WE ARE MILLENIALS!!!

 

 

Yes, would you believe it? We are MILLENIALS!!!         

Nobody could have believed that when our digital trek set off 12 years ago, when this blog was born on 11^th March, 2011. Our students have worked along with me writing almost 25,000 comments!!!  and we are getting closer to 1 million visits!!! 

 

 

 

 

In this heart of darkness, which our world of education has become, we are going through with the only light of Our great master  Dr Neil McLaren in the distance, a summit we will never reach, but with our belief that Victory belongs to the most tenacious here we are still fighting!!!      

 

 

So now it is the turn of our students and followers (and even haters) to rate the usefulness of this virtual diary, where we have dealt with so many semantic fields. Many things have happened: study trips to the British-Irish Isles, highs and lows, a pandemic, wars, victories, defeats, moments of absolute joy, moments of deep sadness, catastrophes, victories and defeats... Nevertheless, all the posts had a point in common:  the relevance they all may have had in our teaching-learning process of the English language.

 

Along with my site, this digital tool was so relevant during the pandemic. I feel really proud of our tenacity and resilience to keep this DIGITAL DREAM alive and I do hope that it was the seed for your own blogs and sites!!! But remember you have to water the seed and then the plant so as to be succesful, always being as flexible as water so as to overcome all difficulties you come across and to adapt to the most diverse situations.

 

 

Generation Comparison (1901-2024)

 

 

As well, with the word 'millenial' we make reference to those people who were born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, that is, a member of the Generation Y. Actually, I, the author of this blog, am a babyboomer, who is someone born between the late 1940s and the 1960s, the years after the Second World War, when there was a high increase in the birthrate, whilst most of my students and readers of this blog belong to the Gen Z. ( Gen Z to take over )

 

With regard to 'baby boomers' (actually, I'm one of them myself) not long ago I read this: "America's healthcare costs are expected to soar as baby boomers become senior citizens". Here are a couple of newspaper articles to read about the issue: 

 

Aging baby boomers raise the risk of a long-term-care crisis in the U.S. (CNBC)

Baby boomers 'should work for longer to stay healthy' (The Guardian)

 

Fast Facts About Baby Boomers | History

 

 

 

Homework for my students  (Your comments will be sort of pieces of advice for future students with Albert):

• 1º ESO.- Using MODAL VERBS write a comment telling people what to do if they are in 1º ESO with Albert and want to pass English.

Example: You must do your homework everyday and you should write genuine comments.

• 4º ESO.- Write a comment using the REPORTED SPEECH saying what Albert told you at the beginning of the school year and now that the school year is coming to an end what has happened using the 3 types of CONDITIONAL SENTENCES.

Example: Albert told us to study everyday and we didn't. If we had studied every day, we would have had better marks in English.

 

 

Some other activities for you to do: 

• News Review: Can diet improve memory?  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: Is ecotourism good or bad?  (BBC Learning English) 

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

• The English We Speak:  Level up  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

🏆 Kings of Europa League! Sevilla's post-match scenes & trophy lift | UEL 22/23 Moments

 

 

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Father & Son by Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!! And this is a playlist you may like: Great Baby Boomer Songs.

 

 

And this is one of the most beautiful presents I have ever received from one of my students:

Thanks, Amin!

And if you are a new student with Albert, here's a form to fill in with all your personal data:

Fill in the form, please. Send me a photograph to my e-mail if you don't like the one taken in class.  

My e-mail:  albertomeditutor@gmail.com

Thank you very much.

Albert.

Roman engineer wanted for Rules reservoir

 Twenty years ago the Rules reservoir (or dam) was built and we are still waiting for the water canalizations to be done and the hydroelectric exploitation bidding process is still to be started. It is just amazing with all the droughts we have gone through in the region and the electric bill crisis. 

 

How will it be done and how long will it take them? We still don't know, but perhaps we'd better look for a Roman engineer to do it! They were such incredible problem-solvers!!

Here you've got several documents for you to analise so as to see how  The Roman Aqueducts   worked. 

For further information visit The Archeology Channel for Roman Engineering   

 

We've been waiting for so long and at last it seems politicians have agreed to make a move, or is it just a 'fake' move because of the coming elections.

   

The singer in my musical hint for today is also waiting: Waiting for a Girl like you by Foreigner. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!! 

 

 

 

  

Roman Water Supply | Strip the City (Science Channel)

Ancient Roman Aqueduct Source Discovered (Discovery)

 

How did Roman Aqueducts work?  

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• News Review: King Charles's Coronation  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do: Addicted to war  (BBC Learning English) 

• English in a Minute: Learn how to use 'FIGURE'  (BBC Learning English)

• Learn how to speak naturally:  How to close a topic  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Learn about Reported Speech with Emma (mmEnglish)

 

You can revise everything you need to know and do some exercises in my site:  REPORTED SPEECH

 

Some activities for my students in 1º ESO:

Unit 6

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Los coches son más rápidos que las bicis.

