14 Dec 2015

Happy Holidays!


We've reached the end of our learning year, only this exams week and summer is just round the corner!

There have been many opportunities to know each other during these months and, from my "observation deck" I've seen your positive changes in many aspects, but mainly as teenagers and young adults who have decided to go a step ahead and reach higher. 

I hope you continue to hold tightly what you have gained, it hasn't been so easy sometimes, and the effort has been worth it!

It has been a fantastic year and I enjoyed sharing it with you all!

Happy Holidays!



9 Nov 2015

Unit 13: Causatives - Movie Activity

"My Life in Ruins"

Discussion: 

1. Have you ever stayed at a very bad hotel? Describe the situation.

2. Do you complain when there is a problem in your hotel room? What do you do if they do not resolve the problem for you?

3. Do you prefer to stay at a bad hotel that is very well located in the city or at a sophisticated hotel that is not so well located? Explain it.




4 Nov 2015

UNIT 13: House Space

VENICE
Watch the video and answer:
How is Venice different from other cities?
Have you ever been there? When?
Would you like to visit this city? Why?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living here?


3 Nov 2015

The Giver - Chapters 22 and 23 - The End

Chapter 22


waterfall


1.  How did the landscape change?
2.  How did Jonas hurt his knee?
3.  What wildlife did Jonas and Gabriel see?
4.  What things made Jonas happy?
5.  What food did Jonas and Gabriel eat?
6.  What wrong choice does Jonas think he may have made? Why?
7.  Why had there not really been a choice about leaving for Jonas?
8.  What reason did Jonas have to cry?


Chapter 23

1.  What did Jonas feel was not far away?
2.  How did Jonas try to keep Gabriel warm?
3.  What did Jonas remember and tell Gabriel about?
4.  What good memory did Jonas share with Gabriel?
5.  As Jonas reached the hilltop, what did he remember?
christmas lights6.  What does Jonas find waiting at the top of the hill?
7.  What did Jonas see as he was going down?
8.  What did Jonas hear?
9.  What place did Jonas think he also heard the sound from?
10.  Where do you think Jonas went?

31 Oct 2015

The Giver - Chapters 19 to 21

Chapter 19
clock


1.  Why did Jonas look at the clock?
2.  What is recorded in the Hall of Records?
3.  How was Jonas able to see the release?
4.  What does Jonas realize a release is?
5.  What does Jonas learn about the release of Rosemary?
6.  What does Jonas feel coming on after he learns the news?


Chapter 20


music notes1.  What must no one hear Jonas do?
2.  Where will Jonas stay the night?
3.  Why does father lie to Jonas?
4.  What is Fiona already in training to do?
5.  What is the worst part of the memories?
6.  What does The Giver say they will do after they eat?
7.  What would happen if the plan failed?
8.  Why will the community be forced to take the memories?
9.  What does The Giver no longer have?
10.  What does Jonas insist that The Giver keep?
11.  What kind of memories would The Giver transfer? Why?
12.  Describe some details of the plan.
13.  Who is The Giver's daughter?

Chapter 21

night sky
1.  What did Father vote for? Why?
2.  Name at least three rules that Jonas broke.
3.  How did Jonas get Gabriel to sleep that night?
4.  Why did Jonas make Gabriel sleep in the morning?
5.  Describe the daily routine of Jonas and Gabriel.
6.  What kind of planes did Jonas see?
7.  How did Jonas keep from being caught by the searchers?

19 Oct 2015

Speaking - Part 3 & 4

Part 3

I would like you to talk to each other about the clothes people wear and why they choose to wear particular things.
Now you have 1 minute to discuss if the fashion industry has too much influence.

Part 4

Do you think looking good is important and explain why or why not?
Do you think people are judged by what they wear and is that right?
Are you interested in fashion and do you think the fashion industry is too powerful?

