Labor English Zone

ESO 4 - 2nd Term PBL Task 2011-2012

2012-01-26T16:24:00.000+01:00

ESO 4 Students,

Your grandfather has just been given a fantastic alarm clock for Christmas, but the instructions booklet is in English and he can't understand it. He has asked you for help because you have been studying English since you were 6 years old (at least!) He trusts you and your skills in English!

Your task is to translate the booklet into Spanish during the lessons on Monday 30th Jan, Tuesday 31st Jan, Friday 3rd Feb and Monday 6th Feb. Once your translation is finished you must forward it to our mail in PDF FORMAT. The file identification must be as follows:

GROUP_X.PDF (X = your group number)

The deadline is FRIDAY 10TH FEBRUARY at precisely 23.59.59.

And these are the groups:

GROUP 1:

Evelyn Rodríguez

Noa Fernández

Paula Varona

Miguel Sotelo
Saray Riveiro

Miguel Romero *

GROUP 2:

José Manuel Vázquez
Claudia Suárez
María Casal
Lucía Ben
Laura Fernández Mtnez.

Arantxa Hierro *

GROUP 3
Yasmina El Hachimi
José Mª Álvarez
Paula Suárez
Inés Álvarez

Paula Casal *

Antía Bardelás *

GROUP 4

Mª del Carmen Oliveira
Sol Epstein
Jessica Davila
Carlos Maceiras

Mª Desireé Fernández *

Fernando Herrera *

GROUP 5

Laura Fernández Míguez

Iago Borrajo

Inés Bolaño

Pedro Bartolomé

Cecilia Saa*

Antía Suárez *

Students marked with a star (*) will join their groups once they are back from their European Project trip.

Remember you must print this post and the 6 IMAGES below and bring it all to class on Monday 30th January (NB: print the images in a legible size, as it is you who will be doing the task...)

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

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

2012 First Quiz

2012-01-22T21:21:00.000+01:00

ESO Students,

This is our first quiz for 2012. 10 points, as usual, to give away to the first student to email to us the correct answer to this question:

What do the following words have in common?

Owls, Magpies, Robins and Gulls

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

1984 by George Orwell

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000+01:00

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic dystopian novel by English author George Orwell. Published in 1949, it is set in the eponymous year and focuses on a repressive, totlitarian regime. The story follows the life of one seemingly insignificant man, Winston Smith, a civil servant assigned the task of falsifying records and political literature, thus effectively perpetuating propaganda, who grows disillusioned with his meagre existence and so begins a rebellion against the system.

(BBC Television's live production of George Orwell's "1984". Produced in 1954. Creative Commons license: Public Domain.)

The novel has become famous for its portrayal of surveillance and society's increasing encroachment on the rights of the individual. Since its publication the terms Big Brother and Orwellian have entered the popular vernacular. Orwell, who had "encapsulated the thesis at the heart of his novel" in 1944, wrote most of Nineteen Eighty-Four on the island of Jura, Scotland, during 1947/1948 while critically ill with tuberculosis. He sent the final typescript to his friends Secker and Warburg on 4 December 1948 and the book was published on 8 June 1949.

Nineteen Eighty-Four has been translated into more than 50 languages. The novel's title, its terms, its language (Newspeak), and its author's surname are bywords for personal privacy lost to national state security. The adjective "Orwellian" denotes many things. It can refer to totalitarian action or organization, as well as governmental attempts to control or misuse information for the purposes of controlling, pacifying or even subjugating the population. "Orwellian" can also refer generally to twisted language which says the opposite of what it truly means, or specifically governmental propagandizing by the misnaming of things; hence the "Ministry of Peace" in the novel actually deals with war and the "Ministry of Love" actually tortures people. Since the novel's publication "Orwellian" has in fact become somewhat of a catch-all for any kind of governmental overreach or dishonesty and therefore has multiple meanings and applications. The phrase "Big Brother is Watching You" specifically connotes pervasive, invasive surveillance.
Although the novel has been banned or challenged in some countries, it is, along with Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, Kallocain by Karin Boye and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, among the most famous literary representations of dystopia. In 2005, Time magazine listed it among the hundred best English-language novels published since 1923.
The book has often been misinterpreted as an attack on socialism, and Orwell himself had occasion to refute such claims, both privately and in public. In his 1946 essay, "Why I Write", Orwell described himself as a Democratic Socialist. Nineteen Eighty-Four is set in Oceania, one of three intercontinental totalitarian super-states. The story occurs in London, the "chief city of Airstrip One", itself a province of Oceania that "had once been called England or Britain". Posters of the ruling Party's leader, "Big Brother", bearing the caption BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, dominate the city landscapes, while two-way television (the telescreen) dominates the private and public spaces of the populace. Oceania's people are in three classes — the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the Proles. The Party government controls the people via the Ministry of Truth (Minitrue), the workplace of protagonist Winston Smith, an Outer Party member. As in the Nazi and Stalinist regimes, propaganda is pervasive; Smith's job is rewriting historical documents to match the contemporaneous party line, the orthodoxy of which changes daily. It therefore includes destroying evidence, amending newspaper articles, deleting the existence of people identified as "unpersons".

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

English Pronunciation

2012-01-09T16:57:00.000+01:00

About 2 years ago we published Hints on Pronunciation for Foreigners. Now, thanks to Ginés L. Oliver, we would like to offer you another test for your pronunciation. The following poem by Nolst Trenité was published on The Poke last 23rd December 2011. Enjoy it:

If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.

After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud.

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

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

The 3 Wise Men Didn't Have a GPS...

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

There is no historical evidence, but we can be quite sure that the 3 Magi did not use a GPS to find the stable in Bethlehem...

Life of Brian

Scene 2: Three Wise Men with Bad Senses of Direction

The sketch:

holy music

BABY BRIAN COHEN: crying
WISE MAN #1: Ahem.
MANDY COHEN: Ohhh!
whump
Who are you?
WISE MAN #1: We are three wise men.

MANDY: What?!
WISE MAN #1: We are three wise men.
MANDY: Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at two o'clock in the morning? That doesn't sound very wise to me.
WISE MAN #3: We are astrologers.
WISE MAN #1: We have come from the East.
MANDY: Is this some kind of joke?
WISE MAN #2: We wish to praise the infant.
WISE MAN #1: We must pay homage to him.
MANDY: Homage? You're all drunk. It's disgusting. Out! The lot, out!
WISE MAN #1: No--
MANDY: Bursting in here with tales about oriental fortune tellers. Come on. Out!
WISE MAN #2: No, no. We must see him.
MANDY: Go and praise someone else's brat! Go on!
WISE MAN #2: We--
WISE MAN #1: We were led by a star.
MANDY: Or led by a bottle, more like. Go on. Out!
WISE MAN #1: Well-- well, we must see him. We have brought presents.
MANDY: Out!
WISE MAN #2: Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh.
MANDY: Well, why didn't you say? He's over there. Sorry the place is a bit of a mess. Well, what is myrrh, anyway?
WISE MAN #3: It is a valuable balm.
MANDY: A balm? What are you giving him a balm for? It might bite him.
WISE MAN #3: What?
MANDY: That's a dangerous animal. Quick! Throw it in the trough.
WISE MAN #1: No, it isn't.
MANDY: Yes, it is. It's great, big mmm...
WISE MAN #3: No, no, no. It is an ointment.
MANDY: Aww, there is an animal called a balm,... or did I dream it? So, you're astrologers, are you? Well, what is he then?
WISE MAN #2: Hmm?
MANDY: What star sign is he?
WISE MAN #2: Uh, Capricorn.
MANDY: Uhh, Capricorn, eh? What are they like?
WISE MAN #2: Ooh, but... he is the son of God, our Messiah.
WISE MAN #1: King of the Jews.
MANDY: And that's Capricorn, is it?
WISE MAN #2: Uh, no, no, no. That's just him.
MANDY: Ohh, I was going to say, 'Otherwise, there'd be a lot of them.' sniff
WISE MAN #1: By what name are you calling him?
MANDY: Uh, 'Brian'.
WISE MEN: We worship you, O Brian, who are Lord over us all. Praise unto you, Brian, and to the Lord, our Father. Amen.
MANDY: Do you do a lot of this, then?
WISE MAN #2: What?
MANDY: This praising.
WISE MAN #2: No, no. No, no.
MANDY: Er, well, um, if you're dropping by again, do pop in. Heh. And thanks a lot for the gold and frankincense, er, but don't worry too much about the myrrh next time. All right? Heh. Thank you! Good-bye! Well, weren't they nice? Hmm. Out of their bloody minds, but still.
WISE MEN leave
Look at that. Hoo hoo hoo.
WISE MEN return and grab presents
Here! Here! Here, that-- that's mine! Hee. Hey, you just gave me that! Oh.
whump
holy music
BABY BRIAN: crying
MANDY: Shut up. smack

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Three Wise Men

2012-01-03T10:12:00.000+01:00

In Christian tradition the Magi (pronounced /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; from the Greek: μάγοι, magoi, usually translated as "wise men", although it probably meant "astronomer" or "astrologer"... that is why they were following a star), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men, (Three) Kings, or Kings from the East, are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts.Traditions identify a variety of different names for the Magi. In the Western Christian church they have been commonly known since the 8th century as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In the Gospel of Matthew, the only one to describe the visit of the Magi, it states that they came "from the east" to worship the Christ, "born King of the Jews". Although Matthew does not mention their number, because three gifts are recorded as having been given to the Christ Child, traditionally there are thought to have been three Magi. The Magi, as the "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity and in celebrations of Christmas.

