MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

We hope you're having fun

WHAT NOW? (Episode VII)

I did my best to look surprised when I took out the gadget of my pocket. -“I can’t remember anything!What’s this?” I said- While everybody was waiting for a convincing explanation, we heard another bleep coming from the Scotsman’s pocket. Both gadgets were bleeping louder and louder as they were coming closer. One of the American contestants, who looked really upset, asked me “Why did you hide it?”. Right afterwards, the blonde woman stood up, came close to me and, staring at my face, she said “I know you...Don’t you work for 6^th channel??They always try to spoil our programmes!! You betrayed us!!”

People were shocked and they all started to doubt me.

“I’m sure this accident is your fault !!” said the blonde woman.

“I was in the toilet!! How could it be???” I replied

“And what were you doing in the toilet for such a long time?” enquired the other American.

All of a sudden, the pilot stated “Yeah!The plane went out of control.....it was as if someone else was flying it!”

Before we're all Christmased up

Hi there!

Before we start writing corny Christmas texts, with our wishes of love and happiness for all mankind, here's something that could help you smile through these last working days of the year.

Students in 2NA have been discussing the issue of discrimination. While looking for videos on the subject, I came across this little work of art that I wanted to share with you.

For TV and movie lovers, I'll just say that you can't miss Jack Black, John C Reilly or Neil Patrick Harris here.

Just to give you context: Proposition 8 was voted in California in 2008, and stated that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". This video was made before the actual voting took place, in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue.

Check it out and enjoy!

CLICK HERE to watch the video

PS: This is dedicated, of course, to our beloved Rudolph

Did the air traffic controllers strike affect you?

Hello, everybody! And welcome back from the long long weekend!!!

Let's face it, it's the news of the hour, probably the news of the year... Everybody is talking about the unannounced Spanish air controllers strike... and how it came to an end!
So.. how did it affect you? And in case it didn't, what's your input in all this?

Let us know... and have a great weekend!!!

Your teachers...

Can we facebook you? (and this is not a What Now episode)

Hello, my dear cyber friends!!!

We, the teachers at the Language School have decided to go a litttle crazy (must be the Christmas spirit) and we've officially become a registered user of Facebook under the name 'EOI Navalmoral'. This way we can all be in touch!!

So, do you mind if we facebook you? Or would you facebook us? And while we are facebooking each other, remember that the Christmas Party is getting closer, so we hope to see you all (in person, of course) participating in our fun fun fun activities!!!!

Stay tuned...

Your dedicated Teachers...

What Now? Episode VI

The plane had crashed in the woods and split in two, flames and a thick black smoke coming out of it.
At first I thought all this was a cruel practical joke, but when I saw everybody's shocked faces I realised it was for real. 'Oh, Boy, do I regret getting in this stupid show in the first place...' I thought while the Scotsman put a bandage on my head.
By then, The Blonde Girl was screaming: 'OH, MY GOD! WE ARE LOST! WE ARE GOING TO DIE! How will we EVER reach the producers of the tv show?
'Oh, for goodness sake, STOP!!!!' cried the Scotsman. 'I need to concentrate!'
Suddenly we all heard a bleep. While everybody stared at me I remembered the gadget in my pocket...

What now? (Episode V)

I still couldn’t believe my eyes. I had walked out of the toilet when I realized part of the floor had disappeared. It was no longer there. To my amazement, people were simply falling out of the plane. Then I fainted.

I looked around. We were in the jungle. The others sat in a circle around me. The Scotsman was holding a first-aid kit, while the blonde girl was running around frantically.

"Something must have gone wrong" I thought

What now? (Chapter IV)

It was the moment to get out. I practised my best smile in front of the mirror and I turned round to the door. When I tried to open it..."This can't be true!". The door was locked!!

I shouted and hit the door as much as I could but there was no response. I didn't know what to do. Behind the door, it seemed as if they were having a party. The blond girl on TV was announcing the Scottish man had found one of the missing gadgets. They were all so excited that no one could imagine I was there.

I was wondering for a while what to do and, suddenly, an idea crossed my mind: "Why not using the metal gadget I had to unlock the door?"... and it worked!Unfortunately, what I found when I managed to leave the toilet was such a shock to me, that I decided to hide the gadget in my pocket.

