Remembrance Day

I think you agree that language and culture can't be separated. Learning some culture helps to improve your level of language and understand other cultures much better. That is why I thought it would be a good idea to tell you about Remebrance Day, celebrated in England on November, 11th. This day is celebrated in the Commonwealth countries, that is, the countries that are dependant on the United Kingdom, for example, Australia, Canada and South Africa. Why is that day celebrated ?

1. To commemorate and remember those who lost their lives during World War II, serving the UK.

2. To celebrate the end of World War II at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The motto of this festivity is : Lest we forget (para que no lo olvidemos)

How do the people remember ? The most common thing is to carry poppies to the dead ones as you can see in the picture down below.

The remembrance poppy has become a symbol of peace and a way to remember those who have passed away. 

To conclude this post, I include this video to commemorate the lives of soldiers that gave their lives. Remember : lest not forget

My niece is born ! Welcome !

Hello fellow bloggers !
I have recently become an uncle of a pretty, newly-born niece, and I thought this would be a very good opportunity to write a blog about baby's and children's vocabulary to honour my niece somehow. Here we go :

1. What can we say when a mother discovers that she is having a baby ?
- I'm pregnant
- I'm with child
- I'm expecting
- She conceived/got pregnant in January
- I'm knocked up (informal 'estoy preñada)
- I'm preggers (informal 'estoy con el bombo')
- She is an expectant mother

2. What can we say when a mother is bringing the child to the world ?
- She is at labour / She went into labour
- She is giving birth to her baby
- She is bearing her child
- A child was/has just been born !
- She is birthing a baby
- The midwife is helping the woman to deliver the baby (she is helping the mother to give birth)
- The delivery of the woman went well.

3. Different children, different words :
Most words associated to babies and kids are not gender specific, which means they can be used to refer to boys or girls:
- Baby
- Child
- Infant
- Kid
- Lad (a child that has grown up)

- Toddler : a baby who toddles, a baby who has just learnt to walk but staggers and is unstable.

4. What do babies look like ? 
- They can be adorable, cute, charming, lovely, nice, sweet,  good-looking, beautiful, pretty, attractive, mesmerising ...
- My favourite expression for babies is: they are cute as a button.

5. Other baby vocabulary 
- Midwife : The nurse who helps the mum deliver the baby.
- Cravings : The strong desire that mothers have while they are pregnant (they usually have cravings for sweet food).
- Dummy (UK) /pacifier (US) : An object with the shape of a nipple that babies suck to calm themselves down. 

- Maternity or paternity leave : Permission granted to new parents during which they don't have to go to work. 
- Nappy (UK) / diaper (US) : A piece of cloth or other material worn by babies to poo or pee until they grow up. 

- Nursery : Baby's bedroom. It can also refer to the place or schools where babies go before attending formal schools. 

- Baby buggy / pushchair / baby carriage / stroller : It's the four-wheel chair where babies are carried or transported from one place to another to have a stroll.

- Cot / crib / cradle : The place where babies sleep.

- Carry cot : A portable cradle.

- She's got the father's nose / She has taken after her father / She looks like her father

6. Baby showers
In some countries such as the United States, baby showers are surprise parties organized for the mother-to-be in which only women and girls are usually invited. The guests 'shower' the mother with presents. There is usually smart decoration with balloons and placards. All the women sit and eat different types of sweets such as Oreo Cakepops. In addition, there are usually games related to children or giving birth. Here you have some pictures of my sister's baby shower:

 

So, did you learn anything about babies ? I hope you have enjoyed this post, as much as I will enjoy myself with my niece Valeria. 

Let's sing : Fast Car

Hello there,
Since you are not taking part in the classroom blog, students of 4th ESO, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to practise compounds with 'some', 'any' or 'no' with a song. The selected song is Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. 
Here you have the lyrics with some questions. Enjoy :

Listen to the song and complete the exercises :

1. Complete the song numbers 1-7 with a compound of ‘some’, 
‘any’ or ‘no’

2.  Choose the correct option of the words in bold.

3. Transform the sentences with any compounds in sentences 
with no compounds and the other way round

4. Identify the grammar mistake in number 8.

5. Why do you think an any compound is used in the affirmative 
in (1) ?

6. Read the lyrics again. What do you think this song is about ? 

"Fast Car"

You got a fast car

I want a ticket to ___________ (1)
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get ____________ (2)
Any place is better
Starting from zero got ________ (3)  to lose
Maybe we'll make __________ (4)
Me myself I got ________ (5) to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plane / plan  to get us out of here
I’ve been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money / penny
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs / posts
And finally see what it means to be living