Western Christianity celebrates the Magi on the day of Epiphany, January 6, the day immediately following the twelve days of Christmas, particularly in the Spanish-speaking parts of the world. In these Spanish-speaking areas, the three kings receive wish letters from children and magically bring them gifts on the night before Epiphany. In Spain, each one of the Magi is supposed to represent one different continent, Europe (Caspar), Asia (Melchior) and Africa (Balthasar). According to the tradition, the Magi come from the Orient on their camels to visit the houses of all the children; much like Santa Claus with his reindeer, they visit everyone in one night. In some areas, children prepare a drink for each of the Magi, it is also traditional to prepare food and drink for the camels, because this is the only night of the year when they eat.

Spanish cities organize parades (cabalgatas) in the evening, in which the kings and their servants parade and throw sweets to the children (and parents) in attendance. The cavalcade of the three kings in Alcoi claims to be the oldest in the world; the participants who portray the kings and pages walk through the crowd, giving presents to the children directly

Matthew 2:1-12 describes the visit of the 3 Magi:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

If you want to learn more, read the full article at Wikipedia.

Now you already now the story of the Three Wise Men of the East, and how they travelled from far away to offer their gifts at the manger-cradle in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of Artaban, the Other Wise Man, who also saw the star in its rising, and set out to follow it, yet did not arrive with the other 3 Wise Men in the presence of the young child Jesus?

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) an American author, educator and clergyman wrote The Story of the Other Wise Man. You can read the story here or you can listen to Part 1, Part 2 or download the full story here.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

New Year's Day

2012-01-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

"New Year's Day" is a song by rock band U2. It is on their 1983 album War and it was released as the album's lead single in January 1983. Written about the Polish Solidarity movement, "New Year's Day" is driven by Adam Clayton's distinctive bassline and The Edge's keyboard playing. It was the band's first UK hit single, peaking at #10 on the singles chart, #11 on the Dutch Top 40 and charting on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in their career. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the single at #427 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

The video was one of their first to see heavy rotation on MTV. It was filmed in Sälen, Sweden in December 1982 and directed by Meiert Avis. The band only appeared in the performance scenes of the video as it was filmed in the dead of the Swedish winter. U2 guitarist Edge revealed in the official U2 biography that the four people riding on horseback in the video that appeared to be the four U2 members were in fact four Swedish teenage girls disguised as the members of U2 riding on horseback with masks over their faces. This was done as the band were frozen from shooting the video in sub-freezing temperatures the day before. Their biography states that Bono refused to wear any headgear despite the cold weather and had a lot of trouble mouthing the lyrics. The video also features footage of Soviet troops advancing in winter during World War II.

U2 allowed free-of-charge use of this song in a spot prepared by the European Commission. This clip published on YouTube shows a transformation of Poland in last 20 years mixed with short scenes from today’s Warsaw seen from a perspective of a 20-year-old woman.

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

31st December: New Year's Eve

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

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).

After the family dinner and the grapes, many young people attend New Year parties at pubs, discos and similar parties usually until the next morning. These celebrations range from small, personal ones at local bars to huge parties with guests numbering the thousands at hotel convention rooms. Early next morning, people usually gather to have the traditional winter breakfast of hot chocolate and fried pastry (chocolate con churros).

In English speaking countries they have a somewhat different tradition: of course, it is celebrated with parties and social gatherings, but at the stroke of midnight, people hold each other's hands and sing what is arguably the song most closely associated with this celebration, Auld Lang Syne:

Auld Lang Syne (/ˈɔːld lɑŋˈsəin/) is a Scottish poem part-written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folf song. By extension, its use has also been common at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions.

Its title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago" o "days gone by" and the song is generally interpreted as a call to remember long standing friendships.

In Scotland, people celebrate Hogmanay (/ˌhɔɡməˈneː/), which is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonimous with the celebration of New Year. The most widespread national custom is the practice of "first footing" which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a frend of neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt, coal, shortbread (a type of biscuit) and black bun (a rich fruit cake) intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder (the traditions says that to ensure good luck for the house the first food should be a dark male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a little dram of whiskey; traditionally, one must clean the house, take out ashes from the fire, clear all debts before the bells of midnight). Food and drink (as the gifts) are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day. The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.

If you want to known more, click here, here or here

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

26th December: Boxing Day

2011-12-26T11:22:00.000+01:00

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.

The traditional recorded celebration of Boxing Day has long included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, the needy and people in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the late Roman / early Christian era.

In the United Kingdom it certainly became a custom of the nineteenth century Victorians for tradesmen to collect their "Christmas boxes" or gifts in return for good and reliable service throughout the year on the day after Christmas.

As they do not celebrate Epiphany (The 3 Wise Men or Magi) as we do in Spain, among the British and some other English-speaking countries Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday: January sales, often with dramatic price decreases, start on this day. For many merchants, Boxing Day has become the day of the year with the greatest revenue (much as the day after Thanksgiving in the United States: Black Friday).

If you want to know more: Elaine's Boxing Day Page

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

Music: Christmas Lights, by Coldplay

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000+01:00

"Christmas Lights" is a song by British alternative rock band Coldplay released on Wednesday December 1, 2010, at 8PM GMT as a digital download. Described by the band as "a mid-tempo number" that is in the key of G major. The cover art is by Yu Matsuoka Pol.

Christmas night, another fight

Tears we cried a flood

Got all kinds of poison in

Of poison in my blood

I took my feet

To Oxford Street

Trying to right a wrong

Just walk away

Those windows say

But I can't believe she's gone

When you're still waiting for the snow to fall

Doesn't really feel like Christmas at all

A group of candles on air flicker

Oh they flicker and they float

But I'm up here holding on

To all those chandeliers of hope

Like some drunken Elvis singing

I go singing out of tune

Saying how I always loved you, darling

And I always will

Oh when you're still waiting for the snow to fall

It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all

Still waiting for the snow to fall

It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all

Those Christmas lights

Light up the street

Down where the sea and city meet

May all your troubles soon be gone

Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on

Those Christmas lights

Light up the street

Maybe they'll bring her back to me

Then all my troubles will be gone

Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on

Ohh

Oh Christmas lights

Light up the street

Light up the fireworks in me

May all your troubles soon be gone

Those Christmas lights keep shining on

Video

Coldplay began filming the music video on November 24. The video appears to be one continuous shot, but isn't really, though it might have been shot with a single camera. It begins with the starting up of a record player, and the camera panning across a self-playing piano, then the four members of the band. Martin begins to sing the first verse as the camera pans and zooms out to show the piano - which is now next to him - then back. Martin has changed his position, and the rest of the band are nowhere to be seen. Martin rises up from the stage where he is lying, then begins to play the piano, which is now on a stage in front of theThames. Curtains open to reveal the rest of the band, who join in playing the song, accompanied by fireworks and three violin-playing Elvises (who are friends of the band: the British actor Simon Pegg, the 'fifth member' of Coldplay Phil Harvey and Tim Crompton, friend of the band and frontman of The High Wire). One hundred fans of the band appear in the music video; they release coloured balloons from a boat on the Thames whilst singing along to part of the song.

"Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere" is written across the top of the stage. In Latin this means "I Believe Elvis Yet Lives".[9] This is likely connected to the three Elvises appearing in the video, which is, in turn, connected to the lyrics of the song.

The video was directed by Mat Whitecross, a long-time friend of the band and director of several of Coldplay's other music videos, such as "Bigger Stronger" and "Lovers in Japan".

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

Christmas' Eve Dinner

2011-12-24T12:00:00.000+01:00

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

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

7 O´Clock News / Silent Night

2011-12-23T18:00:00.000+01:00

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.

The "Silent Night" track consists of Simon and Garfunkel singing the first verse twice over, accompanied by Garfunkel on piano. The voice of the newscaster is that of Charlie O'Donnell, then a radio disc jockey. As the track progresses, the song becomes fainter and the news report louder. Matthew Greenwald calls the effect "positively chilling". Bruce Eder describes the track as "a grim and ironic (and prophetic) comment on the state of the United States in 1966".

Simon & Garfunkel are an American singer-songwriter duo consisting of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957, and had their first taste of success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, backed by the hit single "The Sounds of Silence". Their music was featured in the landmark film "The Graduate", propelling them further into the public consciousness.

They are well known for their close vocal harmonies and were among the most popular recording artists of the 1960s; among their biggest hits, in addition to "The Sounds of Silence", were "Bridge over Troubled Water", "I Am a Rock", "Homeward Bound", "A Hazy Shade of Winter", "Mrs. Robinson", "The Boxer", "Cecilia", and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle". They have received several Grammys and are inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2007).

Their sometimes rocky relationship led to their last album, "Bridge over Troubled Water", being delayed several times due to artistic disagreements and as a result the duo broke up in 1970. But Simon and Garfunkel have reunited to perform and sometimes tour together in every decade since the 1970 breakup, most famously for 1981's "The Concert in Central Park," which attracted about 500,000 people, and they have toured very successfully since then.

The following events are reported in the newscast in the song in the order given:

A dispute in the House of Representatives over "the civil rights bill". It is stated that President Johnson had originally proposed a full ban on discrimination for any type of housing — dismissed as "having no chance" — and that "a compromise was painfully worked out in the House Judiciary Committee."
The death of comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose of narcotics at the age of 42 [actually 40].
Dr. Martin Luther King reaffirming plans for an open housing Civil Rights march into Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It is stated that Cook County sheriff Richard Ogilvie urged its cancellation, and that Cicero police plan to ask the National Guard to be called in.
The grand jury indictment of Richard Speck for the murder of nine [actually eight] student nurses.
Disruption by protesters at House Un-American Activities Committee hearings into anti-Vietnam War protests
A speech by "former Vice-President Richard Nixon" to the Veterans of Foreign Wars [actually to the American Legion] urging an increase in the war effort in Vietnam, and calling opposition to the war the "single greatest weapon working against the United States".