16 Oct 2015

The Giver - Chapters 15 to 18




Answer these questions
Chapter 15
horse1.  Why did Jonas ask The Giver if he could help?
2.  What memory did Jonas receive?
3.  What did the boy near Jonas request?
4.  After giving the memory, what did The Giver say to Jonas?
5.  What other bad memories do you think The Giver has in his mind?

Chapter 16
1.  What did Jonas want back?
2.  What favourite memory did The Giver pass to Jonas?
3.  What feeling do you think Jonas cannot find the word for about the memory?
4.  What do Jonas's parents say about the word "love"?
5.  What does Jonas decide to stop doing?

Chapter 17
1.  What special announcement did the family hear?
2.  How did Jonas feel?
3.  Why did the game upset Jonas?
4.  Why is tomorrow a big day for Father?
5.  Why does Father tell Lily it is bedtime?

Chapter 18
1.  What question does Jonas have for The Giver?
2.  What was the name of the Receiver that did not make it ten years ago?
3.  How does The Giver feel about Jonas and the other Receiver?
4.  What happened to the other Receiver?
5.  What would happen if Jonas died?
6.  What does The Giver say they will talk about again sometime?

5 Oct 2015

Speaking - Part 3 & 4

Basic information
Part 3
Two-way conversation between candidates.
Candidates are given spoken instructions, along with written prompts, and work on a decision-making task. The focus is on sustaining the interaction by: sharing ideas, expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating, evaluating and negotiating to reach a decision.Give opinions, agree and disagree, make suggestions, etc.; take turns.4 minutes
http://learnenglishwithemma.blogspot.com.ar/2015/02/fce-2015-speaking.html



Part 4 Discussion related to the task in Part 3Candidates answer spoken questions that focus on: expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing.Give and justify opinions, agree & disagree, take turns and explore topics.4 minutes


28 Aug 2015

Sample Report from the Cambridge English First (FCE) Writing paper with feedback



Follow this link to open the webpage we worked with last class.
Try to do the same activity and you can also choose other examples of writing exercises that show teachers' comments and suggestions!

27 Aug 2015

What's the meaning? On cloud nine, as happy as Larry...

Here is the link to the webpage we worked with last class



And as part of your homework, you had to find out and explain the meaning of some of these expressions.

Well, here is some help for you!

Have a look and get ready to tell your classmates the interesting origins of those expressions!
Follow this link
Follow this link


19 Aug 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 22 to 25

Answer these questions about chapters 22 to 25. We will discuss them next class.
Get ready for the test on August 27th!

7 Aug 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 18 to 21

Going on with our reading, here are some simple questions about these chapters. Remember to hand them in next class!



Entertainment & the Arts

Check your answers with this answer key for the extra exercises about this topic and let's discuss in class any doubts and ideas that may come up!
Remember to hand it in on Tuesday August 11th.



5 Aug 2015

Haver you ever thought about visiting Australia?

OK... yes, of course, they do speak English!

But, think about practising some spoken Aussie slang. 

Basically, words are shortened... sometimes VERY MUCH!


Have fun!


4 Aug 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 14 to 17

Go on with your reading experience and complete these exercises. Hand them in next class on piece of paper.

1) Answer these comprehension questions about chapters 14 to 17.

2) On page 83, Leo describes a letter that he writes to his mother. But this is only a description. Based on Leo's description, try to write what would have been his real letter to his mother.

3) Until Chapter 16, in what ways has Leo’s stay at Brandham Hall been successful for him? What is your opinion of Marian’s and Ted’s treatment of Leo?

3 Aug 2015

Welcome back!

Hello everybody!

Hope you had terrific winter holidays and come back refreshed and recharged!

Just a reminder: 
  • Hand in your Practice Test #4 and get ready for August 21st and 28th for your Reading and Use of English, and Writing Practice Tests #5! Don't miss these dates!



12 Jul 2015

Winter Break: Expectations vs. Reality!

Basically, no sooner classes start, you spend the entire period dreaming about the winter break and all the amazing, fun, awesome things you'll do (when you're not sleeping, obviously). 

