BEING A TEACHER....

BEING A TEACHER IS A DIFFICULT TASK NOWADAYS, SO I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THIS PIECE OF ADVICE BY BRUCE LEE:

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

by Bruce Lee

jueves, 23 de noviembre de 2023

Teachers are a kind of conductors

 Are they? Do you mean they can drive faster than Fernando Alonso? No, no, I'm only joking. Watch the following video and you'll discover that 'to conduct' can be a'false friend' for us.


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

 



Conductor can also be the person in charge of an orchestra or the person collecting the tickets in a bus or a train.

As I said, teachers are a kind of conductors because they try to lead a group of students in their learning process. They can help the students, but they can't do all the work. It is then time for the students to get to work.

 

In your opinion, what should be the role of teachers? What must they do? What do they have to do to make their students learn?

 



   

Here's my musical hint for today by the great German conductor Herbert Von Karajan: full album 


 

 


Here are some activities for you to do:

 



 

Activities for my students.....

 

in 2º ESO:    

 

SO, TOO & ENOUGH   ( SO, TOO & ENOUGH )

Dialogue page 30 (New English in Use 2) -  Making recommendations   

A: You can go to Alicante. There are so many funfairs. It is so exciting!

B: Sorry. I don't like funfairs because they are too noisy. There's too much noise and there are too many people.  

c: Then you can go to Novelda. It is quiet enough for you. There are enough quiet places for you to stay and there are enough  parks for you to go for a walk.    

 

Translate the following sentences into English:

 

 

 

mmmEnglish - SMALL TALK  >>> Pronunciation lesson: bath or bathe?



"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



 Learn English with  Arnold  , a body builder who worked tirelessly towards success in life
 

 


   Vintage tennis: Was Steffi Graff really this good?   

 



viernes, 17 de noviembre de 2023

Never be mean at Christmas!!



 

How many meanings of 'mean' do you know? It can be a verb, an adjective, a noun... You can write sentences with the different meanings. Watch this video and tell me.


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

 

Meanings of 'MEAN' (PapaEnglish)

 

These are not the only ones. You can check it up in this dictionary:  MEAN   (WordReference)

 


 

   

Here's my musical hint for today : Mean by Taylor Swift. You can also have a look at the lyrics to try to understand one of the meanings of this word.

 

 

 


Here are some activities for you to do:

 


 

Activities for my students.....

 

in 2º ESO:  Exercise on Comparatives 2  

in 3º ESO:  Asking questions   

 

 

and finally for students in Bachillerato.....

 

Answers to exercises in previous post.....

 

191. COMPARATIVES.   1. further    2. elder/eldest   3. the worst  4. She didn't arive as late as usual   5. The more I study, the fewer problems I've got with English.     6. Exams are getting/becoming more and more difficult.

 

192. RELATIVE CLAUSES.   1. That is the boy whose motorbike I borrowed last Saturday.  2. Southampton is a busy sea port which is on the south coast of England.    3. Jimmy Connors, who was a very famous American tennis player, was once married to Chris Evert.  4. Apolo XI was the spaceship which took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.  5. Last year I had to read the book you are looking at now.


193. CONDITIONALS.  1. When / am / will see    2. Unless / go / will miss   3. will help / provided that, as long as / finish    4. If / had /would go    5. will play / provided that, as long as / eats

 

 

 

mmmEnglish - SMALL TALK  >>> How to keep a conversation going on



"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



 Learn English with  The Chronicles of Narnia 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

miércoles, 8 de noviembre de 2023

Don't dare to one-up your English teacher...

 

Don't dare to one-up your English teacher (check the meaning of this expression below), just try to work as much as he does and you'll get the best results!!

 

What to say to someone who is always trying to "one up" you   by Marie Dubuque



 

Here's a listening exercise for you to start: Should we farm octopus? (6 Minute English, BBC English Learning) 


 

Is octopus farming sustainable? (DW)





Here are some activities for you to do: 

 

 

mmmEnglish:  Difference between -ING & -ED adjectives     

 

 

 

 

Activities for my students.....

 

in 2º ESO:  Exercise on Comparatives 1  

in 3º ESO:  SUBJECT and OBJECT questions   and more

 

 

and finally for students in Bachillerato.....

 

Getting ready for Bachillerato.....

 

191. COMPARATIVES. Fill in the gaps with the comparatives of superiority and the superlatives of the adjectives you are given in brackets:

 

1. For (far) ______________ information on the passive you should revise the grammar revision.

2. Mick Malone's (old) _______________ brother came from Ireland to visit him.

3. This is (bad) _______________ football match I've ever watched.

 

Translate the following sentences into English:

 

4. Ella no llegó tan tarde como de costumbre.  ________________________________________

5. Cuanto más estudio, menos problemas tengo con el inglés.

______________________________________________________________________________

6. Los exámenes se van complicando cada vez más.

_____________________________________________________


192. Insert the second sentences into the first ones by means of RELATIVE CLAUSES:

 

1. That is the boy. I borrowed his motorbike last Saturday.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Southampton is a busy sea port. It is on the south coast of England.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Jimmy Connors was once married to Chris Evert.He was a very famous American tennis player.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. Apolo XI was the spaceship. It took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. Last year I had to read the book. You are looking at it now.

