DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?

It's London like you've never seen it before!

Photo taken on Wednesday night on February 6th by 

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on his latest mission in 

Space.

DISNEY'S "PAPERMAN" OSCAR-WINNER SHORT ANIMATED FILM

"PAPERMAN", this short black and white animated film has won the Oscar in its category.

A black-and-white blend of hand-drawn and computer animation directed by John Kahrs, the film tells the story of a guy who notices a woman on the train platform and then in the office window across the street.

Stuck in a paper-pushing prison of an office, he does his best to catch her attention but is at the mercy of the wind's whim, as it takes his paper airplanes far from their intended destinations.

Video "PAPERMAN":

IT'S CALLED 'READING'...

A RADIO PROGRAMME LIVE FROM OUR SCHOOL

Yesterday, early in the afternoon, the RADIO CORUÑA-CADENA SER's programme "Hoy por Hoy"  was broadcasted live from our assembly hall. Students and teachers from our school also took part in it.
If you want to listen to it, you can visit our school's library blog: Arquivos Do Trasno: live from Rafael Dieste.

ENGLISH WORD ORDER

English has a verb strict word order structure of the elements of the sentence. Once again, other video-lessons checks on the English word order structure.

The first shows general sentences word order. Remember the order:

WHO + WHAT +  WHERE + WHEN + HOW + WHY

 or what's the same:

Subjet + Action + Place + Time + Manner + Reason

The second video shows the position of adverbs.

- Frequency adverbs & other adverbs which go before main verb. (Exception: verb TO BE)

- Adverbs at beginning of sentence. (for emphasis). Careful with negative adverbs invertion.

- Adverbs of manner.

A THEATRE PLAY AT OUR SCHOOL TODAY:

"CALL ME" is a play by Omis Productions which will be performed today at 12:30h at our assembly hall. The show will be seen by students of 3rd, 4th ESO and 1st BAC from our school and also IES "Agra do Orzán".

 Here's the synopsis of the play:

James and Ashley have been friends for a long time, but James has begun to have feelings for Ashley. He is in love with her.

Now James has to go on a business trip, but he can't leave the uncertainty of not knowing if she also loves him. So before telling Ashley his news, he prepares her by giving her a present: the latest mobile telephone model: an iphone fun-phone four. What James isn't expecting is that his present will become an object of miscommunication that prevents him from being able to talk to her. Ashley is addicted to the telephone.

Finally, James has to go before he misses his train. Will he ever be able to talk to her?

DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON IDIOMS?

Here's another post for Valentine's Day with specific vocabulary for relationships. Check on the meanings of these expressions seen above (ordered alphabetically):

BLIND DATE = a social meeting between two people who have not met before
DOUBLE DATE = when a person dates two different people at the same time
FALL FOR someone =  have interest in going out with someone
FIND MR RIGHT = find the perfect man to marry
GET DUMPED = when someone ends up a relationship with you
GO DUTCH = share expenses equally
LOVE TO PIECES = deeply in love
HAVE A CRUSH ON somebody/thing = have a real interest in somebody/something
POP THE QUESTION = propose marriage
TIE THE KNOT = get married

VALENTINE'S DAY 2013. ["I'M YOURS", Jason Mraz"]

Video "VALENTINE'S DAY INFOGRAPHIC"

Video "LOVE LANGUAGE":

Today's St Valentine, so here's our contibution to the day's celebration: above, an infographic video about Saint Valentine's Day and the video called "LOVE LANGUAGE" and a song by Jason Mraz "I'M YOURS" with his official video and a video animation and some links to webpages about the same topic. Enjoy the day!

Video "I'M YOURS", Jason Mraz:



Links:
- THE HISTORY BEHIND VALENTINE'S DAY.
- 10 VALENTINE TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
- VALENTINE'S DAY IN BRITAIN.
- Game: VALENTINE'S DAY WORD SEARCH.
- "I LOVE YOU" IN MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

TODAY'S SHROVE TUESDAY & IT'S PANCAKE DAY

Today's 12th February and it's Shorve Tuesday or also Pancake Day. It's the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent starts. It's the day when pancakes are cooked and eaten here in Galicia and in England, too. In England, they also hold pancake races where you have to run and arrive first to the finishing line while flipping a pancake in a frying pan.

Video  PANCAKE DAY & PANCAKE RACE:

Links to more info on Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day:

- SHROVE TUESDAY OR PANCAKE DAY.

- BRITANNICA ACTIVITIES ON PANCAKES.

- GAME: FLIP-A-PANCAKE.

BLACKBERRIES, ORANGES, APPLES... FRUIT OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Have you realized that many names for new technologies are related to fruits? Here's a humour gag which plays with the double meanings of names of fruits and new technologies. Blackberry, Orange, Apple, X-Box (=Eggs box), dates... Enjoy... "My Blackberry isn't working!" (It isn't very easy, but it's funny.)

