TEA TIME IN BRITAIN

THE BRITISH TRADITION OF TEA IS BACK.

Watch the video (you can read the text but I think you won't need it.)

DISCONNECT TO CONNECT

Any comments?

MEN'S BRAINS, WOMEN'S BRAINS

Watch this video and hav a good laugh.  Does it ring the bell?

London Olympic Mascots

Fifa Mascot

English Tea - Paul McCartney

a cup of tea inspired Paul Mc cartney to write this song!

English Tea - Paul McCartney

Would you care to sit with me
For a cup of English tea
Very twee, very me
Any sunny morning

What a pleasure it would be
Chatting so delightfully
Nanny bakes fairy cakes
Every Sunday morning

Miles of miles of English garden, stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses, listen most attentively

Do you know the game croquet
Peradventure we might play
Very gay, hip hooray
Any sunny morning

Miles of miles of English garden, stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses, listen most attentively

As a rule the church bells chime
When it's almost supper time
Nanny bakes fairy cakes
On a Sunday morning

A Guide to the UK in 212 Words

What do people visiting the UK for the Olympics need to know about the nation's quirks, habits and rules? The British obsession with talking about the weather is much discussed, but there are a host of other oddities and complexities that visitors might do well to acquaint themselves with.

This was a project launched by the BBC and here are the links to the two sections. Remember you have to choose one 'quirk' and talk about it in class. You are welcome to do more research on that. (Don't forget to post here which topic you have chosen, so that nobody else chooses the same one.)

First Part

Second Part

Reply

Yes, Filipides could be considered the first marathonist according to the legend. I don't know the reason why you are not allowed to enter the Olympic Stadium. The statue of Filipides is in the middle of an avenue, in front of a goverment department. It is the way that it is made that creates the illusion of movemnt. I have never seen something like that!

An article relating to the mascots

I found something interesting. Why Wenlock was designed like this? It's head shape represents the medals, the eye is a camera that let Wenlock record everything, the friendship bands have the colours of the olimpic rings and a taxi light on it's head inspired by London's black taxis. I suppose you think that's terrible witty

I also found an article, taken from the original one, as en excercise, I did it, it's interesting.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/fill-in-olympic-mascots-and-mash-ups/

UNLIMITED

Watch this inspirational video. I think it's a good introduction to the Paralympic Games.

London 2012 Festival / Cultural Olympiad - Unlimited from British Council on Vimeo.

How the Olympic Park was built

Very interesting informative video on how the Olympic Park was built.

ARCELOR MITTAL ORBIT TOWER

Here's the video of what has beocome Britain's largest public art work, a symbol for the 21st Century.

A BIT MORE OF HISTORY

This animation from guardian.co.uk is a perfect potted history of the Olympic Games. From Ancient Greece's nude athletes – mercifully free of corporate stooges – to the present day's economy-bustingly expensive extravaganza of London 2012. Just watch it, learn a bit more and have fun. A short animated history

A bit of history!

As you know, the history of Olympics Games began in Greece. The KALIMARMARO STADIUM also known as PANATHINAIKO STADIUM is a huge marble stadium, built by Lycourgos in 330-229 b.C. for the athletic competitions of "Panathinea" - the greatest festivities in ancient Athens - and had been rebuilt three times since then. The site of the Panathenaic Stadium was originally a small natural valley, between the two hills of Agra and Ardettos, over Ilissos river. It was first reconstructed by Hadrian in 76-138 a.d. to hold Gladiators competitions. The second time was restored by Herodes Atticus between 140 and 144 a.C., who gave it the form how it was found at the 1870 excavation “a horseshoe construction” out of white marble. Over the next 1800 years the stadium was mined for marble and left in despair. The third and present construction was in 1895 when Georgios Aerof restored it for the first modern Olympic Games which began in Athens – Greece on the 5th April 1895. It has a seating capacity of 60.000 people. When I was there in 2006 you were not allowed to get inside.

