It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Here's a little video to help you get into the holiday spirit. I'll add some other interesting links as we get closer to the holidays, and even some links to films.

A Creepy History of Halloween

As we get closer to Halloween, I thought you might be interested in some history on the topic. For those of you at B2, C1 level, you should watch this video and be able to follow it. For those of you in C1 level, we could talk about this in class on Tuesday, to get us into the spirit! For those of you in level B1, it wouldn't hurt for you to watch and listen either. The more you do this, the more you begin to understand.

The Haunted History of Halloween

                                         

We're getting ready for Halloween. Are you ready? Do you know what you're going to be? Here's a little video with an idea for the girls. I'll post again soon with another idea for the boys! (and I mean the big and little boys and girls ;)

Emily (Corpse Bride) Halloween Make-up

Summertime!

I thought you all might like to see some videos with an "employment" theme, since work is on all of our minds these days. Here are the lyrics to this song by "Little Village." I hope you like the song, it's very summery, but the message in this song makes it ironic. The other videos I'm going to attach have the lyrics in the video.
Happy August!

Do You Want My Job?

Cool breezes from the mountains blow,
As I wake up and dress to go.
On the island, dawn is breaking,
In the harbor, tanker's waiting.
From the Land of the Rising Sun,
They bring their old plutonium.
And we unload it in the bay
For two dollars forty cents a day.

Do you want my
Do you want my
Do you want my
Do you want my job?

I hump the stuff, I take the cash
So my kids can wear Adidas.
And if you live here, home, you know
We ain't got no place else to go.
I remember when the air was sweet
And I brought home the fish to eat.
Now we buy Spam from the grocery store
'Cause you can't eat the fish no more.

Do you want my
Do you want my
Do you want my
Do you want my job?

Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues

Bachman Turner Overdrive - Taking Care of Business

Hi there! I found this website that I thought you might find usefull. It's about Essay writing in English.

Summer's in session...

We're getting ready for a lot of different things. Some of us are here to maintain our learning and understanding of English, and others are here to get ready for an exam.

The FCE intensive course is underway and we're working hard to be prepared for the October FCE exam in Seville.

Please use this page to ask questions, to comment, to provide links and further information by posting comments. I'll be emailed through the blog with any comments you might make, so you don't have to worry whether I'll see the comment or not.

See you in class!

P.S....did you see this on our FB page? I can send you the lyrics if you like...It explains a punctuation point quite well!
INTERJECTIONS! -SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK.

Infographic: Write It Down | Course Hero

Here's some information on note taking that I've always believed in and, it turns out, that science says it's true! 
Infographic: Write It Down | Course Hero

Hi there everyone!
It's been a while since I've posted, but I came across a good site today. I forgot how much I like American public radio. You can listen to pod-casts through this link: WBEZ. Remember, understanding is half of knowing a language, so the sooner you understand, the sooner your level will increase!

Let me know what you think!

Before the real weekly post... Here's the interim one.

This week one of the things that came up in all the classes had to do with expressions...and, interestingly enough, tongue twisters. So, I'm attaching some links so that you can see and hear some interesting tongue twisters. 

Additionally, here are some of my favourites. You have to say and pronounce them well, while repeating them 5 times, fast! Don't worry, it's hard for native speakers too! 

I'll start with a link to where you can hear some of these, but try saying them too! 
Tongue twisters.

Rubber baby-buggy bumpers.  (and if you can figure out what this is, extra points!)


How much wood would a woodchuck chuck 
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, 
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would, 
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.


She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore. 
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure. 
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore, 
Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells. 

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Weekly update to come.

Oh, and P.S. What's the newest phrase or expression you've learnt this week??
Talk to you soon!
Michelle

Welcome! A review of this week.

Hello! I'll try to write this in a level that all of you can understand.

This week in the PET class we reviewed units 1 to unit 3.2 and will finish the workbook exercises for it on Tuesday. I have found some more links for you to practice, Alberto, so if you have time here they are: e-grammar, time clauses, and the British Council. You can use these as well Miryam. If you have any questions, just comment below and María and I will get your message, be sure to direct your question to one of us so that you don't get duplicated responses.

In the First Certificate Speaking class we have worked on using the past tenses, some of the modals for speculation and deduction and we will use modals of obligation and necessity later today. Later on I will upload the speaking prompts to Google-docs so that you can look at them and remember the exercise. Remember to use general expressions to start speaking and give you time to think.  Please also remember that you can do practice FCE exercises at Floe Joe at the link to the right.

In the Advanced class, José Antonio and I have done the review of Style and Register, and plan to finish Cohesion and Punctuation by the next class. Please also remember to e-mail me your essay, so that I can check it against the outline you gave me from class yesterday. I will also find a news essay topic for you to begin your next writing assignment.

Thanks for all your contribution this week and keep up the good work. You will be able to achieve your goals if we stay on top of our work and encourage each other!

Have a great weekend!

Recite this out loud...can you hear the rhyme?

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Then one fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese,
You may find a lone mouse or a whole nest of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But a bow if repeated is never called bine,
And the plural of vow is vows, never vine.

If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth, and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular’s this and the plural is these,
Should the plural of kiss ever be nicknamed keese?
Then one may be that and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,
So the English, I think, you all will agree,
Is the queerest language you ever did see.

The Blog is Up and Running!

Good afternoon!

I just wanted to say hello and to let you know that the blog is up and running. I still have to update some things, but for now, we're ready to go. 

Let me know what you think.

Michelle