Video "MY BLACKBERRY ISN'T WORKING!"

Tapescript:

Custormer: I bought something from you last week and I'm very disappointed.
• Shop-assistant: Oh, yeah. What's the problem?
  C: Yeah, well, my blackberry is not working.

• S.a.: What's the matter? It run outta juice?
• C: No, no. It's completely frozen.
• S.a.: Oh, yeah, I can see that. I tell you what, let's try it on orange.
• C: That's got a few black spots, you see.
• S.a.: Oh, dear, yeah. Sorry about that.
• C: Well, there, are you gonna get my blackberry working?
• S.a.: Well, could be an application issue. Where do you stall that blackberry?
• S.a.: Well you could try using a mouse to drag the blackberry to the trash. Then after you've done that, you might want to launch the blackberry from the desktop.
• C: Well, I've already tried that a few times, I mean, all it did was mess up windows.
• S.a.: Well, it might be worth waiting a couple of weeks, they got the latest blackberries coming in then.
• S.a.: Could you give me a date?
• C: Let me put that date in my diary.
• S.a.: Anything else I gonna help you with?
• C: Yes, yes I've also got a problem to be honest with my apple.
• S.a.: Oh, dear, oh dear. That is an old apple, isn't it? When did you buy that?
• C: Last week.
• S.a.: Last week? Ha, they've brought out two new apples since then! What's the problem with it?
• C: Well, I've tried to put my dongle in it and it won't fit.
• S.a: Oh, yeah. And how big's your dongle?
• C: Well, I don't know much about these things, but my wife's seen a few dongles in her time and she says it's a little bit on the small side.
• S.a.:Well, I'm afraid there's not a lot I can do about that. Tell you what, let me try a boot in it. That is crashed. Anything else I can help you with?
• C: Well, finally off, yes. My grandson's birthday's soon, you see. Now, he's already got an apple and a blackberry, I mean, have you got anything else that he might just like.
• S.a.: Well, we're doing a special offer on these. I mean I can't make adult tailor them, but the kids seems to like'em X-box (eggs box), 3'60.
  
  
  

  Double meanings of:

  Blackberry (= mora / mobile phone company)

  Apple (= manzana / mobile phone company)

  Date (= fecha, cita / dátil)
  Dongle (=an electronic device that accompanies a software item to prevent the unauthorized copying of programs)

  Pronunciation similarities:

  X-Box = Eggs box

CARNIVAL 2013. CARNIVAL AROUND THE WORLD

It's Carnival time once again. This year is quite early, beginning of February. Enjoy it!

[Here's information taken from publicholiday.org]

What is Carnaval or Mardi Gras?

Carnaval or Mardi Gras is a festive season typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

The festival culminates in Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday. The date is dependent on that of Easter, and thus can vary from as early as 3 February to as late as 9 March.

Carnaval is a popular festival in Brazil and many other Catholic countries. While in recent years Carnaval has grown in popularity as a raucous, hedonistic event, its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

Origins of The Name

Origins of the word Carnaval or Carnival is disputed, but many believes it comes from the Italian words “carne levare”, literally means “to remove meat”, since meat is prohibited during Lent.

Mardi Gras literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. The name comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon a fattened calf on the last day of Carnival.

When is Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013?

Date of Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013

The culmination of Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013 / Carnival 2013 is on Fat Tuesday, 12 February 2012 . Carnaval celebrations are usually started from days or even weeks before, with celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago start from as early as December.

Date of Carnaval 2012 / Mardi Gras 2012

The culmination of Carnaval 2012 / Mardi Gras 2012 / Carnival 2012 is on Fat Tuesday, 21 February 2012 .

Carnivals Around The World

Best & Most Popular Carnivals / Carnaval in The World

Some of the most popular Carnaval in the world are Mardi Gras of New Orleans, the Carnival of Venice, Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, Caribana in Canada and The Carnival in the Caribbean in Trinidad & Tobago. The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Christian Lent season every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.

Carnaval de Uruguay 2013

The Carnival in Uruguay is the longest carnival in the world, with more than 40 days of celebration, with celebrations in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, being the largest and brightest.

During the forty days of festival, popular theaters called tablados are built in throughout the cities, especially in Montevideo. Traditionally formed by men but now are also open to women, the different Carnival groups called mainly Murgas, Lubolos or Parodistas perform a kind of popular opera at the tablados, singing and dancing songs that generally relate to social reality and political situation in the country.

