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19 August 2013

The Logical Song

Here is a worksheet I made to help my FCE students revise derivatives.

 A lovely song with exercises aimed at revising adjectives/adverbs, perfect for students preparing for FCE exam. The worksheet includes pre- and post-listening questions (topic:education), vocabulary exercises and detailed teacher´s notes.

You can download it from here

Confusing words


These are commonly confused words, frequently tested in FCE Use of English



You can download it from here

Everything a Mom Says in 24 Hours



Think of everything your mom tells you during a day. 
  • What is your reaction to what she says?
  • Why do you think she says this?
  • Is she right or wrong?
  • Do you usually agree with her? 



 Can you guess what the missing words are?  The first letters are given.


Get ___ now, get _____ now, get ___ out of bed
Wash your f____
Brush your t_____
Comb your sleepy h___
Here’re your clothes, here’s your shoes. Hear the words I said
Get up NOW! Get up and m_____ your bed
Are you hot?
 Are you cold?
 Are you wearing THAT?
Where’re your books and your lunch and your homework at?
G____ your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t f_____! You gotta f_____ the cat

Eat your b________
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your v_______ so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please r______ the orthodontists will be seeing you at 3 today
Don’t forget your piano lessons are this afternoon so you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly

But hurry the bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you w_____ behind your ears?

Play outside, don’t be rough
Would you just play fair?

_____ polite
M_____ a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out,  wait your turn
Never take a dare,
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
C_____ your room, f_____ your clothes
P___ your stuff away
M____ your bed,  do it now,  do we have all day?

Were you born in a barn would you like some hay?
Can you even hear a word I say?

Answer the phone, get off the phone
Don’t sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your Ipod’s my Ipods if you don’t listen up

Where are you going? And with w_____?
And w_____ t_____ do you think you’re coming home? 



Saying thank you, please, excuse me makes you welcome everywhere you roam

You’ll appreciate my wisdom someday when you’re o_____ and you’re g______
Can't wait till you have a couple little children of your own

You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now I’ll thank you not roll your eyes at me

C____ your mouth when you chew we’d appreciate
Take a bite maybe two of the stuff you hate
U_____ your fork
Do not burp or I’ll set you straight
E___ your food I put upon your plate

Get an “A”, get the door, don’t get smart with me, get a grip, get in here, I’ll count to 3, get a job, get a life, get a PhD, get a dose of …

I don’t care who started it, you’re grounded until you’re 36
Get your story straight and tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake

And if all your friends jumped of a cliff, would you j______ too?
If I said it once I’ve said it at least a thousand times before that you’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
L_____ at me when I am talking
S_____ up straighter when you walk a place for everything and everything must be in place 
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about

Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Get your PJ’s on
Get in b___, give a h___, say a p____ with mom
Don’t forget I love you
And tomorrow I will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends you don’t need the reason why
Because...
Because...
Because...
Because ...
I said so...
I said so...
I said so...
I said so...
I AM THE MOM!



 Now try to get as much as you can. ENJOY!

 



18 August 2013

Language facts



How many languages are there in the world?
How many words in your own language do you use every day?
Who is a bilingual? Are you?
What do English, German and Yiddish have in common?

Can you answer these questions? Would you like to be able to answer these questions?
Read the language facts and then try a quiz



13 August 2013

What is London really like?

How do you understand this question? Choose the sentence that has the closest meaning to the question "What is London like?"

A.   What do you like about London?
B.    What can you say about London?
C.    What do people who live in London like doing?

The correct answer is B. What's London like? What can you tell me about it?
  • What's the weather like today? = Tell me about the weather
  • What's your brother like? = Describe your brother
  • What's it like being a film star? = Tell me how do you feel when you are a star
NB! We don't say "how is it like?"

Whether you've visited London or not, you might have a certain image of this city. Can you name any famous landmarks, any places of interest in London?


Watch a series of videos called "London native English Speaker", in which people talk about London.

While watching, try to answer the following questions:

1.   Where do the speakers come from? 
2.   What is the best thing about London?
3.   What is the worst thing about London? 

PART I
For the transcript and some definitions of part 1 go here.


PART II

For the transcript and some definitions of part 2 go here

PART III
For the transcript and some definitions of part 3 go here

PART IV
For the transcript and some definitions of part 4 go here

12 August 2013

Why to learn a foreign language?


Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
Those who know no foreign language knows nothing of their mother tongue.

How many languages you know - that many times you are a person.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:                                                                                           
No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby, - so helpless and so ridiculous.
 
Roger Bacon:
Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.





Do you still question the necessity of learning another foreign language?
Check this video



How many languages would you like to speak? Watch a video of a 20-year-old Alex who speaks 11 languages fluently. Can you guess what languages he speaks?

While watching, try to answer the following questions:

1. What is Alex's favourite language?
2.  What is the best way for Alex to learn a foreign language?











Trapped Sentences

Do you feel like you need more practice making simple or complex sentences?
Play this game. Good Luck!


Life Lessons Learned through Robbery

This is a funny story about a robbery that can teach all of us a lesson, to be exact 7 lessons.




1 During a robbery in Guangzhou, China, the bank robber shouted to everyone in the bank: "Don't move. The money belongs to the State. Your life belongs to you." Everyone in the bank laid down quietly.


This is called "Mind Changing Concept” - Change the conventional way of thinking.

2 When a lady lay on the table provocatively, the robber shouted at her: "Please be civilized! This is a robbery and not a rape!"

This is called "Being Professional” - Focus only on what you are trained to do!

3 When the bank robbers returned home, the younger robber (MBA-trained) told the older robber (who has only completed Year 6 in primary school): "Big brother, let's count how much we got."

The older robber rebutted and said: "You are very stupid. There is so much money- it will take us a long time to count. Tonight, the TV news will tell us how much we robbed from the bank!"

This is called "Experience.” Nowadays, experience is more important than paper qualifications!

4 After the robbers had left, the bank manager told the bank supervisor to call the police quickly. But the supervisor said to him: "Wait! Let us take out $10 million from the bank for ourselves and add it to the $70 million that we have previously embezzled from the bank”.

This is called "Swim with the tide.” Convert an unfavorable situation to your advantage!

5 The supervisor says: "It will be good if there is a robbery every month."

This is called "Killing Boredom.” Personal Happiness is more important than your job.

6 The next day, the TV news reported that $100 million was taken from the bank. The robbers counted and counted and counted, but they could only count $20 million. The robbers were very angry and complained: "We risked our lives and only took $20 million. The bank manager took $80 million with a snap of his fingers. It looks like it is better to be educated than to be a thief!"

This is called "Knowledge is worth as much as gold!"

7 The bank manager was smiling and happy because his losses in the share market are now covered by this robbery.

This is called "Seizing the opportunity.” Daring to take risks!

So who are the real robbers here?




Are there any rules you absolutely agree with?

Are there any rules you completely disagree with?