Hepburn. She got into acting mainly to make money.

After that, Audrey was offered a starring role opposite Gregory Peck in the Hollywood motion picture, Roman Holiday. For her performance, she won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Actress. She also starred: Breakfast at Tiffany's, My fair Lady, How to Steal a Million and Robin and Marian. Audrey's last film role, a cameo appearance, was of an angel in Steven Spielberg's Always, filmed in 1988.

Audrey Hepburn, maybe due to her difficult poor childhood, she became a great ambassador of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
At last, but no least, let's watch and listen these videos taken from two famous films:
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S and ROMAN HOLIDAY.







PS. To my brother who is always talking about her films, he looks up Audrey Hepburn so much.

If you're more interested, click on here:
http://www.audreyhepburn.com/menu/index.php

Ascot Racecourse, typical British

Hi, there!,

Have you ever heard about ASCOT RACECOURSE? Why do you really know Ascot? Can you see the photos? ...

Ascot is actually a small town in Berkshire, six miles from the Windsor Castle. Nevertheless, the centrepiece of Ascot’s year is its famous race meeting which dates back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne.

Every year Royal Ascot is attended by the Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal Family such as The Prince of Wales. They arrive each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day and the raising of the Queens royal Standard. It is a major event in the British social. This well-known racecourse has taken place from 15th June to 19th June this year.

However, Ascot is so renowned due to WOMEN'S HATS. Most of these are truly FLAMBOYANT, OUTRAGEOUS, COLOURFUL, ... but avobe all, they are ORIGINAL and CREATIVE. Since I love and recognise the value of originality and freshness, I'd like to show you the most innovative singular Ascot Hats. I hope you'll enjoy it, which is your favourite one? Do you dare to wear one? ;-)

If you are more interested, click on here:

http://www.ascot.co.uk/royal/royal10.html

PeAcE and LoVe

Hi, Guys!,

DON'T WORRY, BE HIPPY !!!, Thanks for your emails,
Thanks for being your English teacher for two years,
Because I’m always learning from YOU,
Because you make me laugh and smile,
Thanks for imitating me! xD,
Thanks for sharing your emotions and disappointments with me,
we always tried to change so,
Thanks for sharing my passion for theatre,
Thanks for making me a dancing queen again!,
Thanks for dressing up as Hippies ;-),
Thanks for your enthusiasm and support,
Thanks for your effort and hard work,
Thanks for your projects and TV worksheets, Thanks for last dinner and toast!,
Thanks for your kindness,
I’ll never forget you,
From the bottom of my heart,
I’m going to miss you so much,
MY BEST WISHES and GOOD LUCK, GUYS!


PS. I HOPE YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE.
Now, listen to one of my favourite songs: "I want to be part of it, New York..."

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in Seville - "KNIGHT and DAY"

Hi, Guys!,

Do you know that Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz came to Seville yesterday? It was a kind of pre-premiere, since some scenes of the movie "Knight and Day" were filmed here, in Seville. Last December, these film stars spent some days in our town, and we could see them next to our gothic cathedral. As a matter of fact, yesterday, Tom and Cameron relieved some of these moments in the town centre, so Tom leaded the chase cars on a Ducati. After that, Tom hugged his fans, they could take some photos, it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! Now, you can see this funny interview as well as some great scenes!

http://www.knightanddaymovie.com/#/home

I hope you'll enjoy it and know my town!

16th June, BLOOMSDAY in EIRE

Hi, Guys!,

Today, Bloomsday is being celebrated in Ireland, specially in Dublin, where the famous novel Ulysses takes in place. In Ulysses, written by Joyce, all the events took place the same day, the 16th June and these passages reflect as the novel, Leopold Bloom's adventures. The day involves a range of cultural activities including Ulysses readings and dramatisations, pub crawls and general merriment, much of it hosted by the James Joyce Centre in North Great George's Street. Enthusiasts often dress in Edwardian costume to celebrate Bloomsday, and retrace Bloom's route around Dublin via landmarks such as Davy Byrne's pub.

Many years ago, I had to read this well-known novel at University. I had a good time reading it as well as listening to my university professor's stories. (My teacher was Francisco García Tortosa, and he is famous because of his translation of this novel into Spanish, and he is an expert on this novel and author. It was an honour for me). I can remember that some mates and I met him next to the Giralda Tower, in Seville, on 16th June that year, and we attended to a literary meeting where some people read some passages of the novel in English and Spanish. It was at the sunset, it was an unforgettable experience!

My professor spent most of the time narrating the protagonists' adventures as if they were real people. It was fascinating! He talked about Dublin, its streets, its pubs, ...so enthusiastically that most of us ended up travelling to Dublin!

