London 2012 Olympic Games (I) - Getting Ready (DO YOU REMEMBER?)

Hi everybody! London 2012 Olympic games are coming at last!

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012.




1- This is the official clear logo for the games with 4 different colour combinations:

And this is the official logo in 4 colours, all of them will be used.

1.1 - Which colour would you prefer for the logo? Why? ...................................................................
1.2 - Which colour would be the best for the 2012 London Olympic Games? .....................................

 2- Now you can watch a promotion video of these Olympic Games.

2.1- What do you think about this video? Do you like it? Why or why not?

2.2- Can you name the different sports you are watching?
2.3- The first sport is.... and the first sportman / sportwoman is.................... from .................
2.4- The last sport is.... and the last sportman/sportwoman is..................... from ...................
2.5- I can also watch these summer sports: ..............,.................,..................,..............,.....................
2.6- Are there any other summer olympic sports which are not in this video?
       Name them! ................................................................................................................................


3- Now you can have a look at the London 2012 Official Website:
http://www.london2012.com/

Today - for example - you can watch the Torch Relay to London Live in this link:
http://www.london2012.com/torch-relay/video/live.html

Enjoy the previous days to the Olympics!
And comment what you're doing to prepare for the Olympic games in this post!   :)

Spring is Coming (Part II)

Hello everyone!
Yes, spring is coming again! Some photos to show it...  :-)

At the beginning of the spring flowers are blooming and  trees are blossoming.... It's wonderful!

Look at some spring photos from all around the world. In your opinion, where are they from?

Spain - Japan -Belgium - UK
France - USA - Singapore

 

 

 

And now we watch a video about cherry blossoms. When we talk about cherry blossoms, we usually think about Japan.
But this time, it's an American video. Enjoy it!

Spring is coming! Have a good time, my friends! :-)

Spring is Coming (Part I)

 Hello everybody!
Spring is coming... at last!
How was the winter in your hometown? Cold, snowy and rainy or maybe dry and mild?
And how is the springtime coming? Windy and wet or dry and sunny?
Anyway, spring is here to stay.

Let's watch some videos about the arrival of the spring:

1) A funny video to start with. Spring is here! Wake up, everybody!

 

 And a song about the Spring, too! 

 

One of the funniest American traditions is called "the Groundhog Day".
Do you know it? What is it about? And what does the groundhog say?

We will talk more about it in another post!
 
Just to finish, how do you say "Spring" in your own language?
Here you have a cute cat poster about it! Enjoy it! :)

 










 

That's all for now, my friends!
Comment about the post if you want to practise English.
Keep calm, spring is coming. Enjoy it!  Bye bye!  :)

NATIONAL CUSTOMS & FESTIVALS (Part I)

Welcome everybody! You know I'm a big fan of festivals and national customs all around the world.

You can send a friendship request to my Facebook profile in English:
https://www.facebook.com/profesoringles.murcia
And then join my Facebook profile and group: Holidays all around the year.
Please join it if you want to know more about festivals and national customs all over the world!


Furthermore,  I am going to show you some interesting resources on these topics in this blog entry.


First of all, I would like to mention some webpages:

National Day Calendar: An amazing website with all national days around the world.

Festivals all around the world. Lonely Planet's festival guide for each month.

Scottish festivals. We love Scottish festivals! With an interactive map.

Irish festivals and events. Ireland has many traditions and events to discover, too.

ACTIVITY 1- READING

As an example, let's watch this video about Scotland's summer festivals.

1.2) SPEAKING
Would you like to travel to Scotland this summer? Would you go to any of these festivals?
Which one would you visit and why?



ACTIVITY 2 - Birthday traditions all around the world.

2.1) READING.
Let's check some birthday traditions all around the world. 

 2.2) SPEAKING
1- Did you know these traditions?
2- Is there any special birthday tradition in your own country?

2.3) LISTENING
Now watch this video. It's not subtitled but we can get some general ideas about how birthdays are celebrated all around the world...

2.4) SPEAKING
1- Did you know these traditions? Which tradition do you like more and why?
2- Do you eat something special for your birthday in your own country?
 
And that's all for now, folks! I hope you enjoy this funny trip surfing on the net.
Or, even better, visiting these places to check these customs directly!  :)

Halloween History vs. Halloween Stories

This weekend, the 31st of October, is Halloween.
But what is REALLY the Halloween festival?

We all know about dreadful and horrible Halloween stories like this:

Spooky pumpkins , killer clowns, monsters, witches, vampires, zombies, ghosts and ghouls...

And there are also some  funny stories or parodies about these spooky characters, such as this:

 

Count Duckula is a vegetarian vampire and he is also very polite and good!
Look at the intro of this TV Series. What words and expressions do you understand?

And now with the subtitles. It's really funny! :)

All these stories are horrible and spooky, funny and entertaining but...
do we know the real history of Halloween?
Let's have a look at it!

