We're all a family at IES Mediterráneo!!!

Tough moments for everybody at school, both students and teachers!!! But remember we're all a family at IES Mediterraneo with the same goal: DO OUR BEST!!! 

 

Having this goal in mind and due the COVID protocol, we are all in the need of a quieter world, as you will see below. Remember what happened to nature when our cities went silent during the lockdown.

 

 

My musical hint for this long weekend: Sister Sledge - "We Are Family"  (1979)  and here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along:

 

 

Some activities for you to do:  

 

• English in the News:  INDIA COVID: Hospitals overwhelmed  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute:    How be polite in English GIVING OPINIONS AND TALKING ABOUT MISTAKES (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: A quieter world   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

• News Review: Nomadland wins at the Oscars   (BBC Learning English)

 

Some articles for you to read about the issue:

 

• India Covid: Hospitals overwhelmed as deaths pass 200,000 (BBC News)
  

• As COVID-19 floods India’s hospitals, the better-off also scramble for care (Reuters)
  

• ‘The system has collapsed’: India’s descent into Covid hell (The Guardian)
  

 

 

With regard to the need for a quieter world, especially in Spain and at our school, here are some interesting articles for you to read:

 

Pandemic made 2020 ‘the year of the quiet ocean’, say scientists (The Guardian)

 

'The bliss of a quiet period': lockdown is a unique chance to study the nature of cities (The Guardian)

 

Lockdown 'silence' reveals mesmerizing sounds (CNN Travel)

 

Will the world be quieter after the pandemic? (BBC News)

Windows to the sea (Ventanas al mar ): Some stunning drawings done by our students!!!

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210428 / 28 April 2021    >>>  The reconstruction of Notre Dame -    Language related to 'reconstruction'.  Need-to-know language: dismantling, mangled, rafters, sprouted & contemporary.

Nothing is going to stop us now!!!!

The school year is coming to an end and crucial moments are coming closer. However, it is not just in the academic domain, but also in other areas. 

 

In sport seasons are in the most important matches, the pandemic is living special moments with the vaccination of the population and the state of alarm coming to an end, climate change is again an issue that demands the attention of the whole world (especially, super powers such as US or China), justice in the US has also lived something special regarding the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement... 

 

But perhaps some have gone a bit too far >>>>

News Review: FOOTBALL: 'Superleague' for Europe?   (BBC Learning English)

 

Anyway, above all,  here we are and

McFadden & Whitehead - "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" 1979

to encourage our students in these tough times. Try dancing the way they do it and singing. Here's the song with the lyrics >>>>

 

and here's another version by Starship: Nothing is gonna stop us now  

Some activities for you to do:  

 

• 6 Minute Grammar:  STATE VERBS vs ACTION VERBS  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute:   Modifying comparative adjectives   (BBC Learning English) 

• A listening exercise for you to do: US and China vs Climate change   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

• English in the News: Derek Chauvin GUILTY   (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

And being just on the move, enjoy this other musical hint of mine: A Celebration Of New Orleans Blues With Hugh Laurie. I hope you'll fancy the music and the city of New Orleans.

Here are our students at work >>>

 

Project on A Foreigner in Britain by David Bacas (1º Bachillerato A)

 

 

  

Some other projects done by our students: 

• Project about Jane Eyre by Raquel Boo Arellano (2º Bach A) 

• Project about A Foreigner in New York by David Escribano (2º Bach A)

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210414 / 14 April 2021    >>>  How will Brexit affect the flower industry? -    Language related to 'threats and warnings'.  Need-to-know language: poaching, deshints, baffling, shed some light on & large improvement (in something).

 

And nothing is going to stop the outstanding Nadal...at least on clay!!!! Barcelona Open 2021  & Rafa Nadal's winning moments   

 

 

 

 

A glass of wine? Space wine, please!

 What about having a glass of wine? But not any average wine, but wine that has aged in space!!! Would you believe this amazing story?

 

News Review:   SPACE WINE: Does it taste letter?   (BBC Learning English)

 

Here are some articles for you to read about the issue:

• A bottle of wine was blasted into space. Here's what it tastes like now (CNN)
  

• Cosmic reds: French researchers sample fine wine aged in space (France 24h)
  

• Bordeaux-ver the moon: French wine to return from space station after 12 months (The Guardian)
  

• Does space affect the taste of wine and other tech news (BBC News)

 

 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• English in the News: World's richest 'at heart of climate problem'  

• 

  English in a Minute:   Modifying comparative adjectives   (BBC Learning English)

• A listening exercise for you to do: Naked in nature   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• News Review: NATANZ: Iran blames Israel   (BBC Learning English)

 

And here's my musical hint for today: The Jacksons 5 - Can you feel it? (Official video) and here's another one with the lyrics. 

