Archive for 2016

Guided tour at Málaga airport



 

 We would like to thank Livy, our guide, for being so nice and helpful. We really enjoyed the visit!

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Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen, a great singer, songwriter and poet that died on November 7th. This is our little homage to him.




          

Now in Vienna there's ten pretty women
There's a shoulder where Death comes to  cry
There's a lobby with nine hundred windows
There's a tree where the doves go to die
There's a piece that was torn from the morning
And it hangs in the Gallery of Frost
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz with the clamp on its jaws
Oh I want you, I want you, I want you
On a chair with a dead magazine
In the cave at the tip of the lily
In some hallways where love's never been
On a bed where the moon
has been sweating
In a cry filled with footsteps and sand
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take its broken waist in your hand
This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With it's very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea
There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where your mouth had a thousand reviews
There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking
They've been sentenced to death by the blues
Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture
With a garland of freshly cut tears?
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz it's been dying for years
There's an attic where children are playing
Where I've got to lie down with you soon
In a dream of Hungarian lanterns
In the mist of some sweet afternoon
And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow
All your sheep and your lilies of snow
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
With it's 'I'll never forget you, you know!'
This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz …
And I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder,
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, Oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now. It's all that there is

What can you tell me about this song?What can you tell me about Leonard Cohen?

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What I like doing in my spare time


   

(By José M- Ruíz)
    
(By Lía Higuera)
     
(By Laura Mendoza)
(By Alejandro Mateo)

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Are you a good learner of English?

The other day surfing the net I stumpled upon this fantastic site: Luke's English podcast. A site with loads of podcasts to learn English produced by Luke Thompson, an English language teacher and also a stand-up comedian. 
Click on the picture to hear one of his podcasts about how to be an effective learner of English.

https://d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/attachments/6271204/26-are-you-a-good-learner-of-english.mp3?audio_clip_id=1710343&Expires=1458411326&Signature=W~kBiRVg3pzQ8CHlx2DuuJx1uCiMXQ087QiovGrcUiuD8DAwtgD~U754BOOVIqUlqMf-0THeaedsRugvb5nwiuuedtAc5QCT19x-0gFm7VhP6IlQOESG1YMfEpBctFO9d7sWUFdUvPWJfc85VIiWIsutpUtqQP0tC0GpBo6u~B-hDJlJ9IQZnQ6kBzSCGlwQOYwXYIze24cNB38Go~rlrLwLD-XVcE0qxzNgNXzTUYidZPcPvWyWoV5fHjWq0qMlJC1eLR82rvpunX9C3w8rMTGzGjBORCu4qM0eGKcYdGHaG7HQvIHrBsDY3tcHeWVlDTfLq2DPAhsUd2szAmDKUg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJS5FX6XHKL62XLYQ

I  strongly encourage you to listen to all his episodes!

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The benefits of a bilingual brain

It’s obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier — like travelling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain? Mia Nacamulli details the three types of bilingual brains and shows how knowing more than one language keeps your brain healthy, complex and actively engaged.




Could you give reasons why we should strive to learn a foreign language?

By the way, welcome back to my classes! Happy to see/meet you!

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Art project

For the next project concerning Art, we visited the Málaga Centre for Contemporary Art in order to see an interesting exhibition by Erwin Olaf .
Students had to take a selfie with the photograph or artwork from the exhibition they most liked and after in class, give a short presentation about the author and the picture.



Interesting outcomes!

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Final projects: At a restaurant

These are some of the final projects students from the VTC in Catering Services carried out by the end of their school year.

                                                           (By Jennifer Loor)


(By Claudia Bustos, Marina Cuenca and Samuel Mena)

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Obedience to authority

 The Stanley Milgram Experiment was created to explain some of the concentration camp horrors of the World War 2, where Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs and other enemies of the state were slaughtered by Nazis.
  Do as you’re told
Many war-criminals claimed they were merely following orders and could not be held responsible for their actions, in the trials following the World War 2.
Were the Germans in fact evil and cold-hearted, or is this a group phenomenon which could happen to anyone, given the right conditions?

For further information:
Simply Psychology
Explorable
Unbelievable, isn't it?

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Shopping/teenagers/consumerism/materialism

Ideas for compositions


1- Importance of shopping /fashion/ trends/ society today/ spending a lot of money on unnecessary things.
2- People are worried about their appearance/ insecurity/ pressure on society.
3- Who do you go shopping with? Friends/on your own.
4- What is the best way to shop? online, in supermarkets,department stores, second-hand shops?
5- Do teenagers prefer to buy new goods or second-hand items?
6- Shops use selling techniques to make customers buy more than they planned.
7- Are teenagers obsessed with fashion?.



