Gibraltar

What do you know about Gibraltar?
Why is there constant dispute over this area?
Is there similar dispute over Cueta and Melilla?

Read this article about Gibraltar today (and also a potted history) and comment on how you would like to see the future of this little Rock.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/19/gibraltar-diamond-jubilee-party

cinema

answer questions from at least 2 parts of the cinema questionaire in your student book on page 90

a visit to Madrid

I would like my Aunty Thelma to visit Madrid.
Can you help with some suggestions of things to do and see and places to go?
Use the language of suggestion; why not...?   you could / should / might etc

Eurovegas in Spain

read this article and add your thoughts in the comments here below
 Spain's dilemmas over 'Eurovegas' mega casino plans

more resources

Are you reading, listening to, speaking and writing in English?
What new resources have you found to help you study and practice? make a note of them here and post a link where possible,explaining what it is, and also try out other students resources for yourself.

slow city

what are the problems of turning Madrid into a 'slow city'?
and what solutions can you suggest?

work / life balance

Share your tip for improving your work / life balance. Give your reasons, using a quantifier in the explanation

racism in sport

here's a note from Arturo Delgado Ruiz on the situation with Liverpool footballer Suarez, who was banned for racist remarks. Please leave your own comments on this affair or on racism in sport or racism in general below.

"I think Suarez´s situation deserves a correct explication. Well, first I would say that I don´t believe the Evra´s accusation, because in the Premier and France all people know how is his conduct on the grass and off. Even, he has had some problems with her coaches in the recent past. Here, the really important is the ethnic problem. Evra has been playing in England during years and he knows the multicultural issues that appear from all sides. And for this, he knows the damages that the word "negro" can do in Public Opinion.

But, is necessary the persecution that Suarez has recived? I think not. Suarez is a great footballer and better person, but the press and journalists have attacked him. Why didn´t they see how Rio Ferninand removed his hand? or Why did evra celebrate the victory too near Suárez? Ummm, these questions haven´t interest for anybody, I don´t know.

I don´t support the racism, but I think that respect and honor must be same for all. Here, this have not happened."

 

 

What Can You Do?

Please leave your tips in the comments. Remember to use the modals of ability and possibility, and some _ed/ing adjectives.

Public Transport

How could we improve transport in Madrid? Please leave a comment.

some resources for you to try

some resources for practise our English:

-Listen to music in English and read the letters of this songs

-See films with the subtitles in English

-Doing meetings with Erasmus people

-Use the social networks in English

-Simulate situations of the daily life           Silvia Acero Álvarez

Hello! my name is Ana Herrero

I have visited any of the websites like "bbc.co.uk" and "guadian.co.uk". The best for me is "guardian" because it speaks about many social topics such as news, spots, culture, business, money, travel, blogs... I think it´s a newspaper very complete and also it gives you the oppotunity to choose the topic more interests for you.

A website that I like is "National geographic" because for me is very interting, it shows impresive photographs of beatifuk places. I like also because has interting videos and corious stories about people, animals and places.

bye!

Hi,

I want to tell you which are the best resources for me to improve my english:

-I use to listen american and english music. At the moment I can´t understand all the song´s phrases, but I am slowly getting perception thanks to translate the song by one hand, and listen it repeatedly on the other hand.

-Films in english are other resource. I start to see a film in english with subtitles in spanish. After, I see the film with subtitles in english and finally, I don´t read the subtitles. I recognize the pronunciation so different between british and american english.

-I have a friend in my class who speaks english very well since he was a child. I will try to persuade him to converse in english.

- The best way to realize where is our problem is this course. I think we know many english grammar but we are not accustomed to say it. A weak point in our learning is not to conversate. So I guess that´s the best medicine to the big problem.            Jorge González Solano

 

 

Hello, this are my resources for learn English:

-          Sometimes I do exercises in Bussu. You can practice grammar, listening and speaking with other persons. http://www.busuu.com/es

-          Usually I see series and films in English with subtitles in Spanish, like The Office or The Wire.

-          Not very often I study grammar with the book "Essential Grammar in Use"

-          Maybe I could practice my English in a public library with the course of conversation. Some courses are free but I don’t have many time.

https://sede.madrid.es/portal/site/tramites/menuitem.d3089948cb18b1bb68d8a521ecd08a0c/?vgnextoid=68d9dd9d6baed010VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=23a99c5ffb020310VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=relContenidos&tipoRel=-7&relationType=relContenidosTramites

-          I know people “change” his Spanish by English with others persons in Madrid for improve his English.

http://madridteacher.com/grupos-de-conversacion.htm

Have a good day.

Raúl

Hi!!

Here, I have found some interesting links about the phonetic and pronunciation. It is important because of the reading the english text. When I read a book, newspaper... I don´t know the meaning of one word, I look for it in the diccionary but it is only useful in order to know the meaning, but... if I want to pronounce the word I don´t know to do it because I don´t know the symbols that appear next to the word in the diccionary. Also, it is necessary to practice everyday and repeat  a lot of times.

First: http://www.oupchina.com.hk/dict/phonetic/home.html

This link shows the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols.In this page, you can press the symbols and you can hear the pronunciation with examples.Also, it has a intoduction and explanation about the matter.

This second link: http://www.oupchina.com.hk/dict/phonetic/home.html it is a page where you can find other links about the phonetic and pronunciation with exercises more specifics: vowel sounds, consonants, phonetic transcription, listen to the words, some activities: listening, games...

It is important to have a variety of exercises and some ways in order to become to learn , in this way it isn´t bored.       

 Oh! I have forgotten to send a link about pronunciation advices, the worse it is the page is written in spanish.

http://www.englishcom.com.mx/tips/pronunciacion-en-ingles.html

 I prefer to speak slow, right with clear pronunciation than I speak so fast and the person, who I am speaking, doesn´t understand me.                                Jessica Jimenez

         

 

Welcome!

Welcome to your class blog for English level B1+

List the resources you find useful here, and check out other people's ideas.

Have fun,

Ian