THE WIZARD OF OZ: VIDEOS, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

Click HERE and you'll have a lot of entertaining stuff about the book and the film.  By the way, in spring we will have an ultramodern prequel in the movie theatres.  Here is a trailer of this film full of incredible special effects.



A BIT OF OPTIMISM FOR THE COMING YEAR. MERRY CHRISTMAS

EXHILARATING VIDEO POSTED BY MARTA RUDA AND ISA MOYA

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

Come on. Some people think that there aren't reasons to live, when all is

 black. But, there are people, that when all is black, see a lot of reasons

 for a smile. An example, is this man. He hasn't got any legs or arms. His life,
 looks terrible, but, He thinks that when you fall down, you must get up.
 For him, life without legs or arms is not a problem, he says that he is happy,
 he loves life...

 He appears in the Film ''The butterfly Circus''. This film, teaches us, that
 If you want something, but is difficult to have it, you should try and try and get it. Look this video!

AWE-INSPIRING BLOG ENTRY POSTED BY ÁNGELA BONILLA

Bully victim: Casey Heynes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO2bu8_R1KY
A boy called Casey Heynes was a victim of bully, he had always been the target of beatings, and he was disturbed and tormented by a little boy; Richard Gale. This was in 2011, in NSW Sydney School. He was only a child, he couldn’t do anything or he didn’t have the strength to do something, but one day, when Richard hit him, he blew up and said stop. He didn’t have friends, because his 8 friends left him to his fate and he defended himself alone. His father didn’t know how he felt; his father didn’t know that his son was a bully victim, but his sister helped him and she made sure that her brother came to school well. He said that he couldn’t stand more time; she thinks that he did well and he wasn’t sorry about his reaction. Thousands of people saw that video and they were supporting Casey, he didn’t have friends, but now, he has thousands.
I think that Casey had a very good reaction, because he would always shut up, stay still and was beaten, and he finally reacted. The other boy, Richard, was a little fool encouraged by his friends stick to the other and this was his punishment. I want to say to all the people who are bullied and are abused now:
Please, react, you have all the support of the people around you, you have the strength, you are brave, you deserve to have a quiet life, you can, I know and you know too. I believe in each and every one of you.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOU CAN STOP THIS, I KNOW!

        Ángela Bonilla Gómez 3ºesoA

                                                                

IMAGINARY (FORTUNATELY!) ACCOUNT OF A SCHOOL TRIP TO PARIS BY BORJA HERRERA. By the way, Borja, we'd better have a serious talk.

My class and I have gone to Paris last week with our english teacher Juan Montes. I have never thought that it was going to be the craziest weekend of my life.

 Firstly, we have gone to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and we had a picnic. It´s a lovely and crowded place. Suddenly a policeman told us that we couldn´t be on the grass. Juan began to insult him but the policeman said that he was English and then we ran out.

 Next, we have gone to the Eiffel Tower. We have seen all Paris, I was really excited, as a result off that Juan has fear of heights, so he didn´t go up. Lucia threw a gob and fell on Juan´s bald patch. I have never laughed so much.

 Then also we took a taxi, I could have gone with other partners but I went with Juan, it was the worst idea. We arrived at unknown place and we lost all, even the shoes.

 Finally, in the hotel, we had a party. Juan was sleeping when a partner jump to the top of wardrobe and broke a bed.  Juan came and the police too. He has been arrested and he was all the night shouting “I didn´t do anything”.

  It was a crazy travel and the most funniest that I have done. I hope that I´ll do a travel with Juan again. 

APPEALING ESSAY BY MICAELA RISTEA

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx 

Micaela Daniela Ristea 2ºY

Who is to blame for the crisis?

Nowadays, the entire planet is experiencing a financial crisis. Some countries are worse off than others and have been forced to make cuts across all sectors. But the question we all ask is: who is to blame for it? Personally, I believe citizens who work hard in order to earn money aren't responsible for what is happening in our country however the main culprits are the politicians.