If you are more interested, click on the following pages: http://www.jamesjoyce.ie/detail.asp?ID=137

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsday

MoTiVaTiNg PrOjEcTs To LeArN EnGLiSH: CrEAte YouR EnGLish GaMe

Hi, there!,

Last year, I asked my students to do the following project: CREATE YOUR ENGLISH GAME! It was a hard task, but so REWARDING!!!!!!! Because of that, I've just decided to share this interesting useful IDEA with other students and teachers. Let me tell you what you need ...

1. Students have to make up everything: the rules of the game, the title, the instructions, the small cards, token, dices, and so on.

2. The teacher can ask them to write questions, short English tests on every card, challenges, bets, etc. These cards will make them review all the grammar constructions, vocabulary seen in every unit, etc.

3. The most important thing is they are going to learn and have fun!!! So, I encourage all of you to carry out this project with your students, they'll never forget this enriching motivating task.

I hope you'll enjoy it! ;-) PLEASE, IF YOU MAKE THIS PLAN WITH YOUR STUDENTS, CAN YOU TELL ME SO AND SHOW ME THEIR GAMES?

I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT THIS IDEA IS WORTHWHILE AND HELPS OTHERS IMPROVE ENGLISH. THANK U!

PS. To my students: Can you see your games in these photos? They R GR8!!!!!!!!

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 in South Africa

Hi, Guys!,

Today the FIFA World Cup is starting! This football tournament is taking place in South Africa. This is highly significant because an international championship is going to be played after the Apertheid Area. So, there are many voices who think that this event could contribute to ease race relations and help poor African children. We hope so.

Now, which is your favourite team? Can you guess the winners? My answer is obviously: Spain! GOOD LUCK and ENJOY THE WORLD CUP!!! Let's sing and dance with SHAKIRA "Waka, Waka, ..."

MOUNT RUSHMORE MEMORIAL, faces of American Presidents

Hi, there!,

Do you know these American Presidents? Where are they? What is the Mount Rushmore Memorial?

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota in the United States. This memorial was sculpted Gutzon Borglum and then, Lincoln Borglum, they represented four American presidents in the following order: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The entire memorial covers 5.17 km2 and is 1,745 m above sea level.

At the beginning of 20th century, there was a historian called Doane Robinson who conceived the idea of carving famous people into the Black Hills region of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. They started constructing the Memorial in 1927, and they finished the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Initially, every president had to be depicted from head to waist, but the lack of funding forced construction to end in October 1941.

If you are more interested, you can click on here: http://www.mtrushmore.net/

EaSy FuNNy ProJectS to LeaRn EnGLisH

Hi, there!,

Today, I'd like to share some of my pupils' projects with all of you. These are not a heavy task, and they learn a lot! When they carry out them, they feel involved and motivated. Even more, I always have a good time correcting their projects. Maybe you, as teachers, have already done these projects, if not, come on! don't waste time and just do them with your students!

This one is called "Important Things To Me".

So, the students (1st or 2nd year of ESO) have to write short paragraphs with the following topics: my family, my pet, my friends, my hobbies, my favourite singer and my dreams. You can add more topics if you want, ok?

They only need to write these brief texts, take some photos and present them in a piece of cardboard. After that, you can tell your pupils that if they are really creative, they'll get a better mark!

Now, can you see these examples? They are so nice!

Moreover, you can carry out the same project changing the topic, for example: At Christmas, Next Summer, My Dreams, My favourite TV serie, Environment, Animals Endangered, and so on.

This type of projects is so rewarding that you'll never forget them, and your students are writing short texts, revising grammar, vocabulary, etc. It IS ACTUALLY AN EXCELLENT WAY TO IMPROVE ENGLISH AND MOTIVATE THEM.

IF YOU ARE HAPPY, YOU'LL LEARN BETTER AND MORE.

I hope you'll like it! ;-)

Sport Video, can you see how the girl catches the ball?

Hi, Guys!,


Please, pay attention to the following video, it's amazing how the girl could take the ball!!! Can you understand the journalist? He can't believe it!

New Kids on the Block

Hi, Guys!,

When I was a child, my cousins loved this American group NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, also known as KNOTB. They were highly fasionable and successful among teenagers. Not only they sang well, but also they danced. Then, other groups such as TAKE THAT appeared.

New Kids on the Block was a band formed by 5 boys: brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.They enjoyed success in the late 1980s and 1990s and sold 80 million records worldwide. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favourite Pop Rock Band.In 1994, the band split up, but there were several attempts to get the group back together. In 2007, KNOTB reunited and recorded an album called The Block and they went on a concert tour in 2008.

Now, why don't we listen to one of their great hits "Step by Step"?

