All Hallows' Eve - Halloween

In the past people didn't use to celebrate Halloween in Spain but nowadays it's really popular. Do you know why Halloween started? Take a look at this great summary from the British Council:-

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/halloween

What do you normally do for Halloween?

In the UK going trick or treating is very typical however I didn't use to go very often. When I was a child I used to go to a Halloween party at a campsite where my parents had a caravan, there was a fancy dress competition and prizes for the winners. There were also party games like musical chairs, musical statues, apple bobbing and karaoke.

Here is some entertaining homework for you for Halloween:-

https://es.lyricstraining.com/en/play/the-nightmare-before-christmas/this-is-halloween/HYNA9pBZXY

You can watch the music video "This is Halloween" and click on the words you hear that are missing from the lyrics underneath. It gives you four level options so it's appropriate for your level. Enjoy!

You want to watch something in English, but a film or a series can be a bit too challenging? There are other options...

When you watch something that's not in your native language it's very understandable that it's not always enjoyable! Maybe it's too long and you get tired, or they speak too quickly.... Perhaps their accents are difficult to understand.... Don't despair! There are other options. 

What about a mini-series aimed at learning English? It's at a reasonable speed, the episodes are shorter and maybe there are even exercises to do after watching:-

Extr@

Extr@ is a light comedy about a Spanish guy, Hector, who decides to stay with some friends in London and learn some English. You can find it on Youtube:-

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=extr%40+ingles

If you search on Google you can even find a workbook in PDF with exercises to do some related homework.

You're Hired! (The British Council)

You can learn job interview skills by watching this business orientated mini-series:-

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/es/youre-hired

Perhaps you get bored of watching the same thing every time, as they say variety is the spice of life. Try:-

BBC Learning English 

There's something for everyone; vocabulary, phonetics, dramas, short podcast videos (1 to 6 minutes), etc.

https://www.youtube.com/user/bbclearningenglish

Video Zone (The British Council)

An entertaining selection of videos in English. this is great if you're tired of hard study:-

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/es/video-zone


What do you watch when you want to practise English? Feel free to share your links in the comments :)

Classic Novels and learning English, incompatible? Not at all

I've always loved reading, in any shape or form. As a child and teenager I would read anything, anywhere... I had a lot more free time on my hands back then. I liked most genres but reading classics had a special ring. I suppose it was due to the historical setting, you could read a good novel and learn a great deal about that period of time, all in one!

Well, in today's post we're going to take that a step further, reading (or listening to a classic) and learning English (and some History) at the same time. 
Where we would find that type of material, you're probably thinking... On the BBC languages website, of course!

I was born in Exeter in Devon (England) but I lived, for the last years of my life in England, in Cornwall. So I've chosen a classic novel, set in Cornwall, about a tavern called the Jamaica Inn, here are some pictures:-

The typical English tavern / hotel, what you probably don't know is the legend says it's haunted (full of ghosts).... I invite you to research that online, there are even videos...

Anyway, back to the point, here is the first episode of the Jamaica Inn, you can read it or listen to it as a podcast and I'm going to put a short comprehension quiz in the comments. Enjoy!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/drama/jamaica-ep-01

How much did you know about the land down under? The solutions.....

Webquest Solutions

Here are the answers to the questions:-

1) A traditional Easter treat in the U.S. is a chocolate bunny. What chocolate likeness is popular in Australia?

  A) Kangaroo

  B) Koala

         C) Bilby

         D) Boomerang

2) Most British convicts who were sent to the penal colony ofAustralia had been found guilty of what type of crimes?

A) Petty theft

        B) Treason

        C) Murder

        D) All of the above

       

       3)Australia is home to the largest structure built by living organisms on theplanet. What is it?

      A) A termite tower in the outback

      B) Ayers Rock

      C) A wombat burrow

      D) The Great Barrier Reef

4) Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in December 1967 whiledoing what?

     A) Running in a marathon

     B) Swimming in the ocean

     C) Taking a helicopter tour

     D) Hiking in the outback

      

      5) In 1856, the Australian government reformed the country's voting process, becoming the first nation to allow for what during elections?

     A) Write-in nominations

     B) Secret ballots

     C) Recounting of votes

     D) All of the above

 

     6) In the Australian bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda," what does "Matilda" refer to?

     A) A girl

     B) A style of dance

     C) A bedroll (a sleeping bag)

     D) A kangaroo

      7) What's unusual about Kakadu National Park?

     A) It's jointly managed by Aborigines and the Australian government

     B) It's the only national park that is home to crocodiles

     C) It's all underground

     D) It's smaller than a city

      8) A local delicacy, Vegemite is a spread made from what ingredient?

     A) Corn

     B) Vanilla

     C) Calf liver

     D) Yeast

      9) What circumstances cause some Aussies to "go troppo," or have mango madness, as it's also called?

     A) Watching close cricket matches

     B) The oppressive heat and humidity that comes just before monsoon season  

     C) Malaria outbreaks

     D) Lunar eclipses

     10) Which two animals appear prominently in the Australian coat of arms?

     A) Crocodile and bandicoot   

     B) Koala and wallaby           

     C) Red kangaroo and emu

     D) Platypus and Tasmanian devil

How much do you know about the land down under?

The land down under (Australia)

Today I propose something different.... a webquest! What is a webquest? You're probably thinking, it's a set of questions you need to find the answer to by using the internet. So here's a quiz about Australia and I'd like you to find the answers online. The National Geographic website in English is a very useful place to start, wikipedia is always useful too.

Here are the questions:-

1) A traditional Easter treat in the U.S. is a chocolate bunny. What chocolate likeness is popular in Australia?

  A) Kangaroo

  B) Koala

         C) Bilby

         D) Boomerang

2) Most British convicts who were sent to the penal colony of Australia had been found guilty of what type of crimes?

A) Petty theft

        B) Treason

        C) Murder

        D) All of the above

       

       3) Australia is home to the largest structure built by living organisms on the planet. What is it?

      A) A termite tower in the outback

      B) Ayers Rock

      C) A wombat burrow

      D) The Great Barrier Reef

4) Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in December 1967 while doing what?

     A) Running in a marathon

     B) Swimming in the ocean

     C) Taking a helicopter tour

     D) Hiking in the outback

      

      5) In 1856, the Australian government reformed the country's voting process, becoming the first nation to allow for what during elections?

     A) Write-in nominations

     B) Secret ballots

     C) Recounting of votes

     D) All of the above

 

     6) In the Australian bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda," what does "Matilda" refer to?

     A) A girl

     B) A style of dance

     C) A bedroll (a sleeping bag)

     D) A kangaroo

      7) What's unusual about Kakadu National Park?

     A) It's jointly managed by Aborigines and the Australian government

     B) It's the only national park that is home to crocodiles

     C) It's all underground

     D) It's smaller than a city

      8) A local delicacy, Vegemite is a spread made from what ingredient?

     A) Corn

     B) Vanilla

     C) Calf liver

     D) Yeast

      9) What circumstances cause some Aussies to "go troppo," or have mango madness, as it's also called?

     A) Watching close cricket matches

     B) The oppressive heat and humidity that comes just before monsoon season  

     C) Malaria outbreaks

     D) Lunar eclipses

     10) Which two animals appear prominently in the Australian coat of arms?

     A) Crocodile and bandicoot   

     B) Koala and wallaby           

     C) Red kangaroo and emu

     D) Platypus and Tasmanian devil

      I'll be posting the answers on Friday 19/10/18 so watch this space!