sábado, 31 de octubre de 2009

SIMPLE TESTS ONLINE!!!

Do you want to try some very simple and quick tests online?
They'll give you an idea of how good your grammar is.
Try the link below and...good luck!!!
http://www.simpleenglishnews.com/quiz/index.php

viernes, 30 de octubre de 2009

LET'S KICK RACISM OUT OF FOOTBALL

You've probably seen a lot of racism in football matches...well, there are a lot of people who are against that!! They think that the best way to support football is, as they say, "TO KICK RACISM OUT OF FOOTBALL".
They've done a lot of things to promote their idea: adverts, videos, posters...
What do you think of this one?

jueves, 29 de octubre de 2009

MINI-SAGA PHOTO 9


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 8


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 7


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 6


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 5


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 4


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 3


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 2


MINI-SAGA PHOTO 1


WRITING MINI-SAGAS

What is a mini-saga?
A mini-saga is a very short story. It is a piece of writing of 50 words, no more and no less, that tells a complete story, with a beginnig, a middle and an end. The story should have exactly 50 words including the title. Contractions count as one single word (i.e. it's = one words; it is = two words).
Mini-sagas help you to play with words. If you can write a story in only 50 words, then you will be able to write much longer stories!!

Here is an example of a mini-saga...

... and here are two more examples based on photographs!!



MINI-SAGAS AS WRITING PRACTICE.
I usually ask my 1ºBachillerato students to write as many mini-sagas as they like.
This is the procedure to follow:
First, I suggest some photographs, they choose one and write a 50-word story about it. It is really challenging to your creativity!!
Then, the mini-sagas must be handed in to the teacher and he will give them back with some corrections.
After reading the corrections, the students try to write a better second version and hand it in to the teacher again.
Finally, if the story is acceptable, the student writes it on the blog and receives some extra marks for the writing part of their next test!!
Why don't you try one of the suggested photographs?
You can be the new consummate novelist
we're waiting for!!!

martes, 27 de octubre de 2009

Chicken a la carte

Letter to my 1º Bachillerato students

Hello everybody!

I don’t know about you but whenever I begin a new school year I found my head filled with questions. Some new, some old. Questions of all types: what will my students be like? Will they be nice or rude? Will they be interested in English or not? Will they be able to understand my lessons? Will my lessons be interesting or boring? Will they learn anything at all? Being a teacher is not an easy thing...if you care about teaching, of course!

I didn’t work as a teacher first. I used to work in an advertising agency because that was what I had read at university. But I decided to be a teacher because I liked being with young people. Talking and listening to their thoughts. Trying to help them with their problems and sharing their happy moments.

I’ve always tried to make my lessons insteresting and funny but this is not always easy. Sometimes your head is full of new bright ideas but at other moments you are desperate to find something creative but it just won’t come.

I also need my students’ help. I can’t make them learn English if they don’t want to. I remember an arab proverb which says that you can take a camel to the fountain but you can’t make it drink!! I think this is absolutely certain: no mater how good a teacher is, nothing will happen if the student doesn’t work on their own (i.e. taking notes, paying attention, doing homework, revising everyday...).

Another year as an English teacher. My twenty-fourth!! That’s quite a lot! Let’s see what happens this year. Every student is different. Every day is different. Let’s hope the best!!

Your teacher.
José Luis
Fuenlabrada, 16 September, 2009