FILIPIDES was a Greek soldier, who had the task of going from Marathon – Greece to Sparta, a 240 km distance, to request Spartans aid, when the Persian army came to destroy Athens in 492 a.C. He ran 240 km in two days to receive a “no” answer from the Spartans so he had to return Athens with the bad news. In 490 a.C. he ran 42 km between Marathon – Athens to announce that Greece had won the battle. When he got to Athens shouting “We have won”, he died not from exhaustion, but from battle wounds. It is a modern Filipides Statue which seems to be in movement. It was taken from a poem written by Robert Browning “Filípides” in 1879, which inspired Pierre de Coubertin who founded the modern Olympics Games to the foot race called marathon: “Then, when Persia was dust, all shouted: "To the Acropolis! It runs, Filípides, a race more! You will have your reward! Athens has been saved thanks to Bread. It sees and grítalo! " It threw his shield, saeta ran again like one; and all the extension between the field of hinojo (battlefield) and Athens was left-overs, a field again that crossed one saeta, until it announced: " Regocijaos, we have won! " As wine that filters in clay, the happiness that flowed by its blood exploded to him the heart: the ecstasy! LOOK SIDEWAYS.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

It's me again. We'll go on with the topic of the Olympics on Wednesday, when we'll go to Room 6 again.
Remember to find out information about the mascots and upload it in the blog.
You could also do some research on the themes in the Opening Ceremony so that we can all appreciate it more fully.
Here's the link to the photo gallery of the Opening Ceremony.
After looking at the photos, watch the newsy video again. And this is the link to the transcript which is under the video.

INDIA'S SURROGATE MOTHERS

Hi everyone,
On Monday we'll go on discussing the issue of surrogacy, so here's the link to the article I told you about last week. Some of the comments at the bottom are also worth reading.

In "Made in India," filmmakers Rebecca Haimowitz and Vaishali Sinha follow the journey of an infertile Texas couple and the Indian surrogate who gives birth to their children. This excerpt is part of The Economist Film Project series of independently produced films aired in partnership between The Economist and the NewsHour.

This video cannot be embedded, that's why I'm giving you the link: Made in India.

Watch it, it's a bit difficult because it's authentic English, but I'm sure you will understand quite a lot.

2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

It's high time I published something about the games. Well, let's start with the video which introduced the mascots.
Watch it and share with us all the information you can find about them, e.g why they are called Wenlock and Mandeville. Do you like them?

Alone Again - Gilbert O'Sullivan (Subtitulada)

THINK DIFFERENT

This was actually a commercial for Apple but it is inspiring. It celebrates 'people who push the human race forward'.
Who do you recognise? and what do you know about them? Why do you think they were included in the video?
Post your contributions.

I am sam

Architects building dream homes for bats

By Rose Hoare, CNN

June 1, 2012 -- Updated 0223 GMT (1023 HKT)

A brown long-eared bat is one of the species the Bat Conservation Trust is looking to protect by encouraging architects to build new homes with bats in mind.

 The interior of the attic was constructed in accordance with English legislation which protects bats' roosts.

 
  The Suffolk, England summer house where bats now roost and, at dusk, prey on insects flying above the lake.

 Architect Charles Barclay designed this English summer house, which doubles as an ideal bat roost

 The common pipistrelle is one of Britain's more common species, but they are only around 4cm in length with a 20 cm wingspan.

 A single common pipistrelle can eat around 3,000 in one night.

Water for Elephants

Guess the film!!!!

Sam Dawson was a man with mentals disabilities who brougt up his daughter Lucy with the help of an extraordinary group of friends.
When Lucy was seven years old, her brainpower was better than his father is and their relationship was theratened by  a social worker who wanted to put lucy up for adoption.
Menaced by the legal situation that he couldn´t reverse, Sam fought against the system and formed an team with Rita Harrison, a lawyer that accepted the case.
The characters of Sam and Rita seemed to be opposite at the beggining but then they had much in common.
They fought togheter to persuade the system that Sam deserved to have his daugther back.
The film highlights the power of unconditional love.

have you seen this film? Guess the title?????

Gil pender, a screenwriter from hollywood, and his girlfriend were on vacation in Paris with Inez's wealthy parents. Meanwhile Gil was finishing his novel. He was in love with the city and dreamed of living there after they got married but Inez didn't agree with his idea. One night he was returning to his hotel alone, walking along the streets. When an antique car approached him and the passengers, who were dressed like in the 1920's, invited him to join them. At the same time Inez, who had met her former boyfriend Paul with his girlfriend Carol, were together dancing in a party. Gil sooner realized that his was back in the 20's, were he met famous artists, writers and musicians. It was the belle epoque. in the end, Gil broke up with Inez and decided to remain in Paris.

