We have revised and extended our knowledge of the present perfect tense (simple and continuous) throughout this week. Thus, you can practise the grammar point on this webpage and on this other one.

The lesson topic is illness and treatment. We have talked about first aid and stress through a listening and a reading exercise. And as I think this is a very important topic to deal with, here you are a reading and listening exercise from VOA news: what to do until help arrives. 

We have also talked about symptoms. What about on animals? Dusty talks about his experience helping sea turtles that have been hurt.

We should not forget that today's Halloween!!!! Therefore, here you are a list of listening resources to learn about this celebration:

- The history of Halloween
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- trick-or-treating on Halloween

Today we've revised present perfect simple and present perfect continuous. Therefore, here you are some exercises on the grammar point to practise a little bit more. And some more for your own benefit!

Here you are a listening exercise from the British Council about how to beat stress. There's an warm-up exercise, the task itself and the transcript so that you can have a look at it.

As for the vocabulary, I've decided to show you some words related to first aid. Click on here to learn some useful vocabulary for a first aid kit.

Finally, with Halloween just around the corner, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has decided the time is right for an hilarious Zombie-themed public service announcement. Their new video, 'The Undeading,' is a Walking Dead-style take on the lifesaving procedure featuring a horde of zombies performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on a hapless victim.

EXERCISE C
Being stuck in a traffic jam.
Looking after a family member who has a chronic illness.
The others are examples of 'good stress'.

EXERCISE D
1b    2c    3b    4a

EXERCISE F
1. cut down
2. chronic
3. beneficial
4. strengthen
5. cells
6. damage
7. disease
8. harmful
9. muscles

Halloween is just around the corner. That's why the school shows Hitchcock's Psycho this week.

This is a 1960 American suspense/horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh. It is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. The novel was loosely inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave robber Ed Gein, who lived just 40 miles from Bloch.

The film depicts the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane (Leigh), who goes to a secluded motel after  embezzling money from her employer, and the motel's disturbed owner and manager, Norman Bates (Perkins), and the aftermath of their encounter.

Psycho is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics. It is often ranked among the greatest films of all time and is famous for bringing in a new level of acceptable violence and sexuality in films.

We will be showing the film tomorrow evening in room 212 from 19:00 to 21:00. Entrance is free! ;-)

This week we focused on the revision of auxiliary verbs through short answers, echo questions, emphatic uses, questions tags and the expression of agreement by means of "so (do) I / neither (do) I. We also listened to authentic spoken English about what the future holds - an astrologist and palmist who teaches us about these two subjects.  We also listened to some people who were asked about their star signs and whether their star sing has an influence on their personality.

Next, we enjoyed a role play where visitors went to a fortune teller to make guesses about your personality. Finally, we introduced the topic of health by means of becoming doctors and learning useful vocabulary.

As for the new content studied, here you are a reading exercise about catching a cold. It will only take you 5 minutes according to the website's URL!!! ;-) On the other hand, on this link you'll find vocabulary and a dialogue related to illnesses and symptoms.

On the other hand, here you are some videos about the vocabulary learnt: a video with some dialogues in different situations, a cartoon for kids using some of the vocabulary studied.

Finally, here you are a listening exercise where Conrad explains

Just in case you didn't check the online website of the student's book, here you are the link.

Maybe you can also want to practise the listening skill through two elllo activities related to star signs and fortune tellers or fashion sense, the importance of fashion or fashion magazines.

To practise auxiliary verbs, here you are the link to the website of the student's book.

To revise the use of "so do I" or "neither do I" structures, here you are a great youtube video with examples from TV series and cartoons. Transcript is also included!!!! I'm sure you'll like it!

It is well-known that reading is closely tied to vocabulary learning of a foreign language. However, motivation for vocabulary learning might not be considered independent from motivation for reading. Students without motivation for reading do limit their learning of new words and, therefore, their knowledge of the foreign language they are learning.

Although it may appear to be a boring task, reading also helps you understand grammar points, idioms, phrasal verbs, humour, culture, among others.

Two interesting books have been chosen as highly recommended books for B2.1. students. For the first half of the school year we recommend you to read a graded version of Agatha Christie's The Moving Finger, published by Collins (English Readers). This carefully adapted version is shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2).

Lymstock is a small town with lots of secrets. Recently several people in the town have received anonymous hate-mail. When Mrs Symmington receives one of the letters and then dies in mysterious circumstances, the people of the town no longer know whom they can trust. Who is writing the letters? And why? Miss Marple helps solve the mystery.

ISBN 978-0-00-745163-0

For the second half of the school year, however, we recommend you to read a 20th century literary classic, that is, Francis Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, published by Eli Publishing (Young Adult ELI Readers). Although it is aimed at advanced learners (CEF level C1), it also is an adapted version for English students who are about to enroll for a B2.2. course next year.

Nick Carraway is drawn into the dark world of Gatsby - a world of hidden frustrations and superficial relationships which perfectly illustrates the "careless and confused" nature of America's Jazz Age.

Both recommended books include a glossary and many activities to check your comprehension.

ISBN 978-88-536-0666-2

Hey pals!

We've worked hard in class this week! We revised the order of adjectives through the topic of fashion.  We talked about fashion fans and fashion slaves and debate about how many of the designs displayed in catwalks translate into street fashion. We listened to a recording from the BBC learning English site - "What to wear". Finally, we had a great catwalk in class!!! To practise the order of adjectives, have a look at this game!

We also introduced another grammar point (auxiliary verbs) through the topic of psychics.

Click here  for extra explanation on auxiliary verbs and these two explanatory youtube videos:

If you want Do you believe in psychics? You can play a trick on your friends and make them believe they're psychics!!!! Here you are How it works… And The ‘ACTUAL’ trick…

Here you are two reading exercises about the unexplained and haunted houses in England. Maybe you also like to try AKINATOR who will guess the famous person you’re thinking about….

Hi guys!

One of your classmates asked me about phrasal verbs resources. That's a real challenge as phrasal verbs are increadibly increasing in slang. However, there is a long list of common and established phrasal verbs.

Have a look at this link to access Oxford phrasal verbs dictionary (you can also download it if you have a facebook account). On this other webpage there's a browser of idioms and phrasal verbs.

As for slang, here you are some dictionaries: urbandictionary, slang and colloquialisms of the UK and the online slang dictionary.

Finally, I'd like to include a website that a friend recommended to me and it consists in great talks that stir your curiosity and also have subtitles: TEDtalks.

Hiya!

Here I am again to show you how to learn and practise at home what we have studied in class. First of all, you could revise the vocabulary related to people and nationalities by clicking on here.

As for clothes, try this online resource. What about having a look at this online activity too?

It can also be useful to listen to some people talking about the way they dress or fashion in general tems:

- Click here to listen to Mark talking about his feeling about clothes and how he gets the clothes he wears.
- Click here to listen to six people describing what they are wearing.
- Click here to listen to Melissa talking about what influences what she wears.
- Click here to listen to Shona shareing her thoughts about shopping and how she buys items.

I hope you use all these resources at home!!!!