Right after that, I started to feel as if I were breaking out in a cold sweat, my eyes were blurring and...

The next thing I remember is the pilot slapping my face to wake me up.

WHAT NOW? EPISODE III

As I got into the plane I realised we were moving... The plane was taking off!! I started to feel sick and terrified.

Suddenly, a deep velvet voice startled us. The blonde girl appeared on a screen and told us that we only had two hours to find the hidden parts of the plane or we would run out of fuel.

About to throw up, I ran to the toilet. While I was washing my face, I saw something out of the corner of my eye: a sort of metal gadget which was... one of the missing parts!. Phew!!!! My heart was about to explode with pride and relief... I could picture in my mind the audience roaring and clapping at my triumph.

Every cloud has a silver lining...

What now? (Episode II)

(Note: this is not the beginning of the story! If you want to know how we got here, read chapter I)


The door opened and I noticed everybody had stopped talking. Just then, a blonde girl entered the room. She was ridiculously beautiful: long legs, long hair, low cleavage... you name it.
Things started to happen fast. I was blinded by a spotlight while she started speaking to a camera that was hidden behind the light. “Welcome to this wild, addictive, brand-new show” she said. I couldn't quite understand her words after that. I felt lost. I could only pick a few things here and there.

But my friends were already moving. Apparently, we had to start by finding 3 parts that were missing from the plane, so I followed them. How did I get into this?

To be continued...

What now? (Chapter I)

6:30 AM. It was like the old joke: a Scotsman, two Americans and a Spaniard walk into a bar... only this time it was for real, and I was one of the characters. We were having a strong cup of coffee, at the lounge of a private airport that I didn't even know existed, somewhere near London. There was only a propeller plane on the runway, and somehow I knew it was for us. Man, do I hate flying...

I massaged my temples for the third time this morning. A splitting headache threatened to spoil all the fun, if there was to be any. I still had the piece of paper: “airport at 6”, in Jack's childish handwriting. I didn't know what to expect, except that I was to take part in a “brand-new, truly innovative TV program”, the kind to “put these days' trash TV to shame”, as Jack had said. The fact that he was a news reporter, well-known for risking his neck every other Friday, wasn't all that reassuring.

“Oh my, they are all carrying at least one backpack. This can't be good” I thought.

To be continued...

WARNING!!!

Hi everybody,

Just some lines to let you know you will have the chance to take part in our new activity for you bloggers in the next few days. Visit our blog and read the story coming soon that your class mates from the Advanced level will help us to continue. We are all waiting for your comments!!!

Mónica

MORE MOVIES, PLEASE!!!

Dear everybody,
Here we are again!!

Well, as surprising as it may seem, the movie Machete seems to have become very popular among our students! I must confess that I haven't watched it yet, though...

I hope you also enjoy these new titles, I'd love to get input on these (lots of drama, I'm afraid...):



The Social Network
Drama: USA (2010)
A story about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook.



The Stoning Of Soraya M.
Drama: USA (2008)
A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending.




The New Daughter
Horror, Thriller: (USA (2009)
A single father moves his two children to rural South Carolina, only to watch his daughter exhibit increasingly strange behavior.


Thanks again for all your comments. In case you missed them, here are two great recommendations by your fellow students:

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Drama: USA (2010)
As the global economy teeters on the brink of disaster, a young Wall Street trader partners with disgraced former Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko on a two-tiered mission: To alert the financial community to the coming doom, and to find out who was responsible for the death of the young trader's mentor.



Resident Evil: Afterlife
Action:USA (2010)
While still out to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation, Alice joins a group of survivors who want to relocate to the mysterious but supposedly unharmed safe haven known only as Arcadia.


Just one last idea for those of you who enjoy dark comedies:

Louise-Michel
Comedy: FRANCE (2008)
What to do when the workers of a factory have been laid off overnight? Louise has an original idea: why not pool the compensation money to ... hire a hit man and to liquidate the boss? Motion accepted so Louise goes in search of the gem they need and unfortunately comes across Michel, a stinky security specialist...



;-) Ta!

Opening This Week...

MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES...

With the weather changing like this, don't you feel like curling up in front of a good movie?
For those of you who like going to the cinema, here are films that are openning on October 1st.

