Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

How to write a book / film review

Posted on Friday, November 20, 2020 by Ana Concejero



It's your turn now, write a review of a book/film you have read or seen recently.

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Healthy living

Posted on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 by Ana Concejero

                                                                                                  
(By Evelyn Niederer)

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What would you do if you were invisible?

Posted on Friday, January 27, 2017 by Ana Concejero

If you were invisible, would you live your life differently? Think about this for a moment. If you were invisible and no one could see you no matter what you did, what would you be doing right now? What would you choose to do with the rest of your life?

Let’s take it one step further, and imagine that as well as being invisible, you have no name and no identity. Would you live your life differently if nothing that you did could ever be traced back to you? Would you still want to write that book or record that album if you couldn’t put your name on the cover?

Taking the time to think about your answers to this question will help you find balance in your life. How? It will help you align with your true purpose. Your answers will help you see where you are being of service to others, and where you are possibly wasting time trying to please your ego. Let me give you an example.

When I completed this exercise, I came to the conclusion that if I were invisible and nothing I did mattered, I would still clean and organize my home on a regular basis. Yeah – it’s kind of crazy, I know, but I would do that for my husband as well as for myself. It is very important to me for him to be comfortable in his surroundings and even though he doesn’t realize how much time, effort, and energy cooking, cleaning, laundry, and organizing the house requires, I know he would be a mess without it. (Come to think of it, I am sort of invisible in this regard – aren’t we all? But that’s another post!)

The other thing I would do if I were invisible is go around whispering in people’s ears – “You can do it!” I would be that voice that you sometimes hear when no one is around that motivates and inspires you to become your best. I would encourage everyone I could. Want to lose weight? You can do it! Want to go back to school? You can do it! Want to go for that promotion? You can do it! Want to start your own business? You can do it! Want to quit your job and stay at home with your kids? You can do it! Whatever your heart is calling you toward, you can do it!

So, in my daily efforts of writing books, speaking, preparing seminars, designing websites, etc., all of it falls into my passion and true purpose. All of the organizing, cooking, cleaning, writing, speech preparing, web designing etc. – all of it, as long as it is within the guidelines of helping and motivating others, (or myself), is time well-spent.

At the end of the session my higher self reminded me that I am not invisible, and that that is on purpose – by design of a Higher Power. I am visible so that I can motivate, educate, and inspire others to be their best and reach their full potential. It’s a good feeling to know that I am living a life, fully visible, in line with my true self.

But now it’s your turn: What would you do if you were invisible? Make a list of the things you would continue to do, and then a list of what you would no longer do. How many of the latter could you let go of now? Think about how much more freedom letting go of those things would give you to do the things that align with your true purpose. As you begin doing more of what your inner being calls you toward, you will find more things in that realm that please you. Living a life full of purpose requires that we remain true to our “invisible” selves.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

                                                                                                                       By Debra Moorhead

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Cyberbullying

Posted on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 by Ana Concejero


(By Evelyn Niederer)  
Activities to do in class

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Rubbish free

Posted on Monday, May 9, 2016 by Ana Concejero


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Travelling

Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 by Ana Concejero


(By Evelyn Niederer)

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Shopping/teenagers/consumerism/materialism

Posted on Monday, April 4, 2016 by Ana Concejero

Ideas for compositions


1- Importance of shopping /fashion/ trends/ society today/ spending a lot of money on unnecessary things.
2- People are worried about their appearance/ insecurity/ pressure on society.
3- Who do you go shopping with? Friends/on your own.
4- What is the best way to shop? online, in supermarkets,department stores, second-hand shops?
5- Do teenagers prefer to buy new goods or second-hand items?
6- Shops use selling techniques to make customers buy more than they planned.
7- Are teenagers obsessed with fashion?.



1- Are you materialistic?.
2- Is being materialistic a good thing?.
3- Why do you think others are materialistic?.
4- How important is appearance to you?.
5- If you were an employer and about to interview someone, would you give the job to someone in a Dior suit or a Primark suit?.
6- Do the clothes we wear suggest anything to us?.
7- Is it fair that people are judged by what they wear?.
8- Does the price of clothes say anything about the person wearing it?
9- Why do you think some brands are more expensive than others?
10-  Do you care for the quality of the clothing when you purchase it? What is important to teenagers when buying clothes? quality/ comfort/ latest style/ price...
11- What makes something fashionable?
12- Can you buy style?