 

Una versión simplificada de lo que ocurre en  Halloween en español aquí:

Well, I think we all know more about the REAL Halloween festival now.
I hope you enjoyed this special Halloween post, my friends!

Happy Halloween to everybody! Be spooky and scary!
Good night out there, whatever you are!  3:)

P.S: We're going to a Halloween costume party! (Look below)
Have you already prepared your spooky toffee spider cakes? Terrifyingly Yummy! :-P

Halloween 2014 - 31st October.

Halloween 2014 is (was) here!    Scary! Spooky! And funny!

Here you are some Halloween videos we watch (watched) in our class:

1) Vocabulary flashcards (for children):

  

2) Halloween traditions for children in Britain:

And some Halloween vocabulary for you,too!

Happy Halloween to you, monsters, witches or ghosts!  3:)
See you soon!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2015!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2015!

Let's watch some videos and pictures about Christmas and New Year.

1) VIDEO: Christmas in Britain. What do British children do at Christmas? :)

2) VOCABULARY.

2.1) Christmas words

 

2.2) New Year words

 

Happy New Year 2015, my friends! :)

World Cup 2014 Brazil (Part 1: The countries and the songs)

World Cup 2014 in Brazil has already finished!

SPEAKING & WRITING
Answer the following questions:
- Where are you from?
- Do you like football?
- Have you watched any matches? Which match was the most interesting for you? Why?

Let's start with the logo of this football championship.
SPEAKING & WRITING
What do you think about it?
Do you like the design and the colours?
Why or why not?

FLAGS & COUNTRIES

And now we will see the flags of the countries who played in Brazil.
Do you know these flags? Can you name all the countries?

OFFICIAL SONGS

There is always an official song of the World Cup, of course.
This year it has been Shakira's song... again!
















SPEAKING & WRITING
Do you like Shakira? Where is she from?
How does she speak English?
Do yo like this song and the video? Why or why not?

Remember Shakira also sang "Waka Waka" at the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

Watch the video below:

SPEAKING & WRITING
Which song and video do you prefer and why?


And that is all for now. We will see more things about World Cup 2014 in my next post.
Enjoy the summer holidays, my friends! :)

Christmas around the world

Merry Christmas to everybody!

1- CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

Let's watch a video about "Christmas around the world" first:

1.1- WRITING

- What Christmas customs can you see in this video? ..............................................

- What Christmas decorations are used in your town? ..............................................

- How do you decorate your own home at Christmas? ..............................................


2- CHRISTMAS CAROLS

A Christmas carol (also called a nöel) is a song or hymn whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.

2.1- LISTENING & READING:

Now we are going to listen to a typical Christmas carol:

2.2 - READING

The author and composer is unknown. However, this song may date back to the 16th century.
Now read the lyrics of this traditional carol:

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

We wish you a Merry Christmas.
We wish you a Merry Christmas.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.

Now bring us a figgy pudding.
Now bring us a figgy pudding.
Now bring us a figgy pudding
And a cup of good cheer.

We won't go until we get some.
We won't go until we get some.
We won't go until we get some,
So bring some out here. 

Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.

2.3- VOCABULARY

What's the meaning of the following words? You can look them up in a dictionary!
1) tidings
2) kin
3) a fig
4) a figgy pudding
5) a cheer
 
2.4- SPEAKING - KARAOKE TIME

Watch the video again once or twice and then sing the song aloud!

That's all my friends!
I wish you a Merry Christmas to you and your kin!
:-)

Storytelling (I)

 Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and to instill moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters and narrative point of view.


1. SPEAKING ACTIVITY

Here you can see the titles of different traditional tales.

Which one is your favourite? ......................................................................................
Why? ...........................................................................................................................
Can you think of any other traditional fairy tales? .....................................................

2- READING ACTIVITY.

We are going to watch a gothic fairy tale now.
It is a short animation film called "Comedy" (Kigeki) and it was directed by the Japanese Kazuto Nazakawa in 2002.

3.1 - WRITING ACTIVITY 1

Answer these questions:

- Did you enjoy this tale? Why or why not? ...........................................................
- What do you think about it? .....................................................
- Can you think of any similar tales?...........................................

3.2 - WRITING ACTIVITY 2

Write a short composition answering this question:
"Do you like telling stories? Or do you prefer listening to them? Why?"
......................................................

I hope you enjoyed this storytelling post. Please comment here if you want me to publish more posts about storytelling!

- THE END -

See you all soon!  :-)

London 2012 Olympic Games (2) - Olympic Songs from Barcelona 1992 to London 2012

Olympic Songs from Barcelona 1992 to London 2012

Listen to all these Olympic songs and choose your favourite one! :)

1) Barcelona 1992:

Sarah Brightman and José Carreras: "Amigos Para Siempre" (Friends for Life)

 

 

Chorus
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre

2) Atlanta 1996:

Gloria Stefan: "Reach"

3) Sydney 2000:

Magic Voices: "Australia"

4) Athens 2004

Giannis Kotsiras: "Pass the flame"

5) Beijing 2008

Sarah Brightman and Huan Liu: "You and Me"

 

 

6) London 2012

WRITING & SPEAKING Activity
Think about your dream London 2012 official song!

