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.

Gen Z to take over

What do the terms: 'Gen Z' and 'take over' mean? Do you think you belong to this Generation Z? What are the main differences between Generation Z teenagers and teenagers of previous generations? How different did your parents used to be from you?

Here's a listening exercise to do: Describing Generation Z (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

These are some articles you can read about the issue:

• Generation Z: ‘We have more to do than drink and take drugs’ (The Guardian)

• Millennials disrupted the system. Gen Z is here to fix the mess. (The Washington Post)

• 'We are the opposite of self-absorbed': what everyone gets wrong about Generation Z (The Guardian)

• 'We are Generation Z, we're misunderstood but this is who we are' (BBC News)

• Generation Z reported the most mental health problems, and gun violence is the biggest stressor (CNN)

News Review: 60% drop in global wildlife (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

REVISION EXERCISE for 4º ESO

MAKING SUGGESTIONS (Analyse different ways how to suggest first)

YOU: "I don't know what to do at Easter"    

ALBERT:     - "Why don't we go to York?"

                           - "Let's go to York"     "Let's not go to York"

                            - "Shall we go to York?"

                            - "How about going to York?

                            - "What about going to York?"

YOU:     "Great. I'd love to"      "That's a great idea!"    "Fantastic!"

                "I'm afraid I can't."      "I'm sorry, but I have to take care of my little sister."

                "All right, but you'll have to lend me some money."   "OK, but can you help me with my English homework?"    

1. YOU: "There is nothing on TV tonight."

2. YOU: "I am going on holiday to the north of Spain."

3. YOU: "I'm afraid I'm going to fail English."

4. Víctor: "10 kg of baggage is not enough for me."

5. YOU: "We would like to give a surprise birthday party for our History teacher."

6. YOU: "I don't know which kind of present we could give him."

7.  YOU: "We've still got 2 T-shirts and 3 sweaters left to sell. What can we do?"

8. YOU: "It's raining. We can't go out."

9. YOU: "I'm starving."

10. YOU: "The classroom is really untidy and messy. Albert is going to get really furious with us when he comes."      

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 181031 / 31 October 2018    >>>  Dogs could help detect malaria -  Language related to 'dogs'.  Need-to-know language: four-legged friends, on the scent, pooches,  & sniff out something/someone.

What do they mean by saying: "four-legged friends"? What is the word for young dogs?

 

A four-legged friend obviously makes reference to dogs. How would say in English: 'tuerto'?

Answer these questions using the same pattern:   How do you call...

1 ..... a man that looks strange?
2 ..... a young girl that has got fair hair?
3 ..... a lady that dresses badly?
4 ...... some furniture that has been made well?

Pau Gasol in the All-Star 2016 game in Toronto

Latest news: Pau Gasol added to NBA All-Star Game (Marca)

He will be the only white-coloured player and the only foreigner in the game!!!

  

Pau Gasol and his Spanish supporters to play in the All-Star game (Chicago Tribune)

 

 CONGRATULATIONS!!! You deserve it.

 

Jimmy Butler with knee injury misses the All-Star game  (We all wish him a fast recovery << to recover from an injury) >>>  Guess who'll be there for the sixth time!!! 

 

By the way, some questions for you about the venue: Where is Toronto? Which NBA basketball team plays there? Which letter is silent (the way it is pronounced in North America)? 

British vs American | English Pronunciation Lesson

And this is how British pronounce 'Toronto'.

 

Can you tell me any famous player that played in that team? Has any Spanish player ever belonged to this team?

Notes on MODALS for my students in 4º ESO (Can you give me some examples related to our champion Pau Gasol? For instance: "Pau Gasol can play basketball really well. I cannot play basketball as well as him".)

>>  TO TALK ABILITY we use can/can't, could/couldn't, be able to/not be able to.

Examples: I can speak English (Sé hablar inglés)      I will be able to speak English after my five-month course in England.

General ability in the past: Mozart could play the piano when he was four.  (had the ability)

Specific ability in the past: The little boy couldn't swim, but he was able to (=managed to) get out of the water when he fell into the swimming-pool.

>>  TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY we use must.

Examples: Someone is ringing the bell. It must be the postman.

>>  TO EXPRESS IMPOSSIBILITY we use can't.

Examples: 'Someone is ringing the bell. It must be the postman.'    'It can't be the postman because today is Sunday and they don't deliver any letters on Sundays.'

>>  TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY / PROBABILITY we use may/may not, could/couldn't, might/might not.

Examples: It may rain this afternoon, but I don't think so.

>>  TO EXPRESS OBLIGATION, LACK OF OBLIGATION or PROHIBITION we use must/mustn't, have to/don't have to,  need to/needn't/don't need to.

Moral obligation: You must obey your parents.

Prohibition: You mustn't park here.

External obligation you don't have to agree with: You have to wear a uniform at this school.

Weaker obligation: You need to wear gloves if you are going out. It is freezing.

Lack of obligation: You don't have to wear a uniform at Mediterranean Sea Secondary School. (You needn't wear / You don't need to wear...)

>>  TO GIVE ADVICE OR MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS with a pinch of OBLIGATION we use should/shouldn't, ought to/oughtn't to.

Examples: You should/ought to study more regularly.       You shouldn't/oughtn't go to bed so late.