Sorry

Sorry about not going to class today: my daughter is throwing up (=vomiting) all over the house like the girl in The Exorcist, so I don't think I should leave her with an unexperienced baby-sitter.

I imagine she'll be better tomorrow, but I'm really sorry about making you miss your class today.

Sorry again. :(

Videos, listenings and speaking

My colleague Mariona recommended me this link: http://www.englishcentral.com/en/home

It's a Japanese (?) page with videos with different levels of difficulty, subtitles, etc. I haven't had much time to check it out in detail, but it looks interesting. You can also record yourself, but I tried it here at wok, and strangely enough :P, it didn't work. I'll try again at home and let you know how it went.

One thing, though; you have to register, but it's free, so why not?

Better late than never

The subject of Guy Fawkes came up in one of the classes. Read about the 5th of November festival in the Simple Wikipedia:

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

English problems

You see, there are many people out there with the same problems. :)

Transcript

Hey, aren't we all on the same English course?

Yeah, how's it going?

Not bad, except I sometimes have trouble with my grammar, isn't it?

I mean, sometimes I perfect, but other times I don't. Won't they?

You see, I'm alright with my grandma. My problem is spelling. I can't spell to save my loaf.

Yeah?

Yeah. After all, I have a spell chuck on my compluter.

Well, I don't know, look at it this way: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't eat it too. You know what I'm saying?

No, not really.

I think that she sometimes has trouble mixing metaphors. Aren't she?

Yeah, sorry guys. I'm always crying over spilt chickens before they're hatched.

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

What's that like?

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

That's OK. I have problems with my emPHAsis.

Your emPHAsis?

Yes, my emPHAsis, on different parts of the senTENces. In my job, that can cause a lot of awkWARDness.

What do you do?

I'm a speech theRApist

A peach therapist that can't spike preperly! I'm surprised your boss hasn't sucked you.

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

Can I make a SUggestion? Why don't you purCHASE a dictioNAry? You'd save yourself a lot of embaRRASSment.

I tell you what: why doesn't we all try studying together, isn't it? How doesn't next week sound, didn't we?

Grape idea.

FaBUlous.

Yeah, you give them an inch, it's worth two in the bush.

It's alright for you all, I've got-

SHUT UP!

Isn't it?

Corrected version:

Hey, aren't we all on the same English course?

Yeah, how's it going?

Not bad, except I sometimes have trouble with my grammar, don't I?

I mean, sometimes I'm perfect, but other times I'm not. Am I?

You see, I'm alright with my grammar. My problem is spelling. I can't spell to save my life.

Yeah?

Yeah. After all, I have a spell check on my computer.

Well, I don't know, look at it this way: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't eat it too, if you know what I'm saying? (Two sayings mixed up. 1: You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink, and 2) You can't have your cake and eat it too.)

No, not really.

I think that she sometimes has trouble mixing metaphors. Doesn't she?

Yeah, sorry guys. I'm always crying over spilt chickens before they're hatched. (Two sayings mixed up: 1) It's no use crying over spilt milk, and 2) Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.)

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

What's that like?

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

That's OK. I have problems with my EMphasis.

Your EMphasis?

Yes, my EMphasis, on different parts of the SENtences. In my job, that can cause a lot of AWKwardness.

What do you do?

I'm a speech THErapist

A speech therapist that can't speak properly! I'm surprised your boss hasn't sacked you.

It's alright for you all, I've got a very small vocabulary.

Can I make a sugGEStion? Why don't you PURchase a DICtionary? You'd save yourself a lot of emBArrassment.

I tell you what: why don't we all try studying together, shall we? How does next week sound?

Great idea.

FABulous.

Yeah, you give them an inch and it's worth two in the bush. (Two sayings mixed up: 1) You give them an inch and they take a mile, and 2) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.)

It's alright for you all, I've got-

SHUT UP!

Isn't it?

New link

This morning, googling other necessary and important stuff, I found this page: California distance learning project - adult learning activities

I think you may find it useful for simple reading and listening texts, as it has related activities: vocabulary, comprehension, etc.

