Ten inspirational quotes for the New Year

New Year’s Day is a time of new beginnings and learning experiences. Now that 2014 is coming to an end and 2015 is approaching, some of your schoolmates  at Padre Feijoo Zorelle school  would like to share with you a number of 10 inspirational quotes to begin 2015 with motivation and strength!

Have you written your letter to Santa yet?

There isn't much time left, but if you hurry Santa may bring you something. If you are nto sure about how to write him a leeter, have a look at the letters some Bachillerato students have sent him.
Good luck with your letter!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

YES, Xmas has arrived! And with it, Xmas songs and carols. Have you ever wondered what Xmas songs are the most popular in America. Businessinsider.comhas created a list of the top ten Xmas songs in America. And there's a song in Spanish in the list!

Enjoy them. They are beautiful!

10. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" By John Lennon (1971)

9."Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" By Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1995)

8. "White Christmas" By Bing Crosby (1942)

7. "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" By Andy Williams (1963)

6. "Feliz Navidad" By Jose Feliciano (1970)

5. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" By Burl Ives (1965)

4.  "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" By Nat King Cole (1946)

3. "Jingle Bell Rock" By Bobby Helms (1957)

2. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" By Brenda Lee (1958)

1.  All I Want For Christmas Is You/Mariah Carey (1994)

And... What's your favourite Xmas Song?

Xmas is here! And so are other celebrations!

 Each year, people around the world celebrate holidays and traditions that are special to their culture or religion. We all know that Xmas is round the corner, but this year some students have learnt about other celebrations and they want to tell you about them. What do you know about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah?

Listen to the podcast that Martin (1ºBac) has recorded for you with information about these two celebrations that take place nearly at the same time as Christmas.

The song in the backgorund is A Snowy Day by Antti Martikainen.

Countdown to Christmas in London and New York!

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree lights were switched on during a traditional ceremony this evening. Stian Berger Rosland, Governing Mayor of Oslo, switched on the lights in a ceremony hosted by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Audrey Lewis. The tree is bigger and brighter than ever this year, measuring over 21 metres tall. It is decorated with 900 white LED lights and will stay lit until January 6.

What about in New York? Well,their Christmas tree is bigger than the one in London. It weighs approximately 13 tons, and it is 85-foot tall. This 90-year-old Norway Spruce is adorned with 45,000 energy efficient LED lights. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Yes, it's the title of a beautiful song but it is also true. Christmas is approaching!

In Spain we have some adverts that tell us that this festive season is coming. In the UK, they also have some adverts, quite different from ours but very moving.

The following advert is the one by John Lewis, one of the biggest department stroes in London. It tells us the story of a little boy, Sam, and his friend, Monty the Penguin. It's tale of friendhip, love and giving someone the gift they've been dreaming of this Christmas.

Another well-known department store in London is Harrods. If you want to enjoy a beautiful Christmas tale, have a look at the video below: The Land of Make Believe.

WORLD AIDS DAY

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.

30 years after the first cases of HIV – the red ribbon is the universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV. The red ribbon was the first ever ribbon symbol, inspiring later versions such as the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.

If you want to find out where the idea for the red ribbon came from and more facts about his day celebrated all over the world, click on the image above.

(source: http://www.worldaidsday.org/index.php)

Live from Padre Feijoo Zorelle: Special Podcast on Thanksgiving

Hi everyone and welcome to a special edition of Live from Padre Feijoo Zorelle. It's special because of the day and because we had a special guest with us. For this podcast, Noelia and Raquel (1ºBac) have interviewed Vanessa, an American girl living in Ourense, about Thanksgiving.

We want to thank her for helping us so kindly.

Hope you enjoy the interview and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving is here!

Hi everyone. Today is the fourth Thursday of November, so Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving Day or Turkey Day. 

You can learn about Thanksgiving and its origins by having a look at the slideshow below.

Thanksgiving from Evapousa

As you may know, traditions evolve and this is what is happening with Thanksgiving.News traditions are becoming more and more popular. One of them is the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Another one is called BLACK FRIDAY.Black Friday is on the day after Thanksgiving  and it is not only celebrated in the USA, British people can get very good deals too.

