This week we used the English language edition of the El Pais newspaper, in particular section titled the Spanish Way of Life.  This content launched several mini-conversations about perceptions of Spain, as well as current topics such as depopulation, racism, and traditions.

Listening:
Learners can listen to an article from Breaking News Enlgish about Tourism in Spain, or about Spain's Shrinking Population.

For original version, you may be interested in the El País English language podcast called ¿Qué?

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity about the daily timetable in Spain.  Check out the vocabulary and comprehension activities.

For original version, check out some of the international journalism out there that covers Spanish current events: The Guardian, El País in English.

Writing:
Please read one of the articles from the Spanish Way of Life section and write an essay response to it.  What is your perspective on this issue? Do you have a different opinon or viewpoint?

Best,
Kelly

I could tell you all needed a break from the last two weeks of hard work practicing conditionals.  So this week, the topic was MUSIC, how music plays a role in our lives, inspires, makes us move and sing.  Some brave groups even gave the karaoke microphone a chance!

Listening:
Learners can try some episodes of 6 minute English that have to do with music: Life without music or Is music getting faster?

For original version, try digging into the archives of NPR music, there are lots of articles and listening to do over there.  One of my favorite music podcasts is Song Exploder. Check it out!

Reading:
Learners can read some articles from Breaking News English: one about the ever-amazing Prince or an article from British Council about music.

For original version, try some reading from Tiny Mix Tapes, or check out the archives from the music section of Longform.org.

Writing:
Please write in response to one of the following creative writing prompts:
What is the most beautiful piece of music you've ever listened to? Talk about how each part of the song made you feel and why it has stuck with you. Also, relate a story in which you share it with someone else and try to prove to them how great it is.
Describe your best concert experience of all time. What was the band, who did you go with, and why has it stuck with you as being so fantastic? Go into extreme detail and feel free to make use of band lyrics.Most people have a genre of music that just does not appeal to them. What is yours and why? Create a dialogue between two characters: one who loves that genre and one (like you) who hates it.
You are the lead singer in a brand-new chart topping band! How does it feel to be so famous for creating art? What is it like having so many fans and having to keep the band happy when egos begin to clash?If you could be proficient in any one instrument what would it be and why? What would you do if you had immense talent in creating music with this instrument?
Have you ever had a piece of music change your life? What specifically changed you and why? If you haven't, just create a character or a piece of music that would cause such a thing to occur.
It's hard not to associate certain pieces of music with certain people and times in your life. Write a "High Fidelity"-esque autobiographical piece about five songs that will forever be linked with particular people, for better or for worse.

Best,
Kelly

This week we took continued working on conditional tenses, paying special attention to the third conditional.

You can test your command and knowledge about different conditional tenses at GrammarQuizzes.com.

Listening:
Learners can try a video from BBC English called Grammar Snacks:Third conditional or Benjamin Button and the Third Conditional.

For original version, try listening to an episode of the show Hidden Brain called Rewinding & Rewriting: The Alternate Universes in Our Heads.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity called Advanced Grammar | Marge's Day Of Hell .  Comlete conditional sentences about her day.

For original version, read an article about how people responded to the loaded question What is your biggest regret?

Writing:
It's time to practice writing with the third conditional.  Write a text about a turning point in your life.  How would things have turned out if you had taken a different path?  Explore the possibilities and write an essay about it.

Best,
Kelly

This week we took the opportunity to practice different conditional tenses: Zero Conditional, 1st Conditional, 2nd Conditional, etc.

You can test your command and knowledge about different conditional tenses at GrammarQuizzes.com.

Listening:
Learners can try a listening article called A perfect day: second conditional from ESOL Nexus or a video from BBC English about Second Conditional

For original version, try listening to an episode of the podcast What I Wish I Had Known.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity called If I Won the Lottery. Or a downloadable PDF text with exercises and key.

For original version, try an article entitled:This Is the Biggest Regret in Life Most People Have from MSN.com

Writing:
It's time to put some of the conditional tenses into practice with some writing.

Writing Prompt: The first conditional is used to talk or write about real possibilities in the future. Review the rules for using first conditionals. Then pretend you are a parent who wants his or her kids to be behave for their grandparents on the weekend. Write a note to your kids. Offer some bribes for good behaviour.

Writing Prompt: In English we use the third conditional to talk about something in the past that did not happen. There is no possibility for this thing to come true because the past already happened. The result is also impossible because the past is in the past. Review the structure of the third conditional. Then demonstrate your understanding of how to use this structure by writing a paragraph staring with the phrase “If I had known…”.

Best,
Kelly

This week's work was an extension of last week's discussion on recycling and waste; we turned our attention to the topic of planned obsolesence.

Listening:
Learners can try listen to an article from Breaking News English about Printer Ink or an episode of the BBC's 6 Minute English entitled Built to Fail?

For original version, listen to a recent episode of NPR's Planet Money about the Phoebus Cartel (with transcript).

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article about microplastics from Breaking News English.

For original version, try an article about the Future of Planned Obsolesence in the Tech Field or an article from Buzzfeed about Things that Last Basically Forever.

Writing:
Do you think Spain should enact laws banning planned obsolesence or do you think it's an inevitable feature of our market-driven system? Why or why not?

Best,
Kelly

Welcome back from spring break! I hope you enjoyed the rest from English class. Time to get back to our study routine. This week we talked about recycling, waste, and up cycling different products.

Listening:
Learners can try listen to an article about China's ban of recycled materials from around the world and how it affects Western countries including the United States in Europe. Or try a listening activity called a Greener world.

For original version, watch a video from the BBC entitled how will we deal with the world's rubbish?

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article about Adidas andatheir attempt to make a recycled shoe.

For original version, check out any of the many articles from the guardians website about recycling.

