Bye Bye 2013, Welcome 2014

30 Quotes that can Change Your Life

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Healthy Snowman

Christmas Traditions Old and New

Read the complete article in VOA

Learning with the News: More Than 1 Million Children are Refugees

Christmas Holiday...Why?

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated on the 25 December (7 January for Orthodox Christians).

Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God.

Advent

Advent is the period which leads up to Christmas. It starts on the Sunday nearest to November 30th.

Many Advent customs involve counting the days until Christmas begins.

Some churches have an advent wreath with five candles, one for each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day and one for the day itself.

More Christianity events and festivals

Christianity - An Introduction

Questions answered

Lent

Questions answered

Classroom activities

Worksheets

Easter

Questions answered

Classroom activities

Worksheets

Christmas

Questions answered

Classroom activities

Worksheets

From BBC Schools

12 Days of Christmas and Madagascar

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Carrots War

Christmas Story Animation

Click here to see the animated story.

Christmas is coming...Ho ho ho

Christmas is a time for families and friends to come together to celebate the season with gifts, food, beautiful decorations, laughter and music, to enjoy each other's company, and HOLIDAYS, yes holidays but how much do you know about this celebration? Try this quiz and find out. 

You can get information in WhyChristmas.com

Mr Bean and the Christmas Turkey

The Snowman By British Council Learning Kids

(Click here to listen to the story)

It's winter and everywhere is covered in snow. 

Katie and Eddie make a snowman. What's going on?

Is the snowman waving at them?

The 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Daily Activities

Here We Go with the Present Girl

Do you want more information and exercises? Try Isabel Perez's web

Are you Ready for a Game?

Play the Sentence Monkey

Practice Question Words – What, where, who, why, when, which, how

Play the verb to be game

Online Advent Calendar by Woodlands Junior School

On each day in December 2013, test your knowledge on how Christmas is celebrated around the world, using our very own interactive advent calendar. Most of the facts and photos in the Woodlands Junior advent calendar have been sent to us by schools and visitors around the world.

No peeking before the correct day.

Funny Fill-in: Picture-Perfect Turkey Day

Enter the National Geographic Kids page for the Picture-Perfect Turkey Day or try the Turkey Story.

Incredible English Kit

Try this OUP Incredible English, choose your level and enjoy!

Tenses

Tenses from Shawn Toh

Quiz game

Oxford Online Learning Zone for Secondary

With the new Oxford Online Learning Zone we can learn a lot of English Culture and news in a funny way, try this demo and you will enjoy:

• ‘My Gradebook’. Students can save the results of their work; teachers can track the online progress of their class.
• Monthly e-magazine on topical subjects, perfect for homework.
• Monthly Podcasts that explore subjects relevant to teens.
• Web quests for fun, interactive learning.
• Trivia of the week to keep them coming back.
• Video documentaries that keep them entertained.

Important. You only have to :

1. create your email account
2. enter http://oxfordplus.oupe.es/
3. ask your teacher your class code

Useless Facts

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Do you know some others?. If so, write yours as a comment.

Spelling Game

Play

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With A Piece of Chalk

 

 

 

 

Sometimes we don't need big things to make us discover our strength...

English Speaking Countries

Above and Beyond

 

What is the conclusion?

Should we be open-mind or work alone?

What do you think?

Objects in the Classroom

 

 

Can you label the objects in the classroom?

Enter this British Council webpage and guess!

 

 

Other Label the picture games

Make a Difference!

 

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

 

Welcome to the new course... and make a difference to your work!

 

Welcome

 

Be creative and try:

you'll discover your strength and value

Face Match

 

Start

 

A Delicate Job for Hard Men

Teens and New Technologies

Teenagers and technology from the guardian activities from Sandy Millin

Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games 2016

Holidays

 

In the past, working people in Britain only had holidays on ‘holy’ (religious) days: Sundays, Christmas and Easter. Now most people have about four weeks’ holiday every year plus public holidays (also called ‘Bank holidays’).

