Tuesday 1 November 2016

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE

Planned obsolescence is a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials.
Watch this video and give your opinion.


Watch.
Learn.
Think! ... for yourself!!

Thursday 29 September 2016

UNIT 9- BODY IDIOMS

DO YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF THESE IDIOMS?


BODY IDIOMS - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

Tuesday 13 September 2016

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Let`s learn how to use  Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses!



Monday 5 September 2016

UNIT 9 - GOING TO EXTREMES

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Watch this documentary about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) made for a college project.
What obsessions have you seen?
Are you an obsessive person?


Friday 2 September 2016

UNIT 8- FOOD

TRY THESE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES TO LEARN  VOCABULARY ABOUT FOOD AND COOKING 



















CLICK HERE AND PRACTISE


Thursday 11 August 2016

PASSIVE VOICE

In this lesson you are going to learn when to use passive and how to form a passive. You are going to see how to form a passive in every tense in the English language.


Thursday 23 June 2016

INSPIRING TRAVELLERS

WATCH THIS VIDEO ABOUT AN ARGENTINIAN FAMILY WHO ARE TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD IN A VINTAGE CAR. WOULD YOU DO THIS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

CLICK HERE AND WATCH

SPEAKING TIME


UNIT 6 - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

Tuesday 21 June 2016

TRIP, TRAVEL, JOURNEY, VOYAGE

Travel (noun)

The noun travel is a general word, meaning to move from place to place, usually over long distances.
We can say: air travel, food and travel, space travel, business travel, a travel agency.
  • Air travel is getting more expensive.
  • The magazine is a food and travel guide.
We can also say travels, which is a plural noun:
  • Where did you go on your travels?
  • Jack Kerouac wrote many books about his travels.
Travel is also a verb:
  • I travel 20 km to work every day.

Journey (noun) 

A journey means moving from one place to another, especially in a vehicle. It is a single piece of travel. A journey can also be a regular thing.
Here is an example. Let’s say we go from London to Leeds then back again. That is two journeys (London to Leeds is the first journey, Leeds to London is the second journey).
We can say: a bus journey, a train journey, the journey to school, my journey to work.
Be careful with the plural: journeys NOT journies.
  • How long does your journey to work take?
  • Did you have a good journey?
  • Did you have a good travel?

Trip (noun)

A trip describes the whole process of going somewhere and coming back. (It is more than one journey.)
Once again, let’s go from London to Leeds then back again. As I said above, that is two journeys, but it is one trip.
Some examples: a day trip, a round trip, a round-the-world trip, a boat trip and a business trip. We say go on a trip.
  • We went on a three-week trip to Scotland.
  • He’s gone on a business trip to Germany.
  • Let’s go on a trip to the mountains this summer!
  • The trip there took three hours. The journey there took three hours.

Voyage (noun)

Voyages are less common nowadays. A voyage is a very long trip, usually at sea or in space:
  • At the age of twenty-three, Sir Francis Drake made his first voyage to the New World.
  • A voyage around the world often took four or five years.
The French Bon voyage! translates into English as Have a good trip! or Have a good journey!

Here’s a link for you to test your understanding:




ip

-voyage

Thursday 16 June 2016

Tuesday 14 June 2016

A REPORT

A report is a formal document prepared by one person or a group of people who have been studying a particular subject. There are two basic kinds of reports:

  • The first simply provides information on a topic and gives a brief conclusion or summary at the end. Example: a report on the educational system in a particular country, written to help someone research the subject.
  • The second sets out to identify strengths and weaknesses in a particular situation and make recommendations for improvement. Example: a report on the library facilities in a college written at the request of the principal.

Language and register
Reports are the most impersonal kind of writing and it is usually best to avoid expressing personal opinions or feelings, except, perhaps, in the conclusion. Instead of I think that … or I found that… for example, you can use the impersonal “It” construction and a passive, eg It seems that… It was found that …

It is also advisable to avoid making very definite statements unless you’re absolutely sure they’re true. Instead of saying It is for example, you can use a modal verb eg It could/may/might be or a more tentative expression such as It seems to be or It tends to be.

Layout and organisation
Reports should have a clear factual heading and may also have subheadingswhich divide the writing into shorter sections. The information should be organised and presented as clearly and logically as possible, with a short introductionexplaining the aims of the report and how the information was obtained and a suitable conclusion, summing up the information and making recommendations if necessary.


Useful language

Introduction:            The aim of this report is to..                                    It is based on…
                                    This report is intended to..                                      It draws on 
                                    This report looks at / describes..                            It uses..


Reporting an
observation:            It seems/appears that..                                            It was found that..
                                    The majority / minority of …                                    It was felt that ..

Quoting:                    According to …         As X said…               In the words of …

Speculating:            It may / could / might (well) be that ..

