Wednesday 30 December 2009

Auld Lang Syne

Quisiera agradecerte tu visita este año, si fue un minuto o una hora, igual te doy las gracias. Me hace bien saber que hay colegas por allí con quien hermanarme aunque sea a través de posts e ideas que te puedan servir.

Te deseo un 2010 con muchos éxitos, para vos y tus alumnos, en tu vida y en tu carrera.

Que disfrutes de esta maravillosa profesión cada vez más!

Aquí iremos a The London Eye a ver los fuegos artificiales y a cantar Auld Lang Syne, esta maravillosa canción escocesa, que tiene su historia y aquí transcribo la versión inglesa.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Para ver la versión escocesa original y su pronunciación, click aquí.

Te recomiendo que escuches esta hermosa versión por la BBC, la imagen de fondo es del Sydney Harbour.



Happy New Year!

Thursday 17 December 2009

Traditional Christmas Carols

'Tis the season...

Londres está cada vez más linda, se respira Navidad, hay pantos y por supuesto, también se cantan los villancicos.

Uno puede ir a la iglesia a escuchar un coro o incluso se dan sing-a-longs como el que hubo hace poco en el Royal Albert Hall.

Tuve la dicha de ser invitada a un sing-a-long y fue mi segunda vez y les puedo asegurar que es una experiencia maravillosa cantar villancicos con gente que no esconde su voz y canta a viva voz, familias, gente grande, niños, todos juntos!

Les paso los que cantamos ayer, bastante "entonados" en todo sentido, después de haber comido mince pies y de tomar mulled wine...

También agrego las letras para que puedan enseñarlos, particularmente The Twelve Days Of Christmas, una especie de cumulative song, muy divertida!

Si ya están de vacaciones, será el año que viene.

Clickeen PLAY y a cantar! Merry Christmas!

The First Noel



The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!


Ding Dong Merrily on High

(Mi villancico favorito! No se olviden de la intrusive r cuando canten Hosanna in Excelsis!)



Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And "Io, io, io!"
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!


Away in a Manger
(generalmente, la primera estrofa la cantan los niños, la segunda las mujeres y la tercera, los hombres)



Away in a manger, no crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing the poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my side,'til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there


Good King Wenceslas




Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing


The Twelve Days of Christmas



On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Esto es lo que significa:

1 True Love refers to God
2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed


All Come All Ye Faithful




O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing



Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Thursday 29 October 2009

A Beatles Conspiracy Theory


Ustedes alguna vez escucharon hablar de esa famosa teoría conspirativa que dice que Paul McCartney habría muerto y que fue reemplazado?

Bueno, les copio parte de un artículo que apareció en el diario The Mail On Sunday, muy interesante por cierto y que seguro es de interés supremo para todo Beatle fan.

El artículo apareció el día 9 de agosto de este año un día después de haberse conmemorado los 40 años del cruce de la famosa calle Abbey Road. Que lo disfruten!


Pictured: The Beatles album cover that started a decades-long conspiracy theory


Forty years ago yesterday, at 11.35am, The Beatles walked across a zebra crossing in an innocuous North London street.

The photoshoot for their new Abbey Road album happened just yards from the eponymous recording studios and took ten minutes - only six frames were taken by the photographer, Iain Macmillan, who was perched on a stepladder.

It has since become one of the most iconic covers in history for two reasons - no album cover has inspired more imitations, and none has spawned such a mass of conspiracy theories.

For Beatles obsessives with fevered imaginations, it was ultimate proof of the bizarre theory of the time - that Paul McCartney was, in fact, dead.

According to the legend, Paul had died in a car accident and been replaced by an impostor. The band, it was said, subsequently felt guilty about the deception, and so placed hidden clues on the album cover for their fans.

Thus, even today, despite the apparent rude health of McCartney, they insist that if you look closely at the images on the front and back of the album it is packed with deathly symbolism.

What is certain is that the album denoted one death of sorts. Unbeknown to the public at the time, The Beatles were in the final throes of a bitter break-up and would never record another album.

Relations had deteriorated to such an extent that the group abandoned their original title of Everest, together with a shoot in the Himalayas, and were photographed instead walking away from the studios and everything they had once shared.

For other devotees, however, far more could be read into the image...

