The icing on the cake

My dear colleague Míchel sent me this web page with moving stories of immigrants into the USA.

You may need to find out what these words mean:
- night shift - to make ends meet
- noodles - college- vending machine - icing on the cake
- raise /reiz/ 

Why does the speaker end with the expression "the icing on the cake"?
What does it mean according to you?

Listen to more experiences in StoryCorps.

Preposition practice

Dear NI1 students,

Here are some exercises on propositions from English grammar online 4u to practice:

• Exercise on Prepositions – Place 1 
• Exercise on Prepositions – Place 2 
• Exercise on Prepositions – Place 3 
• Exercise on Prepositions – Place 4 
• Exercise on Prepositions – Place 5 

• Exercise on Prepositions – Time 1 
• Exercise on Prepositions – Time 2 
• Exercise on Prepositions since and for

• Exercise on Prepositions – Buses 
• Exercise on Prepositions – A picture 
• Exercise on Prepositions – A photograph 
• Exercise on Prepositions – The Wampanoag 

Lifelong Bilingualism

Dear NI2 students, 

As Roberto will talk to us about Bilingualism on March 11th, you might be interested in the following documentary with exercises from VOA English.


Lifelong Bilingualism gives Seniors a Mental Edge

Improve Your Listening Skills!

Guided Tour of the British Cemetery

Dear NI2 students,

I'd like to take you to the British Cemetery in Madrid in Comandante Fontanes, 7, Urgel metro station. A guide would show us around in British English.

The British Cemetery was founded in 1854. The aim was to create a place where non-Roman Catholics could be buried because they were not admitted to other cemeteries existing at the time. As time went by, non-British nationals were also buried at the Cemetery, including Lutherans, members of the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, and Jewish people who also needed burial facilities, which were not provided for under the Spanish Law.  

The records and memorials of the British Cemetery include the founder of the Price Circus, the founder of ‘RestauranteLhardy’, the Brooking family, and many other personalities who have made their historic contributions to Madrid. 

If most of you are interested, we could visit it the last day before the Spring Break, on Wed 20th at 17h. What do you think? Would you like to attend?

Podcasts

Dear NI2 students,

As commented in class these are some new podcast links for you to visit and use regularly:

1. VOA Special English
2. Learn English British Council, Series
3. BBC podcasts Witness

Cinnamon and honey

Hi!

This is a nice article that M.ª José from NI1 recommended. Those of you interested in natural remedies will appreciate it.
Thanks a lot!

May 15, 2012

Cinnamon and Honey; it’s as simple as that!

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘Ram Ban’ (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases.

Language Immersion

Hi!

I just saw a publication on the Official Bulletin that there are grants to study English if you are registered in the interemediate and advanced level at the official school of languages and you were born between 1993 and 1996. 

So if you are interested, you may read the rest of the requirements!!

Cute kid's weather forecast goes viral

Dear NI2 students, 

As we are talking about the weather these days, why not watch this video about a precocious boy? How old is the boy? When did he decide to be a weather boy? What are his assets?

 

Reviewing unit 3

Dear NI1 students,

Let's review the grammar and vocabulary from unit 3 by doing the exercises on these links from New English File:

• Must, have to, should (obligation) (1)
• Must, have to, should (obligation) (2)
• Must, may, might, can't (deduction) (1)
• Must, may, might, can't (deduction) (2)
• Can, could, be able to (ability and possibility) (1)
• Can, could, be able to (ability and possibility) (2)

HOW WORDS WORK:

• look or look like?
• so

VOCABULARY:

• Transport and travel
• Appearance

 Happy Valentine!

Reviewing

Dear NI2 students,

Practice the grammar and vocabulary we've been studying in class recently:

• Adjectives
• Narrative tenses, past perfect continuous
• Adverbs
• Passive (all forms)

VOCABULARY:

• Clothes and fashion
• Crime and punishment
• Weather

COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH:

• What does the future hold?
• Flying high
• High risk?

Isaac Asimov predicting the impact of internet

Dear NI2 students, 

These are some of Isaac Asimov's predictions about the future in 1988. Isn't it amazing how he predicted the future of learning? Thanks to my colleague Susana.