One reason is that politicians are cheating us because they say that everything is ok and many times they are lying to us. For example, when the crisis started they hadn't told us what was the trouble and now it is too late so as to fix it.

Another reason is that inside the government lots of money, which may be used in favor of citizens to prevent famine or reduce unemployment, is lost in politicians' salaries. Moreover, I am sure that there are too many politicians who earn money by doing nothing.

All in all, politicians might be important for the country if they are good leading us but if they are not, the result is a big financial crisis all over the world which is mostly afecting workers and citiziens. For these reasons it is clear that this situation should change soon.

A TRIBUTE TO MY 3ºA GIRLS. ONE DIRECTION. LITTLE THINGS

Fianally I couldn't stand the pressure and I HAD TO post the song.  They are almost as cute as me.

1ºBACH, UNIT 2, REVISION AND ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Grammar: Present Perfect, Past Perfect; just, still, yet, already; Gerunds
Listening: The Golden Boys
Listening and Reading: Aeroplanes and Global Warming

Speaking: Asking for Information

2ºBACH, UNIT 2, REVISION AND ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Grammar: Conditionals1, Conditionals2; wishes and regrets; providing that, as long as, unless; too and enough, negative prefixes,
Vocabulary: Social Issues
Listening: Population and Demographics
Reading: Pollitics UK

Good luck for next test!

3º ESO.UNIT 3. REVISION AND ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Jobs. Vocabulary exercises
Listening. Unusual experiences. Incredible video.
Grammar: Present Perfect
Reading: Reality TV.  Would you like to become a celebrity?

Speaking: Past Events conversation.

Remember that you can search for more exercises in the lables on the right hand side.

Two countries separated by the same language

George Bernard Shaw was right!

These bloody teachers teach us a bloody language that even English speaking people can't speak.

Sorry about that!

DI CAPRIO'S ROMEO AND JULIET

Modern Montagues and Capulets but the same story.  Shakespeare, avant-garde, fresh and prevailing both in the 16th century and now.

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Wikipedia information about the book and what about this? The whole original novel in this video book with interactive transcript and closed captions in Spanish.

THE TREASURE ISLAND

Don't forget to buy this wonderful classic in the book fair. Long John Silver and his parrot are waiting for you!

Fifteen men on the dead man's chest-yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?

Remember that you can buy it in the Book Fair next week with a reasonable discount.
Here you have interesting information. Wow, Rutger Hauer is so powerful when he says these words:

All those ... moments will be lost in time, like tears...in rain.

Time to die.

THE FLIGHT OF THE FRENCHIES

Crazy people, crazy feeling.  Beautiful video

And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.
Ayrton Senna 

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fly.html#qLS4cpHxWzuDX8Te.99 

OH MY GOODNESS!

Jack Kerouac 

“The empty blue sky of space says 'All this comes back to me, then goes again, and comes back again, then goes again, and I don't care, it still belongs to me”

― Jack Kerouac, Big Sur

3ºA TEST. UNITS 1 AND 2. NOV 13th

Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Simple or Present Continuous,Past Simple, Past Simple or Past Continuous,Quantifiers and Determiners

Vocabulary: Meat and Fish,Vegetables,Meals and Cooking,Fruit,Drinks,Food

Reading: Climate Change, Facing the Future

Listening: Olympic Park Fly-Through

1ºY TEST. STARTER UNIT-UNIT 1. NOV 7th

Present Simple-Present Continuous                                                  

Past Simple-Past Continuous

used to-be used to-get used to

gerund or infinitive
Reading.Friends or exams? Which are more important?
Listening. British Weather

2ºY TEST- STARTER UNIT-UNIT 1, NOV 7th. GET READY FOR THE EXAM.