Carnival in Uruguay is performed in the European parade style with elements from Bantu and Angolan Benguela cultures imported with slaves in colonial times. The main attractions of Uruguayan Carnival include two colorful parades called Desfile de Carnaval (Carnival Parade) and Desfile de Llamadas (Calls Parade – re-enactment of what happened during the colonial period).

Mardi Gras 2013 in New Orleans, USA

New Orleans is Mardi Gras capital of the United States. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is music, parades, picnics, floats, excitement and one big holiday. Everyone is wearing purple, green, and gold; and adorned with long beads caught from the beautiful floats. They sit on the ground throwing balls, playing music, having a picnic, and watching the crowds walk by between parades.

All of the businesses and roads are practically shut down. People dressed in colorful & fancy costumes are walking everywhere and meeting new friends. Kids are everywhere, and they love it!

New Orleans Mardi Gras 2013 will start from late January till Tuesday, 12 February 2013. 

2013 Carnaval in Brazil

Carnival is the biggest and most famous event in Brazil. The whole country stops completely for almost a week. Festivities and celebrations are intense, day and night, in the whole country. It is reported that the consumption of beer during carnival accounts for 80% of Brazil’s annual consumption and Brazil tourism receives 70% of annual visitors during and around the carnival.

Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools. Those official parades are watched by the public, while minor parades (“blocos”) allowing public participation can be found in other cities.

The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Seguro and Recife have organized groups parading through streets, and public interacts directly with them. Also in northeast, Olinda carnival features unique characteristics, part influenced by Venice Carnival mixed with cultural depictions of local folklore.

The Carnival in Rio is the biggest Carnival in Brazil and is a very interesting one. It is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings are much more expensive during the carnival period. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.

Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2013 dates: Friday, 8 February 2013 until Tuesday, 12 February 2013.

Carnival in Italy

Of of the most famous carnival in Italy and Europe is held in Venice. The main characteristics of Venice’s Venetian Carnival is the emphasis on distinctive masks, with one of the most important events is the contest for the best mask.

Venice Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Marted? Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras in France

In France, the most popular Carnival is the Mardi Gras Parade of Place Massena in Nice. The event attracts over a million visitors to Nice every year. The Carnival spans a two week period with the final day on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), each year carrying a different theme, displayed in papier mache figures.

Often dressed in masks and big headed caricature costumes, the people of Nice take the time of the Mardi Gras to enjoy themselves, lighten up and taking part in the feasts, drinks, dancing and parades across the city of Nice.

Carnival in Netherland / Nederland

In the Netherlands, the Carnivals is also called “Vastenavond” or “Vastelaovend”, mostly celebrated in Catholic regions likethe southern provinces North Brabant and Limburg. Carnival in the Netherlands is officially celebrated from Sunday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Typical Dutch Carnivals include a parade, a “prince” plus cortege, a farmer’s wedding (boerenbruiloft), and eating herring (haring happen) on Ash Wednesday. However, there are also some variants to the Carnival like Rijnlandsche Carnival in the province of Limburg with a street carnival featuring samba bands and elaborate costumes resembling South American and Venetian influences.

Carnaval in Spain

Spain has famous carnivals in many areas. Some of the most famous carnivals are in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltru, Tarragona, Solsona, Cadiz, Badajoz, Bielsa (an ancestral carnival celebration), Plan, San Juan de Plan, Laza, Verin, Viana and Xinzo de Limia. Every February, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the largest of the Canary Islands, hosts the Carnival, attracting around a million spectators. The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered the second most popular and internationally known carnival after Rio Carnival.

Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife starts on the Friday before Ash Wednesday with a spectacular opening parade, which continues to the night, with thousands of people in fancy costumes dance until next morning. The street party and dance continues every day and night until Fat Tuesday. On that day, people of Santa Cruz de Tenerife celebrate the “entierro de la sardina” (burial of the sardine) and with it the Carnival is officially over.

Carnaval in Portugal

Carnaval is celebrated throughout Portugal, most famously in Ovar, Madeira, Loule, Nazare, and Torres Vedras, with each region puts its own unique take on the festival. The carnivals in Podence and Lazarim incorporate pagan traditions of the Roman Saturnalias, while the Torres Vedras celebration is probably the most representative Portuguese carnival where the locals are the stars.

One of the most famous Carnaval events in Portugal is in the town Ovar near Porto. It is well known for its creative designs, which they display in the Carnaval Parade. Participants and their families work year-round to prepare their elaborate and humorous costumes, masks, decorations and floats. Its Carnaval parade features troupes with themed costumes and music, ranging from the traditional to modern pop culture.

Carnival in Philippines

The Ati-atihan Festival is also called as “The Filipino Mardi Gras”. The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January (on the second Sunday after Epiphany), and is held on Philippines island and town of Kalibo, Aklan. The festival celebrates the Santo Nino and is extremely colorful and spirited.

