ESO 3 & 4: XMAS TIME!

It's Xmas time and a new year is about to start: 2013!

1) Listening. ESO3: "Merry Christmas everyone!" Listen to this song and get the right answers! http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/songs/christmas/pre-intermediate/merry-christmas-everyone.html
ESO4: Last year we listened to this song when we watched the film ove Actually. Let's see how much you remember! http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/songs/christmas/all-I-want-for-christmas-is-you.html

Did you notice that it's summertime in Australia and New Zealand for Xmas? :) Well, let's learn more about the UK and the USA this time...

2) Reading: ESO3: Learn about Xmas in the UK: http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/christmas/intermediate-christmas-shopping-reading.html
ESO4: Learn about Xmas traditions in the USA: http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/christmas/pre-intermediate/christmas-trees-an-american-tradition.html Now have a look to this poster and prepare a set of five questions to ask to another group. The one who answers more questions correctly... wins! http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/christmas/intermediate/christmas-trees.html

3) Speaking: What are the differences between the Christmas time in that country and yours? Do you have another significant celebration instead of Christmas? Which one? When? What do you usually do?

Hogmanay in Edinburgh, Scotland (New Year's Eve)

4) Games. Keep practising!
ESO3: We are in Scotland at the moment, and New Year's celebrations are world famous there with their Hogmanay. Check this link and games http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/hogmanay.html
ESO4: Many people make resolutions for the New Year.. what are yours? http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/new-year/intermediate/new-year-resolutions.html

5) QUIZZ.  New Year's celebrations are special... and different around the world (even in different dates!). Learn about these curious facts and play! When they celebrate the New Year in China? And in Vietnam? And in Iran? More in http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/new-year-celebrations.html

EXTRA! Why don't we create an animated Xmas eCard in English to share with our family and friends online? Check this link: http://www.123greetings.com/events/christmas/

ESO1: Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Here you have a version of White Christmas by Lady Gaga, with a fill in the gaps exercise... go for it!
1) http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/songs/christmas/elementary/white-christmas.html

2) Match these special days with the corresponding dates:

1. Christmas Day                     a. 24 December
2. Boxing Day                          b. 25 December
3. Christmas Eve                      c. 26 December
4. New Year                            d. 1 January


In Spain we also celebrate the following ones:

5. Christmas Lottery ("La Grossa/El Gordo")       e. 6 January
6. Holy Innocent's Day                                        f.  28 December
7. The Three Wise Men bring us presents            g.  22 December

3) Speaking: What festivity is the most special in your country? When? What happens in Catalonia on 24th December with the Caga Tió? Do you know any Christmas carol in your languages?

4) Recycling:
Can you complete the day numbers with th, st, nd, rd? For example:
We do not go to school on the 23rd of December.


5) Keep practising vocabulary with these games!:
http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/christmas/beginner-christmas-vocabulary.html

 EXTRA! Let's make Xmas (=Christmas) cards! Get some ideas here: http://www.squidoo.com/buy-unusual-christmas-cards

ESO1: Sports!

We start up a new unit playing some sports! Which one is your favourite one? Do you play any sport during the break? And after school? And during holidays? Do you support any team?

Let's listen and repeat this vocabulary. Which sports use a ball? Which don't?

Organize the sports together with the verbs they go with! PLAY - GO - DO
E.g. play football, go jogging, do judo.

Games: http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/sportQuiz.htm
http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/sportMatching.htm
http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/sportSpelling.htm
http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/sportHangman.htm


Review: http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/sportDictionary.htm

ESO3: Caledonia... that is, Scotland.

Amy Macdonald is a Scottish singer who is having a lot of success at the moment. She started her career some years ago, and she became famous in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life (2007) and its fourth single, "This Is the Life". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide. Let's listen to her version of Caledonia.

Caledonia is the Latin name given by the Romans to the land in today's Scotland north of their province of Britannia, beyond the frontier of their empire. Modern use is as a romantic or poetic name for Scotland as a whole.

 LYRICS

"I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
So I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I came from
And that's the reason why I seem
So far away today

Oh, but let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're calling me
And now I'm going home
If I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything
I've ever had"

Activities:

1. Who gave this name, "Caledonia",  to Scotland? In what language is it written? [x2]

2. What's the name of the instrument playing at the end of the song? [x1]

3, Turn the seven underlined verbs into the simple past. [x7]

ESO4: Ireland, the Emerald Island!

Fáilte go hÉirinn! Welcome to ireland (in Irish). We carry on with our articular trip to the Emerald Island. This is one of its nicknames because it's soooo green! I am particularly keen on Irish music so get ready to start up every lesson with a piece of Irish music, either traditional Celtic songs or famous pop ones! Let's start up the journey with "Stars", by The Cranberries. Isn't it green?
LOOK!: What instruments can you identify? 

By the way, I went to their concert in Barcelona last month. Did you go to any concert last year?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBrFw3b0D0E

The stars are bright tonight
and I am walking nowhere
i guess i will be alright
desire gets you nowhere
And you are always right
and my, you are so perfect
Take you as you are
i'll have you as you are
i'll take you as you are
I love you just the way you are
i'll have you just the way you are
i'll take you just the way you are
does anyone love the way they are?
The stars are bright tonight
a distance is between us
and i will be okay
the worst i've ever seen us
Still i have my weaknesses
still i have my strengths
and still i have my ugliness
but i..
I love you just the way you are
i'll have you just the way you are
i'll take you just the way you are
does anyone love the way they are? (x2)Star, star...

