OXFORD 3000 AND MORE…

Hello guys! Here you have a post about a bunch of different things. First of all, I have included  a link for you to check out IVOOX, the website Pedro suggested in class. This a place where you can find all kinds of podcasts about many topics. I am pretty sure you will find something that interests you!

Secondly, a little help with your vocabulary. You know how you´re always asking about the most important words in English…Well, here you have a LIST  with the words you need to know according to your level. It also comes with a little icon you can click on to listen to the standard British and American pronunciation. I know, you feel a little happier now…you´re welcome!

And last, but definitely not least, a link to JAN´S PERFORMANCE . Thank you everyone for such a lovely and magical evening. It wouldn´t have been possible without your participation!

Sites to help you

LISTENING

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/ : loads of materials to improve your skills including General & Business English, Grammar, Vocabulary &  Pronunciation and The Flatmates.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/081222_download.shtml  (Downloads)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/ (Six-minute English: you can download the audios and the transcriptions.

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/ : Ir a “Our programs” (abajo a la derecha) y elegir el tema. Incluye transcripciones de los textos.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcasts.htm: Podcasts en diferentes categorías: Elementary podcast, Themes, Stories and Poems, Professionals, Kids, & Science. Se pueden descargar tanto los audios como las transcripciones.

http://www.elllo.org : Diferentes tipos de listenings : Views, Mixer, Games, Step, & News.  Actividades variadas con cada listening: archivos de audio descargables, ejercicios de vocabulario, páginas para imprimir… Diferentes acentos.

http://www.esl-lab.com : Página web para comprensiones orales. Los audios vienen clasificados por niveles y tienen sus ejercicios correspondientes también.

http://www.manythings.org : Hacer clic en “Listening and Reading”. Diferentes secciones. Es interesante “Listen and read along” para mejorar la lectura.

http://www.listen-to-english.com/:  Podcasts. Ir a “Latest podcasts” a la derecha.

http://www.mansioningles.com/listening00.htm : Ejercicios de listening.

RADIO:

 http://www.vaughanradio.com/ : Emisora que retransmite desde España con una amplia programación para aprender inglés. Muchos programas son en inglés y en español.  Ir a “Vaugham radio en directo” (a la izquierda). Para ver la programación ir a “Programas” a la izquierda.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ : BBC radio (British English).

http://www.voanews.com/english/portal.cfm : Voice of America: Ir a “Learning English”.

www.npr.org  : Ir a “Listen” y luego se puede elegir entre “Hear continuous streams”, “Hear the latest show” o “Hear the latest news”. También se pueden descargar audios en“Podcasts”.

TELEVISION:

http://tvweb360.com/ : Se eligen los canales por idioma y por país. Ir a “Tv by language” y “TV by country”.

PRONUNCIATION / prəˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/

http://www.fonetiks.org :

-Para oír como se pronuncia una palabra, hacer clic en “howjsay.com” (abajo a la izquierda).

-Para hacer dictados, hacer clic en “dictationsonline.com” . Clasificados por niveles (abajo a la    derecha).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/chart.shtml  : Para oir los “Sounds of English”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds: Para ver vídeos en los que se nos explica como se pronuncian cada uno de los sonidos ingleses.

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/resources/pronunciation/phonemic-chart: Aquí se puede descargar el “Phonemic Chart” para instalarlo en nuestro propio ordenador.

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation: Para la pronunciación de nombres propios (de personas y lugares).

VIDEO

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/video_and_audio : Breves vídeos sobre noticias de actualidad. Especialmente interesante es “One-minute World News”.

http://www.abcnews.go.com: Noticias de la cadena norteamericana ABC. Ir a “Video” y luego elegir la categoría: “Most popular / Money and business / Health…”

http://www.videojug.com: Vídeos de carácter informativo/divulgativo (“How to…” videos) sobre distintos temas de actualidad: salud, deporte, tecnología, etc.

http://www.5min.com: Videos educativos sobre diferentes categorías.

READING

http://www.magatopia.com : Links a revistas en inglés. Por ejemplo ir a “news” para links a Newsweek, Time, International Herald Tribune…

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com : Links a las páginas webs de miles de periódicos.

MUSIC

http://www.subingles.com/: Canciones en inglés con su letra.  Ir a “Ejercicios” para rellenar huecos en la letra de algunas canciones.