______________________________________________________________________________


193. CONDITIONALS. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense and fill in the gaps (...) with these words:  IF  /  WHEN  /  PROVIDED THAT  /  UNLESS /  AS LONG AS     

 

1. I am going to Rome next week. ................ I (BE) __________ there, I (SEE)______________ the Colisseum.

2. .................... we (GO) ____________ now, we (MISS) ____________ the train.

3. I (HELP) ____________ ....................... I (FINISH) _____________ first.

4. .............. she (HAVE) _____________ a ticket she (GO) _________________ to the concert.

5. Albert sr.(PLAY) ________________  with you tomorrow morning ..............  Albert jr. (EAT) ______________ every three hours.

 

Answers to exercises in previous post.....

 

187. TENSES. 1. had her eyes tested 2. need being cleaned / cleaning    3. see    4. has been playing / has played    5. used to play   6. got  /  was coming  7. going   8. to come    9. to meeting    10. am not going to take  /   won't arrive

 

188. PASSIVE VOICE:   1. Your house is being cleaned at the moment.  2. Lieutenant Columbus is called only in special occasions.  3. All the jewels were stolen last night.   4. Refreshments will not be served until the match is over.     5. It is thought that they make...  /  The are thought to make... /  These artificial flowers are thought to be made of silk

                                                                                                                                          

189. INDIRECT SPEECH:   1. The father asked the son to bring him the newspaper.    2. He asked who put / had put salt in his coffee.   3. The small boy said he was going fishing with his mother that afternoon.    4. The policeman asked me what she was wearing when I saw her last.    5. Mrs Pitt said she would sit up till she came in, but that she hoped she wouldn't be late.


190. Give a piece of advice to each problem:   1. You should/ought to/'d better... go to bed earlier.   2. Why don't you have it checked. (Other possibilities are also correct)

 
 

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Perfect World by Huey Lewis & The News, when you discover there's no perfect world  or a perfect person, either. PERFECTION is a goal you never reach and when you think you have it, that means you're on the way to FAILURE!!!

 

 

But, anyway, as the song says "you've got to keep on dreaming that we are living in a perfect world!!!"

 

 


viernes, 3 de noviembre de 2023

Hey, Jude!

 


 

Nowadays there are many football stadiums where the crowds sing this song in reference to Real Madrid's football player Jude Bellingham, but where does it come from?

It was originally a famous song sung by the Beatles.

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today : Hey Jude by The Beatles. You can have a look at the lyrics in English & Spanish to try to understand it better.

 



The story behind this song:

The Beatles' masterpiece 'Hey Jude', an olive branch of friendship



 


Sir Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence has enabled a 'final' Beatles song (BBC News)

The Beatles: ‘final’ song Now and Then to be released thanks to AI technology (The Guardian)



Here are some activities for you to do:

 




Jude Bellingham aims to ‘keep pushing limits’ after winning Golden Boy award (The Guardian)

 

Activities for my students.....

 

in 2º ESO:  like, love, hate... + V-ing form  

in 3º ESO:  Mixed past tenses   and more

 

 

and finally for students in Bachillerato.....

 


187. TENSES. Put the verb in brackets into their appropriate form:

  

1. She went to the optician and (her eyes / tested) ____________________________ .

2. These shoes need (clean) ____________, because they are rather dirty.

3. I won't know the answer until I (see) ________ him.

4. She (play) ____________ volleyball for two hours.

5. When I was younger he (play) ________________ football, but now he doesn't play any more.

6. When I (get) ________ home, smoke (come)________ out of one of the upstairs windows.

7. My grandfather can remember (go) _____________ to the cinema with my grandmother.

8. Would you like (come) ___________ to a party on Saturday evening?

9. I'm looking forward (meet) ______________ you again next summer.

10. I (not take) ________________ that bus because I have a meeting in Granada at 14.00 and  I'm  afraid I (not arrive) _______________ in time if I take that one.


 

188. Put the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE:

 

1. They are cleaning your house at the moment.  _____________________________

2. We call Lieutenant Columbus only in special occasions.___________________

3. Someone stole all the jewels last night.   ______________________

4. Nobody will serve refreshments until the match is over._________________

5. People think they make these artificial flowers of silk._________________

                                                                                                                                          

189. Put the following sentences into INDIRECT SPEECH:

 

1. "Bring me the newspaper, please", the father to the son._________________________

2. "Who put salt in my coffee?", he asked._________________

3. "I'm going fishing with my mother this afternoon", said the small boy._____________

4. "What was she wearing when you saw her last?", the policeman asked me.  ____________

5. "I'll sit up till she comes in, but I hope she won't be late", said Mrs Pitt._________________


190. Give a piece of advice to each problem:

 

1. I find it really difficult to get up in the mornings.  ____________________________

2. My car is not going very well lately.  _____________________________           

 

 

mmmEnglish >>> English Listening Practice | Story + Dictation

 


"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



 Learn English with  Avatar