MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY!
We'll be 3 weeks without class. That's too much!
That's why I've prepared a handout (the one I gave you in class) for you to revise and practise something these holidays.
Remember the book we've selected for this year:
-Intermediate: "The Eagle of the Ninth". Read the first three chapters this Christmas.
-Advanced: "High Fidelity". Nick Hornby. Penguin. You can start reading it.
Try to listen to and read something in English (radio, TV, newspapers).
 Click in any of these links and listen to short pieces of news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8419800.stm
http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_freevideo+%28RSS%3A+Video%29#/video/nitn/latest/nitn
Thank you very much to those who came to the special Christmas class. I hope you enjoyed it.
Here you have a website where you can learn many curiosities about this season:
http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Seasonal/Christmas.html
-Don't forget to practise the listening here:
http://esl-lab.com/gift/giftrd1.htm
-Do you have time for cooking? Do you want to surprise your family with new recipes?
http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipesdb/viewbycourse.asp?cid=7
-The Christmas message I've selected for this year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eih_ybKdVXU

I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

CHRISTMAS PARTY

It's the last day of class for this year (2009) and we are having a special class related with Christmas. Then we will celebrate the end of the year together.
Enjoy us this Friday, 18 from 16:00 to 18:00.

HUMAN RIGHTS WORLD DAY

1º- Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
2º-Here you have the videos we listened to in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9_IvXFEyJo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Qw9QFHrZc

ADVANCED LEVEL - 2

UNIT 3:
1. LISTENING:
-Here you have the radio programme we listened to in class:
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/01/11/03
-Alicia Keys' invitation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6D7xs1qMY
-World AIDS Day: Watch these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G2PpO7DwsM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4GMYQx58OE
2. READING:
-An article about fashion:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/nov/25/amazing-lace
3. GRAMMAR:
-Relative and participle clauses:
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/naturalenglish/upp/a_grammar/unit10/neup_grammar10_exp/
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/naturalenglish/upp/a_grammar/unit10/neup_grammar10_3/
http://www.carmenlu.com/fifth/grammar/participles51.html
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/participles/exercises?13
http://www.testyourenglish.net/english-online/grammarquiz/relative.html
4. VOCABULARY:
-A dictionary of slang:
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL - 2

UNIT - 6:
1- GRAMMAR:
-Read these curious future predictions:
http://www.zuzu.org/pre.html
-Try the following exercises:
http://www.englishtenseswithcartoons.com/exercise/future_for_predictions_test
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplefuture.html
http://www.past-simple.com/Future-Simple.htm
-Future with time clauses:
http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/grammar/beg/begfut2.htm
2. READING:
-Discover Ireland:
http://www.discoverireland.ie/
3. LISTENING:
-Do you want to live a concert in youtube.com? Listen to Alicia Keys' invitation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6D7xs1qMY&feature=featured
-World AIDS Day: Watch these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G2PpO7DwsM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4GMYQx58OE
-What's the 'tree lightening ceremony'? Guess it with Shakira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Lsz3_OU9U

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL - 2

UNIT - 2:
1º- LISTENING:
-Here you have the video about a Mexican special celebration we listened to in class:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=114042
-Try this challenge and be ready to practise it in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuv_3ubMabM&feature=related
2º - READING:
-Would you like to travel somewhere in Europe? Know more about the most interesting places:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe?openMap=true

ADVANCED LEVEL - 2

UNIT - 2:
1.  LISTENING:
-Here you have the video we listened to in class:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=114039&videoChannel=1
-and another piece of news related to Germany:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=114196&videoChannel=1
2. GRAMMAR:
-Habits:
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/solutions/ui_unit_page/unit9/grammar/exercise1
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/solutions/ad_unit_page/unit1/grammar1/exercise1
3. VOCABULARY:
-Some collocations:
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-lists.htm
http://www.ilo.uva.nl/english/pgdiploma/docs/hot_potatoes-KO/JMatch1.htm
http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_5.htm

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

IT'S HALLOWEEN:
1. Are you ready for Halloween? Read this article and check it:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/30/halloween-neednt-be-a-nightmare
2. The history of Halloween:
http://www.scottishradiance.com/halstory.htm
http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story.htm
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/halloween/halloween.html
and another curious story. Listen to it:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/11/01/fashion/2008112-street-feature/index.html#
3. Typical meals you can try:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18470
http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/
4. Have some fun with these games:
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/halloween_pumpkins.htm
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/halloween-cc.htm
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/halloween-cw.htm
5. DO YOU WANT TO READ MORE?
Some short stories written by classic authors related with Halloween:
http://www.halloween.com/halloween-stories.php

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL - 2

UNIT 1:
1. WRITING:
-Here you have some tips to write an informal letter:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/words/letters.htm
http://www.xtec.cat/~vfeliu/writing/infl.htm
http://www.ang.pl/fce_informal_letter.html
http://www.beautiful-american-living.com/writing-informal-letters.html
2. LISTENING:
-Here you have the interview with Mika we listened to in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STJmavXY7Zs
-and his latest hit "We are Golden":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Gh1U14RZA
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HFEwg6G810
3.GRAMMAR:
-Stative and dynamic verbs:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/stat.htm
-Present simple & continuous:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs1.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs2.htm
http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentContinuous1I.html
http://www.englishlearner.com/tests/present_simple_continuous_quiz_1.shtml
-Questions:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/fragen.htm
-Describing people in English:
http://www.english-at-home.com/vocabulary/describing-people-in-english/
http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ii152/esl-test.php
http://free-english-study.com/speaking/describing-people.html
http://www.saberingles.com.ar/lists/describing.html
http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/appearances.htm