Present Simple-Present Continuous
Past Simple-past Continuous
Present Perfect-Present Perfect Continuous
Present Continuous-Past Simple-Present Perfect Continuous- Past Perfect Continuous
Two Selectividad Exams
Listening Page 20

HAVE A GOOD LAUGH AS YOU LEARN MACROECONOMICS VOCABULARY

Do you agree with these ladies?  Do you think that derivatives are growing an exponential rate?

IF ELIZA DOOLITTLE DID IT, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE A TRY TO IMPROVE YOUR PRONOUNCIATION?

Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) drives Professor Higgins (Rex Harrison) mad with her cockney accent...and then makes him do foolish things when she finally proounces the sentences in perfect British English.

I WOULD LIKE TO BUY A HAMBURGER / ˈhæmbɜːrɡər /

Don't understimate the importance of a good pronounciation.  Please, please, please, don't say "i gulai to bay a jamburguer".  Remember that English vowels are completely different from ours.

SOME WARMING UP FOR THE WIZARD OF OZ

Very difficult not to feel moved by Judy Garland. Here you have further information about the novel.

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM

Junk food and junk mail. You can never get rid of them.

Monty Python's famous sketch that gave name to unwanted electronic mail.

What do you think the owners of "spam" (spiced ham) felt about the sketch and the new use of the word?

MEAN WHAT YOU SAY AND SAY WHAT YOU MEAN

The Italian man who went to Malta.  

“Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,

WORLD WONDERS PROJECT

A project by google that brings to life the wonders of modern and ancient world here

MAP OF LIFE

Mind-boggling website (http://www.mappinglife.org/) if you are keen on animals and nature.  You can check the worldwide distribution of species as well as further information about them.  You can't miss it!

BENJAMIN ZANDER. MUSIC AND PASSION WITH SHINY EYES

So you think you don't like classical music? Watch this. It takes 20 minutes but it's really worth it.

"It’s one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming.” 

FOOTBALL CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE FINE ARTS

WHICH NATIONAL TEAM IS BETTER, PELE'S BRAZIL 70 OR XAVI-INIESTA'S SPAIN 08-12?

What do you think? The jogo bonito of Brazil or the destructive creativity of Spanish Tiki-Taka?

HE WHO SINGS, LEARNS TWICE

Learn English with the music video and lyrics of songs.  Good fun and good learning on lyricstraining with lots of songs and exercises at different levels.

THE GIG OF THE WIGS. "The Week of Languages" Concert

Roderick Gurruchaga,Johnny Sánchez's harmonica , Tunelo's ragga in Jamaican Patois...and the unique sound of The Jacarandosos. 

A thrash-punk cover of Lady Gaga´s Alejandro. Reyes, I'm speechless!

 Hell is full of musical amateurs.

George Bernard Shaw

Some highlights below.  Please, let me know if you want to share footage of other performances of the event.

Las Cosas Más Pequeñitas (Spanish) Las Nolasquitas

Amel (Arabic) Amel

Tavaszi (Magyar) Alejandro "El Húngaro" and Juan The Minstrel

Resistiré (Spanish) Dúo Ditirámbico

Azzurro (Italian) Montse di Santis e Giovanni Montini

Someone Like You (British English) The Aneles
The Seed 2.0 (American English from Philly) Dan the American Man and Ann Elizabeth-Charlie Fields' Street Dancing 

BYE BYE GUYS

 I´m really happy to have spent this schoolyear with you all. I had a lot of fun and I learned loads of things from you.
Good luck in case we don't see each other before Selectividad.  I hope all the best for your future.

 We were lucky no girls got their ankles broken!!!

A POR ELLOS E-O, EURO 2012, SPAIN AN ANIMATED STORY

A funny stroll thorough the history of Spanish football and politics in this video created by The Guardian.  Apparently, European soccer is frightened to death of our footballers.

ONLINE TEACHERS

These teachers have become online phenomena.  Salman Khan ,Walter Lewin (video below) and all the video lessons on http://www.ted.com/.  The lessons are addictive and free; you can find them about almost everything and they are revolutionizing teaching.  Is current educational system adapted to the 21st century? What do you think about it?

