Merry Christmas

A Catalan Christmas

A very funny video with Stephen Fry about some eschatologic Catalan traditions, namely, the 'Caga Tió' (The Shit log) and 'El Caganer' (The Crapper).

Online SpellChecker

Here is a website with a useful tool for improving your texts in English:

http://www.spellchecker.net/spellcheck/

VocabularyAhead

A useful tool for students

Two Brains

For those of you who didn't have the chance to watch it...

About last class

Let's have a look at some words and phrases that we looked at in class:

The word 'after'can be a preposition, and it's used as follows:  After + NP (sintagma nominal = noun or pronoun)

e.g. after the meal/ the rain/the summer/that...

It can also be an adverb, with the same meaning as 'afterwards', and in that case, nothing follows:

e.g.  She came back a few days after

And, finally, it can be a conjunction and i's followed by a sentence (Subject + Verb, etc.):

e.g.  She came back a few days after I left


Finally, some words and ideas we discussed explained in wikipedia:

sympathy (noun), to sympathise (verb), sympathetic (adj.)

Compassion (noun), compassionate (adj.)


Remember that the latter has a positive connotation in English

Banning Minarets in Switzerland

Last week we discussed an article about Switzerland's move to ban minarets in mosques. Surprisingly enough, the result of the referendum is that 53% of the population back the minaret ban. Here is a link to a Guardian page showing the different reactions to the referendum:

http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=minarets&sitesearch-radio=guardian&go-guardian=Search

And a video:

Swiss residents react to minaret ban

Thanksgiving and Books

Here is a fun quiz about Thanksgiving in books. Give it a try!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/quiz/2009/nov/25/thanksgiving-in-literature-quiz

Paul Auster's latest novel

For those of you who like Paul Auster, Invisible, his latest novel, is out.

Click on the link below for an excerpt of the novel and a review:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120141581

It will be available in Spanish as of December 1st.

Kindle Reader Drawbacks

Just in case you were thinking of getting one of your loved ones an e-book reader this Christmas, here is an article from the Observer which might make you change your mind. Just click on the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/08/amazon-kindle-licence-orwell

New SdL Blog

There is a new blog called  'Centre d´Autoaprenentatge de Llengües' where you will find a collection of materials and links provided by SdL teachers which you can use to work on your English by yourself.
Check it out and tell me what you think!

'Torrons' and the like

Some words that have to do with 'cakes'  and 'torrons', for those of you who have a sweet tooth:

'torró' = a sweet rather like nougat which is eaten particularly around Christmas. It has Arabic origins and is made of honey, egg whites, almonds and hazelnuts.There are two traditional varieties: alicante which is hard and contains whole almonds, and, jijona, which is soft and made from crushed almonds.

So, we could translate it as nougat 

Bakery = 'forn', but you can also have cakes there
pastry shop = similar to 'forn' but more emphasis on cakes, pastry, etc.

Apart from the two above, we have other options for 'pastisseria' - concepts in English are not so 'clear-cut'. Follow the links and find out!

confectioner's or confectionery store
patissier
cake shop

Books

The week before last, we spent some time talking about reading and books and how we go about choosing a book to read. Here are some words and phrases that came up:

Word of mouth = boca a orella
There's no accounting for taste = sobre gustos no hay nada escrito

blurb = a short summary or some words of praise accompanying a creative work, usually referring to the words on the back of the book but also commonly seen on DVD and video cases and web portals.
 
paperback = tapa blanda

hardcover = tapa dura
spine = lomo

Interesting pronunciation link

Here is a direct link with the BBC pronunciation page which I think can be very useful for those of you who want further pronunciation practice:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

E-Books

I have added a few things to our blog. There is now a direct link to the BBC Learning page (on the left-hand column), which I'm sure will prove very useful. To start using it, I would like you to click on e-books and listen to the conversation before next class.

Would you feel comfortable using an e-book? Maybe you already have an ebook reader, do you? Think about the implications of this 'new' technology and watch this other video! It's only a bit of humour...

In Spite Of and Despite

In spite of is used as a preposition; it means more or less the same as although +  clause:

We went out in spite of the rain = ... although it was raining
We understood him in spite of his accent = ... although he had a strong accent

In spite of is the opposite of because of. Compare:

She passed her exams in spite of her teacher. (She had a bad teacher)
She passed her exams because of her teacher. (She had a good teacher)

In spite of can be followed by an -ing form:

In spite of having a headache I enjoyed the film.
She failed the exam in spite of having worked very hard

In more formal English, despite can be used in the same way as in spite of.

