31st December 2013: New Year's Eve

As you all know, in Spain we eat twelve grapes at midnight. The actual countdown is primarily followed from the clock on top of  the Correos building in Puerta del Sol square, Madrid. It is traditional to eat twelve grapes, on on each chime of the clock. This tradition has its origins in 1909, when grape growers in Alicante thought of it as a way to cut down on the large production surplus they had had that year. Nowadays the tradition is followed by almost every Spaniard, and the twelve grapes have become synonimous with the New Year. After the clock has finished striking twelve, people greet each other and toast with sparkling wine (such as champagane or cider).

New Year Resolutions 2014

A New Year's resolution is a commitment an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year’s Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned.

Labor students: Are you making any New Year's Resolutions for 2014? Maybe working harder at school? Spending less time on Tuenti? Leave your comments and tell everybody what your resolutions for the New Year are!

26th December: Boxing Day 2013

Today is Boxing Day. No, it has nothing to do with the sport of fighting with the fists. This is the reason for the name:

A box, usually of earthenware, in which contributions of money were collected at Christmas, by apprentices, etc.; the box being broken when full, and the contents shared.

So, the name Boxing Day derives from the tradition of giving seasonal gifts, on the day after Christmas, to less wealthy people and social inferiors, which was later extended to various workpeople such as labourers and servants.

Who brings gifts to Europe?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

What if Virgin Mary Had Whatsapp? (2013)

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY

How would the birth of Jesus be experienced through digital media such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon...? Have a look at the video below:

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Christmas' Eve Dinner 2013

In Britain, turkey is the traditional dish for Christmas' Eve dinner. Enjoy it!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Merry Christmas 2013!

Labor English Zone wishes you the 

Season's Greetings

At Labor English Zone we know what present we want for Christmas!

7 O´Clock News / Silent Night 2013

Recorded on August 22nd, 1966, "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" is the twelfth and final track on "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme", a 1966 album by Simon and Garfunkel. The track consists of an overdubbing of two contrasting recordings: a simple arrangement of the Christmas carol "Silent Night", and a simulated "7 O'Clock News" bulletin of the actual events of 3 August 1966.

8 Facts about Spain's 'El Gordo' Lottery 2013

The following article was published by PR Newswire on7th December 2010.

Christmas Carols & Songs 2013

A carol is a song of praise or joy, especially for Christmas. But it is also an old round dance often accompanied by singing.  The word was probably from Old French, derived from Latin choraula, which means "choral song".

Enjoy a selection of traditional Christmas carols and songs in English. Lyrics are included, so you can learn how to sing them!

Romans, Go Home!

CENTURION: What's this, then? 'Romanes Eunt Domus'? 'People called Romanes they go the house'?
BRIAN: It-- it says, 'Romans, go home'.
CENTURION: No, it doesn't. What's Latin for 'Roman'? Come on!
BRIAN: Aah!
CENTURION: Come on!
BRIAN: 'R-- Romanus'?
CENTURION: Goes like...?
BRIAN: 'Annus'?
CENTURION: Vocative plural of 'annus' is...?
BRIAN: Eh. 'Anni'?
CENTURION: 'Romani'. 'Eunt'? What is 'eunt'?
BRIAN: 'Go'. Let--
CENTURION: Conjugate the verb 'to go'.
BRIAN: Uh. 'Ire'. Uh, 'eo'. 'Is'. 'It'. 'Imus'. 'Itis'. 'Eunt'.
CENTURION: So 'eunt' is...?
BRIAN: Ah, huh, third person plural, uh, present indicative. Uh, 'they go'.
CENTURION: But 'Romans, go home' is an order, so you must use the...?
BRIAN: The... imperative!
CENTURION: Which is...?
BRIAN: Umm! Oh. Oh. Um, 'i'. 'I'!
CENTURION: How many Romans?
BRIAN: Ah! 'I'-- Plural. Plural. 'Ite'. 'Ite'.
CENTURION: 'Ite'.
BRIAN: Ah. Eh.
CENTURION: 'Domus'?
BRIAN: Eh.
CENTURION: Nominative?
BRIAN: Oh.
CENTURION: 'Go home'? This is motion towards. Isn't it, boy?
BRIAN: Ah. Ah, dative, sir! Ahh! No, not dative! Not the dative, sir! No! Ah! Oh, the... accusative! Accusative! Ah! 'Domum', sir! 'Ad domum'! Ah! Oooh! Ah!
CENTURION: Except that 'domus' takes the...?
BRIAN: The locative, sir!
CENTURION: Which is...?!
BRIAN: 'Domum'.
CENTURION: 'Domum'.
BRIAN: Aaah! Ah.
CENTURION: 'Um'. Understand?
BRIAN: Yes, sir.
CENTURION: Now, write it out a hundred times.
BRIAN: Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.
CENTURION: Hail Caesar. If it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off.
BRIAN: Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar and everything, sir! Oh. Mmm!
Finished!
ROMAN SOLDIER STIG: Right. Now don't do it again. 
[CENTURIONS chase BRIAN]
MAN: Hey! Bloody Romans.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Labor Walk of Fame 2.0

These are our best students during the 1st term for this year 2013/2014. Congratulations!