We are dying to read your comments and recommendations...
Enjoy!!

Abel

(Drama; Mexico)
About a peculiar young boy who, as he blurs reality and fantasy, takes over the responsibilities of a family man in his father's absence.



Buried

(Thriller; Spain)
Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.

Heaven on Earth

(Drama; Canada)
Chand, a young Punjabi woman, travels to Canada to marry a man she has never met. They live in a crowded suburban house and Chand has to also put up with her husband's abusive behavior.

Vampires Suck

(Comedy; USA)

A spoof of vampire-themed movies, where teenager Becca finds herself torn between two boys. As she and her friends wrestle with a number of different dramas, everything comes to a head at their prom.

Charlie St. Cloud

(Fantasy, Romace, Drama; USA)
Charlie St. Cloud is a young man overcome by grief at the death of his younger brother. So much so that he takes a job as caretaker of the cemetery in which his brother is buried. Charlie has a special lasting bond with his brother though, as he can see him. Charlie meets up with his brother (Sam) each night to play catch and talk..

Machete

(Action; USA)
After being betrayed by the organization who hired him, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.

Sources:
Estrenos de Cine (http://www.estrenosdecine.net/)
The internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/)

Three is the number

Here we are again. Year 3 of our blog will start in just a few days. There will be a new layout, new sections, and lots of news. We would like to remind you that this blog is for you readers, so please let us know what you would like to find here. You can leave your comments anytime from now.

For our students: remember that you have all the information on September tests in our website (see right)

See you soon!

HELP!!!

It's May already and I still don't know where I can go on my summer vacation. I want to go abroad and, if possible, speak English. But it can also be somewhere in Spain (it's a cheaper option, right?). What do you recommend?

Alex

These are two pictures from last summer. Can you guess the place?

The Mona's Day. By Montse Farré

The Mona’s day
By Montse Farré


Hi everybody there, my name is Montse Farré, I’m second year English student. I’m from Catalonia, I was born in Lerida, but I live in Navalmoral since four years ago.

Last Easter I went back to my homeland, Lerida and I would like to talk to you about the traditional use we have there on Easter mondays, which consists of eating a sponge cake known as the Easter “Mona” . I got all of this information on the Internet and I have just made some changes to it, but the photograps shown here, were taken by myself and some of them were taken by my sister. I must tell they were specifically made for this article.

The Easter Mona

‘The Easter Mona’ is a typical confectionery of the Aragonese, Valencian and Catalonian regions and of certain areas of Murcia either. It is a sort of Easter cake the people here eat and taste to symbolize that the Lent and abstinence times are over.

Origin

Its name comes from the word “munna”, it is an arabic term, which literally means “mouth provisioning “. It was just a present the ancient moorish made to their lords and military chiefs.

The Making

The Mona’s ingredients are flour, sugar ,eggs and salt. Its a sort of mass which takes a lot of hand work to do the rolling. It is required that this mass be left alone to ferment by itself for about an hour before its baking in the oven. In Catalonia, the Mona’s base is made of sponge cake and later it is filled with yellow cream and chocolate or fruit marmalade instead, then it is covered with Catalan cream,.whose surface has been previously brown-toasted. The baker or confectioner carefully pours the cream over theMona and add almonds sticking them to the sides around. The picture shown here was made by courtesy of Teres confectionery.


As the time goes by, the Monas are being more and more embellished with colored feathers, or with little chicken figures made of chocolate and/ or covered with chocolate pills similar to the M&M’s candies.

Little by little, the original hen eggs that formerly were adorning the Monas, have been gradually substituted by chocolate eggs. Some time later, the chocolate ornaments have taken more and more importance. Thus, presently, some Monas made by confectioners and pastries masters are sculptures made of pure chocolate, or white one, or even artificially coloured chocolate. The sculptures which are a reference to well known cartoons like; Hello Kity, Micky mouse and many other famous cartoon animations watched by children all over the world, fairly attract the attention of kids and adults who spent hours enjoying their viewing. As you can see in the following photographs.

In other cases, these figures are related to famous characters, amongst them, football players like Pujol. Look at the Pujol’s figure in the picture below.