ADVANCED LEVEL - 2

UNIT 1
1. WRITING:
-Do you need to look for a job? Have a look to this link and follow its recommendations:
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/vernav/Europasss+Documents/Europass+CV.csp;jsessionid=BF4F8CF54B96465F72F3251FEB4BBC7D.worker_portal_cms
-Covering letters and other tips when looking for a job:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/covletapp.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Applications__CVs_and_interviews/p!eefmd
http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm
http://www.open.ac.uk/careers/application-letters.php
2. GRAMMAR:
-Emphatic structures:
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1709
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs29practicetest.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm
-Rephrasing:
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_transform1.htm
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_transform2.htm
-Time expressions:
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_timeexpress1.htm
http://a4esl.org/q/f/y/zz99maa.htm
-Negative structures:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/word-order/negative

NEW ACADEMIC YEAR 2009-10

Dear Students,
I would like to welcome all of you to your new class. I hope that you'll enjoy the classes and you'll learn many things (and English as well!!!).
You'll find useful information, interesting links and extra activities and tasks in this blog. Visit it whenever you want and add comments after each entry. It will help me to improve it and your partners to know your opinion.
Feel free to check all the links posted here and take an advantage of all the information contained here.
Best regards,
your new English teacher: CRISTINA

ADVANCED LEVEL-2

Don't forget the listening! Here you have some good practice:
1. Listen to the radio. You can download the news:
http://www.npr.org/
http://australianetwork.com/learningenglish/default.htm
2. Reading practice: Choose a story, read it and do the exercises:
http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/archives.html
3. Writing practice: Here you have some tips to improve your writings:
http://www.teacherjoe.us/Write.html
http://www.eslbee.com/

MORE PRACTICE FOR THE EXAM

GOOD LUCK!!!
1. LISTENING PRACTICE:
Click on each piece of news, listen to it and do the activities. Then check your answers:
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
2. READING PRACTICE:
Click on each text and do the cloze test:
http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/cloze/cloze.htm

SOME HELP FOR THE EXAMS (FOR EVERYBODY)

HERE YOU HAVE SOME HELP FOR THE EXAMS:
1- Do you know how to write a letter? Check these models. They may help you:
http://www.parapal-online.co.uk/resources/letters.html
2- Sample exams:
http://www.eoidurango.net/es/departamento.php?Id_Departamento=3&Id_Seccion=262
3-Other sample exams. Firstly click on "Departamentos de Idiomas" and then go "Modelos de examen y criterios de evaluación" and select your level in the English part:
http://www.pnte.cfnavarra.es/eoip/

INTERMEDIEATE LEVEL - 2

UNIT 8:
Would you like to practice more?
1-Conditionals:
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/presentconditional.html
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_conditionals1.htm
http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/if-then5.html
http://www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/7583/condless.html

ADVANCED LEVEL - 2

UNIT 6:
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE...
1. about the American elections? Listen to the news and give me your impression:
http://www.onthemedia.org/topics/elections/1
2. about the 44th president of US? Read the overview and summarize the main ideas:
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/
3. about "Words we love too much"? Tell me the words they love too much and in which contexts they are used:
http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/after-deadline/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-2

UNIT - 6:
More practice:
1. Do you know this travel vocabulary?
http://iesitaza.educa.aragon.es/DAPARTAM/ingles/cursos/2_bach/Temas/HOLIDAY%20&%20TRAVEL/Vocabulary%20travel_holiday.pdf
2. Revise future tenses:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplefuture.html
3. Time clauses:
-Here you have some theory:
http://khoaanh.hcmup.edu.vn/projects/grammar1_2007/1C07/Thuy.Nhien_Thu.Hang_Kieu.Loan/the%20future%20in%20time%20clause.htm
-And here some practice:
http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ii142/esl-test.php
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/time1.htm
http://www.quia.com/quiz/400709.html
-Time clauses: Revise the theory and then do the practice at the bottom of the page:
http://tillyer.net/GLOW/fsi101.htm
4-Book a flight:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit1telephone/5flights.shtmlhttp://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-8087.php
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
1- Are you travelling to London? Check this site:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

ADVANCED LEVEL - 2

UNIT - 5:
MORE PRACTICE:
1. Narrative tenses:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs14.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs15.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs17.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs29practicetest.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/naturalenglish/upp/a_grammar/unit05/neup_grammar05/
2. Listen again to Francis Bacon's curator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5YvECU5kbc
3. Read the whole article about Francis Bacon:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/reviews/francis-bacon-tate-britain-lndon-929562.html
4. Read the whole article about David Cerny:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jan/14/david-cerny-eu-hoax
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
1. Reading comprehension:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/index.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/490/wchild/index.htm
2. Obama's inaugural speech:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-obama.html
3. Guess more about Orlan:
http://www.orlan.net/
4. Want to know more about Frida Khalo?
http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/life/index.html
5. Read about "Girl with a Pearl Earring":
http://www.tchevalier.com/gwape/

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL - 2

UNIT - 5
MORE PRACTICE:
1. Adjectives: Comparatives & superlatives:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/regcom1.htm
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/comparative_adjectives.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/45.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/243.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/54.html
2.The Office:
http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/games/x/words.php?f=telephone
http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/games/v/words.php?f=stationery
3. Making a phone call:
http://www.englishclub.com/speaking/telephone.htm
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
1. Reading Comprehension:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/reading/index.htm
2. Listening Comprehension:
http://www.saberingles.com.ar/listening/index.html
http://www.carolinebrownlisteninglessons.com/
3. How to write a narrative text:
http://smasd.k12.pa.us/pssa/html/Reading/narrativ.htm#strategies
4. Environmental issues:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/climate_change/default.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7268960.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/default.stm