When?

British people usually have their holidays in summer, in July or August. Many working people take a two-week holiday during the summer. School children are on holiday from approximately the end of July to the start of September. A second holiday break in winter or in spring is also becoming more popular in the UK. In winter some people go skiing in Europe, and in spring, visits to capital cities such as Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona are popular.

Where?

The most popular holiday locations for Brits include Spain, France, Greece and the USA. Lots of people buy a package holiday which includes flights and a hotel or an apartment. Cheap flights to warm places mean that many British people are able to spend two weeks a year relaxing in the sun abroad. Flights and package holidays are much cheaper during school term time and the British government is worried that some young people are missing school to go on holiday. Parents who take their child on holiday during term time can now pay a fine of up to 100 pounds.

UK holidays

British people also like to go on holiday in the UK: in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Warm weather and sun are not guaranteed in the UK of course! What can young British people do on a UK holiday? Here are a few examples - Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, is one of the top UK theme parks. It is famous for its terrifying rides and is very popular with teenagers. You can sign up to try their new roller coaster ride on their website. The Eden Project is an environmental project in Cornwall, in the south-west of England. It has huge domes that contain thousands of plants from all around the world. As well as plants you can also see top bands play at the Eden Project. This year The Eden sessions at the centre included Tim Minchin, Example, Frank Turner, Chase & Status, Plan B, Blink-182, Noah And The Whale & The Vaccines.

Camping

Taking your tent or caravan to stay on a campsite is popular, especially in the south of England. Newquay, in Cornwall, on the south coast of England, is a favourite camping area for families and for teenagers. Newquay has great beaches, with good waves for surfers as well as lots of nightlife. Wild camping means you take your tent, sleeping bag, food, water (and toilet paper!) and you find a quiet place to spend the night in the countryside or hills away from roads and houses. Wild camping is legal only in some parts of Britain.

Holiday resorts

A holiday resort provides accommodation, food and entertainment for all the family. Butlin’s holiday resorts first started in the 1930s and they are still popular today. Prices are low. A seven-day July summer holiday at the Skegness Butlin’s, on the east coast in England, costs about 130 pounds per person. There’s a massive indoor swimming centre with a wave pool and waterslides at the resort. Butlin’s ‘silent disco’ where you listen to music on wireless headphones and dance to your favourite tune (everyone dances to different music!) is a big hit with teens. Other activities aimed specifically at teenagers include Wii and Xbox challenges as well as beach volleyball.

Independent holidays

Some teenagers want to spend their holidays doing something without their family. A language exchange is one way to be more independent and improve language skills. A British teenager spends a week or two in a foreign country, staying with a family who has a son or daughter of the same age and practises the local language. Later the foreign teenager visits the UK to practise their English with the British family. Summer camps can be fun too. Do it 4 Real organises camps for 10-19-year-olds in the UK where young people can do quad biking, paintballing, film making and street dancing. There’s also a ‘Future leader’ camp for 17-19-year-olds where activities include leadership skills as well as raft building, archery, climbing and survival skills.

Are you going on holiday this year?

Check your comprehension Complete this sheet of exercises and give it to your teacher.

Vía Learning English form British Council.

Daily Routines

Vocabulary exercise to help learn words to talk about

 what you do every day.

Antonym Matcher

Enter



Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes

Teen Trials by Clever Pants

 

 

Now if you were interested in the sketches, try to complete these questions.

Words Lie, Your Face Doesn't

Do you know all the words about emotions?

Pink Panther

 

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

After watching the video try to remember the vocabulary:

What is Love?

Clever Cupid - What is Love? from clever pants on Vimeo.

Which is your favourite definition? Do you know the people mentioned in the video?

Describe The Simpsons

If you don't remember all of them, visit the official web.

What is he wearing?

Can you describe him?

Enter this exercise and guess if you are right!