In some cases the prices of some of these figures necessarily surpass the price of the very cake containing them.

Traditional Uses

Traditionally the Mona is a present made by the godfather to his godson on Easter sundays after the Catholic mass. On Easter mondays it has become a tradition that two o three families be reunited to have a celebration meal. Sometimes it’s just a group of friends who gather to eat the Mona at some place of the countryside in the nearby.
It’s an authentic banket or dinner-party where lamb steaks, roasted rabbit, the paella and specially the wine are never missing.

In many towns the confectioner’s compete to show in their shop windows the most spectacular chocolate sculptures, which may be a scaled model of a building or some popular characters, or perhaps a set of cakes embellished with chocolate or “guirlache” figures. (Guirlache is made of nuts, almonds, hazels stuck altogether with caramel. It can be shown as a mass or as a hard block).

In Lérida, for instance, the Prats’ confectioner, one of the best in the area, has made this year a real size chocolate sculpture with different colors, presenting the famous soccer player Leo Messi. Look again the evidence in the next photograph.


They also gave me the chance to show you the wide variety of Monas, that undoubtedly are being sold today, the Mona’s day in Catalonia. A line of all of these Easter Monas inside the confectionery’s counter is shown here.

This cake was born typically to celebrate the Easter’s monday, and so it came along the custom of families going out to the countryside to enjoy it, while sharing the day together, turning the day into a good ocassion for everyone. Therefore, it has all ended up giving the cake’s name to the day, known today by many of us as the Mona’s day.

Eyjafjallajökull's Ash Cloud

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REYKJAVIK, April 15: "This is an explosive eruption. That means there's lots of volcanic ash," volcanologist Armann Hoeskuldsson of the University of Iceland.

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Was he right?

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Reading about the violent volcanic eruption in Iceland last month, I came across some disturbing news about the possible long-term effects of the ash cloud in Europe. Although we are treating this event as a temporary inconvenience, it could be in the sky for some time. Did you know the last time this volcano erupted in 1821 the eruptions lasted for months?

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Well, imagine European airspace being closed until September.

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Some bad news:

• Many airlines now on the edge of failure including BA may not be able to survive. The capacity will be lost and when the skies open in the autumn there will be nothing to replace it
• London (LHR) is the hub of the global air traffic - some other place will take its place and LHR will never get all of its pre-eminence back - the need for a more diverse system will be made obvious
• Tourism in Europe will hit a blow like no other. Countries like Spain and Greece that are already weak - that also depend on Tourism will take another hit and another step to the edge or maybe over the edge
• Business travel will take a huge hit - seeing your client in person will be very hard
• Air freight will take a big knock as will the just in time aspects of air
• The banks will be put under a lot of pressure again
  

But there´s good news too:

• If I was Skype, I would be thinking abut how I can make conferencing even easier - video online will be huge
• If I was a cruise line, I would be thinking about what we could do - a 4 day weekend crossing would be a great alternative - if we could test this and see what the experience could be - could mean a return to a lot of ship travel - after all travel by air is hell now anyway
• A huge boost for rail - a lot of pressure on Eurostar and the Chunnel
• More reason to think local for many things - we can see how vulnerable we are now - air today Peak oil tomorrow?

Assume a long break, what do you think would be the bad and good news?

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I forgot .... try pronouncing this: AY-yah-fyah-lah-YOH-kuul

UK elections (for 2NI and higher)

Hi!

I'm sure you've all heard about the last general elections in Britain, held last Thursday.

It still shocks me that the news is getting so much coverage in Spain. Everybody talks about the hung Parliament or the system reform. People mention Nick Clegg in the supermarket, much as they would refer to the chap next door.

Well, if you:

- feel a bit lost in all the fuzz,

- still don't know how 20% of the votes can result in 8% of the seats in Parliament,

- just want to bullshit about English things over some beers, and show your friends what this language school is doing for you,

here's a video in slow, very clear English, that might help. Enjoy!

Do you think the British system is fair? Is the Spanish system fairer, or even more unfair?

"United in Diversity"

Why are we celebrating Europe Day today?

You may have come across a reference in a diary or elsewhere to the fact that 9 May is "Europe Day" and perhaps asked about its significance.