1. THE FUNERAL
The procession of The Beatles across the zebra crossing, say the conspiracy theorists, represents Paul's funeral.
John Lennon leads in a white suit and symbolises the preacher; Ringo Starr is the mourner, dressed in black; George Harrison, in scruffy shirt and trousers, denotes the grave-digger; Paul is wearing an old suit and is the only one who is barefoot.
He later explained that he began the shoot wearing sandals but, because it was a hot day, he kicked them off.
The theorists believed that if this was the case, the hot tarmac would be too uncomfortable. This, they argued, was a sign that Paul was the corpse.


2. THE CIGARETTE
Paul McCartney is left-handed, but here holds his cigarette in his right hand. At the time, cigarettes were commonly referred to as 'coffin nails'. This, therefore, could be seen as a message that Paul's 'coffin lid' had been nailed down and that the man in the picture was a lookalike.
Paul is also out of step with the other band members. Each of the others has his left leg forward, but Paul has his right leg forward - again marking him out as different.


3. THE REGISTRATION PLATE
The white VW Beetle in the background has the registration LMW 28IF - 28 being the age conspiracy theorists say Paul would have been IF he hadn't 'died'.
In fact, Paul was 27 when Abbey Road was released - but fortunately for the theorists, Indian mystics count a person's age from conception, not birth, in which case Paul would have indeed been 28 at the time.
Besides, the band were famously followers of the Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It has also been suggested that the LMW stands for 'Linda McCartney Weeps' - referring to his new wife whom he had married earlier that year.


4. THE SPECTATORS
In the background, a small group of people dressed in white stand on one side of the road, while a lone person stands on the other.
Is this meant to be Paul, alone and different from the others?


5. THE POLICE VAN
On the right-hand side of the road is a black police van, believed to be a reference to the police who kept quiet about Paul's 'death'.
According to legend, the band's manager, Brian Epstein, bought their silence, and the presence of the Maria is meant as another subtle thank you.


6. THE LINE OF CARS
A line can be traced from the VW Beetle to the three cars in front of it. If it is drawn connecting their right wheels it runs straight through Paul's head, with theorists suggesting that means Paul sustained a head injury because of a car crash.


7. THE BLOODSTAIN
On the Australian version of the album, the cover showed what could be a bloodstain splattered on the road just behind Ringo and John, supposedly backing claims of a road accident.


8. THE CRACKED S
On the back cover there is a picture of the Abbey Road sign and above it the name Beatles has been written. There is an obvious crack running through the S - thought to suggest problems within the group.


9. THE DOTS
To the left of the name 'BEATLES' there are a series of eight dots. When joined together they form the number three.
Did this mean there were only three Beatles left?


10. IMAGE OF DEATH
If the back cover is turned 45 degrees anticlockwise a crude image of the Grim Reaper appears, from his skull to his black gown. Theorists believed it was a sign that someone in the group had died.



11. THE GIRL
Nobody knows the identity of the girl dressed in blue on the back cover. On the night of the theorists' 'car crash' it was raining heavily and Paul is said to have given a lift to a fan called Rita. It could be that this girl is her, either fleeing the scene or running to get help.

12. PAUL'S FINAL RESTING PLACE
If the writing on the wall is split into sections, it conveys the cryptic message, 'Be at Les Abbey'. In numerology the following two letters, R and O, are the 18th and 15th letters in the alphabet. By adding this together (33) and multiplying by the number of letters (2), we get 66, the year Paul is supposed to have died.
Three also represents the letter C so 33 could also stand for CC. Cece is short for Cecilia, with theorists claiming Paul was 'laid to rest' at St Cecilia's Abbey, a monastery in Ryde, Isle of Wight.

La nota completa aquí.

Y la foto completa:

La Quinta Beatle! ;)


No, metira! :(

Sunday 18 October 2009

What is a mum?



Happy Mother's Day!

Tuesday 6 October 2009

ELT Halloween 2009

La época más divertida!

A decir verdad, aquí la gente grande lo ve como una invasión de costumbres americanas pero los que tienen chicos están bien contentos (o por lo menos lo aparentan) de acompañar a sus niños, a la vuelta del cole, a pedir golosinas por el barrio.

Hubo un año en que me vinieron a visitar (ahora vivo en un departamento así que es medio difícil que vengan) y golpeaban mi puerta porque vieron que había puesto una calabaza en la ventana.