Live from Padre Feijoo Zorelle on Hobbies

Check this week's podcast on Hobbies and free time activities by Víctor, Lucía and Pablo (4ºA).

What's your favourite item of clothing?

We all like dressing well. Young people like you love  HOODIES. They are one of your favourite items of clothing.

Well, what would you think if hoodies were banned or forbidden in the shopping centre or school? In some places in the UK, USA and now Australia want to ban them.

If you want to find out more about this issue, click on the image or here and watch the piece of news. Then, you can do a listening comprehension exercise here.

Poppy Day or Remembrance Day

Today we are celebrating O Magosto with chestnuts and our friends. While we are doing this, people in the UK and in the Commonwealth Countries celebrate Remembrance Day or Poppy Day. If you want to find out more about this commemoration, take a look at the presentation below.
Do we have a similar commemoration here in Spain?

You can also listen to this week's podcast by Clara Pérez and Lucía Pérez (3ºESO) to get a full picture of this commemoration.

Remembrance day from Evapousa

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

The second Sunday of November is Remembrance Sunday, but what does it mean? 

At 11am men, women and children all across Britain hold a two minute silence to remember the millions who have died in war. On a day like today the Queen  and the Royal Family, along with top politicians and religious leaders, gather at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, for a service.

Wreaths are laid beside war memorials by companies, clubs and societies. People also leave small wooden crosses by the memorials in remembrance of a family member who died in war.

This year, there is special exhibition of poppies, which has become a sensation all over the world. Here you can see three pictures a friend of mine sent me last Saturday. It's held at the Tower of London. For more info and amazing pictures click here and here.

Remembrance Day is on 11 November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War.

People wear poppies because they are the flowers which grew on the battlefields after World War I ended. Poppies are also used to raise money for servicemen and women who are still alive but whose lives have been changed by war. The charity that runs the Poppy Appeal is called The Royal British Legion. Each year, volunteers sell these poppies in the streets all over Britain.

For more info on this celebration, check our Ivoox Channel Live from Padre Feijoo Zorelle next Tuesday.

REMEMBER; REMEMBER, THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER

In 1605, a group of Catholic conspirators plotted to assassinate King James I of England (and VI of Scotland) by blowing up the House of Lords during the opening of parliament.

They hid kegs full of gunpowder (barriles de pólvora) in the cellars beneath the chamber where the king and the rest of the political elite would assemble. Enough powder was stored to completely destroy the building and kill everyone present.

One of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was tasked with igniting this huge bomb. It is Fawkes' effigy that is still burned on 5 November bonfires to this day.

Watch the following dramatised video to understand the plot better.

To find out more about this celebration click here and if you want to try yourself and see how much you know about Guy Fawkes and his attempt to blow the Parliament, click here and try this quiz.

Since rain is back with us...

We want to suggest a fun way to improve your English while you are at home. It's a website which you can use to listen to your favourite songs and to sing along.

You don't singing? Well, it isn't a problem, you can practise your listening skills with fill in the blanks exercises.

Give it a go and let us know what you think about it!

PLUCKLEY: THE MOST HAUNTED VILLAGE IN ENGLAND

It’s the end of October and everyone is talking about Halloween! Well, we won’t do it this year. Instead, we want to tell you about an English village which is known as the most haunted village in England.
As some of you have learnt this week Pluckley, a picturesque Kentish village, not far from London, is the most haunted village in England according to the Guiness Book of Records.

http://www.weather-forecast.com/place_maps/pl/Pluckley.8.gif

Some of Pluckley's ghosts are:

• The Highwayman
• The Coach
• The Gyspsy Woman
• The Miller 
• The Schoolmaster 
• The Vicar's dog

If you  want to find out more about these and many other ghosts, listen to the podcast Lucía, Ana and Alex have recorded for you. We hope you like it!

HALLOWEEN IS HERE!