Generalising:           In general      On the whole                        In the main

Commenting:          Interestingly              Curiously             Oddly                    Strangely      
                                    Surprisingly              Predictably
                                    As might be (have been) expected           It is interesting that

Making a recommendation:         It is recommended that ..
                                                            (Perhaps) it would be advisable for X to (do)
                                                            (Perhaps) X might /should consider

Summing up:           To sum up / To summarise On balance               In short


Sunday 12 June 2016

PLAY THIS GAME AND REVISE REPORTED SPEECH


CLICK HERE AND PLAY

REVIEW VOCABULARY

SOME EXAMPLES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR REVIEW:

INTRODUCTION
The film/book tells the story of ... Thefilm/story is set in... The book/novel was  written  by ... The film is  directed by ... It is a comedy/horror film/love story

PLOT
The story concerns about/begins ..    The plot is (rather) boring, thrilling. The plot has an unexpected twist.

GENERAL COMMENTS
It is rather long/boring/confusing/slow. The cast is excellent/awful/unconvincing.  The script is dull/exciting. It is beautifully/poorly/badly written. It has a tragic/dramatic end.


RECOMMENDATIONS
Don't miss it. It is well worth seeing. I wouldn't recommend it because .. I highly /thoroughly recommend it. It's bound to be a box-office hit. Wait until it comes out on video. It is a highly entertaining film.


Tuesday 7 June 2016

ALLEGORY, FABLE AND SATIRE

Allegory

An allegory describes a story that has both a literal meaning and a second level of meaning. This second level of meaning may be political or historical, with characters representing important historical personages, or it may be more conceptual, with character embodying certain ideas or principles. For instance in John Milton's "Paradise Lost," the character of Satan has two children named Sin and Death who serve as embodiments of the principles of their namesakes.

Fable

A fable represents a type of allegory, often illustrating a moral through the use of animal characters. Aesop's Fables are examples of this genre. For instance, in "The Tortoise and the Hare," a hare makes fun of a tortoise for being slow. But, when the two race, the hare thinks he is so fast that he can afford to take a break. The tortoise, who maintains a regular pace, wins. The moral of the story is "slow and steady wins the race."

Satire

A satire is a work of literature that derides a particular subject. Because it often derides its subject by evoking laughter from an audience, satire represents a type of comedy. For instance, Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" satirizes the British Victorian upper classes, deriding their manners and morals. Many of the plays of George Bernard Shaw also satirize the British upper classes.

Allegory, Fable and Satire

A single work can combine elements of an allegory, fable and satire. For example, the novel Animal Farm" by George Orwell is full of farm animal characters who represent Russian historical figures. The novel satirizes Communist ideas through the events and actions that the animals engage in on the farm. The story works as an allegory. On one level it is about animals living on a farm but, on another level, it is about the history of Russian Communism. The animal characters who possess human qualities make the story a fable and the novel's use of exaggeration and ridicule make it a satire.

Monday 6 June 2016

Tuesday 31 May 2016

A FILM REVIEW

This clip shows you some tips about how to write a film review in English.

REPORTED SPEECH

Learn all about reported speech or indirect speech!
Reported speech or indirect speech is used to report something that someone said in the past.

ANIMAL FARM

Its original title was "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story."  We'll be exploring 10 things you should know about George Orwell's "Animal Farm." 

Tuesday 24 May 2016

ARTICLES

 Learn about when to use 'a' or 'an' and when and how to use 'the.'


Tuesday 10 May 2016

UNIT 4- INSPIRATION

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STEVE JOBS? DO YOU CONSIDER HE IS AN INSPIRING PERSON? WHY? WHY NOT?
WATCH THESE VIDEOS ABOUT HIS LIFE AND THINK YOUR ANSWER


CLICK HERE AND WATCH A PIECE OF THE MOVIE ABOUT HIM 
CLICK HERE AND WATCH HIS SPEECH AT A UNIVERSITY

Thursday 28 April 2016

Very Important Information: Mock Tests

Below you will find the dates for the Mock Exams during this year.

Some points to consider:

You will have a booklet with 4 complete exams (Reading & Use of English paper, Writing paper and 
Listening paper). This booklet is to be used at York, you will only take it home during the winter break 
to complete Mock #2. You must bring it back to class once we start again
It is yours, take care of it and keep a neat record of your corrected answer sheets
They will be essential for the revision period before the exam date.

Concerning the papers, please note:

  • Listening paper. 

It will always be completed during class time. So make all your efforts not to be absent on that day. 
Before the class starts, ask for your booklet and an answer sheet to the secretaries
So, please, do come some minutes earlier.
When you finish, check you have written your name on the answer sheet, place it in the booklet and 
hand it to your teacher.

  • Reading and Use of English paper, and
  • Writing paper

Both of them are always on a Friday. You have to come to York during opening hours and ask for 
your booklet and an answer sheet to the secretaries.
When you finish, check you have written your name on the answer sheet, place it in the booklet and 
hand it back to the secretaries.