BRITAIN'´S GOT TALENT

Hi, Guys!,

I love this musical TV show, just because watching this, you realise your dreams can come true! I hope you'll enjoy these videos and understand these brief interviews.
It's another way to improve your English! ;-)

DO YOU REMEMBER SUSAN BOYLE? SHE'S UNFORGETTABLE!
"I Dreamed a Dream" (2009)

DUBLIN, 10 things you need to know

Hi, Guys!,

Have you ever been to DUBLIN? Well, if your answer is YES!!!!, you can enjoy this video and remember everything about your journey. But if your answer is NO, you can pay attention to all the places recommended and write down the most famous ones!!!

Do you know...? Dublin is capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath. The English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's primary city following the Norman invasion.

If you go to DUBLIN, be sure to visit these important places...
1. Trinity College.
2. St Patrick's Cathedral.
3. Dublin Castle.
4. James Joyce's Museum.
5. Dublinia.
6. Guinness Storehouse.
7. Grafton Street, O'Connell and Suffolk Street.
8. The Abbey Theatre.
9. Temple Bar.
10. The River Liffey.
11. St Stephen's Green (park).
12. Stephen's Green (shopping centre).
13. Irish Doors.
14. Irish Dance.
15. Molly Malone statue in Grafton Street.



Have you seen Wicklow Mountains? and visited Galway or Powerscourt in Enniskerry? Well, Ireland is a fantastic country, I recommmend you to travel there, it's worthwhile!

At last, but not least, we are going to celebrate BLOOMSDAY very soon, on 16th June. We'll deal with James Joyce and his famous novel Ulysses.

Jennifer's Lesson "Common Mistakes in English"

Hi, there!,

Thanks to this great teacher, we can go on learning and improving our English! Let's see and listen to her lesson about REQUESTS: "Excuse me, could I have ...?", "Please, let me explain so", "would it be all right if I ...?", "I'd appreciate it if you ...", and so on.

"Empire State of Mind" by Alicia Keys

For those of YOU who love

NEW YORK city,

I hope You'll enjoy the song as well as the scenery!!! ;-)

famous as a place of movie scenes,

concret jungle where dreams are made of, melting pot

Verbs followed by Gerunds or Infinitives (Part1)

Hi, Guys!,

Are you ready for another English lesson? Well, today we're going to deal with Verbs which are followed by GERUNDS or/and INFINITIVES. Pay attention to the pictures! Can you see the charts? They are really useful. Then, you can practise doing the following exercises, OK?

A. Complete the sentences with the gerund or infinitive form of the verbs in brackets.
1. When will you finish ________________ (do) the experiment?
2. She refuses __________________ (retire) from her job.
3. I dislike __________________ (study) at the weekend.
4. I plan ______________ (work) during the summer holiday.
5. Are you prepared ________________ (help) an elderly person?
6. I hope scientists will manage __________________ (eliminate) deadly diseases.
7. My grandfather loves __________________ (have) a lot of leisure time.
8. If the sceptics are wrong, people will start ________________ (live) longer.

B. Match each sentence in I with a suitable sentence in II.
1. I stopped smoking. a. I needed a break.
2. I stopped to smoke. b. It is bad for my health.

3. I remember telling you the news. c. I’m so glad I didn’t forget.
4. I remembered to tell you the news. d. Why did you say I didn’t tell you?

5. I’ll never forget meeting her. e. She’s very angry with me.
6. I forgot to meet her. f. She was so beautiful.

7. I regret telling you the news. g. I’m sorry I’m going to upset you.
8. I regret to tell you the news. h. I’m sorry I upset you.

C. Complete the second sentence so that it has similar meaning to the first sentence. Use the word in brackets and other words to complete each sentence.
1. “I won’t tell anyone about it”, said Suize. (promised)
Laura’s friend Suize ________________________________anyone abut it.
2. “Laura, you should try being honest with your parents”, said the doctor. (advised)
The doctor ________________________________________ honest with her parents.
3. “Don’t go out with that boy again!”, said Laura’s father. (warned)
Laura’s father _________________________________________ go out with Steve again.
4. “I haven’t seen Steve since Saturday night”, said Laura. (denied)
Laura __________________________________________________Steve since Saturday night.
5. “I try to phone him”, said Laura. (admitted)
Laura ____________________________________him.
6. “Perhaps I could meet your parents”, said Steve. (suggested)
Steve ______________________________________ Laura’s parents.
7. “No, I will not speak to him”, said Laura’s mother. (refused)
Laura’s mother _______________________________ to Steve.
8. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to ask Steve to lunch on Sunday”, said Laura’s mother. (decided)
Laura’s mother __________________________________________ Steve to lunch on Sunday.
9. “Would you like to have lunch with us on Sunday, Steve?” said Laura’s mother. (invited)
Laura’s mother ________________________________ lunch with them on Sunday.
10. “I think you’re right. Laura is too young to stay out so late” said Steve. (agreed)
Steve agreed __________________________________ that Laura too young to stay out so late.