Labor English Zone wishes you the 
Season's Greetings

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

There's a saying

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mistery. But TODAY IS A GIFT... That is why it is called the PRESENT

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Music: Evian - Live Young

So small, yet incredible! The song is Rappers' Delight, by Dan the Automator (you can find the lyrics at http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/rappersdelightlyrics.html). Our personal theory is that the  Spanish hit "Aserejé" is based (consciously or unconsciously) on this very song.

After some research, our suspicions have been confirmed by Wikipedia (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aserejé):
El estribillo es la primera estrofa del "Rapper's Delight" grabado por la banda Sugarhill Gang en 1979, traducido fonéticamente al español (De la manera que sonaría a alguien que no entiende inglés):

I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie

Aserejé ja de jé de jebe

to the hip hip hop, a you don't stop

tu de jebere sebiunouva

the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie

majabi an de bugui

to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

an de buididipí

En la versión que cantan Las Ketchup se hace la interpretación de la letra en forma fonética:

"Aserejé, já, dejé, dejebe tu de jebere sebiounouva, majabi and de bugui and de buididipí"

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Music: Dancing in the Moonlight

Originally by King Harvest (1973), this version is by Toploader:

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Advertising

Who's gonna tell me when to stop?

Which way to go?

Who's right... or wrong?

Who's gonna judge me?

ME

Only the Brave. The new fragrance by Diesel.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Bullying advice

Recently, there has been a lot of publicity in the national newspapers about the problem of bullying in our schools.

Bullying will not be tolerated at Labor school and we outline below some information and advice about bullying:

What is bullying?

Bullying can mean different things. These are some ways children and young people have described bullying:

• Being called names
• Being teased
• Being pushed or pulled about
• Being hit or attacked
• Having your bag and possessions taken and thrown about
• Having rumours spread about you
• Being ignored and left out
• Being forced to hand over money or possessions
• Being attacked because of your religion

What does it feel like to be bullied?

Bullying hurts. It makes you scared and upset. It can make you so worried that you can't work well at school. Some children have said that it makes you feel that you are no good, that there is something wrong with you. Bullies can make you feel that it's your fault

Why do bullies do it?

• They have their own problems—they may feel upset or angry or feel that they don't fit in—perhaps they have problems at home?
• Maybe they get bullied themselves, perhaps by someone in their own family or other adults?
• They're scared of getting picked on so they do it first.
• They want to show off and seem tough.
• Many don't like themselves and so take it out on someone else.

How to stop Bullying?

If you are being bullied, you can do something about it.

You can make a difference!

• TELL, TELL, TELL
• Practise what you want to say.
• Keep a note or diary of what is happening.
• Don't give up.
• Ask your parents to visit school.
• Talk over what to do with a friend, your mum or dad or someone you trust.
• Remember that teachers have to listen carefully when a child tells them about being bullied.

Helping a Friend

Maybe you're not being bullied, but you know someone who is.

Don't ignore bullying. You can help. Don't let bullies get away thinking that no one will do anything.

• Let a teacher or adult know what is happening.
• Refuse to join in.
• Try to be a friend to the person being bullied.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

New blog at Labor school

A new blog from Labor school will be shortly available at www.colegiolabor.com: Laboriéntate.

Both parents and students will find it useful and interesting: you will find a great deal of information and advice on study skills, careers information and orientation, vocational guidance, counseling, etc.

3rd & 4th ESO students and their parents will find the careers orientation software Orienta 09/10 specially helpful. Its aim is to assist you in defining your career plan (itinerary) in the direction you may hope to pursue in the future. It can be downloaded and installed on your computers for free.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

"A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens

Click on links below to read and/or listen to 9 episodes of this classic X-mas story by Charles Dickens:

Episode 1: Marley's ghost    Listen to episode 1
Episode 2: Meeting with Marley   Listen to episode 2
Episode 3: The first of the three spirits    Listen to episode 3
Episode 4: Master Fezziwg    Listen to episode 4
Episode 5: The second of the three spirits    Listen to episode 5
Episode 6: Scrooge's nephew      Listen to episode 6
Episode 7: The last of the three spirits     Listen to episode 7
Episode 8: An end to the haunting     Listen to episode 8
Episode 9: The end of it...      Listen to episode 9

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Music: Hope there's someone, by Antony and the Johnsons

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Revision activities: May remedial exams

If you click on the following links, you will find a set of 50 exercises for each ESO grade for the remedial exams in May. Bear in mind that you will be asked 10 of those 50 activities:.
1st ESO
2nd ESO
3rd ESO

NO SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY 16TH!!!

The educational authorities from Xunta de Galicia have just decided that tomorrow, WEDNESDAY 16th, there will be NO CLASSES due to the bad weather alert.

Music: Yellow (animation) by Coldplay

As Naia Cea (4th ESO A) suggested, here's the animated version of Yellow by the British band Colplay:

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Music: Where is the love? by The Blacked Eyed Peas

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

How to add subtitles to YouTube videos!