Probably very few people in Europe know that on 9 May 1950 the first move was made towards the creation of what is now known as the European Union.

In Paris that day, against the background of the threat of a Third World War engulfing the whole of Europe, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman read to the international press a declaration calling France, Germany and other European countries to pool together their coal and steel production as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation".

What he proposed was the creation of a supranational European Institution, charged with the management of the coal and steel industry, the very sector which was, at that time, the basis of all military power. The countries which he called upon had almost destroyed each other in a dreadful conflict which had left after it a sense of material and moral desolation.

Everything, therefore, began that day. That is why during the Milan Summit of EU leaders in 1985 it was decided to celebrate 9 May as "Europe Day".

Every country which democratically chooses to accede to the European Union endorses its fundamental values of peace and solidarity.

These values find expression through economic and social development embracing environmental and regional dimensions which are the guarantees of a decent standard of living for all citizens.

While Europe as such has existed for centuries, the elements which united it, in the absence of rules and institutions, have in the past been insufficient to prevent the most appalling tragedies.

The integration of Europe will not come about in one day or even in a few decades. Deficiencies are still numerous and there are evident imperfections. The project which was begun just after the Second World War is still very new. In the past, efforts at European union were based on domination of one group over another. These attempts could not last, because those who had been conquered had only one aspiration: to regain their freedom.

Today's ambition is completely different: to build a Europe which respects freedom and the identity of all of the people which compose it. Only by uniting its peoples can Europe control the mastery of its destiny and develop a positive role in the world.

The European Union is at the service of its citizens. While keeping their own specific values, customs and language, European citizens should feel at ease in the "European home".

For the 60th anniversary of the declaration, the EU institutions are in celebration mode, organising concerts, dance shows, a giant quiz, information stands and all sorts of other activities.

You can get more information on these events and watch the Schuman Declaration Video at:

http://www.europeanmovement.eu/index.php?id=10141#c35550

Are you celebrating Europe Day?

And the winners are...

1st prize

Humm, ¡qué rico! (Peking, China)

Juan Luis Saavedra Moreno
2NB Portuguese

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2nd prize

Disfrutando de las playas caribeñas (Cancún, México)

Sergio Martín González

2NI English

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3rd prize

"O peso da arte". Surpreendentes esculturas nas ruas, e ao ar livre para nós deleitarmos com elas. Admirável! (Cueva del Soplao, Cantabria)

Inés María Pérez García
2ºNA Portuguese

CONGRATULATIONS!!

THE D-DAY

Thanks everyone for voting in our photo contest! It has been a thrilling race till the last minute. It was so exciting to have voters from all over the world. I guess the Brits were warming up for today's big day...

We'd like to let you know that we appreciate your constructive comments. Future editions of the contest will incorporate as many of your suggestions as possible.

If you're in the neighborhood, don't miss out on TODAY'S SHOW (Casa de la Cultura, 5:30 sharp), which will include theater plays, a presentation of the pictures and, of course, our own version of a prize “ceremony”!

See you there

Seventy years "without food or water"

A team of scientists and doctors are studying the bizarre case of a man in India who says he has survived without food or water for the last 70 years.

Prahlad Jani, 82, also known as Mataji, is being examined in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He claims that special powers from Hindu goddess Amba have allowed him to shun food and water since the age of eight.

A spokesperson for the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences says that Mataji may help with working out strategies to combat water and food shortages during natural disasters.
He added that soldiers may also benefit from the study if they face situations, "when they are left in the deserts or in forest or in high altitude areas."

Mataji has not taken on any liquid or food since entering the hospital. But Sudhir Shah, a Neurophysician from Sterling University says this is unremarkable: "A person can live without food and water for three, four, seven to twelve days."

There are unusual aspects to Mataji's case. Since being placed under observation he has not passed urine, which Mr. Shah describes as a "unique phenomena." Investigations into Mataji will last for a total of 20 days.

Can you imagine your life without food or water?

CAPOEIRA: DANCE OR SPORT?