Take a look at this score and learn the lyrics of the song:

And now enjoy a video of the song including a transcription of the news bulletin:

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

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T08:30:00.000+01:00

Labor English Zone wishes you the

Season's Greetings

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

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian.
(Short Music Interlude)
There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

Enjoy the holidays!

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

Christmas Carols & Songs

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000+01:00

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!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town:

The Twelve Days of Christmas.
The meaning for each day in the song is explained below:
1 True Love refers to God
2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Jingle Bells.
Believe it or not Jingle Bells, one of the most famous American Christmas songs, was originally written for Thanksgiving! The author and composer of Jingle Bells was a minister called James Pierpoint who composed the song in 1857 for children celebrating his Boston Sunday School Thanksgiving. The song was so popular that it was repeated at Christmas, and indeed Jingle Bells has been reprised ever since. The essence of a traditional Christmas is captured in the lyrics of Jingle Bells and the sound effects using the bells have become synonymous with the arrival of Father Christmas or Santa Claus to the delight of children of all ages! (Learn a song version; you can listen, repeat and learn the song):

White Christmas.
The song White Christmas is undoubtedly the most famous and popular of all the Christmas songs. The music and lyrics for White Christmas were written by Irving Berlin in 1942 and originally featured in the movie Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby. The lyrics of White Christmas struck a chord with the soldiers fighting in the Second World War and their families who were waiting for them back home. The song and recording of White Christmas by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter's orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers was so popular that it was later reprised in the movie called after its name - White Christmas. The film White Christmas once again starred Bing Crosby together with Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

Silent Night.
The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time!:

O Come All Ye Faithful!
The text to the Carol O Come All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles) and was intended to be a hymn, it is attributed to John Wade, an Englishman. The music to O Come All Ye Faithful was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. The tune was first published in a collection known as "Cantus Diversi" in 1751. In 1841 Rev. Frederick Oakley is reputed to have worked on the familiar translation of O Come All Ye Faithful which replaced the older Latin lyrics "Adeste Fideles".

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

The author and composer of We Wish You a Merry Christmas cannot be traced however it is believed to date back to England in the sixteenth century. The tradition of carollers being given Christmas treats for singing to wealthy members of the community is reflected in this Christmas song - We Wish You a Merry Christmas! Over the years the fashion for figgy puddings mentioned in We Wish You a Merry Christmas has faded. But for the curious, the recipe consisted of the most important ingredient which was of course figs together with butter, sugar, eggs ,milk, rum, apple, lemon and orange peel, nuts, cinnamon, cloves and ginger! Not dissimilar to the modern day Christmas Puddings!

Auld Lang Syne.
Although not strictly a Christmas song this section would not be complete without the inclusion of the lyrics of Auld Lang Syne. The song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung by most of us on the stroke of midnight each New Years Eve. However in Scotland, where Auld Lang Syne originates it is also sung on Burns Night, January 25th, to celebrate the life of the author and famous poet Robert Burns. The lyrics of Auld Lang Syne actually consist of five verses. The words 'Auld Lang Syne' literally translates from old Scottish dialect meaning 'Old Long Ago' and is about love and friendship in times past. The lyrics in the song Auld Lang Syne referring to 'We'll take a Cup of Kindness yet' relate to a drink shared by men and women to symbolise friendship. Happy New Year!!!

And now a counterpoint. Food for thought by the brilliant (and grossly underrated) Simon & Garfunkel:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"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.

The "Silent Night" track consists of Simon and Garfunkel singing the first verse twice over, accompanied by a piano. The voice of the newscaster is that of Charlie O'Donnell, then a radio disc jockey. As the track progresses, the song becomes fainter and the news report louder. Matthew Greenwald calls the effect "positively chilling".^[1] Bruce Eder describes the track as "a grim and ironic (and prophetic) comment on the state o the United States in 1966".^[2]
^{Events reported in the news}
^{The following events are reported in the order given:^[3]}

A dispute in the House of Representatives over "the civil rights bill". It is stated that President Johnson had originally proposed a full ban on discrimination for any type of housing — dismissed as "having no chance" — and that "a compromise was painfully worked out in the House Judiciary Committee."
The death of comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose of narcotics at the age of 42 [actually 40].
Dr. Martin Luther King reaffirming plans for an open housing Civil Rights march into Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It is stated that Cook County sheriff Richard Ogilvieurged its cancellation, and that Cicero police plan to ask the National Guard to be called in.
The grand jury indictment of Richard Speck for the murder of nine [actually eight] student nurses.
Disruption by protesters at House Un-American Activities Committee hearings into anti-Vietnam War protests
A speech by "former Vice-President Richard Nixon" to the Veterans of Foreign Wars [actually to the American Legion] urging an increase in the war effort in Vietnam, and calling opposition to the war the "single greatest weapon working against the United States".

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

8 Facts about Spain's 'El Gordo' Lottery

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000+01:00

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

Spain's El Gordo is arguably the most famous lottery game in the world, thanks to its estimated €2.3 billion in prizes available to be won. One of the most lucrative European lotteries, El Gordo takes place on December 22nd each year. Aside from the incredible amount of money players can win with it, many people outside Spain don't know what makes this game a standout among lotteries or why worldwide fans keep playing it year after year.

Many lottery fans have heard about El Gordo and the ticket-buying frenzy that grows each year as the draw date approaches. Even so, most players don't understand exactly why this game is unique, or why tickets are so prized among lottery fans.

That's why European Lottery Guild has put together a list of 8 things you should know about El Gordo:

1. It's mythic: Radios and televisions are tuned to the broadcast, and the cafés are packed with people watching it. The event is carried out with great pageantry, and schoolchildren sing out the results as each number is drawn. The whole ceremony can take up to 3 hours with celebrations lasting through the night.

2. It's a winner-maker: The game was designed to make as many winners as possible. Family members often buy tickets together. Occasionally, whole villages find themselves wealthier after the draw.

3. It's a true lottery: Rather than a lotto, in which players pick a combination of numbers, El Gordo tickets come with the numbers pre-printed on them.

4. It's a number-lover's fantasy: Ticket numbers range from 0 to 84,999 and there are 195 series of tickets. It's traditional to use significant dates to choose a ticket (even unlucky ones). In 2009, tickets printed with the numbers forming the date of Michael Jackson's death - 25609 - were heavily sought after.

5. It's deeply traditional: The game was started as a fundraiser for orphans and has been drawn each year since 1812. The procedure followed for the draw has not varied.

6. It's epic: Because of its unique prize structure, El Gordo can create up to 390 millionaires at a time.

7. It's possible to win up to 7 times on a single ticket.

8. Its players are famously philosophical: After the draw's done, it's customary for non-winners to console themselves with the platitude "It's health that really matters."

"Of course, the El Gordo Lottery's prize pool attracts enormous attention," says Elisabeth Moore, Customer Relations Manager for European Lottery Guild. "After all, it isn't every day that a single lottery makes an estimated EUR2.3 billion in prizes available to be won. But there are many other reasons, some rooted in customs and tradition, why Spanish El Gordo is so beloved."

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

Best Students - 1st Term 2011-12

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000+01:00

Our best students of English during the 1st Term have been:

1 ESO A - Andrea Cobo Arena (9.30)

1 ESO B - Irene Sánchez Sanz (9.77) --Best overall ESO student of English in the 1st Term!

2 ESO A - Diego Anido Pereiro (9.35)

2 ESO B - Mario Quinteiro Sotelo (8.41)

3 ESO A - Rodrigo Rodríguez González (7.80)

3 ESO B - Candela Rodríguez Bernárdez (8.57)

4 ESO A - Miguel Romero Zapatero (9.16)

4 ESO B - Jessica Davila Prado (7.61)

Very often the students who get the highest grades are not the most talented ones, but those who try harder, show a positive attitude and have a praiseworthy work ethics.

Congratulations!

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

Superb Job

2011-12-08T21:17:00.001+01:00

Labor Students,

We would like to post ESO 1 unit 3 outline by ESO 1 B student, Andrea Aguado. Andrea has done it voluntarily as a preparation for her unit 3 test. We thought it was not only a brilliant idea, but a superb job, and that is why we would like to share it with you all. We would also like to suggest to you to do similar lesson outlines and summaries for your exams. If you do this we are sure your test results will improve dramatically.

Congratulations, Andrea!!

UNIT 3 -24/7

VOCABULARYDAILY ROUTINES

Wake up
Get up
Have a shower
Go to school
Have lunch
Do my homework
Brush my teeth
Have dinner
Go to bed
Meet my friends
Send a text message

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

· Always

· Usually

· Often

· Sometimes

· Hardly ever

· Never

Sujeto + adverbio de frecuencia+ verbo

Excepto to be (sujeto + to be + adverbio defrecuencia)

I alwaysgoto school by car

I’m alwaystired after school

VOCABULARYFREE TIME ACTIVITIES

· I play basketball

· I see my friends

· I do exercise

· I play computer games

· I go shopping

· I chat on the Internet

· I listen to music

· I read a book

GRAMMAR - PRESENT SIMPLE: QUESTIONS

Do I/you/we/they/ read? Yes, I do / No, I don’t

Does he/she/it read? Yes, she does / No, he doesn’t

WH- QUESTIONS

What

When do I/you/we/they study?