If you have more time than me, check it out.

And now I'm going to try and start marking your writing tasks... :(

Google it!

For everyone, but especially for Àlex from 3D, who doesn't believe me.

(Incidently, googling "google it" turned up more than 4,620,000 results.)

http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=activity1&topicID=4&storyID=238

See also: http://www.yourdictionary.com/computer/google

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=3078370&dict=CALD

Pronunciation of -ed

If you have a (long) moment, test your knowledge on the pronunciation of the regular past -ed ending.

http://classtools.net/widgets/dustbin_1/kgTFE.htm

Guess the character with Akinator

I got this one from my colleague Carlos, who got it from the telly.

Think of a person, real or fictional, and Akinator will ask you questions until he guesses it right. Or not: he had a lot of problems guessing David Bowie. His first guess, Ozzy Osbourne, was acceptable, but his second one: Tom Jones!!! And you should have seen the horrible photo of him. Please! Tom Jones, indeed! So creepy.

But you try:

http://en.akinator.com/

By the way...

... thanks 3C for letting me leave a bit early on Wednesday. I arrived just in time to hear the first note of the first song, and the whole concert was absolutely brilliant. :)

The Drones, Sala Apolo 2, 21st of October 2009.

I hope they come back soon.

Info on The Drones in the All Music Guide.

Clocks going back (very educational)

Maybe the clocks going back is not so bad after all...

Transcript:

This weekend the UK changes, from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time.

Now this often leads to some some confusion, which is why we've made this simple educational film for you and your friends.

Now the first point to make is that the clocks will actually be going backwards rather than forwards. The easiest way to remember that is that it's Autumn, or "Fall" as the Americans call it, as in to fall back rather than spring forward.

Now what this means is that at 2 am on Sunday morning, old time, it's actually going to be 1 am Sunday morning, new time.

So that means for one day only you have a whole extra hour to do... well, whatever you want with.

So be selfish. Why waste it on anybody else?

Brought to you by Radox, official sponsors of the clocks going back.

Email class ranking

After literally forcing people to give me their email addresses yersterday in class, this is the situation:

With a clear lead: 3B with 25 people on the mailing list!!! (Cheering, screaming, whistling)

In 2nd position, 3C with 21!

Close behind them is 3D with 19!

And still lagging and close to disqualification, 2C with a depressing 15 people out of 30. Very sad, very sad.

See you later!

‘Lottery winner’ causes riot at Ohio coat store

(Intermediate + level)

In MSN today: ‘Lottery winner’ causes riot at Ohio coat store

A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax. (read more)

It doesn't say if she was a mental case or just had an extreme sense of humour, but I found this story very funny. I can image the scene as a cartoon drawn by Matt Groening or the one from Family Guy. :D

Class ranking update

3B have taken the lead!

Yes, it's true: after screaming and insulting everyone the other day, no, not really, a few more people have sent me an email.

The current results are:

3B: 22 people!!

3C haven't moved from 21 people!

3D have gone up from 15 to 17 people!

and the situation is critical in 2C, where due to a group change, they have actually gone backwards, and LOST a person. :D Their current "score" is 12, very sad.

See ya!

Group email ranking

Hey everyone!

I asked you all the first day of class to send me an email. Some of you have and some of you haven't, and I'm sure you're all dying to know which group is in the lead.

These are the current "scores".

People who have sent me an email as asked:

In the lead, group 3C with 21 people out of 30! (Yeah!!! Well done group 3C!)

Very close behind them, group 3B with 17! (Come on 3B, you can do it!)

A little less inspired is group 3D, with 15 people, 50% of the class (3D, you're lagging!)

and

losing spectacularly at the moment is:

group 2C, with a miserable only 13 people out of 30! Incredible!

:D

PS. Did anybody watch the planes at the weekend? Aren't they beautiful?

Anybody there?

Hello? Hello? Is there anybody there? It's a bit lonely here.

Hello?