Gritaban "Halloweeeeeeennnnnn!!" y cuando salí a convidarles golosinas, muy tímidamente agarraban uno cada uno! Les invité a tomar más y les daba vergüenza!!! Después les pedí a las mamis si me daban permiso para sacarme una foto con ellos y aceptaron!

Bueno, les cuento esto porque les confieso estuve buscando infructuosamente nuevos sitios y/ o actividades para este año y no he encontrado casi nada nuevo que valiera la pena, salvo estos dos sitios muy interesantes.

Click aquí donde encontrarán worksheets y actividades varias y aquí donde tienen un lesson plan para desarrollar una clase sobre Halloween u otras seasons.

Les recomiendo darse una vueltita por los posts de Halloween de años anteriores los cuales he actualizado y allí encontrarán games, classroom decorations, etc.

Halloween 2007
y Halloween 2008.

Que disfruten de Halloween!!!

Friday 2 October 2009

Urban Accent

El 18/08/09 en el diario de circulación gratuita The London Paper, apareció una columna escrita por un lector, Sert Fetti, que trata cómo hablan los adolescentes en general.

Les copio aquí el texto.
THE URBAN YOUTH TALK NANG, INNIT

Recently I met up with my 14-year old-cousin who, since starting secondary school, has somehow managed to morph himself into Ali G. His accent is now largely indecipherable to his family, much to their annoyance. During our time together words like “nang”, “sick”, “marvin”, “yard”, “blud” and “innit” kept rolling off his tongue.

This got me thinking about accents, language and my cousin’s new-found love of speaking – what I like to call “urbanese”. Does the way youngsters in London speak really say anything about them?

Programmes like The Catherine Tate Show and Little Britain poke fun at kids who’ve adopted this urbanese accent, depicting them as anti-social and unintelligent.

Personally, I’m not “bovvered” with the way some of our kids speak today. I admit, it can sound peculiar but I also think it shows creativity. According to many, a “proper” accent is the one that carries the most social prestige, and that’s how we should all be speaking. This is the pronunciation taught in schools and used by newsreaders, but why should it be classed as superior?

Everyone has an ­accent. Surely it’s what you say, not how you say it. I’m sure most of us are guilty of doctoring our accents depending on the company we’re in. Perhaps by ­speaking urbanese youngsters are just trying to conform to what is now the majority accent in their peer group.

Does a person’s accent really indicate how intelligent they are or their ability to do a job properly? Let’s ­suppose you have a vacancy in your company. Candidate A is experienced, qualified, bright and, on paper, ­perfectly able to do the job, but speaks urbanese. ­Candidate B is less experienced, skilled and qualified, but speaks “properly”. Who would you employ? I’m guessing that, although most of us wouldn’t admit to it, we’d probably discriminate against Candidate A.

It seems that people stereotype and make judgements based on accents. So should we be encouraging ­youngsters to smarten up their speech or should we ­forget snobbery about accents because urbanese is just a natural evolution of a London accent?

Only time will tell how future generations of Londoners will speak. We’ll just have to wait and see... innit!

Sert, 25, from east London, runs a website

La nota se puede encontrar aquí.

Sunday 9 August 2009

Swine Flu

Sé que a lo mejor llega un poco tarde esta info, pero a lo mejor, ahora que parece que pasó lo peor y los chicos volvieron a clase, viene bien información en inglés acerca de lo que ya saben y dominan bien.

Aquí tienen información lista para imprimir, con gráficos muy fáciles de seguir. Es un leaflet que está en los diarios, que se bajar de internet, como ustedes también pueden hacerlo. Contiene temas como medicinas a tomar, vacunación, cómo protegerse, etc.

Acá tienen el audio que también se pueden bajar a un CD para idear un entretenido listening comprehension.

Clickeando este link encontrarán la misma información pero en versión easy read, con dibujos, ideal para los niveles elementales.

Y aquí hay una interesante lista de Q&A.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Father's Day English Activities


Cada tercer domingo de junio se celebra el Día del Padre o Father's Day. Aquí en UK, también como así en USA.

Aquí les recomiendo unos sitios con actividades de todo tipo.

