Santa Claus

You can plot your life by the four stages of Santa Claus:


You believe in Santa Claus.
You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
You are Santa Claus.
You look like Santa Claus.


Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Lottery

Here is a short video about the Spanish lottery 'El Gordo'... If you  struck gold, congratulations!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12057708


And here is a lucky couple's reaction after winning a 'few' million pounds:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8516448.stm

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish you merry Christmas and a prosperous 2011 with a very traditional Christmas carol:

The Digital Story of Nativity

How social media, web and mobile tell the story of the Nativity.
Christmas story told through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, Google Maps, GMail, Foursquare, Amazon...

Do schools kill creativity?

If you have 20 minutes to spare and are interested in education, as I know you all are, watch this video by Sir Ken Robinson. He argues that education, as we know it, really stifles our children's creativity and abilities.

The secrets of success

Why do people succeed? Is it because they're smart? Or are they just lucky? Neither. Analyst Richard St. John condenses years of interviews into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success.

Changing Education Paradigms

Oriol sent me this link and I thought I would share it with you. If you have some time, watch it and maybe we can discuss it in class. It raises some disturbing issues about education and it provides some serious food for thought on this subject... Enjoy!


 

 
 
 
 
For more information about Sir Ken Robinson follow the link: http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson.html

Interview with John Negroponte

Here is the link to the interview with former US ambassador John Negroponte.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/9240355.stm

Wikileaks

Here is a link to an interview with Julian Assange, creator of wikileaks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11047811

and for more information about wikileaks,you can check out this BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10757263

Appraisal time at work

Just a little something to lighten your Monday mood... A short video on how the appraisal process takes place at work:

Profanity practice

Just a follow up on our liitle chat about swear words... Here is the latest book on filthy language:

What is the ultimate swear word? Peter Silverton, author of Filthy English: The How, Why, When and What of Everyday Swearing gives his verdict.

Shh! Sound health in 8 steps

Our increasingly noisy world is gnawing away at our mental health -- even costing lives. He lays out an 8-step plan to soften this sonic assault (starting with those cheap earbuds) and restore our relationship with sound.


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The 4 Ways in which Sound Affects us

Julian Treasure studies sound and advises businesses on how best to use it. In this TED video he shows us how sound affects us in four significant ways. Listen carefully for a shocking fact about noisy open-plan offices.

Josef Ratzinger's visit to Barcelona

Twenty years after the last visit by a pope to Barcelona, Pope Benedict XVI is to visit Barcelona on 7 November and consecrate the Temple of the Holy Family, or Sagrada Familia. The visit will cost around 600,000 euros, a figure which does not include expenses for security and the media centre.

There will be all kinds of protest from gay and lesbian groups, including a 'queer kissing flashmob', which will take place next to the cathedral on November 7th just as the Pope starts its trip to Sagrada Familia.

What do you think about this visit?

Russia aims to combat alcohol abuse

Here is a video about alcohol abuse in Russia.

All you ever wanted to know about pumpkins

Here is a video with some facts about pumpkins:

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/videos#all-about-the-pumpkin


And if you are up for it, don't miss the the harrowing story of one of Halloween's main protagonists:

Halloween

Here we go again ... and it's that spooky time of the year when you see pumpkins everywhere, so I thought we might learn a bit about the tradition of Halloween:

Here is a video about how Halloween started:





For some more history, follow this link: http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
and if you feel like having a fun time check some trivia and stuff about Halloween.

Divided by a common language...

Nationalities

Communication problems

Remember 'Fawlty Towers'? Let's watch the following episode where Basil and Polly meet a difficult customer, Mrs.Richardson, a very demanding woman who is hard of hearing. Meanwhile, Basil bets on a horse that is sure to win, however he must not let Sybil find out.

Have fun!

Confusing words

Viure per sobre de les teves possibilitats = to live beyond your means
a burden = una càrrega

win - beat =
You win the contest/game/match.
You beat your opponent(s).

They are not synonyms.

arise - raise - rise

tasty - tasteful =
Tasty - Pleasing to the sense of taste (sabroso, apetitoso)
Tasteful - Having or showing or conforming to good taste; free from what is tawdry or unbecoming (de buen gusto)


 












































to take up a hobby = to start a hobby

























































diputat





















capgros





















I like lying in on Saturdays

Last but not least...

To crave = When she was pregnant she had a craving for chocolate
To splurge = to spend (money) unrestrainedly or extravagantly

Random acts of kindness

lame excuse
to be at stake = At risk; in question.
to praise
to be fined ... Don't miss this piece of news!!!!

                                                                      guinea pig



a GP = metge capçalera
tonsilitis

                                                   operating theatre & surgeons
to faint = to lose consciousness

To talk someone into /out of doing something

To drop out (dropouts)
It's a chore

To be through = to be finished
Stalking

a prop

to put off = to postpone

to be sanctioned = e.g. sanctioned by the Church

to revolve = The Earth revolves around the Sun

Word cloud

A bit of everything long overdue...

