Wednesday 20 December 2017

I know what you did last summer!

Despicable Me 


Watching movies is one of the best ways to improve your English skills!
Here's a fun activity with Despicable Me, a very popular cartoon.

I. Before watching the segment, complete the paragraph below with the simple past form of the given verbs.
GET OUT - RING - MAKE - PLAY - HELP - DO - GIVE - CLIMB - FETCH - TAKE - BRUSH -BE- SIT
Gru was anxious about his date on the following day. He ______ happy, very happy. The alarm clock _________ at 8:30 am. He ____________ of bed and ____________ a shower with his toy ducks. Then he _________ his teeth, ______________ pancakes for breakfast, and _____________ real ducks cross the street. He happily ______________ the mall escalator. In the park, he _____________(not) at a bench but he _________ a Frisbee and _____________ some tai-chi-chan. He also _____________ the drums with a few tin cans. Then he ___________ a flower to a young man for him to hand to a girl sitting next to him.

II. What happened at the date? Watch!

III. Now write about a date you went on and what you did. Do not write the person! Let us guess!!!

Now let's sing!
In memory of the great Mamma Mia musical we saw last week, let's sing 
the nostalgic Our Last Summer by Abba


Monday 11 December 2017

Bigger, brighter, better, best…




These Are the People in Your Family

Find 10 adjectives that can be used to describe people. 
(old, young, tall, funny, ???)  
write a sentence using the superlative form of each adjective. The sentence should be about a person in their family. 
Once the sentences are completed, each person should write a list of the family members who appeared in their sentences. 
Pairs of students should then exchange lists of people but keep their sentences to themselves. Each person should ask questions about their partner’s family and try to match each person to their superlative adjective. For example, a person might ask, “Is Su-Jan the oldest person in your family?” The other person should answer with a yes or an explanation. “No, Su-Jan is only four years old.” 
Give your groups ten to fifteen minutes to ask each other questions, and then see who in your class figured out the most family member qualities!



What other adjectives to describe personality do you know?


Write a short paragraph and describe a person you and your partner know but don't say who it is. Your partner can guess!

Let's have fun singing along a HAPPY song in an unusual way!

Wednesday 6 December 2017

So, what are you doing?

What's your favourite festival?

Do you know any flower festivals?
Let's look at this one....




_______________________________________________________________________________

So how do we make Present Continuous?


______________________________________________________________________________
Watch these funny commercials.




Then write for each ad
1. what people are doing in the key scene
2. what the message of the ad is

Time for the song!

Wednesday 29 November 2017

What do you do every weekend?



Step 1
You may ask five and only five questions about your partner’s daily life: their age, job, studies, journey to university or work, routine and evening pastimes.

Step 2
When you have asked and answered the questions, write “A Day in the Life” of your partner in the first person, as if you were your partner. Use the information you got from your partner and use your imagination and empathy to fill in details you don’t know. How does he/she feel about his/her life?

Step 3
When you finish, give the description to your partner, read the description of your life and then tell your partner if it is a good description of your everyday life.

Step 4
So, how about you?

When do you generally get up?
What is something you always do when you study for a test?
What is something you usually do in your free time?
Where do you often go in summer?
Where do you sometimes go with your friends?
What is something you never do around your kids?
What do you usually do in the morning to get ready?
What restaurants do you seldom eat at?
What is something you rarely eat during the winter?
What type of music do you normally listen to?




Step 5
Think about a member of your family. How does he/she spend his/her day?
What does he/she like doing and doesn't he/she enjoy?
Tell the group




Tuesday 23 May 2017

If I could live anywhere in the world, I'd live in....

What do you think are the most important factors of life quality?
Which countries in the world do you think are closest to "paradise"?



Now, let's see what people around the world think.





Tuesday 16 May 2017

If I saw an alien, I'd scream!

Practise the Conditionals and become a billionnaire!
So, what happens if you want to learn English in a fun way?
-Well, you study with the Winners, of course!

Dinosaurs


Tuesday 18 April 2017

Who was able to win in the egg jarping?



A. What could each Easter tradition involve?


· Easter performances of Morris dancing

· The Death Dance

· The Burning of Judas

· Children get treats from the Easter bells

· The explosion of the cart

· The blessing basket

· Kids are visited by the Easter Bilby

· Carnivals, complete with street plays, songs, and dances.