Where does he/she/it

LOVE–LIKE–DON’T/DOESN’TLIKE–HATE + VERB ING

I hate playing computer games

He likes going swimming

Do you like doing exercise?

Does she hate playing football?

SAYTHE DATE

Months:

· January

· February

· March

· April

· May

· June

· July

· August

· September

· October

· November

· December

first 1^st	eleventh 11^th	twenty-first 21^st	fortieth 40^th
second 2^nd	twelfth 12^th	twenty-second 22^nd	fiftieth 50^th
third 3^rd	thirteenth 13^th	twenty-third 23^rd	sixtieth 60^th
fourth 4^th	fourteenth 14^th	twenty-fourth 24^th	seventieth 70^th
fifth 5^th	fifteenth 15^th	twenty-fifth 25^th	eightieth 80^th
sixth 6^th	sixteenth 16^th	twenty-sixth 26th	ninetieth 90^th
seventh 7^th	seventeenth 17^th	twenty-seventh 27^th
eighth 8^th	eighteenth 18^th	twenty-eighth 28^th
ninth 9^th	nineteenth 19^th	twenty-ninth 29^th
tenth 10^th	twentieth 20^th	thirtieth 30^th

30^th May – The thirtieth of May

1^st September – The first of September

PREPOSITIONSOF TIME (ON, IN, AT)

IN + months, years, parts of the day

inMay, in 1999, inthe morning

ON + days, dates

onSaturday, on 3^rd April

AT + times,the weekend, night

at 7o’clock, at the weekend, at night

SEQUENCERS

first – then - next – after that - finally

On Sunday, I get up really late. First I have a shower. Then Ihave breakfast and watch TV. Next I have lunch in the garden. After thatI phone my friends and we meet in the park and talk. Finally we have a sandwich in a cafébefore we go home.

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

Labor English Zone 2nd Anniversary

2011-12-06T00:30:00.000+01:00

Labor English Zone started on 6th December 2009. Since then we have published 500+ posts and have received over 17,500 visitors who have viewed more than 26,000 pages. Our busiest day was 11th May 2010, when our hits peaked at 122 visitors (we guess the following day there was a pbl deadline or some kind of exam!!). And if you google us you will obtain 2,700,000+ results. Posted on February 27th 2010, this entry about school jokes, with over 580 visitors, has been the most popular one during first two years.

We want to thank you all for being there and for your visits. We would like to encourage you to send us comments and messages with your ideas and suggestions for new posts. We are interested in hearing what interests you.

To celebrate we are 2 years old, we publish again our first post, "The Italian Man Who Went to Malta":

6th December 2009

Let's begin with some humour. Italian and Spanish are arguably the hardest accents to get rid of. Practise pronunciation drills and try to polish your accent in case you go to Malta too!!

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

Half As Long

2011-11-30T23:15:00.001+01:00

I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had time to make it shorter.
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Labor Students,

If there is a piece of advice that we would like to give you when writing your compositions and essays is to keep them SHORT and SIMPLE:

Shorter is better
Use short words: never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Try to make it half as long...

And now, please watch this clip from the beautiful 1992 film 'A River Runs Through It' (from minute 5.43 to 7.16; transcription to follow). You will find the secret: HALF AS LONG.

...So it was with my formal education as well. Each weekday, while my father worked on his Sunday sermon I attended the school of the Reverend Maclean. He taught nothing but reading and writing. And being a Scot.... believed that the art of writing lay in thrift.
--Half as long.
So while my friends spent their days at Missoula Elementary I stayed home and learnt to write the American language.
--Again. Half as long.
--Good. Now throw it away.

(You can find the full transcription of this videoclip and of the complete film here)

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

Television is a Drug

2011-11-29T16:43:00.001+01:00

Television is a drug. from Beth Fulton on Vimeo.

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

Thanksgiving - 4th Thursday of November

2011-11-22T20:27:00.001+01:00

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. While it may have been religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. It is sometimes casually referred to as Turkey Day.

In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, which is Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Since being fixed at the fourth Thursday in November by law in 1941, the holiday in the United States can occur on any date from November 22 to November 28. When it falls on November 22 or 23, it is not the last Thursday, but the penultimate Thursday in November. As it is a Federal holiday, all United States government offices are closed and employees are paid for that day. It is also a holiday for the New York Stock Exchange and most other financial markets and financial services companies.

The precise historical origin of the holiday is disputed. Although Americans commonly believe that the first Thanksgiving happened in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts, there is strong evidence for earlier celebrations in Canada (1578) and by Spanish explorers in Florida (1565).

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in theUnited States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.

The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony survive their first brutal winter in New England. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days, providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish (cod, eels, and bass) and shellfish (clams, lobster, and mussels), wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans, and turkey), venison, berries and fruit, vegetables (peas, pumpkin, beetroot and possibly, wild or cultivated onion), harvest grains (barley and wheat), and the Three Sisters: beans, dried Indian maize or corn, and squash. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "Thanksgivings" — days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought.

Foods of the Season

In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. Firstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.

Vacation and travel

During Thanksgiving Day families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. Consequently the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travelperiods of the year. Thanksgiving is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for schools and colleges. Most business and government workers (78% in 2007) are given Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays. Thanksgiving Eve, the night before Thanksgiving, is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs, as many college students and others return to their hometowns to reunite with friends and family.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving is a day off for some companies and many schools. It is popularly known as Black Friday, because of the heavy shopping that day helps retailers turn a profit or put books back into black. Black Friday has been considered by retailers to be the start of the Christmas shopping season since as early as the 1930s.

If you want to know more, visit Celebrating Thanksgiving.

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

Are you Addicted to your Mobile Phone?

2011-11-21T22:27:00.001+01:00

Clic here to enlarge image.

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

4th 2011-12 Quiz

2011-11-20T21:53:00.001+01:00

Labor Students,

Here is the 4th quiz for this schoolyear (by the way, as of today you have not solved this one yet... There is 10 points to give away too...)

So, 10 points, as usual, to the first student to email the correct, complete answer to this question:

What is this?

WARNING: THIS QUIZ IS INTENDED FOR OUR STUDENTS, NOT FOR THEIR PARENTS

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

Dolce & Gabbana: 'The One' (uncut version)

2011-11-14T22:45:00.001+01:00

Directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and starring Scarlett Johansson, Dolce & Gabbana presents its latest TV commercial. Please notice her pronunciation (if you focus on the actress' mouth you will understand her more easily.)

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

Saturday 12th: Remembrance Day

2011-11-12T10:36:00.000+01:00

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.

It is observed on 11th November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 (major hostilities of World War I were formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice). The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7th November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.

In the United Kingdom, although two minutes of silence are observed on 11th November itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Ceremonies are held at local war memorials, usually organised by local branches of the Royal British Legion – an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by representatives of the Crown, the armed forces, and local civic leaders, as well as by local organisations including ex-servicemen organisations, cadet forces, the Scouts, Guides, Boys' Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. The start and end of the silence is often also marked by the firing of a cannon. A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into church services. Further wreath-laying ceremonies are observed at most war memorials across the UK at 11 am on the 11th of November, led by the Royal British Legion. The beginning and end of the two minutes silence is often marked in large towns and cities by the firing of ceremonial cannon and many employers, and businesses invite their staff and customers to observe the two minutes silence at 11:00 am.

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

Los Septiembre

2011-11-10T16:03:00.001+01:00

Los Septiembre is an indie pop band from Vigo. 2 of its members, brothers Marcos and Albert Lois, studied at Labor over 10 years ago. Marcos plays the drums and Albert is the bassist. The singer is Pablo Álvarez, and Celso Alonso is the guitarist. Their goal is to give a 1960's style and sound to their music.

Los Septiembre are presenting their first EP "Canciones de un fin de semana" at La Fábrica de Chocolate (22, Rogelio Abalde street, Vigo) next Friday 18th November at 22.30. This EP is made up of four songs: "Cajas amarillas", "Trampa de amor", "Burbujas de nieve" and "Tiempos de baile", which you can enjoy in the video below:

You can find Los Septiembre on their website, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter or contact them at their e-mail.

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

Balaídos Stadium

2011-11-07T14:02:00.000+01:00

ESO Students,

Last November 2nd, "Estadios de Fútbol en España", a blog about football stadiums in Spain, published a report on Balaídos stadium. As it is written in English we thought you might find it interesting. We hope you will like it and maybe you can learn some of our recent history at the same time!

Balaídos Stadium - Vigo

If you were ever searching for concrete proof of Spain's diverse cultural mix, then travel to Vigo on its north-western Atlantic seaboard. More working class than the A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela, this tough industrial city is home to Europe's largest fishing port and lies just 20 miles north of Portugal. It is also home to the country's most westerly senior team whose name reflects Galicia's ancient and beloved Celtic links. This is RC Celta Vigo territory.

