Men in Primary: Early Years

The overwhelming majority of primary teachers are women, especially at early years.Why are there so few men? Is it because men aren't fit for the job, they are less into childcare than women, or they don't regard it as a prestigious career? Or is it a prejudice against men? Watch this little report from teachers.com and make your comments

A day in the life...

If you think you have a boring life, take a look at this man's daily routine... Your life will become wonderful!

What can you do?

Dear students, I hope you have time during the holidays to revise some language... Here's the interesting web where you can practise with 'can' and even record your own voice. Have fun!

Happy Easter!!

Easter is the perfect time for travelling. So, let's visit these two wonderful places, Petra and Istanbul, and practise our English. Have fun!

Easter Corner

Easter is coming with its bunch of popular traditions. Follow this link and you'll be able to send your classmates an Easter e-card, learn how to make a traditional dessert or see how the Obamas celebrate in the White House.

Easter

Grammar Challenge

Interesting BBC programmes about tricky grammar points. Have a look at the homepage, choose a grammar topic and listen to the programme. It will help you get a better grasp of it.

Grammar challenge

School trip III: Stonehenge

You've no doubt seen Stonehenge on TV before, but its outlandish beauty is powerfully underlined by the music in this short film. Every time I look at it I can't help but wonder: how on earth did they manage to put up those massive stones? Maybe our guide will finally put the question to rest.

Stonehenge from Ferenc Vicze on Vimeo.

School trip II: Bath

Knowing things about a place before you actually get there is a sure way to make your trip more enjoyable. So why not take advantage of the free audio guide of Bath offered by the local tourist board? It comes together with a city map you can download and print out before we set sail for good ole' Blighty

School trip I: Oxford

To whet your appetite, here goes an artsy video of our main destination this year: Oxford. In less than a month we'll be wandering the streets of Oxford together! Make sure your feet are up for the task!

Oxford from AdamPellinDeeve on Vimeo.

MY LIVING WILL

Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

They got up, unplugged the Computer, and threw out my wine.

The little bastards.

6 Minute English

With this weekly podcast of the BBC you can learn and practice useful real English. It is only six minutes long and includes explanations and help with the vocab. Lack of time is no excuse. Give it a try:

Podcast here. Homepage: here

Improve your reading skills (test preparation)

Reading online is a good way to improve your comprehension, but if you need to take an exam at the end of the school year it's also a good idea to prepare for it with exercises designed specifically for learners. This is a great site if you're taking a B1 test anytime soon (2nd year of the Intermediate Level).

British films II: An Education

The second film I would like to recommend today is An Education, the story of a bright but gullible schoolgirl in the provincial suburban London of the sixties (yes, you heard right). Fancy restaurants and nightclubs and the streets of Paris or Oxford provide the perfect backdrop for this coming-of-age tale signed by the amusing pen of English novelist Nick Hornby.

Boy A, British cinematography at its best

British movies don't generally enjoy the popularity of their American counterparts, but they surely measure up in terms of filmic achievement. This Christmas I've finally gotten around to watching a couple of them that I'd been saving up for a rainy day since they were released on DVD: Boy A and An Education. Both of them lived up to the hype stirred by critics and viewers on the Internet.

Boy A is a poignant story of love and redemption that leaves you with a bittersweet feeling. The film's main strength lies not with its superb cast of young actors, but with a story that you will be compelled to revisit in your mind over and over again.

Story time

Christmas, amongst other things, is the perfect time for some earnest storytelling around the fireplace, especially for those of you out there who, like me, have a newborn in the family. If you are pressed for time or simply prefer to enjoy the story rather than tell it yourself, check out this website: Speakaboos. Classic fairy tales or Christmas stories come to life in this present-day version of your classical story collection book.

Cold Christmas? No, thanks

Would you like to have 'white Christmas' in Almendralejo? Well, then move to another country... But be careful which country you choose because you might have to go to your New Year's Eve party dressed like a snowman!! If you happen to think it's cold today have a look at this quiz and see how much you know about winter weather records.

Finding Christmas presents for the ‘person who has everything' can be very difficult. Have a look at this site to see some unusual and interesting ideas for presents, some of which are surprisingly cheap!

BANOFEE PIE
Would you like to surprise your family with a new and really sweet recipe this Christmas? Make banoffee pie for them, they'll love you for it.

Every learner of English finds language problems which often seem difficult to overcome. Hearing other learners talk about their problems can improve your morale, as well as getting some useful advice. Listen to the BBC series English Makeover, and practice your listening too.

On Thanksgiving

Since we probably won't stuff ourselves with delicious roasted turkey with cramberry sauce, we might as well follow this guy's advice and watch one of the films he recommends. I'm sure we can get some insight into this American tradition. Have fun!

Spice up your life

TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) is a series of conferences held around the world, designed to promote self-improvement, entrepeneurship and education. Regardless of where your interests lie, you will find engaging, inspiring talks which will make your life (and that of others) more worth living. The speeches are subtitled in countless languages, including (but of course!) English and Spanish. Drop us a line to tell us which talk you loved/hated and why, but first, check out this one about creativity in schools:

Hey, NI1 sudents. You read about this in your textbooks. Here you can check what you read was real. If you are only a bit interested in football, don't miss this.

Remember, remember the fifth of November...

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. The event is immortalized in this nursery rhyme:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.

By god's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!

Singing is learning

Who doesn't love music? It has been dubbed the "universal language", which is probably true, but it can also help you to make headway in the learning of a foreign language. How? Here are the main reasons why I think you should listen to music in English:
1) It gives you access to the culture of English-speaking countries and people.
2) It is a fun way to keep abreast of the latest developments in English vocabulary, especially in the fields of slang/colloquial language.
3) It helps your pronunciation by offering you a model you can imitate effortlessly, just like when you sing in your own language. Also, when you know the lyrics of a song by heart you can focus on getting the pronunciation right, as you don't have to divide your attention (grammar, lexis...)
4) It offers you the chance to hear accents from the four corners of the English-speaking world, and even foreign accents (think of Abba, Roxette, The Gypsy Kings, Los Manolos...)
5) It is fun as hell!

Any other reasons you can add to the list?

So, why don't you leave a comment with a link to one of your favorite songs in English so that everyone can enjoy it? Mine is Romeo and Juliet, by Dire Straits.

A day in Dana( Jordan ).

Dear basic level students,
This video is especially for you. It's a little holiday report, very similar to what we're doing in class.Tell me in your comments if you found it very difficult. Have fun!