Yes, Halloween is here!

How much do you know about this celebration? Is it American? If you want to find out, listen to the second podcast of LIVE FROM PADRE FEIJOO. You'll learn very interesting facts.

LIVE FROM PADRE FEIJOO ZORELLE

Hello everyone and welcome to Live From Padre Feijoo - Zorelle! A channel of podcasts in English made by teenagers and for everyone. Every week, students from our school will interview their teachers, peers, locals and visitors about many different topics, including lifestyle, social issues, arts, entertainment, science and so on.

To start this project, Alba Ríos and Sabela Rodríguez tell us about a very brave girl. If you want to find out about her, click on the image and you'll access the channel. 

Hope you enjoy our podcasts. Please, let us know what you think by leaving a comment below the podcast. Thanks for listening!

Check out the Big Challenge section!

Last year some students from our school took part in this great contest and want to do it again this year. If you want to pratise for the contest, you will find the questions from previous years in the Big Challenge section.ou can also practise with an app: The YES/NO GAME. It's avaliable on Google play.

• Have fun learning basic vocabulary
• Learn how to write and then pronounce each word
• Compete with your friends and check your ranking
• It's fun and completely free!

Do you recognise this place?

Floating statue: columns of the Covent Garden Market building appeared to snap and float in the sky (Picture: Jeff Moore)

I'll give some clues:

• It's in London.
• It's a market
• Its name comes from the Middle Ages.
• It sold fruit and vegetables.
• Nowadays, people go there for its cafés, restaurants and buskers (street artists)

Any ideas? Well, It's  COVENT GARDEN. And... it isn't broken. The artist Alex Chinneck has created an optical illusion. If you want to find out how he did it, check the following link and/or watch this video.

London Evening Standard

PRUEBA ESTAS APPS PARA MEJORAR TU INGLÉS

Si queréis practicar o repasar lo que aprendéis en clase de un aforma más divertida y entretenida probad estas aplicaciones disponibles para Android, IPhone, IPad y Windows, que ofrece LearnEnglish del British Council.

Listening
Grammar
An interactive vocabulary notebook
Pronunciation. Sounds

MALALA, A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL, WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Sometimes you don't want to come to school but this Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner, Malala Yousafzai (17 years old) was about to die for her desire of going to school. Now, she has won the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the world's most respected awards. She has been recognised for her hard work promoting the right for girls to have an education. She was attacked by the Taliban, an extemist group, in Pakistan two years ago. She was seriously injured in the attack, but she was flown to the UK for treatment and has recovered well. She now goes to school in Birmingham.

A veces no os apetece venir al cole pero esta chica paquistaní, Malala Yousafzai, estuvo a punto de morir por su deseo de asistir a clase. Ahora, ha ganado el Premio Nobel de la Paz, uno de los premios más respetados y prestigiosos del mundo. Han reconocido su trabajo a favor del derecho de las chicas a recibir una educación. Fue atacada por los talibanes, un grupo extremista, en Paquistán hace dos años. Resultó herida de gravedad pero fue trasladada al Reino Unido para recibir el tratamiento y ya está recuperada. Actualmente va a un instituto de Birmingham.

What colour are phone boxes in London?

This is the traditional image of a phone box in London. Its colour: RED.

(Source: www.tripadvisor.com)

Well, now if you go to London you can find Green phone boxes. What are they used for? To charge mobile phones. Isn't it great?

(Source: www.trust.org)

Old phone boxes in London are being brought back to life with a new use - as solar-powered charging stations for mobile phones. The first of six boxes was unveiled on Tottenham Court Road in the capital this week.The service is free to use although users will be shown adverts as they wait for their phone to charge.

To find out more about this piece of news click here.

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

The European Year of Languages 2001, jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union, was successful in involving millions of people across 45 participating countries. Its activities celebrated linguistic diversity in Europe and promoted language learning.Following the success of the Year the Council of Europe declared a European Day of Languages to be celebrated on 26th of September each year.

Did you know that...?

