GETTING IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD

Dear students,

I'm posting some videos we talked about in the class. I hope you enjoy these star-studded videos from James Corden's popular tv programme.

Wishing you all the best for the holiday season

and a new year full of fun and English!!!

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - A FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY - B2.1

FOR AND AGAINS ESSAY

Modern technology has made it possible for many people to work from their home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this situation? Write an essay discussing the pros and cons of working from home.

Length: about 175 words

Hand in before: December 18th

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - AN ARTICLE - B2.2

Write an article for an online magazine about the changes in one of the following areas in your country over the last 30 years:

- MARRIAGE         - DATING           - THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND/OR MEN

Include the following:

- An introduction referring to the changes and asking a question.

- A description of the situation in the past and how it has changed.

- A conclusion which refers back to the question in the introduction and which says whether you think the changes are positive and negative.

Length: about 200 words

Hand in before: December 4th

ANGLOPHENIA

Dear students,

Did you enjoy the video about Halloween we watched in our last lesson?

I'm posting the link to ANGLOPHENIA, a YouTube channel where British culture as opposed to American culture is illustrated through entertaining videos.

Here's a good example, watch the following video and learn how British and American people call different items of clothing.

There are loads of channels you can use to improve your English. Do you use YouTube to learn English out of the class? Can you recommend your classmates an interesting channel worth subscribing to?

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - AN EMAIL OF COMPLAINT - B2.1

AN EMAIL OF COMPLAINT

You have just come from your holiday and you have decided to write an email of complaint about an incident that happened in the hotel you stayed at. Write a letter to the hotel manager including the following information:

– Where and when you stayed

– Describe the incident

– Say what action you want the manager to take

Length: about 175 words

Hand in before: November 27^th

GUESS MY ACCENT GAME (B2.2)

Here's a challenge for you, how many accents can you identify?

You can test yourselves by playing the following game:

GUESS MY ACCENT

 The aim of the game is to guess as many accents as you can. It follows a day out in a new town, and the different people you will meet will be asked for directions on how to get to certain places. You must listen to their answer and try to identify their accent.

ENJOY!

BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ACCENTS

Dear students,

If you enjoyed learning about different accents and varieties of English in the class, don't miss this video about the differences between British and American accents:

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - B2.2

COVERING EMAIL

Write a covering email following the instructions in The WRITING section on page 113 of your textbook . Include the following:

- An introduction explaining why you are writing

- Information about your skills and qualifications

- Relevant information about your previous experience

- Personal features that make you suitable for the job

Length: about 200 words

Hand in before: October 30^th

WRITING AN EMAIL - VIDEO LESSON - B2.1

Dear students,

Working on your assignment? Here's an informative video to help you complete it.

If you found the video lesson useful, check OXFORD ONLINE ENGLISH YouTube Channel for more useful videos.

Hope you find it useful!

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - B2.1

INFORMAL EMAIL : GIVING NEWS

Write an email to a friend or relative you haven’t seen for a few months.

Include information about the following:

- Things you have done during those months

- Things you’ve been doing recently

- News about other friends/relatives

Length: about 175 words

Hand in before: October 25^th

FIRST TERM - READING ASSIGNMENT - B2.2

Read a book of your choice and complete the SHEET the teacher will give you with information about it. We will use it for a CLASS DISCUSSION of the books you and your classmates have read on JANUARY 21/22.

The book should be FICTION and have at least LEVEL C (ADVANCED) if it is a graded reader.

If you feel confident enough you can also choose an authentic unabridged book.

If you are not sure about what to choose ask the teacher.

* Do not choose R.J. Palacio’s Wonder!

as that will be the book you will be asked to read for the second term.

FIRST TERM READING ASSIGNMENT - B2.1

Read a book of your choice and complete the SHEET the teacher will give you with information about it. We will use it for a CLASS DISCUSSION of the books you and your classmates have read on JANUARY 21/22.

The book should be FICTION and have at least LEVEL B2 (UPPER-INTERMEDIATE)

If you are not sure about what to choose ask the teacher.

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION (B2.1)

Dear students,

Here's some more about cross-cultural communication. Have a look at this video if you like making a good impression when you travel:

TEN SURPRISING WAYS TO OFFEND PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES

THE GUARDIAN - Q&A - (B2.1)

Dear students,

For those of you who enjoyed reading the interviews with Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Moss. Here's a link to The Guardian's interview section Q&A.

You will find lots of short interviews with a wide range of popular celebrities.

Enjoy!

STORIES BEHIND SONGS - (B2.2)

Dear students,

Do you like music? Have you ever wanted to know the answer to the following questions?

I'm posting a great link for those of you who are curious about the stories behind songs. 

The song we listened to in class, Penny Lane, is certainly one of those songs that spark the fans curiosity. Why would the Beatles choose that street in Liverpool in particular? What's special about it? What does it reveal about the band?

Check the following website to find out.

TEXTBOOKS 2018-2019

Dear students,

These are the coursebooks we will be using this year:


B2.1

VOYAGE B2 (STUDENT'S BOOK)

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

B2.2

ENGLISH FILE, THIRD EDITION (STUDENT'S BOOK)

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

BACK TO SCHOOL

Hi there everyone!

After a long and nice summer break, September is officially here so it’s time to get into full ‘back-to-school mode’…

Me, I’m pretty excited about starting the school year and going back to Rivas. This year I’ll be teaching levels B2.1 and B2.2 so I expect to find some of my old students. Whether you are one of them or not, I welcome you to my blog, a space I will use to share useful information to help you continue learning out of the class.

I’ll also post the information on the class notice board in the classroom (E.g. news concerning upcoming assignments, tests, events… etc) for those students who had to miss a lesson.

I look forward to seeing you in class and working together to improve our English.

Good luck for the new academic year and happy learning!

Best wishes

MLuz