The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and parade along the street. Christians, and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions.

Entroido in Galicia links:
- Entroido.
- Carnaval Galicia.

PRONUNCIATION OF THE "-ED" ENDING

Here are videos for you to check and practice how to pronunce correctly the "-ED" verb ending of the Past Simple regular form of English verbs. Watch them.

Video Pronunciation of "-ED" verb ending:

Video with many examples:

WRITING IN THE XXIst CENTURY: MOBILE MADNESS TEXT-MESSAGING

 (6th Cultural Week-1: Writing in the 21st century)

OMG = oh, my God                                               NSFW = not suitable for work
AKA = as known as                                              THANX = thanks

We've been talking about text messages in 1ºBAC classes recently and how abbreviations or acronyms are also used when sending text messages in English. Above you can see a glossary of SMS English. Below there are links to a game to practice and play with text messages in English and also other websites which deal with this way of writing or a glossaries of possible acronyms to be used. 

Links to more about text messaging:

- HOW TO TEXT IN ENGLISH.
- NETLINGO: CHAT ACRONYMS & SHORTHAND
- TECHDICTIONARY

- PROJECT 1 FOR THE CULTURAL WEEK IN ENGLISH:

- WRITE TEXT MESSAGES IN ENGLISH USING ABBREVIATIONS FOR OTHER STUDENTS TO DECODE INTO ENGLISH & ALSO TRANSLATE INTO GALICIAN/SPANISH.

ENGLISH MODAL VERBS

On this post we are going to give basic information on ENGLISH MODAL VERBS:
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS:

1-Each verb has its different concept meaning or function. (Look at the chart above)

2- These verbs aren't conjugated. 
No "-S" in the third person singular present.  He can swim. (Not: *He cans swim)
They lack some verb forms, which are covered by semimodals of a similar meaning.
  He had to leave. (Not *He musted leave. Must doesn't have a simple past form)
  He will be able to do it. (Not *He will can do it. Can doesn't have a future form)
[Semi-modal verbs that are used instead of the modal are:
HAVE TO for MUST (obligation)
BE ABLE TO for CAN (ability)
BE ALLOWED TO for CAN, MAY (permission)]

3- They work as auxiliary verbs in the NEGATIVE and QUESTIONS.
  Can I open the window? No, you can't open the window, it's cold.

4-  These verbs are always followed by INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO.
  He can swim. (Not * He can to swim)
Except OUGHT TO.  You ought to go to the doctor's.

5- PERFECT MODALS: past modal verb+HAVE+Past Participle refer to the past.
She hasn't arrived yet. She might have missed the bus.
You failed the exam. You should have studied more.


Link to:
- +INFO & EXERCISES: Perfect English Grammar.
- +INFO @ EXERCISES:English Page.
- +EXERCISES (Modals & their substitutes): Ego4U.

Summary chart:

ASKING QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH

Check on the different questions words:

Now, here's a video where you can easily revise how to make questions in English.

Remember the formula:

(QWord) + Auxilary Verb + Subject + Main Verb +.... + (preposition)?

                    BE.....................................+-ing (continuous tenses)
                         .....................................+past participle (passive)
                    DO.....................................+ infinitive without TO (simple tenses)

                    HAVE................................ got (possession present)
                              ...............................+ past participle (perfect tenses)

                    Modals (CAN, MUST, WILL, MAY...) + infinitive without TO

                    

The video distinguishes between:

a) Questions with the verb TO BE

b) Questions with MODAL VERBS (CAN, MAY, SHALL, MUST...)

c) Tenses where you can see the auxiliary (Continuous [BE] & Perfect Tenses [HAVE])

d) Tenses where you can't see the auxiliary (Present [DO/-ES] & Past Simple [DID])

So here's the video: QUESTIONS:

- QUESTIONS IN THE REPORTED SPEECH:

MAKING ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS EASY (ORDERED IN GROUPS-1)

+info: link to another irregular verb chart

Trying to make learning English Irregular Past Verb forms easy, here you have a chart with the Irregular Pasts of English verbs not ordered alphabetically but in groups of similarities.

- The left column has the verbs which have the same past simple and past participle forms. 

- The right column has verbs with different past simple and past participle forms.

In each column there sub-groups ordered by spelling and/or  pronunciation similarities. See why each verb is in the corresponding group.

LINK to online exercises on IRREGULAR VERBS.

PRESENT SIMPLE vs PRESENT CONTINUOUS

These are the basic concepts that each of these two present verb tenses express.

Here's a video to check the differences between the present simple and the present continuous.

Video explanation Present Simple VS Present Continuous:

ENGLISH VERB TENSE SYSTEM

Here's a chart which summarises the English Verb Tense system.