EARTH HOUR 2012

Once again tonight 8:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Official video:

WALLACE & GROMMIT COME TO CLASS

These last days before Easter holidays, we'll be watching an episode of Wallace & Grommit in the 1st year ESO classes (C & D). Here's some information about them:

Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. All the characters are made from moulded plasticine modelling clay on metal armatures, and filmed with stop motion clay animation.

Wallace, an absent-minded inventor living in Wigan, Lancashire, is a cheese enthusiast (especially for Wensleydale). His companion, Gromit, is an anthropomorphic intelligent dog. Wallace is voiced by veteran actor Peter Sallis; Gromit remains silent, communicating only through facial expressions and body language.

Because of their endearing personalities and their wide popularity, the characters have been described as positive international icons of modern British culture in particular and of the British people in general. The short films The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave and the full length feature The Curse of the Were-Rabbit received Academy Awards. The first short film A Grand Day Out, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Links: 
- Follow them in their website clicking on their name above.

- Watch "THE WRONG TROUSERS" episode in Youtube: clicking on its name above.

GERMAN STUDENT'S EXCHANGE 2012: ARRIVING TODAY

We'd like to welcome the German students from the Willstätter Gymnasium in Nuremberg, who have arrived to A Coruña this afternoon. They take part in our school-exchange programme. Tomorrow will be their first day in our school. They are going to be with us until Thursday 29th March.
They'll be around our school, but we also have a lot of extra activities prepared for them.
Wedsnesday 21st: Welcome breakfast at 10:10h at Big Video Classroom. Visit to A Coruña city centre in the morning, stopping at Plaza de Lugo fish market and Picasso's House. Visit to the Old Town in the afternoon.
Thursday 22nd: Visit to the Aquarium in the morning and trip to Betanzos until the afternoon.
Friday 23rd: Visit to A Coruña's port in the morning and trip to Santiago de Compostela in the afternoon with their Spanish partners.
Weekend with their host families. On Sunday evening they'll go to the football match Deportivo-Córdoba at Riazor Stadium.
Monday 26th: Visit to the Emilia Pardo Bazán's House-Museum in the morning. Reception at the City Hall in Mª Pita in the afternoon.
Tuesday 27th: Trip to As Rías Baixas (Cambados, Illa Arousa, Combarro). All day together with their Spanish partners.
Wednesday 28th: Visit to the Bellas Artes Museum workshop in the morning. In the evening, there'll be a farewell dinner with all the students, their host families and teachers at the school's cafeteria.
Thursday 29th: Trip back to the airport in the afternoon.

Welcome and enjoy.

GIVING DIRECTIONS

You know how to ASK for directions, but what happens when an English speaker asks YOU for directions. This is not a time for small talk. Give only basic directions with short phrases. Do the best you can.

Questions you may hear
How do I get to Main Street?
Is there a post office near here?
Where is the closest gas station?
Can you tell me where the community centre is?
I’m looking for Jane Street.
Are you from around here?

If you know the way…Use basic English to offer directions. Short phrases are best. Speak slowly and use very careful pronunciation. Spell out a word if necessary.
The easiest way is to…
The quickest way is to…
The best way is to…
go + direction (right, left, down, up, through)
take + road name
turn + right/left
stay on + road name for + distance or timeExamples:
The easiest way is to go right on Commercial Avenue.
The quickest way is to take Road Number 1.
The best way is to turn right on Main Street.
Stay on Route 1 for about ten minutes.

Use transitions. Separate each leg of the route with a transition.
after that
then
next
when you get to…go…
finally

Offer “Ballpark Figures” (rough estimates of time or length of travel)
Some people feel better knowing how long it will take to get from A to B.
It’s just around the corner (not far).
It’s not far.
It’s a bit of a way. (it takes a while)
It’s about a five minute walk.
It’s about a twenty minute bus ride.

Use landmarks. Tell the person what to watch for.
You will see a large clock on the right.
You will pass a gas station.
It’s across from the blue church.

More useful language
It’s on + street name
It’s across from
It’s opposite
It’s near
It’s around the corner from

Offer warnings
Stay in the right lane.
It’s a very busy road.
It’s a big hill. (if they are walking or on a bike)
There might be construction.
If you pass the … you went too far.
There’s no parking.

Repeat yourself. YOU repeat the directions again, the other person will feel more confident. Repeat important details including street names and turns. You can also ask the other person to repeat the directions back to you.

If you are in the car with the driver… Give a lot of warning.
Turn right at the next street
Get in the left lane.
Go one more block. Then turn right.
At the next traffic lights turn…
It’s going to be on your right.

Clarify. Make sure that the other person understood your directions. Say: “Did you get all that?”

If you don’t know the way…Don’t guess! Don’t just shake your head and walk away. Use one of these phrases:
I’m sorry, I’m not from here.
I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Sorry I don’t know my way around here.

Offer another solution
You could ask the bus driver.
Ask the front desk clerk.
Follow me. I’ll show you the way.
Do you want me to draw you a map?–
“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.”
(Alice in Wonderland)

Link to: Exercises on asking & giving directions.