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Banksy street art

Posted on Friday, April 1, 2016 by Ana Concejero

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jan/24/banksy-uses-new-artwork-to-criticise-use-of-teargas-in-calais-refugee-camp

"A new artwork by Banksy criticising the use of teargas in the “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais has appeared on the French embassy in London. 

The artwork, which depicts a young girl from the film and musical Les Misérables with tears in her eyes as CS gas billows towards her, appeared overnight on Saturday. 

In a first for the elusive graffiti artist, the artwork is interactive and includes a stencilled QR code beneath. If viewers hold their phone over the code, it links them to an online video of a police raid on the camps on 5 January.

The work is the latest in a series of pieces by the graffiti artist criticising Europe’s handling of the ongoing refugee crisis. It is a direct comment on the recent attempts by French authorities to bulldoze part of the camp in Calais – which has now been deemed unsafe – and evict about 1,500 refugees..." 

                                                                                                                  From The Guardian



Now, answer the following questions:

1. What is art? What makes art, Art?
2. How do you know if a work of art is good?
3. Is Graffiti Art?
4. Who is your favourite artist? Why?


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Compositions

Posted on Friday, March 18, 2016 by Ana Concejero

Essay topics, taken from Selectividad exams, divided into different categories in order to help students write compositions.

Teenagers

  • Should teenagers decide about their own future alone or guided by their parents?.
  • What could the government do to help teenage careers?.
  • What do you think are the biggest problems  for teenagers nowadays?.
  • How do you meet new friends?.
  • Tattoes, piercings, clothes, hairstyle... do you like to follow trends?.
  • What experiences would you like to live before you are old and why?.
  • Would you like to take part in the Erasmus Programme in the future?.
  • Why are some brands so popular with teenagers?
 Free time activities

  • What are your free time activities?. 
  • Do you think some sports are better than others?.
  • Do you prefer conventional or extreme sports?.
  • What types fo films do you prefer?.
  • Do you like mystery stories?. Discuss and summarises one of these stories.
  • Do you like reading or watching TV? What kind of stories do you prefer?.
  • Can watching TV provide the same benefits as reading a book?.
  • What ,for you, is the most important holiday of the year? Why?.
  • What are the benefits of spending time outdoors? Why is it important?.
  • Tell a story that you know.
Healthy life 

  • Do you think young people eat too much junk food?
  • Advantages and disadvantages of eating fast food.
  • What can you do to have a healthy lifestyle?.
  • What do you think you could do in your daily routine to have a healthy lifestyle?.
  • Describe one habit you don't consider healthy.
  • How important is sleeping for you? Why?.
  • What do you do to be fit?.
  • The importance of keeping fit.
  • Does alternative medicine really work?. 
Environment  

  • Do you think people pay more attention to the environment in order to prevent natural disasters?.
  • What can be done to improve environmental conditions?. 
  • How will global warming affect our lives in the future?.
  • What is your opinion about recycling and what do you do about it?.
  • Write about the excess of waste affects the environment.
  • How will climate change affect your daily life?.
  • What must governments do to reduce the consequences of climate change?.
  • How can you contribute to preserving the environment in your daily routine?.
  • What can we do to help the environment?.
  • Do you think fighting climate change should be a real priority?, Why?.
  • Will our children live in a worse environment than we do?.
New tecnologies. The internet 

  • What do you normally use the internet for?.
  • Would you like to use the internet to meet other people?.
  • Good and bad uses of new technologies.
  • Computers, mobile phones, game consoles... What's your favourite technological device? Why?.
  • Which invention or inventions have changes the world the most and why?
  • Would you live for four weeks without television, the internet, video games or your mobile phone?.
Social topics 