Este sitio es muy interesante, además de ofrecer diferentes tipos de actividades y lesson plans, también hay un powerpoint slideshow (Things Dads Do) muy bueno para practicar o aprender vocabulario en simple present tense. Para chicos es ideal, incluso lo pueden adaptar y hasta incentiva a los chicos a crear sus propias oraciones.

Aquí hay un sitio que presenta cinco lesson plans para que los alumnos aprendan a honrar a los padres o las figuras paternas.

Si quisieran actividades simples, listas para imprimir (como Hidden Picture, Colouring Pages, Projects, etc), hagan click aquí. También se encuentran reading comprehension exercises aunque para acceder se tienen que registrar. Acá también hay muy buenas actividades listas para imprimir, especiales para niños.

Siempre es lindo acompañar un regalo con una tarjeta. Aquí encontrarán varias. Y acá, certificados!

Y si les interesa las manualidades, origami, etc., este es un buen lugar para buscar.

Para los teachers sensibles y románticos, este sitio y este otro, ofrecen poemas para dicha ocasión.

Y para que todo termine en un mar de lágrimas de emoción, acá hay canciones para enseñarles a los pequeñitos.

Que disfruten de la preparación de las actividades.

Mucha suerte y feliz día para los padres!

Friday 27 March 2009

Easter English Activities

Mientras los chicos esperan al Easter Bunny con ansias, las teachers tienen que planificar (qué novedad!).

El año pasado, el post sobre Easter fue desde el punto de vista religioso, con actividades y lesson plans para adaptar. Si en las escuelas donde trabajan exigen que el tema de Pascuas sea tratado desde ese plano, clickeando aquí encontrarán varias ideas.

Y encontré aquí unos flashcards muy interesantes, además de actividades sobre textos bíblicos, ideal para nivel pre-intermediate en adelante.

Para los pequeños de jardín y los primeros grados, acá hay unas bonitas colouring pages, listas para imprimir. Y en este sitio, innumerables worksheets y printables, también para pequeños.

Me gustó también esta página donde hay word searches, board games, awards, señaladores, y hasta tarjetas, todos con el tema de Pascuas. Y aquí hay desde crafts hasta poemas y canciones.

Felices Pascuas y disfruten de esos días de descanso que se vienen!

Thursday 12 March 2009

St Patrick's Day Activities

Generalmente se celebra St Patrick's Day el 17 de marzo si esta fecha no cae en Semana Santa.

Tienen que preparar algo para esa fecha?

Empecemos con algunos lesson plans entonces...

Este plan es de un sitio americano donde explica cómo desarrollar un lesson plan especial para esta fecha. Fíjense, es fácil de adaptar y tiene muy buenas ideas. Y al final, una lista de resources.

Para nivel Elementary aquí hay un crucigrama basado en un texto. Está listo para imprimir.

Este plan es un listening comprehension explicando la historia de St Patrick's Day. Es un texto que pueden adaptar para muchos niveles.

Este también es un listening comprehension y es para Upper Intermediate level. Aquí encuentran de qué se trata y el link para bajar el mp3, o sea que después lo pueden copiar a un CD. Y aquí tienen el lesson plan listo para imprimir y aquí el worksheet.

Este es un reading, listening and speaking plan, bien completo, para nivel Intermediate a Advanced. Y éste también es para Advanced; es una speaking activity y es para aprender idioms con la palabra green.

Este otro está perfecto para First Certificate students! Donde dice mp3 clickeen así se pueden bajar el audio.

Para niños, actividades aquí tienen lo que imaginen! Sobre todo crafts, games y printables.

Aquí poemas y canciones. Y acá flashcards. Acá encontrarán diferentes actividades listas para imprimir, hasta colouring pages.

Enjoy!

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Teaching Speaking


Y cómo los hago hablar? Y de qué? No se me ocurre ningún temaaaaa!!!

Se puede enseñar "speaking"?

Por experiencia puedo decir que un alumno adquiere fluency y vocabulario con tiempo pero siempre que el tema a hablar les sea interesante y tenga que ver con sus vidas o intereses.

No sirve de nada tirarle cualquier tema para que hable y hable y hable.

Y también es muy importante que la teacher se interese en lo que el alumno esté diciendo, por ejemplo, haciendo preguntas, sonriendo, haciendo eye contact, sobre todo...

Demás está decir que interrumpir para corregir no es una buena idea si lo que queremos es que nuestros alumnos se "suelten" a hablar.

