Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Va por vosotros

Esto va por mi querido alumnado de 4ºA. 
Estamos a punto de terminar el curso y, aunque suene un poco rara la frase, creo que os voy a echar de menos durante el verano.
Durante estos meses he intentado que aprendáis inglés, como es lógico, pero también es verdad que, más de una vez, he terminado la clase con la sensación confusa de no saber exactamente a qué me dedico. Entre relativos y estilo indirecto se colaban temas de actualidad, discusiones éticas, morales, etc. que, por lo que he podido ver, os han calado más de lo que yo podía imaginar. Y lo más curioso de todo es que sé que son esos los momentos en los que más habéis aprendido. Lo mejor de todo es que, como me decís, habéis aprendido sobre vosotros mismos. Y una de las cosas más bonitas que me decís es que habéis aprendido a pensar de manera diferente, a saliros del redil. ¡Qué orgullo!
Después de comentarios como los que me habéis dedicado, creo que merece la pena levantarse a las seis de la mañana para venir a estar con gente como vosotros. Os aseguro que ha sido un honor poder compartir estos meses llenos de sonrisas, alegrías, nervios, algunas lágrimas, y explicaciones de inglés, como no.
Decía Raquel que, mientras que la recordásemos en un rinconcito de nuestras mentes, ella seguiría estando con nosotros. Yo os digo que, mientras os sigáis acordando de esos momentos compartidos durante este curso, seguirá viva la llama que he intentado encender en vosotros. Yo, por mi parte, os seguiré recordando por siempre.
Tal vez el curso que viene volvamos a coincidir, quién sabe. Lo que sí me encantaría es que, cuando os vayáis definitivamente del instituto, no os olvidéis de este año. Y que, de vez en cuando, vengáis por aquí para contarme sobre vuestros progresos, vuestras alegrías, incertidumbres, sobre vuestra vida en definitiva. ¡A los profes nos encanta que lo hagáis! 
Un abrazo de vuestro profe Joaquín, que hoy os escribe en castellano, para que nadie diga que no se ha enterado. De todo corazón, os deseo lo mejor.
Aquí hay mucho futuro...

Monday, June 2, 2014

Some cartoons on passive voice!


A little homage to Beatriz

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Passive and spring



People think spring is the most beautiful season. Water fills the rivers, you may hear bees in the fields, and flowers give you their sweetest smell. Life is everywhere, and you will feel it wherever you go. Beautiful, isn't it? Now try saying it this way:
Spring is thought to be the most beautiful season. Rivers are filled with water, bees can be heard in the fields and you are given by flowers their sweetest smell. Life is everywhere and it will be felt wherever you go.
This is the passive voice. It's just another way to express the same thing, but focusing your attention on a different aspect. Try watching this video and see how the passive voice is used on TV series. 
Here you are a few exercises on the passive voice. Try them and think of spring, flowers, bees, and think of the upcoming summer. It isn't that far away!


Now a couple of witty quotes from intelligent people:



Nothing ever is done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done.
George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)
 
Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.
Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 - 1965)  



Here is a link to Dylan's Union Sundown. Hope it works! And do you remember These Days by Foo Fighters? There are a few examples of passive sentences. Try changing them into the active voice.

Monday, May 5, 2014

some-, any- and no- compounds

Can anybody find me somebody to love? This is what Freddy Mercury sang a few years ago. He was using any- and some- compounds. He could also have said "Can anyone find me someone to love?"
Here is a link to the song and the lyrics

Do you know Jeremy? He's a not-so-special guy your age who has a not-so-special relationship with his mom. Click on the picture and you'll see more of his comic strips


Let's have a go with some exercises on some-, any- and no- compounds:


And also on -ing/-ed adjectives:
Do you know Mark Twain? He said things so interesting and witty as this:



A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.
Mark TwainSpeech in New York, Nov. 20, 1900
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

Have a good week!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Written in these walls...

A few months ago a famous boy band said: Written on these walls are the stories that I can' explain. This is a relative clause. They could have ommitted that, or used which instead. The Beatles decided to elicit the relative pronoun when they said All you need is love.
Now read this excerpt from "Torn", by Natalia Imbruglia:
 Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know, don't seem to care
What your heart is for

In the first line she chose not to say ...who/that I adored. And then she used what. Why? Well, when there's no antecedent to refer to,  what must be used.
In the same song she says: There's nohing where we used to lie. Where is the relative from which must be used when we refer to a place. 
Michael Jackson asks: Do you remember the time when we fell in love? When is used when referring to time. Easy, isn't it? 
- exercise 1
- exercise 2
- exércise 3
- exercise 4
- exercise 5

See you in class!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

A mythical creature!



Hi guys! You may find this picture a bit scary. It was taken deep in the forest, and the man who took it needed psychological aid because he said he would never get over so terrifying an experience!





Leprechauns are wonderful creatures, and if you don't believe it, just have a look at this old picture on the right. It was taken in the very heart of Dublin. And here you are a few exercises on relative clauses. Do them and anjoy yourselves, or else the Leprechaun will get angry and... who knows?


Now a quote on the subject:
In never cease being dumbfounded by the unbelievable things people believe.
Leo Rosten (1908 -  1997), Polish-American teacher and humorist


More in a few days!


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Cockney rhyming slang

Hi guys. These people are wearing a costume associated with Cokneys. It's called the Pearly King (or Queen).

Cockney rhyming slang is not a language but a collection of phrases used by Cockneys and other Londoners. But, what is a Cokney? A true Cockney is someone born within the sound of Bow Bells. (St Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside, London).

Here you are some examples of Cockney slang. What do you think they mean?
  • Can you Adam and Eve it?
  • I got kicked in the Albert Halls!
  • See you alligator
  • She's got a beautiful garden with nice April showers
  • Got any Persians on you mate?
Here are some more examples of Cokney, this time they are excerpts from Bible stories (lemon curd means word):

You can click here and see more for yourselves.