  • Would you like to work or volunteer for an emergency service? Why?.
  • There is no agreement on how government could spend public money: education, health, culture, environment etc...
  • Smoking is a social problem nowadays.
  • What are the effects of immigration in the life of your country?.
  • In what ways do you notice that we are in the middle of a serious crisis?.
  • Would you emigrate to another country to start another life?.
  • What measures could be taken to solve the problem of illegal immigration?.
  • Would you like to go to Africa and help people there?.
  • What are the problems affecting children in poor countries?
  • Would you like to go to an underdeveloped country?
  • The first world should contribute to finding a solution to African's problems.
Travelling / foreign country

  • Would you live in a foreign country?
  • Advantages and disadvantages of living in a beautiful area like the Caribbean.
  • Would you like to visit England?.
  • Where would you like to travel?.
  • Describe one of the school trips you have been on.
Animals

  • What do you think of having pets at home?.
  • Do animals contribute to make our lives easier or better?.
  • Discuss the importance and problems of animal in modern urban societies.
  • Do humans have the right to manipulate animal life?.
Education 

  • Would you prefer to learn at home instead of having to go to school? Why?.
  • Discipline in schools.
  • Would you like to be a teacher?
  • I spent some of the best days of my life at school.
  • School violence is a serious problem in schools.
  • Describe your experience at high school.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile phone devices at school.
  • Do you think school life is stressful?.
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to university?.
Mass Media 

  • Gossip and yellow journalism in Spanish media.
  • Would you like to become famous and appear on TV?.
  • Do you read celebrity news?.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of being a celebrity. 
  • What's your opinion of celebrity gossip?.
  • Does advertising influence people?.
Traditions

  • Some British and American traditions have become popular in Spain.
  • What's your favourite celebration of the year? Why?. 
  • Describe your favourite festivities of the year and explain why you like them. 
Descriptions

  • Describe your ideal friend. What do you think he/she should be like?.
  • Describe your ideal husband, wife or partner.
  • Describe your ideal teacher.
Languages

  • Do you think learning other languages is important nowadays? Why?.
  • Studying English abroad.
Men and women

  • Men and women's new roles in society.
Narrative

  • Have you ever seen or had an accident? What happened?.
  • Write something funny that happened to you or someone you know.
  • What's the biggest lie or fantasy you have ever been told?.
Uncategorized topics

  • Married or single? Advantages and disadvantages.
  • Does money bring happiness?.
  • What are the most important things in life? why?.
  • What kind of prize would you like to win?. 
  • Do you believe in life in outer space?.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of living in the city and living in the country.
  • Would you like to have supernatural powers? Why?.
  •  What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living up to 100 years of age?.

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Cocktails

Posted on Thursday, March 10, 2016 by Ana Concejero

Powerpoint presentation that Evelyn, our teaching assistant, made for the students from the VTC in Catering Services.


Students' own cocktails


(By Alejandro Delgado)


                                                                                                                             (By Eva Jurado)                                                                   (By Samuel Mena)




                            (By Claudia Bustos)                                                      (By Nataly Espinosa)                                                                                                 

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Gamification in class

Posted on Monday, February 15, 2016 by Ana Concejero


I attended a workshop about gamification last month organized by CEP in Málaga, (@aliciasendino) and given by Manuela Mena Octavio. Two words that summarize my view about it: brilliant and inspiring. I had heard about gamification before but I hadn't paid too much attention to it till this worshop. A new discovery that has made me think about applying, from now on, some of the tecniques used in games in order to motivate my students and make classes more fun and interesting. 
Some days later, I created the "exam" you can see below to practise grammar, vocabulary, writing and speaking related to justice and crimes. A kind of "game-exam" in which the students were also given points for right answers and clues to solve the mystery to find out who had murdered Peter Field and why. A different activity that worked really well.











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Drinks Menu

Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016 by Ana Concejero

Have a look at the "Drinks Menu" we could see in a Youth Hostel we have been recently and create your own one for the class.You can also look on the internet if you are in need of some inspiration. 



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Christmas around the world

Posted on Monday, December 14, 2015 by Ana Concejero

How is Christmas celebrated around the world? How do you say "Happy Christmas " in different languages?
Choose a place and make a poster. We'll pin them up on the bilingual board! Be creative and original!

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/photos/christmas-around-the-world

http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/

http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/languages.shtml

By the way,
            ¡¡Felices Navidades!!
         
          Happy Christmas!!!

