25th MARCH SESSION.

Hi mates:

We have decided to propose different kind of activities in order to change a bit. We want everyone to participate and get involved, so we've started to do more practical activities. For the moment it worked and we had fun too. We mainly did two activities: one about talking for a minute about a given idea and another one about a roleplay dealing with different situations. Needless to say that if you have ideas, they will be welcomed. You needn't be a teacher, just use your imagination.

Bye!!

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Image taken from: http://www.ctcroleplay.co.uk/images/ActorsPic.gif

18th MARCH SESSION.

Hello everybody:

This time, there weren't lots of topics as usual, but we had fun. We started with Cecilia's proposal: she brought some pictures to provoke reactions and invite people to talk about them. It really worked. We also had fun playing linguistic games.

See you in the next session.

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Image taken from: http://cdn.alt1040.com/files/2009/01/lego-digital-camera.jpg

VIDEOJUG.

Hello people:

I'm sure you've wondered how to do this or that other thing and you needed some practical information. Well, this link will be the perfect place for you the next time you need information. And, it's in English, of course. In Videojug you'll find videos about almost any topic you can imagine. So, the advantage is double: on the one hand, you get the information you need and, on the other hand, you practice your English. Great!

 I hope you find it useful.

See you sll in the next session.
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Image taken from: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRm-L_b-dP6NOggIkn5LQq_30pO77HihypUW1F3ugDuzbpfQAJM&t=1

RED NOSE DAY.

Hello everyone:

Tomorrow is "Red Nose Day". Oh, you don't know about it? The main idea is to do something fun in order to raise money to change other people's lives across UK and Africa (that's why it's called like this).

For more information or inspiration you can visit the following web: Red Nose Day.

What are you going to do?

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Image taken from: http://www.homefarm.bradford.sch.uk/DIGITALLOCKER/Assets/View/5f2c57ae-8786-40ea-951e-140e79cd0f81/0/red%20nose%20day%202011.jpg

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY.

Hi everyone:

Today is Saint Patrick's day. I copy some information from the web:


Many folk ask the question 'Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?' The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city.

Why Saint Patrick's Day?
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green.

You can read more on:

Saint Patrick's day (history.com)
StPatrick's day.com
BBC's web.
BBC's section on Saint Patrick's Day.
Happy Saint Patrick's day!!!
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Source: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/
Image taken from: http://es.toonpool.com/user/2304/files/saint_patrick_s_day_766425.jpg

THE FISHER KING.

Hello everyone:

This Thursday is the turn of a film in O.V in English. It will be the "Fisher King". I leave you its trailer. If you are going, enjoy it.

Have a nice (and it seems rainy) week!!

11th MARCH SESSION.

Hello everyone:


As usual, we talked about a varied range of topics. For example, we talked about neighbours and meetings. Then, we turned to a current topic: elections are nearer and politicians seem to be very good now. Another current affair was Esperanza Aguirre's recent illness and, of course, the state of the Community of Madrid public health system. Following with the topic about politicians, we discussed the different application of laws depending whether if you're a public person, authority (police) or not, regarding parking. The final part of the session was more relaxed: the second series of jokes and the visit of an old member: François.

I leave you some jokes:

1. Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the Shell station.
2. Why did the one-handed skeleton cross the road? Toget to the second- hand shop.
3. What do you call a cow in an Earthquake? A milkshake.
4. Why don't skeletons play music in the church? Because they don't have organs.
5. What do you call a chiken that crosses the road without looking both ways? Dead.

I must confess we really had fun in both joke sessions. So if you have time to find more, bring them to the next session.
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Image taken from: http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/gri/lowres/grin887l.jpg

PANCAKE DAY.

Hi English fans:

Last 8th March was "Pancake Day". I leave some information from the web and curiosities:

 "Many people love to eat warm pancakes covered with butter and syrup in the morning. But did you know that there is actually a holiday where people celebrate and eat pancakes with their families and friends? It is a tradition that started many years ago in England.

 Pancake Day is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday which is the day before Lent. Lent is a Christian holiday that was established in the 4th century as 40 days and is generally a period of fasting or other forms of self-denial. People generally eat a lot and have fun the day before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday is often referred to as Pancake Day because fats, which were generally prohibited during Lent, had to be used up. People would take all the eggs and dairy products that they had left in their kitchens and use them to make delicious pancakes.

In the United Kingdom of Great Britian, Northern Ireland and several other countries around the world, Pancake Day is celebrated with fun, games, and of course a lot of eating. However, the most well known activity on this day is the Pancake Day race at Olney in Buckinghamshire, England which has been held since 1445. It all began when a woman was cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to use up all of her perishables before Lent. While she was still cooking she heard the chiming of the bells summoning her to church. Not wanting to be late, the woman ran to church with her apron on and the frying pan still in her hand. Little did she know that this would start a tradition that would be around for over 500 years!

Only women are allowed to participate in this race. They must run a designated path with a frying pan and end up at the church. They must have a hot pancake in the frying pan which they must flip at least three times before they complete the race. The first woman to complete the race and arrive at church with the pancake is declared the winner. She then serves the pancake to the bellringer and is rewarded with a kiss from the bellringer called the “Kiss of peace”. This race still occurs in England and in several other cities"

I leave you two recipes

American pancakes.

English pancakes.


Delicious, isn't it? Enjoy your pancakes!!! And be careful if you are on a diet...
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Source: http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/holidays-seasons/pancake-day
Image taken from: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRaUU12i9EhBwjmBv-JamKMVf2YXZB3Yp28a0MPPfprzxNC40-KsA

4th MARCH SESSION.

Hello everyone:

We started our session talking about bookshops and Alberto suggested one place in Madrid: J&J Books and Coffee., where you can find lots of second-hand books with interesting prices. We also talked about on line bookshops: Iberlibro. and Book depository. This lead the discussion towards the contrast between traditional and e-books. Once we changed the topic, we started to talk about geography and our sense of orientation. Inevitable, a comparison between men and women came out. Our final topic was fashion, men's cosmetics, metrosexual men and dres codes.

See u all in the next session.
P.S: Thanks for your contributions.

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Image taken from: http://es.toonpool.com/user/856/files/books_477425.jpg

YAPPR.

Hello everybody:

Maybe you're know wondering about such a strage name. Well, it's te name of a web where you can find videos. It's spefically for practising/ learning English. You just have to select the video and you'll find its trascript. I advise you to sign up (it's free) because you'll have more options.

I leave two links:

1. An example of a video: Wife goes shopping.
2. Yappr homepage.

Bye!!

SCREAMER RADIO.

Hi!

I'd like to write a post about what Estella suggested in our last meeting. It's about Screamer radio, a free Internet radio player where you can find thousands of radio stations around the world. It's very comfortable to use because you can filter the stations following several criteria and you needn't be going web by web to find the link. You just have all of them in one place.

Thanks Estella for your contribution.

Bye!
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Image taken from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAKNXtuGz_k/SMWY6PFVS9I/AAAAAAAABTc/mrlrtDPPCzs/s400/screamer+radio.jpg