7th Cultural Week 2015: PIONEERS

We'll soon start working for this year's cultural week. Our seventh cultural week will be devoted to: 

That is, people who have become the first to do something important or relevant around the world in some certain field.

Another meaning of the expression in the USA is for all those people in American history who migrated to the west to settle and develop new areas which hadn't been previously occupied and were only inhabited by natives.

From the English Department, we can work on two aspects:

1- Pioneers: the first people to work or become outstanding in a certain issue.

To decide on which character you can work on here are some links. Browse through the different people and choose someone who you consider interesting. 

- with British people. So here's a list: - 100 Greatest Britons.

- and if it's important and difficult to be a pioneer, it's even more if you're a woman, so here are lists of women pioneers:

- Inspirational female pioneers

- Best female pioneers by "The Guardian".

or 2- Pioneers: those first Americans to settle in the West of North America.
Here are some links to search for information:

- Pioneer facts.

- Frontier Legends: Pioneers of the American West.

- Pioneer Life in America.

- Pioneers & Westward Expansion.

Possible tasks:

a- We can prepare different posters of famous British or American pioneers, both male & female. Later prepare a Pioneer Challenge Quiz from all the information collected.

b- Prepare a presentation/poster on the American Pioneers.

TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER

Today's topic is the weather. Here are expressions and structures used to ask about the weather and give explanation of what's it like.

Questions about the weather:

• What's it like out(side)?
• How's the weather?
• What's the weather like?
• What's the temperature?
• What's the weather forecast?  (What is the weather expected to be like?)
• Is it hot or cold?
• Is it sunny?
• Is it raining?
• Beautiful day, isn’t it?

Some answers to describe weather:

• Today it is warm and sunny out.
• It’s so cold out there!
• The sun is very bright today, you might want to take sunglasses.
• It’s not raining, but it is cloudy.
• It is! I’m so happy the sun is shining.
• They’re saying blue skies and hot!  
• It's freezing outside!
• It's a bit chilly. Wrap up warm.
• It's Arctic out there.
• It's quite fresh - take a jumper.
• You can see your breath in the air.
• It's below zero.
• It must be minus five or more.
• It's pretty frosty today.

Structures for talking about weather:

One common mistake learners make when talking about the weather is mixing up the noun, adjective and verb forms of weather words.

Example: 

What's the weather like?
It is sun. Incorrect
It is sunny. Correct
The sun is shining. Correct

"WHITE LIGHTS": THE CORRS ARE BACK

"WHITE LIGHTS"

is The Corrs' new album released yesterday.
The Corrs are an Irish pop-folk group made up by four siblings: Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim Corr. 
After a ten year break, they're back with a new album "WHITE LIGHTS". And here's their new single "BRING ON THE NIGHT" for you to listen to and understand with the lyrics on screen audio. You can also watch and listen to an interview they've given about their comeback.

For more on The Corrs: +info.

Video "BRING ON THE NIGHT", The Corrs:

Audio of "BRING ON THE LIGHT" with lyrics:



Video interview:

BLACK FRIDAY 2015

Today is this year's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States... but not only. Black Friday has become bestselling date throughout the world. Even here in Spain we start hearing about "Black Friday's offers and sales".

+ info:
- BLACK FRIDAY 2015 info from The Telegraph.
- IF YESTERDAY WAS THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE U.S.A., TODAY'S BLACK FRIDAY, previous post from this blog.

Video:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2015

Today's Thanksgiving Day in the USA (always the 4th Thursday in November).

(In Canada it was 12th October, always the 2nd Monday in October).

Link to previous Thankgiving posts on this blog HERE.
And a new one @ Oxford Culturemania
Thanksgiving: A brief history

ED SHEERAN'S PHOTOGRAPHS

Ed Sheeran is back on this blog with a new song that comes with its official music video made up of a collection of real videos from his own childhood. The song is called "PHOTOGRAPH".

Video "PHOTOGRAPH", Ed Sheeran:

Video on screen lyrics:


For Spanish translation subtitles go to the song page on this blog.

HELLO, IT'S MISS PEGGY.

 (The Muppets' Miss Peggy covers Adele's "HELLO")

The Muppets' character Miss Peggy covers Adele's hit "HELLO" doing her own video version of the song. As you might all know Miss Peggy broke up with Kermitt, the Frog, in September last year, after nearly a 40-year relationship. Now Peggy uses Adele's song to call back on Kermitt. Very funny!

Video:

To watch the real Adele, click HERE:

TERRORIST VICTIMS AROUND THE WORLD

After last week's terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali, here's a map that shows the number of victims in terrorist attacks last year around the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index released last Tuesday.