• There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world - spoken by 7 billion people divided into 189 independent states.
• There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe - roughly 3% of the world’s total.
• Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia and Africa.

If you want to find out more interesting facts about languages and play some games, you can visit the official European Day of Languges.

European Day of Languages

Source: http://edl.ecml.at/Home/tabid/1455/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

A cloud of personality adjectives

Look at how many adjectives to describe personality our 2ºESO students have learnt this week.

SCOTLAND IS PART OF THE UK

Scotland has decided against being independent. Does Scotland belong to Great Britain, the British Isles or United Kingdom? What's the difference between them? Have a look at the video below to find out.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN SCOTLAND?

Today people in Scotland will decide the future of their country.

They're being asked to vote yes or no to one question - should Scotland be an independent country? It's a vote that could change history. Scotland's been part of the UK for more than 300 years.

4.2 million people have asked for a vote. That means that 97% of the total number of people able to vote have registered. A record number of people have also registered for a postal vote, with the total reaching 789,024.

The result of the vote should become clear on Friday.

(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/29237855)

Hoxe a xente de Escocia decidirá o futuro do seu país. Pídenlle que voten Si ou NON a unha pregunta: debería Escocia ser un país independente? Este é un voto que pode cambiar a historia. Escocia forma parte do Reino Unido dende hai máis de 300 anos.

Pedíuselle o voto a máis de 4.2 millóns de persoas. Isto supón  que hai un 97% do número de persoas con dereito a voto. Un número record de persoas tamén solicitou o voto por correo, chegando os 789,024 persoas.

O resultado da votación desvelarase mañá, venres.

WELCOME BACK!

Hello and welcome to a new school year!
Soon you'll find a lot of useful information for your lessons in this blog, but today we'll start with a song.

HAPPY SUMMER HOLIDAYS!

It's been a busy year for you and your teachers full of nice moments to remember. And now it's time to enjoy your holidays. Have fun and rest!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOWER BRIDGE!

Do you know how many bridges there are in London? One of the most famoous is Tower Bridge. It's breathtaking.

How old is it? Have a guess or click on the photo to find out.

This year our school took part for the first time in a contest about English and English speaking countries.The Big Challenge is an English language contest for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is held every year in May in schools across France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden. In 2003, over 610,00 students with 30,000 teachers from 6,000 schools participated in The Big Challenge.Created in France in 1999 by a group of English teachers, its main purpose is to motivate students learning languages with an educational yet fun experience. 

Our students have done really well, so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Here you have a video with some photos of the students and  their prizes.

Fancy trying a new game for improving your English?

SPELL UP

The goal of the game is to correctly spell the words you hear and stack them to build the highest word tower you can—letter by letter, word by word. The higher the tower gets, the more difficult the word challenges: You’ll be asked to pronounce words correctly, solve word jumbles and guess mystery words. You can earn bonuses and coins to level up faster.

LONDON 2014

Last April, at Easter, a group of students from our school travelled to London accompanied by two teachers.

For some it was the first time they flew and travelled to another country. So, full of hope and excited, we set off on Tuesday 21 April. The starting point: our school. Our first destination was the International Airport Francisco de Sá Caneiro

After a flight without any turbulence, we arrived at LONDON GATWICK, where a tourist guide was waiting to take us to the hotel. The journey was slow because we are not used to the heavy traffic of a big city during rush hour. Once in the hotel we left the luggage and with no time to waste, we went for a walk to the heart of London: Trafalgar Square through the Strand and the River Thames.

If you want to find out more about our trip, watch the video with the photos, a photo-diary of our 2014 trip to London.

El pasado mes de abril, en Semana Santa, un grupo de alumnos de nuestro cole viajaron a Londres acompañados de dos profesores.

Para algunos fue la primera vez que volaban y que viajaban a otro país. Así que llenos de ilusión pero también de nervios, nos fuimos el martes 21 de abril. El punto de partida: nuestro Cole, como no podía ser de otra forma. Nuestro primer destino fue el aeropuerto internacional Francisco de Sá Caneiro.

