This week was our annual Halloween extravaganza, the time of year when I love to turn off the lights and tell scary stories.  It wouldn't be October without it!

This year, in particular, we took a look at some real horror stories from history.

Listening:
Learners can start by trying a listening exercise about the muder of Lord Smithe or another one called What Are Vampires? You can try the story Vampires, Folklore and Fact.

For original version check out some episodes from the Stuff You Missed in History Podcast about Lizzie Borden, Madame Lalaurie, and H.H. Holmes. 

Reading:
Learners should try reading the BBC text about the history of zombies, or about the Salem Witch Trials.

Why not challenge yourself to something in  original version? Try this article about the real life neuroscience between zombies. Or check out 12 Terrifying Ghost Stories you Shouldn't Read Alone.

Writing:
Try some creative writing this week with one of the following prompts:

• You have had a strange feeling for a few days now. Today you’ve been feeling very energetic and tired at the same time. You sit, exhausted and full of energy, at your desk. Your arm has been itching. It’s killing you now. You look at your forearm and see it for the first time. Something is moving under your skin. It is shifting around. Your muscle spasms and you realize there are dozens moving toward the surface.
• You open your eyes to complete darkness. The last thing you remember is the dog running out into the road, the brightness of the day light, and your car headed off the road. As your head clears you realize you are hanging upside down. Your feet and legs are completely mobilized. You can hear something breathing in the room.
• Your driving on a country road. It is late at night. You are far from home. You realize, as you check your mirrors, there is a man you do not know, hiding on the floor of your back seat.
• It’s 3 am. Your room is dark, but you can see that there is someone, standing at the foot of your bed. You can just make out that he or she is wearing a clown costume, and you are pretty sure, from the glare and the little bit of reflection, that it has a knife.
• At 3 am you wake up out of a very sound sleep. You hear the ice cream truck outside of your house. And you realize, the sound that woke you up, was the sound of your 4 year old daughter, letting the screen down slam, as she left the house.
• You are running late. After quickly getting ready, you rush out of the house and to your car door. A sound gets your attention, and for the first time this morning you look at your surroundings. There is a fully grown male lion, just a few feet from you. Your car door is still locked.
• You are falling. The 737 is a 100 yards above you. You hear the rush of the wind, and it’s so cold. You realize you are still holding your baby.
• The worst cramps you have ever had set in on your biceps. Your arms are twisting. You feel your ankles popping. It came on so suddenly. You drop to your knees, looking through your bedroom window, you see the full moon. You hear a little voice behind you, “Mommy?” (or “daddy”)
• You are frozen with fear. You open your eyes, the tent is dark. But you can feel the heavy weight of a large tarantula covering one eye. Through the other eye you can see the shadows, from the moonlight, of 100s if not 1000s of other spiders covering the tent.
• The man leans into you. There is a dark red almost black color to the whites of his eyes. He is so close his nose is almost touching your nose. You can feel his breath when he says, “We all have it in here. We are all infected.

Best,
Kelly

This week we based our conversation on a muder mystery set on the Orient Express Train.  We looked at several suspects and numerous clues to try to figure out what really happened on that fateful night on the train.

Listening:
First how about checking out some materials for learners. The BBC has a great Murdery Mystery serious with several episodes. Or try an ESL video quiz called Murder in the Country House.

For original version check out some great true crime podcasts about murders.  The most famous and well-known podcast in this category is Serial Season One, but you could also check out Criminal.  Or, for something really good check out the whole You Must Remember This Series about famous murderer Charles Manson.

Reading:
Learners should try a reading text about a mystery here or a mystery for everyone (link to PDF).

Why not challenge yourself to something in  original version? Try to solve any of the many mysteries from Mysterynet.com  or a fascinating article from the New Yorker about a Renaissance Murder Mystery.

Writing:
Try some creative writing this week with one of the following prompts:

• A group of young adults gets together to rent a cabin for a weekend. They drink and party, and the next morning one of them is found murdered. In the months that follow, the friends suspect each other and question themselves. Who did it? Will they figure it out before the police do?
• A newlywed receives word that his or her spouse was killed in action. A few months later, the widowed protagonist starts receiving communications that could only be from his or her dearly departed spouse.
• The protagonist buys an antique trunk from a junk shop and discovers a mummified body inside—a body that was murdered.

Best,
Kelly

First off, I'd like to invite you to this month's extra activity, going to see a film in original version this Thursday October 19th at 22:00 at 7 Infantes Cinema.  We are going to see the film Mother! starring Javier Bardem, it looks like an interesting thriller by the director of Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream.  Check out the trailer here. If you would like to participate, please email me to get tickets.  We will meet for a drink and conversation at 9:15 and go to the movie at 10.

This week we practiced using the past tense with two main tools: our own personal timeline, and talking about the changes in Spain over the last century. Check your mastery of the past tense with this diagnostic.

Listening:
Let's get started with some adapted materials for learners. Try Grammar Stories Simple Past or Victoria's Last Weekend.  Another option is to try one of the many listening options at VOA American History.

For original version listening, try one of many fine podcasts that focus on history and the past: The Memory Palace, BackStory, or Stuff You Missed in History.

Reading:
Learners should try reading about someone famous in history: Rosa Parks, Elvis Presley, or Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you want to try something in original version, there are a couple interesting articles out there from the New Yorker about memory and the past: Why We Remember So Many Things Wrong, and Remembering the Murder You Didn't Commit.