Here are some words and phrases that we have come across in our lessons:

To worship

To fulfill some requirements for a job
Above reproach = not deserving of blame or criticism (por encima de todo reproche)
A cock up
Complimentary gift = something given free to repay a favor or as an act of courtesy

e.g.  complimentary copies of the new book

doble standards

La avaricia rompe el saco = if you're too greedy you end up with nothing
Posar la mà al foc = to stick one's neck out for somebody
Fer uns encàrrecs = to run some errands
To talk  nonsense = dir bajanades
Mecenazgo = patronage


To harm = These pills won''t harm your system
To fund = to provide capital (funds) or other resources for a transaction, a project, a person, a business or other private or public institutions


To finance
To encourage = I encoraged him to apply for a position in the bank

laughing-stock = A figure or object of ridicule and laughter.
to prejudice
hatred = Hatred is blind, as well as love (Oscar Wilde)

Beauty without brains

A non p.c. (politically correct) video on the subject of blondes and intelligence....

Types of humour

Here are some of the most typical kinds of jokes:

a put-down
a pun
offbeat humour
an epigram
black humour
a stock joke

And  here is a link to The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce , where words are defined in a different way:

DENTIST, n. A prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coins out of your pocket.
POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
FAITH, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.

If you want to listen to jokes in English:
 
http://www.manythings.org/jokes/ (quite easy, though)

http://www.dailycomedy.com/jokes/mp3

Laughing matters

Are you hot enough for BeautifulPeople.net?

Are you hot enough for BeautifulPeople.net?

Is beauty skin deep?

 


 




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EIOoynLmw8&feature=related

Interesting vocabulary site

If you want to practice your vocabulary, you'll find all kinds of tasks here:

http://esl.about.com/od/engilshvocabulary/English_Vocabulary_Builder_Beginnin...

It's divided into levels but you might want to try the 'Advanced' section.

 

Have fun!

Posted via web from Teresa's posterous

BBC Vocabulary Game

Play a game to test your vocabulary skills. There are three levels of difficulty: easy, medium and diificult
 

Check it out at http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flash/wordmaster/

The right age to 'leave the nest'

What do you think is the right age to leave your parents' home? What are the pros and cons of 'leaving the nest' at an early age?

In Italy, 36.5% of men aged 30 to 34 remain at home, compared to just 18,1% of women. The situation is so bad that a government minister has suggested a new law that would make children leave home when they are 18.

Find out more about it in the following BBC video and podcast:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8471644.stm

Disagreeing politely

Here are some phrases that we can use to disagree with someone in a polite way:

- There may be some truth in what you say but don't you think it's more a question of...?
- I take your point but that's not the way I see it.
- Yes, but don't you think that...?
- I see what you mean but I'm not at all convinced that...
- True, but I'm afraid I disagree with)...
- Perhaps, but I can't help thinking that...

The following two expressions are a bit insulting and dismissive of the other person's opinion:

- You can't be serious
- You must be joking

Giving your opinion and asking for the opinion of others

Here are some expressions that you can use to give your opinion:

- In my opinion/view...
- Generally speaking, I think...
- To my mind...
- I'd just like to say...
- As far as I'm concerned...
- I'm quite convinced that... (careful! it's expresses a very strong opinion)
- To be quite honest/frank...
- If you ask me...

As for asking for somebody's opinion, here are some phrases you can use in different situations:

- What/How about you? = informal exchange of ideas
- Would you care to comment on...? = often used when addressing an individual in a more formal situation e.g. a TV interview with a politician.
- Any comments? = used when addressing a group of people in a more formal situation e.g. a meeting
- Would you agree with that? informal exchange of ideas
- What are your views on...? = often used when addressing an individual in a more formal situation e.g. a TV interview with a politician.
- What's your opinion? = informal exchange of ideas
- What do you think...? = informal exchange of ideas

Dating

A first date gone wrong...



and some stuff about dating on the Internet:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/feb/14/guardian-soulmates-valentines-day

A bit of everything

This post has been a long time coming. It's just a bunch of words and phrases that we have used in class in the last few sessions. Most of them bear no relation to a given topic area, but they might prove useful. So here they are:

To indulge in something
To give yourself a little treat = Donar-se un gust
To call off a meeting = to cancel
To put something off e.g. a trip, a meeting... = to delay, to postpone
To be kind/sort of = It's kind of interesting (very informal; in AE you can see it spelt as 'kinda')

Life expectancy = Nowaday's a woman's life expectancy is 80 years
A vaccine for swine flu
To allocate money = to distribute money
To pat someone on the back
To comfort someone

One can twist or sprain an ankle and therefore need to use crutches:

 

To trust someone

To tease someone = to make fun of, to kid

To pull one's leg

To badmouth = speak unfavorably about, criticize

To get away with murder = To escape punishment for or detection of a blameworthy act.

To have a flaw

What is happiness?

What is happiness? a very elusive question indeed, which maybe defies all categorization. Is it the same for everybody or does it change from person to person?  Is it a state of mind or is it defined by mere possession of material things? And, more importantly,  is one's idea of happiness the same throughout life or does it change according to age, mood, etc.

Here is what an expert on wellbeing thinks about what makes people happy.




Not very complicated, is it? Below is a much simpler concept also related to the idea of sharing, this time from the 'Coca- Cola' company:





I wish things were that simple... maybe they are?

Anyway, have a nice day and a very happy weekend!:-)

Something funny

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to share a laugh with you, especially after yesterday's class! I'm sorry it's a bit sexist, though...

An Amazing Story

A simple idea can go a long way:  Charlie Simpson, a seven year old boy from London decided to do a sponsored bike ride round the park to raise money for Haiti. The BBC got hold of the story and the donations just keep pouring in.

Check out the story and look at the webpage.

The weather in Europe

It's cold out there!

Watch the following video about the weather in Europe:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34795620#34795620