Unfortunately, things always seem to get in the way (like Netflix, sleep, Netflix), and before you know it, it's almost time to head back to your lessons and you've barely left your couch. 

These are all the expectations that get crushed by reality during winter break. What do you think about them?

Expectation: You're going to look super cute in your all your new winter clothes!

Reality: It's too cold for being cute. You have to bundle up so much that you could be wearing pajamas under all your winter gear, and no one would know.






Expectation: You're finally going to do all those things that 
you've been planning to do forever, 
like cleaning your closet, 
organising your makeup/CD's/etc. drawer, 
finishing your John Green book, 
and finally starting that cool V-log.

Reality





Expectation: Going on a romantic ice skating date with your crush.

Reality: Your crush doesn't know how to ice skate, so the date ends up going more like nothing...




Expectation: Epic days of fun outside, 
no matter the weather!, with your friends!

Reality: It's too cold 
and everybody just ends up complaining as soon as you get outside.

Expectation: You are going to have a new haircut, a pump up at the gym, and go back to school looking ah-mazing!

Reality: You get sick and spend the last week of break in bed with a fever and a runny nose, and go back to school looking like Piñon Fijo.





Expectation: You'll be so sad at the end of break
 and dread going back to school.

Reality: You're secretly excited to go back to school. 
You were getting kind of bored, 
and you're super excited 
to see all your friends and start a new semester.


OK, OK...
Reality can be hard sometimes but don't let it make you feel down! Enjoy your winter break, have fun with your friends and family, take your time for relaxing and slowing down a bit... and best of all... go dancing!


26 Jun 2015

Unit 7 - Extra vocabulary exercises

Check your answers to this week's extra material exercises about sports and activities.
Remember that in this case, you have to correct them by yourself and then hand in your photocopies for your teacher's check.

24 Jun 2015

Unit 6 - Extra grammar exercises (2)




Check your answers to this week's extra material exercises.
Don't forget to correct them and bring your photocopies to hand in for your teacher's final check.

22 Jun 2015

Paper 4 - Speaking Part 2.

This part tests the candidates’ ability to produce an extended piece of discourse.
Tests ability to: speak at length coherently, use language to describe, compare and contrast and comment upon a topic.

In Part 2, candidates are given the opportunity to speak for 1 minute without interruption. Each candidate is asked to compare two colour photographs, and to make a further comment about them in response to a task that is read out by the interlocutor.  A prompt is given to the candidates in the form of a direct question; this is written above the photographs

Candidates are expected to point out similarities and differences between the photographs and then move on to deal with the question, answering it with reference to both photographs.

Candidates have the opportunity to show their ability to organise their thoughts and ideas, and express themselves coherently with appropriate language. 

The listening candidate is also asked to comment (for about 30 seconds) after their partner’s long turn. They should not speak during their partner’s long turn. 


Example Task
The interview will begin with the examiner saying something like:
Q: In this part of the test I'm going to give each of you two photographs. I'd like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about 1 minute and also to answer a short question about your partner's photographs.Q: (Candidate A), here are your photographs. They show people participating in sporting activities.Q: I'd like you to compare the two photographs and say why sport is important to people. Q: All right?
Notice there are TWO instructions here: first to 'compare' the two photographs and also 'to say why' sport is important to people. In Part 2 candidates need to show they can compare but also give an opinion. 

The examiner will then ask Candidate B a short question about these photographs.Q: Thank you (Candidate A). (Candidate B) which sport would you most like to try?

Candidate B will then do their long turn with a different set of photographs and at the end, Candidate A will be asked a short question.







16 Jun 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 8 to 13

Go on with your reading experience and complete these simple comprehension exercises. Don't forget to either post them or send them by email.


Unit 6 - Extra vocabulary and grammar exercises


Check your answers to last week's extra material exercises.
Don't forget to comment your doubts and bring your questions to share with the whole class.