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Social Media

Posted on Monday, November 16, 2015 by Ana Concejero


While some may argue that social networking tools, like Twitter and Facebook, are a waste of time, and others consider them to be innocent fun, there are a few people who would say these innovations are so much more. For example, one woman saved her friend from home invaders after seeing a plea for help on Facebook, while another was rescued by emergency personnel after tweeting for help when she was injured and lost in the woods. Learn about seven real-life cases where a tweet, status update or an application was a lifesaver.

How important are social media to you? How do you use the internet and social media? Leave your answer in the comments below.

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An opinion essay

Posted on Friday, June 5, 2015 by Ana Concejero

When writing an opinion essay, we present our point of view on a particular topic and try to convince the readers that our opinion is the best one. That's why we must include reasons and examples that support our view.

Paragraph plan


Useful language

In my opinion, ... / In my view.../ From my point of view
It seems to me that ...
I think that ... / I consider that .../ I believe that ... /I feel that ...
As I see it ... / As far as I'm concerned ...
Personally,...
I  (strongly/ completely) agree/ disagree with ..
As for ...
It's clear (to me) that / It's obvious that ...
If you ask me ...
I'm sure/ convinced that ...

Linking words and expressions

Use them in order to connect your ideas and show how they are related to one another.




Example

                                                          Studying languages at school   

Studying languages at school is very important from my point of view.

English and French, for example, are different from subjects like Maths or Chemistry. As I see it, they are funnier and more dynamic.

Some people think that languages are boring or useless. Maybe, they are just not interested, and that’s the point. It seems to me that you have to be motivated to learn, and that happens with everything in life.

It’s clear that learning languages gives you a lot of opportunities in your life. In my opinion, it’s very useful. For example, if you can speak English you’ll have more chances to get a job here in Spain, or maybe you can apply for a job in the UK or the USA.

Personally, I believe that the teachers should use games and funny activities related to languages to motivate the students.

In conclusion, studying languages is essential for our future and, at the same time, we can have much fun.

(By Luis Blain)

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A for and against essay

Posted on Friday, April 24, 2015 by Ana Concejero

In this kind of composition, we write about the pros and cons of a topic, which is considered to be controversial, and conclude summarising the main arguments and/or giving our personal opinion  by supporting one of the sides.

Paragraph plan


Useful language

On the one hand,...
On the other hand,
There are arguments on both sides...
There are several arguments in favour of ...
The question is ... 
One advantage of ... Another advantage is ...
In theory, ....; in practice ...


Linking words and expressions

Use them in order to connect your ideas and show how they are related to one another.



 Example 

                                                 Living up to 100 years old of age

More and more new products are being invented to reduce aging. But, can we really slow aging?. I think that living up to 100 years of age has more disadvantages than advantages.

On the one hand, when you are old, everything is more complicated and you tend to get sick easily.
It is also possible for us to be present at the death of other relatives. This is very sad.

On the other hand, living up to 100 years old also has advantages, you are part of the oldest people in the world!. In addition, you could meet most of your family such as your great-grandchildren.

In conclusion, it would be interesting to live more than 100 years old as long as you can have a good physical and mental health.

(By Salvador Muñoz)

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P.S. I love you

Posted on Thursday, February 5, 2015 by Ana Concejero



                                                                              (Credit)

P.S. I love you  is a terrific love story about Holly, a woman who must continue her life after Gerry´s death, her husband .

Directed by Richard Lagravanese, the cast includes, as leading characters, Hilary Swan, who plays the role of Holly and Gerard Butte, who plays the role of Gerry.

The story begins when Gerry dies. Holly leaves her job and spends some months in her house because she doesn´t want to go out. But, three months later, on Holly´s birthday, she gets a letter in which was written: to Holly by Gerry. As soon as Holly reads this, runs towards the door to know who has left the letter, but she doesn’t see anybody. In the letter Gerry says to Holly that she must learn to be happy without him. Since then, she gets a letter once a month for a year, and all of them finish with these words: P.S. I love you.

I like when she reads the letters because while she is reading them, she recalls the different moments they had spent together. My favourite part is when she recalls how she meets Gerry because it´s really funny, and something I love about this film is that although it seems a sad film, there are a lot of funny moments.

