45 Ways to Avoid Saying 'Very...'

Do you want to expand your vocabulary? Do you want to emphasise what you're saying without always using 'very'? Here are some words you can use instead!

Goodbye 4th Eso!

Today 4th Eso and I had our last class together. I'd just like to say that it's been a pleasure speaking with, listening to and spending time with you. You have an excellent level of English but more importantly, you are wonderful, kind and fun people. You will have successful lives and I hope you all go far! Thank you.

Extra-Curricular English Graduation!

Well done to all of our Extra-Curricular English students who attended on Mondays and Wednesdays (Nursery):

Left-Right: Carlos, Adrian, Javier, Paula, Hèctor, Adrian, Martina, Daniel, Paula, Carlos, Marc.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays (Nursery and Primary):

Left-Right: Victoria, Júlia, Raquel, Clara, Irene, Mireia, Ainoa, Carlos, Javier, Marc.

Dafne and I are so proud of all of you and how much you've learned! 

Congratulations!

Idiom of the Day

"Break a leg"

If someone is going to act in a theatre play, climb a mountain or do an exam, you can say "good luck" to them...or you can say "break a leg". Why?

It is not certain exactly where this phrase came from, but it is thought that it is simply superstition. It was thought to be bad luck to wish someone "good luck", so the opposite was also true. If you wished someone bad luck ("break a leg") then it actually meant you were wishing them good luck. 

So, when you're all taking your exams, don't say "good luck" to your friends - tell them to break a leg!

Do You Need Pronunciation Help?

Task 1: Say 'cat'.

Task 2: Say 'cut'.

Do they sound the same? If they do, you're not pronouncing them correctly!

English is a 'mongrel' language, meaning that it is made up of many different languages.

English =

This means that we have inherited many different rules from all of these languages on how to pronounce consonants, vowels, and vowel/consonant combinations.

Here is a very useful website to help you pronounce any English word:

http://www.howjsay.com/

If you find English pronunciation difficult, this is a great resource! It contains both the British and American pronunciations, where there is a difference.

End of Year Photos with 3rd Eso A

Palm Reading

How many children will you have? Will you have a successful job? Is your life going to change suddenly? All of the answers are right there on the palm of your hand!

Heart Line
If this line is deep, it means that you have a stressful life. If this line is straight, it shows that you are a person with no emotion. If this line is curved, it means that you are emotional and sensitive. If your Heart Line is absent, this means that you do not care about other people.

Head Line
A long Head Line means you are intelligent and have a good memory. If this line is very long and extends across the palm, it means you will be successful. If it is absent, it means you are a lazy person.

Life Line
If this line is long and deep, this means that you are healthy. If it is short and shallow, it means that other people can control or influence you easily. If you have a broken Life Line, this means that you will have an accident or a serious illness.

Fate Line
Only a few people have this line. If you have a doubled Fate Line, this means you will have a very successful career. If you have breaks in your line, it means your life will change suddenly.

Relationship Line
These lines run horizontally. This shows the amount of meaningful and important relationships you will have. This includes friendships as well. If this line splits, it means you will have a divorce.

Child Line/Children Lines
These lines run vertically, perpendicular to the Relationship Line. The number of lines shows how many children you will have. If you have a shallow line, this means that you will have sensitive children. If one line is longer than the others, this will be your favourite child.

Transport

How do you like to get around? By bicycle? By bus? Walking? Or by train? Have a look at these videos and try to copy the pronunciation by singing along!

Queen: Bicycle Race

The Wheels on the Bus

 

This is Puss in Boots' version of "These Boots are made for Walking"

This is an episode of a British children's TV programme about a talking train - Thomas the Tank Engine

Regional Accents in the U.K.

If you travel to the U.K., you will hear many different accents. This is more than just a difference between Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. There are many different accents from region to region. Here is a video displaying quite a few of the main accents in each region:

Below is comedian Jimmy Carr teaching Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek to do 2 English accents - Scouse (the accent from Liverpool) and Geordie (the accent from Newcastle):

Proverb of the Day

Every week I will be posting a proverb, idiom or phrase which is commonly used in Britain. Some will be strange, some will have interesting stories behind them, but all will be useful in understanding conversational English.

Here's your first proverb: The pen is mightier than the sword.

In seventeenth-century England, the government prohibited free speech in newspapers. If you spoke ill of the government, you were punished, but people continued to publish their disagreeable ideas. The original meaning of this expression is that written ideas can't be stopped by physical punishment. However, today, this expression is mainly used to mean that written ideas are more persuasive than violence.

Happy New Year Everyone!

2015 has arrived. Let this be your year for learning English! We can start with a Scottish song which is traditionally sung by everyone in Britain at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day - 'Auld Lang Syne' (For the Sake of Old Times). Sing along!