Now it's your turn to become a lyrics writer!  :)

1- What kind of official song would you like for London 2012?

__Slow and Classy    __Catchy and rhythmic  __Loud and wild

2- Who would be your favourite singer or singers for this song? .........................

Why? ......................................................................................................

Where are this singer or these singers from? .........................................

3- Which 4 words would you include in the lyrics?

Word 1- .............. Word 2- ............. Word 3-.......... Word 4-.............

4 - Write the Chorus of the song in 4 lines using at least one word in each line.

Line 1- ................................................................................ (word 1)

Line 2 - ................................................................................ (word 2)

Line 3 - ................................................................................ (word 3)

Line 4 - ................................................................................ (word 4)

I hope you enjoyed all the olympic songs and creating your own song too!
Write to you soon!   ^_^
 

One week for the London 2012 Olympics!
Countdown from 7 to 1!     7!..................

Easter in Spain, the UK and the USA - Semana Santa (Pascua) en España, Reino Unido y USA

We are going to watch some short videos about Easter in Spain and the UK.
Vamos a ver algunos vídeos cortos sobre la Semana Santa / Pascua en España y en el Reino Unido.

Easter Week in Spain / Semana Santa en España:

 

Easter in the UK / Pascua en el Reino Unido:

And to end with, a Happy Easter children's song with the US Walt Disney characters.

Y para terminar, una canción infantil de Feliz Pascua con los personajes americanos de Walt Disney.

Enjoy it! Happy Easter to everyone! :) 
¡Que la disfrutéis! ¡Feliz Pascua / Semana Santa a todos! :)

Celebrating Saint Patrick's Day - 17th March

Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. It is celebrated on the 17th of March in Ireland, of course.
But wait, only in Ireland? In fact, Saint Patrick is being celebrated all around the world this weekend!
Watch this video to understand why everybody "goes green" these days.

Even the sheep go green! :)

And now let's see a funny video with some tips about "How to be an Irish!"

Ending with a "Kiss me, I'm Irish! OK!"
I hope you enjoyed these videos! Are you feeling "more Irish" now? ;-)
Happy Saint Patrick's weekend to everyone, Irish and not Irish!

FESTIVALS IN NOVEMBER 2: Thanksgiving Day

This weekend we are travelling to the USA to learn more about Thanksgiving Day.

  Thanksgiving Day is an annual holiday celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Historically, thanks have been directed towards God, accompanied with feasting and prayer. Over time, however, societies that celebrate Thanksgiving have developed a mix of religious and non-religious attitudes, approaches and practices in response to the holiday. In both the United States and in Canada, Thanksgiving is a legal holiday; it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S. and on the second Monday of October in Canada. (Thanksgiving in Canada falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the United States.) Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration often extends to the weekend that falls closest to the day it is celebrated.

   Now you can watch this video with a funny song describing this festival in the USA.
The video is subtitled, so  you can read the lyrics at the same time.

Thanks a lot to Jason R. Levine from Fluency MC for creating this video!
You can follow their updates in this webpage:
ColloTunes classroom activity book for English learning

I hope you enjoy the video! :) 


Song on Thanksgiving Day.

QUESTIONS ON THE VIDEO

1) Which are the origins of Thanksgiving? Did you already know them? ........................................................

2) Is Thanksgivingcelebrated in your own country? On which date? And how? .............................................

 

FESTIVALS IN NOVEMBER: From Halloween to Bonfire's Night

Today we are travelling around the world to watch a video and read a text about some typical English-speaking festivals and traditions celebrated on the first week of November. I hope you enjoy the trip! :)

1) Let's start with Halloween, of course!

We are travelling to the USA, fasten your seat belts please...

Halloween Scares up Tricks, Treats in US 

Every year, on the last day of October, children in the U.S. dress up in their most creative costumes to celebrate Halloween. In this report by VOA's Laura Ellsworth, Jim Bertel tells how this big event for children has also become an event that means big profits for some businesses.

 

 QUESTIONS ON THE VIDEO

1.1) Which are the origins of Halloween? Did you already know them? .....................................................

1.2) How is Halloween celebrated in your own country? .........................................................................

 

2) And now let's travel to the UK to celebrate Bonfire's Night!

Read the following article about this traditional UK festival celebrated on the first Saturday of November.

Light it up on Bonfire's Night

 QUESTIONS ON THE READING

2.1) Did you already know the origins of Bonfire's night? ........................................................................

2.2) Have you ever watched a Bonfire's night celebration in the UK? What did you enjoy most? ...............