Was Christmas the icing on the cake or was it better in the past?

 

 

Very often people tend to consider anything related to the old times better than anything you have nowadays. 

 

Why is that? First, I reckon humans usually remember only the good part of  past experience and forget about the bad moments. Secondly, Christmas used to represent a unique time to have delicious meals that we hardly ever had during the year, such as a roasted chicken, cakes or candy. And that is not the case nowadays, since we have everything at any time of the year.

 

 

 

 

Real Easy English:   Talking about dinner  (BBC Learning English)

Japan introduces rules to put outlandish baby names to bed (The Guardian)

Why do some countries regulate baby names? (BBC News)

Sayonara, Pikachu! Japan Is Banning ‘Glittery’ Baby Names (Today)

 

 

Work in the future:   Does office design impact our work?  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

 Here's my musical hint for today:  Cry to me by Solomon Burke. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

 

The Reading Room:   What happens when your job is just too boring?  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

  

 

Learning English Grammar (TALKING ABOUT QUANTITY: 'loads and loads', 'some' & 'just a few'...):   Things we collect  (BBC Learning English) 

Here are some more activities for my students:

• Listening exercise for you to do:   Was Christmas better in the past?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 
  

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  Learning English from the News: Japan bans baby names like Pikachu and Kitty  (BBC Learning English)  

  
  

• The Listening Room: AI could fill gaps in our knowledge of Ancient Rome  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: Phrases with CAKE  (BBC Learning English) 

    

 

 

English with Lucy: C1 + C2 English vocabulary in 1 hour    

   

 

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

Learn English with    STRANGER THINGS    

 

 

Football legend Johan Cruyff  | FIFA Classic player  

 

 

 

 

 

At 66, John McEnroe Reveals the 5 Tennis Players He Admires Most   

 

 

Time to think about this year and time for a fresh start

 

Every time you come to an end of a year, a course, a school year, a competition... you should think about what you did well, what you did not do so well (badly) or what could be improved.

 

 

Real Easy English:   Talking about your year  (BBC Learning English)

Well, so far this school year, I must admit that it is one of my best years in my long teaching career. Although teachers always want more and are really demanding, and many students can and will do better along the year, I am fairly happy how this first term developed. In fact, we can make history!!!

 

 

Anyway, what are your highlights of 2025? What did you do well? What are you proud of? Do you regret of having done something or having not done anything? Are we ready for a fresh start?

 

 

 

 Here's my musical hint for today:  Days like this by Van Morrison. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

 

 

The English We Speak:   A fresh start  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

 

Learning English from the News:   Australia teen social media ban  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Here are some newspaper articles to read about the issue: 

• Australian PM says social media ban a 'proud day' - but some teens say they still have access (BBC News) 

• Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia’s world-first social media ban begins (The Guardian)

• Australia's social media ban for users under 16 takes effect (DW)

Learning English Grammar ('tend to', WILL & MIGHT for typical behaviour):   Holiday habits  (BBC Learning English) 

Here are some more activities for my students:

• Listening exercise for you to do:   Finding and eating wild food  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 
  

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  The London Letter Challenge: Episode 10: Boat race finale  (BBC Learning English) 

  
  

• The Listening Room: Record warm seas help to bring extraordinary new species to UK waters  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: Phrases with STOP  (BBC Learning English) 

 

 

English with Lucy: 15 words for your C1 (Vocabulary)    

 

  

 

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

Learn English with PODCASTS  -   How Emma Watson Became Hermione    

 

 

Football legend Roger Milla  | FIFA Classic player

 

 

 

And our students already working during these holidays to have a fresh start...

 

Project on A Christmas Carol by Carla Vigo (4º ESO A)

 

Red and Gold Classy Border Christmas Campaign Presentation de carla vigo alabarces

 

You'd better watch out and be nice!!

 

 

 

And you'd better believe your English teacher when he was once with Santa Claus at his house on the North Pole in the way from Rovanemi to Kemijärvi in the Finnish Lapland. He actually cycled from Rovaniemi to Kemijärvi crossing the Arctic Circle and watching loads of reindeer in the forests nearby!

 

Learn to talk about Christmas!!! (BBC Learning English) 

 

Do you know why on the Finnish cars you've got an SF plate?? (See solution at the bottom of this post)

 

Finland: The Arctic Wonderland (Lapland Road Trip)

Christmas: Santa Claus Village 🦌🎅🎄 Rovaniemi Lapland Finland Arctic Circle home of Father Christmas

Santa Claus presents: Welcome to Rovaniemi, my official hometown in Lapland, Finland

 

Christmas Trivia Quiz for you to do!!! 

 

 

 

 Here's my musical hint for the coming Christmas:  Santa Claus is coming to town by Ella Fitzgerald. And it is a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

 

 

 

The English We Speak:   Duck out  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

Learning English from the News:   Deadly fires in Hong Kong investigated  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Hong Kong holds election as city reels from deadly fire  (DW)

Learning English Grammar (Past Perfect tense with adverbs):   Learning to cook  (BBC Learning English) 

Here are some more activities for my students:

• Listening exercise for you to do:   How are influencers affecting politics?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 
  

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  The London Letter Challenge: Episode 9: Another challenge  (BBC Learning English) 

  
  

• Work in the future: How can we stay cyber safe?  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: Phrases with BONE  (BBC Learning English) 

 

 

English with Lucy: 5 highly common mistakes in English    

 

  

Real Easy English - Talking about watching sports (BBC Learning English)

 

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

Learn English with   Now You See Me    

 

 

Football legend Garrincha  | FIFA Classic player

 

 

 

Solution the question above: in the Finnish cars you've got an SF because S stands for Suomi and F for Finland. Suomi is the land of the people in the Lapland.