Real Vigo Sporting Club + Real Fortuna FC = Real Club Celta

Vigo does share a cultural link when it comes to football however, for like many northern ports the sport was introduced to the city by British ex-patriots in the 1890's. Two clubs from the city dominated the early years of Galician football with either Real Vigo Sporting Club or Real Fortuna FC winning the first 16 regional championships. Whilst Real Vigo Sporting Club reached the final of the Copa del Rey in 1908, the teams struggled to make a permanent impact outside of the region. So in August 1923, following an article by local journalist and sportsman Manuel de Castro, aka Handicap, Sporting and Fortuna merged to form Real Club Celta. Home matches were held at Sporting's Campo de Coia, which was sufficiently developed to host the final of the 1922 Copa del Rey. The new club also adopted Sporting's red shirts, but these were quickly replaced in 1924 with the now familiar sky blue. 1924 also saw the purchase of a plot of land a few hundred yards to the south of the Campo de Coia, close to the Lagares river, where a private company aimed to build a new stadium. The club carried on at the Campo de Coia until December 1928 and saw out its stay at the old ground in style with a 13-0 rout of Deportivo A Coruña on 3rd December 1928. The final match at Campo de Coia took place six days later and saw RC Celta beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1.

The Campo de Coia was close to the north end of the present Calle de Coruña

The new Balaidos stadium took shape over a period of three years and and was beset with financial and physical problems, including the diversion of the Lagares river. The original plans of architect Jenaro de la Fuente had to be scaled back and on opening featured a large 'J' shaped terrace and and simple hard standing on the two other sides. It was inaugurated on 30th December 1928 with a 7-0 victory over Real Unión de Irún. Unfortunately, RC Celta didn't take this form into the inaugural season of La Segunda and was relegated to the regional leagues after finishing ninth out of ten. RC Celta returned to La Segunda for the 1931/32 season and once again finishing ninth, but avoided relegation due to the expansion of the league. Form steadily improved and in 1934-35 RC Celta finished first in the regionalised section, but missed out on promotion, finishing third in the play-offs. A year later, promotion was won to La Primera, but the Civil War intervened and postponed RC Celta's top flight debut.

1929 - A much scaled down Balaidos soon after opening.

Following the war, RC Celta embarked on a run that would see them play in the top division for 19 of the next 20 seasons, by far the most consistent presence the club has had in La Primera. During this period, the club had a highest placed finish of fourth in 1947-48, a season that also saw the club reach the final of the Copa del Rey, where they lost 1-4 to Sevilla at Madrid's new Chamartín stadium. During this period, Balaídos was further developed to include a west terrace, a substantial pitched roof over the north terrace and a cantilevered stand on the south side, up close to the Lagares river. Four tall floodlight pylons were added in the early sixties, with the two on the north side anchored to the terrace and the north cover extended around them. RC Celta dropped into La Segunda in 1959 and remained there for the next decade, but when they did reappear in the top division at the start of the 1969-70 season, Balaídos was undergoing a significant redevelopment. Have a look at this fantastic video that shows Balaidos in all of its 1960's ramshackle glory.

An improved Balaidos in 1947

RC Celta has always been tenants at the Balaídos stadium and during the late 1960's, the original company that had developed the stadium sold up to the municipality. In 1968, work commenced on redeveloping the north and east terraces. In its place grew a two tiered tribuna which was constructed in reinforced concrete. The cantilevered roof followed the 'J' shape of the original terrace and was made up of individual pointed vaults. This stand was seated apart from the lower tier of the east end and the tall floodlights were replaced with a long gantry that ran along the front of the north stand roof. The west end or Gol stand was developed in 1971 and featured a similar styled roof, but covered only a single tier of terracing. All that remained from the early days was the simple south stand. With a capacity of 40,000, RC Celta and Balaídos were ready for La Primera.

Estadio Balaídos in 1972. Note the troublesome Lagares river to the right

Back in La Primera and with a newly renovated stadium, things were looking up for RC Celta and for 4 or 5 years they held their own with a series of mid-table finishes. The mid seventies saw five successive seasons of switching between the top two divisions and then the 1979-80 season bought mixed blessings. During the summer of 1979, Vigo was confirmed as a host for the 1982 World Cup and moves were afoot for further redevelopment of the stadium. On the pitch however, the season proved to be a disaster and whilst home form held up well, RC Celta returned from their travels with a measly seven points. Relegation to Segunda 2b and potential financial meltdown followed. RC Celta put its trust in young, local talent and its faith was repaid with the league title and an immediate return to La Segunda. The youth kept giving and further success was achieved a year later when RC Celta won the second division title with an exciting and attacking brand of football. During this period, RC Celta lost just two matches at home, not bad when you consider Balaidos was a building site for much of this time.

Match day at Balaidos during the 1970's

Throughout its time at Balaídos, RC Celta had experienced problems with the Lagares river flooding. The redevelopment for 1982 World Cup offered the opportunity to resolve the issue when the river was re-routed through a deep channel in the foundations of the new south stand. This twin decker was almost twice as high as the north and east tribuna and looked oddly out of place with the rest of the stadium. The remaining three sides were refurbished and seats installed in all but the lower tier of the east stand, reducing the capacity to 33,000, 30,000 of which was seated. New changing rooms were also built under the Gol stand and were accessed via an entrance on the semi circle of turf behind the west goal. This stadium of two halves hosted three first round matches during the World Cup, all dour affairs featuring eventual winners Italy as they struggled to draws with Poland, Peru and Cameroon. RC Celta dropped back into La Segunda in May 1983 and then spent the next decade flitting between the top two divisions. The early nineties saw the club start to establish itself in La Primera and a second appearance in the cup final occurred in 1994, when RC Celta lost to Real Zaragoza on penalties at the Manzanares stadium. A series of comfortable mid table finishes were very nearly undone in August 1995 when the club failed to present accounts and guarantees. The Spanish FA initially relegated RC Celta and Sevilla to Segunda 2b, but relented and extended the division to 22 teams.

Balaidos in its 1982 glory

The RC Celta team at the turn of the millennium bought wider recognition to the club thanks to good runs in the 1998-99 Uefa Cup and 2003-04 Champions League. 2001 saw another appearance and another defeat to Real Zaragoza in the final of the Copa del Rey, this time at La Cartuja in Seville. As always seems to be the case however, a downturn in form was just around the corner and by 2007-08, RC Celta was back in La Segunda fighting off relegation to Segunda 2b on the pitch and creditors off it. The 2010-11 season saw the club finish a creditable sixth, losing out to Granada in the play-offs. This season has seen a decent start and the return of the Galician derby, thanks to Deportivo A Coruña's relegation to the second division.

Starting to show it's age - Balaidos in 2006

Little has changed at Balaidos in the past thirty years, except its conversion to an all-seater stadium in 1996 which reduced the capacity to 31,800. When the club qualified for the Champions League, the stadium failed its initial stadium inspection, but eventually the municipality coughed up for the upgrades after talk of playing the matches in Porto gained momentum. Apart from the expanse of blue and white seats, Balaidos looks pretty much the same as it did for the 1982 World Cup. The main Río stand is a curious structure, resembling a bloated accordion from the rear as its concrete framework straddles the Lagares river. It does offer fantastic views of the pitch, the city and the coast from its upper tier. To the left and behind the goalposts is the entrance to the changing rooms. Given that the stadium is built on a river bed, this corridor must be exceptionally well waterproofed or very wet. It all looks rather tired and whilst its 31,800 seats are more than adequate for the average crowd of 12,000 RC Celta attracts, the club could do and probably deserves better.

Balaidos in 2010. No World Cup, but a re-build is on the cards

Plans for a new stadium have been floating around since the embarrassment of the UEFA inspection in 2003, but finance and local opposition, including one appeal from the Director General of the huge Citroën factory just across the road from the Río stand, left the plans on the drawing board. Vigo was included as a venue for Spain's failed 2018 World Cup bid and the 123 million euro rebuilding of the stadium hasn't yet bitten the dust. The original time frame of rebuilding the stadium stand by stand from 2012, does look unlikely to be met, but there does seem to be a genuine commitment from the municipality to regenerate the area.

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

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

2011-11-05T18:52:00.001+01:00

ESO Students,

We give you again the post we published last year 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.

Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night (or, more casually in recent times as Fireworks Night), is an annual celebration held on the evening of 5th November to mark the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 5th November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament in London, to assassinate James I of England and restore Catholicism to England.

In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. The festivities involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which 'guys' are traditionally burnt. The 'guys' are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, although may also be effigies of local or national hate figures. It is possible that effigies were burnt on bonfires (originally 'bone - fires') at this time of year long before such celebrations were attributed to Guy Fawkes as they may actually represent the remnants of pre-Christian sacrifice rituals held around the Autumn solstice (i.e., Samhain). Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes' hometown) some there do not burn his effigy, most notably those from his old school. In the weeks before bonfire night, children traditionally displayed the "guy" and requested a "penny for the guy" in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks. However, this practice has diminished greatly, perhaps because it has been seen as begging, and also because children are not allowed to buy fireworks. In addition there are concerns that children might misuse the money.

If you want to know more visit
Wikipedia
Bonfirenight.net
Guy-Fawkes.com
The Gunpowder Plot
who was the real Guy Fawkes
read what OppenBlog has to say
or play the Bonfire Night Game.

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

Spaniards ignore laws on pig slaughter

2011-11-05T08:03:00.009+01:00

The following article was published by El País in English on Sunday 27th March 2011. As St. Martin's day is drawing near we thought that it would be a good idea to bring it back.

That home-killed taste: Spaniards ignore laws on pig slaughter

Thousands of animals are butchered the traditional way despite a ban by European Union

From November to February, thousands of fattened pigs are slaughtered in Spain on family farms. With a knife, as always, and with the animal squealing and struggling until it bleeds to death. This proceeding has been prohibited by law for almost two decades, but some aren't aware of it, or simply don't care. A European directive of 1993 allows this tradition to be practiced, outside the slaughterhouse, provided that the pig has been stunned before sticking the knife into it. This is done practically nowhere.