For me, it´s a brilliant film with a gripping plot full of emotional and funny moments that makes the audience have special feelings and makes them think that true love never dies. Maybe, for this reason this film was a box office hit.
I thoroughly recommend the film P.S. I love you, especially for people who like romantic stories and make people pay attention until the end of the film. It´s well worth watching this film.

(By Maribel Muñoz)

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ESL Advent Calendar 2014

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 by Ana Concejero


http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/christmas/esl-advent-calendar/countdown-to-christmas.html 

Via ESOL Courses

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Online generation

Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 by Ana Concejero




Are we hooked on social networks ? What do you think?

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Hidden cash

Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 by Ana Concejero

Read the following extracts from different newspaper articles and answer the questions below:

 June 21, 2014  

"American millionaire Jason Buzi posted a series of clues on the @HiddenCash Twitter page to lead people to the money.



Crowds descended on Kensington gardens in west London after Jason Buzi, who first started hiding money in San Francisco, posted a series of clues on the @HiddenCash Twitter page.
Those lucky enough to find the envelopes, which contained £50 each, were then asked to post pictures of themselves online.
A total of 20 envelopes were hidden in the social experiment".                                  
                                                                                                                   Adapted from here
                                                      
Sunday, 06 July 2014

 

"An American millionaire hid €1,300 in Madrid for the general public to find.
Real-estate investor Jason Buzi, otherwise known online as the ‘Robin Hood of Twitter’ hid the small fortune in 26 envelopes and provided clues about their location, sending people on a frantic treasure hunt.
Hundreds of Madrid residents flocked to the Parque del Retiro trying to find one of the envelopes containing €50 each. The hopefuls looked under every rock, behind every tree and even among the bushes.
Using the Twitter account @hiddencash, Buzi tweeted clues about where he had hidden the money and encouraged anyone who found one to tweet a picture of the envelope.
Not even the rain that hit Madrid last Thursday (July 3) deterred the treasure hunters. @hiddencash tweeted: “Heavy rain and storm in Madrid. Hope envelopes don’t get wet! Wet money is still good money :)”
Those who were not so lucky still had a good time. “Even if we did not find anything, it was a lot of fun, because you are outdoors and have a blast,” said one of them.
The Palo Alto-born property magnate has been repeatedly accused of having turned charity into a social media competition. Buzin said he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and that he was simply giving something back to society.
He describes his acts of giving as an experience for good and actually encourages people to “pay it forward” by giving the money to someone in need".
                                                                                                          From Euroweeklynews

16 July 2014


"Malaga City Hall are considering taking legal action against the organisers of Hidden Cash. The social media craze hit the city on Saturday. They claim that the event has cost the city €2,000 in damages.
The  anonymous social experience for good,’ is the baby of millionaire Jason Buzi, in which envelopes are hidden around a city, each containing €50 in cash.Cash hunters receive clues on Twitter on the whereabouts of these envelopes and race to collect the prize.



 



The event has gone smoothly in cities such as Madrid, New York and London. However, the Malaga version has been described as chaotic.
It was set to take place on Saturday, however, the clues on the Twitter feed didn’t start until 4pm. Locals had already been looking in a local park for hours after receiving a false tip-off that the 50 envelopes were located there. Frustrated by the confusion and lack of success, locals trampled plants, ripped up manhole covers and emptied rubbish bins as they searched.
 The envelopes were actually located in Gibralfaro Castle, with some locals finding them with sheer luck or word of mouth. Even though the lucky ones were tweeting pictures on their personal pages with their prizes, no news was given on the events official twitter page. Hence, hundreds of Malaga residents continued to hopelessly tear through the city.
This comes just days after $5,000 (€3,693) in damage was inflicted on a Californian park after the hunt. Organisers responded to the ensuing criticism by tweeting “Thank you to our supporters and to our critics - you should know we are only motivated by the best intentions.”

                                                                                                                Taken from Euroweeklynews
Questions:

1. Were you in Málaga when the event of the "hidden money" took place? Did you go round the city so as to try to find the money? Tell us your experience and/or opinion about it.
2. Does money bring happiness?


By the way, welcome to a New School Year! It will be great to learn with you and from you... as usual...

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