OUR CHRISTMAS TREE MESSAGES

Christmas is coming!

This year, we´d like you to help us decorate our CHRISTMAS TREE…but with a difference.
Our decorations will be based on BOOKS we´ve read recently in English – all you need to do is:
Choose a book you enjoyed reading.
Photocopy the front cover of the book OR design a picture related to the book (e.g. a character, a place, an object) and cut it into a Christmas shape.
Then stick it on card (max. size: 10 x 15 cm).
Next, EITHER: write a message on the back, dedicating the book to someone you love, OR: choose a line or quotation from the book which you want to share at Christmas.
Finally, hang the decoration on the tree!

MORE DETAILS FROM ANNIE!

EXAM PRACTICE 2

Hi everyone

I hope you have been doing the READING exam practice tests I sent a little while ago. This week I will be giving you a listening test so you can get an idea of the level and format to expect in our exam in January.

Here are some LISTENING tests at the level you should expect to reach by the end of our course. When you click the link, one test will appear. Then you can do other tests from the same link when you have finished. But not too many at a time! You have time to practice over the Christmas holidays!!

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_listening_part1.htm

Shocking news story: Obsessive Internet use

A truly shocking story about a couple who let their baby starve to death as they “raised” a virtual child. A horrifying reminder of the dangers of compulsive Internet use….

http://click.mail.guardian.co.uk/?qs=eb20032a8672e9ebf11aa287337033b102add521e8a4648204e3aa8c272f8a4e

Saturday Market at The Holy Trinity Church

On Saturday 3 December there will be a RASTRO – market – at the Anglican Church in Las Palmas, calle Rafael Ramirez, in Ciudad Jardin. A great opportunity to buy second hand books and other things, such as crafts or have a nice cup of tea and delicious English cake, or even lunch!!

See you there.

20 Predictions for the next 25 years

Just came across this interesting list of predictions for the next 25 years…and you all know how much I love LISTS! Take a look- some are related to economics, science, the environment, society, etc, and some may not interest you, while others will.

There is a comments section following it where readers of the newspaper (The Observer, a quality Saturday newspaper in UK) comment…. and I must say that I often find these more interesting than the article itself!

What are YOUR predictions for the next 25 years?

http://click.mail.guardian.co.uk/?qs=eb20032a8672e9eb9410108e79f14ca6c64f57cf88f7dd381e8ad1807d33f725

Monday/Wednesday group: Reading Circles

Hi guys. Just to remind you that as we didn´t finish talking about our stories on Monday, we will continue for another 20 minutes or so on Wednesday, so please bring your readers.

Thanks!

St Andrew´s Day

November 30 is St Andrew´s day in Sotland - find out more in this interesting link!

http://www.scotland.org/culture/festivals/st-andrews-day/

READING CIRCLES: HOMEWORK NEXT WEEK

Hi everyone. For students who did not come to class on Tuesday/ Wednesday, just to let you know that for next Monday / Tuesday you should read the next two stories in your reader (Taste, Platinum, Crime) and the next story for True Adventure.

Hope you´re enjoying the stories!

Grammar Unit 5.1

We´ll be starting unit 5.1 this week, so take a look at exercise 1 and see if you can do it!

http://www.pearsonlongman.com/totalenglish/pdfs/resources/upper-intermediate/upp-int_unit_5_grammar_1.pdf

EXAM PRACTICE !!

Well, on Thursday and Friday last week we started with some Reading exam practice in order to give you an idea of the LEVEL and FORMATS used in the exams this year in Intermediate 2. Don´t worry of you found it high, we have plenty of time left to improve!

I found this website today with FCE exam practice material online which I think is useful as the formats used in the exams and the level are both similar to ours.

So, take a look at the READINGS first, to see how you get on. A little practice frequently will go a long way!

Don´t try to do too much at the beginning.. maybe one text per week to get used to the level.

GOOD LUCK!!

PS: We´ll start with listenings soon, so don´t start that section yet, please. Thanks!

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading.htm

7 Wonders of the Natural Word

Seven wonders of the natural world – in pictures. A list of the new seven wonders of the natural world is about to be announced following a global poll. But which sites will make the cut? We present the 10 most likely candidates. ENJOY THESE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!

http://click.mail.guardian.co.uk/?qs=d918bfddd390b6c8797aef8006e6326ca90b6ce0674e322605069ce5a80f2349

Would you add any other places to the list? Comment here!

Christmas Story

It may seem early, but the Christmas spirit is already starting to make itself felt. Not felt it yet?? Well, here´s a taste of things to come in the mad rush up to the 25th of December.
An American short story by O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi. This is part 1, next month we´ll have part two! Click here then on The Gift of the Magi part 1.

http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/listening/serialized-macmillan-readers/macmillan-literature-collections/american-stories/the-gift-of-the-magi?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Body&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BNov%2B11

READING PROGRAMME

Hello, everyone. Well, as you know we´ve had some problems with the Reader PLATINUM, - it´s taking a while to arrive, and this weekend at my Conference, I spoke to the Representative from Oxford to complain about this. He said he would look into it…let´s see…!

Anyway, because of the delay, we haven´t been able to start our reading project yet. However, I am confident that VERY SOON we will be on our way.

I have prepared a TIMETABLE with dates from NOVEMBER 14 / 15 TILL THE EXAMS IN MAY which will allow us to read the 4 books.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h9wQXmtT526t4NlT4egZOEOrIGJH8LOIUTTVw0me2KM/edit?hl=en_US#

Song: Manic Street Preachers

Here is a “serious“song (using the First Conditional) by the Manic Street Preachers called: If you tolerate this, then your children will be next.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZFeO2t4luQ
Food for thought…..

Poppy Day/ Remembrance Day/Armistice

Have you heard of Poppy Day, as it is called in Britain? Maybe you´ve noticed, if you watch the BBC, that the news presenters wear “poppies” in their button holes in the week before Remembrance Day which is on 11 November ?

Read this text and do the exercises to find out more!

http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/11/armistice_day.html

BONFIRE NIGHT!

Have you heard of Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes? This is an event celebrated in Britain on November 5th every year with the building of bonfires, making of “guys” and setting off of fireworks.

I remember as a kid in Scotland that no sooner had Halloween finished, with our dressing up as ghosts and witches and going round the neighbour´s houses in the cold October evening asking for sweets and nuts, singing a song and “dooking for apples”, than Bonfire Night arrived a few days later. We used to build bonfires in gardens where we baked potatoes and roasted sausages, then dressed up a “guy” and took it round the neighbours´ houses (again!) asking for a “Penny for the Guy”. A great time, despite the cold evenings!

Read here about the history of this festival. http://www.insideout.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IO492-The-gunpowder-plot.pdf

The answers are in the next link. http://www.insideout.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IO492T-The-gunpowder-plot.pdf