ROXETTE ARE TRAVELLING

Swedish duo Roxette (Marie Fredrikson & Per Gessle) made their successful comeback a year ago with their album "CHARM SCHOOL". Since then they have travelled throughout the globe on a worldtour which started in Russia a year ago, taking them to South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia and lately to Japan & Taipei. One million concert tickets sold in more than 100 shows in 30 countries and they still have 50 more shows to go. During their tour, they've also had time to make up a new album "TRAVELLING", recording the songs in studios, stages, hotel rooms and other strange places... Some new songs and some revisions of older ones. This new album is out this month. Here a video about it and the audio of the first single "IT'S POSSIBLE" with English & Spanish subtitles.

Video "TRAVELLING", EPK, Roxette:

Audio "IT'S POSSIBLE", Roxette+English/Spanish subtitles:

Video "IT'S POSSIBLE", Roxette:

8th MARCH: CELEBRATING WORKING WOMEN (INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY)

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements

Video Celebrating Working Women:

COLDPLAY'S "FIX YOU" FOR SPANISH CANCER CONCERN CAMPAIGN

(AECC) Spanish Asociation against Cancer presented yesterday an ad campaign which uses a Coldplay's song "FIX YOU" to raise awareness on how this illness is being fought with the help of many people around the ill person, because being more people makes us be stronger. Here are the videos of the song with lyrics, Spanish subtitles and also the Cancer ad campaign video.


Audio-lyrics "FIX YOU", Coldplay:

Video "FIX YOU", Coldplay with Spanish subtitles:

Video Spanish Cancer Campaign Ad (2012):

Video animation+lyrics "FIX YOU", Coldplay:

IS THERE A NEED TO CHANGE OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM?

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence. He lays out the link between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools' dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD. An important, timely talk for parents and teachers. Here is his talk on RSA Animate video.

Video "A Change in Education":

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF Mr. MORRIS LESSMORE

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is an American animated short film by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, created at Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana. After winning over a dozen film festivals, the film was awarded the Best Animated Short Film at the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles last night.

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and MGM Technicolor musicals. Morris Lessmore is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

Plot: Following a hurricane which destroys his town Morris is whisked away to a colourful old house full of books which come alive and interact with him spreading happiness in the community. He remains their custodian for years until it is time for him to pass on and another guardian of the books take over from him.

Video "THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF Mr MORRIS LESSMORE":

ADELE TAKES IT ALL (MTV, GRAMMY & BRIT AWARDS)

Adele continues collecting awards, after the ones received by MTV, 6 awards of the 6 nominations to Grammies and on Tuesday night 2 Brits for best British female singer and best album. Adele keeps taking them all. Congratulations! In the photos the Grammies & the Brits and the video of her performance of "ROLLING IN THE DEEP" at the Brits show.

Video "ROLLING IN THE DEEP", Adele @ Brits 2012:


Lyrics | Adele lyrics - Rolling In The Deep lyrics

A THOUSAND WAYS TO SAY "I LOVE YOU"

It's Valentine's Day today, so here's a song to celebrate the day. "A THOUSAND WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU" by Chris Teixeira. Do you know some?

TE AMO, TE QUIERO, QUÉROTE, I LOVE YOU, JE T'AIME, TI AMO, ICH LIEBE DICH...

Following the song, there's a video with a lovestory for this day. For a previous post about the history of Saint Valentine's Day, click on the labels VALENTINE or TRADITIONS.

Video "A THOUSAND WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU", Chris Teixieira:

LYRICS:
No matter how you say it, there are a thousand ways to say "I love you."
Я тебя люблю, I love you
Я тебя люблю, I need you
Я тебя люблю, te amo too

und Ich liebe dich, you're so sweet
und Ich liebe dich, you're my treat
und Ich liebe dich, Je t'aime too

There are a thousand ways to say I love you
There are a thousand ways to say I love you
There are a thousand ways to say I love you
There are a thousand ways to say I love you

Video "SIGNS":

WHITNEY HOUSTON FOUND DEAD AT A BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL

Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time. Her list of awards includes two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among others.Houston was also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.

Inspired by prominent soul singers in her family, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne Warwick and her godmother Aretha Franklin. Houston began singing with New Jersey church's junior gospel choir at age 11. After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis.

Houston was the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Houston's 1985 debut album "Whitney Houston" became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. It was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986.

Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film "The Bodyguard" (1992). The film's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history.

On February 11, 2012, Houston died of unknown causes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Here are the videos & lyrics to two of her all time greatest hits.

Video "I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY", Whitney Houston:

Video "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU", Whitney Houston (from the film "The Bodyguard"):

FEBRUARY 7th: CHARLES DICKENS' 200th BIRTHDAY

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a greater popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he is still popular, being responsible for some of English literature's most important novels and characters.
Many of his writings were originally published serially, in monthly instalments, a format of publication which Dickens himself helped popularise. Other authors completed novels before serialisation, but Dickens often created the episodes as they were being serialised. This practice gave his stories a particular rhythm, punctuated by cliffhangers to keep the public looking forward to the next instalment. The continuing popularity of his novels and short stories is such that they have never gone out of print.
Dickens's work has been highly praised for its realism, comedy, mastery of prose, unique personalities and concern for social reform by writers such as Leo Tolstoy and G.K. Chesterton; though others, such as Henry James and Virginia Woolf, have criticised it for sentimentality and implausibility.

