12 Days of Christmas - Christmas Carol

Merry Christmas!

Lyrics:
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree

The food pyramid

Do you agree with it?

- poultry [ˈpəʊltrɪ]:Domestic fowls, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese, raised for meat or eggs.
- canola oil= rapeseed oil: aceite de colza

Trolley Dash

You have sixty seconds to collect everything on your shopping list. Finish in time and move to the next level.

Play Trolley Dash

My Girl - Madness

Madrid Halloween party crush kills four women

It was supposed to be a gigantic Michael Jackson 'Thriller' themed party to celebrate Halloween in the Spanish capital.

US declares major disaster in NY after Sandy

Feel like watching the video again? This is your chance!

Haunted History of Halloween

Halloween was originally called Samhain /'sauein/ and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers.


Vocab: 
gorge /gɔː(r)dʒ/(on):  to stuff (oneself) with food
heathen/ˈhiːð(ə)n/= pagan /ˈpeigən/
famine /ˈfæmin/:a severe shortage of food, as through crop failure or overpopulation
starving:  suffering from lack of food

How To Keep A Conversation Going

A new chance to watch this video:

How to Keep a Conversation Going on Howcast

LOCALES DE INTERCAMBIO DE IDIOMAS

Here you can find information about cafés & pubs where you can practise your English: conversation venues

Spanish students join anti-austerity campaign

Students in Spain are voicing their anger over the cuts in the education budget, saying their future is now at stake.
Vocab:

• voucher: coupon denunciation:very strong public criticism of someone or something very strong public criticism of someone or something 
• divide: an important difference or disagreement between two people or groups 
•  tuition (fees):money that you pay to take lessons, especially at a college, university, or private school
• austerity:an economic policy by which a government reduces the amount of money it spends by a large amount. a situation in which economic conditions are bad and people's living standards fall 
• truancy:the act or habit of staying away from school without permission

How to write a compelling job application

Some of you have shown an interest in how to write a job application letter, so here are some useful sites and examples:

• Some set phrases
• Structure & content
• Content & one example

Examples:

• example 1
• example 2

School calendar

Click here to download the school calendar

Petition against the fee rise in the Official School of Languages

A student at EOI San Sebastián de los Reyes has written this petition. If you wish to sign it too, follow the link below:

http://www.change.org/es/peticiones/ministerio-de-educaci%C3%B3n-comunidad-de-madrid-retiren-las-subidas-de-tasas-en-escuelas-oficiales-de-idiomas

Salvemos la enseñanza pública de idiomas

If you want to sign the petition, follow this link

Writing

Don't forget to check out the links for writing in the Useful Links Section.

Will $125 Billion Be Enough to Bailout Spain?

UK Rubbish Exported To China

This Sky report highlights the issue surrounding rubbish disposal in the UK. Every years rubbish is exported to China so that poor Chinese peasants can deal with it. As a result of this recycling dangerous chemicals are dumped into the environment.

The Vocabulary you Have to Use in Advanced Exams

Use this link to learn vocab for different topics. You can download different vocabulary sheets.

Bankia chief quits as Spain readies bailout

Here's the video we saw the other day in class

Belfast centre remembers Titanic 100 years on

A new chance to see the video once again:

Some vocab: 

• dungeon: A dark, often underground chamber or cell used to confine prisoners.
• poignant: sharply distressing or painful to the feelings 
• destitute: Lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished. 
• shilling: a former British and Australian silver or cupronickel coin worth one twentieth of a pound: not minted in Britain since 1970
• dinner suit: formal suit for evening events and social functions.

Haggling

Here's the famous haggling scene from Life of Brian:

How to write a book report

Introduction

You should try to write a strong introductory sentence that grabs your reader's attention. Somewhere in your first paragraph, you should also state the book's title (italicized), the topic, and the author's name. Include publication information as well as brief statements about the book's angle, the genre, the theme, and a hint about the writer's feelings in the introduction.

Body

 Consider the following points:

• Did you enjoy the book?
• Was it well written?
• What was the genre?
• (fiction) Which characters play important roles that relate to the overall theme?
• Did you notice reoccurring symbols?
• Is this book a part of a series?
• (nonfiction) Can you identify the writer's thesis?
• What is the writing style?
• Did you notice a tone?
• Was there an obvious slant or bias?

 In the body of your book report, you will use your notes to guide you through an extended summary of the book. You will weave your own thoughts and impressions into the plot summary.

 

Conclusion

 As you lead to your final paragraph, consider some additional impressions and opinions:

• Was the ending satisfactory (for fiction)?
• Was the thesis supported by strong evidence (for non-ficton)?
• What interesting or notable facts do you know about the author?
• Would you recommend this book?

(Adapted from http://homeworktips.about.com/od/writingabookreport/a/report.htm )

Other, other, another, the other, the others

I know many of you have trouble with these, so I'm posting links to some very useful sites:

http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/st-yudai.html
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/anothertheother.html

A brief history of money

Vocab: cowry shells: small shells
            barley: cereal used to make beer
            electrum: mixture of gold and silver
            die: An engraved metal piece used for impressing a design onto a softer metal, as in coining money.

