Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Improve your English playing SOCCER!!!

You can improve your English and enjoy the physical benefits of soccer at the same time at this soccer summer school in Manchester, England.
This soccer camp launched in England by the most popular English soccer player of all times, Sir Bobby Charlton (winner of the 1966 Soccer World Cup with England) is one of the most renowned English Soccer Camp of the past 30 years.
renowned = conocido
launch = lanzar, fundar
Most popular soccer participants who won the BCSSA soccer skills finals during previous BCSSA soccer camps and become Professional Soccer Players:
  • David Beckham (LA Galaxy and England)
  • Jonas Kolkha (Crystal Palace and Finland)
  • Stephen Ireland (Aston Villa)
  • Mark Delaney (Aston Villa and Wales)
  • John Robinson (Charlton and Wales)
  • Michael Appleton (Preston North End)
  • Mark Robinson (Swindon Town)
  • Neil Mellor (Preston North End) 

    More information: SPORTS & LANGUAGE

Thursday, March 17, 2011

St Patrick's Day 2011 Flashmob. Central Station, Sydney, Australia.

Awesome Irish Dancing including members of Riverdance and school children in spectacular Central Station Sydney. Over 100 dancers spread St Patrick's Day cheer in Sydney.

cheer = alegría , animación
spread = extender, difundir, desplegar

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

BECAS INMERSIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA.

AXUDAS PARA A REALIZACIÓN DE ACTIVIDADES DE FORMACIÓN EN LINGUAS ESTRANXEIRAS NO ANO 2011
NOTA INFORMATIVA DO 11 DE MARZO
A Consellería de Educación e Ordenación Universitaria convoca 3.730 prazas para realizar actividades de formación en linguas estranxeiras no ano 2011.
                                   www.edu.xunta.es/axudasle

 OMIX A Guarda
Axudas para realización dun curso de idioma no verán de 2011

Sunday, March 13, 2011

St. Patrick's Day

         17th MarchSt. Patrick's Day 
The National Day of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland 
Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.  In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is both a holy day and a national holiday.  Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland as he was the one who brought Christianity to the Irish. 
The most famous story about Saint Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. But scientists tell us that Ireland, which is an island, didn’t have any snakes to begin with.

 He died on 17th March in AD 461 and this day has since been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.

Learn more interesting facts about Ireland and its traditions and practise your English with these listening comprehension exercises:

.................


Saturday, March 12, 2011

Japan's day of destruction

Shirakawa, Japan (CNN) -- Rescuers plucked dazed survivors from collapsed homes, muddy waters and raging fires Saturday, a day after a powerful earthquake tore through northeastern Japan, unleashing waves that swallowed entire neighborhoods along the coast.
More than 900 people were killed and about 700 were missing, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The number of dead is expected to rise as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
Aftershocks continued to jolt the island nation Saturday, including two at 6.1 and 6.4 magnitude.

PLUCK FROM = ARRANCAR DE................ RAGING FIRES = FUEGO ATROZ.................HARD-HIT = DURAMENTE GOLPEADAS
DAZED = ATURDIDOS................................TEAR/TORE/TORN = DESGARRAR..............AFTERSHOCK = RÉPLICAS
SURVIVORS= SUPERVIVIENTES..................UNLEASHING = DESENCADENADO
MUDDY = EMBARRADO.............................SWALLOW = ENGULLIR



In the city of Shirakawa, south of Sendai, rescuers dug through rubble with shovels to try to reach 13 neighbors trapped when the earth opened up and swallowed their homes.
Relatives and friends stood in the cold, quietly watching, praying and waiting. Others wept.
In other affected areas, military choppers plucked people from rooftops. In some cases, rescuers trudged in muddy water, carrying survivors on their backs. Weary, mud-spattered residents wandered through streets filled with crumpled cars and other debris.
The original quake struck Friday and left towns and villages along the northeastern coast devastated. Scores of aftershocks followed Saturday.

RUBBLE = ESCOMBROS.....................CHOPPER = HELICÓPTERO.................................MUD-SPATTERED = SALPICADOS DE BARRO
SHOVELS = PALAS.............................TRUDGE = CAMINAR CON DIFICULTAD............WANDER = CAMINAR SIN RUMBO
WEEP/wept/wept = SOLLOZAR............WEARY = AGOTADO...........................................CRUMPLED = ABOLLAR
DEBRIS = ESCOMBROS, DESHECHOS

LISTENING COMPREHENSION:
1. What is the biggest problem right now?
2. What was the only food the reporter could have in 12 hours?
3. What does the Japanese Prime Minister say after inspecting the damage caused by the quake?
4. How many people are buried alive in Shirakawa? What are the difficulties to rescue them?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Talking about description...

BECAS MEC 2011

Ya ha salido la convocatoria de las más de 20.000 becas del Ministerio de Educación para realizar cursos de inglés en el extranjero durante el verano. Los requisitos son los mismos que en años anteriores:
·        Tener entre 16 y 30 años.
·        Ser becario del ministerio
La novedad de este año es que la cantidad de la beca varía en función del destino que elijas y puede llegar hasta los 2.600€!!


1.     Solicita la beca cuanto antes, Plazo máximo 30 de marzo.
2.     Rellena los datos, los guardas, los imprimes, firmas y envías por correo Certificado  al Ministerio de Educación, Subdirección general de becas y promoción educativa calle Torrelaguna, 58 - 28027 MADRID. 


CHECK OUT THESE SITES FOR MORE INFO:
                                                                  -  Infoidiomas.com
                                                                  - EuroLingua 
                                                                  - EuroLingua- VenaIrlanda 
                                                                  - E.S.L. Idiomas en el extranjero

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A BEAUTIFUL PHILOSOPHY

                The Mayonnaise  Jar
 
 
When  things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24  hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of  coffee.


A professor stood before his philosophy  class and  had some items in front of him. 

When the class began, wordlessly, he  picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start to fill it with  golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
 
item = artículo, cosa..................pick up = coger, recoger............... wordlessly = sin palabras..............jar = tarro
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and  poured
 it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls
.
   
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.They agreed it was.
 pebbles = cantos rodados..........pour = verter ......................agree = estar de acuerdo
 
The professor next picked up a box of sand  and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. 

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the  table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
 The students laughed.

'Now,' said the  professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
 The golf balls are the important things - God,  family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions.  Things  that if everything else was lost and  only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar  first,' he continued,'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf  balls.The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy  on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that  are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
 
dripping tap = el grifo que gotea  
'Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really  matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The  professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that  no matter how full your life may seem,
 there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

                                      "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."