Shadow Theatre Group

Clothes and Things We Wear

Start



April Fools' Gags

Can you spot the April fools' gags?
The tradition of April Fools' Day jokes grew out of resistance to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th to18th centuries. For hundreds of years newspapers, and more recently broadcasters, have created fantastical reports to commemorate April 1. 
Can you spot which of the following stories are classic April fools' gags from the media and which are true stories?
 Go on with the test online clicking on the logo:

April Fool's Day: A Story

Danny Applewhite was developing into a rather arrogant young man. He was among the top five achievers at his school, but would he be smart enough to avoid being a fool on April 1st?
Click on the audio player below to listen to the story but before that try the vocabulary test and after it you can continue with the rest of the test.


stories-april-fools-day

 

 

If you want to read the story while you listen to it open the tapescript.

 

Thanks to British Council: Learning English

April Fool's Day

In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April first. It was celebrated in much the same way as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night.

The First April Fool's Day
Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April first. Others played tricks on them and called them "April fools." They sent them on a "fool's errand" or tried to make them believe that something false was true.

 Poisson d'Avril
In France today, April first is called "Poisson d'Avril." French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the "young fool" discovers this trick, the prankster yells "Poisson d’Avril!" (April Fish!)

April Fool's Day in the USA
Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. One common trick on April Fool's Day, or All Fool's Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelace is untied." Teachers in the nineteenth century used to say to pupils, "Look! A flock of geese!" and point up. School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled. Whatever the trick, if the innocent victim falls for the joke the prankster yells, "April Fool! "

 April Fool's Day Jokes
The "fools' errands" we play on people are practical jokes. Putting salt in the sugar bowl for the next person is not a nice trick to play on a stranger. College students set their clocks an hour behind, so their roommates show up to the wrong class - or not at all. Some practical jokes are kept up the whole day before the victim realizes what day it is. Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The most clever April Fool joke is the one where everyone laughs, especially the person upon whom the joke is played.

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. "

 American humorist Mark Twain

April Fool's Day Stories

• Remember When Al Gore Invented the Internet
• April Fool's Day Computer Pranks
• Top PC Pranks for April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day on the Web

• The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes
• April Fools' Day Pranks
• April Fool's Day

(Via About.com)

London: Now See it for Yourself

 



We are visiting London next month but now it is time for you to move around, so enter VisitLondon.com, grab the map and walk around this wonderful city.
Choose the attractions, read about its history and learn more about the places clicking on their official webpages.

London Neighbourhoods

London is a large town made up of many villages, as you can see on the map above. Each borough has its own identity. Here's a quick tour to know about them:

Guide to South Kensington, Belgravia & Victoria

Guide to Mayfair & Westminster

Guide to the West End

Guide to Notting Hill, Bayswater & Marylebone

Guide to the City of London

Guide to the Southbank & Southwark

 

How to Succeed at an Interview 3

In the future you'll have the chance to showcase your English speaking skills in an oral test… but perhaps feeling a little nervous as well!

See our overview of the exam. Try our tips to help you relax and show the examiner just how well you speak English! Let’s start by getting a feel for the exam with this video:



1. Introduction and Interview:
lasts about 4-5 minutes and gives the examiner the chance to find out a little about you through some simple 'getting-to-know-you' questions.

2. The Long Turn:
exam you have to speak for between 1 and 2 minutes on a set topic based on information on a card the examiner will give you. You'll be a given a minute to prepare what you want to say - just enough time to jot down some ideas to help give your talk structure and interest.

3. Two-Way Discussion:
lasts between 4-5 minutes, you will participate in a discussion with the examiner based on the topic in Part 2. The examiner is likely to ask you questions based on your experience or opinion of the subject.


(Thanks to IELTS Speaking)

Food: I Like/ I don`t Like

How to Succeed at an Interview 2

In the future you'll have the chance to showcase your English speaking skills in an oral test… but perhaps feeling a little nervous as well!

See our overview of the exam. Try our tips to help you relax and show the examiner just how well you speak English! Let’s start by getting a feel for the exam with this video:



1. Introduction and Interview:
lasts about 4-5 minutes and gives the examiner the chance to find out a little about you through some simple 'getting-to-know-you' questions.

