Thirty-third week

Hello everybody,

The first thing I want to say is that THERE IS A COMMENT BY OURCLASSMATE AND FRIEND NURIA from Italy!! It is on the previous entry. Below the text, just click on "1 comentario" to read it. She is wishing you luck.

This week we have been learning what reported speech is. I know it was a lot in a short time, but I'll be happy if you know what it is, and even more if you can use it somehow.

If you need more practice apart from the workbook, here you have some examples of sentences

More sentences
Questions
Mixture of speech acts

Other things we learnt this last week was how to write a covering letter. We were reading Loli's, which was very well done. Loli, you would just have to complete the company's address, as you didn't write the post code and the city. Here you all can see it. On the second page, if you have a look, she forgot to write "be". This is a passive sentence.

As we did not have enough time in class to study passive voice, I am uploading here a power point presentation I did for my last year students in the second course. I think it will be easy for you.

Passive voice

View more presentations from mariaelenatapia.

Here you have the speaking activity we did in class.


See you next Tuesday at 15.30 in room 4 to do the reading, listening and writing tests. Good luck everybody!

It has been a great pleasure to have you as students... but this is not a good-bye! I hope to see you round the school next year, you studying the first course of Advanced level! I really wish you luck.

Thirty-first and thirty-second weeks

Hello everybody!!

These last two weeks we have been learning many different things!

- When to use gerunds and when to use infinitives.
- Vocabulary about jobs.
- Shopping vocabulary and how to write a CV and a covering letter with Patricia.
Don't forget to write one and send it to me as homework!!
You have to take into account register: it is a formal letter, so it shouldn't contain contractions or informal expression; there is a specific format and formulae for this kind of letter.
- We started learning reported speech, and we will continue this week.

This week we will focus on solving questions and on practicing speaking, so try not to miss classes, please! (I know you always do your best)

Thirtieth week

Hello everybody,

Last week we were talking about the first chapters in The Woman in White, and next Tuesday we will spend 10 or 15 minutes on that too.

We were talking about how we can make our own luck. We all agreed that sometimes, if you think positively, good things happen to you. We were also reading a text about that topic, and funnily enough, yesterday I watched a documentary about that topic as well! Did you?

We did a listening activity, which was the final test in Aragón, and I was quite happy that all of you passed!! So, once again, we checked that if you think positively and are relaxed, you get better results in class, in particular, and in life in general.

Talking about relaxing, on Thursday WE COULD REALLY RELAX in the Yoga session. I must confess I learnt a lot about Yoga, and I am thinking seriously (as well as Juan de Dios) about taking up Yoga.

If you are interested, visit this website. It contains yoga session podcasts in English.


We only have three weeks left, so these techniques will be quite useful as you have to get ready to work hard.

twenty-ninth week

Although a bit late, here you have a summary of what we did last week:

- On Tuesday José Antonio spoke about an interesting unmanned plane which used solar energy to power itself. Thanks, José Antonio for sending the video in which we could expand what you explained in class. We were also revising conditional sentences with Taran and solving some of your problems.

- On Thursday we read and listened about people with good and bad luck. We also talked about how their lives could have been different if something had not happened in the past. Then, we were talking about some "problems" you had and asking our partners "how could I have avoided it",using third-type conditionals. Virginia helped us do this exercise. We also analysed some adverts to rent or sell a house/flat and learnt how to improve their style. Finally, we were talking about the first chapters of The Woman in White.

As homework, you had to read the text on unit 7A about luck and do the exercises. You also had to write a proper advert to sell or rent a house, attaching a picture if you can including:
1. Introduction: kind of house/flat; situation
2. Description of the house
3. Description of the neighbourhood
4. Conclusion: Who the house is suitable for. Restrictions

Don't forget to do the corresponding activities on the workbook as we work on the student's book.

Key handout 42 and another song!

Hi everyone,

Here you have the key to handout 42.

Patricia suggested this song, which includes a lot of examples of second conditional sentences. Thanks Patricia!!

Try to understand the song without looking at the lyrics, and check how many phrases you can get. The lyrics are below.



All I want is you. Juno Soundtrack

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

See you tomorrow!

twenty-eight week

Hi everyone, how are you?

Last Tuesday we had Juan de Dios talking about an interesting topic: banning veils at school in the UK. If you have not read his article yet, click here and have a peep.

Next Tuesday, José Antonio will talk to us about a very special plane. Don't forget to read his article and prepare some questions for him. Maybe I will prepare some questions for you! ;-)

We listened to a woman talking about her first day at school and revised vocabulary about houses. Four people were talking about their ideal home. What would your ideal house be like? Feel free to answer adding a comment below!!

We were using second conditional sentences. There are many songs which use them, so I am going to upload here an activity with one of them: If I were a boy, by Beyoncé.
I dedicate it to Tíscar, as I know she likes this song a lot.

Download the activity here

Listen and watch YOUTUBE VIDEO


Well... here is a funny version of it: If I were a girl


If I were a girl,
even just for a day
I'd roll out of bed in the morning
and wonder what just happened to me

Oh no don't tell me they're real
Yeah I think they're real
Something else is missing
Where the hecks my PEN15!

If I were a girl,
would I still look like a guy?
No I wont put on make up,
but I might just want to give that bra a try.

If I were a girl
I could mess with the guys
No, no not like that I mean
When we get a nice dinner I'll make sure they buy

I could seduce them
Show them my nice behind
Yo Zach check out that a... oh my god
I got you, You totally like guys

If I were a girl,
I'd have the nicest legs
I refuse to cook in the kitchen but
I'm pretty dang good with the microwave

If I were a girl,
please don't get mad if I'm mean
I'm not used to my body
this monthly thing is kinda new to me.

No I don't really know if I want to change back,
Because I like my new hair
and the guys love my my my my my
FACE what?

Oh if I were a girl (oh if i were a girl)
I don't think I'd ever understand (i don't think i could understand)
How it feels to be a girl,
God please change me back to a man

If I were a girl
If you want more songs with the second conditional, you can check out my last year entry (click on "Music and Fun" on the right and find May 12).

Finally... Here you have the key to handout 41 about house vocabulary.

I want to thank those who came to the Spring Concert on Thursday. I think we all liked it. I hope more of you can come next year!

See you on Tuesday.

twenty-seventh week

Hi there!

This week we have been learning about the Education Systems in UK and the USA. Thanks Taran for your great presentation!!

I gave you a handout about Universities with some activities. You can listen to it if you click below.



We listened to a programme about Education in the 50s and 60s, which was quite interesting, and we revised Relative Clauses with Virginia, who brought a game about definitions.

We were discussing different aspects of Education in pairs. Thanks to Verónica and Juan López. Your discussion was really convincing, although you agreed to desagree in the end!

We started working out with second conditional sentences, talking about hypothetical situations, and you learnt how to make wishes. Why don't you add some wishes here in a comment?

As homework, you had to do the reading activities on pages 58-59.

Have a nice weekend and see you on Tuesday!