2. Una tabla de skate es más emocionante que el autobús.

3. Ir andando al instituto es más lento que ir en coche, pero es más sano.

4. Montar en bicicleta está mejor que ver la televisión, pero mi padre dice que ir al trabajo en moto

   es más rápido. (quick)

   Los ingenieros romanos eran mejores construyendo acueductos que los ingenieros españoles. 

   De hecho eran los mejores ingenieros de toda la historia mundial. 

Now write sentences using the words given and the comparatives of superiority. 

Then finish them using the superlatives.

Example: Albert is better at playing tennis than Leo, but Nadal is the best tennis player in the world.

1. Books / cheap / films

2. Trains / slow / planes

3. Towns / safe / cities

4. France / big / Portugal

5. Films / interesting / books

6. Madrid / dangerous / Guajar Alto

7. Science / easy / History

8. Saturdays / good / Mondays

9. Thursdays / bad / Fridays

10. A Mercedes / comfortable / a Fiat

 

Tennis: And talking about Rome, here's Carlos Álcaraz in his debut against Albert Ramos in the Italian championship.   

 

 

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.

 

Victory belongs to the most tenacious

 

 

"Victory belongs to the most persevering." A quote attributed to Napoleon I and one which Roland Garros made his own... so much so that he inscribed it on his planes' propellers.

 

 

Here are two documents about this pioneer Roland Garros in English and in French. You'll discover an amazing story. 

 

 

On the whole, our students should never give up. They should keep working in a tenacious (synonym: 'persevering') way so as to achieve their goals in life.

 

 

GET UP AND KEEP FIGHTING - Powerful Motivational Speech (Featuring Billy Alsbrooks)

   

My encouraging song to help you keep fighting: Keep Singing by Rick Astley. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along!!

 

 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• Learning about past habits: USED TO, BE USED TO, GET USED TO  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do:  People who can taste words (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)   

• Detective work: Part 10: Getting a confession  (BBC Learning English)

• News Review:  Monkeypox: New disease spreads  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

 

 

Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic in battle of the GOATS | Eurosport Tennis

 

 

Other interesting videos to watch: Eurosport highlights ,  highlights , Zverev vs. Alcaraz

Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud - Final Highlights I Roland-Garros 2022

 

Rafael Nadal's Interview after winning 14th Roland-Garros | Roland Garros 2022 | Eurosport Tennis

 

 

John McEnroe makes his pick for Roland-Garros 2022 | Eurosport Tennis

 

Sculptures to mark the tournament’s history I Roland-Garros 2021   ( 1 & 2 )

 

 

Another example of tenacity is Jaycee Carroll., the American basketball player who has played for Real Madrid for so many years. Actually, he is the foreign player with the most matches played for this team.

 

CBS News >>> Rafael Nadal on record 22nd Grand Slam title, 14th French Open victory

 

Rafael Nadal - ALL 22 Grand Slam Championship Points (2005-2022 | The G.O.A.T)

 

How Rafael Nadal set the best tennis record of all time (all French Open winners of the Open Era)

 

 

 

Activities for my students:

• 1º ESO - Talking about routines (Unit 3). Interview Rafa Nadal about his daily routines?

  Example: What time do you get up? When do you have breakfast?

• 1º ESO - Describe Rafa Nadal physically (Unit 1). What does he look like?
  

Example: What does he look like? He's quite tall. He's got short brown hair.

• 1º ESO - A friend of yours wants to become a professional tennis player (Unit 5. Exercise 8). Using the modal verbs MUST, CAN, SHOULD in the affirmative and the negative give him/her some advice and think about possible questions she/he can ask you.

  Example: You must have a tennis racket. You can play in Salobreña. You shouldn't eat too much before a match. 

  Can you play when it rains? Must I wear shorts? Should you have some classes before a match?
  

Born to succeed!!!

These girls were really born to succeed!!!! SPAIN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL TEAM are the European champions once again.

 

Before talking about some of our students in 1º ESO, who are really born to succeed (hopefully!!!), let's some electrical devices which seem to be built to fail (listening exercise, 6 Minute English, BBC Learning English).

Some articles about being born to succeed for you to read:

• The secret to success? Believe in luck (The Guardian)

• How we succeed by failing (The Washington Post)

On the contrary, some electrical devices, especially electrical appliances, seem to be built to fail (some interesting vocabulary to bear in mind: planned obsolescence, faulty goods...)

• End of the line for stuff that's built to die? (The Guardian)

• Faulty goods? You've still got rights when the guarantee runs out (The Guardian)

English with Lucy: Here's a very good way to learn about the difference between SEE, LOOK & WATCH.

And now that you know the difference, let's watch some video sketches made by our students in 1º ESO:

• Partying by Álvaro Martín, José Corzo, Leo Maldonado and Cristian Ramón.

• Video sketch by Joel

• Sports and Technologies by David Bacas, Benjamín Béjar, Abraham Haro & Matías Sánchez

• Meeting in Molvizar by Lucía Espinosa, María González & Lucía García

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170607 / 07 June 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: tumours, remedy & influx.