2. The Long Turn:
exam you have to speak for between 1 and 2 minutes on a set topic based on information on a card the examiner will give you. You'll be a given a minute to prepare what you want to say - just enough time to jot down some ideas to help give your talk structure and interest.

3. Two-Way Discussion:
lasts between 4-5 minutes, you will participate in a discussion with the examiner based on the topic in Part 2. The examiner is likely to ask you questions based on your experience or opinion of the subject.

(Thanks to IELTS Speaking)

Love Actually

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

 

St. Valentine's Day

 

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in your country? In the UK it's the most romantic day of the year!

February 14th is traditionally a celebration of love, so how do people in the UK mark the occasion?

Have you ever sent these messages on your mobile phone?

 

WUBMV - will you be my Valentine
xoxoxoxoxo - hugs and kisses
LUWAM ImRdy4Luv - I'm ready for love
:'-) - I'm so happy, I'm crying
ILUVU - I love you

 

Read this British Council Valentine's web page, learn how British celebrate it and check your understanding.

 

 

How to Succeed at an Interview 1

In the future you'll have the chance to showcase your English speaking skills in an oral test… but perhaps feeling a little nervous as well!

See our overview of the exam. Try our tips to help you relax and show the examiner just how well you speak English!

Let’s start by getting a feel for the exam with this video:




1. Introduction and Interview:
lasts about 4-5 minutes and gives the examiner the chance to find out a little about you through some simple 'getting-to-know-you' questions.

2. The Long Turn:
exam you have to speak for between 1 and 2 minutes on a set topic based on information on a card the examiner will give you. You'll be a given a minute to prepare what you want to say - just enough time to jot down some ideas to help give your talk structure and interest.

3. Two-Way Discussion:
lasts between 4-5 minutes, you will participate in a discussion with the examiner based on the topic in Part 2. The examiner is likely to ask you questions based on your experience or opinion of the subject.

(Thanks to IELTS Speaking)

Celebrate Chinese New Year 2013

Make your own slideshow at Animoto.

Dragon dances, acrobats, fireworks, a parade ... London is buzzing with excitement at Chinese New Year. Find out what you can do to join in the excitement!

The event

For London’s Chinese community (and everyone else who loves a party!), Chinese New Year is a huge event. Before Chinese New Year, people make sure their houses are clean and tidy, buy new clothes and have their hair cut, to bring good luck for the new year. London has the biggest celebrations outside of Asia. Hundreds of thousands of people go to watch the parade from the West End to Trafalgar Square, which includes Chinese acrobats, and traditional lion and dragon dances.

The date

In 2013, Chinese New Year is on 10th February. The exact date is calculated according to lunar and solar calendars, so it changes every year. This February will be the end of the Chinese year of the dragon and the beginning of the year of the snake. So, from the 10th February, especially in Chinatown, listen out for people wishing each other a “Kung Hei Fat Choi” - Happy New Year!

The celebrations

In central London there are fireworks and stage performances with all kinds of acts and special guests. Previous celebrations have included fashion shows and Chinese hip hop acts, as well as more traditional performances with Chinese acrobats. Chinatown is buzzing with excitement. The streets are decorated with lucky red lanterns and full of craft and food stalls. If you’re thinking of eating in one of Chinatown’s excellent Chinese restaurants, however, book a table early, because you won’t find one on the night!

Chinese people in Britain

For young Chinese people studying or working in the UK, video conferencing is a brilliant way of joining big family celebrations back home. Those missing home might also cook traditional Chinese dumplings for friends in Britain or organise an evening of karaoke, another popular way of celebrating. The festivities are not as noisy as back home, they say, where loud firecrackers are traditionally used to frighten away evil spirits, and the special red envelopes of money from relatives may have further to travel to the UK. But there is still plenty of excitement, happiness and good feeling, as people come together to enjoy the celebrations.





