Conversation B1

We will finish a listening and roleplay on renting a flat or house and talking about your flat or neighborhood.

Then we will start discussing restaurants and going out to eat:  CLICK HERE and HERE

Conversation B2 / C1

As discussed Wednesday, we will discuss crime in the US, Spain and Europe. Google 1 or 2 high profile murders, assassinations, or white collar crimes, so you can discuss them. Suggestions in the US  include: John F. Kennedy's, Martin Luther King's and Robert Kennedy's assassinations, John Lenneon's assassination, the OJ Simpson trial, the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor ( Dr. Murray) the murder of Lacey Peterson, the murder of Jean Benet Ramsey, the Casey Anthony trial for her daughter's murder, Amanda Knox trial, the Aurora cinema murders, the Sandy Hook elementary school murders, the killing of Tryvon Martin and trial of George Zimmerman, the death of Michael Brown. Why do you think these cases got so much attention? When and where did they take place? 

For a document with crime-related vocabulary, CLICK HERE

Listening exercise on Capital Punishment CLICK HERE

Please print if possible.

Time permitting, we also will see a short video clip for discussion.

Conversation C1 Wed. - Conversation b2 Thursday

Hi groups

I have found another interesting article that is very appropriate to the Henry Kravis video clip and the current situation in both Spain and the US. It is written by a famous psychologist.I have made an exercise to go with it.

I hope some of you see this one in time to read it. Then you can summarize it and your partner or partners can summarize the article on Podemos.

For new article CLICK HERE

I have also made a brief vocabulary exercise for Podemos. CLICK HERE

Conversation C1 : for Wednesday

Hi Group
We will talk about answers to Henry Kravis questions as a group and discuss examples of very wealthy people who are either notorious crooks or admirable.

Read these articles to discuss:

Working in the Banking Sector Breeds Dishonesty CLICK HERE

Article about Podemos in the Guardian CLICK HERE

Then we will talk about the News in Spain and your habits regarding the news:

News Survey: Click here

News Vocabulary:   Click here

Conversation B2 Tuesday: Mony and Happiness

We will continue talking about Money and Happiness with the same instructions and video clip of Fiddler on the Roof I've assigned in C1 but I've decided to use an esier video clip- another scene from the money Ghost, which we will see in class. However there's an exercise doc. I'd like you to print.

CLICK HERE

If you are feeling ambitious, you can also see Henry Kravis and the War on Greed. CLICK HERE

Conversation B1

We will start with a roleplay conversation based on the dialog we listened to last Thursday.

Then we will go on to discuss Crime and Saftey in the City    CLICK HERE

Finally we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of living with your parents, alone or with a flatmate or flatmates.

If we have time, we will listen to a wonderful Beatles song on this subject. (If no time, we will do this on Wednesday)  CLICK HERE

Conversation C1 - and Conv. B2 points 3 and 4

1. A reminder to do the anagrams on the Facebook Manners and You exercise

2. A reminder to see the video clip on Henry Kravis and the War on Greed also on the last post and to bring in an example of a wealthy  or famous person whose attitude about $$ you either admire or detest. (Also explained on last post.)

3. On a lighter note, a musical video clip on the subject:   CLICK HERE     Video clip link is embedded inside doc with words and questions.

4. The link for the VERY creative and funny presentation I told you about: a puppet show that's a parody of Little Red Riding Hood CLICK HERE

Conversation C1: Continuing $$ and Happiness for Monday

Relationship between money and happiness. Document we did in class on Wednesday ( incase you were absent)
C LICK HERE 

Income inequality: A big and growing social problem here and most Western countries
Interesting clip about the gap between the very rich and not only the poor but normal people.  
(You can watch with subtitles in Spanish or without.)
CLICK HERE   Please try to print!

Also following the spirit of independent googling for individual information, as a warm-up, I'd like all of you to think about a very rich person who is famous either for getting money through corruption OR a person you admire for what he/ she has done with their money, find out a little more about them and be prepared to talk about them in class!!

Conversations B2 and C1: Extra humorous video clips connected with social network and English Pronunciation themes

Interesting rhyme against social media ( has subtitles in Spanish)

CLICK HERE

This one we spoke about in the Conv. B2

KIDS REACT TO ROTARY PHONES - Y

► 7:58► 7:58

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkuirEweZvM

Satirical song from My Fair Lady about the difficulties of English 

pronunciation, accents and class differences

Click here

Lyrics with some words missing   Click Here

And finally some Tongue Twisters  Click here

Wonderful website for practicing pronunciation: All groups

Wonderful website for pronunciation UPDATED!!

Wonderful website for practicing your pronunciation fro the presentations  .

  CLICK HERE Then enter word or sentence(s) you would like to hear pronounced, enter the name of a male or female, UK or US according to what you want and click on SAY IT. Make sure it's a standard English that you like!!  Good luck

Material for Wednesday - Thursday

For all groups:

PROJECT ORGANIZER: Click here

One more pronunciation-related exercise

Will add another document for C1 tomorrow.