UNIT 8 VOCABULARY. ANIMALS

Language games, crafts, jokes , kids talk ,quizzes and much more stuff about animals here

A bit childish for you perhaps but interesting if you want to learn the words of the sounds that animal make.

WHO'S AFRAID OF BIG BAD BANK?

An "indignado" version of Little Red Riding Hood created by Charlie, Paul,  Emmanuel, Ralph and Joseph Emmanuel  here.

POSSIBLE TOPIC FOR THE SELECTIVIDAD TEST

I have just had an epiphany.  The topic of the Selectividad test might have something to do with either the Spanish economic crisis or the so-called Spanish Revolution.  Read this article from The Independent just in case, and please get familiar with the vocabulary related to this subject matter.  By way of example, have a look at this paragraph: Spain is in dire economic straits, prompting fears it may need a bailout similar to those requested by Greece, Ireland and Portugal. It is in recession, and unemployment stands at almost 25% - the highest among the 17 countries using the euro. One in two Spaniards under 25 are out of work.  Prime minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has enacted deep spending cuts to reduce the national debt, but many people blame those measures for deepening families' financial plight.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Remember that May 11th is the deadline for your project!  In case you want to know about the origins and other aspects of this famous story, click here

HAVE SOMETHING DONE

These exercises here are both illuminating and entertaining.

FUTURE TENSES

More future tense exercises here.

GOOD OLD DAYS. THE BOY ON THE PITCH.

These were times when football was truly a working class game, free from the greed and glitz of the modern era. Oooh how I miss it....

That's a penalty ref!!!!, that cop would have been great for any of Mourinho's teams.

Enjoy it!

THIRD TERM TESTS

2ºA: Units 7-8: May 22nd; Units 1-9: June 12th; Speaking exercise: 14th and 18th.
2ºC: Units 7-8: May 25th; Units 1-9: June 11th; Speaking: 13th and 15th.
2ºF: Units 5-6: May 24th; Units 1-7: June 14th; Speaking:15th
1ºBach-C: 5-6: May 24th; Units 1-8:June 14th; Speaking:18th
2ºBach-B: 5-6: May 11th; Units 1-7: May 21st.

An Overdose of Pain in Spain

Read here this article from The New York Times about the harsh economic moments we are living through in Spain.  Sometimes the deeper analyses come from abroad.

BIZARRE PERFORMANCE OF CATHERINE'S DEATH

Congrats, you all did a good job in the speaking exercises about Wuthering Heights,

UNIT 7, POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Here you have a very good bilingual explanation of possessive pronouns and some additional exercises here as well.

UNIT 6, PASSIVE VOICE

If you didn`t like the way I explained the Passive Voice, I must admit that this video is probably more enlightening than my lessons.  You'll find convenient exercises here as well.

UNIT 7, WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LIKE?

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't say you like reggaeton.
More vocabulary exercises here

PAST SIMPLE

When you get tired of processions, why not trying to do some of these exercises to revise some important grammar?
Irregular verbs songs
Past Simple exercises

HOLY WEEK IS HERE

The 2nd term is over, time for a break.  Charlie Salgado requested videos about processions in Seville and his wishes are fulfilled. This Englishman talks about his impressions about brotherhoods.  If you click here, you'll probably have a deeper analysis. 

SALUD HOLMES AND ÁFRICA WATSON

They don't look like them but they almost speak like them.  

Two great teams almost thirty years ago

Good old days.  Football fashion has changed a lot, have a glimpse at the short shorts.  Look at the stand behind the goal after the game, you really get goosebumps.  Robson, what a player!, Maradona couldn't do anything, he had already started doing coke at that time.

HUNGRY HEART. Past Simple.

The Boss is the boss, and besides, he knows the regular and irregular past tenses very well.

