Reviewing the verbs "to be" and "have got"

My FPB students have learnt a lot from last year, more than they and me expected, especially in what refers to listening skills. But summer is very long, so they have forgotten quite most of the important forms of verbs and their use.

In order to review them, I have searched for videos I can use to revise these forms which are simple but are not on my own voice so that they get different voice listening practices. These exercises are quite simple but I want them to develop oral expressive skills.

Hope it does!!!

Malala

This is the speech Malala Yousafzai gave at the United Nations Youth Assembly in 2013. She was shot by the Taliban just because she wanted to study and is reknowned for being an education activist.

This is the topic used in one of the PAU English tests that we are going to start working in class, not only because my students will take a similar one at the end of the course, but also because they work on reading comprehension and writing compositions which are basic to develop a good level of English in a class of too many people.

We are going to start with a test based on Malala's speech. It is a very easy speech to understand, she speaks an almost perfect English with a lot of accent. In order to be able to understand the texts that appear in this type of tests, it is important to know the background of the text; that is, it is much easier to understand the text if we know about Malala and have heard her speech. 

There are many PAU tests on the Internet and many of them are solved, but remember, you won't have to take the one on the Internet so, they are good to practice the reading and writing skills, but not to memorise!!!

If you are one of my students of 2nd of Bachillerato, please leave a comment .

Have you ever really loved a woman? by Brian Adams

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I know that Women's Day was just a few days ago and I wanted to post this video and song in which Brian Adams sings about how to love a woman and I agree with him on most of what he says (lyrics in English and Spanish). I also like this video because we can also see and listen to the wonderful Spanish guitar "maestro" Paco de Lucía (RIP). The video was recorded in Málaga, very near to where I live.

It also uses the structucture "Have you ever + past participle?" that we are currently learning at the 3rd of ESO, so I did not want to miss the opportunity to use it as a preamble for my next (and I hope it comes soon) post of Present Perfect.

You might think I am being lazy because I haven't been writing on the blog lately, but I do have been blogging, you can check my Spanish and teacher education topics at Formación docente (fuera de horario), my other blog.

Do you like the song? and what do you think of the video? 

Typical Spanish, isn't it?

White Christmas

There is only a few days for Christmas and my students of 1st ESO have been working a lot, so in these two last classes, I want to enjoy Christmas time with them. We will be learning the carol White Christmas sung by the young artist Taylor Swift.

We will also try to learn what is a Christmas cracker and how to make them. 

Do you know what it is? Tell us!

Roar by Katy Perry

"Roar" by Katy Perry

I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath

Scared to rock the boat and make a mess

So I sat quietly, agreed politely

I guess that I forgot I had a choice

I let you push me past the breaking point

I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder gonna shake the ground

You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)

Get ready 'cause I’ve had enough

I see it all, I see it now

CHORUS I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire 'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar Louder, louder than a lion 'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh You’re gonna hear me roar

Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own heroYou held me down, but I got up (HEY!)

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder gonna shake the ground

You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)

Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough

I see it all, I see it now

CHORUS

I really like this song because  its lyrics talk about a woman who turns from being a passive individual to taking control of the situations, I also like the video very much. I hope you enjoy it too.

Hallowe'en

This is a very good video to watch at Halloween, first because of its beautiful images and music, besides, it has the lyrics written on. It is about "The Kingdom of Witches" and it is a large poem that you can read on the screen or if you want to use it, you have a copy of it in this blog: Lestobada Secondary English Blog.

I wish you a spooky Halloween...HAHAHAHAHHAHA

Burn-e, for 1st of ESO

Burn-e is a great short film by Pixar based on the film Wall-e, I am going to use it as a prize for my 1st ESO students. It is a very special group and they are making an effort to behave and learn more each day. I chose this film because the setting is well-known to students and there are not many words in English. I think they will enjoy it.

Have you watched it?
Did you like it?

Starting the course with Katy Perry, 'cause baby YOU are a FIREWORK.

Katy Perry "Firework" Official Lyrics Video por VitellaroNicolas

I like to start the school year with a motivating song that reminds students that they can do whatever they want if they try hard enough. This song by the American artist Katy Perry talks about how you have to show the best of you to shine, and the melody is also very inspiring.

I hope you like it and it inspires you as I wish it inspires my students this year, that is five groups (four of ESO and one first of Bachillerato). You can read the lyrics as you watch the video which is the music and photos from the official video.

Do you like the song? Don't you think it is inspiring?

If you are a new student, feel brave enough to leave a comment!

Singing in the rain...

I know it is reeeally hot, at least here in Spain, but as I now have much more free time, I came across this old video which is very well subtittled and is one of my favourite pieces of a musical. It is also very optimistic and talks about partying at that time.
I hope you enjoy it!

Bruno Mars: When I was your man

Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now

Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same

When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down

Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name

It all just sounds like oooooh…

CHORUS: 

Mmm, too young, too dumb to realize

That I should 've bought you flowers

And held your hand

Should 've gave you all my hours

When I had the chance

Take you to every party

Cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby's dancing

But she's dancing with another man

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways

Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life

Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, ohh…

And it haunts me every time I close my eyes

It all just sounds like oooooh…

CHORUS

Although it hurts

I'll be the first to say that I was wrong

Oh, I know I'm probably much too late

To try and apologize for my mistakes

But I just want you to know

I hope he buys you flowers

I hope he holds your hand

Gives you all his hours

When he has the chance

Take you to every party

Cause I remember how much you loved to dance

Do all the things I should 've done

When I was your man

Do all the things I should 've done

When I was your man

Preparing ourselves for the holidays... I chose this song by Bruno Mars which contains the perfect modal "should have" that makes part of the only unit we have not seen this year, you can learn more about modals in this post and enjoy this song as much as I do.

