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PHONETICS
Why is phonetics important? In our lessons and in the following video you can see that if you know phonetic symbols, you can learn how to pronounce words correctly. The same letter or combination of letters can be pronounced in many different ways. Phonetics tells you how to do it well. First watch the video by clicking here.
MINIMAL PAIRS
A good way to learn good English pronunciation is to compare similar sounds. On this website you can practise as much as you want, little by little, and review from time to time. You can also record your pronunciation on your computer and compare to the pronunciation on the website. Just click here again. You'll see how your pronunciation improves!
VOICED AND UNVOICED CONSONANTS
Watch this video about voiced and unvoiced consonants. We explained the difference in class, but here you can remember whenever you like.
PHONETICS QUIZZES
One more link to check how good you are at phonetic symbols and pronunciation. On this BBC website you can "play" with sounds, symbols and other aspects of pronunciation. There are five quizzes. At the end of each quizz you'll get your score and, of course, you will learn. Click here to go to the website.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
"A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in 1843. In this story the author wrote about Scrooge, who is visited by the spirits of the Past, Present and Future. This story is the celebration of Christmas, but it is also, and very specially, a story of redemption, of everybody's possibility to change in life and learn how to make the best of it by sharing.
Before we read some quotes from Dickens' book, you can watch this animated version of Charles Dickens' life. I hope that you will enjoy it. Just click here.
It was not difficult to understand, don't you think so?
Now, read these quotes from "A Christmas Carol". You have read the book in Spanish. I'm sure it will be easy for you to recognize where each quote belongs.
"External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty."
"Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it."
"The school is not quite deserted," said the Ghost. "A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still."
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," said the Spirit. "Look upon me!"
"... every man among them hummed a Christmas tune, or had a Christmas thought, or spoke below his breath to his companion of some bygone Christmas Day, with homeward hopes belonging to it. And every man on board, waking or sleeping, good or bad, had had a kinder word for another on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared to some extent in its festivities; and had remembered those he cared for at a distance, and had known that they delighted to remember him."
"Ghost of the Future," he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?"
""I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"
"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can."
"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour."
What a change!! From loneliness, darkness and bitterness to joy, generosity and good humour.
There are more things that you can do about "A Christmas Carol" in English. For the most adventurous of you, you can watch one of the most beautiful versions of this story on this page of Youtube. It is an animated version in a beautiful English in four parts.
Finally, for the most daring of all of you, here you can read the whole text of "A Christmas Carol" in English and on this other website, you can download the audio book in English for free.
CHRISTMAS PROJECT
In this section you will find different instructions and activities for our Christmas project this year. Remember, we'll talk about traditions, typical food, holidays, and Christmas songs.
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
Christmas is now very near. We’re going to do a Christmas quiz. Each country has its own traditions. Today we’re going to discover how the British celebrate it by doing a “Christmas quiz”.
You have to complete the worksheet with the information in the following websites:
http://www.christmascoachholidays.com/uk-school-and-christmas-breaks-2010-11/275
http://www.ukbankholidaydates.co.uk/
http://www.projectbritain.com/Xmas/eve.html
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/day.html
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/dinner.html
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/christmaspudding.html
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/crackers.html
http://www.ukbankholidaydates.co.uk/boxing_day.html
Finished? Now, how do you celebrate Christmas?
The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas and throughout the New Year.
Click here for the Christmas card from your teacher.
HAIKU
These days we're going to work with poetry in the three languages, Spanish, French and English. In this document you can remember the characteristics of these traditional Japanese poems, "haiku", and see some beautiful examples in the English language. I hope that they can help you with your task: write a haiku in the three languages. Remember to add a picture that reflects the content of the poem and follow the instructions for the task given by your Spanish teacher on the site. What is a Haiku Poem?
Haiku poems originated in ancient Japan and are popular even today. Haiku is like a photo that captures the essence of what's happening, often connecting two apparently unrelated things. This type of poem uses the senses to capture a moment, to describe scenes from nature, and often involves vivid images of trees, plants, seasons, and other elements of the natural world. In English, a haiku poem usually has the following structure:
- The poem consists of 3 lines and a total of 17 syllables.
- The first and last lines of the poem have 5 syllables.
- The middle line of the poem has 7 syllables.
- The lines of a haiku poem rarely rhyme.
Traditional Japanese poems contain a 'Kigo', that is, a key word indicating the season of the poem, which helps to reflect the feeling of the verse, and a 'Kireji', that is defined as a 'cutting word' and cuts the poem into two parts that sometimes create a contrast, sometimes a comparison. In English, poets use punctuation marks such as colon (:), a dash (-), ellipsis, or an implied break between the two parts. Let us see some interesting examples of haiku poems.
SOME EXAMPLES OF HAIKU IN ENGLISH
The summer river:
although there is a bridge, my horse
goes through the water.
~ Masaoka Shiki
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
~ Basho
Over the wintry
forest, winds howl in rage
with no leaves to blow.
~ Soseki Natsume
You rice-field maidens!
The only things not muddy
Are the songs you sing.
~ Raizan
Willow leaves fallen
clear waters dried up stones
one place and another
~ Yosa Buson
Cherry, apple, rose,
blossoms in countless colors--
each one of them pink.
~ Paul Brown
The butterflies dance
Brilliant colours of rainbows
Rippling like water
As the wind does blow
Across the trees, I see the
Buds blooming in May
Falling to the ground,
I watch a leaf settle down
In a bed of brown
Catching what you eat
Water doesn't come from sink
Fetching what you drink
By Cherrelle Swain
GAMES
After a hard term with tests, exams and projects, here you are some links to play some English games when you finish the last project you're preparing with your classmates, or whenever and wherever you want to play, alone or with others.
As usual, just click on the following numbers to go to different games: 1, 2, 3. 4, 5, 6.
GRAMMAR: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
This year we've started to use a new tense, Present Perfect Simple, used to talk about experiences. In class we saw a presentation with the most common uses. Now you can see it as many times as you like to study and review, especially when you do your exercises and other types of practice. You'll find the presentation in the attachments at the end of this page. Just click the arrow and you'll have it.
Remember that you can also use the grammar appendix in Spanish in your workbook, pages 99 and 100.
Finally, if you want to practise Present Perfect Simple a little bit more, you can do the following activities. You'll also review the common adverbs with this tense. Just click on the numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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