Tras un vuelo sin turbulencias llegamos a LONDON GATWICK donde nos estaban esperando para llevarnos al hotel. El trayecto se hizo lento porque no estamos acostumbrados al pesado tráfico de una gran ciudad a la hora punta. Una vez en el hotel dejamos el equipaje y sin tiempo que perder, nos fuimos a dar un paseo hasta el corazón de Londres: Trafalgar Square pasando por  la Strand y llegando al río Támesis.

Si queréis averiguar más sobre nuestro viaje, no dejéis de ver el vídeo con las fotos, un foto-diario de nuestro viaje a Londres 2014.

Do you recognize this place?

4º ESO students have been learning about the Wonders of the UK. This is one of them. It's called the Angel of the North.

Since spreading its wings in February 1998 Antony Gormley's The Angel of the North has become one of the most talked about pieces of public art ever produced. Rising 20 meters from the earth near the A1 in Gateshead, the Angel dominates the skyline, dwarfing all those who come to see it.  Made from 200 tonnes of steel, it has a wingspan of 54 metres.  Getting up close and personal with the Angel is an experience you'll never forget! The Angel of the North is a major visitor attraction.  It is seen by over 150,000 visitors a year and more than 90,000 drivers every day on the A1 - and you could be one of them!

Did you know... the Angel is as tall as 4 double decker buses and its wingspan is as big as that of a jumbo jet? (Taken from http://www.gateshead.gov.uk)

HAPPY BOOK FESTIVAL!

First of all, we want to thank you for all the effort you had put on the celebration of the I Book Festival. THANK YOU!

In this post you can see everything you have done in this subject. If you want to see everything that has been done to celebrate reading, click on the Book Festival on the right column of this blog.

ESO

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM IN PICTURES

Este vídeo recolle o traballo dos alumnos e alumnas de 1ºESO A sobre personaxes e citas da obra de W. Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream, unha colaboración dos departamentos de Educación plástica e visual e Lingua inglesa do CPR Padre Feijoo Zorelle para o I Festival do Libro.

THE BENEFITS OF READING

Would you like to learn more about the benefits of reading? Take a look at this video created by 3rd ESO students!

The drawings were done under the supervision of our Art teacher following a discussion about why reading is so good for us in the English lesson. We discovered that reading has health benefits, boosts our vocabulary, helps us sleep better and many other benefits of reading.Can you think of any other benefits?

LITERARY TOUR IN LONDON

Aquí tenéis el vídeo del tour literario que los alumnos del 2º ciclo de la ESO y Bachillerato hicieron en su viaje a Londres la semana pasada. Recorrieron los lugares más emblemáticos de Londres relacionados con la literatura: The British Library, Charles Dickens’s house, The Globe Theatre, The Sherlock Holmes' Museum, Virginia Woolf's house, Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station y Charing Cross Road.  

CONGRATULATIONS!

OUR READING RECOMMENDATIONS

To take part in the I Book Festival “Discover the Magic of Reading!” at our school, the students of Bachillerato have written some reviews of their favourite books, plays and novels. You will find different opinions about a wide range of literary genres from fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella, to contemporary novels such as The Hunger Games. You will also notice that there are reviews about books that were written in different languages: Spanish, Galician, French, Italian and English! If you look carefully at the front cover, you will be able to discover all the titles that are being reviewed. We hope you find your book, as we have already done.

Happy anniversary, Shakespeare!

Today we are celebrating book day with lots of activities in our school. Another important celebration is Shakespeare's 450th anniversary. Have a look at the video below and find out a lot about such an important literary figure.

OUR READING RECOMMENDATIONS

To take part in the I Book Festival “Discover the Magic of Reading!” at our school, the students of Bachillerato have written some reviews of their favourite books, plays and novels. You will find different opinions about a wide range of literary genres from fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella, to contemporary novels such as The Hunger Games. You will also notice that there are reviews about books that were written in different languages: Spanish, Galician, French, Italian and English! If you look carefully at the front cover, you will be able to discover all the titles that are being reviewed. We hope you find your book, as we have already done.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

Is there a special day for jokes and tricks in our country? Do you like playing tricks on people? Did you know that people in the UK don't celebrate it on the same day as us?
To find out more about it, have a look at the link below by clicking on the image and do the tasks.