DICTIONARIES

www.wordreference.com : Diccionario bilingüe y monolingüe.

http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/?cc=es : Diccionario monolingüe Oxford.

http://www.ldoceonline.com/ : Diccionario monolingüe Longman.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ : Diccionario monolingüe Cambridge (con pronunciación).

http://www.macmillandictionary.com : Diccionario monolingüe MacMillan (con pronunciación).

VARIOS

typicallyspanish.com: Temas de la actualidad española en inglés.

ego4u.com : “English Grammar online for you”.

manythings.org : Diferentes secciones como “Reading (with MP3)”, “Listening and Speaking”…

HALLOWEEN

Hello to you all! It is that time of the year again…hahaha, terrific it is and I love it! Take a look at this infographic…spooky!

Spooky-halloween-idioms

READING AND CLOZE TESTS

Hello guys!  I have just found out about this website with lots of exercises for your reading comprehension part. I am sure it´s going to be very useful for you. Please pay attention to the level, follow the stars….

TRAVEL, TRIP OR JOURNEY?

Here is a video that could be very useful when you want to talk about your holidays. Those three words may be a bit difficult to use.

Conversations about clothes and fashion

Hello!!! Here you have a few questions to get you started talking about this topic. You can use them as monologue or dialogue tasks. I think you have’ll  enough with these…:)

• About how much money do you spend on clothes a year?
• Do you like shopping for new clothes?
• Do you often buy new clothes?
• Do you prefer to go shopping or just browse? Why?
• Do you think men should be allowed to wear skirts?
• What piece of clothing do you spend your money on the most? Why?
• Do you read fashion magazines?
• Do you sometimes wear a hat?
• Do you think it is important to wear fashionable clothes?
  • Do you think it is important to be in fashion?
• Do you wear jewelry?
  • If so, what kind of jewelry do you wear?
  • How often do you wear jewelry?
  • What is your most valuable piece of jewelry?
• Do you wear the same color clothes now that you wore ten years ago?
• Do you wear the same size clothes this year as you wore last year?
• Do you think people feel different when they wear different clothes?
• Have you ever made your own clothes?
  • If so, what did you make?
  • Do you often make your own clothes?
• How many pairs of gloves do you have?
• What are some of the strangest fashions you have seen?
• What colors do you think look good on you?
• What colors do you think look good on your mother?
• What did you wear yesterday?
• What do you think of body piercing?
  • Do you have pierced ears?
  • Do you know anyone with a pierced nose?
  • Would you ever pierce your tongue?
• What do you think of people who dye their hair green?
• What do you think of women who wear high heel shoes?
  • Do you think high heel shoes are bad for a person’s health?
• What fashions that you see today do you think will be out of fashion within two years?
• What is your shoe size?
• What kind of clothes are in fashion now?
• What kind of clothes do you usually wear?
• What’s the most expensive piece of clothing you have ever bought?
• What’s your favorite color for shoes?
• When was the last time you got dressed up?
  • Why?
  • How often do you get dressed up?
  • Do you like to get dressed up?
• Where are some good stores to buy clothes in this area?
• Where do you usually buy clothes?
• Would you like to be a fashion model?