Writing:
For writing this week, the focus is on the past tenses, of course.  You could write about your daily life when you were 18 years old, your first love, your parents or grandparents lives before you were born, or how Spain has changed in the last 100 years.  The point is to really focus on the past simple, continuous, used to, etc.

Best,
Kelly

This week we talked about natural disasters, from tsnunamis to floods to earthquakes.  We discussed what to do when faced with one and what are some of the factors that play into the destruction. Now on to your homework!

Listening:
So there are several things you could do to practice some listening this week.  First, check out an ESLVideo for learners about Natural Disasters or an adapted listening exercise called 72 Hour Emergency Kit.

For original version listening, try a documentary about Mount Saint Helens or watch some videos from the History Channel about Hurricane Katrina.

Reading:
Learners should check out an amazing story about a tsunami survivor who was reunited with her family, or about some of the coordinated rescue work in the aftermath of the recent Mexico City earthquake.

Try something a little more challenging with an original version article about how natural disasters widen the income gap, or about climate change, recent hurricanes and politics.

Writing:
This week for writing, try one of the following prompts:

• Natural disasters occur every day all over the world (hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, blizzards, floods, mudslides, etc).  Which one do you think is the most destructive and why?  What are some ways people can help prepare themselves in the event of this devastating natural disaster?  Be sure to include details about the most devastating example of this disaster.

Or, for some more creative writing, how about this:

• A natural disaster sweeps through a town. Describe the events following.

Best,
Kelly

First Week of Class:

Welcome to the 2017-2018 schoolyear at Meetinghouse!  I'm very much looking forward to working with you students this year.  As in other years, we usually use the first week to get caught up after the summer and then to reassess our goals in  English for the coming year.  It's a great time to revisit some of the resources that I recommend, so here's the master list of how to use online resources to support your English goals.

Listening:
Here are lots of links to places to practice listening both adapted for learners and original version. Find at least one you like and get into the habit of listening to things in English regularly. Remember to incorporate both active and passive listening.

Online listening activities adapted for learners:

• Randall's Listening Lab
• English Listening
• BBC English
• English Central
• British Council Listen and Watch
• Elllo
• English Speak Lessons
• Voice of America Special English
• Vaughan Radio (also available on TDT Radio)
• Connect with English (video series)
• Teacher Joe Dictations
• Learn By Doing Listening

Podcasts for learners:

• ESLPod
• Let's Master English

Learning with music:

• Lyrics Training
• Tune into English Karaoke
• Lyricsgaps

Learning with movies:

• Ororo

Original Version Resources:

• BBC
• NPR
• TED Talks (also available as TED Radio Hour)
• Frontline Documentaries
• StoryCorps
• This American Life
• Radiolab
• Invisibilia
• Favorite Poems Project
• University courses and lectures at Coursera

Reading:
Adapted reading for learners:

• Study Zone (first select level, then reading)
• Time for Kids
• Breaking News English
• VOA
• Academic Reading and Writing Resources

Original version reading:

• New York Times
• Vox (Explains the News)
• The Guardian
• Magatopia
• The Feature (essays)

Original version blogs and websites: Blogs are a fantastic way to explore your interests and study English at the same time.  There are blogs about everything: culture, TV and film, music, cooking, science, the possibilities are endless!  If you need help finding websites about your interest, please let me know!

Writing:
There are lots of ways to keep writing on a regular basis. Start a blog or diary about your daily life. Or follow my weekly writing prompts.

This week for writing I recommend writing a text about your English goals and how you plan to incorporate English in your life this year. Be specific! What problems do you think you may come up against?

As always, send me your writing and I will correct it. Write on paper or on the computer, whichever is more comfortable for you.

Grammar:
There are tons of sites out there to help you review and challange your grammar. Try some of the ones below.

• Grammar Quizzes
• EnglishGrammar
• Learn By Doing (Grammar)
• TalkEnglish
• Survival English Exercise and Games
• Intermediate English Exercise and Games
• Upper Intermediate & Advanced English Exercise and Games

Vocabulary:
I suggest you study vocabulary with the Quizlet sets that I have prepared, so take a look and consider downloading the app onto your phone or tablet, so if you are interested, please register online.  Other resources are:

• 20 Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons
  
• Words in the News
  
• Self-Study Vocabulary Quizzes

Pronunciation:
The best for pronunciation is to listen and repeat a little bit every day. Here are some further resources to help:

• BBC Pronunciation
  
• Listen and Repeat: Daily Pronunciation Practice
• Learn By Doing (Pronunciation)
  
• Ship or Sheep
• Perfect Pronunciation
  
• Pronunciation Course
• English Central Pronunciation
  
• Speaking English Activities
  

Apps:
Last but not least there are several apps that can be helpful and are convenient to use with your tablet or smartphone. Check out Learn English Apps (British Council) and Cambridge English Apps.

In class, we took a look at several apps including English Monstruo, British Council Grammar, Phrasal Verb Machine, Ivoox (for podcasts), BBC News, Memrise, ABA English, Duolingo, Johnny Grammar, Great Videos.
Well that should be plenty to keep you busy for at least this school year! Get to work and be in touch about your progress.
Best,
Kelly