Conditional Songs

If the conditional sentence exercises seem too dull for you, why not have a look at this video

Nasa video shows 4.5 BILLION years of the moon's history in just three minutes!

Beautiful video.  We are only tiny little creatures in the middle of space and time.  Watch it!

MORE SELECTIVIDAD 4U

Here you have a test for your leisure. Remember that I'll send you the answers via e-mail.  You must mail only the composition.  You will find many other exams as well as the correction criteria here and here.  

A bit scary, I know, but don't panic!

MEC SCHOLARSHIPS

If you click here you will find information about grants to learn English abroad or in Spain.  A good chance to learn and practice English. Who knows if it is the last time these scholarships will be offered on account of budget cuts.

UNIT 6. GRAMMAR, PAST CONTINUOUS

 Not very thrilling stuff, but helpful anyway. Past Continuous Exercises

UNIT 4: MODALS + PERFECT INFINITIVE

First, listen to this mindblowing performance of Adele at the Grammys 2012.  The phrase in the refrain ("You could have had it all") will help you do these these exercises

GRAMMAR, SECOND TEST

A few grammar exercises just in case you feel bored at home.
Relative clauses
Simple Future; Future Continuous; Future Perfect
Conditional Sentences

JOBS

Learn the job vocab  by doing language games and listening to short stories and songs and also watching this video of this fantastic theme park called KIDZANIA

REPORTED SPEECH

When I corrected the last test, I noticed that you still have a difficult relationship with indirect speech.  Please, click here to revise the theory and later, do as many exercises as you can.  Remember that reported speech will also be included in next test.

PANIC IN THE STREETS OF BACHILLERATO!!! SELECTIVIDAD IS COMING

'cos this is thriller!! The link below provides you with relevant information about the exam. You can't miss it

http://estudiantes.us.es/prueba-acceso-selecti

World War II

The Second Great War in one minute

Cristina Parrado told me that you were studying World War II; this link is perfect to get a glimpse of the chronological events in a very detailed way.

Garzón, hero or villain?...or both things at the same time?

Baltasar Garzón, judge on trial.
What is your opinion about all this? Comment is free
A very interesting video and article from The Guardian. Particularly, the comments will help you form your own opinion.

2nd TERM TESTS

2ºA:  March 8th: Units 4 and 5 and Huckleberry Finn
         March 22nd:: Units 4,5, and 6 plus Huck Finn
2ºC:  March 7th:  Units 4 and 5 and  The Duke's Son
         March 23rd: Units 4,5, and 6 plus The Duke's Son
2ºF:  March 9th:  Units 3 and 4
         March 22nd: Units 3, 4 and 5
1º Bach-C: March 8th: Units 3, 4 and The Big Sleep
                   March 22nd; Units 3, 4 and 5 plus The Big Sleep
2ºBach-B:  March 5th: Units 3 and Wuthering Heights.  Listening on Wed 7th

                   March 23th: Units 3, 4 and Wuthering Heights

Ladies and Gentlemen, The President of the United States of America

Can you imagine Rajoy or Zapatero doing this in Moncloa Palace?

Unit 3. Virtual Makeover.

Make these models prettier o uglier with Virtual Makeover

A Selectividad Test

The Tower of London. Try to do the test in the conditions stated. The answers will be in my google docs soon after you finish it.

Clothes and accesories

Fun and Language Games

Huckleberry Games

Learn and have fun with the book.

THE BIG SLEEP.Bogart and Bacall, this is what I call chemistry

Get familar with the characters and the setting.  The whole film is my google docs.  Enjoy it and compare it to the book, there are some remarkable differences.
You can watch the whole film here

First part of The Duke's Son (The Priory School)

You may easily find the other five parts on youtube

Heathcliff and Catherine's weird relationship.

Pay attention to the family tree at the end of the video.

What a century!

A good review of the most relevant facts of the last 100 years.