Monday 9th Wednesday 11th February

Hi ladies! How are you? Waiting for this special Saturday with so many things to celebrate?. I hope you have lots of fun no matter what you decide to do.

These days have been more "thematic" than others because of these two celebrations. On Monday you showed your presentations about Carnival or Mardi Gras in different places in the world; I want you to know that you did a very good job. All of you did your best and that makes me very happy, also because after your presentations you were speaking for a long time about all the info you had.

On Wednesday we had a very good time, really funny, when presenting the topic about Valentine's. We had lots of fun when speaking about the origin and the business and so on and so forth. Well, we had a very good time.

We learned lots of voc related to these two topics this week, but the most important thing has been your speaking. And also that we changed the routine, don't you think?

So, for next day I'd like you to translate the text we worked with and no more. You deserve to enjoy.

Be good, have fun, see you in class!

Bye

Monday 2nd Wednesday 4th February

Hello ladies, how's it going? I'm sure you're fine enjoying some free time, maybe looking for interesting things about carnival in the places you chose last class; I'm looking forward to hearing your presentations, I'm sure you'll do your best. Have you had a look to Maria Jesus' post? It's great!

Ok, that was your homework this weekend. These days we have been working with expressions to show time when using the past such as SINCE, AGO, FOR, and LAST... We completed activities of both listening and speaking and you also had to finish some exercises to revise WAS/WERE and the past simple of both regular and irregular verbs.

Finishing the week we were speaking a lot about what's in the news... very well done your listening this time!

And we introduced the topic of CARNIVAL or Mardi Gras with an overview related to its origin and the most representative and traditional festivities. For this reason we will present this topic next class; I really hope you enjoy!

We will know about this celebration in different parts of the world.

That's all girls

Be good, have fun, see you in class!

Carnival in New Orleans.

The Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, literal translation of the French because former it was fattened to a calf and a banquet was celebrated, is the name that receives the carnival parade that celebrates in New Orleans the day before the Ash Wednesday.

The season of the Carnival in New Orleans, inspired by the catholic tradition, begins on January 6, the night of Epiphany. From this day already they start seeing for the streets coaches, masked balls and the famous ones " king cake ", royal tarts, which are not but, a variant mas colouring of our  famous “roscón”. These sponge cakes with form of coil are decorated by the traditional colors of the Mardi Gras, the green one that symbolizes the Faith, the purple one that symbolizes The Justice and the yellow one that symbolizes The Power.

The Mardi Gras is the culmination of all these feasts, is the parade of coaches and confraternities that takes place last day, and marks the final moment to be able to enjoy the pleasures, both culinary and carnal, before the epoch of abstinence that he carries the beginning of the Holy Week and the Lent.

The French colonists introduced the celebration of the Mardi Gras in Louisiana, as far back as the year 1699. Since then in numerous occasions the authorities have tried to prohibit the celebration but with scanty success. Two weeks before the Shrove Tuesday, realize daily parades, of great color and very elaborated The associations, rocks or confraternities named "Krewes", are those who take charge organizing the parades and dances of the Mardi Gras, including the construction of coaches, the confection of uniforms and the purchase of the trinkets, which throw themselves to the crowd during the parades. It is a tradition from the sixties that many women uncover his chests to receive of the multitude account necklaces of colors with which to cover them.

 The Mardi Gras, finishes formally when there meet the kings of Rex and his "subjects", the king and the queen of the carnival and the king and the queen of Mistick Krewe's rock of Comus,  a dance in the municipal audience of the city. In the middle of the night a policemen's squadron, mounted his horses, starts clearing the street Bourbon ….

Monday 26th Wednesday 28th January

Hello girls, how is it going? I hope you're ok enjoying yor free time! And having a look to the pronunciation of the -ed ending of the simple past.

These days we have been working with the past of both regular and irregular verbs. I know I insist a lot but it's very important to pronounce this ending in the right way because if not you're not doing well and sometimes the message we convey is not the same, ok? So try and try and try. It's only practice.

For homework I asked you to translate the text we worked with last class and answer some questions. It's about the story of an in-loved couple in the war times; like a movie! But you did a very good job in class so I think you won't have any problem when translating.

Also we completed many listening activities in order to have a clear idea about continuing a conversation. This is important, too. We have said many times that if someone tells us something, whatever the kind, we can't remain as if nothing happens!  It's a bit rude! So we should give an answer and use some strategies to follow up the conversation with things like these:

• Oh, dear!
• Oh, great!
• What a shame
• Wow!
• You're joking!
• Really?
• Oh, right

So... take this into account, ok, ladies?

Be good, have fun, see you in class!

Bye!

Monday 19th Wednesday 21st January

Hi ladies! How's it going? I hope you're not tired of the past simple although we have worked very hard these days.

Last Monday we were listening to the pronunciation of the -ed ending in order to get a good accent. I know it can be difficult and a bit tiring, but little by little you'll get the right pronuncition without stopping to think.

Also these days we have worked with the biography as a type of writing. I have to say you did very good biographies, interesting info and few mistakes. Let's see next time without writing; I'm talking about your homework, as we said on Wed in class.  Remember you have to prepare a short presentation/speaking about an importat event in the past/history. You have to include these points:

1. Short description of the event
2. People involved
3. Why that event has made history

Try to include:

• Past simple, both regular and irregular
• Past time expressions (ago, since, when, IN with years)
• Connectors (however, on the one hand - on the other hand, although...)

Well, I think that's all this week. Although if you have a little time you could have  look to this video which shows the pronunciation of the -ed ending. Be careful: it's American:

I hope you enjoy!!

Be good, have fun, see you in class!!

Monday 12th Wednesday 14th January

Hello girls! How's it going? I hope you're enjoying a great weekend although the weather is not really nice... You can take advantage of this and relax at home in a warm room doing pleasant things. You'll tell me next day!

These days we have worked with the past simple of both regular and irregular verbs. We had a look to the pronunciation of the -ed ending. Don't worry about it, it seems difficult but it isn't. I must insist on this because, as you know, you can say things right but you really don't care sometimes. Ladies, make a little effort and you'll see this is not so bad, ok? Please, do it.

We practised listening activities related to this topic, too. I found this listening about Mandela's life very interesting. Remember this is your task for next Monday, write a short bio about someone important or interesting in your opinion who did something important. As I told you, the structure of a bio normally comes this way:

- 1st paragraph: early life, childhood
- 2nd paragraph: things done in life which made him/her become famous (the importance of this)
- 3rd paragraph: late years and last things done.

I'm sure your writing will be really interesting. Remember to use past time expressions, at least the few we saw in class last Wed., ok?

Be good, have fun, see you in class!

Bye

Wednesday 7th January

Hello girls! First of all: Happy New Year!! and welcome to the second term of our course.

Last class we introduced the past simple and we explained the differences between English and Spanish use of the past. Remember that we said that the use is mainly as in Spanish, so the more you think in English the better you will understand, right?

Anyway here you have this little chart which focuses on the three forms of the verb to be. Last class we were working with this, especially with some listening and speaking activities. We will continue with this topic, and we will paid especial attention to the pronunciation of the regular verbs, those which end in -ed.

Just to finish today remember to do your homework: you have to write a couple of paragraphs talking about your best birthday, just as we saw in class, ok?

Right. So that's all today.

Be good, have fun, see you in class!

Bye