Be my Valentine!

Yesterday we did some activities with this beautiful song titled Valentine by Kina Grannis. Here you are the video so that you can enjoy it again:

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 14, St. Valentine's Day, is said to be a day for people who are in love. No matter whether you have a boyfriend or girlfriend or whether you like someone in particular or not, there must be lots of people you love: your parents, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, your friends . . . In fact, there are many people that make our lives nicer, aren't there?

Here you are some interesting links you should visit. The idea is for you to skim them and choose the ones you want to work on. But bear in mind that you should send comments showing what you have done or learnt.

There are many reasons why we love people. Click here to read 21.

You can also write a short love poem. Here you just have to drag and drop while in this site you can use a magnetic board.

There are funny love limericks here and famous quotations on love in this website.

If you really like a person you can use this calculator to see how happy you will be together but if you think you need something more exciting you can always read this kissing advice.

Apart from that, you can read about the origins of the day here .

But if you still don't like this topic, then perhaps you should do these activities and learn how to say something interesting.

Are you a language lover? Have you got foreign friends? Then click here and learn how to say "I love you".

If you like it so much you have done everything, go to this site and choose other activities, there are hundreds!

And remember, I wish you a happy Valentine's Day!

I Will Always Love You!

Thinking about St. Valentine's Day, I've come across this love song by the deceased Whitney Houston. Click on the link, choose the mode more appropriate for you  (beginner or intermediate will be OK) and enjoy it! You can also sing along at the karaoke mode.

Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You, Music Video, Song Lyrics and Karaoke

Conditional Sentences

As you know, we have been lately studying Conditional Sentences. If you need further clarification and activities, click here and keep on learning!

Peace and Non-Violence

America has celebrated Martin Luther King Day since 1983 on the third Monday in January. Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important person in the American Civil Rights movement, who believed in non-violence. He campaigned against segregation and inequality and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In 1963 he gave his most famous speech, which contains the well-known phrase I have a dream.

Here you can enjoy most of this important speech. Then, think about the way in which you can contribute to improve the world and post a comment beginning like this: 

"I have a dream that . . . "

Do you need some kind of inspiration? Then you can listen to Someday, a song from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Watch the video and listen to it. It has a beautiful message.

Now you can read the lyrics here. Think about them . . . and of course, think about the things you can do to improve the world!

Forms for the Future

Lately we have learnt about the four different forms English has to refer to future time: be going to, Present Continuous, Present Simple and 'will'.

For an explanation and activities on be going to, click here.

Remember that we use Present Continuous to talk about totally planned activities. You can review it here. And we can use Present Simple to talk about official timetables. You can review it here. 

But we can also refer to the future using the modal auxiliary verb will. You can click here for further explanation on this topic. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to do some more activities. I hope it helps!

Singing Peace

Last Friday we had a very musical lesson as we got ready for the celebration of Non-Violence and Peace School Day, which will be held next Wednesday. We did some activities on Cry by James Blunt and we also enjoyed an interesting video on his return to Kosovo. We also listened to his song No Bravery, and we talked about it. 

Did you like the videos? 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, my dear students! I hope 2013 will bring you moments of joy and fun. 

Here you can enjoy the fireworks with which London welcomed the New Year. They are great! Below, you can also feel the atmosphere at the countdown in Times Square (New York). Which one do you prefer?

Let's See the Christmas Lights in London!

If you want to see the Christmas lights in London, don't miss this opportunity. Get in my car and I'll give you a lift from Piccadilly Circus to Marble Arc. Meanwhile we'll listen to a well-known Christmas song . . .  

By the way, don't panic! Remember people drive on the left here!

Did you like the song? Then, have a look at the lyrics and rehearse for a while before singing the karaoke version at the end:

All I Want for Christmas . . . is You!

I hope you enjoy this song. You shouldn't just listen to it, but try to do something more challenging: Select the appropriate game mode for you (beginning or intermediate) and let me know how it was. Then, when you feel ready, press on the karaoke version . . . and have lots of fun!

