How to improve your English

Today's eTwinning class

Today we are going to have a chat/video session with our Lithuanian partners.  The Ukranian school is not available for exchange this week but we hope they will soon be with us.

1. First, log in at the Twinspace.
2. While the session is being organised, just have a look at the messages in the forum and communicate with the students who have introduced themselves there.
3. Then, open the chatroom, write an introductory message and wait for the other students to come.
4. Then, open the video room and sign in. We'll try and communicate with the other school. if this does not work, we'll continue with the other chatroom.
5. Then, before or after the activity, you can try the grammar exercises in the blog about present perfect and past simple.

How to write an email

Everyday activities

Everyday activities (1) from Ana Arias Castro

World Information Society Day

World Information Society Day is celebrated each year on 17 May to remind the world of the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build “a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society” based on fundamental human rights.

In March 2006, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 17 as World Information Society Day to recognize the efforts made to advance communication and ITU’s role in helping people connect around the world. The UN’s first World Information Society Day took place on Wednesday, 17 May 2006.

Prior to World Information Society Day, World Telecommunication Day, which was first held in 1969, was celebrated on May 17 by people and organizations such as ITU. Many now refer to this day as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, taking into account the UN’s observance of World Information Society Day. The purpose of this observance is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the internet and other information and communication technologies could bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

More information:

• Time and Date
• Wikipedia

Interview to Samuel Donnelly

These are the questions asked to Samuel Donnelly about his stay in our school. The interviewers were the students of the bilingual sections in ESO-3 and ESO-4.

Did you like your stay in Spain?

Yes, I did.

What do you like in Spain?

I really like “jamón”, the lentils, lentils are really good; the lentils in the cafeteria. Well I’ll tell you one thing that I did not like. What I did not like was when I was eating “cocido” I ate the ears. I didn’t like the ears. That’s the one part that I didn’t like.

Did you like Lugo?

Yes, I liked it.

Where will you stay in the summer?

Well, in Lugo.

What will you do next year?

I’ll be the same as here. I’ll be an auxiliar, a reader, the same as here.

Are you going to be here during Arde Lucus?

Yes, I’ll be here. Any other recommendation for things to do?

Are you going to dress up like a Roman?

Probably, maybe a Celt.

When you came to Lugo, where there any things that shocked you, that you didn’t really expect?

Well, I guess the weather was a bit shocking and difficult. It did not rain as much where I am from, in Missouri. So, so much rain some days I got soaking wet and I did not bring an umbrella so I had to buy an umbrella not to get soaked. Another thing about the weather: the fog surprised me. I did not know there was  so much fog in Lugo. ...Those things definitely surprised me... well, yes, those things.

Was there anything that you disliked in Lugo?

The rain and the fog. So the climate is not great. Sometimes, especially at first I was not used, I was not accustomed to the siesta and the fact that things close so I would go the bank, for example, and the bank was closed, to the bakery, and the bakery was closed. So I didn’t like that at first. And sometimes I didn’t like just not understanding. It’s difficult but it’s your second language and you don’t understand and you get frustrated. Occasionally that.

In your opinion, what is the worst part of Spain?

In general. It’s extremely hot in some places. I don’t know, here the weather was the worst part... and maybe not having English as the first language for a native English speaker is difficult but I also learnt Spanish so good. The language is difficult and the weather in some parts of Spain.

And what is the best part of Spain?

Well, a few things. I generally find Spanish people to be very friendly and open and even with the foreigners. So I think that people are really good.There are all kinds of people everywhere but in general good.

The food in Spain is delicious and very fresh and good and it is probably much better than in the United States. So I think the food was excellent. The food in Galicia was very good.

Do you like the Roman Wall?

Yes, I like the Roman Wall and I walked on the Roman Wall.

Yes, I’d say the ruins were kind of interesting but small. Yes, that’s OK. For a few hours it’s interesting.

What did you thing about San Froilán?

OK, great. My favourite thing was seeing so many people in the street. People were really happy and having a party, having a good time. The music was great, hearing the little bands and the concerts and I liked trying the food that people were selling in the streets. The food, concerts and the atmosphere in general.

Do you like the village of Guntín?

Yeah. I do not know the village that well. I come here to work. But I do walk and I go to the “tanatorio” and other places (laugh). I do not know Guntín that well.

But is Texas hotter?

Well yes, fine. But I have only been to Texas one time, once or twice, and it’s extremely hot. Very sunny. Maybe similar to Andalucía. And, yeah, hotter than Lugo.

Do you like chestnuts?

Yes, I did very much like it. I went to the magosto in the monastery, which was wonderful. The food was great and the company was great. It seems like a wonderful tradition and the chestnuts were delicious. I very much liked it. Other questions?

Which is your favourite shop in Lugo?

My favourite shop. Maybe the bakery Don León. They have delicious empanadas and other things. There’s one near where I live.

When do you want to return to the USA?

Probably after the job that I have in Cádiz. I don’t know if I’ll have another job after that. And at some point I have to see my family. If my family will not visit me I think that I will definitely want to visit them in the United States. Some time but I like Spain a lot so for now I’m here.

Are there chorizos in the United States?

Not really. There are but they are not popular.

And the worst food in Spain?

Pig ears.

What is your favourite place in Lugo.

My favourite place is the walk along the river, along the Miño.

Which cities or villages have you visited in Spain?

In Galicia I visited Pontevedra, Santiago, A Coruña, Ourense, the coast of Lugo. Quite a bit of Galicia. Besides Galicia I’ve seen Asturias, not very much, just driving through. Cantabria. I’ve been to Santander. Besides that... Those are the places that I’ve visited. I would like to visit Oviedo and the Basque Country, still.

Do you speak Galician?

Yes, a little bit. I can understand some and I can speak a little bit.

Can you say something in Galician?

Yeah, OK, eu falo un pouquiño de galego.

Sam's last week in Guntín

This will be Sam's last week in Guntín with us. His stay will finish on the 31st of May so we are already having our last classes with him. We have been asking him about his stay in CPI Tino Grandío, Guntín, Lugo and Spain in general. He will still come to school next Monday and Friday and he's also invited to our summer fetival on the 22nd of June. ESO-3 and ESO-4 students have interviewed him this week and this interview (or at least some extracts)  will soon be published in this blog so that you can all read it whenever you want to.

St Valentine's day activity

On the 14th of February this year we are going to carry out an interesting activity in our language classes in collabotration withe the school library. We are each going to write a love letter or cardand then choose the best one in each class.
Finally all the letter are going to take part in the library competition to choose the best one from our school.
Samuel will help us with those words related to love that we may not know yet.

Portfolio

This year all the students studying ESO at CPI Tino Grandío we'll be part of the Portfolio community. Therefore we'll continue doing extra activities that will improve our communicative competence.
We'll also start making our personal language passport at:
https://www.oapee.es/e-pel/
We hope you like this activity.