Writing job application letters (cover letters)

The covering letter is an introduction that leads into your CV and it must be concise and relevant. It is also a professional document, even if it is sent via email, so format it as you would a business letter. Keep it to a single page, including addresses and sign-off. If there's a job reference or advertisement reference, include it. An example ‘template' could be:

Dear (always use a name, if you can. Don't use a Christian name only, but use Mr. X, Mrs.X, Miss.X or MsX - appropriate if you don't know whether she is Mrs or Miss.)

Paragraph 1: clearly state which job you are applying for

For example:

I am writing in reply to your advertisement on the jobs.ac.uk website on (date of advertisement) for (the position/job title). I enclose/attach my CV for your consideration.

Paragraph 2: briefly outline why you are a good applicant -what you can do for them

You could echo (but not repeat!) some of the phrases in the advertisement. For example, if the advertisement says:

‘You will have excellent research and organisational skills, and the ability to work flexibly in a small team as well as alone. Although not essential, teaching experience and knowledge of the sector would be an advantage.'

You could write:

As you will see from my CV, I have considerable research experience in this sector. For the past three years I have had individual responsibility for my project as well as lecturing and working closely with team members to organise conferences and events.

Paragraph 3: Clarify or explain any problem areas (if applicable) or highlight relevant voluntary work.

Briefly explain anything in your CV that needs clarification - if your current position is completely different or if you have taken a break. Don't be apologetic! For example:

I took a break from academic research during 2003-5, and worked my way up to the position of Events Manager in a leisure centre, where I gained valuable experience and developed management skills. When a job opportunity came up at the University, I applied and returned to lecturing and research.

Paragraph 4: bow out gracefully!

You could include a sentence about the organisation or institution here, based on your knowledge or on what you have found out. For example:

I hope my application is successful. I would welcome the opportunity to continue my career in a University with such a good reputation for research/in a new and stimulating environment/in an innovative and exciting Company.

(from http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/cv-templates/1067/applying-for-a-job-part-2-cv-and-covering-letter)

These are some interesting sites:
http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/jal.htm
Here are some examples: http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/jaleg.htm
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/morejobletters/a/jobappletter.htm
 http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverletters/a/cover-letters-jobs.htm

How to improve your writing

One way to improve it is by using transition words. If you want to know more download the file.

Download here

Do you want to practise those linkers? Try this site.

Films in original version in Coslada

Filmoteca Municipal - Cines La Rambla 

Honduras 25 y 27. Coslada

 Tel. 916 278 200  - Ext. 1234

Every Thursday a film in original version: Today it's Albert Nobbs. Next week it's The Artist.
Shows at 6pm, 8pm & 10pm
Tickets are: 6´50 € without Filmoteca Municipal card & 3´50 € with the Filmoteca card
You can download the programme  here 

Thanks for the info, Nerea.

Examples of exam exercises

Here you can find examples of  exam exercises.

Unit 4 Test Answer key

Part A 1 a) fairy tales b) fable c) anecdote d) myths/mythology e) short stories f) legend 2 a) cock-and-bull b) End of story c) tales d) it’s a long story e) the story of my life 3 a) plausible b) gullible c) swallowed d) unscrupulous e) make out 4 a) to step b) was to be c) to arrive d) had been thinking e) was to have been f) signing

5 1) So 2) for example 3) such as 4) Likewise 5) too 6) in particular 7) or at least 8) In other words 6 1) What a nightmare! 2) What a relief! 3) How scary! 4) I don’t blame you! 5) Lucky you! Part B 7 Suggested answers a) (Students must give three out of these four pieces of information) His brother was buried in an unmarked grave, they lived in a shotgun shack, they were always hard up, Elvis had to rifle through bins. b) He had problems finding work after his release. c) Hillbilly music, gospel music and African-American rhythm and blues. d) Sam Phillips, boss of Sun Records. e) Lots of people called the radio station to find out who the singer was.

Punctuation

You can download a pdf file on punctuation here

March Exam

The March exam will take place on

• 5th & 7th for Mon-Wed classes.
• 6th & 8th for Tu-Thu classes.

Day 1: reading & listening
Day 2: writing & orals

Words in the news

I want to recommend this site for listening to news & reading the transcripts.It's got vocabulary info too.
It's here

How To Survive Valentine's Day If You Are Single

Revolting Rhymes: Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

How to write a discursive essay

Remember you should organise it into introduction, body & conclusion. Then give your opinion & reasons. For more information read the file you can download here.

One week on hope fades for ship survivors

Jan. 20 - One week on, hopes fade of finding any more survivors in the Costa Concordia cruise liner.

Euronews: Spanish Royal family member denies mishandling money

State prosecutors are investigating allegations of fraud at Urdangarin's non-profit Noos Institute, which organized events to promote sports, tourism and development. An initial government investigation found evidence of inflated receipts for services at the institute.

Urdangarin has denied any wrongdoing, but he did make a public apology for the embarrassment his legal problems were causing the royal family, which has barred him from official events.