Lola's Blog

Image by Gdudycha. CC BY SA. Wikimedia Commons Speaking Have you ever felt under a lot of stress? Look at the image above and tick the symptoms you have experienced or are experiencing at the moment because of stress.  Look up the meaning of  taut muscles ,  muddled thinking ,  hasty decisions ,  accident prone,   res tlessness . Do you have any recipe for a stress-free lifestyle? Watch this video Vocabulary Check the meaning of the following vocabulary before you watch: a) core issue       b) thorny issue      c) flexitime      d) paternity leave   e) corporation f) to get a grip  on something    g) to pause h) to work long hours    i) it's up to you Watch Nigel Marsh talking about how to make work-life balance work. It's a 10 minute long video. Task 1. He talks about four observations and then gives some tips on how ...

Do you have one of these? Why do you think children, and adults alike, love teddy bears? What kind of toys did you play with when you were a child? Do you still keep them? Did your parents pass down any toys or games? What kind of toys have stood the test of time ? Toys  and games Can you name any of these toys and games? All images Public domain You will find in this museum a really interesting collection. Reading. Toys today and then According to the text: How many toys do children get these days?  How many did you get? How many did your parents get? and your grandparents? 1) Read this article from The Guardian and answer the questions above. 2) Now read the following statement from the text "(Children) get overwhelmed and over-stimulated and cannot concentrate on any one thing long enough to learn from it so they just shut down. Too many toys means they are not learning to play imaginatively e...

Martin Luther King Jr. Do you know that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in America on 20th January? He is one of the greatest and most influential figures in the American civil rights movement. We had the pleasure of listening to a visiting American speaker who came to our school to give a talk on the history and the impact of the civil rights movement. He talked about Martin Luther King Jr., but also about those who are not so well-known but paved the way for freedom . His life How much do you know about Martin Luther King Jr? Click on this BBC link and take notes. A bit of history of the civil rights movement. Reading and Speaking Look at the photos below. Do you know who they are? What did they do to pave the way for African-Americans? Click on the history of the civil rights movement and learn about the timeline of the civil rights movement in America. Takes notes. You are going to report your findings in class. The beginning of the civil rights...

National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan Genghis Khan (1162 -1227) was the founder of the Mongol Empire , one of the most powerful forces in the world at that time. He is known as the most brutal leader the world has ever known, but he was one of the most successful. He united many nomadic tribes in Asia and conquered Central Asia and northern China. How can a child from humble beginnings living in cold and arid steppes become a great leader? Mongolia today How much do you know about Mongolia? Public domain Follow this link to learn some facts about Mongolia (capital, government, official language, population in Mongolia and China, geography and climate). Mongol empire during Genghis Khan time   Read about Genghis Khan's life before you watch the video. Look at this map and explain how Genghis Khan expanded from his Mongol Homeland. National Geographic New research may have brought light into why a Mongol nomadic tribe was able to conquer most ...

One Thousand and One Night. Public domain Can you think of a well-known story or folktale from Spain? Have you read any of the stories of The Arabian Nights ? Do you know in which language they were originally written? Why are the tales so famous? Visit this page and find out. Scheherazade is a legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of The Arabian Nights . She is the daughter of the King's Vizier and she tells a story for one thousand and one nights.  Why do you think she tells a story a night?   Gradable and non-gradable adjectives One way of making our stories more interesting is to use gradable and non-gradable adjectives.   Gradable adjectives can be used in comparative or superlative forms, or with adverbs such as extremely, very , quite, fairly or pretty . We can grade or show the degree of a particular quality in a person or a thing:                             ...

President Barack Obama giving a speech Many of my students find speaking English difficult. Let me tell you you are not alone. There are a lot of learners of English around the world who find speaking daunting . This post is about how to improve your speaking skills for the oral exam. You are not expected to deliver a speech like Barack Obama so be realistic about what you can achieve. Some tips Listen to real English as much as you can. Find a native speaker and set up a tandem partnership. You can agree to speak in English one day, and in Spanish another day. Native speakers don't tend to correct your mistakes, but if this is very important for you, make sure you ask your partner to correct you at the end of your meeting. Record yourself on your mobile phone . Choose one topic and talk about it. Then, listen to your recording and analyse your mistakes. First, you can make a note of your pronunciation mistakes , then your grammar mistakes , vocabulary and finally a...

Sintra (Portugal). © Lola la Torre This is going to be a review lesson on holiday activities. You are going to review vocabulary and practise your speaking skills. Speaking 1 - What words do you associate with the words "beach"? - When was the last time you went to the beach? - Where did you go?  How long for? - Was it a good place for a holiday? Why/Why not? - Have you been back to the same place?   Vocabulary related to holidays 1) Types of holiday   How many different types of holidays can you think of?  Choose one type of holiday you are interested in and note down 3-4 things you can do on your holiday. 2) Types of accommodation   How many types of accommodation can you remember? How do you say "con baño incluido" ? Visit this page and make a list. Choose five types of accommodation you are interested in and write what the equivalent in Spanish might be. Are you a student? Can you afford a hotel? Why don't you visit the Univers...

Image by Sugeo. Flirckr.com What do you know about traditional Indian food? When did the British develop a taste for Indian food? In the video below, Gordon Ramsay travels to Delhi to try real Indian food. Before you watch What Indian food have you tried? Make a list of 3-5 popular Indian dishes . Watch the video and answer these questions 1) Why has Gordon Ramsay travelled to Delhi? 2) When did the British fall in love with Indian food? 3) What is the Moti Mahal and which dish was invented there? 4) Who is Sima Chandra? 5) Is there a difference between the Indian food served in India and in Britain? Watch the video again. Who says this? "It is nothing close" "It's not dry, it's moist"  "Bloody hell" "It's flavoursome" After you watch Talk about Spanish traditional food. Include the following information: Is Spanish food still world famous? Why? List some Spanish traditional dishes. Can you ...

Dr Cheryl Fraser talks about how men and women communicate.   Watch the video and take notes about what she says about the following points: 1. What is the purpose for women to talk? 2. What is the purpose for men to talk? 3. What happens when a man and a woman are having a conversation? 4. What advice does Dr Fraser give to men to repair communication? 5. And what advice does she give for women? 6. What does research show we should do for a successful couple life? Do you agree with Dr Fraser? You can share your ideas here.