HACE YOU SEEN THIS FILM? Guess the title!!

After his parents's death, Jacob, a veterinarian, is left penniless and homeless. Eventually, he joined a circus and started working under their unstable boss August and his stunning wife Marlena.
The star horse of the circus, which Marlena worked with, was diagnosed as a lame horse and August named Jacob the circus vet.
August was in debt so he has been throwing employees from the train at nights. To sell tickets, he decided to buy an entertaining elephant and told Jacob to train the animal and Marlena to ride it. They both developed a mutual attraction and when August discovered that, he got really furious...

LICENSE TO WED

HAVE YOU SEEN THAT FILM? GUESS THE TITLE

Kat had a common life in New York, working for the customer service department at “Virgin Atlantic Airline” but she got terrified when she was invited to London to her younger half-sister’s wedding. Kat Ellis and Guest Mr and Mrs Victor Ellis request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Amy Ellis to Edward Fletcher – Wooten On Saturday the Eleventh of August at three o´clock St’s Peter’s Parish Church She was in despair when she discovered that the best man at the wedding ceremony would be her ex-fiancé Jeffrey. Kat and Jeffrey had been dating for two years, they were engaged, but inexplicably he dumped her. She was inconsolable and never understood the reason why he had taken that decision. After reading lots newspapers and magazines, she decided to hire a professional male escort. Nick agreed to pretend to be her boyfriend. Her family and friends were all struck by how charming, handsome and out-going Nick was. Kat was wondering if their relationship had to be all business; or if she would have a second chance at love when she discovered a cruel truth. Would she be able to overcome the cruel truth?

THE VOW

where s the bloody gate...

dear mates, dear alicia, firstly im going to...cometer una ligera transgresion, dont beat me alicia, . esta mañana lesescribi,pero no se que aprete y estara en el ciberespacio...les ponia que en londres no hay tiempo paranada, es tanto lo que hay. Dicen q. qien se cansa de londres esta cansado de la vida! visite un amigo en Winchester, antigua capital de inglaterra. es totally mediaval y too cossy. , Cambridge...! lo mas cerca del paraiso q conoci en mivida! El butler de Saint John, quitandose su bowler, said to me, que los examenes de los alumnos  of teacher zuliani were the best in years! je je.en serio, los college, el rio cam, unbeliable...! lugo delire con freddy mercury en oxford circus, el musical  'we will rock you.. ,.and etc etc.  Varios ingleses me felicitaron por mi quite good english! oh, how polite are they!!  well, love you all, and cheer up, with a pint of guiness!! raul

I cant understand how to write here...!

mates, I.  ve just wrote a letter ..., raul.

Easter Bunny From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A bunny and eggs The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Father Christmas, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holiday. It was first mentioned in Georg Franck von Frankenau's De ovis paschalibus(About Easter Eggs) in 1682 referring to an Alsace tradition of an Easter Hare bringing Easter Eggs. Rabbits and hares The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus and Aelian) that the hare was hermaphrodite. The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif,representing the "One in Three and Three in One" of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols. In England, this motif usually appears in a prominent place in the church, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This suggests that the symbol held significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they may have been masons' or carpenters' signature marks. Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox. Rabbits and hares are both prolific breeders. Female hares can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first.This phenomenon is known as superfetation. Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the saying, "to breed like bunnies"). It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore. The precise origin of the ancient custom of decorating eggs is not known, although evidently the blooming of many flowers in spring coincides with the use of the fertility symbol of eggs—and eggs boiled with some flowers change their color, bringing the spring into the homes. Many Christians of the Eastern Orthodox Church to this day typically dye their Easter eggs red,the color of blood, in recognition of the blood of the sacrificed Christ (and, of the renewal of life in springtime). Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long dead time of winter. German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time. The idea of an egg-laying bunny came to the U.S. in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws"."Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. In 1835, Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of the reconstructed continental Germanic goddess Ostara.

Meeting the Enemy: The Falklands War 30 Years

"El gran simulador" The Platters

Hi folks!! I hope you^ll enjoy this music from the old, oldest  and quiet times, Cheers, raul.

WHO DO YOU LOOK LIKE?