Questions on Styles, Clothing and Fashion-based Stereotypes

• What would you think of a women who cut off all her hair and went around bald as a fashion statement?
• What do you think of a man who is bald for fashion’s sake?
• What do you think of women who wear short mini-skirts?
• Do you think that the clothes we wear reflect what is inside us ?
• What do you think of people who always and only wear black?
• What do you think of people with tattoos?
  • Do you have a tattoo?
  • Do you know someone with a tattoo?
• What do you think of people with body piercing?
  • Do you have pierced ears?
  • Would you pierce other parts of your body?
• What would you think of a high school student who always wore very conservative clothes?
• What type of clothing do you wear when you are angry and you want to express yourself?
• What colors do you choose to wear when you are happy?
• Would you dress the same as you do in your country if you went to America for a visit?
• Do you dress the same when you are depressed as you do when you are very happy?
  • In what ways do you dress differently?
• If you went out with a group of high school friends, would you dress differently then if you went out with your grandmother and her friends?
• In what ways does your Grandmother dress differently then you?
• When you get old do you think you will dress like your grandmother or grandfather?
• Would you ever wear dreadlocks?
  • What do you think of the people who wear them?
• Have you ever worn your hair braided in small braids.
  • Did anyone look at you differently because of it?
• Would you ever wear contacts to change your eye color?
• What is the difference in the people who choose to wear contacts and the people who choose to were glasses?
• What do you think about women who don’t wear earrings?
• What do you think about men who wear earrings?
  • What do you think of women who do?
• Is it possible for women to wear too much make-up?
  • When is a person wearing to much make-up?
  • What do you think of men who wear make-up?
• Is it possible to be beautiful without wearing any make-up, earrings or other accessories?
• Do fashionable clothes really change the way a person looks?
• What differences have you noticed in the fashions here and in your country?
• What do you think of men who where tights?
• What do you think about secondhand clothes?
  • Why do you think people buy secondhand clothes?
  • Have you ever been to a store that sells secondhand clothes?
  • Have you ever bought secondhand clothes?
  • Would you buy secondhand clothes?
• When and where did you buy an article of clothing you’re wearing right now? Why did you choose it?
• What would you think if the mother of the groom wore black at a wedding?
  • What would you think if a bride wore red?
  • Should a bride’s dress be long or do you think it could be the length of a regular skirt?
• What items of clothing do you consider provocative in this country?
  • What types of clothing are provocative in your country?
  • Do you ever dress this way?
• What do you think of men wearing high heels?
• What do you think of women wearing high heels?
• Why is it acceptable for women to wear men’s clothing, but not for men to dress in women’s clothing?
• Is there a stigma attached to people who buy no-name (no brand) clothing?
• Are some people more fashion conscious than others? What types/groups of people?
• Have you ever bought imitation brand clothing?
• What traditional clothes do people from your country wear?
  • When do you wear them?
  • Are they comfortable?
• In your country do children have to wear school uniform?
  • Did you wear a school uniform?
  • Do you think wearing uniforms is a good idea?
• What would you do or feel if you were refused entry to somewhere because of what you are wearing?
• Do you think dress codes should be adhered to if requested on an invitation?
• What would you wear to meet royalty or the President of your country?
• Would you go to a fancy dress party? Why or why not?
• How much do you spend getting ready to go to school? Work? Out with friends? To a party?
  • Do the times vary much?
• What traditional clothes do people from your country wear?
• When do you wear them?
• Are they comfortable?
• Do you think there’s a difference between” fashion ” and “style” ?
• How often do you go clothes shopping?
  • Where do you like to go?
  • Who do you like to go with?
  • How much money do you usually spend?
  • Would you bring your husband/boyfriend with you when you go clothes shopping?
• What do you like to shop for the most?
• Where is your favorite shopping centre?
• What is your favorite brand?
• Are you a shopaholic?
• Do you go to many shops before buying one particular item or do you just buy the first one you find?
• Do you spend a lot of money on clothes your clothes?
• Which type of clothes do you “collect”?
• What’s your favorite piece of clothing?
  • How much did it cost?
  • Where did you buy your favorite piece of clothing?
• Have you ever felt uncomfortable with what you wear?
• Did your parents ever make you wear something you didn’t like?
• Do you like to go shopping during the sales?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG

A Catchy Little Tune 

Read the story and then answer the questions.

This simple four-line ditty was written as a classroom greeting in 1893 by two sisters. Mildred Hill, a teacher at the Louisville, Kentucky Experimental Kindergarten, and Dr. Patty Hill, the principal of the same school, together wrote the song for their five year-old pupils.

The melody of the song was composed by Mildred, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A, on June 27th, 1859. The song was first published in 1893, with the lyrics written by her sister, Patty, as Good Morning To All.

Mildred was an expert on spiritual songs and played the organ in her local church, while Patty, who later became a professor at Columbia University, specialized in kindergarten education. Although the song was published in 1893, it wasn’t copyrighted until 1935. The copyright was taken out under a different name and it wasn’t renewed until 1963.
The song was popularised in the late 1930’s when it was sung in the Broadway production of As Thousands Cheer, and has since become the mega-classic hit of all time.
In 1988, Birch Tree Group Ltd, the original publishers, sold the rights of the song, and all their other assets, to Warner Communications for an estimated $25 million.
During the 1980s, the song was believed to generate about $1 million in royalties annually. Along with Auld Lang Syne (sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve) and For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow (sung to celebrate someone’s achievement), it is among the three most popular songs in the English language.
It continues to bring in around $2 million in licensing revenue each year, according to current publisher Warner Chappell.