B. Where do people may celebrate Easter with the traditions? Match the countries with the traditions.



France


India



Italy



Poland



Australia



Spain



U.K.



Latin America

C. What do you think each photo could show? 













D. Now read the texts to check your guesses.


In France
French children don’t get treats from the Easter bunny; they get them from the Easter bells. According to Catholic teaching, no church bells can ring between Holy Thursday and the Easter Vigil, on account of the solemnity of the days around Jesus’s death. Eventually, a legend evolved that said the church bells weren’t rung because they grew wings and flew to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. Then they returned Easter day with chocolate and presents for local kids. 

In India
Even though Christians only make up 2.5 percent of India’s population, they still have elaborate Easter festivities, especially in the northeastern states. The western India state Goa celebrates with carnivals, complete with street plays, songs, and dances. People exchange chocolates, flowers, and colorful lanterns as gifts. 
In Italy
(“Easter” in Italian), residents of Florence celebrate a 350-year-old tradition called scoppio del carro, which means “explosion of the cart.” A centuries-old cart is loaded with fireworks and pulled in front of the Duomo, where spectators watch the pyrotechnics go off. It’s meant to be a sign of peace and a good year ahead. South of Florence is the town Panicale, where the big celebration happens the day after Easter (called Pasquetta, or little Easter). Locals gather for the annual Ruzzolone, a competition that involves rolling huge wheels of Ruzzola cheese around the perimeter of the village. 

In Poland
EPA/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
The day before Easter, families prepare a “blessing basket.” It’s filled with colored eggs, sausages, bread, and other important food and taken to church to be blessed. In Polish culture, Lent isn’t over until a priest blesses this basket. Like their Italian neighbors, the Polish save their most notable tradition for the day after Easter: Smigus Dyngus. Young boys try to get girls (and each other) wet with water guns, buckets of water, and any other means they can think of. Legend has it that girls who get soaked will marry within the year

In Australia
Some Australian kids are visited by the Easter Bunny, but rabbits are considered pests because they destroy the land. (Come on, Australia—They’re so cuddly!) So some Australians associate Easter with a different animal. In 1991, the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation started a campaign to replace the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby. Bilbies have big, soft ears like rabbits and long noses like mice, and they’re endangered, another reason for publicity around the campaign. There’s also the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the largest annual event in the country. Farming communities showcase their crops and livestock, and urban dwellers get to experience a slice of rural life. The two-week show (always spanning over Easter weekend) also includes rides and the Sydney Royal Rodeo.

In Latin America
Many Latin American countries, Brazil, and certain regions of Spain participate in The Burning of Judas. Residents make an effigy (or multiple effigies) of Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, and burn it in a central location. Sometimes, people make the effigy explode with fireworks.

In Spain
The town of Verges commemorates Holy Thursday with the Dansa de la Mort (Death Dance). During this night procession, participants dress up like skeletons and reenact scenes from the Passion. The last skeletons in the parade carry a box of ashes with them. On the other side of the country, residents of Almaden de la Plata have a custom of placing straw effigies of famous people around the city (similar to The Burning of Judas), then tearing them up and throwing the pieces in the air. 
In the U.K.
Many communities in England have Easter performances of Morris dancing, a traditional type of folk dance dating back to the Middle Ages. Men dress up, wearing hats and bells around their ankles, and wave ribbons while dancing through the streets. It’s believed that the dances drive the spirits of winter away and bring good luck. Another famous Easter tradition (recognized around the world) is egg jarping. Two players smash hard-boiled eggs together, and whoever has the egg that’s still intact is the winner. The World Jarping Championships are held each Easter in Durham, England. 



Tuesday 4 April 2017

How much bread would you like? Two loaves please!

Are you hungry?
Well, let's go shopping for some food!
....and play a game...
Today we learn about countable and uncountable nouns

You can watch a nice video  here.
...and practice in your handouts!
Enjoy your meal!!!
Let's sing a great love song




Tuesday 28 March 2017

It's going to be alright!

Soaring in the sky...

