Thank God I'm a country boy!

We have always wondered this big question: What is it better: the countryside or the city? Living in a small village or in a big city? 

 

There are, as always, pros and cons to each option, but if we have a look at countries in Central Europe, we'll see a combination of both options is the best. That is to say, British, German, French... people like living in quiet places and perhaps work in the city if they can't find a good job in the village itself.

City centres are more and more uninhabitated places, especially in the evenings or at weekends. However, it is also true that people prefer going shopping to cities, but big shopping malls near cities. With the improvements in the means of communication, public transport and flexibility in timetables everything is possible.

 

What would be your option?

 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• Leadership: Being a social entrepreneur  by Charmian Love (BBC Learning English)

• A listening exercise for you to do: Eating bugs: Would you eat insects?    (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• The English We Speak: Don't mind me  (BBC Learning English)

• Leadership and communication:  The war of words  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

   

My musical hint for today: Thank God I'm a country boy! by John Denver.  Here's a live version and another one with the lyrics:

 

 

And this would be the Spanish version Somos Catetos  by El Koala (Don't miss the video, which was filmed at Salobreña and Motril beaches).

 

 

Let's get serious again. Here's an interesting exercise for you to have a look at about PHRASAL VERBS & MISSPELT words (BBC Learning English).

LINGOHACK  >>>

Episode 220223 / 23 February 2022    >>>   Britain's lost lego   -    Language related to 'the beach and the ocean'.  

Need-to-know language: wash up, shoreline, off the coast, ocean currents  & tide.

 

Our students at work again...

Project about A Foreigner in Britain  by Sergio García (1º Bach A)

 

 

 

 

Project on  All about Ireland  by Andrea Valdés Padial (3º ESO A)

 

 

 

Project on  All about Ireland  by Fco. José Prados Espinosa (3º ESO A)

 

 

 

Project on  All about Ireland  by Javier Rivas López (3º ESO A)

 

 

 

Project about A Foreigner in Britain  by José Adrián González Rodríguez (1º Bach A)

 

 

 

 

Bore-out? Brown-out? Burn-out?

 

At work, but also in our school context, we may come across with these three states of mind related to mental health and which can affect our outcome.

 

Let's first have a look at the definitions of these words:

Burnout is to ruin one's health or become completely exhausted through overwork.

Boreout is specifically related to feeling spiritually disconnected at work: we might feel separate from our colleagues, detached from our company's vision, and as though our role lacks any sort of purpose or meaning.

Brownout  >>   business context, it refers to employees working long hours without any real interest in their job, leading to disengagement, discontent, and lethargy.

 

 

And now let's have a look at some articles related to the issue: 

• Underworked but exhausted? That's not burnout, that's 'boreout' (The Guardian)

• Burnout Symptoms and Treatment (verywellmind.com)

• Preventing Burnout While You Work From Home (madhathaven.com)

• The damaging effects of 'boreout' at work (BBC News)

• Do you feel burnt out? It’s not just about working too much (The Guardian)
  

 

 

 

But not everything connected to boredom is bad....

Listening exercise for you to do: The benefits of boredom    (BBC Learning English)

Some great ideas have come out of this state of mind.

  

Some activities for you to do: 

• Leadership: Do you wan to connect with people?   (BBC Learning English)

• Words in the news: The secret of giraffes' long legs    (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Climate change affects health  (BBC Learning English)

• News Report:  Delhi water crisis  (BBC Learning English)

 

English tenses in conversation | Past Simple & Present Perfect | 'did' or 'have done' today?

   

My musical hint for today: Let the river run by Carly Simon from the film Working Girl (movie trailer). Here's one version with the lyrics:

 

 

And talking about tennis and about different states of mental health...

• Most "humiliating" final in tennis history  
  

• The day Nadal ended Djokovic's domination over him  
  

 

 

 

Our students at work...

Project about A Foreigner in Britain  by María Romero (1º Bach A)

Project on  All about Ireland  by Fran Toledo (3º ESO A)

Project on All about Ireland by José Carlos Escribabo (3º ESO A)

 

 

 

Project on  All about Ireland  by Fran Toledo (3º ESO A)

Lucille, my love

💓 It is not only a human being or a pet you can have this feeling for, but also a thing. 💘 Well, a thing with a soul, as it is the case of the guitar Lucille in the hands of BB King. It may look like a lifeless object, but in his hands it sounds full of life💖 Please, have a look at the lyrics. I'm sure you will enjoy the reading. 💗

 

Here we go (and another one)...

 

 

Here's one version with the lyrics >>>

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• Leadership: Keeping mental health in focus: Steven Hassan - Sophia Kianni  (BBC Learning English)

• Listening exercise for you to do: Does your pet care if you are in pain?    (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: The Queen celebrates 70 years on the throne  (BBC Learning English)

• Learning English vocabulary with Shakespeare:  Strange bedfellows  (BBC Learning English)

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 220209 / 09 February 2022    >>>   Out-of-hours work ban   -    Language related to 'work'.  

  Need-to-know language: civil servant, job, boss, normal hours & private sector.

   

 

Some articles for you to read about the problem generated by the pandemic related to the long working hours:

• 

  ‘It just doesn’t stop!’ Do we need a new law to ban out-of-hours emails? (The Guardian)

• Working from home: Call to ban out-of-hours emails from bosses (BBC News)

• In Portugal, it's now illegal for your boss to call outside work hours (CNN News)
  

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 220209 / 09 February 2022    >>>   Out-of-hours work ban   -    Language related to 'work'.  

  Need-to-know language: civil servant, job, boss, normal hours & private sector.

   

 

 

  The day Rafael Nadal impressed David Beckham! (Tennis classiest performance)

 

Our students at work >>>

Project on  All about Ireland  by Rubén Sabio (3º ESO A)

 

Nothing is impossible

Well, hardly anything is impossible if we make a real effort to solve it. We have often talked about droughts and problems with water in our planet. Have a look at the next documentary and you'll see what amazing measures, investments, discoveries... they have made in Saudi Arabia to turn a desert into an oasis!!!!

 

How Saudi Arabia is Turning its Desert into a Farmland Oasis

 

 

And also Impossible is Nothing - Muhammad Ali (the great boxer versus his daughter Leila & greatest tribute) ADIDAS ad

Muhammad Ali In His Prime - Blinding Speed 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

Episode 220216 / 16 February 202    >>>   Boxing to beat Parkinson's disease   -    Language related to 'health and lifestyle'.  

Need-to-know language: quality of life, rock bottom, medical intervention, exercise-oriented therapy & back on its feet.

    Nothing is impossible, so While you see a chance, take it, as Steve Winwood says in his song. Here's one version with the lyrics:

 

 

 

And nothing has been impossible for our relentless Nadal: 1 ,  2  & just go back to the year 2000. So with effort and commitment you can achieve anything: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

 

Rafael Nadal Australian Open tribute (The Miracle Journey to #21 & The Miracle | Australian Open 2022 )

 

 

 

Was it impossible....?

Adidas - Impossible is nothing

 

 

Some activities for you to do so that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for you: 

• Leadership: Sharing climate information with the world - Sophia Kianni  (BBC Learning English)

• Listening exercise for you to do: Sleepy in South Korea    (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Racial inequality in the UK  (BBC Learning English)

• The English We Speak:  We couldn't make it up  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Here are two examples of our students at work >>>

 

Project on  All about Ireland  by José Antº Sabio (3º ESO A)

 

 

Project about  Jane Eyre  by Johana Gutiérrez (2º Bach A) 

 

 

My job is to make you believe!!!

When tough times come and when time is running away very fast, students begin to feel the anxiety of the challenge they will shortly face and it is then my job, as your teacher of English, to make you believe in you. I'm sure you will do fine, but you can never stop or feel any fear!!

 

    ...like in this song: Make Believe by Toto. Here's one version with the lyrics:

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• Leadership: Who will save the planet? - Greta Thunberg  (BBC Learning English)

• Learn a new English expression: All that glitters is not gold    (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Nadal: Star breaks records again  (BBC Learning English)

• English in a Minute:  Every time vs All the time  (BBC Learning English)
  

  

Some advanced vocabulary presented by Lucy (English with Lucy) >>> 

 

 

Discover some of the best players in the history of football, some football legends:   1 , Germany best football players of all times, best centre-backs, best playmakers, best midfielders... What is your opinion?

 

 

And now let's get serious. Here's an interesting talk about Why humans run the world by Yuval Noah Harari (TED talk)

 

 

and here's another talk by Yuval Noah Harari: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Talks at Google)ta

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

Episode 220202 / 02 February 2022    >>>   Electric buses: greener public transport   -    Language related to 'buses'.  

Need-to-know language: chugging, double-decker, secreted, cabin & range.