Blowing in the Wind

Some songs will never be outdated. Here's a cover of Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind" sung by a beautiful voice

NEW LINKS

Hi there!

I've just added two new links in the "Good links to check" column so that you can read Spanish news in English this summer. The El País link seemed to be failing lately, but it has now been restored.
Thanks a lot, Míchel!

NI2 Exam Results

Dear All,

your grades are already posted on the School notice board (more precisely, on a wall opposite Room 16 ;-))

Congratulations if you passed and don't be discouraged if you didn't. Work hard this summer and do your best in September.

NI2 - 18 September 2009 - 15.45 pm

(Revisión del examen de junio: viernes 19 de junio, 20:30 h)

Dorothea Lange

Wanna see a very interesting exhibition? Check "The Crucial Years" at the Museo de Colecciones ICO (C/ Zorrilla, 3). Dorothea Lange's moving pictures document the lives of dispossessed Americans during the 1930s and 1940s. Really worth a visit!

The importance of long and short vowels...

All - Preparing for the oral exam

Hi everybody!
This is an old post I keep re-posting at the end of every academic year:

Here is a link to interesting pages that can help you prepare for the oral exam. You will find audio exercises and vocabulary.
And one more page to check conversation strategies here.

Please remember the following important aspects:
- Do not forget to include any of the points you're given, even if you organize them in the order you wish.
- Try to build your monologue around some kind of structure (temporal development, advantages and disadvantages, comparison and/or contrast, etc.)
- Link the different sections of your monologue with connectors (cause, consequence, contrast, finality, concession, etc.)
- In the dialogue, remember that you should be able to make suggestions, agree and disagree with people, and to reach some kind of conclusion, even if you cannot reach agreement.
- Forget about the presence of the examiners, we will be just virtual shapes and ears in the room ;-) If you feel comfortable by looking at your partner, do so and "ignore" the examiners.
- Try the best of your pronunciation, pleeeeeease. I've insisted too much on those "l"s in could, should, etc.; those "z"s in zoo, those "c"s in center, certainly, etc., the pronunciation of the past and participle in regular verbs, etc., etc... ;-)

Hope that helps!

Attend University in English ... without leaving your home

Hi there!

I just checked the blog of a colleague from Asturias and saw a great link posted there. If you want to listen to English while learning about some academic subject, you can visit www.academicearth.org

Thanks, Javier!

Brit vs. US movies

Hi there!

esp. dedicated to those of the NA1 who want to create a group to go to the movies... (thx Philipp!)

NI2 - Key to Use of English Exercises

Part 1:
1. A; 2. D; 3. B; 4. C; 5. D; 6. A; 7. B; 8. D; 9. B; 10. A; 11. C; 12. D; 13. B; 14. D; 15. A.

Part 2:
16. FOR; 17. OVER; 18.IS/WAS; 19. KIND/TYPE/SORT; 20. THAT/WHICH; 21. UNTIL/TILL; 22. AS; 23. LET; 24. IN; 25. SUCH; 26. IF; 27. OF; 28. MORE/GREATER; 29. GET; 30. THEIR.

Part 3:
31. (that) she hadn't spent; 32. is being extended (by); 33. should not have installed; 34. so (that) the birds would /could; 35. (that) I'm too busy; 36. rely on Alex to help; 37. were hardly any seats; 38. making no effort to; 39. you mind not making so; 40. isn't worth cleaning.

All - Sing along (good for pronunciation)

Hi there!
My colleague Yolanda has given me a very good recommendation: a web page where you can listen to the songs, see the videos and read the lyrics of the following bands:

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Queen
U2

Thanks a lot, Yolanda! I'm sure the students will appreciate it ;-)