Way to go!!

Things to do | Art, culture & heritage | Tower of London

2012-02-06T04:57:00.000-08:00

Things to do | Art, culture & heritage | Tower of London

Tower of London

London's formidable fortress

Spanning over 900 years of British history, the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power.

Fortress, palace, prison, arsenal and garrison, it is one of the most famous fortified buidings in the world. In houses the Crown Jewels, armouries, Yeoman Warders and ravens.

The Tower of London has a colourful history dating back to the 11th century. Romans once occupied it, it's the site of Europe's first fortress, it has been a royal palace, a prison, an execution site, an arsenal, a mint, a keep for wild animals and jewel house - and you can see artefacts from every part of this remarkable history.
During a visit to the Tower you can see Britain's most precious treasure - The Crown Jewels, stand on the execution site of 3 English queens and explore the legends of this world-famous landmark.
Look out for the famous black ravens in the grounds of the Tower. These magnificent birds have been kept here since the 1600s, and legend has it the Tower will fall, along with the Kingdom, if the ravens ever leave the site. You'll also see the Beefeaters (or Yeoman Warders) who have been guarding the tower for over 600 years.
A visit to the Tower of London offers a millennium of British history in one day. This exceptional heritage site is a great day out and holds daily exhibitions and events throughout the year.

The Ceremony of the Keys

The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking-up of the Tower of London. It's happened every night without fail for at least 700 years. Don't miss your chance to watch this fascinating tradition on your trip to Britain.

Every night, at exactly 21:53, the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower emerges from the Byward Tower wearing his long red coat and Tudor bonnet and carrying a candle lantern and the Queen's Keys.

The Chief Yeoman Warder then meets his military escort (members of the Tower of London Guard), and together they lock the main gates of the Tower. As they pass, all of the Tower's guards salute the Keys. The Chief Yeoman Warder and his escort then retrace their steps, and lock the great oak gates of the Middle and Byward Towers on the way.

The only time the ceremony has been interrupted in the last 700 years was during the Second World War. During an air raid, bombs fell onto the old Victorian guardroom as the Chief Yeoman Warder and his escort were coming through the Bloody Archway. The shock and the noise of the bombs sent the group flying to the floor, but they stood up, dusted themselves down, and carried on.

Tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys are free, but due the popularity of the ceremony, you must apply in writing at least 2 months in advance. For details on how to apply for tickets, visit the Tower of London - Ceremony of the Keys.

Read all about it at: http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Tower-of-London/

Internet English

2012-02-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

Vocabulary: Internet English

Nowadays, knowing some Internet English is a must. Here's a page from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary which provides a usage note about e-mail and the Internet. Don't miss it! There's loads of information on this page!

http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/podcast

Also, be smart and bookmark the link to one of the best dictionaries:

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Pronunciation of live - how to pronounce live correctly.

2012-01-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

Pronunciation of live - how to pronounce live correctly.

This is for one of my students who came up with a doubt concerning the different pronunciations of the word “live”.
The reason for this difference in pronunciation has to do with the type of word “live” is in the context. When “live” is a verb, as “I live in Buenos Aires” we pronounce /liv/, but when it is an adjective, as in
“a live version of a song”, the pronunciation is /laiv/.
www.howjsay.com

Be smart and bookmark this link to a great online pronunciation dictionary:
www.howjsay.com

Upper-intermediate Extra practice for Senior 5 students

2012-01-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Upper-intermediate

Conversation Workshop

2012-01-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

Our summer course this year is basically a Conversation Workshop. We plan our classes carefully, always trying to include activities that foster communication skills. We provide our students with carefully selected material, containing debate topics and useful phrases and vocabulary to ensure the students' oral expression. Also, these activities are usually followed up by a listening task to practise pronunciation and speaking.

Cold Feet

2012-01-05T03:03:00.000-08:00

Watch this episode of a soap opera to learn the meaning of "cold feet"

Best wishes!!

2012-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Dear all,

I really want to wish you the best for this year, tons of happiness and loads of laughter!

Hope to see you all soon to start a new year full of new aims and new targets.

Season´s Greetings!

2011-12-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Blessings of peace and love for you and your families!

With all my love,

Val.

Hope to see you all soon! Keep coming back for more news after Christmas and New Year. In the meantime, do have fun and gather with your families and friends to celebrate.

Congratulations!!!

2011-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

At last!!
We´re done with classes and exams for this year!
All I want to tell you is that I´m very pleased with the results.
You have worked hard and I know it.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Now you can relax and have fun and enjoy your holidays because you really deserve them!

Important dates!

2011-10-22T06:08:00.001-07:00

The end of the year is close and there are some dates to bear in mind. The last week of November we are having our final exams and the week before you'll be doing a Practice Test so I don't need to tell you, but you should start revising. Don't leave everything for the last day since you'll find out you've learnt a lot this year and you won't be able to check everything on just one day. Also, remember that you won't be allowed to sit for the final exam if you are missing assignments! Finally, we are handing out reports on the last class.
Enviado desde mi BlackBerry de Personal

Online Practice Test for Pre-Fce students

2011-10-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

Click here to do the online test!

Follow the link and take your time to do this online test! Results are shown at the end of each part of the practice test.

Michael Jackson's children appear at tribute show

2011-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

Remember you can double-click any word for its meaning!