It was first performed by African slaves in the state of Bahia in Brazil in the 1800s. This original art form is the creation of the slave culture that once existed in Brazil.
Slaves in Brazil invented capoeira as a way of fighting against their owners and it later became a popular activity. Capoeira brings together the body, mind and soul. Moreover, students of capoeira learn from a very experienced teacher, who is sometimes called a master.
The practice of slavery is long gone, but capoeira still exists. Nowadays, there are many capoeira clubs around the world. This practice has become especially popular with children and teenagers.
Do you like capoeira? Do you practise it?

Time to vote for your favourite photo!

Thank you to everyone who sent us their travel shots.

For nearly two months, you have been sending us your best travel photos. Now we need your help to choose the winner. Please, take the poll in the right column to vote for your favourites.
Voting will close on May 5th at midnight. The photo with the most votes at that time will be declared the winner.

Thank you,
Your teachers

"What are you doing?" "What's happening?"

These are the two questions that Twitter asks its users.

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets.

Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered (via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications) to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. (Wikipedia).

Despite its growing popularity, some users are starting to critisize the service. Among the reasons are high cellphone bills, messages at odd hours, or the need to tell their friends to stop announcing what they are having for dinner. Joan Collins said that "Twitter is the most banal and boring pastime ever invented"

But fans say that social networking services are a good way to keep in touch with busy friends.

What do you think? Are we "too connected"? Are twitterers (twitter users) twits (idiots)? Send us your "tweets" either giving your opinion on social networking sites or telling us what you are doing.

Cherry Blossom Festival in the Jerte Valley

Early spring and an entire valley looks to the sky and prays. However this isn't one of the many religious festivals in Spain, but a delicate dance between the weather and the calendar. Snowcapped mountains descend into green terracing where two million trees await their cue from Mother Nature before exploding into one of nature's spectacles... turning the entire valley white with their blossoms. Problem is that the grand old lady can be slightly unpredictable and the dates of the festival vary each year. Locals hope that it coincides with Semana Santa, the Easter celebrations, and if it does expect traffic jams all the way back to Madrid.

Depending on the variety, some of the performers will bear fruit as early as late April, but the queen of the ball is the highly prized picota cherry. It may fall from its stem last, but the sweet wait is ever so worth it.

Don´t miss your chance to enjoy it this year!

http://www.turismovalledeljerte.com/cerezo00/Programa%20Cerezo%20en%20Flor%202010.pdf

Carmela

Easter

Easter is just around the corner! I cannot believe how fast this year is going. Each one seems to go faster than the last. Easter is not celebrated very much at all in England, children may get "Easter bunnies" or go on "Easter Egg Hunts" but little more. Of course, for the religious there is the church ceremony, but nothing like the parades of Semana Santa here. I had the luck of seeing the parades in Malaga last year. Quite spectacular.

What do you do for Easter usually? What are your plans for this Holy week? Let us know!!

Hi there!

First of all, a special greeting to those who don't belong to our school but read this blog anyway.

Following a wonderful lesson on idioms (thanks, Sandra), I would like to propose a challenge here. Can you understand this text?

"You're not going to believe what happened the other day at the garage. A furious guy came in waving his arms around and, guess who it was? Robert de Niro! His car was still smoking outside. He said he was going at full speed when the engine suddenly kicked the bucket. He tried to restart it, but it was like flogging a dead horse. The man was all hot under the collar. You see, it's a '62 Thunderbird we're talking about. The thing had cost him a pretty penny.

My partner Tom and I are men of our words. We said it would be easy as pie, and so it was.

We usually make light work of fixing these things, but this time we buried the needle. “Good as new!” said Tom when we were done. I could see that he was swelling with pride. He told the owner the car would purr like a cat from then on, as long as he took good care of it."

I also have a question for you: what is your favorite idiom in English? Let the votes begin!

Alex

Spring!!

I think that now I am ready for Spring. The dark and cold of Winter holds no joy for me. Whilst the lighter nights now give some enjoyment and hope, the continuing rain is no joy. Here the sun comes out and you can feel the heat on your shoulders...but I feel that we could do with a bit more! Roll on March and some warmer days! What do you think? Do you prefer Summer, Spring, Autumn or Winter? Let us know!

Monty Python

Sorry the last blog has got me thinking...Monty Python. I´m not sure how many of you are familiar with Monty Python, but here I share with you one of my favourite clips, which is quite apt for an English blog as it expresses clearly our problems with Latin...and future Romance language conjugations. You will appreciate that with our simplistic grammar, so many tenses and variations can tax our brains sometimes...I leave you with the clip. Enjoy!