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You, Music Video, Song Lyrics and Karaoke

Merry Christmas for my Dear Students!

I wish you a very merry Christmas and I hope all your dreams will come true in 2013.

Big hugs,

Elena

Present Perfect Simple

As you know, we have recently learned how to form and use the Present Perfect Simple tense.



Here you can read a funny introduction to the topic and you can also review its form and use, apart from doing some interesting activities.

Past Continuous

Here you can go to another explanation of the form and use of Past Continuous. In that site there are also activities to put into practice what you have learned.

You can also do this activity on Past Continuous. Do you think you need something more challenging? Click here for an activity to choose between Past Simple and Past Continuous.

Good luck!

-ed Pronunciation (Regular Verbs)

Do you find it difficult to pronounce regular verbs in past form? Do you think it's time to review it? If you didn't have enough with the activities we did in class, click here and get further practice.

Past Simple

As you know, we have already reviewed the form and use of the past simple tense in English. In this site you'll find an interesting explanation of it, with links to activities. If you think you need to review the past form of verb 'to be', click here or here.

Still difficult? Well, you can always have a look at this website and read the explanation in Spanish!

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year we will celebrate it at school with music and songs that fight against domestic violence. Here is a video and the lyrics of a song titled Nobody's Better than Me. Listen to it, read the lyrics and post a comment giving information about the main idea reflected in the song and stating whether you like it or not.

How dare you come in here and talk to me that way
You've lost your mind it's plain to see
You talk about leaving ... but you always stay
Cuz you know that you belong to me

No one would love you in every single way
The way I know that you love me
You should be thankful ... I let you stay
Without my love where would you be

Nobody's better than me
Nobody's better than me
You'll be alone forever - if I set you free
Cuz nobody's better than me

I can't believe that you are leaving me this way
Who's making you do this to me
Is it that guy at work leading you astray
Who's taking you away from me

Nobody's better than me
Nobody's better than me
You'll be alone forever - if I set you free
Cuz nobodys better than me

She looked over at me
As tears rolled down her cheek
She said "NOBODY" - I'm leaving you for me.

Nobodys better than me
She's moving on and now she's free
She'd rather be alone than live in misery
Nobodys better ... She said that being with
Nobody is better ... than me.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

As you know, today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA. Remembering how the first Pilgrims were able to survive in North America in the early 17th century, people today get together on the fourth Thursday in November to enjoy large dinners and watch football on TV. 

Enjoy this funny video and feel free to post a comment saying what you feel grateful for:

Freedom!

As you know, we are just about to finish up our didactic unit on Freedom, which is an integrated unit within the bilingual programme. Working together with History, Spanish Language and Literature and French, we concentrated on the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party, and also on English Romanticism. Thus, we have learnt interesting aspects on William Wordsworth and the Lake District . . . We even analysed, recited (and rapped!) the famous poem Daffodils.

Activities

The final product of this activity (in three languages) will soon be ready, so that all the school can enjoy it.

Meanwhile you can see a video on which we also worked in class:

Present Simple, Present Continuous and Used to

As you know, in unit 1 we have studied, among other things, Present Simple and Present Continuous. I think it's time to review both tenses. From here you will have access to explanations regarding their forms and uses, together with activities to check your knowledge. 

Present Simple Present Continuous

Moreover, if you click here you can do an activity to distinguish one from the other.

Would you like to do something more challenging? Click here and complete the text!


Since we also learn the form and use of used to to talk about repeated actions and events in the past, you can click here, to review it.

Zombie Jamboree for Halloween!

Do you know what a zombie jamboree is? Well, listen to the song as you watch the video and you'll get an idea. Apparently, there's a zombie jamborie on an island . . . Which island is it? What problem does one of the zombies have?

Have a very happy Halloween, and let me know if you go to a zombie jamboree!!!!!!

If you don't have the chance to go, don't worry. You can always visit this website and review some things.