Puns

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Invictus

(Reblogged from Zen Pencils)

Mandela’s favourite poem. William Ernest Henley’s Invictus, first published in 1875, motivated and kept Mandela’s spirits up during his 27 years in prison, and he would often recite it to his fellow inmates.

William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) was an English poet who’s main claim to fame is writing this beautiful poem. Henley was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had one of his legs amputated when he was 17. In spite of this disability, Henley went on to live an active and successful life and used his experience to write Invictus when he was 26.

I won’t attempt to tell you how much of a inspiring man Mandela was, it’s been done far better by most news outlets around the world. You can visit the Nelson Mandela Foundation for all the information you might need on his life and times. My favourite Mandela quote that I’ve read a lot online recently is also his most famous – the words he spoke as the closing statement during his trial in 1964 before he was sentenced to life in prison:

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for. But, my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

West Jet Christmas Miracle

The Canadian low-cost carrier, West Jet Airlines, devised an amazing plan to bring joy to its clients as Christmas is approaching. Have a look at the video to see how passengers were given the Christmas presents they asked for without having a clue of what was going on…

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

President Obama's Eulogy for Mandela

(Reblogged from the two-way)

During Tuesday's memorial service at South Africa's largest soccer stadium, President Obama delivered a 20-minute eulogy that compared Mandela to Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and America's founding fathers.

Mandela, Obama said in Johannesburg, was the "last great liberator of the 20th century." He was not only a man of politics, but a pragmatist and flawed human being who managed to discipline his anger to turn centuries of oppression into what Mandela liked to call a "Rainbow Nation."

We've embedded audio of Obama's eulogy below, where we've also pasted text of his speech as it was prepared for delivery. Obama strayed a bit from that. We'll put up a transcript once we get it:

To Graça Machel and the Mandela family; to President Zuma and members of the government; to heads of states and government, past and present; distinguished guests - it is a singular honour to be with you today, to celebrate a life unlike any other. To the people of South Africa - people of every race and walk of life - the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and your hope found expression in his life, and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy.

1st Term PBL Marks

ESO 2, 3 & 4 Students,

These are your 1st term group marks for your pbl tasks:

2A	2B	3A	3B	4A	4B
Red – 8	Red – 9	Red – 8.5	Red – 7	Red – 8	Red – 5
Blue – 10	Blue – 8.5	Blue – 8	Blue – 8	Blue – 8	Blue – 6.5
Green – 9	Green – 9	Green – 7	Green – 9	Green – 7.5	Green – 5
Yellow – 9	Yellow – 7	Yellow – 7	Yellow – 7	Yellow – 7	Yellow – 7

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only

Nelson Mandela Quote

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

20 Things We Should Say More Often

I would definitely add "I love you".

Kid President believes the things we say can help make the world more awesome. Here he shares a special list of 20 things we should say more often. What would you add to it?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes.

Curiosipics Photograph Competition

Curiosipics is a photography competition for Secondary Education students and teachers. You do not have to be a great photographer. You just need to be curious! And you need to submit a short description of your photographs... In English!

The 1st prize is a trip to New York with two friends!! Ann the 2nd prize is a trip to London!! 

Find out more at Curiosipics (and here's some advice)

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only

Break the Box

http://causes.com/breakthebox

Society tries to put us on a box. By challenging gender stereotypes, we can break out.

Sexual violence isn't just about rape or physical harassment. It begins when we hurt people through the words we use and attitudes we carry. Stereotypes of what it means to be a man or woman—for instance, boys should do physical activities and girls need to be "ladylike"—can limit our worth and potential, and create an unequal balance of power that perpetuates sexual violence.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The Limits of the Human Body

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Sportsmanship

Game between Al Nahdha and Al Ittihad on Thursday reaffirms the notion of sportsmanship - while simultaneously justifying every evil thought you've ever thought about a referee.

Al Nahdha's goalkeeper Taisir Al Antaif was about to make a clearance early in the second half with the scores still at 2-2 - but noticed that his shoelace had come undone, and was clearly nervous about his boot coming off as he kicked.

The opposing striker bearing down on him, a Brazilian by the name of Jobson, noticed what was going on - but instead of trying to take advantage, he ran up to his opponent and did his shoelace for him.

Are Silent Farts Worse?

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Beer or Bear?

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30 Things You No Longer Need Because of Smartphones

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Weird Plurals

Reblogged from http://www.grammar.net/plurals

What are Irregular Plurals?

English grammar generally pluralizes a word by tacking -s or -es onto the end of it, but there are plenty of words that buck this; some noun plurals look extremely different from the singular.

Latin and Greek Origins

Irregular plurals of noun difficulties can be partly blamed on English’s habit of importing from other languages. Two that are extensively borrowed from are Latin and Greek. Here are some words of Latin or Greek origin with their strange plurals (some have additional plurals, but these are the most irregular). You may recognize some by the plural rather than the singular, such as “algae” and “bacteria.”