ENGLISH EXAMS

Be a Superhero for the Planet!

We've been talking about the environment, climate change, global warming and also TV programmes. All these topics come together in a special celebration which will take place next Saturday, 29th March from 8.30 to 9.30 pm. It's Earth Hour!

Earth Hour is an annual event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature. This year it has a very special ambassador. For the first time in its history, a superhero is its ambassador : Spider-Man.

The stars and director of the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx and Marc Webb are pledging to support one Earth Hour Blue crowdfunding project each. Join them and use your power to support 'A Flame called Hope', 'Puppy Protectors', 'Light Up a Village' & 'Power Up a Ranger' today!

For more information visit http://www.earthhour.org/

Here you have the transcript of the video and some exercises for practice.

Transcript

Exercises

IT'S SAINT PATRICK'S DAY TODAY!

Yes, the Irish are celebrating a very special day today: Saint Patrick's Day. Do you know who he was? What did he do for the Irish? How do the Irish people celebrate this day? Lots of questions whose answers you will find in the slideshow below.

Saint Patrick's day from Evapousa

Saint Patrick's Day is also very important in New York. Some of you said you had seen a big parade in the news and you thought Saint Patrick's day was yesterday. Here you have a video showing the annual parade at New York. Watch it and try to complete the missing information. 

Watch the video sound off and write down : 

 The programme:

The reporter’s name:

The subject:

The location: 

Watch the video sound and find details about: 

The parade:

Frequency:

Famous because: 

The locations: ...................................................... from ............................... to............................
The number of spectators: 

The number of marchers: 

The Times: from ........................................................... to ...........................................................
His opinion of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade: 

To finish and to learn more you can visit this History channel with lots of videos on this special celebration.
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

THE BIG CHALLENGE 2014

Hello everyone,

This year our school is taking part for the first time in a contest about English and English speaking countries.The Big Challenge is an English language contest for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is held every year in May in schools across France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden. In 2003, over 610,00 students with 30,000 teachers from 6,000 schools participated in The Big Challenge.Created in France in 1999 by a group of English teachers, its main purpose is to motivate students learning languages with an educational yet fun experience. 

As you may guess, this requires training. And where can you get the training? In the following link. You have to register and you'll have access to a lot of games, activities, videos and quizzes. There is also information for parents and carers.

If you have any questions or doubts, please ask your English teacher and she'll tell you what to do.

Now, time for fun with English!

Este año nuestro Cole va a participar por primera vez en un concurso sobre el inglés y sobre países de habla inglesa. El Big Challenge (Gran reto) es un concurso para alumnos de entre 11 y 16 años de edad. Se celebra todos los años en mayo en colegio de países como Francia, Alemania, Austria, España y Suecia. En el año 2003 participaron en el concurso más de 610.000 estudiantes con 30.000 profesores de 6.000 colegios diferentes. El concurso se creó en Francia en el año 1999.

Como podéis imaginar, participar en el concurso requiere práctica. Y ¿dónde podéis encontrarla? Pues, en este enlace. Tenéis que registraros y así tendréis acceso a cantidad de juegos, actividades, vídeos y cuestionarios. Hay también una zona con información para vuestros padres y/o tutores.

Si tenéis alguna duda o pregunta, no dudéis en comentárnoslo a las prefes de inglés y os ayudaremos a resolverla.

¡Ahora a divertirse con el inglés!

O MECD convoca bolsas para a participación no programa intensivo de inmersión lingüística en inglés en España.

As bolsas para a participación no programa intensivo de inmersión lingüística en inglés en España polo Ministerio de Educación, Cultura e Deporte están destinadas a alumnado de Bacharelato, de Grao medio de Formación profesional, de Artes Plásticas e Deseño, de Ensinanzas Deportivas, de Ensinanzas Profesionais de Música e Danza e de Idiomas de nivel intermedio e avanzado.