In the same sense, a law was passed in Spain in 1995, and certain regions even drafted their own norms on animal well-being that afforded them some favorable publicity and applause, but which have never been observed.

The Balearic Islands government, for example, once promised to distribute stun guns to each municipality, to facilitate compliance with the law. This was in 2007 and a headline appeared in the local press, but nothing has since been heard of the stunning tools.

In Extremadura there was similar talk, and a norm made municipalities and veterinarians responsible for health supervision of the viscera and for observance of the law. This in 2006 also brought favorable headlines. Not a single complaint has been received, although thousands of pigs are slaughtered in the traditional way. Indeed, it is hard to ask the mayor of a village of some 400 people to file a complaint about a neighbor, or indeed himself.

In Catalonia the case is this: slaughtering pigs at home is not really prohibited, or really permitted either: "It's a private act that we can't control, which is done on one's own responsibility. Our advice is to have it done in the slaughterhouse, with stunning, but if it's done otherwise, we can't stop it," says a regional health department spokesman. Nor in Castilla y León or in Andalusia have there been complaints. The same goes for Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha, and so on. Last winter in Extremadura 17,481 pigs were slaughtered in backyards, and similar numbers in other regions.

The squeals are particularly audible on any St Martin's Day morning (November 11), a traditional day for the sacrifice of the porcine kind. A cada cerdo le llega su San Martíngoes a Spanish saying: "Every pig has his St Martin's Day coming to him." This is said of someone who is considered to be deserving of a nasty come-uppance.

However, the practice of home slaughter followed by a pork-fest on sausages etc is slowly dwindling. When Spain ratified the EU norm in 1995, in the region of Castilla y León 126,755 pigs were slaughtered for home consumption. A decade later, this figure had shrunk to 52,202. Since 2000 in Extremadura the number has fallen from some 50,000 to less than half that. The decline is partly the result of the depopulation of rural areas, and of changing consumption habits.

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

10 facts about you

2011-11-04T21:47:00.000+01:00

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

Convocatoria de Movilidad del Alumnado Comenius 2012

2011-11-03T17:39:00.000+01:00

El Programa Comenius tiene por objeto reforzar la dimensión europea en el campo de la educación infantil, primaria y secundaria, promoviendo la movilidad y la cooperación entre centros educativos.

La Movilidad de alumnado Comenius es una iniciativa europea para permitir que el alumnado de educación secundaria pueda estudiar durante un período de entre 3 y 10 meses en un centro educativo de otro país europeo, viviendo con una familia.

Sus objetivos son:

ofrecer al alumnado de secundaria experiencias de aprendizaje europeas
desarrollar su comprensión sobre la diversidad de culturas y lenguas europeas
ayudarle a adquirir las competencias necesarias para su desarrollo personal
forjar una cooperación sostenible entre los centros participantes y fortalecer la dimensión europea en la educación escolar

Además, la Movilidad de alumnado Comenius también puede ser una valiosa experiencia pedagógica internacional para los docentes que intervienen en la organización y aplicación de la movilidad.

Todos los agentes implicados en la movilidad de alumnado Comenius (centros, alumnos y alumnas, sus familias y las de acogida) deben consultar específicamente la Guía para la movilidad individual de alumnado Comenius cuyo fin es ayudarles a desarrollar la actividad y a garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de los participantes. En ella se especifican las funciones y responsabilidades, los plazos que deben cumplirse, ofrece orientaciones y facilita modelos de todos los formularios necesarios.

¿Quién puede solicitarla?

La movilidad sólo puede desarrollarse entre centros educativos que participen o hayan participado en una asociación escolar Comenius del Programa de Aprendizaje Permanente o de su precedente Sócrates. Los centros solicitantes deberán tener el acuerdo previo con un centro de la misma asociación y de otro país, que será el centro de acogida del alumnado español que participa en la movilidad.

Además deberán estar situados en alguno de los países que figuran en el apartado siguiente.

Se recomienda, aunque no es obligatorio, el intercambio recíproco de alumnado entre los centros y las familias de acogida.

Los alumnos y alumnas serán seleccionados por los centros participantes y deberán tener al menos 14 años cumplidos en el momento en que se inicie la movilidad y estar matriculados a tiempo completo en el centro, que debe cumplir todos los requisitos para la participación en la acción.

¿Qué países participan?

En la convocatoria 2012 participarán todos los países incluidos en el Programa de Aprendizaje Permanente, excepto Alemania, Chipre, Irlanda y Reino Unido.

Duración

Mínima: 3 meses por movilidad de cada alumno o alumna

Máximo: un curso escolar (+/- 10 meses)

Guía de solicitud

Los centros educativos españoles interesados en solicitar ayudas para la Movilidad de alumnado Comenius deberán remitir la solicitud por duplicado debidamente cumplimentada, firmada y sellada a la dirección de la Administración educativa que corresponda de las que figuran en el anexo II de la convocatoria.

Las solicitudes deben cumplimentarse en la lengua de trabajo que acuerden los centros asociados, utilizando el formulario correcto.

Por cada solicitud, debe haber como máximo un centro de origen y como mínimo un centro de acogida de un país distinto. Es decir, un mismo centro de origen puede enviar alumnos a uno o más centros de acogida.

Para información más detallada sobre la acción y el procedimiento de solicitud, se puede consultar la Guía del Programa de Aprendizaje Permanente, que se publica todos los años junto con la convocatoria general de propuestas y contiene toda la información administrativa correspondiente al PAP.

Financiación

La ayuda se concede a los centros educativos de origen, responsables de gestionar y distribuir la financiación que contribuirá a cubrir los siguientes gastos:

Los costes administrativos generados en el centro que envía alumnos o alumnas
Los costes administrativos en el centro de acogida, incluidos los costes de tutoría
Los costes de la preparación lingüística del alumnado
Los desplazamientos de ida y vuelta del alumnado (incluidos los trayectos nacionales)
Una asignación mensual para el alumnado

Además, los costes derivados de la formación obligatoria previa a la movilidad para el alumnado y el profesorado participantes serán asumidos por la Agencia Nacional.

Proceso de selección

El proceso de selección tiene dos fases:

Revisión de las candidaturas aplicando los criterios de elegibilidad según lo establecido en la convocatoria nacional. Las candidaturas deberán cumplir todos los criterios de elegibilidad y en ningún caso se aceptará documentación adicional con registro de entrada posterior a la fecha de cierre del plazo correspondiente.
Evaluación de las candidaturas, que será realizada por expertos y conforme a los siguientes criterios establecidos en la Guía del Programa de Aprendizaje Permanente (PAP):
- a) La calidad del programa de movilidad.
- b) Las medidas establecidas por los centros educativos para garantizar el apoyo necesario al alumnado, a las familias de acogida y al profesorado implicado.
- c) El impacto y los beneficios de la cooperación europea para todas las partes implicadas.

La calificación de la calidad de las solicitudes se realiza según unos criterios y baremos idénticos para todas las solicitudes europeas.

Publicación y notificación de las ayudas

Los resultados del proceso de selección se harán públicos en esta página Web, con indicación de las causas de exclusión, en su caso.

Selección del alumnado

El centro de origen será el encargado de seleccionar al alumnado participante una vez que su solicitud haya sido aprobada. Para esta selección se deben seguir los criterios que se describen en el formulario de solicitud y las recomendaciones previstas en la Guía para la movilidad individual de alumnado Comenius.

Profesorado

El centro de origen debe designar al profesorado de contacto y el centro de acogida debe nombrar a un mentor/tutor o tutora responsable de la preparación y el seguimiento de la movilidad.

Acuerdo de estudios

Antes de iniciar la movilidad, los centros de origen y de acogida deben establecer un acuerdo de estudios de manera conjunta con el alumno o alumna, en el que se detallen los cursos que debe seguir durante su período de estancia en el extranjero y sus resultados. Dicho acuerdo tiene por objeto facilitar el reconocimiento por parte del centro de origen de los estudios que el alumno o alumna realice durante su estancia en el extranjero.

Familias de acogida

El centro de acogida seleccionará las familias de acogida y debe asegurarse de que cada una de ellas ha firmado antes de recibir a cualquier alumno o alumna la Carta de familia de acogida, en la que se establecen sus derechos y responsabilidades.

Sesiones de formación

Todo el alumnado seleccionado deberá asistir obligatoriamente a una sesión formativa en España organizada por el OAPEE, antes de su salida y, a su llegada al país de acogida, a otra organizada por la Agencia Nacional del país correspondiente. Las sesiones formativas se celebrarán simultáneamente para alumnado y profesorado implicado, tanto de contacto, como tutores.

Seguro europeo

Durante la estancia en el extranjero el alumnado participante estará cubierto por un seguro europeo, en el que serán inscritos antes de la partida.

Convalidación de estudios

En el caso de que la estancia dure un curso completo, la convalidación de los estudios cursados por el alumnado en el centro de acogida se realizará de acuerdo con lo establecido en el Real Decreto 104/1988, de 29 de enero, sobre homologación y convalidación de títulos y estudios extranjeros de educación no universitaria (publicado en el BOE el 17 de febrero) y en la normativa que lo desarrolla.

3rd 2011-12 Quiz: Strong Mind

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

Labor Students,

Here is the 3rd quiz for this schoolyear (by the way, as of today you have not solved the previous one yet...) This one is open to all ESO students at Labor.

