Category Archives: Listening

Halloween: right around the corner!

Cooking, Listening, Reading

I’m not a great fan of Halloween . I don’t like spooky things and I don’t like seeing people ,even kids ,dressed up as witches, skeletons…and all that stuff. But I have to admit that globalization has made it difficult for us, Spaniards, not to get a bit  carried away by the   funny side of this tradition, namely the Jack O’lanterns , the fake dusty cobwebs, the treat or trick stuff  etc, etc…. Thanks God my children are not asking me to dress up the front  of my house with scary skulls and burning skeletons, yet!!

Anyway , on the funny side are these delicious dishes , ranging from gory to creepy, you can surprise your family with.

On the serious side you can also do something. Follow the link below to read and also listen to some facts about Halloween  .

Have a spooky Halloween!!!

Recipes :

Having fun with my computer

General, In the Computer Room, Listening, , ,

‘Cause this is what it is for me… fun!!!!
If you have read my previous post ,Becoming a housewife, you’ll by now know that I was left in the lurch … yes ,because this is how I felt , by my darling Carmen. And now that we are on that subject I have to confess that although I have been happily married for 17 years , it’s now that I understand that what makes me really happy is having Carmen by my side…(I hope my husband never reads this post). By the way, Carmen has returned home …it finally dawned on her that her place is by my side taking care of me and my family. God bless her!!!

Anyway, ‘cause I feel I might be boring you to death with my domestic problems let’s get to the point. What I wanted to share with you is that , apart from spending the summer cooking and cleaning, I also had some fun exploring a new programme (new for me , at least) which I think has lots of potential for my classes. I am just beginning to produce some videos and they have been a lot of effort but I also think it’s been worth the while.

First and taking as a sample a video from YouTube I had already used in my classes ,I produced a listening comprehension and uploaded it to YouTube. In fact, there were two videos and so you had to watch one and then see the answers and then the other one and see the answers too, which was quite an achievement but now I have managed to create a menu where you can choose what you want to see.
The first ,uploaded to you tube, is just below. The other one with the menu is here.I know it needs a lot of polishing but it is the first one  … I am still learning.

Becoming a housewife

Funny Stuff, Listening

Now dear reader , you might be wondering why I haven’t dedicated a single minute to this blog of mine. The truth be told , I felt I needed a break from the computer and from teaching , never from English… I’m addicted!!!
But …One important event has happened in my life… my maid has resigned after 11 years working at home. Yes, I know what you are thinking… !!! Just save it, …I’m not interested in the irony!! The thing is that after so many years I had forgotten the basic things a person has to do to be able to survive.. and although it’s true that I was an expert at baking desserts, the sad thing was that I didn’t know how to cook ordinary lentils, among other things.
So, after a few burns from ironing, salty dishes hardly edible, plus mixing bleach with ammonia and almost …etc… I’m sure you are not interested in my misfortune… but there are some positive things about me having to become a housewife.. now I’m more independent!!
If you have never ironed a fitted sheet you might encounter , as I certainly did, some problems ironing and folding it properly …quite a difficult chore if you think about it! The solution to my domestic problems….. the Mighty You Tube. Have a look at these videos and learn what I am now an expert at.

How to fold a fitted sheet

My children also had to learn how to fold their T shirts neatly. Interesting video and also great fun for children

Speed-peel potatoes … when in a hurry

and so on and so forth….. but…. I don’t like being a housewife , I like being a teacher…and just that!!! Carmen, please come back!!!! I miss uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!

ELLA: English Language Lab Asturias

Audio, In the Computer Room, Listening, Resources, Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, , , , ,

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to recommend you this wonderful site , but …better late than never!
This site has been created and is maintained by three colleagues from three different EEOOIII . On their own they have been awarded different prizes and together they have created this wonderful site. My admiration and thanks to you three: María (from EOI Oviedo), Carmen (from EOI Mieres) and Javier (from EOI Luarca).

Now , for you my dearest students and because I can guess that right now you must be frantic (exam is on Monday) looking for new listening comprehensions to do, I am going to link you straightaway to the listening section of ELLA. The link will lead you to a page with all the listenings , find the ones for you level…. ADVANCED.
http://web.educastur.princast.es/proyectos/ella/?cat=17
If you like the site , don’t forget to send them a post. It is always nice to hear that all you effort has been worthwhile !

Related Links:

 

 

 

Understanding “some” Spanish

Audio, Funny Stuff, Listening, Resources, ,

What I’m about to show you is a good example of why English, after all, should not be considered such a difficult language to understand, especially if you compare it to understanding some Spanish native speakers.
Have fun!!!

No kidding now!!If you need to improve your listening skills, why don’t you visit this site? You won’t find any comprehension questions after the audio but you might consider it interesting and useful. The site belongs to the New York Times and it’s a collection of stories of people from New York. Click on the image and it will lead you straight to their homepage.

Related entries: