Halloween's here!

Today’s a great day in USA, Britain and other countries around the world. Halloween (a contraction of All-Hallows-Even) is celebrated. So here I’m sharing all the activities that we did in some classes at the end of the week.

First of all we watched a video where the origin and symbols of this holiday were explained. We also did the quiz at the end of it.

Then, we started the activity we liked best: making ourselves a monster with an awesome tool I found on Twitter:

http://www.getgrossedout

There are hundreds of amusing Halloween activities and videos on the web! It’s a pity we didn’t have much time to devote to this festivity. I’d like to share with you a video about the art of carving pumpkins I found at geek's room.

And finally, do you want to play with pumpkins? Click here and have fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Are the English aliens?

We’ve been working stereotypes in class. What ideas or things first come to your mind when you think of English culture or the English? Here are a few that students mentioned:

- Tea.

- Sarcasm (a particular sense of humour).

- Red double-decker buses.

- Red phone boxes.

- Big breakfasts.

- Different timetables (early suppers, continuous school days).

- Fish and chips.

- The Beatles (and all the English pop groups).

- Pubs.

- Beer.

- The Queen and Royal Family.

- James Bond.

- Mini, Aston Martin (cars design).

- Hats and the peculiar English fashion.

- Packed lunches at school.

- Bad weather.

- Driving on the left.

To complete the activity we’re going to work the Sting’s song “Englishman in New York”. First listen to the song and do the vocabulary and grammar activities enclosed on the following page: Sting – Englishman In New York

You can also play karaoke and work the spelling, vocabulary and pronunciation going to: http://www.lyricstraining.com/play/7924/sting/englishman_in_new_york

SING, LEARN AND HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND ;-)

Steve Jobs tells students three stories.

By now, all of you have heard about Steve Jobs’s death last week. And perhaps some of you have also seen the Commencement speech he gave at Stanford University in 2005. We watched it at the speaking class on Thursday and the small group of students seemed very interested in it, so here I embed the two parts of his message to the new graduates of the American University. He explains three stories that marked his intense life in one way or another. It is worth listening to a man who made such an impact in our everyday lives.