The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

I love this type of things!!!!!  I hope you enjoy it too, no matter if child or grown-up… maybe both!

Cheers,

Sonia

“He’s an actor, author, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter.  Now add a children’s book to his dossier. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures comes by its title honestly; the book is one filled with only words, in different fonts and colors and sizes. Funny, creative, and smart, the book, which forces the reader to say a slew of ridiculous words, is guaranteed to get a laugh out of any kid you know—just watch the trailer below, from one of Novak’s live readings, for proof.”

Continue reading here

Silly but funny anyway….

I have a weakness for jokes about the Royal Family ….

What’s the message in the following video?

What are YOUR reasons for learning English?

Subtitles: in English!!!!

One of the reasons for watching original versions is to practise the language, particularly your listening and comprehension skills. However, most of us tend to read subtitles in our own language, which makes concentration on the second language more difficult.

MY SUGGESTION: use English subtitles!!!  easy if you are watching directly from Youtube or simmilar. Whenever you search for a documentary, series, film, just type “English subtitles” after the title.

English-Spanish language exchange in Madrid

Dear learners,

Check this out for fun learning:

• Madrid Babel. Exchange meeting points in Madrid
• Downtown Madrid exchange
• Multinkual. They do many interesting things, specially interesting their ‘original version cinema sessions’.

Give it a try and let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.  Plus, let us know any other meeting points you might have tried.

Cheers,

Sonia

European Day of Languages 2014. September 26

Celebrate the European Day of Languages wherever you are!

Following the success of the Year of Languages in 2001, the Council of Europe declared a European Day of Languages to be celebrated on 26th of September each year throughout its 47 member states. The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are:

1. Alerting the public to the importance of language learning and diversifying the range of languages learnt in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;

2. Promoting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe, which must be preserved and fostered;

3. Encouraging lifelong language learning in and out of school, whether for study purposes, for professional needs, for purposes of mobility or for pleasure and exchanges.

 

IN MADRID:  Folleto informativo

HAPPY EASTER

Cool learning games

Wheel of Fortune                                      Grammar Ninja

Bankers’ Deal                                              Scrabble

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?            Spin and Spell

Family Feud                                               Wordconnect

There’ll be more comming soon!!!

Happy Christmas 2011

Dear learners:

This pic is my way of wishing you a happy Christmas this year. I think the cartoon is funny…, but I’d apologise if someone felt offended or thought it’s just stupid.

Now…. let me use this space to try to express how I’ve been feeling this year  about to end.  Well… I still believe life is great and that  a bit of good sense of humour helps facing difficulties.    I’m a cheerful… yeah, I think so… a cheerful person, and a cheerful teacher of English. When I started learning English myself I never thought I would end up teaching! I thought it was something only native speakers could do… but…here I am… trying to teach English in Spain, in a  state run language school.  Unfortunately, recently imposed cuts on funding have left many teachers like me without a job this year; which at th same time means that  many students are going to find overworked teachers trying to do their best but not always being able to offer a high level of quality. At the moment,  I’m waiting and hoping to get a call from the Ministry of Education of Madrid, saying I have my job back….  Although this situation may seem something personal, it is not; there are more than 2000 teachers going through the same ordeal. Last August, during our summer break, Madrid’s regional government decided to introduce cuts on funding affecting public education  at all levels (even at primary and secondary levels). For more than ten years private schools  have been favoured by getting publicly owned land for building cheaply and, this year, parents will be getting tax exemptions if they take their children to private schools.  You can find more information about this issue in some previous posts I’ve written linking news and reports from different sources ; I also recommend you have a look at some posts about the relevance of Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas ‘Official Language Schools’ in Spain and in Madrid.

Our polititians are terribly  wrong when they forget that education and health are basic pillars of society and treat them in such ways. It’s appaling to see them sell their souls to a system based on finantial and political corruption favouring just a few.

Having said probably too much…, I just want to finish by wishing you all the best of luck and pleasant surprises in 2012.  Let’s always hope for the best! and… do not forget to have fun!

Cheers,

Sonia

 

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS is

 

Any suggestions?

Think about it, jot down some ideas to develop later either in writing or speaking with a mate.

Try to use newly learnt vocabulary for practice and elaborate your sentences as much as posible to make grammar alive!

If you’re just not in the mood of brainy impressions…. just take a look at what other people have said about it:  search the net