Work from home

You can click HERE to read the article from the Daily Mail of 10th July 2010

Dinner Menu

Homework for the holidays. Have a look at this menu which belongs to the restaurant of one of the branches of the Premier Inn Hotels in the UK. You can choose to be:

- either a married couple with two children (a young child and a teenager)

- or four adult friends

Write on a piece of paper what you would order: starters, a main dish, dessert and (perhaps) coffee and briefly justify your choice. Please give it to me after the holidays

Here is the MENU (for best viewing, click on `File´ and then `Download original´)

Phonetic transcript (type in words and you'll get the pronunciation)

Recommended websites

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
BBC Learningenglish
Podcasts in English
Elllo
Videojug
Batlyrics
Listenaminute
Watchmojo
Cambridge pronunciation

ONLINE PAPERS

The Guardian

BBC News

New York Times Video

BBC Radio 4 Podcasts

El País in English

ONLINE DICTIONARIES:
Wordreference
Macmillandictionary
Linguee

Forvik Island

Better communication skills (for the interaction)

Extremadura's architecture

Plastic surgery

Lots of videos on the New York Times site: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/18/nyregion/100000000649693/plasticsurgery.html

Listening practice

Some more listening practice for the exam. Remember it's going to be a video, which you'll hear and watch twice.

News about the news

New restaurants in Barcelona

This is a video taken from The Guardian website which is in Spanish but with subtitles in English. Have you ever wondered: how could I say that in English?

Keep your English up-to-date

That's easy with the BBC web page. Check out this section called `The English we speak´: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/

Cool listenings

From PODCASTSINENGLISH (exercises not available, just the recordings). http://www.podcastsinenglish.com/pages/level3.shtml

Lingro

I've discovered this web page that I'm sure you're going to love: Lingro. This page allows you to type in a web address and then you'll be able to click on a word and get a definition of it. You can also get a translation of that word into Spanish. Try it, you'll find it pretty useful: http://lingro.com/

Multiple Intelligences

Listen to Howard Gardner talking about multiple intelligences. Listen and take notes:

- First time you hear it: write down the main idea in each section.
- Second time: pay attention to the details.

Listenings from ELLLO.ORG

Some listenings about topics that might appear in the exam (you never know!!!):

- The dole
- Eco tips
- School grades
- Online reading
- Online dating
- Food labels

Forensic science video

Foundations of CSI:
Forensic Science

REM - Überlin

TED

A fantastic site with debates and fascinating talks about every possible issue. Excellent resource to practise listening and also learn vocabulary connected to contemporary topics. Remember you can watch the videos with the subtitles on if you need them: http://www.ted.com/

This one is called: Does the world need nuclear energy? Click HERE to watch it.

Procrastination

Songs & lyrics

If you're into music and enjoy reading the lyrics of a song, this is the website for you.

Just an example with Robbie Williams. One activity you can do is read and listen, then enlarge the video to full screen and try to understand without reading. Like the idea? http://batlyrics.com/better_man-lyrics-robbie_williams.html

Another webpage

This is a webpage I'd like to recommend: http://www.englishcentral.com/ 

Please spend some time exploring its contents: the videos, the pronunciation, the possibilities it has. You have to register but it's going to take just a couple of minutes. There is an enhanced version that you have to pay for, but the basic one, which is free, will give you lots of material anyway.

Do we need grades in education?

Listen to Nydja and Todd discussing this issue: http://www.elllo.org/english/1001/1026-Nydja-Grades.htm

How to be happy at work

Supermarmite

An interesting story related to cooking: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12685589

Ready, steady, cook!

Chefs James Martin and Gino D'Acampo prepare a meal with a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Click here to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EEdxZdzdFs

Another listening activity

We didn't have time to do this activity in class, so here you go....: http://www.podcastsinenglish.com/pages/level3a.shtml (please do number 13).

Oscars

Three days from the Oscar ceremony, find out about the movies competing this year: http://oscar.go.com/nominations

Education in Finland

More on the topic we talked about in class yesterday: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4035401.stm

Salad slaves

Can we tolerate this situation any longer? Shall we continue to turn a blind eye or take action?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2011/feb/07/food-spain-migrants

Spaniards in Germany

Many Spaniards are considering emigrating to Germany to look for work there. Read this story from the BBC site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12359897

The New York Times Film reviews

You can watch quite a lot of film reviews if you click on the ones you're interested in, on the right-hand side: http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/arts/movies-critics-picks/1194811622317/index.html

Jason Fried: Why work doesn't happen at work

Interesting, really, not only because what he says is relevant but because of the way his ideas are presented.

Social networking

Facebook, Tweeter...., they're everywhere and he hear about them all the time. But how did all this start? Find out in this three-part programme from BBC Radio 4: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xw14v

Paying for a sandwich via mobile

This and other technology stories on the BBC site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology/

Email language

A really interesting article from the BBC page about how emails open and sign-off nowadays: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12247262

WatchMojo

Some interesting videos about television: http://www.watchmojo.com/index.php?id=3136

BBC newsreader blunders

Manners and body language across cultures

Multicultural Manners:
Manners And Body Language Across Cultures

Miranda BBC comedy - Excuse (part two)

Miranda BBC Comedy - Excuse (part one)