Video a Dickens' biography:

[SIMPLE BIOGRAPHY]

The greatest English novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens was also a vigorous social campaigner. With his rich storytelling and his ability to create powerful and memorable characters, he is one of the English language's greatest writers. Happily, Dickens achieved massive worldwide popularity in his lifetime and not one of his short stories or novels has ever been out of print.
1812: Born in Portsmouth, England

1824: Dickens’ father is imprisoned for bad debts Dickens begins working 10 hours a day at a boot polish factory

1827: Finds work as a legal clerk
1834: Becomes a journalist for the Morning Chronicle

1836: The Pickwick Papers appears in serial form Marries Catherine Hogarth

1837-9: Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby appear in serial form

1843: Writes A Christmas Carol

1850: Finishes David Copperfield

1853: Finishes Bleak House

1859: Finishes A Tale of Two Cities

1853: Finishes Great Expectations

1870: Dies in London from a stroke.

2nd FEBRUARY: GROUNDHOG DAY (2012: 6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER)

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2. It is held in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If on the other hand, the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. The holiday also bears some similarities to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication.

Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday with fersommlinge, social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime or quarter, per word spoken, put into a bowl in the center of the table. The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where crowds as high as 40,000 have gathered to celebrate the holiday since at least 1886.

Historical origins.

In Scotland the tradition may also derive from an English poem:
As the light grows longer

The cold grows stronger

If Candlemas be fair and bright

Winter will have another flight

If Candlemas be cloud and rain

Winter will be gone and not come again

A farmer should on Candlemas day

Have half his corn and half his hay

On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop

You can be sure of a good pea crop.

This tradition also stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and Groundhog Day. Candlemas, also known as the Purification of the Virgin or the Presentation.

In western countries in the Northern Hemisphere the official first day of Spring is almost seven weeks (46–48 days) after Groundhog Day, on March 20 or March 21. About 1,000 years ago, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar when the date of the equinox drifted in the Julian calendar, the spring equinox fell on March 16 instead. This is exactly six weeks after February 2.

BBC'S BRITISH HISTORY TIMELINE.

If you want to have a look and check on British History, click on th link to the BBC British History timeline. It's interesting.

TIME TO READ: POE'S "THE TELL-TALE HEART"

IES "Rafael Dieste" library has a programme to promote reading called "Time to Read" ("A Hora de Leer") for ESO students. It means to read in the classroom. We have already been reading in English. But now we are going to read a short story by Poe in Spanish and later listen to it in English. Do you like horror stories? Because here's one...

Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar Poe, January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and terror, Poe was one of the earliest American writers of short stories and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He was the beginner of the science fiction genre.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by cutting it into pieces and hiding it under the floor. Ultimately the narrator's guilt shows in the hallucination that the murdered man's heart is still beating under the floor.
It is unclear what relationship, the old man and his murderer have. It's suggested that the old man is a father figure, or the narrator works for the old man as a servant, perhaps, that his vulture eye represents some sort of secret or power.

Video "THE TELL-TALE HEART", Edgar Alan Poe:

WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY? (A funny TV weather forecast)

A good way to know what weather we're going to have is watching the weather forecast on TV. You can generally rely on them, unless something like this happens... Watch this TV weather forecast where the presenter is a bit out of control or they are playing with him. What do you think?*

Video a weather forecast on TV:

New GMTV april fools weather report por hujtyry

*This is an April's Fool Day joke (1st April) played on the TV weather man.

DICKENS 2012: 200th ANNIVERSARY

Dickens 2012 is an international celebration of the life and work of Charles Dickens to mark the bicentenary of his birth, which falls on 7 February 2012. Institutions and organisations from all over the world are partners of Dickens 2012 and work together to deliver a programme of events and activities to commemorate this very special anniversary.
Although a writer from the Victorian era, Dickens’s work transcends his time, language and culture. He remains a massive contemporary influence throughout the world and his writings continue to inspire film, TV, art, literature, artists and academia. Dickens 2012 sees a rich and diverse programme of events taking place in the run up and throughout the whole of 2012.
Find out what Dickens 2012 events are taking place near you by visiting the Events Calendar and follow us on Twitter for updates on the bicentenary plans.

Link: http://www.dickens2012.org/

"WHITE FLAG", DIDO

Another song for this weekend. It's Dido's hit "WHITE FLAG". Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong ( /ˈdaɪdoʊ/; born 25 December 1971), known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter. You can watch the original video of the song. By the way, do you recognize the man who appears with her in it?*

Video "WHITE FLAG", Dido:

Lyrics | Dido lyrics - White Flag lyrics
Audio+lyrics "WHITE FLAG", Dido:

[*Actor David Boreanaz, special agent Seeley Booth in the TV-series "Bones"]

2011: A YEAR IN REVIEW

Today we're taking a look back on the year that has just ended: 2011. All this happened last year, do you remember?

Video 2011: Year in review: