Dialects, Dialect, Dialects

Hi everyone,
We've been talking about the existence of numerous dialects and that it is possible for very different dialects to co-exist in villages that are very close to each other.

Please have a look at the website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/index.shtml

Believe me: You're going to be simply amazed with the immense variety of forms you'll find!

And this one for some help with pronunciation:

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html

You'll find recordings where a woman utters the different sounds, and descriptions in order to produce the sounds yourselves!!
Enjoy
Patricia

Fancy Watching and Listening to Great Speeches?

Hi,
Hope you're having a wonderful Weekend. One of your classmates in the Advanced group I teach on Tuesday and Thursday told me to have a look at this website since it has lots of wonderful speeches on many different topics. I liked it a lot when I visited the site. So now I recommend you to check it out:

TED

There are many categories and speeches are organised according to topic. Besides, it you're getting a bit lost, you can read the subtitles in many different languages. Have a look at it, it's really worth visiting.
Thanks for the link!!!

See you guys next week.
Patricia

What are Mind Maps?

Hi everyone,
I have been talking this week about a very useful strategy that you can use when you have to organise your ideas and the information you have to develop on a certain topic...It may therefore be quite useful if you have to prepare a presentation or write the draft for a composition...

If you see some examples, then you may confirm whether this strategy would be useful for you or not...

Here you have a text form the Wikipedia explaining what mind maps are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

And below there are some examples of mind maps for developing the ideas on different concepts...REMEMBER: YOU have to work with a wide range of strategies and learning techniques till you find out those which are most suitable for you!!!!

Common European Framework

Hi everyone,
Hope you're enjoying a fantastic weekend, I'd like you to check this out,
It is the online version in English of the CEFR( Common European Framework), a document that explains what students are supposed to do at each stage and level of competence.

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp

Have a look at it, it's interesting!!!!
Happy weekend!

And Examples of the Exam

And here you have some examples of the exam from the EEOOIIs at Pais Vasco Official Schools.

http://www.eoi-bilbo.net/es/departamento.php?Departamento=Inglés&Id_Departamento=3&Id_Seccion=76

These were taken from EOI Bilbao. Thanks for that, because at the website for EEOOIIs in Madrid, the examples of the exam uploaded are terribly old!!!

C U!!

William Shakespeare's Works

Hi students,
I have just found this website with the links to Shakespeare's complete works...

Hope you like it, sometimes it's difficult with some words, but start reading short pieces, and you'll see how you end up understanding...
eg when you see the words thee thee thee, several times, you'll understand it means you, thy means your etc...


http://shakespeare.mit.edu/

Enjoy!!

Intermediate One: Exam Practice

Hi guys,
I wanted to post also something for you people at Intermediate One....some links for you to practice the four skills...all right??

LISTENING:
http://www.newsinslowenglish.com/
podcasts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/ (those in radio four are nice for practicing comprehension, other radios are music and stuff)
And another page:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-podcast-english-listening-downloads-archive.htm
ALL SKILLS:
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
CNN's stories: http://www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/archives.html
http://www.elllo.org/
READING:
QUIZZES: http://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz%20center/quiz.htm
Isabel perez's great materials: http://www.isabelperez.com/tests.htm
REALLY WORTH SEEING!!!!: http://www.eoi1zaragoza.org/dping140.php

See you on Thursday!!!
Patricia