1- Are you materialistic?.
2- Is being materialistic a good thing?.
3- Why do you think others are materialistic?.
4- How important is appearance to you?.
5- If you were an employer and about to interview someone, would you give the job to someone in a Dior suit or a Primark suit?.
6- Do the clothes we wear suggest anything to us?.
7- Is it fair that people are judged by what they wear?.
8- Does the price of clothes say anything about the person wearing it?
9- Why do you think some brands are more expensive than others?
10-  Do you care for the quality of the clothing when you purchase it? What is important to teenagers when buying clothes? quality/ comfort/ latest style/ price...
11- What makes something fashionable?
12- Can you buy style?

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Banksy street art

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jan/24/banksy-uses-new-artwork-to-criticise-use-of-teargas-in-calais-refugee-camp

"A new artwork by Banksy criticising the use of teargas in the “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais has appeared on the French embassy in London. 

The artwork, which depicts a young girl from the film and musical Les Misérables with tears in her eyes as CS gas billows towards her, appeared overnight on Saturday. 

In a first for the elusive graffiti artist, the artwork is interactive and includes a stencilled QR code beneath. If viewers hold their phone over the code, it links them to an online video of a police raid on the camps on 5 January.

The work is the latest in a series of pieces by the graffiti artist criticising Europe’s handling of the ongoing refugee crisis. It is a direct comment on the recent attempts by French authorities to bulldoze part of the camp in Calais – which has now been deemed unsafe – and evict about 1,500 refugees..." 

                                                                                                                  From The Guardian



Now, answer the following questions:

1. What is art? What makes art, Art?
2. How do you know if a work of art is good?
3. Is Graffiti Art?
4. Who is your favourite artist? Why?


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Lip synching (2)

I love this activiy. A good way for students to practise pronunciation and have fun too. :). Motivation is the key to learning.



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Compositions

Essay topics, taken from Selectividad exams, divided into different categories in order to help students write compositions.

Teenagers

  • Should teenagers decide about their own future alone or guided by their parents?.
  • What could the government do to help teenage careers?.
  • What do you think are the biggest problems  for teenagers nowadays?.
  • How do you meet new friends?.
  • Tattoes, piercings, clothes, hairstyle... do you like to follow trends?.
  • What experiences would you like to live before you are old and why?.
  • Would you like to take part in the Erasmus Programme in the future?.
  • Why are some brands so popular with teenagers?
 Free time activities

  • What are your free time activities?. 
  • Do you think some sports are better than others?.
  • Do you prefer conventional or extreme sports?.
  • What types fo films do you prefer?.
  • Do you like mystery stories?. Discuss and summarises one of these stories.
  • Do you like reading or watching TV? What kind of stories do you prefer?.
  • Can watching TV provide the same benefits as reading a book?.
  • What ,for you, is the most important holiday of the year? Why?.
  • What are the benefits of spending time outdoors? Why is it important?.
  • Tell a story that you know.
Healthy life 

  • Do you think young people eat too much junk food?
  • Advantages and disadvantages of eating fast food.
  • What can you do to have a healthy lifestyle?.
  • What do you think you could do in your daily routine to have a healthy lifestyle?.
  • Describe one habit you don't consider healthy.
  • How important is sleeping for you? Why?.
  • What do you do to be fit?.
  • The importance of keeping fit.
  • Does alternative medicine really work?. 
Environment  

  • Do you think people pay more attention to the environment in order to prevent natural disasters?.
  • What can be done to improve environmental conditions?. 
  • How will global warming affect our lives in the future?.
  • What is your opinion about recycling and what do you do about it?.
  • Write about the excess of waste affects the environment.
  • How will climate change affect your daily life?.
  • What must governments do to reduce the consequences of climate change?.
  • How can you contribute to preserving the environment in your daily routine?.
  • What can we do to help the environment?.
  • Do you think fighting climate change should be a real priority?, Why?.
  • Will our children live in a worse environment than we do?.
New tecnologies. The internet 

  • What do you normally use the internet for?.
  • Would you like to use the internet to meet other people?.
  • Good and bad uses of new technologies.
  • Computers, mobile phones, game consoles... What's your favourite technological device? Why?.
  • Which invention or inventions have changes the world the most and why?
  • Would you live for four weeks without television, the internet, video games or your mobile phone?.
Social topics 