12 Jun 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 6 & 7

Activities

Chapter 6
What's the name of the chapter?
Write a short summary with the main events.







Chapter 7
What's the name of the chapter?
Explain the situation related to the image on the left.






Explain what Leo means in these sentences:

  1. ‘I easily remembered the side that had to be used.’ (page 31)
  2. ‘Although Marcus had told me about him, I could not hide my shock.’ (page 31)
  3. ‘He should enjoy it because he rented Brandham Hall.’ (page 34)
  4. ‘It was something strong and bright, like the sun, and didn’t change.’ (page 34)
  5. ‘And I believed that he was nine times better than the first.’ (page 37)
  6. ‘You are a guest in your own house!’ (page 38) 
Remember to send your answers by email!

Music video: Counting Stars - OneRepublic

In the link below you will find the music video of ´Counting Stars´, the song we listened to last class.

Press here for the video >>> Counting Stars

The link also has some interesting comments about the meaning behind the song.

Do you agree? What's your opinion?



2 Jun 2015

The Go-Between: chapters 1 to 5

Scene from the film
Some words about the author
Leslie Poles Hartley was born in 1895 near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, the son of a solicitor who became a director of a factory. He was educated at Harrow and Oxford University and was an officer during World War 1 in the Norfolk Regiment. He started writing as a reviewer for various journals in the 1920s and published a collection of horror stories in 1924.

His first full-length novel was Simonetta Perkins (1925), which was based in Venice where he spent much of his time. But it was with The Shrimp and the Anemone, published in 1944 as the first part of a trilogy about a brother and sister growing up, that he achieved critical acclaim. His biggest success was with The Go-Between in 1953. This novel was made into a film by Joseph Losey in 1970, with a screenplay by Harold Pinter, a well-known British playwright, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates and Michael Redgrave.

Hartley was awarded a CBE* in 1955. He died in 1972.

*CBE stands for 
Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which is the third in rank of the five classes of the honours system in the UK. For more information: UK honours and awards.


Summary
An elderly man, Leo Colston, finds an old diary he wrote when he was twelve. The diary makes Leo remember events which took place in the summer of 1900 when he stayed with Marcus Maudsley, a boy he had met at school.

The events affect him for the rest of his life.

Background and themes
In the prologue to The Go-Between, L. P. Hartley says: ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’ The Go-Between paints a detailed picture´of rural England at the beginning of the twentieth century (around 1900). So the past is one of the main themes of the book. Other main themes are: social classes, adolescence, and friendship, trust and betrayal. You will find them very often as long as you read the book.

Activities

Chapter 1
Setting (Place and Time)

Characters

Main events

Chapter 2
Setting (Place and Time)

Characters

Main events

Chapter 3
Setting (Place and Time)

Characters

Main events

Chapter 4
Setting (Place and Time)

Characters

Main events

Chapter 5
Setting (Place and Time)

Characters

Main events


Answer
  1. Why were the star signs important to Leo?
  2. Why did the boys attack Leo for using the word ‘vanquish’?
  3. How did Leo solve his problems at his school?
  4. Why couldn't he solve the problems he found at Brandham Hall?
  5. What letters opened Leo’s diary?
  6. Why hadn't he heard anyone say his name for many years?
  7. What kind of relationship does Leo have with Maudsley at school?
  8. Can you see a connection between Marian and the deadly nightshade? If so, what is it?
  9. Who do you think Marian talked to in Norwich?

Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? 
In case they are false, rewrite them so that they are true.
  1. Mr. Maudsley was so rich that he didn’t have to work. 
  2. Mr. Maudsley controlled everything at Brandham Hall. 
  3. Denys got on well with his mother. 
  4. Leo had already noticed that Marian was very beautiful when Marcus told him. 
  5. Leo is embarrassed about being too hot. 
  6. Leo realizes that his family is not as rich as Marcus’s. 
  7. Leo is happy about the idea that Trimingham will marry Marian. 
Remember to send your answers by Friday June 5th by email.