INTRODUCTIONS & GREETINGS (intermediate video)

Watch this video for useful expressions when meeting people, whether you know them or not, both in formal and informal situations.

Write a dialogue now:

Imagine you are introduced to your favourite celebrity, what would he say? And what would you respond? Would that be a formal meeting or an informal one?

COUNTRIES & NATIONALITIES (intermediate worksheet + video)

Where are you from?
What is your nationality?

Answer these three questions about the following people:

• Where is he / she from?
• What is his / her nationality?
• What language(s) do they speak?

1. Obama
2. Kate Middleton
3. Shakira
4. Justin Bieber
5. Beyonce
6. Cristiano Ronaldo
7. Messi
8. Lady Gaga
9. J. K. Rowling
10. Beckham
11. Ronaldinho
12. Bill Gates
13. Jennifer Lopez
14. Heidi Klum
15. Maria Sharapova
16. Rafa Nadal

For additional practice, download this worksheet:

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

One of the best teachers I have ever had used to say that learning a new language is like knocking down a barrier in front of you and opening a new path. He helped me to learn English and many others to learn other languages, as he could speak seven different ones. 

Learning a new language opens a whole new world of possibilities. That's why this day encourages Europeans to use multiple languages in an attempt to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe. 

Take the challenge, there is such a wide variety of sounds and even alphabets! A new language will allow you to take a look at life from a different angle and see the way others view the same concepts, sometimes so similarly and still others so differently.

Here is an interesting site created by the Council of Europe where you can discover lots of amazing facts and enjoy many different activities.

This is an image of what you'll find:

Give it a try!

MYTHS & LEGENDS (advanced stories)

Strange stories for a rainy night. Grandmothers love telling them and most of us enjoy listening while sitting in a cozy room, where no ghost could possibly enter. Or... could it?

Read and listen to these legends, some old, some recent, all disquieting.

Open the door to your imagination

Click on the eyes and hear...

CLASSROOM LANGUAGE (elementary video)

Oh, no, school again!

Here are some basic expressions to help you survive. You'll make it, I promise!

Easy, right?

Here is another link that can help you:

 

GOOD LUCK!

AUTUMN (intermediate)

Do you know another word for autumn? 

That's right, fall.

Autumn / Fall begins today in the northern hemisphere. 

Seasons bring changes around us, and at this time of the year colours change to red and yellow, days become shorter and the sun moves to other parts of the world. It gives us more hours of darkness.

It's the end of summer and a new beginning.

Listen to a classic autumn song by Eric Clapton:

Do you want to sing along? Here is the karaoke version:

What else comes with autumn? Look at this painting of 1573 by Giuseppe Arcimboldo called Autumn.

 Click below for more information and activities on autumn.

MEN AT WORK

Look at this picture:

• How old do you think it is?
• Is it real or is it a fake image?
• What makes it so disquieting?
• What are the men doing?
• Are they tense or relaxed?

And...
how are they going to get down from there?!

Find the answers here.

YOUR FAVOURITE SANDWICH (activities for elementary & intermediate students)

Shall we prepare a delicious sandwich for school tomorrow? Do you have one in mind? What ingredients would you use?

Enter this site to check one out! Can you drag and drop the correct names? 

(This is just an image of what you'll find:)

If you want to learn more words related to food, click here and this is what you'll see: a list of activities and games to practise food and drinks vocabulary.

Let's try some recipes of sandwiches for a party now. Watch this video and get ready!

Use your dictionary to find out the meaning of the different herbs and types of bread used.

If you still want to know more kinds of sandwiches, click below and take a look.

You may also find these links useful:

1. http://englishstuffesl.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/the-origins-of-sandwiches-intermediate.html  (intermediate videos)
2. http://englishstuffesl.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/food-drinks-esl-elementary-powerpoint.html (elementary powerpoint)
3. http://englishstuffesl.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/food-flip-book-elementary.html  (elementary flipbook)

  BON APPETIT!

FORMAL & INFORMAL TABLES (intermediate)

It's dinner time and you want to be the perfect host. Here's what you need to prepare. But, wait, there is more than one option: is it going to be an informal dinner (for friends or family) or a formal one (for people you don't know so well, business partners, customers, etc.)?

Compare the two tables.

What are the differences?

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Related link: http://englishstuffesl.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/table-manners.html

ONLINE BOOKS (intermediate audiobooks for children)

Enter this wonderful site, go through the shelves and choose a book. There are lots of them in many different languages!

Read and also listen if you wish. They have beautiful illustrations, too.

I bet you'll want to read them all!

 

This picture is only an example of the treasures you can discover:

And here is a page of one of their books, The Story of the Little Prince, an adaptation of a classic of French literature.

Enjoy them all!

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE (elementary game)

Picture yourself as a combination of a boy and a lizard (yes, you have read it correctly!). Or perhaps you would like to be half a lion and half an octopus. Would you like to have wings like a butterfly?

Visit this incredible site by NEW YORK ZOOS AND AQUARIUM and make those wild dreams a reality.

Select the body part you want to change and choose your favourite option. The results are amazing!

Click here to enter.

                                  

This is me!

Now, can you describe yourself?

What parts have you got?

What is your head like?

What about your legs? 

And your eyes?

Are you scary or funny?

How do you like your new self?

SUPERSTITIONS (intermediate video)

Friday 13th, what a terrible day! Or is it Tuesday 13th? Or perhaps Friday the 17th?  The worst things can happen to you on those days, you know? But it depends on which country you live in. How can this be??

In some places (the UK and the USA, for example) only misfortune can occur if the 13th falls on a Friday. In others, such as Spanish-speaking countries, the unlucky day is Tuesday 13th, whereas in Italy you should be especially careful on Friday the 17th!

Superstitions make you fear that things might go wrong in certain circumstances, or if you do (or don't do) certain things.

What superstitions do you know? Do you believe in luck?

Watch this video and learn more.

(Source of video: YouTube. Created by Misterduncan)

Please, tomorrow avoid cats, ladders, umbrellas and... just in case, touch wood!  Or even better, stay in bed all day!

BACK TO SCHOOL (oh, no...)

Where did summer go? How could it be so short? Can you believe it?: it's gone!

Let's be positive now, ok? One can make new friends, meet new teachers, perhaps even a new sweetheart...

All right, all right... not trying to fool you!

 Welcome back, anyhow!

THE BEAUTY OF WORDS (all levels)

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TRAVELLING. Tipping etiquette around the world. (intermediate)

Customs vary around the world, and it's important to know them when you want to visit a new country. There are many different aspects to consider, and this is not a minor one at all: TIPPING. How much money are you expected to give after dining at a restaurant, taking a taxi or having some food delivered to you? It is not the same everywhere, the amount varies and even the situations when a tip is required. It may be a must in one country and totally unwelcome in another.

Take a look at this chart and compare the differences.

(Click on the image to enlarge it).

Source:  by Mint.com.
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HISTORY GAME (elementary)

Enter this site by Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, where you can find lots of resources and games such as this one with which you can test your knowledge of history.

Click here to visit their home page.

and

here to play this game.

The aim of the game is to place each falling object into the correct box. How quick are you?

THE END OF SUMMER

Enjoy this old song by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong