Unstoppable!!

 

 Yes, this is how we saw Álcaraz last week in Barcelona and how some of my students may feel now that we are coming to the end of the school year. "Unstoppable, invincible, powerful, confident...", as the singer Sia says in her song. However, we should always be humble when facing important challenges in life.

 

 

Never stop learning: How to learn English with ChatGPT  & ChatGPT for language teachers     

Master English with ChatGPT - A Step-by-Step Guide to Language Learning    

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Unstoppable by Sia. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!! 

 

 

 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• The English We Speak: under your breath  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: Why is life so hard for women in politics?  (BBC Learning English) 

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

• Learn how to speak naturally:  How to borrow something  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Some more activities for my students:

• 1º ESO - What do you need to feel 'unstoppable' when learning English and having a good mark? Using the modal verbs learned in unit 5 write a comment in the affirmative and the negative to tell us how you do it and if you have any doubts, you can also ask some questions for advice.

Example: You must write your comments as soon as possible. You can read the voluntary book for the third term. You should not leave everything to the last minute. Can you record a video sketch to improve your mark? Must you hand in all the writing exercises? Should I study every day?

• 1º ESO - What is your favourite sport? Explain the rules.

Example: My favourite sport is tennis. I can play tennis in Salobreña sports facilities. I can't play tennis with my left hand. You must train very hard to become a good player. You mustn't bring your pet to the tennis court, but it can stay outside. You should bring enough tennis ball to play and you shouldn't forget to call a friend to play with you.

My doubts: Can you play alone? Yes, if there is a wall. Must your tennis racket be very expensive to play well? No, it is not necessary. You can start with a cheap one. Should I wear a cap? Yes, if it is summer and it is very warm.

Tennis: Carlos Álcaraz defeating Tsitsipas at 🏆 | Godó 2023 Final Highlights, but the best match was against fellow Spaniard Davidovich Fokina!!!   

and here's young Carlos Alcaraz and Holge Rune playing together doubles   

 

What can you do with your eyes closed?

 

 What can you do with your eyes closed? You can probably move around your house with your eyes closed and I can't think about many other things you can do, so for me it is incredible how blind people can sort out all difficulties in life.

 

Memory recall 'better when eyes shut' (BBC News)

I remember there was a good basketball player called Steve Trumbo  ( Gigantes  ), who used to score his free throws with his eyes closed and he was quite good. 

 

 

There have other players like Michael Jordan who have done it as a kind of a challenge, but not on a refular basis.

 

I'm afraid you must keep your eyes (and ears) wide open when you are learning English.

Learn English with TOP GUN: MAVERICK | Tom Cruise

 

 

 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• The English We Speak: to be at a loss  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: What's the point of museums?  (BBC Learning English) 

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

• News Review:  Life on Pacific garbage patch  (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!!

 

 

 

Tennis: Andrey Rublev vs Holger Rune For The Title! 🏆 | Monte Carlo 2023 Final Highlights   

On the road to PERFECTION!!

We should always be on the road to perfection. From my point of view, perfection is impossible because there will always be things to improve. So, perhaps, being perfect is just being constantly looking for perfection. Nevertheless, you cannot get obsessed with this attitude since it may become an illness as "in the medium term is virtue".

 

 

Artificial perfection (that is to say, cheating) is, as well, useless. What do I mean? Many times I tell my students to work honestly and not to use translators or any other ITC tool such as chatgpt.com they can find on internet because at the end of the day if you don't know how to solve a problem yourself, you'll get into bigger troubles.

 

Let's suppose you get used to cheating and you do it so well that you pass every exam with a superb mark.  What happens when you come to a situation such as the Selectivity exam?

  Anyway, the perfect teacher or student is that person who is always on that way. Once they think they have reached the summit, that is, when they think they are perfect, it is the first bad sign and so time for their decline.

Activities for my students in 1º ESO:

• Using the MODAL VERB 'CAN' and adverbs of manner (Unit 5) write comments what things you can and can't do and how to be better and better at English or school.
  

  Example: I can do my writing exercises carefully. I can't do them fast because I commit a lot of mistakes.

 

Some other activities for you to do: 

• The English We Speak: Exam cheating with AI  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: How culture affects sadness  (BBC Learning English) 

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

• Learn how to speak English naturally:  How to haggle  (BBC Learning English)

  

 

Some articles for you to read about the issue:

• ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays (BBC News)
  

• Now AI can write students’ essays for them, will everyone become a cheat? (The Guardian)

• Bristol University student creates app to stop cheats using essay bot (BBC News)
  

• 'Flood of cheating': Expert warns new tool will be a game changer for cheaters (CNN)
  

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!! (and here's a beautiful remix with other singers)

 

 

 

 

Learn English with some TV series...

Sarah and Duck  | Time to bake | Cartoons for Children

 

 

Sarah and Duck - Compilation for you to enjoy!!

 

 

 

Vintage tennis: 

How good was Stephan Edberg actually?  & Legends of tennis: Episode 1

 

 

 

However, there is still time to do some work:

 

Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by Andrea Valdés Padial (4º ESO A)

 

 

 

Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by Francisco José Prados Espinosa (4º ESO A)

 

 

 

Sergio Prados (1º ESO B) and his comic about the reader Around the World in 80 Days

Carolina Prieto López  (1º ESO B) and her comic about Around the World in 80 Days.

 

All I wanna do is have some fun!!

 

 

I know all my students want to do is have some fun, but I'm afraid life doesn't work that way. Anyway, the final term is about to start and the school year is about to end!!!

 

There are several ways to learn English and some of them are really good fun: watching TV series, songs...

 

Learn English with some TV series...

Peppa Pig  | The Doll Hospital | Cartoons for Children

 

 

Peppa Pig - English Series 1 (Episodes 1 - 10 with subtitles) and also in French!!  (with subtitles)

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• The English We Speak: Go off on one  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: Would you eat a Kalette? (new types of vegetables)  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: 5 common uses of 'while'  (BBC Learning English)

• Learn how to speak English naturally:  How to ask someone for a favour  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: All I wanna do by Sheryl Crow. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!!

 

 

 

What is the 'digital native'? How does it affect our teenagers?

Millennial bug: why the ‘digital native’ is a myth (The Guardian)

Do we need to rescue our kids from the digital world? (BBC News)

How can a distracted generation learn anything? (BBC News)

We Are Digital Natives   

 

 

 

However, there is still time to do some work:

 

• Project on A Christmas Carol by Adrián García Guardia (4º ESO A)

• Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by Abel Martínez Padilla (4º ESO A)

• Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by José Antonio Sabio Prados (4º ESO A)

 

 

Put the blame on...

Students usually put the blame on me, the English teacher, the child-eater! just as some people put the blame of the earthquake in San Francisco on Mame (as the song presented in the previous post said. You remember the one sung by Rita Hayworth in the famous film "Gilda")

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• The English We Speak: (It's the) story of my life  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: Beware of the green-eyed monster (Do you get jealous easily?)  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: Ways to use 'current'  (BBC Learning English)

• News Review:  Trump arrested  (BBC Learning English)

 

English with Lucy: 20 Best British TV Series to Learn English - Beginner to Advanced Level  

 

 

 

Inglés con serie: Poldark Lesson 8 

Sports Review...

• 

  Football:  Benzema hat trick seals final spot   

• Tennis:  This Carlos Alcaraz Shot Is Revolutionizing Tennis!   

• Tennis:  AMAZING ambidextrous 12 year old  playing tennis  
  

 

Don't put the blame on those students who are at work during the Easter holidays:

Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by Adrián García Guardia (4º ESO A)

 

Project on Rabbit-Proof Fence by Rubén Sabio Prados (4º ESO A)