Someone like you

One of my students asked me about this song and I must say it's one of my favourite ones so here you have an exercise to practise:

•  Go to this video and try to understand the conductor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemWRToNYJY . Try to do this exercise of filling the gaps with the introduction of the conductor of the programme:

"There's nothing quite like the ___________________ when you listen to the song ___________ by someone you don't know, you've never met but ______________ she's managed to _______________ exactly how you've felt in a _______________ moment in your ____________ -

This next artist has __________ able to do this ___________ after ___________. And it's for that ______________ she's carrying number one in astonishingly ________ counties. If you've ________ had a broken heart, ..... (sorry, but I don't understand the last sentence)

• This link is with the lyrics on top of the video and subtitles with the translation into Spanis at the bottom, just in case you want to know the meaning:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5w5v6jzU0Y&feature=relate

I hope you'll have a good time with this exercise.

Exams of Comunidad de Madrid

This is the last therm and we should take into account how short time we've got left before the exams so let's practise with them. Here you have the link to the official sample for the exams. You can take the exams on your own and remember the key is within the document so you can correct almost everything by yourself. The link is:
http://www.educa2.madrid.org/web/eoi/nuevas-pruebas-de-certificacion;jsessionid=694AA4E350AC057E102A0B86D440B147
Nevertheless I'd like you to do the first task of writing ( the short one) on the official sheet you can find on this link. Please print it and give it to me as a class exercise of writing. I'll mark it as if I were in the exam so do it in the recommended time and pay attention to what you're asked to do.
Bring it to class for the following week, please. See you!

Quantifiers (NI2)

In lesson 5b we're dealing with quantifiers. You can go to these links to have a further explanation:

• http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/quantifier.htm : you'll find the explanation and some exercises at the very end.
• http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-quantifiers.php : here you have a very easy exercise to start with
• http://www.grammarbank.com/quantifiers-grammar.html : a bit more difficult
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFxECbqhEjI : a very easy video explaining quantifiers
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23l0gFmVifQ : this is a continuation and explains the use of determiner/quantifier + OF . Quite interesting
• http://www.ihbristol.com/learn-online/exercise-general/advanced/vocabulary/containers-and-quantifiers/152/ : this exercise is related to containers better than quantifiers but it's practice
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv129.shtml  : the difference among a quantity, an amount and a number of
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv203.shtml : this is for another problem with similar forms such as a little/little, a few/few, etc.

Working at computer room

Today we'll work with the computers while I'm testing the oral skills. Here you have some exercises to do and some pages to visit:

• http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/intermediate/?cc=hu&selLanguage=hu : the official web page of your text book.
• http://www.eslgold.com/speaking/phrases.html : here you have different levels and topics for typical conversations. With audio for the sentences (a bit static but useful)
• http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omaudio/contenidotematico.htm : in different levels you have some short conversations to practise situations. Many topics.
• http://esl.about.com/od/intermediatelistening/Intermediate_Level_English_Listening_Comprehension_Exercises.htm : a traditional page for listening. For other skills or grammar go to  http://esl.about.com/od/intermediateenglish/u/continue.htm 
• http://www.dailyesl.com/ : a basic list of listening. 
• http://www.english-4u.de/grammar_exercises.htm : if you want to practise traditional grammar exercises go to this link.

Apart from these web pages remember you have the usuful links such as BBC Learning English or you can practise with some other songs. Here you have some of my favorite ones recently:

• Adele: Someone like you  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AW9C3-qWug
• This version of Israel Kamakawiwo of a classic: Somewhere Over the Rainbow  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAzEhjooP3s
• Coldplay: The Scientist  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z2wTU8PONg

Grants for students

Last week I told you there was a link to get some grants to learn or to practise English in Europ. Here you are the information I have:
There has been published some news about seminars in English on the noticeboard of the class (you have a copy below). They are partly paid by the European Union and if you want to know more about it you should go to the links or ask at Vicedirección at school:
TALLERES Y SEMINARIOS EN EL EXTRANJERO SUBVENCIONADOS POR EL PROGRAMA EUROPEO DE ACCIÓN PERMANENTE GRUNDTVIG ( 2011-12) PARA PERSONAS ADULTAS.

PARA QUIÉN	NOMBRE DEL PROGRAMA	FECHA INSCRIPCIÓN	DURACIÓN	FINANCIACIÓN
Personas adultas ( * 18 años) *Consultad bases.	Seminarios Grundtvig sobre cualquier tema: arte, salud, lenguas, etc.	Fecha límite propuesta por el oragnizador.	Entre 5 y 10 días. Fechas según organizador, entre el 1/09/12 y el 31/08/13	La ayuda se ingresa a la institución organizadora, y cubre viajes, alojamiento, manutención y costes del seminario.

 No hay límite en cuanto a número de seminarios o talleres a solicitar.

 No hay que solicitar subvención. Los interesados presentan solicitudes directamente a la institución organizadora.

Prioridad a personas de grupos sociales desfavorecidos.

El Catálogo de talleres y seminarios está por publicar (Catálogo´12) no obstante se puede consultar el del año pasado porque todavía hay talleres que se pueden realizar en el 2012. En el enlace:http://ec.europa.eu/education/grundtvig/doc/catalogue11_en.pdf 

Consultar todas las bases en: http://www.oapee.es/dctm/weboapee/documentacion/2012/parte-iii.pdf?documentId=0901e72b81091ae7

Para más información dirigirse a Vicedirección en esta Escuela Oficial de Idiomas en horario de tarde Miércoles de 18.00 a 18.30 y de mañana Jueves de 11.30 a 12.00 h o al personal de Programas Europeos en la DAT ESTE (Calle Alalpardo s/n).

Another link I wanted to give you is about grants for students who are already becarios to learn foreign languages (English, French and German). If you are interested click HERE

Interested in feng shui? (NI2)

Here you can find something about feng shui and you can practise with the vocabulary of a house:

• http://www.feng-shui-products-decorating-tips.com/feng_shui_decorating.htm
• http://www.eflnet.com/vocab/furniture_vocabulary.php
• http://www.michellehenry.fr/meubles.htm#list

To have something done

This is a typical structure which means you need someone to do something for you so you use this structure:

TO HAVE/GET + SOMETHING + DONE

It's a bit different from Spanish so it's difficult to use. Go to these links to practise:

• http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-76121.php
• http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/havesomethingdone/menu.php
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIvjEKdLoVA : this is a short video with a couple of examples of this structure

If you think this point of grammar is very complicated, go to this link as it is in Spanish and it could be helpful if you saw the real translation. Click here.