Michael Jackson's children appear at tribute show

Oct. 8, 2011, 4:37 PM EST

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Chart-toppers, soul singers and three generations of Michael Jackson's family — including his children — celebrated the King of Pop at an energetic tribute concert Saturday, urging fans to focus on the late star's music rather than his death.

The run-up to the Michael Forever concert was overshadowed by the L.A. manslaughter trial of Jackson's doctor, and marred by fan criticism, sluggish ticket sales and dissension within the Jackson family. But once the four-hour show started, Jackson's musical genius, and the warm tributes of friends and family, carried the night.

"We're very happy to be here on this special night to honor our father," said Jackson's 13-year-old daughter Paris, who made a brief onstage appearance alongside brothers Prince, 14, and 9-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Blanket.

The children wore outfits evoking their father's famous styles — Paris most strikingly, in a red and black "Thriller"-style jacket. Blanket stood stoic and shy, but the older children smiled and appeared confident in the spotlight. The children joined other family members dancing to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" at the end of the show.

On a stage shaped like a giant glove, musicians including Christina Aguilera, Gladys Knight and Cee Lo Green performed songs from across Jackson's career — from his childhood with the Jackson 5 through monster solo albums like "Thriller" and "Bad."

Want to read the whole story? Click herehttp://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=674571&gt1=28102

Paul McCartney´s getting married again

2011-10-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Paul McCartney to wed U.S. heiress on Sunday: reports

Reuters - 1 hour, 4 minutes ago

Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his fiancee, New York heiress Nancy Shevell, arrive for the world premiere of his ballet Oceans Kingdom in New York September 22, 2011. REUTERS/Kena BetancurReuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney will wed for the third time on Sunday when he and New York heiress Nancy Shevell are married in a civil ceremony in London, British newspapers reported.

The Daily Mirror and the Sun tabloids said on Saturday that McCartney and Shevell, who posted wedding banns last month, would be married at London's Marylebone Register Office before 30 invited guests.

It is the same venue where McCartney married his late first wife Linda in 1969, at the height of the Beatles' fame. Linda died of breast cancer in 1998.

"They have been given special dispensation by the council to marry on Sunday and have chosen what would have been the groom's former bandmate John Lennon's 71st birthday for their big day," the Daily Mirror said.

McCartney's partnership with Lennon in 1960s Britain produced some of the most famous and enduring pop songs of the past 50 years.

Read the whole story at: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/paul-mccartney-to-wed-u-s-heiress-on-sunday-reports/74084

Language and Music

2011-10-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Language and Music

For advanced students! Listen to this podcast in which Teacher Luke from London interviews a friend called Francis who is not only a teacher but an excellent guitarrist. They talk about learning English, learning languages in general and also about music.

Leave a comment!

Online practice for Senior 1 students

2011-09-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

Click here to follow the link!

The link takes you directly to the Oxford University Press online practice for New English File elementary. You can practice pronunciation, do grammar exercises and test your vocabulary.

Do your homework and in your free time do some extra practice. You know, "practice makes perfect"

See you next class.

Extra practice for Pre-Fce students!

2011-08-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, now there´s no excuse! Follow the links for some extra practice. It´ll do you good!

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/index.html

http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/firstcertificate/contenidotematico.htm

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/tsindex.htm

Sing along with Keane!

2011-08-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

The truth is that I knew this song and I liked it but I really didn´t know the band, so it was a nice surprise when I listened to them! Of course, this song is dedicated to the student who told me to listen to Keane!

Cheers, Germán! This one is for you! See you on Thursday.

Welcome back!!!

2011-08-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

We´re back!
And, after this two-week-holidays you should be ready for the second part of the year!
This half is more enjoyable but at the same time it requires a bigger effort on your side. Take your time to do your assignments and try not to miss classes. Also, this time of the year is nicer as days are longer and slowly we get warmer days. So, there´s no excuse!

Mid -term Exams Results

2011-07-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Teens 2:

Anto: Language 8.50 Oral: 7

Tammy: Language 9 Oral: 6.50

Pre- Fce:

Rami: 6.50

Nico: 7

Congratulations to all of you on the wonderful results!!

Enjoy your holidays! We´ll see each other again in August.

Congratulations!!!

2011-07-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well done Agustina!!!!
Congratulations on passing your exam!
You have worked very hard .
Now you can move on to English 2.
See you in again in August!

Have fun.

Mid- term Exams on the way!!!

2011-07-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Jot down the mid-term Exam dates:

Senior 1 : July 5th

Teens 2: July 14th

Pre- Fce: July 12th: Use of English (Units 1 to 4) & Writing

July 14th: Listening & Speaking ( description of photographs)

Study a lot! Good luck!

Senior 1: online practice

2011-06-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Senior 1 students: Follow the link for some online practice!

There are plenty of activities to revise grammar and vocabulary and also some games.

Try it out!

New English File elementary: online practice

Have fun! See you next week!

Subingles.com - Canción Subtitulada de Depeche Mode-just Can T Get Enough - Aprender Inglés con Canciones

2011-06-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

Subingles.com - Canción Subtitulada de Depeche Mode-just Can T Get Enough - Aprender Inglés con Canciones

Hey soul sister (lyrics)

2011-05-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Series 2 Episode 6 - Welcome Back Johnny!

2011-05-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Series 2 Episode 6 - Welcome Back Johnny!

Excellent Listening Podcast with vocabulary and lots of comprehension activities.
Don´t miss it!
Check it out!