 

 

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210407 / 07 April 2021    >>>  Africa's endangered elephants -    Language related to 'threats and warnings'.  Need-to-know language: poaching, destruction, faring, critically & wake-up call.

 

 

I think we'd better dance now

 

 

Spring is already here and I think we'd better dance now, have fun and do our best in this  final term at school after such a difficult and bizarre year!!

How do you feel with the arrival of the spring, with the change in the time, with longer and sunnier days, with all the school matters...?

 

Before answering have a look at the activity just below:

 

English in a Minute:   3 phrasal verbs for 'feelings'   (BBC Learning English)

Some activities for you to do: 

• English in the News: Navalny's health  

• Stories for children: Car journey   (BBC Learning English)

• A listening exercise for you to do: That's the way the cookie crumbles   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• ... and a final activity: Where to put the adverb better?   (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Time to dance with my musical hint for today: Tom Jones and Art of Noise - Kiss (Official video) and here's another one with the lyrics. 

 

    

 

Our students at work  >>>>

Lucía Guirado's project on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2º Bachillerato A)

 

Marina Guirado's project on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2º Bachillerato A)

 

 

 

• Project on The Hound of the Baskervilles by Lucía Espinosa (1º Bachillerato A)

• Project on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Anabel Prados (2º Bachillerato A)
  

• Project on The Hound of the Baskervilles by Natalia López (1º Bachillerato A)

• Project on The Hound of the Baskervilles by Johana Gutiérrez (1º Bachillerato A)

 

• Project on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mari Trini Ortiz (2º Bachillerato A)

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210310 / 10 March 2021    >>>  The dentist helping a koala to walk -    Language related to 'improving health'.  Need-to-know language: prosthetic, patient, mobility, rejuvenated & quality of life.

 

 

I can't help falling....

 Although I'm a bit annoyed with some of my students, I can't help reminding them this most important piece of news (What does 'can't help + verb in -ing' mean?):

 

    REMINDERS FOR OUR STUDENTS >>>>>> B1 & B2 exams!!!!

You can register for the B1 and B2 exams as freelance student (estudiante libre) from 1st April to 15th April.

 

Here's the LINK to the website of the Official Language School in Motril.

 

And you must also remember that you can apply to be an official student next school year from 1st May to 20th May. Here's the LINK, and all the dates for ...

 

PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIÓN 2021 Pruebas escritas  junio 1 - junio 10

 

 

Here's a sentence our students in 2º Bachillerato had to translate  in their control on the reader "Jane Eyre": 

"Setting out on the road, I could not help thinking of Mr Rochester's despair when he found himself abandoned." 

How would you translate it? (simple explanation in a video)

 

 

     And all this brings to my mind a couple of songs that I present you in this post as my musical hint for you. The first one is by Elvis Presley "Can't Help Falling in Love" (1961). Here's a version with the lyrics both in English and Spanish, and another one just with the lyrics in English:

 

 

The second one, which you will probably like better, is the version of this same song done by UB40 "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You".

 

 

Some activities for you to do:    

• Here's a listening exercise for you to do:  Digital help for blind people    (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• English in a Minute:    LESS vs FEWER   (BBC Learning English)

• Stories for children: Exam time   (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Australia hit by record floods (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210331 / 31 March 2021    >>>  Changing how we view the Universe -    Language related to 'scientific discovery'.  Need-to-know language: profound consequences, hints, baffling, shed some light on & large improvement (in something).

 

Our lives are like rivers

 

 As Spanish writer Jorge Manrique said (or even later Bruce Springsteen), our lives are like rivers (have a look at Copla IV, "Coplas por la muerte de su padre"), rivers that die when they arrive at the sea, but which provide so much life in their way down to all the fields alongside. So remember to do your best because you are in the best part of your life, of your river!!!

 

 

 

     Here's my musical hint for today: Bruce Springsteen - The River (The River Tour, Tempe 1980)

And do you remember the film by Robert Redford: A River Runs Through It : A Symphony (Mark Isham) and its wonderful soundtrack.

and here's its movie trailer (some other movie clips)

 

Some activities for you to do:    

• Here's a very interesting listening exercise for you to learn about the English language:  Is English really English? (The origins of English)    (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) and remember this old post of mine:   Where does English come from?

• English in a Minute:    How to use 'ish'   (BBC Learning English)

• English in the News : Brazil's political crisis and Covid surge   (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Suez Canal: Delays continue (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Giant ship blocking Suez canal partially refloated (The Guardian)

The cost of the Suez Canal blockage (BBC News)

How the Suez canal blockage can seriously dent world trade (The Guardian)

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• 
  Episode 210317 / 17 March 2021    >>>  Kenyan fishermen and women saving the planet -    Language related to 'fishing'.  Need-to-know language: catch, the fruits of, source of income, scarce & labour-intensive.