Watch this video and learn how to add subtitles to YouTube videos easily and for free!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Humour

A young man comes before a customs agent.
Agent: "State your citizenship."
Young man:"American" (pronounced with a Spanish accent).
Agent: "Hold on there, buddy. Say that again."
Young man: "I sed American."
Agent: "I'm going to give you a test."
Young man: "No, no senor, no need for test, I tell you I"m American."
Agent: "Yeah, sure buddy. OK, let's see, ... I've got it. Make a sentence with the following colors: green, pink and yellow."
Young man: "Oh senor, I tell you I'm American. But OK, let's see... I was at my bruder-in-laws house and the phone went 'green, green, I pinked it up and sed yellow!"

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

New rules for MP3 players

New laws are being considered to introduce a maximum volume setting for personal music players made in Europe.

This means that if you buy a music player you would only be able to listen to music at approved levels.

It's because a report warned that up to 10 million people in Europe risk damaging their hearing from listening to loud music.

Some doctors say they are already seeing more young people coming to hospitals with hearing problems.

The idea will be discussed by officials in Europe and could be made law next Spring.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Quizzes: Gaming characters & X-mas

Click here for a quiz on gaming characters and here for a quiz on Christmas

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Desperate Housewives, Season 1, Episode 1, Intro

The very beginning of Desperate Housewives:

My name is Mary Alice Young. When you read this morning's paper you may come across an article about the unusual day I had last week. Normally there's never anything newsworthy about my life, but that all changed last Thursday. Of course, everything seemed quite normal at first: I made breakfast for my family, I performed my chores, I completed my projects, I ran my errands. In truth I spent the day as I spend every other day: quietly polishing the routine of my life until it gleamed with perfection. That's why it was so astonishing when I decided to go to my hallway closet and retrieve a revolver that had never been used.

My body was discovered by my neighbour, Mrs Martha Huber, who had been startled by a strange popping sound. Her curiosity aroused. Mrs Huber tried to think of a reason for dropping in on me unannounced. After some initial hesitations, she decided to return the blender she had borrowed from me 6 months before.

MRS HUBER (on the phone): It's my neighbour. I think she's been shot. There's blood everywhere. Yes, you've got to send an ambulance. You've got to send one right now!

MARY ALICE: And for a moment, Mrs Huber stood motionless in her kitchen, grief-stricken by this senseless tragedy. But only for a moment... If there was one thing Mrs Huber was known for, it was her ability to look on the bright side.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

Music: Mad World

Mad World is a song by the British band Tears for Fears, written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith:

This version you are about to listen, sung by Adam Lambert, contains the lyrics (maybe you are familiar with this version thanks to the Halo 3 videogame advert):

All around me are familiar faces

Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races

Going nowhere, going nowhere

And their tears are filling up their glasses

No expression, no expression

Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrows

No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying

Are the best I ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very very,

Mad world, Mad world
Children waiting for the day they feel good

Happy birthday, happy birthday

May they feel the way that every child should

Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous

No one knew me, no one knew me

Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson

Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny,

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying

Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very very

Mad world, Mad world

Mad world, Mad world



No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.

TV shows, series and cartoons

A good way to improve your pronunciation is to watch shows and series in their original version. Now that DTT reaches almost everybody you have no excuse: press the language button on your remote control and choose the original version option. The experience will be even better if you press the subtitle button to switch languages: you will be able to read (in English!) what the characters are saying (on Digital + you will need to press the "+" button at the bottom of the remote control).

You will be amazed at:

• how much English you already know and understand.
• the pace at which you can learn and improve two of the four basic skills: listening and reading.
• the actual voices of the actors and actresses — they are so much deeper, richer and more luring than their dubbers' voices.
• the accents: Henry VIII's accent in The Tudors is so different from Dexter's or Mary Alice Young's in Desperate Housewives!... or compare the British accent of Dr Cal Lightman (an expert in facial microexpressions played by actor Tim Roth  — a macroexpressive actor in fact!) in the show Lie to me to the accents of the rest of the cast.

Many people find the opening credits of a show a basic reason to start following it. are Here are a few examples of brilliant opening credits of shows I definitely recommend:

The Tudors (C+: Los Tudor):

You think you know a story,
but you only know how it ends.
To get to the heart of the story
You have to go back to the beginning

Desperate Housewives:


Flashforward (Cuatro; not the opening credits but a promo trailer):

Dexter (Cuatro):


House (Cuatro) (3 different jingles put together in one preview):


Lie to Me (Antena 3: Miénteme; the song is Brand New Day, by Ryan Star; full lyrics of the song at the end of the post):

There are 6 and a half billion people in the world, but we all look the same when we lie: dilated pupils, oblique eyebrows, an upturned lip, the smallest line on your face, the slightest body move... it all tells a story. It may be human nature to lie, but the truth is written all over your face...

:
Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day


Damages (Canal +: Daños  perjuicios):

Brand New Day lyrics, by Ryan Star:

I've stayed in one place for too long
Gotta get on the run again
I saw the one thing that I want
Hell bent, get outta bed
I'm throwing rocks at your window
You're tying the bed sheets together
They say that we're dreaming too big
I say this town's too small

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day

I've taken hits like a brother
But I'm getting back up again
And from the moment I saw her
I was hell bent with heaven sent
I'm throwing rocks at your window
We're leaving this place together
They say that we're flying too high
Well get used to looking up

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day

It's a brand new day
I know it's a brand new day
Come on to the brand new day
I know it's a brand new day

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day

No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.