Phenomenon, phenomena

Focus, foci

Bacterium, bacteria

Cactus, cacti

Fungus, fungi

Medium, media

Stimulus, stimuli

Larva, larvae

Nucleus, nuclei

Hippopotamus, hippopotami

Vertebra, vertebrae

Alga, algae

Radius, radii

Remembrance Day 2013

LEST WE FORGET

Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a Commonwealth holiday (observed in all Commonwealth countries except Mozambique) to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. 

Procrastination - The Musical

Procrastination, the greatest art ever!

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Space Babies

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night: Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

ESO Students,

We give you again the post published in previous years about Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder plot. Enjoy it:

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Big History Project

A Story for Everyone

The Big History Project is a free, online course that tells the story of our Universe and humanity.

Explore 13.7 billion years of shared history and consider the big questions about our Universe, our planet, life, and humanity. From the big bang to modern day to where we are going in the future, big history covers it all.

Synonyms for "smart" and "wise"

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Virgin America Safety Video

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Halloween 2013

Labor School Students,

Halloween is approaching and to celebrate it at LaborEnglishZone we give you again a very interesting post on the origins of this holiday.

Have a nice Halloween and enjoy the post!

Google Like a Boss!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

How To Sound Like a Dog in 14 Languages

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How Long to Nap

1-Do you enjoy sleeping or are you one of those people who think you’ll get enough sleep when you die?

2-Do you sleep right though the night or are you an insomniac?

3- Are eight hours of sleep enough for you or do you still take baby naps from time to time?

Whichever it is your case, below you have some interesting information about naps regarding their length. Whether you sleep a restorative 20 minute nap or you inevitably oversleep for 60 or 90 minutes, here you have the benefits and disadvantages:

(Source: ehow.com)

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

Advice On How To Live Your Life

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QUIZ: "Gotta Catch 'Em ALL"

At LEZ, we’re positive you used to watch Pokémon when you were little, or still continue to do so in your teens. That’s why we propose you this sort of quiz for this term.

We bet Pokémon names sound weird to you, non native English speakers. However, each name has a specific meaning, usually consisting of one, two or three English words which have been modified to some extent or left with their original writing.

Let’s see an example:

This Pokémon is SNORELAX. Its name comes from snore (ronquido) and relax (relajar).

Below, there are pictures of 16 Pokémon. You should do the same as we did in the previous example with Snorelax: provide each Pokémon’s NAME and the words in English hidden on it (plus their Spanish translation).

As usual, 10 points will be awarded to the student who sends us the first email including the correct answers. Good luck and enjoy!

 1.                                                                                                    2.

3.                                                                                                     4.

The Most Horrifying Parasites!

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Happiness is...

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Ylvis - What Does the Fox Say?

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ESO 3 & ESO 4 1st Term PBL

ESO 3 & ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 2013-14 1st term. Your task is to translate and adapt this inspirational poster by artist Gavin Aung Than into the language of your choice: Spanish or Galician. 

You should translate EVERY WORD YOU SEE IN THE POSTER and create a new jpg or png file and send it to our mail. Keep the poster as it is: do not change the images. Just keep the same layout, fonts and colours as in the original, and substitute the English words with your Spanish or Galician version. The deadline is Sunday 24th November at precisely 23.59.59. No files will be admitted after the deadline ends.

Gavin Aung Than's favourite fonts are Creative Block and Red State Blue State.

Your file identification must be as follows: GROUPCOLOUR_CLASS.JPG or GROUPCOLOUR_CLASS.PNG. Example: RED_3A.PNG.

You must fill in the "subject" section of your mail messages with YOUR GROUP IDENTIFICATION and the word 'PBL'.

NB: Print this post and bring it to class next Monday 28th October.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The Lost Choir: 'Mad World'

Universal Children's Day was on November, 20th 2012.

Every three seconds the world loses a child. Again, this year many children will not see their fifth birthday. The reasons for this tragedy are diverse; hunger, malnutrition, dirty water or the absence of vaccine protection. Every single one of these problems can weaken the immune system so much that avoidable diseases lead to life-threatening danger. 

International Children's Fund helps those children in need, especially in Africa.

With your donation (https://www.icfaid.com/pages/DonateNow) we can continue our work and help stop the world from needlessly losing many children every year. Thank you for your support.

And we want to give special thanks to the boy's choir Wuppertaler Kurrende (http://www.wuppertaler-kurrende.com) for supporting the idea.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Roar, by Katy Perry

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

This is the World Cup!

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British Words that Mean Something Totally Different in the U.S.

Reblogged from: http://www.bigstockphoto.com/blog/20-british-words-that-mean-something-totally-different-in-the-us

20 BRITISH WORDS THAT MEAN SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN THE U.S.

Here in the United States, we speak the same language as our ye old predecessors in Great Britain, but we don't always speak it the same way. So, we asked our oh-so British receptionist, Ryan Lovett, to give us a crash course in some of the more notable discrepancies.

Here are 20 words (along with some accompanying Bigstock images) that have pretty different meanings in Great Britain than they do in the U.S. 

1. Jump

2. Trainer 

3. Pants

4. Bird

5. Bog

6. Rubber

7. Braces

8. Trolley

9. Chips

10. Coach