Writing:
In class this week we talked about the life cycle of a plastic bag. Think about another material that you have used this week and write out the story of his life. Where was it born? How was it used? What will happen to it when you throw it away?

Best,
Kelly

This week we used played a couple of different fun conversation games to wrap up the days before the holidays.   Don't forget, there is no class next week! The first day back is Monday April 29th.

However, I recommend you come join us for our extra activity Sunday April 27th in the evening! A family friend of mind from the United States will be joining us.  Please email or text if you would like to come! Happy Easter!  I am giving you holidays from your English homework, but if you want to keep working I recommend catching up on old emails or checking out my study resources online.

Best,
Kelly

This week we used an online activity called the Seven Digital Deady Sins to talk about our lives online: envy, pride, wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth and greed.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity from ESL Lab about Cyberbullying or about online safety.

For original version, check out any of the many videos that are part of the Seven Deadly Digital Sins interactive or any of the fantastic podcast episodes from Reply All by Gimlet Media.

Reading:
Learners can try any of the many articles about Technology Lessons: from Breaking News English


For original version, check out any of the fascinating articles about tech and internet from the New Yorker website.

Writing:
This week please write an essay about one of the following topics:1. Is Social Media Making Us More Narcissistic?
2. Are You the Same Person on Social Media as You Are in Real Life?
3. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media?
4. What Advice Do You Have for Younger Kids About Navigating Social Media?
5. How Do You Use Facebook?
6. What Is Your Facebook Persona?
7. How Real Are You on Social Media?
8. What Memorable Experiences Have You Had on Facebook?
9. Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad?
10. Does Facebook Need a ‘Dislike’ Button?
11. Has Facebook Lost Its Edge?
12. Would You Consider Deleting Your Facebook Account?
13. Would You Quit Social Media?
14. Do You Have ‘Instagram Envy’?
15. Who Is Your Favorite Social Media Star?
16. What’s So Great About YouTube?
17. What Has YouTube Taught You?
18. What Are Your Favorite Viral Videos?
19. What Are Your Favorite Internet Spoofs?
20. What Would You Teach the World in an Online Video?
21. Do You Ever Seek Advice on the Internet?
22. Would You Share an Embarrassing Story Online?
23. Do You Use Twitter?
24. Is Snapchat a Revolutionary Form of Social Media?
25. Why Do You Share Photos?
26. How Do You Archive Your Life?
27. What Ordinary Moments Would You Include in a Video About Your Life?
28. Are Digital Photographs Too Plentiful to Be Meaningful?
29. Do You Worry We Are Filming Too Much?
30. Have You Ever Posted, Emailed or Texted Something You Wish You Could Take Back?
31. Would You Want Your Photo or Video to Go Viral?
32. Do You Worry Colleges or Employers Might Read Your Social Media Posts Someday?
33. Will Social Media Help or Hurt Your College and Career Goals?
34. Should What You Say on Facebook Be Grounds for Getting Fired?
35. Are Anonymous Social Media Networks Dangerous?
36. Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?
37. Are Parents Violating Their Children’s Privacy When They Share Photos and Videos of Them Online?
38. Would You Mind if Your Parents Blogged About You?

Best,
Kelly

 This week we discussed animals! Pets, dogs, cats, puppies, creepy crawlies, charismatic megafauna... All of the ins and out of the animal kingdom.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity from the British Council about Wild animals or an article from Breaking News English about Animal Rights.

For original version, try a TED Talk related to the animal kingdom: Hooked on Octopus or the Emergent Genius of Ant Colonies. Or try the episode from Radiolab, Animal Minds.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity about pets, or about the domestication of cats.  Finally, try an article about protecting the giant panda.

For original version, read about a Japanese dog's encounter with Google Street View.  Or try one of the following excellent essays:

The Squid Hunter by David Grann There was no land for hundreds of miles, yet the mast rattled and the hull shuddered, as if the vessel had run aground…

The Truth About Lions by Abigail Tucker The world’s foremost lion expert reveals the brutal, secret world of the king of beasts.

Dining With the Snakes by Jared Diamond Watching a python eat rat is not a spectacle for the squeamish. But it is a lesson in some prodigious feats of physiology.

Riding the Rays by Douglas Adams Heading out on a Bond-style submarine moped in search of a giant manta ray to surf. (Yes, it is nonfiction).

Writing:
This week please write an essay about one of the following topics:Some people think that zoos should be closed. Do you agree? Write about:

1. living conditions for the animals
2. conservation
3. … (your own idea)

Is it better to keep cats just in the home or to let them go outside? Write about:

1. the natural way for cats to live
2. cats’ effect on wildlife
3. … (your own idea)

Best,
Kelly

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  This week we we tried to kill two birds with one stone.  Firstly, we used the Google Arts & Culture application to discuss art and describe different pieces of art.  Secondly, in doing this, we made a special effort to correcly pronounce the fricative "s" sound in plurals and in he/she/it verbs.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity from Breaking News English about Art Galleries, about North Ireland's Street Art, or an activity about famed artist Bansky.

For original version, check out videos from Google Arts & Culture Youtube Channel or watch John Berger's classic Ways of Seeing.  For those who really want to get into art, why not doing an online course from Coursera?  Modern Art & Ideas, and Seeing Through Photographs both look fascinating.

Reading:
Learners can try reading some online biographies of famous artists such as
Fernando Botero
Georgia O'Keeffe
Pablo Picasso

For original version try reading something from Longform.org such asKarl Lagerfeld, Boy Prince of Fashion,Once It Comes Time, or Shutter Madness.
 
Writing:
This week please start by choosing a piece of art from the Google Arts & Culture website.  Write a text giving your description and analysis of the work.  Then, record yourself reading your text aloud paying special attention to the fricative s pronunciation!
Best,
Kelly