Pronunciation

Extra Activity
Don't forget that this week is Janary's Extra Activity!  We are going to visit and discuss the photograph exhibit at Sala Amos Salvador.  Meet us there on Friday January 31st at 18:00.  You are welcome to bring English speaking friends or family, but let them know that the event is all in English!

This week we celebrated our annual pronunciation workshop to help you improve your pronunciation and accent.  Don't forget to practice listen and repeat exercises at home.  There are many great websites to explore, like Phonetic Focus and Ship or Sheep, English Online Pronunciation Course.  I recommend you bookmark some of these sites to revisit them throughout the year.

Listening
It goes without saying that the more English input you have the better your pronunciation will be.  So make an effort to listen to more English in general (while you're cooking, driving, exercising).  But if you are also interested in some resources specifically about pronunciation, I recommend English Pronunciation Podcast, the Sounds of English or any of the activities at Many Things.  Listen and Repeat: Spoken English, B/V.  Advanced students should try this quiz, which is a bit more theoretical.

Reading
There are plenty of blog posts out there that outline some good tips and techniques to reduce your accent: 7 Tips to Dramatically Reduce Your Accent and Accent Reduction.  Do you think incorporate any of these ideas in your study routine.

Writing
Improving your pronunciation and accent requires a concerted effort.  For writing this week, I recommend writing out a plan of what you are going to do to try to improve.  For example, "I'm going to practice in front of a mirror once a week and I'm going to try to imitate the real sounds of English, despite my embarrassment!"  Extra credit goes to those who record themselves reading their text.

Best,
Kelly

--
"The accent of one's birthplace remains in the mind and in the heart as in one's speech." --Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Great Mysteries
Extra Activity
Don't forget that this week is January's Extra Activity!  We are going to visit and discuss the photograph exhibit De 0 a 100 at Casa de La Imagen (San Bartolomé Square).  Meet us there on Friday January 31st at 18:00.  You are welcome to bring English speaking friends or family, but let them know that the event is all in English!

This week we tackled some of the world's amazing mysteries: The Great  of Egypt, the Bermuda Triangle, Roswell, the Nasca Lines, and D.B. Cooper.  We debated some of the theories about how and why these things happened, but we may never know the whole truth!

Listening
Learners could start with something easy, like the story Pyramids at Listen a Minute (mp3, text) or a video about the Bermuda Triangle.  For original version, why not watch one of the videos from National Geographic: Stonehenge Decoded, Inside Area 51's Secrets.

Reading
Learners can read the story about D.B. Cooper, the famous fugitive who hijacked a plane and disappeared in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest: D.B. Cooper Lives On Part One and Part Two. For original version, check out some texts about some of the mysteries we discussed in class: The Roswell Incident.

Writing
For writing this week I would like you to write a summary and your opinion about one of our planet's great mysteries. You can choose any of the above, or something else, such as Bigfoot, the Easter Island statues, El Dorado, the Roanoke colony, or a topic of your choice. You may have to look for some information online, but be sure to search in English!

Best,
Kelly

-"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." --Mark Twain

Animal Instinct
First of all, Happy New Year Everybody! I hope you enjoyed a lovely holiday season and have come back refreshed in the New Year.  This week our topic of conversation was animals, both domesticated and wild. We talked about the things we love and hate about them, their habits, rights, and instints.  And now, on to the homework!

Listening
Learners may enjoy listening to many of the articles from VOA English that have to do with animals.  Choose any of the exercises at About Animals.  Or, for something a little more difficult, try the story Visiting the Zoo from Randall's Listening Lab. For original version listening, try the This American Life episode In Dog We Trust (mp3 and transcript) or Animal Sacrifice (mp3 and transcript).

Reading
We all know that dogs are man's best friend, so it's not suprising that there is plenty to read about animals. Learners should try something from Animal Stories or  The BBC Words in the News Story, A Dog's Life.  If you'd like to read something in original version try When Pets Attack or George Saunder's short story The Red Bow.

Writing
Now that the holidays have wrapped up, surely you have a little extra time to practice writing, don't you?  Try responding to one of these topics this week: Imagine your day as an animal (a pet, wild animal, your choice).  Describe your actions, thoughts, habits.  Or try putting onto paper a funny animal story that has happened to you!

Welcome back to class and may 2014 be your best year of English study yet!

Best,
Kelly

"The love of all living creatures is the most nobel attribute of man." -- Charles Darwin