Activities:

1. Whats the mistake with the personal pronoun (1st person singular)?

2. Can you discriminate regular from irregular verbs?

3. Turn the verb tenses into the Past Simple. Example: "The stars were bright tonight..." 

4. Who sings? How does she feel? Where are they? When was the videoclip shot?

ESO4: Welcome Unit. Cyprus!

We start the academic year in one of the most attractive summer destinations in Europe, the island of Cyprus, on the East of the Mediterranean Sea. We'll revise vocabulary and grammar from other years, recycle our knowledge of basic question words and listen to one of the most famous Cypriot singers at the moment: Ivi Adamou, Eurovision contestant for this country in 2012. You'll even interview her! Enjoy it!

ESO4: Unit 1 (2012-13). London Fashion.

Welcome to the trendy city of London. Walking throughout the capital of England, we'll visit some of its monuments along the Thames River and we'll go shopping to posh malls such as Harrods and to street markets like Camden Market. You will also discover the history of the Punks: they usually wear scruffy clothes and have dyed hair, tattoos and piercings. Then, you will have to describe your favourite celebrities: are they trendy or old-fashioned? Do they dress elegantly or with smart-casual clothes? Finally... why don't we organize a fashion show? Practise your catwalking and look for accessories just in case ;)

ESO3: Learning to learn (L2L)-Mind maps.

I would like to introduce you to a strategy to learn grammar or vocabulary (or actually whatever you want) in a creative way: mind maps! It's a way to organize what you have to learn creating threads or branches from a particular idea. You can have a chore illustration and from there add smaller branches. The more creative you are the better!

Ana Todorovic, from Serbia, proposes this mind map for the Present Smple: a big Superman to help us when the alarm sounds (third person singular: he/she/it adds -S, like the "S" for Superman). Can you identify other clues she uses?



http://www.tt-group.net/text/mape_uma/mape_uma_2.htm

Your turn:
Study her example and try to make a mind map on your own for the Present Continuous (you can use the information below).

ESO3 & 4: Trick or treat? Halloween time!

Trick or treat? It's getting colder, windier... and spookier! How much do you know about Halloween? let's start with a basic vocabulary and then we'll listen to a song to learn new words.

DIVERSIFICATION: Listen and repeat (notice the spelling!)

 Now let's watch the videoclip. How many words can you identify?  

CONTEST! WORK IN TEAMS. Worksheet. Let's test your knowledge about Halloween! Answer the questionnaire about this festivity, read the curious facts, solve the mystery picture, unscramble the text message and find the Halloween-related vocabulary in English in the soup! PRIZE FOR THE FIRST TEAM WITH ALL CORRECT ANSWERS! ^_^

EXTRA: Search for the ESO4 entry from last year (2011). You will find a video about the origins of Halloween. Then you can test yourself! How much have you learnt? ENJOY HALLOWEEN! http://zoomenglish.blogspot.com.es/2011/11/history-of-halloween.html

More links:

• Decorations: http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/slideshows/nesting/13-frightfully-fun-halloween-crafts-make-kids/
• Videogames and more: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/halloween/index.html?trnstl=1
• Make-up and customes for your Halloween party: http://www.instructables.com/halloween/
• Cooking: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/halloween/recipes/ghostly-pears.html

ESO1: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Spooky spooky! It's Halloween time! And we are going to devote one session to talk about scary stories, learn about Halloween origins and traditions and even make our own Jack-o'-lantern masks and monsters to decorate our class!

1. SONG. Here we have a song to learn about the Jack-o'-lantern face.Look at the list:

HAIR, EYES, NOSE, MOUTH, EARS.

a) What parts of the face do appear?
b) What parts are missing?

Lyrics

Pumpkin Pumpkin
Let's give you some eyes
Pumpkin Pumpkin
Let's give you a nose
Pumpkin Pumpkin
Let's give you a scary smile
And now you're a Jack O Lantern

The ghosts and the ghouls and the witches
They will run a mile
When they see my scary smile

Put me in the window
And I'll chase the night away
Because I am a Jack O Lantern
I am a Jack O Lantern
I am a Jack O Lantern
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mph3hygIFU&feature=related

2. VOCABULARY: In the clip they mention three of the following words... which ones? What do the other words mean? Perhaps you can get some help from the picture on the left (from the film Transylvania, now in cinemas!)                     GHOSTS, VAMPIRES, BATS, SPIDERS, GHOULS, MONSTER, WITCHES, GOBLINS, WEREWOLF, MUMMY.    

3. CREATE! Let's make our Halloween masks in just 3 minutes! 

Materials: an orange sheet of paper, a pencil and scissors.

Steps: 

1. Fold the orange paper (A4 size) in two halves (landscape position)

2. Draw a half of the Jack-o'-lantern with the pencil. The middle of the pumpkin must be on the right!

3. Carefully, cut out the nose, the eye, and the mouth. Finally, cut the exterior shape.

Unfold it and... you've got your own Jack-o'-lantern mask! 

You are ready to ask for candies after saying "Trick or treat"! ^_^

EXTRA: If we have time... work in groups of three and create your own monster, mixing vampires' or werewolves' heads with witches' or bats' bodies and spiders' or goblins' feet... invent a name for your creatures and... decorate your classroom!

Imagine....
<<< What is this? A h- - - - - - house.
<<< Who does live in it?
<<< Where is it?

More links:

• Decorations: http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/slideshows/nesting/13-frightfully-fun-halloween-crafts-make-kids/
• Videogames and more: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/halloween/index.html?trnstl=1
• Make-up and customes for your Halloween party: http://www.instructables.com/halloween/
• Cooking: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/halloween/recipes/ghostly-pears.html