As persoas beneficiarias asistirán a un curso intensivo de inmersión lingüística en inglés dunha semana de duración, en distintos puntos de España, convivindo e realizando actividades en réxime de internado con persoal angloparlante nativo de países de lingua inglesa.

o prazo da solicitudes está aberto ata o 2 de abril de 2014 e a xestión debe facerse a través da páxina web do Ministerio de Educación, Cultura e Deporte mediante formulario on-line.

               Máis información sobre a convocatoria no espazo web do MECD 

Happy Pancake Day!

Carnival's nearly finished but we have to celebrate Pancake Day. Do you know what a pancake is? Well, we're sure you love them. Pancakes are "filloas". And in the UK they have their own day!

One Direction and Bowie - who won at the Brit Awards 2014?

The Brit Awards took place at the London's O2 Arena on Wednesday night. Click on the image to find a slideshow with special moments of the show.

And if you want to enjoy some of the best British music and groups of the moment, have a look at the video below from The Telegraph.

And the winner is ...

The Oscar Awards are coming, but yesterday there was another important event for the film industry in London: The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Televison Arts) Awards. How much do you know about it? Do you want to learn about it? Click on the link below and do the quiz after reading the short text.
Quiz

Why do we celebrate Saint Valentine's Day?

We celebrate Valentine's Day, because until 1969, it was one of the many Saint's Days observed by the Catholic Church. It was dedicated to the patron saint of romantic causes, St. Valentine.

Although it was removed from the Church's calendar in 1969, the religious meaning coupled with Valentine's Day's roots in Roman paganism have allowed it to continue as a holiday for everyone.

Early Christians saw Valentine's Day as a way to honor St. Valentine, of whom there were actually three. The Catholic Church recognizes three saints by that name, all who were martyred on February 14.

The St. Valentine the day is named for was, most likely, a priest in the 3rd century who performed secret marriages when the Roman Emperor Claudius II thought single soldiers were more likely to enlist in the army. That St. Valentine was imprisoned and executed on February 4, 270. It is believed he was responsible for giving the jailer's blind daughter back her eyesight, and before his execution, he sent herss a note saying, "From your Valentine." The phrase is still widely used on valentines today.

It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII, known for his ways of disposing of wives, declared February 14th a holiday. It was another century and a half before religious devotional cards became non-religious cards to reflect the change in the holiday.

In 496 A.D., February 14, was declared in the name of St. Valentine by Pope Gelasius. It remained a Church holiday until 1969, when Pope Paul VI took it from the calender.

On February 14, the ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also the goddess of womesn and marriage so honoring her was thought to be a fertility rite.

At the feast held the next day, the women would write love letters and stick them in a large urn. The men would pick a letter from the urn and for the next year, pursue the woman who wrote the chosen letter. This custom lasted until the 1700s when people decided their beloveds should be chosen by sight, not luck.

Happy birthday Charles Dickens!

Happy birthday Charles Dickens! Born today in 1812, he became one of the Victorian era's greatest novelists. Some of his most famous works are Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and  Great Expectations. on June 9, 1870, Dickens died of a stroke in Kent, England, leaving his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished.

There are some film versions of some of his works. Here you have some.

Seattle Seahawks are Superbowl Champs

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating the season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967. The most recent game, Super Bowl XLVIII, was played yesterday, on February 2, 2014 and it was won by the Seatlle Seahawks.

But this is not only a sport event. It involves millions of people and dollars. Bruno Mars was in charge of the show at halftime. Enjoy it!

Songs for Peace Day

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Here you have the two songs you've chosen for such a special day!

Somewhere over the Rainbow

What a Wonderful World

School Day of Non-violence and Peace

Let's think of some songs about PEACE. Here you have two. Can you think of any other?

Time for the Past Simple.

Here you have two videos on regular and irregular verbs. Click on the image to watch the video. At the end of the video, you can print some exercises on the past simple.

Who is older, taller and more handsome?