More info about the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in London

Grafitti and Street Art

 

 

The Story of Street Art

Modern graffiti began in big cities in the United States in the 1970s. In New York, young people wrote their names or “tags” in pen on walls around the city.
One of the first “taggers” was a teenager called Demetrius. His tag was TAKI 183. He wrote his tag on walls and in stations in New York. Other teenagers saw Demetrius’s tag and started writing their tags too. Soon, there were tags on walls, buses and trains all over New York.
Then, some teenagers started writing their tags with aerosol paint. Their tags were bigger and more colourful. Aerosol paint graffiti became very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. It appeared on trains, buses and walls around the world.
In the 1990s and 2000s, a lot of graffiti artists started painting pictures. Some artists’ pictures were about politics. Other artists wanted to make cities beautiful and painted big, colourful pictures on city walls.

Graffiti in Galleries

In some countries, writing or painting on walls is a crime. Sometimes, graffiti artists have problems with the police. In other countries, artists can draw and paint in certain places. For example, in Taiwan, there are “graffiti zones” where artists can paint on walls. In Sao Paulo in Brazil, street artists can paint pictures on walls and houses. Their pictures are colourful and beautiful. Some tourists visit Sao Paulo just to see the street art!
In Bristol in the UK, there is a street art festival in August every year. Artists paint all the buildings in a street. Lots of people come to watch the artists and take photos. You can see exhibitions of street art in some galleries too. There have been exhibitions of street art in galleries in Paris, London and Los Angeles.

Who are the Artists?

Some street artists have become famous. Here are three stars of the street art world:
Os Gemeos are twin brothers from Sao Paulo in Brazil. They paint big, colourful pictures of people on buildings. In 2007, they painted a castle in Scotland!
Blek le rat is from Paris. He is famous for painting pictures of homeless people in big cities.
Faith 47 is from Cape Town in South Africa. She paints big, colourful pictures of people and animals. She likes painting in different places and you can find her work on pavements, postboxes, buses and, of course, on walls!

The Future of Street Art

Many street artists use the internet to look at photos of street art from around the world. They communicate with other artists on-line and share ideas. Some street artists are famous and you can see their pictures in galleries. We don’t know about the future of street art, but it is here to stay for
sure!

(Robin Newton Thanks to British Council)

My Day

From Educanave we can practice a lot of material in Englsih, this is one of them. If you don't see it properly, follow the link

Famous Bridges in America

Do you recognize this bridge?
Read about it and check your knowledge about this and some others? 

 



Imagine, a perfect song to talk about Peace

If you want to send me your results write your name and my teachers code: begonals1.

At the Airport

 

When you travel you need some documents but also some kind of useful language at the airport.
More vocabulary at the airport.



The English Speaking World

English Speaking Countries

Good or Bad Teacher?

Complete this test and know about these kids and their teacher.

M16: The British Secret Intelligence Service

Would you like to be a secret agent and work undercover? Do you think the job in reality would be similar to how it's shown in films?

You might have heard of MI6 through the man known as 007. James Bond doesn’t exist, of course, but what about MI6?
Try the British Council reading test and check if you have understood all the information. 

 

 

English Phonetic Chart

Everyday Activities: The Present Girl

Thanks to Isabel Pérez we are going to revise the present girl life. Follow the link and enjoy the practice.

And if you want more exercises, try these from the English Exercises.org by Lucak

What are they doing?

Tennis Players Comparison

 

How many things do you know about these sportmen? Compare and find out.

 

Thanks to English Exercises by Carmen Coronel

Santa's Clothes



Help us to select Santa's clothes.

Identity Cards

 

You perhaps don't know that in UK people don't have an identity card like we have in Spain because of concerns about civil liberties, there was one for some time but it doesn't work now. However they have passport and you can find about it in the UK Government Office.

Anyway when we are members of a club, association or team we need a kind of identification card. Here you can create your own ... but using certain relevant information. 

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Visit Britain