SPAM SPAM SPAM

by Monty Python

SPAM

Technology always has an influence on language. When printing came in, it brought new words into the language. When broadcasting first started new words came into the language. And now the internet has come along so it’s not surprising that quite a large number of new words have come into English vocabulary since, especially the last 10 years really since the world wide web came into being. And of course if you’ve got emails, and most people have these days, then you will have encountered the word Spam. Spam flooding your email box with ads or other unwanted messages. But why the word Spam for this sort of thing?

Spam was originally a tinned meat back in the 1930s, a brand name for a particular kind of cold meat. But it became very fashionable when Monty Python, the satirical television comedy series back in the 70s and 80s they had a sketch where just for fun they had spam with every item on the restaurant menu - bacon and spam, egg and spam, ham and spam, spam and spam. Spam spam spam spam… and they actually sang a song about it and it caught on.

And therefore it became a real part of the language meaning any unwanted material of any kind and so when the internet came along it wasn’t surprising really that spam became part of that kind of experience. And the evidence that it’s become part of the language is not just because of the noun spam which you might expect to see in the internet context but because it’s generated other kinds of linguistic expression as well.

You’ve now got verbs based upon it, and adjectives based upon it. You can now have ‘I’ve been spammed’ or ‘somebody’s spamming me’ and the actual people who do the work themselves who send all these horrible emails out to everybody so that we’re flooded with these things, what are they called? Well there’s a new noun, they’re called ‘spammers’.

By Professor David Crystal (BBC)

Well, now you know where the word "spam" comes from. Hope you have enjoyed the video and the reading.

Carmela

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Enjoy your Carnival!!

Carmela

TEA, PLEASE

LET´S LEARN THESE EASY TEA IDIOMS!

What wouldn´t you do for all the tea in China?

Let us know!!

AFTERNOON TEA
A very British tradition.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
Henry James.

Tea, that most quintessential of English drinks, is a relative latecomer to British shores. Although the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China, it was not until the mid 17th century that tea first appeared in England.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880's upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o'clock.

Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches (including of course thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches), scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups.

Nowadays however, in the average suburban home, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a mug of tea, usually produced using a teabag. Sacrilege!

For tea lovers: http://blog.englishteastore.com/

Do you prefer tea or coffee?

CONGRATULATIONS, Cristina!!!!!

The English Department .

END OF THE COURSE

TRAVEL WITH ENGLISH (A1+)

THANK YOU

Jesús, Carmen, Maite, Manuel, Marcelino, Maribel, Carmelo, Lola and Pilar (in the picture), and Azucena M., Paula and Azucena D.

I´ve had a great time teaching you.

Carmela.

Carnival

Carnival for me will be a new experience. In England, I´m not sure if you are aware, but we throw all Carnival traditions out the window, with it marking the beginning of Lent, and the few that are celebrated take place in the summer, the most famous being Notting Hill Carnival. Whilst I did experience to some extent carnival in Lisbon, they do not celebrate it very much there. Here everyone I speak to has 4 or 5 different costumes already ready whilst I´m still trying to get one together. I will think of one, although somehow I think that I will be put to shame. Nevermind, it will certainly be a laugh. What do you think of Carnival? How are you dressing up? Let me know...

My scarf and a silly joke.

For those of you who were in Alex's class today (Wednesday), I have a colour for my scarf, and a joke which follows. See what you think. Firstly, the colour my boyfriend gave it was maroon.

So here's the joke -

Did you hear about the red ship and the blue ship that collided?

Both crews were marooned!!!

Silly, I know ;-)

Personal Bed Warmers

I’m not sure if anyone saw it on the news other day, but it made me laugh. Apparently in some hotels in England they are now employing people to get into client’s beds for a few minutes before they get in, so that the bed will be warm and snugly for them upon arrival. Personally I don’t like the idea of strangers warming up my bed for me. It also amuses me that the news that arrives to Spain from England tends to be of this sort of nature. What do you think? What other interesting news items have you seen? Let us know...

