Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night: Remember, Remember, the 5th of November - 2014

ESO Students,

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

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

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Together

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

Halloween 2014

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!

Daylight Saving Time 2014

Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.

ESO 3 & ESO 4 1st Term PBL Assignment

ESO 3 & ESO 4 Students,

This is your 2014-15 1st Term PBL assignment:

You must DISCUSS everything and anything this tweet brings to your mind: spelling, grammar, meaning, cultural references, etc.

Every student must print this post and bring it to class on Monday 27th October in order to start working on it straight away. IMPORTANT: it is essential to print the picture above.

Every group must email their answers (in English, of course) BEFORE Sunday 16th November at precisely 23:59:59. No mails will be admitted after the deadline, so please do not wait until the very last minute and get down to work as soon as possible.

You must fill in the "subject" section of your mail messages with YOUR GROUP IDENTIFICATION and the word "PBL". You must also include the names of each and every group member and the percentage of work that every member has carried out. Your group identification must be as follows: GROUPCOLOUR_CLASS. Example: BLUE_4A

Points will be deducted for every instruction you do not follow and each group will be deducted 1 point from their mark for every student who does not bring their copy of this document to class next Monday 27th.

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

Lurpak advertisement

Lurpak - Lightest from Blink on Vimeo.

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

Four Chord Songs

Australian comedy group 'Axis Of Awesome' perform a sketch from the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Celta’s Cat of Catoira

(Reblogged from The Guardian)

Celta’s Cat of Catoira denies RCD A Coruña 

to become the king of Galicia

Sergio Álvarez Conde, in only his 30th league game in 15 years at the club, kept out a late RCD A Coruña penalty to earn Celta the bragging rights in a derby that has been a rarity in recent years

Joaquín Larrivey scored the winning goal for Celta Vigo against RCD 

A Coruña in the Galician derby. Photograph: Salvador Sas/EPA

“I held on as long as I could.” Sergio Álvarez Conde was talking about the moment, but this was more than a moment. He’d held on, all right: longer, much longer, than it looked. It was the 88th minute of the Galician derby, Celta de Vigo versus RCD A Coruña, and it was coming up to midnight on Tuesday night. Sergio stood on the goalline at Balaídos, staring at the ball on the penalty spot, mentally going over his study notes. Behind it stood Haris Medunjanin. Celta led 2-1. They had been two minutes from a huge victory, one they needed, but now it seemed they were about to be denied. Sergio waited. He didn’t go early, he didn’t move. He held on. And then, suddenly, he flew left and pushed the penalty past the post.

2014/15 Exam Schedule for ESO 2, 3 & 4

ESO 2, 3 & 4 Students,

This is your exam schedule for the 2014/15 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. PBL's and Irregular verbs tests dates to be confirmed.

How Not to Email your Teacher

In the video below we can hear a professor’s voice criticizing the lack of formality and inappropriate style of an email sent to him by a student.

However, this email was not a word-for-word copy of a student's email but two or three poor emails put together.

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

Are You a Nomophobe?

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

What does the spleen do?

A Parody of "The Fox" by Ylvis. This video was created for the 107th Annual Second Year Show by the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HMS/HSDM) class of 2016.

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

Word Crimes

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

Labor Walk of Fame 2.3

And again, these are the best students during the 3rd term of this school year 2013/2014. Enjoy your holidays!

ESO 1A - Unai Rial Rodríguez (9.5)

ESO 1B - Raquel Cordeiro Canosa (9.5)

ESO 2A - Álvaro de Prado Saborido (9.25)

ESO 2B - Marta Rivas Ramallo (8.3)

33 ways to speak better English

(Reblogged from British English Coach)

If you’re reading this, I imagine you want to communicate with confidence and competence in English.

When we communicate effectively we are able to express our ideas and opinions, share experiences, and build relationships with others. When we struggle to express ourselves, we feel unvalued and insecure. As human beings, we want to participate in group discussions and have an impact on the society around us.

In the modern world, we communicate across borders. English is the closest thing we have to an international language.

By speaking better English, people all over the world can hear our voice. But, to speak better English, you need a teacher, don’t you? You need to take English classes, right?

Solar Roadways

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

How Many Words Do You Need?

What does it mean to know a language? Knowing it perfectly as a native, being capable of having a standard conversation or just knowing a few words or phrases to make yourself understood?

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

This Sentence Has Five Words

"This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important.” - Gary Provost

A Tense Situation

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

The End of Juan Carlos' Reign

Labor Students,

We are witnessing a historic moment. Some time or another in the future you will be asked where you were, what you were doing and what you remember about June 2nd 2014, the day King Juan Carlos announced his abdication:

We give you now an edited translation of his full speech as broadcast on television reblogged from El País in English:

“When I was proclaimed king, nearly four decades ago, I took on a firm commitment to serve Spain’s general interest, moved by the desire to make citizens the agents of their own destinies and for our nation to become a modern democracy, one that was fully integrated into Europe.

“I proposed leading the exciting national task of allowing citizens to choose their legitimate representatives and to carry out the great, positive transformation that we all needed so much.

“Today, when I look back, I cannot help feeling proud and grateful to you.

“Proud because of the many good things we have achieved together throughout the years.

“And grateful for your support, which has made my reign – which I began as a young man at a time of great uncertainty and difficulty – a long period of peace, freedom, stability and progress.

“Loyal to the political wishes of my father, from whom I inherited the historical legacy of the Spanish monarchy, I have always wanted to be a king for all Spaniards. I identified with your aspirations, felt joy at your successes and suffered when pain or suffering overwhelmed you.”

In a speech that made a point of expressing hope in the future, Juan Carlos nevertheless made a reference to the crisis and its effects.

“The long, deep economic recession we are enduring has left serious scars in the social fabric, but it is also pointing out a future path that is filled with hope.

“These difficult years have enabled us to do some critical stocktaking to analyze our mistakes and limitations as a society.

“On the other hand, they have also reactivated the proud awareness of what we have been and continue to be: a great nation. All of this has awakened within us a desire for renewal, for self-improvement, for correcting our mistakes and for paving the way to a decidedly better future.

“A new generation is legitimately demanding a central role in the forging of this future. A younger generation with new energy has the determination to undertake the transformation and reforms demanded by the current situation.

“My sole ambition has always been, and always will be, to help attain progress and wellbeing for all Spaniards in a climate of freedom.

“I want the best for Spain, to which I have dedicated my entire life and at whose service I have placed all my ability, my enthusiasm and my work.

“My son Felipe, Prince of Asturias and heir to the Crown, embodies the stability that is a defining feature of our monarchy.

“When I turned 76 last January, I felt that the time had come to prepare the handover to make way for someone who is in the best possible conditions to maintain that stability.

“The Prince of Asturias has the maturity, training and sense of responsibility that are necessary to fully guarantee his position as head of state and begin a new period of hope that combines acquired experience with the thrust of a new generation.

“I am sure he will always be able to count on the support of Princess Letizia.

“And so, guided by the firm belief that I am doing the best service to Spaniards, and now that I have recovered physically and gone back to my institutional activities, I have decided to bring my reign to an end and abdicate the Spanish crown.

“I wish to express my gratitude to the Spanish people, to all the individuals who have embodied the state’s powers and agencies during my reign, and everyone who has generously and loyally helped me perform my duties.

“My gratitude also goes out to Queen Sofia, whose cooperation and generous support have never failed me.

“Spain will always be in my heart.”

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