For all 3 Groups: Pronunciation / Amusing Video Clip and pronunciation exercises

This amusing video clip from an old TV series really underlines the problems Spanish speakers have with English. 

It has subtitles so Conversation B1 can get the general idea. Conversation C1 should understand almost everything.
CLICK HERE  Please print if you can.

Also print this Vowel Pronunciation Chart.

CLICK HERE and                                      

and to listen to sounds , Click here (You will have to download)

For contrast of words with easily confused vowel sounds,    

  CLiCK HERE and to listen CLICK HERE

Conversation B2 and Conversation C1 should also print this doc.CLICK HERE

And see this funny YouTube click, "Insurgent's first Day on the Job" if you haven't done so:  CLICK HERE

FOR ALL LEVELS EXTREMELY USEFUL RESOURCE LINKS: PLEASE SEE!!

SUPER USEFUL ENGLISH RESOURSE LINKS FOR EVERYTHING FROM FILMS IN VO OR VOS TO GRAMMAR AIDS
CLICK HERE

Conversation C1: Catalonia on CNN

I am sorry I didn't post this sooner: I haven't felt well for the past 2 days. As I promised, I am posting some international coverage of Cataluña in international sources- this is the link to an article and 2 video clips from CNN   CLICK HERE

and from the BBC CLICK HERE  The first of the BBC clips shows a Catalán against independence and the second shows people in favor.

One thing I have to say is that the Catalanes both for and against independence seem to have a good level of English, as does Artur Mas!  

See you tomorrow. :)

Conversation C1 and B2

Jon Stewart interviews former Monty Python comedian and star, John Cleese. Please see it at some time because later we will dedicate at least half a class to the theme of aging. Click here 

Remeber there is a short commercial first!

All Groups (perhaps especially Conv. B1 and B2) Children's reaction to parents' eating their Halloween treats

Funny but also a little mean, a video clip about the reactions of children whose parents play a prank on them. Their parents tell them that they have eaten all their Halloween candy. Since it is parents and children, the language is colloquial and simple.

Also, it is interesting how different the reactions of the children are. Some are very resigned, sweet and forgiving of their parents, but others are very rude, spoiled and bad-tempered!

CLICK HERE

Conversation B2 and Conversation C1

As planned, we are going to have a discussion/ debate about Social media and networks.

As the main part of this I want you to see the short satire "Facebook Manners and You" The link is embedded in this doc. after the vocabulary. CLICK HERE. Please see it and do the exercises.

The Conv. B2 group might want to click onto the cc for English subtitles. They are PRETTY GOOD- but they have a few important mistakes, like writing "Allah" or Alex for "Alice", "to me" for Timmy and "dunno White House" for Donna White House.

In both groups we will also do a related roleplay.  

In the B2, we will do play "Taboo" to review vocabulary at the end, time permitting.

In C1, if time I thought we could discuss the referendum in Cataluña. I will try to find a short news article or video clip from CNN, the Guardian or the New York Times.

Conversation B2: Reminder for tomorrow's (Thursday's) class

Remember that for tomorrow, we are going to FINALLY  see the scene from GHOST and use it as a basis for conversation and roleplay.

Click here if you don't already have it.

Also, remember we are going to play Taboo to review the Halloween and Childhood vocabulary.You all have to make 4 cards with a VOCABULARY WORD on the top and underneath it, 4 or 5 words that you CAN'T  use in the definition because it would make it too easy.

Example:

SPOOKY

weird    ghost        scary        spirit

See you tomorrow.

Gerund or Infinitive ?For Clara's B1.3 and all my groups

Document that explains when to use the gerund and when to use the infinitive:


CLICK HERE     AND HERE, page 2

Also useful songs on YouTube: Wonderful World and Can't help Falling in Love

Conversation B1 for tomorrow: The Weather

For talking about the Weather, if we have time.

All 3 Conversation Groups: funny video appropos of cultural and linguisic imperialism. Could it be the cause of terrorism?

There are subtitles - that's part of the idea.CLICK HERE

conv. B2: pending from Thursday and Ghost

Hi

We will finally be doing the listening on children's stories as well as conversation questions on paranormal phenomena and the scene from Ghost.  All material from previous posts.

And if we have time, a listening. :CLICK HERE

Conversation C1: Multi cultural societies and cultural images

Hope you are having a good Halloween / Saints Day weekend.

We are going to take up where we left off before Halloween, doing a listening and then talking about the perceived differences between the British and North Americans:

Click here

Englishman in New York CLICK HERE or see post of 17/10

Finally we are going to talk about your image of Spanish culture and of regional groups in Spain; CLICK HERE

Conversation B1: Describing people, persoanlity traits and family

I hope you've had a good Halloween and All Saints' Day weekend.

On Monday, we are going to review briefly the voocabulary from Wednesday's class.
Then we are finally going to use the vocabulary from Describing Personality Traits Click here if you haven't printed it already.

Then we are going to discuss members of our families and do a related listening;