So, 10 points, as usual, to the first student to email the correct answer to us: Your task is to transcribe the text in the image below correctly (spelling, punctuation, etc.). Easy, isn't it?

Good Luck!

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

Coldplay: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

2011-11-01T07:48:00.000+01:00

It is a long time since our last musical post, so we thought Coldplay's concert in Madrid last week deserved a celebration. It is really hard to set one song apart from the rest in their album Mylo Xyloto, but we think that Every Teardrop is a Waterfall is special, not only because of its melody, but specially because of its lyrics and spectacular videoclip. Pure Coldplay at their best... or is Paradise even better... what do you think. Leave your comments and let us know!

Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall was released on 3 June 2011, as a digital download except in the United Kingdom where it was released on 5 June 2011. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto. The song contains elements of the 1976 song "I Go to Rio" written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson.

The videoclip was released to the public on 28 June 2011. It shows the band playing across various backdrops sprayed with colourful graffiti painted by the band's artist "Paris". The video was shot between 14 and 15 June 2011 at Millennium Mills in east London, close to London City Airport, but begins with a shot of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline. The music video, which features the band, uses a stop motion technique and was directed by Mat Whitecross, who has worked with the band since 1999 and was responsible for the videos for "Lovers in Japan" and "Christmas Lights", among others.

I turn the music up,
I got my records on
I shut the world outside
until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight,
maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating
to my favourite song

And all the kids they dance,
all the kids dance all night
Until Monday morning feels another life
I turn the music up
I’m on a roll this time
And heaven is in sight

I turn the music up,
I got my records on
From underneath a rubble,
I sing a rebel song
Don’t want to see another generation drop
I’d rather be in a coma than in a full stop

Maybe I’m in the black,
maybe I’m on my knees
Maybe I’m in the gap between the two trapezes
But my heart is beating and my pulses start
Cathedrals in my heart

And we saw oh this light I swear you,
emerge blinking into
To tell me it’s alright
As we soar walls,
every siren is a symphony
And every tear’s a waterfall
Is a waterfall, oh
Is a waterfall, oh
Is a waterfall
Every tear is a waterfall, oh

So you can hurt, hurt me bad
But I’ll still raise the flag

Oh,
It was a wa... waterfall
A wa... waterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

Coldplay - Every tear is a waterfall

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

Halloween 2011

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000+01:00

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!

Photo by our Primary Physical Education teacher César Redondo

Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31st, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to create the holiday we know today.

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity and life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween has long been thought of as a day when the dead can return to the earth, and ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghosts.

The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween. In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. Although the superstitions and beliefs surrounding Halloween may have evolved over the years, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people can still look forward to parades, costumes and sweet treats to usher in the winter season.

Ancient Origins of Halloween

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

Today's Traditions

The Halloween tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

If you want to know the full story, visit the History channel

Halloween. The History Channel website. 2010. Available at: http://www.history.com/topics/halloween. Accessed oct 26, 2010.

Considering Halloween from a commercial point of view, we must point out that the average American will spend around $66 on Halloween this year, nearly $6 billion total, making Halloween the second biggest holiday of the year. This is what Newsy reporter, Christine Slusser,ha written:

No tricks-- all treats. Americans are spending scary amounts this Halloween--the good kind of scary. Billings, Montana NBC affiliate KULR-8 reports that despite the spooky economy, Halloween is the second biggest American holiday as far as home decorating sales go.

It takes a ghoulish second to Christmas, of course.

LISA GONEVA: “I expanded this store just to fit this stuff in to my store. I went from 6,000 square feet up to ten.”

SHARON SONG: “Total spending for the holiday is estimated to reach $6-billion, and although costumes make up the majority of that amount, a large portion is spent on candy and decorations.”

One farm in Maryland says 10 per cent of its income for the year comes from pumpkins alone. Voice of America News visited the farm...and noticed just how much muoolah was frightfully flying: “Pumpkins with scary faces, funny faces and almost anything else lit from inside the pumpkin, will decorate front porches across America on Halloween night. The Cliber family spent nearly $70 on pumpkins today. Other families have been making similar purchases.”

Bloomberg Business Week decided the best way to illustrate this recent Halloween boom...was through rhyme: “Just when you think it’s all just for fun, notice shoppers swiping credit cards, one by one. Prices are spiking, like this girls green hair, as everyone scrambles for something to wear. Much to the retailers delight, they rake in the cash, as kids prepare for a huge candy stash.”

...and CNN reports while Halloween sales have been up this year...in previous years-- not so much. So after a few gruesome years, it’s safe to say the Halloween biz is back...for now:

CHRISTINE ROMANS: “Experts say the American consumer is tired of being sick and tired, and that they’re going to go out and spend some discretionary income on Halloween - what do you think?”

ROBERT PINZONE: “That seems to be what’s going on because we are definitely busier than last year. They’re tired of saving pennies, I guess they’re here, they wanna spend some money.”

How much did you shell out for Halloween this season? Did you go all out...or are you saving for Santa?

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

ESO 1 - 1st Term PBL

2011-10-28T12:53:00.001+01:00

ESO 1 Students,

This is your 1st term PBL assignment. You have to write a letter to an imaginary penfriend. Include information about you, your family and free time. Your letter must be at least 100 words long.

In the following image you have an example of a first letter to a penfriend. Your message should be very similar:

You have two options:

Write your message on an A4-sized paper and hand it to the teacher

E-mail it to us.

The deadline is Friday 9th December at precisely 23h 59' 59''. No answers will be admitted after that, but remember you can hand in or send your letters at any time before the deadline: there is no need to procrastinate and wait until the very last day.

Good luck!

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

Excessive Texting: Top 10 Dangers

2011-10-27T20:37:00.002+01:00

Labor ESO Students,

We give you now the post published today, Thursday 27th October, on High School, the educational supplement at the Huffington Post about the dangers of excessive texting for teenagers' health.

About 75 percent of 12-17 year-olds in America own a cell phone. Half of them send 50 or more text messages a day, and one-third send more than 100 text messages daily. Texting's popular -- but you knew that, of course.

What you might not know are the potential dangers associated with being glued to your phone 24/7 (and we're not just talking accidentally sending "I'm busty" instead of "I'm busy" to your crush... though that counts, too).

Below are the top 10 biggest texting dangers you should be aware of before entering into your next 24-hour texting spree. Or you can click here to watch the slideshare

Text Neck - Unless you hold the phone out directly in front of your face when you text, we all bend our heads down while we stare at the screen. This is especially true when secretly texting under a desk in class. If you do it for more than a few hours a day, this inevitably leads to a sore neck -- or as we like to call it, 'text neck.' Luckily, there's an easy fix: stretching. Click here for some easy stretching tips and a few notes on the best texting posture.

Dirty Hands - We're told to wash our hands when we're in public places -- but how many times have you touched your phone before you pull out the hand sanitizer? Face the facts: your phone is a cess pool of germs.
Don't believe us? U.K. researchers tested 390 cell phones from across the country and found that 16% were contaminated with fecal matter in the form of E. Coli. GROSS.
Luckily, the solution is pretty easy: you can wipe off your phone using disinfectant wipes or using a disinfectant cleaning spray and a paper towel -- just be careful not to spray anything directly on your phone!

Dry Eyes - Similar to how a computer monitor makes your eyes dry, staring (and squinting) at the screen of your phone for too long also causes uncomfortable, dry eyes. One way to minimize eye strain is to increase the font size on your device. You can also keep re-wetting eye drops handy for relief.

Texter's Thumb - "Blackberry thumb" has been recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a real-life medical condition. It's a feeling of numbness in your thumb -- an inflammation of the tendons -- caused by excessive phone-button-pushing. Yikes.

Anxiety and Insomnia - According to The New York Times, texting can lead to "anxiety... and sleep deprivation." We'll admit it -- that seems a tad dramatic to us. But an MIT psychologist via The Atlantic does make an interesting point: "If something next to you is vibrating every couple of minutes, it makes it very difficult to be in that state of [of peace and quiet] ... So if you're in the middle of a thought, forget it." Possible solution? Try turning on your "silent" function before bed and put your phone in a different room to resist the temptation to check.

Distracted Driving - According to Car and Driver magazine, the braking reaction time of someone who was over the legal blood-alcohol limit is four feet and the braking reaction time of someone sending a text is 70 feet. Scary stuff. And the list of reasons why texting-while-driving is dangerous goes on. So, don't do it. Period. And download a free app for your phone -- like this one -- to help you kick the habit.

Drinking and Smoking - Teenagers sending 120 text messages a day are more likely to drink, smoke and have sex, claims a US doctor. The findings pointed to earlier work which linked heavy internet use to depression.
What do you guys think of this one?

Social Anxiety - Is texting your primary means of communication with friends and family, these days? Two-thirds of texters say they are more likely to use their cell phones to text their friends rather than talk to them. More than half -- 54 percent -- of teens say they text their friends at least once a day, but only 33 percent talk to friends face-to-face daily. According to Dr. Robert Trestman, psychiatrist: "What it can do is reduce the skills that they otherwise need to develop, or interpersonal face-to-face to be able to say difficult things, to build relationships."

Bad Grades - "[Texting] is a huge issue, and it's rampant," said a high school chemistry teacher from California. According to The New York Times, the teacher gave an anonymous survey to 50 of her students and most said they texted during class. Distractions in school can lead to failing grades. This can also be linked to the lack of sleep factor -- if students are staying up late responding to text messages, that doesn't help them have an alert day of learning the next day.

Misinterpretation - Go to damnyouautocorrect.com, look at every example, and imagine accidentally sending that to your parents. If that's not dangerous... we don't know what is.