See my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle / body that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life / file than he could give
I said (6) __________'s got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember when we were driving driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be _______ (7), be _______ (7), be

________ (7)
(Chorus)

You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain / entrain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted / removed
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs / subway

             Chorus

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking / hanging late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your feast / kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me find it
I got no plans I ain't going _________ (8)
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

Save Our World

As you know, we are currently seeing natural disasters in class. As you know, the world is in danger because of global warming, pollution and greenhouse effect. Listen to this video and answer the questions: 

1. What natural disasters are mentioned in the video ?


2. What renewable energies are mentioned in the video ?


3. According to the video, what materials can we recycle ?


4. What other things can we do to save our planet ?


Did you enjoy the video ? Then, watch it again and post a comment.

Films in Original Version in Van Dyck ! You can't miss them. Shall we go to the cinema ?

Hi !

As I told you in my email, Van Dyck cinemas will be projecting films in original version with subtitles, and you ought not to miss this opportunity to watch them, so here you can find some film information and the trailers. I'm sure some of these films are very interesting so why not go to the cinema to watch them ?

1) Irrational Man : 9th November. Woody Allen's latest film. A recently divorced philosopher starts working at a small university where he meets two interesting and troublesome women ! Enjoy the trailer 

2) Amy : 11th November. It tells the life of the greatest musical icon of the last decades: Amy Winehouse :

3) What We Did on Our Holiday : 12th November. A troublesome marriage travelling to Scotland. This is the plot of this comedy(I think so because of the trailer) :

4) Calvary : 16th November. A priest hears a startling confession related to pederasty, which is a current issue nowadays. Have a look :

5) Pride : 17th November. Set in the eighties. Miners protest against the government of Margaret Thatcher and they are forced to live with gays and lesbians. Don't miss it : 

6) A Promise : 19th November. This historical films tells a love story set in times of war, Germany 1912. Here you have the trailer : 

7) The Intern : November, 26th. A sixty-year-old man (Robert de Niro) is hired as an intern - yes an intern- of a successful company. He will have to work with twenty-year olders. 

So, now you have a plan for the three next weeks. Aren't you lucky ? Are you planning to watch any of these movies ? Which ones do you find the most interesting ? Please, post a comment to keep the blog alive ! 

Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder's Plot

Howdy !

I forgot to tell you in class about the Gunpowder's plot celebrated in England every 5th November. That day in England, there is a bonfire where the effigies of Guy Fawkes are burnt and there are fireworks ! It's a very special evening called Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night or Guy Fawkes Night. But what is the origin of this festivity ? 

Well, it all goes back to November, 5th 1605, that is 410 years ago. A man, Guy Fawkes, and other people wanted to assassinate the king James I to defend Catholicism. They planned to kill the king by blowing up (or exploding) the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder, so they dug  a tunnel into the Houses of Parliament. However, the King received an anonymous letter telling him all the plan, so he had Guy Fawkes and the other men arrested, they sentenced them to death and they were executed. The king declared this as a festivity so that everyone remembered to be good to the king and from that day on, there are fireworks and a bonfire night. There is also a famous song to commemorate this day. Here you have it.

The Fifth of November

    Remember, remember! 

    The fifth of November, 

    The Gunpowder treason and plot; 

    I know of no reason 

    Why the Gunpowder treason 

    Should ever be forgot! 

    Guy Fawkes and his companions 

    Did the scheme contrive, 

    To blow the King and Parliament 

    All up alive. 

    Threescore barrels, laid below, 

    To prove old England's overthrow. 

    But, by God's providence, him they catch, 

    With a dark lantern, lighting a match! 

    A stick and a stake 

    For King James's sake! 

    If you won't give me one, 

    I'll take two, 

    The better for me, 

    And the worse for you. 

    A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, 

    A penn'orth of cheese to choke him, 

    A pint of beer to wash it down, 

    And a jolly good fire to burn him. 

    Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! 

    Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! 

    Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

In case you don't understand, here you have a very good video explaining it. Please, watch it and comment ! 

Vocabulary of the video

Fireworks = Fuegos artificiales

Gunpowder = Pólvora

Plot = Conspiración

He caught the eye of a man = Un hombre llamó su atención

Cellar = Bodega

Plotters = Conspiradores

Gruesome = Espantoso, horripilante

Crows = Cuervos

Effigy = Efigie, (el modelo de una persona)

Listening comprehension : Jack-o-lanterns

Listen to the following video and answer the questions : 

How many answers did you get right ? I hope all of them. Did you enjoy the video ? Then, post a comment.