Boko Haram is the most dangerous terrorist group in the world. Set in northern Nigeria, this group killed more than 6.600 people last year. The IS group came second killing a little more than 6.000 people. Both these terrorist groups are responsible for more than half the deaths (51%) by terrorism in the most deadly year in history, with an 80% rise in comparison to the previous year.

32.654 people died last year in terrorist attacks, (nine times more victims than in 2000). 80% of these attacks occur in only five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria & Siria.

+ info: Global Terrorism Index 2015.

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

PARTS OF SPEECH

To start with a poem and some basic charts explaining the different parts of speech and their functions in English.

CONFUSING QUANTIFIERS: ENOUGH, SO, SUCH & TOO

Another confusing group of quantifiers. In these charts above,  you can see the difference in their use and word order.

PEACE FOR PARIS (& THE REST OF THE WORLD...)

In the aftermath of last night's terrorist attacks in Paris, we want to show our complete disapproval and condemnation to this barbaric atrocity to human lives. Our feelings and condolences go to the families of the victims and the injured for a quick complete recovery.

Coruña's Tower of Hercules, too.

+ info:

PARIS ATTACKS @ "THE GUARDIAN"

The Hidden Danger of Adding the French Flag Filter to your Facebook Profile Picture

Galician version of this post  ArquivosDoTrasno.

A CULTURAL TALK @ "RAFAEL DIESTE": THE BRITISH SPORTING BOOM

Today Pearson teacher trainer Michael Brand come to our school. He's always had a passion for languages, studying French and German at university before doing a PGCE to become a teacher.

Having taught French and German in England for 2 years, he has been in Spain for 6 years now and has taught English to a wide range of ages from primary to C2 level.

Today he's at our school to give a talk to 1st-year BAC students on sport:

"The British Sporting Boom. What has caused it?" 

We play it, it’s on our TVs in our living rooms and on social media on our phones. We see it in advertising and we talk about it in the pub. Sport is a way of life. But how did it come to this? In this talk we look at the origins and development of three very different British sports: football, rugby and cricket, their spread around the world and their growth in importance, with the problems this has caused

This talk at the Assembly Hall of the school at 8:30 for 1st BAC students.

3rd CuriosiPics PHOTOGRAPH COMPETITION

Cambridge University Press España has launched the 3rd edition of the Photography Competition for Secondary Students and Teachers. The issue of the competition is curiosity.

You don't have to be a great photographer. Creativity will be rewarded. They are looking for photos that represent what curiosity means for you, or what somehow causes it. Each photo must come together with a description/explanation of it in English (between 10 words minimum up to a maximum of 50).

Registration is free. To participate the only thing you need is a camera, a mobile or anything you can take a photo with. You must be a student of ESO or an ESO English or English CLIL teacher. 

If any doubts, you'll find some advice to help you on their website below. Each contestant can take part with up to 5 photos maximum. Don't forget to check on the legal basis, too. You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook, where they'll be giving possible ideas and references on photos and curiosity.

The period to submit photos goes from 17th November 2015 to 16th May 2016. The award veredict will be on the week of June 2nd 2016.

- PRIZES FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS:

Prizes from the jury:

1st- A trip to London with 2 friends!

2nd- An iPhone 6.

3rd- A reflex photo camera.

4th- iPad.

5th- A GoPro action camera.

Prizes from the public:

-  5 Smartbox adventure packs for two people.

+ INFO @ CuriosiPics website.

PREFIXES & SUFFIXES

Another post with more on prefixes & suffixes
- Prefixes grouped by meaning:

Some examples:

- Link to a prefix glossary HERE.

- Now with suffixes:

Link to a previous post HERE.
Watch the videos below about them:

Video:



Video on suffixes:



Video on prefixes:

BONFIRE NIGHT 2015

Guy Fawkes: Remember, remember the 5th of November

Once again it's the 5th of November and Bonfire Night is celebrated in the UK. We've talked about it here several times. Go to previous posts HERE.

+ info:

Bonfire Night 2015: Why do we celebrate with firework displays? Who was Guy Fawkes?

COUNTRIES WITH THE BEST SKILLS IN ENGLISH

Once again, here's a map that shows the level of English skills throughout Europe. In blue the countries with high proficiency: Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands (being Sweden the best 70'9%). In orange the worst Azerbaijan & Turkey. Spain is in the lower part of the ranking with 56'8%. We've got to improve!

Here's the link to a previous post about worldwide levels of English.

BRIT FOOD: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FISH & CHIPS

If any food is traditional in the UK, fish & chips is the one. Here you can click on to a brief history of typical British takeaway and cultural symbol.

Link: [Anglotopia]

Brit Food: A Brief History of Fish and Chips