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

2nd 2011-12 Quiz

2011-10-27T17:22:00.000+01:00

ESO 3 & ESO 4 Students,

10 points up for grabs valid for the 1st term to the first student to e-mail us the correct answer to this quiz:

What is the meaning of 'Mylo Xyloto', the title of Coldplay's latest album?

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

ESO English Syllabus 2011-12

2011-10-27T12:35:00.002+01:00

ESO Students,

If you click on the following links you can download your English syllabus, terms and conditions for 2011-12:

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

ESO 2 1st Term PBL - Stop Bullying!

2011-10-18T21:05:00.000+01:00

ESO 2 Students,

This is your 1st term PBL assignment. You have to translate this mind map into Spanish:

(From www.michellenhenry.com)

You have two options:

Draw and paint the mind map in an A-4 sized sheet.

Download the image and edit it using SumoPaint, Gimp, Photoshop, Corel or any similar software and e-mail it to us (your files must be in the "jpg" format, and they must be identified in this way: "Name_Surname.jpg")

The deadline is Friday 18th November at precisely 23h 59' 59''. No answers will be admitted after that, but remember you can send your translations at any time before the deadline: there is no need to procrastinate and wait until the very last day.

Enjoy your task. We are your sure you are going to learn a very valuable, useful lesson. Good luck!

And now, please make sure you click on the 'Tuenti' logo at the top of this section and share this post with your classmates and friends. Thank you!

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

1st 2011-12 Quiz

2011-10-16T20:15:00.000+01:00

ESO 1 & ESO 2 students,

10 points up for grabs valid for the 1st term to the first student to e-mail us the correct answer to this quiz:

Good luck!

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

Programa de Becas High School para estudiantes de 4º de la ESO

2011-10-11T11:05:00.000+01:00

PROGRAMA DE BECAS HIGH SCHOOL para estudiantes de 4º de la ESO
Fundación Barrié y Fundación Amancio Ortega

La Fundación Barrié y la Fundación Amancio Ortega convocan la tercera edición del programa de Becas High School. Un año académico en Estados Unidos, dirigido a estudiantes de 4º de ESO en un centro académico de Galicia en el momento de la solicitud. Los estudiantes seleccionados tendrán la oportunidad de cursar en EEUU estudios equivalentes a 1º de bachillerato ('Grade 11' en el sistema de Estados Unidos).

Becas High School from Faortega & Fbarrie on Vimeo.

Bases:
Ser alumno de 4º ESO en un centro escolar de Galicia durante el curso 2011-12
Notas mínimas: 7,5 de media en 4º ESO y 7 en Inglés de 3º ESO.
Certificado de renta familiar
Haber cumplido 15 años antes del 1 de agosto de 2012

Plazo de inscripción

7 de octubre de 2011 a las 12:00 horas hasta el 20 de noviembre de2011 a las 20:00 horas

Más información en www.becashighschool.org: condiciones de inscripción, formulario de solicitud, plazos, contenido de la beca, así como información complementaria dirigida a padres y centros de enseñanza interesados en el programa.

Para cualquier aclaración complementaria le rogamos envíe un correo electrónico a infobecas@becashighschool.org.

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

ESO 3 & ESO 4 1st Term PBL 2011-12

2011-10-05T20:30:00.000+01:00

ESO 3 & ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 1st term:

Your task is to translate the 'Holstee Manifesto Poster' (in the photograph above) into Galician. In your translations you must use the same size variations as in the original text and you also have to keep the same layout and distribution. Your papers must be only 1 A4-sized page long.

Points will be deducted for inaccurate translating, bad formatting and length, wrong spelling, poor punctuation, wrong choice of font, etc.

Remember a good translation flows easily and sounds natural to our ears.

Once your task is finished, you must email it to us (labor.teacher@gmail.com). The deadline is Friday 4th November at precisely 23h 59' 59''. No answers will be admitted after that, but remember you can send your translations at any time before the deadline: there is no need to procrastinate and wait until the very last day.

Your files must be in the "pdf" format, and they must be identified in this way: "Name_Surname.pdf".

Enjoy your task. We are your sure you are going to learn a very valuable, useful lesson. Good luck!

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

Blogs & Sites at Labor School

2011-10-03T08:30:00.000+01:00

ESO Students,

As of today, your teachers at Labor School offer you up to 17 blogs and sites, 10 of them targeting ESO contents. 1 more blog (French Language) is soon to be published. Please visit them regularly and take advantage of all the hard, good work your teachers are carrying out for your benefit.

Labor English Zone

After School ICT Club

Laboriéntate
Aula de Música

Primer Ciclo EP
Segundo Ciclo EP

History & Social Sciences Dept.
A Todo Filispín

Tercer Ciclo
Pequelabor

PiPlaTecInf

Indoor football

ESO 1-2-3 Mathematics

César Redondo’s Flickr

Natural Sciences & Technology Dept.

Dale a la lengua

Physical Education

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

33 Ways to Stay Creative

2011-09-30T18:50:00.000+01:00

Javier Silveira, a former Labor School student, and presently a web and graphic designer living in Milan, Italy, has shared with us on one of our social networks the following 33 ways to stay creative:

1 - Make lists
2 - Carry a notebook everywhere

3 - Try free writing
4 - Get away from the computer
5 - Be Otherworldly
6 - Quit beating yourself up
7 - Take breaks
8 - Sing in the shower
9 - Drink coffee/tea
10 - Know your roots
11 - Listen to new music
12 - Be open
13 - Surround yourself with creative people
14 - Get feedback
15 - Collaborate
16 - Don't give up
17 - Practice, practice, practice
18 - Allow yourself to make mistakes
19 - Go somewhere new
20 - Watch foreign films
21 - Count your blessings
22 - Get lots of rest
23 - Take risks
24. bREAK tHE rULES
25 - Do more of what makes you happy
26 - Don't force it
27 - Read a page of the dictionary
28 - Create a framework
29 - Stop trying to be someone else's perfect
30 - Got an idea? Write it down
31 - Clean your workspace
32 - Have fun
33 - Finish something

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

Google Effect: Google and your Memory

2011-09-26T20:57:00.000+01:00

Sometimes remembering is not just everything. More important than that is knowing where to find the information, telling the difference between what is important and what is not, having the skills to understand and analyse it, establishing links and relationships between data... and then keeping in mind where it is stored so that we can use it time and again.

Research and Design by: Online Colleges Site

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

Calendar of English Tests, Exams & Deadlines

2011-09-26T02:30:00.000+01:00

ESO Students,

Please remember that you can find this calendar of English tests, exams, tasks and deadlines at the bottom of this blog at any time of the schoolyear.

If you click on the different items (blue arrows, month arrow, 'Week', 'Month' or 'Agenda') you can travel forward & back to keep track of our schedule of events. And you can also print it and stick it on your school diary or English notebook.

If you want to insert it in your blog, website or social network personal page, just ask us and we will send you the code you have to paste.

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

ESO 1 2011-12 Exam Schedule

2011-09-26T02:00:00.000+01:00

ESO 1 Students,

This is your exam schedule for the 2011-12 schoolyear (you can also find a calendar of exams, deadlines and other events at the bottom of this blog):

Please note that all exams and dates are subject to change

1st Term
Diagnostic Test	Wednesday 28th September
Listening 1	Wednesday 19th October
Unit 1	Thursday 20th October
Listening 2	Wednesday 9th November
Unit 2	Thursday 10th November
Listening 3	Wednesday 7th December
Unit 3	Friday 9th December
PBL	To be determined
End of Term test	To be confirmed

2nd Term
Listening 4	Wednesday 25th January
Unit 4	Thursday 26th January
Listening 5	Wednesday 15th February
Unit 5	Thursday 16th February
Listening 6	Wednesday 14th March
Unit 6	Thursday 15th March
PBL	To be determined
End of Term test	To be confirmed

3rd Term
Listening 7	Wednesday 18th April
Unit 7	Thursday 19th April
Listening 8	Wednesday 9th May
Unit 8	Thursday 10th May
Listening 9	Wednesday 6th June
Unit 9	Thursday 7th June
PBL	To be determined
Irregular Verbs	To be announced
End of Term test	To be confirmed
End of Year test	To be determined

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

ESO 2 2011-12 Exam Schedule

2011-09-26T01:30:00.000+01:00

ESO 2 Students,

This is your exam schedule for the 2011-12 schoolyear (you can also find a calendar of exams, deadlines and other events at the bottom of this blog):

Please note that all exams and dates are subject to change

1st Term
Diagnostic Test	Monday 26th September
Listening 1	Monday 24th October
Unit 1	Wednesday 26th October
Listening 2	Monday 28th November
Unit 2	Wednesday 30th November
Irregular Verbs	To be announced
PBL	To be determined
End of Term test	To be confirmed

2nd Term
Listening 3	Monday 23rd January
Unit 3	Wednesday 25th January
Listening 4	Monday 13th February
Unit 4	Wednesday 15th February
Listening 5	Monday 12th March
Unit 5	Wednesday 14th March
Irregular Verbs	To be announced
PBL	To be determined
End of Term test	To be confirmed

3rd Term
Listening 6	Monday 16th April
Unit 6	Wednesday 18th April
Listening 7	Monday 7th May
Unit 7	Wednesday 9th May
Listening 8	Monday 4th June
Unit 8	Wednesday 6th June
Unit 9	To be confirmed
PBL	To be determined
End of Term test	To be confirmed
End of Year test	To be determined

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