Cuando los alumnos son de un nivel inicial, no esperemos que se sientan con mucha confianza para hablar. Una buena idea es hacerlos hablar en base a algún juego, en base a una lectura que hayan tenido, así pueden usar vocabulario y estructuras que ya vieron.

Teaching Speaking links:

Un poco de teoría y tips: aquí, y aquí para nivel avanzado. Y aquí, genial, unas muy interesantes preguntas para hacernos pensar.

Conversation lesson plans para todo nivel, clickear aquí. Acá también hay una lista interesante de lesson plans.

Una lista de ideas muy prácticas aquí.

Aquí encontrarán unos videos interesantes, se ve diferentes estrategias para enseñar speaking, cómo desenvolverse en la clase, etc.

Para beginners/ elementary o children, divino este sitio donde tiene board games listos para imprimir y jugar, con personajes, counters, etc., a todo color!

También les invito pasar por aquí, un post del año pasado con recursos e ideas para el primero día.

Espero que los links les sirvan y desde ya les deseo buen comienzo de clases!

Friday 13 February 2009

Classic TV Shows Songs

A mí me encantaba ver series cuando era chica, allá por los setenta. Y mi favorita era La Mujer Maravilla.

Más aquí en el tiempo, mi serie favorita, la que no me canso de ver nunca es Friends y The Nanny.

Y las de ustedes ? Cuáles son sus series favoritas? Las de ahora o las que veían de pequeños?

Aquí les dejo los videos de la presentación de algunas y las letras de las canciones.

Sing along and enjoy!




Friends



So no one told you life was going to be this way.
Your job's a joke, you're broke, you're love life's DOA.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.

But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

You're still in bed at ten, the work began at eight.
You've burned your breakfast, so far, things are going great.
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these,
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees.

That, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

Pink Panther



The Pink Panther

Think of all the animals you've ever heard about
like rhinoc'ruses and tigers cats and mink
There are lots of funny animals in all this world
But have you ever seen a panther that is pink?

Think!

A panther that is positively pink,

Well here he is, the pink panther,
The rinky-dink panther,
Isn't he a panther ever so pink?

He really is a groovy cat,
and what a gentleman, a scholar, what an acrobat !

He's in the pink - the pink panther
The rinky-dink panther,
and it's as plain as your nose,
that he's the one and only, truly original,
Panther-pink (panther) from head to toes !

Mr Ed



A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.

Go right to the source and ask the horse
He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse.
He's always on a steady course.
Talk to Mr. Ed.

Gilligan's Island



Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan
The Skipper too,
The millionaire and his wife,
The movie star
The professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligans Isle.

So this is the talel of the castways,
They're here for a long, long time,
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

The first mate and the Skipper too,
Will do their very best,
To make the others comfortable,
In the tropic island nest.

No phone, no lights no motor cars,
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson Crusoe,
As primative as can be.

So join us here each week my freinds,
You're sure to get a smile,
From seven stranded castways,
Here on "Gilligan's Isle."


Wonder Woman



Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world's waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.

Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.

Wonder Woman,
Get us out from under, Wonder Woman.
All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do.

Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fall,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman.

The Nanny



She was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens,
Til her boyfriend kicked her out in one of those crushing scenes.
What was she to do, where was she to go
She was out on her fanny.

So over the bridge from Flushing to the Sheffield's door,
She was there to sell make up but the father saw more,
She had style, she had flair, she was there,
That's how she became the Nanny.

Who would have guessed that the girl we described
was just exactly what the doctor prescribed?

Now, the father finds her beguiling, watch out C.C.,
The kids are actually smiling, such joie de vivre
She's the lady in red when everybody else is wearing tan.
The flashy girl from Flushing, the Nanny named Fran.

Wednesday 21 January 2009

President Obama's inaugural speech

Mucho con Londres no tiene que ver pero es importante saber qué pasa en el mundo, no?

Aquí les copio el discurso que dio Barack Obama el día de ayer cuando asumió (Lo anunciaron "Mr Barack H. Obama", aunque cuando juró, dijeron su nombre completo, o sea, Barack Hussein Obama). Les sugiero que lo lean mientras lo escuchan.



PRESIDENT BARACK Thank you. Thank you.

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...

(APPLAUSE)

... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...

(APPLAUSE)

... and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.



Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those...

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)
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