BUZZWORDS:THE NOUGTHIES

Although my Word spell checker keeps flagging (marking) it as incorrect, the ‘noughties’ is the name that seems to have caught on (become popular) to refer to the first decade of the 21st century. The word “noughties” comes from the ‘nought’ (zero), in front of each year number: 2001, 2002, 2003, etc. and sounds like ‘naughty’, which is probably the reason for its success.
Other suggestions that didn’t catch on were: ‘the twenty-hundreds’, ‘the double ohs’, ‘the twenty-os’, ‘the oh-ohs’, ‘the ohs’, ‘the zeros’, ‘the two thousands’, ‘the ones’, …

What will we call the decade that has just begun (2010-2019)? The favourites seem to be ‘the twenty-tens’, ‘the tens’, ‘the teenies’ and ‘the teens’. Time will tell.

There’s also some confusion about how to say the year ‘2010’. Although 2009 was ‘two thousand and nine’, the year 2010 is pronounced either ‘twenty ten’ or ‘two thousand (and) ten’. Some people even say ‘oh ten’. So it’s up to you (it’s your choice/decision) how you say it.

Source: Revista Think in English. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/noughties.html

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

ÚLTIMA SEMANA PARA INSCRIBIROS EN LOS CURSOS MONOGRÁFICOS DEL SEGUNDO CUATRIMESTRE(60 horas de febrero a mayo 2010)

* CURSO MONOGRÁFICO DE INGLÉS: JUST LISTENING AND SPEAKING. B1 (NIVEL INTERMEDIO)

Clases: Lunes y Miércoles de 19:30 a 21:20h.

Impartido por PALOMA GÓMEZ ROMERO, profesora del departamento.

* CURSO MONOGRÁFICO DE INGLÉS: JUST LISTENING AND SPEAKING. B2 (NIVEL AVANZADO)

Clases: Martes y Jueves de 19:30 a 21:20h.

Impartido por PALOMA GÓMEZ ROMERO, profesora del departamento.

Para más información , contactad con el departamento de inglés o la secretaría de la EOI.

PLAZO DE MATRÍCULA ABIERTO HASTA EL JUEVES, 28 DE ENERO.

Brain teasers

1 A man is writing a letter. The power goes out and he dies. Why?

2 A man lives on the 24th floor. He goes to the lobby on the bottom floor every morning to get the newspaper. He rides the elevator up to the 19th floor, then walks up the stairs the rest of the way. Why?

3 A man is in the middle of a room hanging from the ceiling. There is a puddle of water under his feet. There is nothing else in the room. How did he hang himself?

4 A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a glass of water. The bartender looks at him for a minute, then pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says "Thank You!" and leaves. Why?

5 A man is lying dead in the middle of a desert. He is wearing a back pack and has a full canteen of water. How did he die?

6 A man lives in a big tower with no windows. The bathroom is at the very top, and his bedroom is at the very bottom. One day he goes up to take a bath. While he was filling the tub, his cat chases a mouse by the door and accidently slams it shut. The guy tries to open the door, but it is stuck. He then tries to shut off the water, but the knob breaks off, and the water won't shut off. The tub begins to overflow and slowly fill the room. How does he survive?

Now, did any of you win the lottery?

I know that the Christmas lottery is HUGE in Spain. It really is quite astonishing how big it is. And I also got caught up in the whirl, not wanting to be left out. We all know we will not win, but then again... But today I was browsing the web and this comic strip made me laugh...let's see what you think.

Snow!!!

Snow. It's white, fluffy and very pretty. But that's not all. In England 2010 has commenced with the country being brought to a standstill by adverse weather conditions. Schools did not open, trains did not run and planes did not fly. In parts of Scotland temperatures got down to -22 degrees. Global warming certainly has some funny side effects.

Do you like snow? I like playing in it. But when I had to drive from Cirencester in ice and snow it sure was a scary experience. Following a lorry sliding around the Fosse Way (long Roman road that runs from South West of England to East Midlands) was not my idea of fun.

Even now, when the remnants of the snow are just a few sprinkles on rooftops and paths, schools are just opening and transport services getting back to normal. Does adverse weather cause the same problems in Spain? Or do you deal better with it? Do you like the snow? Let me know!!!

Happy 2010!

And you, have you made any New Year´s resolutions?