  • Would you like to work or volunteer for an emergency service? Why?.
  • There is no agreement on how government could spend public money: education, health, culture, environment etc...
  • Smoking is a social problem nowadays.
  • What are the effects of immigration in the life of your country?.
  • In what ways do you notice that we are in the middle of a serious crisis?.
  • Would you emigrate to another country to start another life?.
  • What measures could be taken to solve the problem of illegal immigration?.
  • Would you like to go to Africa and help people there?.
  • What are the problems affecting children in poor countries?
  • Would you like to go to an underdeveloped country?
  • The first world should contribute to finding a solution to African's problems.
Travelling / foreign country

  • Would you live in a foreign country?
  • Advantages and disadvantages of living in a beautiful area like the Caribbean.
  • Would you like to visit England?.
  • Where would you like to travel?.
  • Describe one of the school trips you have been on.
Animals

  • What do you think of having pets at home?.
  • Do animals contribute to make our lives easier or better?.
  • Discuss the importance and problems of animal in modern urban societies.
  • Do humans have the right to manipulate animal life?.
Education 

  • Would you prefer to learn at home instead of having to go to school? Why?.
  • Discipline in schools.
  • Would you like to be a teacher?
  • I spent some of the best days of my life at school.
  • School violence is a serious problem in schools.
  • Describe your experience at high school.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile phone devices at school.
  • Do you think school life is stressful?.
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to university?.
Mass Media 

  • Gossip and yellow journalism in Spanish media.
  • Would you like to become famous and appear on TV?.
  • Do you read celebrity news?.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of being a celebrity. 
  • What's your opinion of celebrity gossip?.
  • Does advertising influence people?.
Traditions

  • Some British and American traditions have become popular in Spain.
  • What's your favourite celebration of the year? Why?. 
  • Describe your favourite festivities of the year and explain why you like them. 
Descriptions

  • Describe your ideal friend. What do you think he/she should be like?.
  • Describe your ideal husband, wife or partner.
  • Describe your ideal teacher.
Languages

  • Do you think learning other languages is important nowadays? Why?.
  • Studying English abroad.
Men and women

  • Men and women's new roles in society.
Narrative

  • Have you ever seen or had an accident? What happened?.
  • Write something funny that happened to you or someone you know.
  • What's the biggest lie or fantasy you have ever been told?.
Uncategorized topics

  • Married or single? Advantages and disadvantages.
  • Does money bring happiness?.
  • What are the most important things in life? why?.
  • What kind of prize would you like to win?. 
  • Do you believe in life in outer space?.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of living in the city and living in the country.
  • Would you like to have supernatural powers? Why?.
  •  What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living up to 100 years of age?.

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Cocktails

Powerpoint presentation that Evelyn, our teaching assistant, made for the students from the VTC in Catering Services.


Students' own cocktails


(By Alejandro Delgado)


                                                                                                                             (By Eva Jurado)                                                                   (By Samuel Mena)




                            (By Claudia Bustos)                                                      (By Nataly Espinosa)                                                                                                 

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School trip to London

The educational trip to London was a success. We practised English a lot and we also had great fun. Here, a video with some of the pictures and below the activities we planned for the trip.


Background music: Smalls (Feat. Cory Feigen) by Steady Hussle from Jamendo

 1- London Itinerary
 2- Travel diary
 3- Treasure hunt
 4- "Trip to London " contract

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Gamification in class


I attended a workshop about gamification last month organized by CEP in Málaga, (@aliciasendino) and given by Manuela Mena Octavio. Two words that summarize my view about it: brilliant and inspiring. I had heard about gamification before but I hadn't paid too much attention to it till this worshop. A new discovery that has made me think about applying, from now on, some of the tecniques used in games in order to motivate my students and make classes more fun and interesting. 
Some days later, I created the "exam" you can see below to practise grammar, vocabulary, writing and speaking related to justice and crimes. A kind of "game-exam" in which the students were also given points for right answers and clues to solve the mystery to find out who had murdered Peter Field and why. A different activity that worked really well.











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Drinks Menu

Have a look at the "Drinks Menu" we could see in a Youth Hostel we have been recently and create your own one for the class.You can also look on the internet if you are in need of some inspiration. 



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Describing "La Rosaleda restaurant"

One of the students taken a VTC in Catering Services describing the place where they study and work!





(By Mabel Camacho)

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