Read the following description and visualize it:
“Mara is standing in a large green field. She winds the propeller on a red and white model plane she is holding. She throws the plane into the air. At first the plane soars high, but suddenly it dips and crashes 
to the ground. Mara looks very disappointed. She walks to a table in the field which is covered with the blueprints for her model planes. She sits down and studies one of the blueprints, 
and the wind almost blows the blueprint away. Mara sighs and rests her head on a hand, 
and is very unhappy. All of a sudden, something from the sky hits Mara on the head and lands 
on the table – it is a very small blue case.”
Now watch until 0.55. Was it the same as you expected?

Now, in pairs, try to guess what is in the blue case.
What do you think is going to happen next?
Now watch until 1.58
So, were you right?
What does the mini-pilot want to do? Tell your story to your partner.
Now, watch the rest of the film and compare with your story.
What is in the blue case?
Did you enjoy the film?
How did it make you feel?
Does it have a messaqe?
Now watch the film again and write the story.

Look at this sentence. When does it talk about? Why? Other present tense for the future?
 Check here





Practise future tenses here and here

...and here's our song for today...

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Revsion fun

Remember these commercials?
Let's watch them and laugh

Then write for each ad
1. what people are doing in the key scene
2. what the message of the ad .

Do you like Mr Bean?
Let's watch him rock once more...

Do you know what Victory sign is?
Are you sure?
Watch this!

Are you a champion? At what?
Share and sing!



Tuesday 7 March 2017

People used to care


http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs3.htm https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper






So what did you use to do?
Revise here.

What were you doing at 8.20pm last night?
Revise the Past Continuous here

So, what had happened before? Study and Prqactice the Past Perfect simple and continuous here and here

Let's sing!

Tuesday 28 February 2017

I know what you did last summer!

Do you know the film What did Mel Gibson do?
Watch the video and keep notes.
Then find a partner and tell him 5 things Mel did.


Now, write and share with your partner 8 things you did at the weekend.
Remember: 

  • I talk to my friend online every day.... I talked to him yesterday as I was coming back from work but I din't talk to him the day before.
  • I go to work early in the morning.... I went to work late on Friday because I was talking on the phone and I didn't go to work on Monday as it was the first day of Lent.
  • I am excited today.... I was more excited yesterday
  • I have a shower once a day .... I had/ used to have baths in the lake when I lived in the mountains 
  • My boss does the till every night .....He did the till last night but he                          didn't do it the day before. 



Despicable Me 


Watching movies is one of the best ways to improve your English skills!
Here's a fun activity with Despicable Me, a very popular cartoon.

I. Before watching the segment, complete the paragraph below with the simple past form of the given verbs.
GET OUT - RING - MAKE - PLAY - HELP - DO - GIVE - CLIMB - FETCH - TAKE - BRUSH
Gru was anxious about his date on the following day. He was happy, very happy. The alarm clock _________ at 8:30 am. He ____________ of bed and ____________ a shower with his toy ducks. Then he _________ his teeth, ______________ pancakes for breakfast, and _____________ real ducks cross the street. He happily ______________ the mall escalator. In the park, he _____________ a Frisbee and _____________ some tai-chi-chan. He also _____________ the drums with a few tin cans. Then he ___________ a flower to a young man for him to hand to a girl sitting next to him.

II. Now watch the video and check your answers

III. Now write about a holiday you went on and what you did. Do not write the place! Let us guess where you went!!!

Now let's siing!
In memory of the great Mamma Mia musical we saw last week, let's sing 
the nostalgic Our Last Summer by Abba


Tuesday 21 February 2017

What is your friend like?





Which is bigger...?




What other adjectives to describe personality do you know?


Let's have fun singing along a HAPPY song in an unusual way!


Game for next time
Match Maker
Can a match made in heaven happen in an ESL class?

  • Each person in class will play matchmaker for an unattached friend or family member. 
  • Watch the video about adjectives of personality
  • Make a list of adjectives which describe your single friend. The adjectives should describe appearance and personality (both good and bad). Remember to list likes and dislikes for their friend. 
  • Next time, you will go around the room asking questions about your classmates’ single friends. The matchmaker’s goal is to find someone who is similar to his/her friend and who he /she thinks would be a good match. 
  • When you think you have found one tell the class why!



So, what are you doing?


What's your favourite festival?
Do you know any flower festivals?
Let's look at this one....




_______________________________________________________________________________

So how do we make Present Continuous?


______________________________________________________________________________

Warch these funny commercials.



Then write for each ad
1. what people are doing in the key scene
2. what the message of the ad .