 
How about you? How do you predict the future in 30 years' time? Write your opinion on the "comment". You may find this vocab useful:

In 30 years' time
By the year 2040 people /computers: 

• May/Might 
• Will probably / probably won´t / definitely won´t / will be ….ing / 
• will have + past participle
• Are going to… 
• Are/aren´t likely to

Never give up!

Dear NI1 students,

Find the key to the reading on page 47 from your coursebook:

p. 47. 

Natalie

1. A car hit her when she was going to a training session on a motorbike. 

2. Three months after the accident.

3. Thrilled. It felt like her leg was there.

4. She qualified for the final at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (for able-bodied swimmers).

5. She hopes to swim faster than she did before the accident. 

Bethany

1. A tiger shark attacked her and tore off her arm. 

2. As soon as she left hospital. 

3. She was so happy she cried.

4. She finished 5th at the National Surfing Championship.

5. She accepts that she will never be world champion. 

True Love

Dear NI2 students,

This Wednesday 13th we are going to comment on this story by Isaac Asimov, True Love. Read it and see how science fiction writers are necessary to predict our present. 

Happy Valentine!

Kelvin Okafor's pencil drawings

Dear NI2 students, 

What do you think of this talented artist from England? Listen to the news from the BBC and try to answer the questions below:

• Where did he graduate? 
• Where does he live? 
• What were his parents' fears? 
• What is speacial about him? 
• What type of art does he make? 
• Which material does he use? 
• How much worth are his paintings?

English Online with UNED

Dear NI2 students, 

Cristina Muñoz sent me this message that she would like to share with you:

Today I have found a course about professional English. I'm pleasantly surprised and I would like that you recommend this to my classemates.

The page is https://unedcoma.es/  You have to register but it is free. Then if you want a diploma, you have to pay, but it isn´t obligatory.

 

If you have any doubt you can ask me.

Inglés Profesional / Professional English

 The course lasts from February untill April!
 Thanks Cristina!

Spoken book review

Dear NI2 students, 

This is an activity to do at home after reading The Curious Incident and thinking about it and commenting about it in class. Record yourself with your webcam or a video camera at home. You can just record yourself with your phone and send it to me for evaluation as well. 

Before recording yourself, you may want to think about: 

• Title and Author 
• Why you decided to read the book 
• How thick is it? How long did it take you to read? 
• State what it is about briefly 
• The characters in the story 
• What you found interesting about it 
• What you disliked 
• A nice quotation that you liked 
• Evaluation of the book 
• Recommend it or not 

 

The power of words

Culture Shock

Dear NI1 students,

 

Find the key to the text on page p. 38 of your coursebook:

 

EX. A

Being polite is very important to the English. If you want someone to do something, you must ask them politely.

 

EX. B

The English and the Russian idea of good manners is different.

 

EX C

1. F (She got angry because of the way he asked her to pour him some tea.)
2. T
3. T
4. F (He was very surprised, i.e. amazed)
5. F (It was disgusting.)
6. F (She was angry.)
7. T
8. T
9. F (They thought she was mad.)
10. T

EX. D

1. step 2. pour 3. make 4. swallow 5. translate

Dreamdate.com

Dear NI2 students,

As you have been required to write down a short story, I'd like you to listen to this too-good-to-be-true story about online dating: Dreamdate.com from Speakup Magazine.

Did you like it? It is an urban legend? What struck you most?

BYOD

noun [uncountable].bring your own device:

The policy of allowing employees or students to bring their own computing devices to work, college etc and use them on the organization's network. Ex:

'Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) has emerged as an institution in corporate America today – but does the acronym stand for bring your own device or bring your own disaster? Surveys show that up to 90 percent of corporations use some form of BYOD, but that up to 80 percent of BYOD activity is "inadequately" managed by IT departments.'

BYOD is an abbreviation for bring your own device, and refers to the idea of people bringing their personally-owned computing devices, such as laptops, tablets or smartphones, for use at their place of work. Though it commonly refers to employees bringing along their own devices to the office in order to access corporate networks and business data etc, the term is also used in academic environments when institutions allow students to use their own mobile devices to access school and college networks.For more info, visit this