General advice:
  • As you can see, you are responsible for your Mock Exams. We, teachers, believe you can handle this.
  • Mock Exams are intended to give you full practiceconstant evaluation of your progress 
         and help you build the strategies you need to succeed in the exam.
  • Complete every paper with responsibility, do not use dictionaries or any other help that is not allowed 
         during the exam. 
  • Very important: Be aware of the time set for each paper and do not exceed the limit (when you 
         are doing the Reading and Use of English, and the Writing papers)



Date
Paper


1
May 17 / 18th
Listening

May 20th
Reading & Use of English

May 27th
Writing



2
July (during Winter break)
Listening

July
Reading & Use of English

July
Writing



3
September 13 / 14th
Listening

September 16th
Reading & Use of English

September 23rd
Writing



4
October 17 / 27th
Listening

October 28th
Reading & Use of English

November 4th
Writing

UNIT 3

Tuesday 26 April 2016

LET'S PRACTICE SPEAKING!!!

In the Speaking exam, you will be expected to talk on your own about two photographs for about two minutes.


 The interview will begin with the examiner saying something like:
 In this part of the test I'm going to give each of you two photographs. I'd like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about 1 minute and also to answer a short question about your partner's photographs.
 (Candidate A), here are your photographs. They show...................... I'd like you to compare and contrast these photographs and say.................
Notice there are TWO instructions here,
 a) 'Compare and contrast' the two photographs,
 b) 'say..........................' .

 In Part 2 candidates need to show they can compare but also give an opinion.
 So you will also need to,
 c) Speculate
 d) React.

 Have a look at the following presentation and work on your skills.



Thursday 21 April 2016

EXTREME ADJECTIVES

Learn how to make what you say in English more natural and interesting by using extreme adjectives!




WHAT WOULD YOU DO ...?


Into the wild - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Wednesday 6 April 2016

WRITING 1

WRITING: AN INFORMAL LETTER 

GREETING: Say hello + friend's name

BODY: Opening + Giving a reason for writing/replying

          Answer to question 1

          Answer to question 2

           (If there are more questions you have to combine them appropriately

            with question 1 or 2, using good connectors)

CLOSING: Give a reason why you're ending + Make reference for future contact
               Closing statement
               Signing off

3. Let's read an example:

Informal greeting
Hi Dean,

Opening - referring to the sender's email/letter.
Good to hear form you again. I hope you're still enjoying your Science course.
Give reason for replying. I'm glad you asked me about the party I planned for my mother's birthday. Well, I have to say it was a fantastic success. I told my mother we were taking her out for a quiet meal at a local restaurant with just the family, but in fact I'd(1) hired a large room in a hotel and invited all her old friends!(2)

Answer to question 1: Start a new paragraph as the topic has changed slightly.Use an informal linking word/phrase.
Anyway, I picked my mother up and told her I'd changed my mind. We were going to have a meal in a hotel. You should have seen her face when she walked into the room and everyone cheered! She just couldn't believe it and burst into tear(3). Then the party got going and it didn't finish until four in the morning. We were absolutely exhausted, but my mother had had a wonderful time.

Give a reason why you're ending + make reference for future contact.
Must dash now - I've got to go to college. Hope to hear from you (4).
Closing statement: informal phrase
Love,
Sign with your name
Tania


(1) Use contractions
(2) Use some exclamation marks (but not too many) to express emotion.
(3) Use a range of appropriate vocabulary and informal expressions
(4) Short sentences are acceptable



4. HOMEWORK: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
You’ve just received this letter from an English pen pal.

Hello,

I would like to get to know you a bit more. I couldn’t find any clear picture of you in Facebook so can you tell me what you look like, please? And how would you describe your personality? Tell me some positive and negative aspects about it. What about your personal life: family, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend? Tell me something about them and what you like doing together.
Thanks.

Write your letter in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

PERSONALITY ADJECTIVES REVISION

TRY THESE CROSSWORDS AND REVISE PERSONALITY ADJECTIVES



CLICK HERE 

CLICK HERE AND COMPLETE

Thursday 31 March 2016

FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE


A. Discuss the following questions with a partner:
1 - Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Justify your answer.

2 - Do you think mankind will ever discover a cure for cancer?

3 - Will human beings be free from diseases in the future? Why (not)?

4 - What would a city like New York look like if all of its inhabitants had to evacuate it in a hurry?

5 - What would you do if you and your best friend could be alone in New York for a week, without any other inhabitants around? Would you enjoy this experience? What would you do there?

Now imagine that NY City had to be completely evacuated because of a very destructive virus. Check what you believe would happen to NY if such situation did happen.

( ) The streets would become extremely filthy.

( ) People would abandon their cars everywhere. 

( ) Wild animals would escape from the zoo to look for food around the city. 

( ) Animals would take control of the city. 

( ) Some people would hide in the buildings to steal stores and banks. 

( ) Life in NY would become a complete chaos. 

( ) Power would go off. 

( ) People wouldn't drive their cars because of the lack of gas.

( ) Buildings would be destroyed by the angry population. 


Now watch the movie segment and pretend you are the main character in the movie, the one played by Will Smith. Imagine that you could have warned Dr. Alice Krippin about the consequences of her unfortunate discovery. Tell her what will have happened to NY within three years from now (by the year 2012) if she tests her discovery on human beings.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH THE SEGMENT:  http://moviesegmentstoassessgrammargoals.blogspot.com.ar/search/label/future%20perfect