Answer the questions:
1. In which city was Mildred born?
2. The song was originally titled Good ______ To All.
3. What’s the word for a short, simple song or poem?
4. Which musical instrument did Mildred play?
5. Which US state were the sisters from?
6. Which sister wrote the words of the song?
7. What do Americans call a school for 5 to 6 year-olds?
8. Which sister wrote the music for the song?
9. The Broadway show which made the song famous was called As ______ Cheer.
10. Money or property that a person or company owns.
11. You get paid this if someone uses your work.
12. What was Patty’s position at her school?
13. What was the name of the university where she later worked?
14. On New Year’s Eve, people sing Auld Lang ______.
15. If something is your intellectual property, it means you own the ______.
16. What kind of songs was Mildred an expert on?
17. The publishers who now own the song are called ______ Chappell.
18. The publishers who first owned the rights were called __________ Tree Group.

Answers:

1. Louisville                    7. kindergarten                         13. Columbia
2. Morning                      8. Mildred                                    14. Syne
3. ditty                              9. Thousands                              15. copyright
4. organ                           10. assets                                      16. spiritual
5. Kentucky                   11. royalty                                    17. Warner
6. Patty                            12. Principal                                18. Birch

Related Websites

Take a look yourself:

http://www.planetpals.com/birthdayparty.html

Scroll down to see Happy Birthday in every language

http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm/home2.jsp

The current owners of the copyright

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/

Who else was born on your birthday? Anyone famous?

http://www.happybirthdaytoyou.com/

Send your friends a birthday card

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Exercise 1

Can you find the correct answers (a–i) to the questions (1–8)? There is one answer that you should not use.
1. What other name does Santa Claus have?
2. Lots of people put special decorations in their homes during the Christmas period. When
do they usually take them down?
3. What kind of animal pulls the sleigh that Santa Claus travels on?
4. On Christmas Eve in the United States, what do small children often leave for Santa Claus before they go to bed?
5. What are the two most popular Christmas colors?
6. Many families put a Christmas tree in their home during the Christmas period. What kind of tree is it, usually?
7. Complete the famous phrase associated with Christmas: “_______ on Earth, good will to men.”
8. What is a “white Christmas”?

 
a) a conifer
b) reindeer
c) peace
d) Saint Nicholas (St. Nick)
e) when there is snow on the ground on December 25
f) red and green
g) white and gold
h) early January
i) a plate of cookies and a glass of milk

 

Exercise 2

Can you find the correct answers (a–i) to match the questions (1–8)? There is one answer that you should not use.
1. Where does Santa Claus live?
2. What is the name of the snowman who came to life in a popular Christmas song and TV show?
3. In Christianity, the festival of Christmas is, of course, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He is believed to have been born close to which city?
4. What is the most famous ballet associated with Christmas?
5. If you were born on Christmas Day, December 25, what would be your star sign?
6. What is December 24, the day before Christmas Day, known as?
7. Every year, which country gives the UK a gift of a large Christmas tree as thanks for British help during the Second World War?
8. What is the name of the traditional hymns that people sing at Christmas?

 
a) Norway
b) Capricorn
c) The Nutcracker
d) Christmas carols
e) Christmas Eve
f) New York
g) the North Pole
h) Jerusalem
i) Frosty

 

KEY-KEY-KEY-

 

Exercise 1

1. d 2. h 3. b 4. i 5. f 6. a 7. c 8. e   Answer not used: g

Exercise 2

1. g 2. i 3. h 4. c 5. b 6. e 7. a 8. d    Answer not used: f

FACEBOOK GROUPS

Hello guys and welcome to the 2012-2013 school year. I am sure it´s going to be full of excitement and lots of fun.

Let´s start with this post. I have found some groups through Facebook that can help you with your English. If you have a Facebook account,  check these out and see what you think. I am sure you´ll find them useful. Have fun!

• Learning English Is Fun [Word Of The Day]

• BBC Learning English

• English Online Academy

• Multimedia English

 

 

 

 

 

CRUNCH TIME!

Hello guys!
Raquel sent me this link a while ago. It has some sample tests from the E.O.I. in the Basque Country. Make sure that you only do YOUR LEVEL, not the other ones, ok? I´m sure you´ll find this very useful.