Trying a new plugging to embbed videos for listening comprehension. The site is called http://www.eslvideo.com/ and you cannot only practise listening but also create your own listening comprehension quiz.
Daily Archives: 23 September 2009
Learn English watching videos
Today I want to show you this interesting site : ESL Video.com
How can this site help you improve? Easy question… by listening .
But How? Watching the video and Answering the questions below it or …Reading the transcript (where available)and then Checking your answers.
There are four levels to choose from : beginner, lower-intermediate,Intermediate and High Intermediate. Recordings range from interviews with famous people, to documentaries about Facebook or even listening to Rihanna’s songs.
Hope you find it useful!!
Putting the emphasis on Emilia
Have you never heard about her? I’m sure you have. But even if you haven’t , if I hum the words” I’m a big, big girl…” you’ll probably think,” Yeah ,I know this song “or, at least, this small verse though maybe not the singer.
Why this song today? Well, the only reason is because I’ve been teaching Emphasis and it’s a good song to illustrate this point. I’m afraid that’s my only reason as she is not one of my favourites. “Sorry , Emilia ! I’ve heard you are on your way to the European Song Contest and I wish you well, you are just too soft for me”
Anyway, it is very good for students to see how the emphasis is placed on some words (actually, they can find three different ways).
But, why don’t you go to my website and do the exercises ? or alternatively ,if you are up to your eyes with homework , just enjoy it.
First option, click here
Córcholis or it is raining cats and dogs
Are you learning Old-Fashioned English?
Only this week I asked my advanced students to write a diary entry, telling them that this was the right time to use non-grammatical structures and any informal expressions they could think of. It was only when one of my most advanced students handed in her paper that I realized my mistake. I caught a glimpse of the expression “ it was raining cats and dogs” and I thought well, well… how are they supposed to know that this expression would sound to a native speaker as “córcholis or “cáspitas” to us?
But there are some others:
Bobbies- The British have not called their policemen “bobbies” for decades.
Whom -Only pedants under 50 will ever use this possessive pronoun.
Gay with the meaning of “happy”- I don’t think a straight happy man would like to be described as “gay”.
If you have little or no contact with British speaking culture, be careful when using colloquial expressions. Probably you’ll be understood only by an English -speaking grandmother.
The good thing is that sometimes words “bounce back”. So maybe in 10 or 20 years’ time we will be using expressions such as “truenos y relámpagos” , “pánfilo” or “botarate” . So ,language can always catch up with us and not the other way round.
Where does that leave us? Well, one of the reasons that native speakers don’t comment when they hear learner say “it is raining cats and dogs” is that learners always look so happy to have been able to use an idiomatic phrase that it seems uncharitable to correct them. Make it clear to the native speakers you interact with that you want them to tell you when your English sounds quaint.
Knit Night Cupcakes
I’ve been willing to show this gorgeous recipe for some time. Recipe? Shall I call it recipe? Well, I should say it is more like an amazing display of imagination by the talented Lolo. You can find in her here http://veganyumyum.com/ . She is a vegan so you might not like some of her recipes but I am sure there are some you’d like to try.
So ,here are some photos of what I was telling you above. Wouldn’t you like to surprise your family with one of those? If you ever try, please let me know or .. on second thoughts, send some.
Awesome!!!! Now you can see her in this clip showing viewers how to do them on the Martha Stewart Show.