Do you like it?

Learning vocabulary: Cooking with Jamie Oliver

In this unit, we are reviewing food and how to talk about it. We are also introducing the vocabulary you need to talk about the process of cooking (add, bake, boil, chop, fry, grate, grill, mix, peel, pour, put, season, slice  and wash).

 Many of these words appear on this video by Jamie Oliver, one of the most famous cooks in the UK at the moment. He has done many  TV programmes and is famous also for promoting quick healthy meals almost anyone can do in less than half an hour.

What verbs of the bold list does he actually say?

Do you think it is an easy dish to do? Would you like giving it a try?

If you want to read about how to talk about quantities and food go to this and this post.

Motivation: Validation by Kurt Kuenne

Validation (2007) is an optimistic short film and love story by Kurt Kuenne. It only lasts for almost 16 minutes and was released on the YouTube platform, making it clear that things are changing in the film business. I really like this story because it shows how you can focus on the nice part of life and not on the bad and the world would be better. As a teacher I try to do this with my students and I think this really helps people to feel better and more motivated to produce and create.

I recommend you to watch it, it will cheer you up!!

What do you think of it?Did you like it?

Worker's Day, Why today?

On 4th  May 1886, in the city of Chicago, workers were demonstrating to make working days last only up to 8 hours. Amongst them, someone threw a bomb (the first dynamite bomb in the USA)  and the police thought it was a reaction to them -they were trying to dissolve the demonstration- and started shooting to the strikers. This was called the Haymarket Affair, Massacre or Riot.

For this affair, eight anarchists were blamed and sentenced for conspiration, this was understood as an attack to the working movement. The trial was soon argued because some of the accused were not even at the place!!

As a commemoration of this strike and other movements organized among others by Lucy and Albert Parsons, the 1st May is the day to ask for better working conditions in many parts of the world and it is even a holiday in many countries. In USA and Canada is widely celebrated in September.

Did you know this? 

Modern Classics: Paul Anka?

Have you heard the famous song My way? Well, maybe you have not heard about Paul Anka, but he is the songwriter of this famous song and many others. This Canadian artist knew since he was very young that what he wanted to be was a singer and songwriter, so he started to do so as soon as he was 13 years old. 

His first hit Diana is a very well-known song and many others followed, the first few sung by him, the rest sung by others. His most famous hits are Put your hand on my shoulder, , Lonely Boy and Hold me till the Morning Comes, great love songs. He also wrote a song together with Michael Jackson which was released after Jackson's death, it is called This is it.

If you like melodic music, you will like him, give it a try and tell me what you think!

More Modern Classics: The Beatles, Elvis Presley and The Beach Boys.

Modern Classics: Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (Mississipi, 1935) was, and still is, one of the most famous singers in the USA and in the whole world. He revolutionised the music in all the world in the 1950s and onwards, until his death in 1977 with a short stop of 18 months to serve military duty. You can see an interesting timeline of Elvis life here.

He recorded more than 150 albums and singles, many of them number 1 hits; and starred in 33 films which were widely heard, bought and watched because apart from his great voice and ways of moving his body, he was very good-looking and attractive and had many fans that followed him everywhere.

He was a very special person, his musical influences (gospel, among others) taught him to love and respect African-American people and, with his example, he promoted equality of rights for  them too.  He was also a bit eccentric and he bought a great mansion, called Graceland, where he lived and died, probably of drug abuse.

If you want to know more about the  so-called King, you can download an activity book.

Did you know Elvis Presley? Do you like his music? 

Modern Classics: The Beatles.

Modern Classics: The Beach Boys.

The little chick cheep

In these days, things around myself are getting too serious, so I feel like doing something not serious at all.

This video is very funny, I see my students smiling when they watch it, specially at the  end of it, that is why I would like to share it here.

Nevertheless, it is also a fun way of learning of vocabulary by the repetition of the words; on the one hand, we revise animals' vocabulary that my students already know; on the other hand, we get to learn the onomatopoeic sounds these animals make, which is new vocabulary. I have not found the lyrics in English but it is a very repetitive song which basically follows this pattern:

"On the radio there's a little (name of animal) and the (name of animal) (name of onomatopoeic sound)
and the (name of animal) (name of onomatopoeic sound)
and the (name of animal) (name of onomatopoeic sound)
On the radio there's a little (name of new animal) and the (name of old animal) (name of onomatopoeic sound of the old animal)..."

Names of the animals and sounds in order:
chick->cheep, hen->co-co, cock*->doodle doo, turkey-> gobble-gobble, pigeon-> cru-cru, cat-> mew, dog-> woof, goat-> mah, lamb-> bah, cow-> moo, bull->muu, tractor-> brumm.

This songs cheers me up and I hope it also works with you, all the students working for final exams and all the teachers who work hard day by day.  Do you like it? Does it cheer you up?

 *This can also be a rude word, be careful!