Celebrity Look-Alike

CELEBRITY LOOK ALIKES

THE BUENOS AIRES PLAYERS IN ROSARIO

 As I keep on forgetting to invite you all to see a drama company from Buenos Aires, I've decided to post the invitation here.
The Buenos Aires Players is a drama company who visits Rosario every year. This year they are staging a comedy called THE PRETENDERS  for students your level of English.
Here’s the information about the dates and prices:
Tuesday, May 22
19.00   THE PRETENDERS
 Wednesday, May 23
9.00   THE PRETENDERS
19.00 THE PRETENDERS-
Tickets: First deadline: 26/ 27 April
Stalls: $35
Main circle: $30
Upper circle: $25
 Second deadline :May 18th and 19th
Stalls: $40
Main circle: $35
Upper circle: $30
 On spot: location will depend on availability, although we will try groups to remain together.
Stalls: $45
Main circle: $40
Upper circle: $35
For more info about the company, you can visit its website.
www.baplayers.com

 Now enjoy the funny trailer.

LET ME JUST GOOGLE IT!

This is for Carolina, who is so good at finding interesting stuff for all the class.

How to share a youtube video

I think this could be very usefull. I found it on blogger's help:

Embedding a YouTube Video

To embed a video from YouTube, just follow these simple steps:

1. Click on the "Share" button underneath the YouTube video.
2. Select "Show more," and then click on the Blogger icon.
3. Depending on whether or not you're signed in to your blog, you might have to enter in your username and password in the new window that pops up.
4. At the top of the new window, choose the blog you would like to post to from the drop-down menu.
5. Publish your post!

Alternatively, you can copy the embed code and paste it into your blog. Just click on "Share" and then on "Embed" to find the embed code. Copy the code, then paste it into your blog while on the "Edit HTML" tab (as opposed to the "Compose" tab).

I was trying to find a video but I couldn't. So, here's the link from where I took the info.
Hope this usefull :)

50 First dates

 It´s so funny!!! Enjoy it!! xxx

Unit 1 (*) - IDENTITY

4-4-12
From the Book, page nº 8
YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR.

We did de Listening.
1. Work in pairs
2. Listen to the radio interview
3. Listen again and put the tick
Vocabulary & Speaking
Free- time activities
1. Match the activities
2. Work in pairs.

From the workbook page nº 5
Vocabulary extension
Clothes & appearence 1a
From page nº 9 from the Book Homework: Reading 1 and 2

9-4-12
We corrected the Hw
From the Book page nº9
Language focus.
Using the to-infinitive
Practice 1 and 2

11-4-12
From the Workbook page nº6 Vocabulary extension 1b and 2 Choose the best option
Take away English 1, 2b and 3a
From the Book page nº 10 Living memory listening & speaking 1 and 2.

THE MAN WITH A 30 SECOND MEMORY

NEWS OF PEOPLE WITH MEMORY LOSS

If you want to learn more about people who suffered from memory loss, read these articles.

Mystery man found on Brigton beach in 2010 and how the story ended.


The story of the mysterious piano man happened in 2005.

Unit 1 - IDENTITY

This is a summary of the last two classes.
We began Unit 1. The topic of the first part of this Unit was "Identity".
We did a listening exercise about "What defines who a person is?" in which four friends were talking and giving their different opinions. At the end, they decided the three most important things which defined who a person is were gender, clothes and work.
Also, we did some revision about the phase "You know". It is used to give yourself time to think what to say next, to introduce examples and explanations.
In the speaking part, we had the different titles for a magazine guestionnaire and a list of twelve questions. We had to choice the most suitable title for these questions. It was "What´s your attitude to relationships".
Moreover, we worked with a partner, we had to write ten questions to include in our questionaire using the titles which we were given using "Indirect questions":
- I'd be happy to tell/to answer if
- I wouldn't mind telling/answering
- I wouldn't tell the researcher...
- Would you mind telling me...
- Do you think you could tell me?
- Could I ask you..?
- Could you tell me?
- I wonder if....

5 WAYS to be POLITE and DIPLOMATIC in English

Listen to this podcast and revise ways of being polite and diplomatic in English.

If you don't feel like listening, you can read the five rules of thumb for polite and diplomatic language here.

HI 2012 NEW STUDENTS, WELCOME ABOARD!

Why don't you start browsing the postings from April last year? One is a very funny video, and the other is an introduction to blogging. Hope you enjoy them and can profit from this other tool to learn English.