Google Wave

I have 8 invitations for Google Wave.

What is Google Wave? Find out here: http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html

If you love computers, send a lot of emails with attachments, and are curious about trying it, tell me and I'll send you one.

IMPORTANT: at the moment Google Wave is in its experimental stage. Not only that, but for the moment, if someone invites you, you can't invite anybody else. This means you can only communicate with people who already have it, which is a bit limiting. I imagine that if it's successful, bit by bit more and more people will have it.

Seven reasons to enjoy chocolate

Well, to be honest, we didn't REALLY need any excuses or justification, did we? But now Christmas is coming, it's nice to read Seven healthy reasons to enjoy chocolate.

1. Chocolate is high in antioxidants, related to cancer prevention, among other things.

READ THE OTHER SIX REASONS HERE

You're welcome!

School cultural activity tomorrow!

Thursday, November 26th at 19:30
English Made Easy
by Andrew Marshall
Stand-up Comedy
Don't miss it!

Targeted at 3rd, 4th and 5th year students of English.

Whether or not you have class on Thursdays, try not to miss this show, free for students.

See you there!

Test drive the Toyota Prius

I'm a great fan of the Prius, and one day when I'm rich I'll have one.

Also, one day when I'm rich, I'll visit Japan.

Meanwhile, I'll just have to make do with this simple game, which combines both: http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/virtual-test-drive-game.html

PS. Thanks for your emails. I'm not 100% yet, but tomorrow I'll be going in to work, so see you!

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!