Here is a link to a quiz about using despite and other related conjunctions. Feel free to do it!

Although, Though, Despite and However

Evolution and Creationism: Listen to the Scientists

And, last but not least, a bunch of scientists discussing why creationist theories have no validity. This is really an interesting video!

Biochemistry proves the existence of God

Here is a video with some arguments in favour of creationism. To be honest, it was quite difficult to find something credible, but there are lots of videos out there defending intelligent design... Have fun!

A Creationist Museum

Last week we had a discussion about  religion and read a text about the growing importance of creationism and intelligent design in the UK. Here is a BBC report about a Creationist Museum in Kentucky, US.

If It's Hard To Say, It Must Be Risky

If It's Hard To Say, It Must Be Risky

Crime and Punishment

We finished last class with an interesting discussion about the latest scandal that has shaken the foundations of Catalan society, namely, the 'Félix Millet affair'. Millet, ex-administrator of the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, has been accused of embezzling a sum which has spiralled upwards to 10 million euros. It is a thoroughly juicy story, involving the rich and powerful, a century-spanning dynasty of aristocratic arts patrons, the seediest of political corruption and other soap-opera plot staples.

Let me give you a few words and phrases related to 'verdicts' and 'sentencing' within the legal context of the UK, which I am sure will prove very useful for further discusion of the Millet case:

If you are suspected of having commited a crime, you can be arrested and detained in police custody for up to 36 hours before a decision is made about whether or not to charge you. If you're charged with a crime, you are then asked whether you are going to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead guilty, you're not then normally needed in court - unless you have committed a serious crime. If you plead not guilty, you will usually be released on bail - allowed to go free, provided you leave a sum of money to guarantee you will appear in court. There may be conditions attached to your bail.

Serious cases are usually referred to a Crown Court, where trial is by jury. The jury consists of  twelve people and they hear the case for the prosecution and the case for the defence before reaching their verdict. If you're found innocent, you are then released. However, if you are convicted of the crime you were charged with, the judge then passes sentence. The judge may decide there are mitigating circumstances and thus give a more lenient sentence. The maximum sentence is life - which usually means between 15 and 20 years. There is no death penalty in the UK. It was abolished in 1965.

Here is a link with more crime vocabulary in case you're interested:

http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blwordgroups_crime.htm

Technology Addiction

A new study suggests that people's obsession with modern technology is seriously affecting their productivity and could be harmful to health. Watch the following video from Sky News and we will discuss it next time.

Obama's Nobel Prize

These are some of  the words that were mentioned during the lesson:

- To be awarded a prize

A prize can be deserved or undeserved:
Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in a humble way because he didn´t think he deserved it.

- To flatter = to tell people that they are more clever, beautiful, etc. than they really are in order to please them or persuade them to do something.
e.g. Politicians are surrounded by flatterers

- To fake an emotion or feeling = to pretend that you are experiencing it
- To revolve
e.g  The discussion revolved around three topics
- To appease = to prevent someone from being angry at you by giving them what they want
e.g. Zapatero tries to appease the Trade Unions

To have the upper hand = To have more power or control than someone else
To be stand-offish = Someone that behaves in a rather unfriendly, distant way
To be a down-to-earth person
To be bitter about something = angry and resentful
There is no accounting for taste = There is no explanation for people's preferences

And, last but not least:

To scold = to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong
e.g. Mother scolded me this morning for being rude to you

Here is Obama's video in case you want to watch it again :



Here below is the full text of the speech:

Good morning. Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning. After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!" And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up." So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action - a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

These challenges can't be met by any one leader or any one nation. And that's why my administration has worked to establish a new era of engagement in which all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek. We cannot tolerate a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people. And that's why we've begun to take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.

We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children - sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities. And that's why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy.
We can't allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see one another, and that's why we must pursue a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.

And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.

We can't accept a world in which more people are denied opportunity and dignity that all people yearn for -the ability to get an education and make a decent living; the security that you won't have to live in fear of disease or violence without hope for the future.

And even as we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we know it today. I am the Commander-in-Chief of a country that's responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies. I'm also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work. These are concerns that I confront every day on behalf of the American people.

Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency. Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award is not simply about the efforts of my administration -- it's about the courageous efforts of people around the world.

And that's why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity -- for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for the leader imprisoned in her own home because she refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their freedom and sometime their lives for the cause of peace.

That has always been the cause of America. That's why the world has always looked to America. And that's why I believe America will continue to lead.

Welcome

This is going to be our class blog. After every session I will post the words or phrases that came up during the lesson and any other relevant information.