How to write an email

Email writing from Ana Arias Castro

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Happy Internet Day

Besides being Galician Literature Day, today is also Internet Day. However, this is only celebrated in some countries such as México, Perú, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, España, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela, among others. That is why, you will only find it in Spanish Wikipedia but not in English language Wikipedia.

It is promoted by the Asociación de Usuarios de Internet and the Internet Society. 

Happy Internet Day!!

eTwinning task

One of the first tasks for our eTwinning project this year is to design an image that illustrates our project, Call Me Maybe.

You can use any technique you like: a picture, a compostion, a digital edition application, a drawing or painting with any tecnique or a mixture of those above.

The deadline will be next week, so hurry up and send us something good and original as all the members in the project will vote for their favorite one.

New eTwinning Project: Call Me Maybe

This will be our new eTwinning project for this school year 2015-2016:

CALL ME MAYBE

Partner schools

• Gimnazjum nr 23, Poznan, (Poland)
• CPI Tino Grandío, Guntín, Lugo (Spain)
• Tryškių Lazdynų Pelėdos gimnazija (Lithuania)

 Short description
Our students using different methods will enquire about the usage/importance of their mobile phones (frequency, applications, texting, phone calls, etc.) and constant feedback will be received from the partner schools.

Communication language: English

Age range: 12-16

Number of students

• Lithuania 12
• Spain 11
• Poland 12

 Subject areas

• cross-curricular
• ICT- information and communication technology
• maths
• European studies
• foreign languages

 Tools to be used

• mobile phones/iPhones/smartphones
• computers – computer room
• online polls
• questionnaires
• e-mail
• social networks
• blog
• project diary

 Aims
The final aim is to create a newspaper and/or online blog in which students can put all their articles about mobile phones trying to get a critical perspective of their importance and usefulness for European teenagers.

Work process
The students from our schools will decide on the aspects to be dealt with and then they will try to enrich the monthly topics created with their descriptions, charts, photos, sms language, etc.

They will make at least one survey about phones that can help to answer various questions from what are the favorable means of communication with friends and parents to what appliccations they prefer in their mobile phones. Students will collect data using different methods: questionnaires,  interviews, group work.

Communication will take place either using the Twinspace (forums, chatroom) or using social networks. If this last option is chosen, a common hashtag will have to be used. (very good)

Expected results

• An increase of cooperative skills and competence.
• Better ICT competence.
• An improvement of our students communicative competence in English.
• A critical view of our use of technologies.

Question tags in English

Question tags are a common way of asking for approval about what has just been said. This is how they are made:

World Information Society Day / Internet Day / 17th May

picture from Wikipedia

Today we are celebrating Internet Day or World Information Society Day. According to Wikipedia, this date was proclaimed to be on 17 May by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis.

The day had previously been known as World Telecommunication Day to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 17 May 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973.

The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies. It also aims to help reduce the digital divide.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The updated Resolution 68 invites Member States and Sector Members to celebrate the day annually by organizing appropriate national programmes with a view to:

• stimulating reflection and exchanges of ideas on the theme adopted by the Council
• debating the various aspects of the theme with all partners in society
• formulating a report reflecting national discussions on the issues underlying the theme, to be fed back to ITU and the rest of its membership.

Reading Comprehension text: Internet access in the UK

TEXT

Original text by Greg Sterling Marketing Land

In a new global Mobile Media Consumption report, it is said that, outside the US and UK, mobile media time spent now exceeds TV. However in the US, TV is still first. The Mobile Media Consumption research  had aboout 14,000 respondents in 14 countries. 

In emerging and especially less affluent markets, the report also confirms that mobile media time exceeds the PC internet. That’s now also true in the US.

Also consistent with other data, it is said that 61 percent of mobile internet users are on their devices while watching TV. The  figures for the US market are even more pronounced: “84 percent of smartphone and tablet owners say they use their devices as second-screens while watching TV at the same time.”

According to this research this second screening is dominated by social activity, including social networking and texting.

Outside the US and UK smartphones are preferred for conducting most types of internet activities except for “shopping,” which in the report includes all purchases, banking and travel.

The report also finds that globally people are going online primarily via mobile or spending the same internet time using the mobile and the PC. Those who go online “mostly via computer” are now a small minority:

• Mostly via Desktop — 11 percent

• Evenly split between both mobile and PC — 28 percent

• Mostly via mobile — 37 percent

• Only via mobile — 23 percent

More significantly, outside the US and UK markets, the report says that mobile media now have a greater influence on shopping decisions than TV. TV was second followed by the PC internet.

The final portion of the report is about mobile commerce, with the assertion (excluding the US and UK) that “83 percent of consumers plan to conduct mobile commerce in the next 12 months, a 15 percent increase from where we are today.”

So, in general, mobile internet time is now greater than PC internet time. Many audience segments prefer mobile to PC internet access and mobile commerce is growing.

adapted from http://marketingland.com/outside-us-60-percent-internet-access-mostly-mobile-74498

QUESTIONS:

1. Do people spend more time watching TV or using their smartphones? Is it the same everywhere?
2. Look at the first infographic. What does "the media" mean?
3. What is a "device"?
4. Where do more people watch TV and use their smartphones at the same time?
5. What is "second screening"?
6. What type of smartphone use is made while watching TV? reading books, shopping, social-media, writing emails...?
7. Are mobile media relevant for shopping decisions?
8. Do many people plan to buy goods via internet in the next 12 months? Is that your case?
9. Finally, how has internet changed our life?

PRINTABLE VERSION

The most interesting websites for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

BBC Learning English

• News in levels will help you read news in English at your own level. Once you've understood it you might try a higher level, or the other way round, try the most difficult level and then an easier one.
• Activities for Esl/EFL students offers a wide range of activities, particularly quizzes, which are always fun.
• Isabel Pérez is probably one of the most interesting Spanish websites. You'll find all sorts of grammar and vocabulary exercises but also interesting texts on a variety of topics. It is also a good website for ESL teachers.
• Lyrics Training will let you listen to your favourite songs and learn English at the same time. Our former assistant, Sam, recommended it.
• Five minute English has short articles on different topics that will be useful for language learners, such as the difference between hear and listen to.
• ESL America has lots of activities with audio files so that you can focus on difficult aspects of pronunciation.
• Audio-Lingua has a large selection of mp3 files for learners of many European languages. You'll find files from A1 to C2 levels. Many of them are in English.
• BBC Learning English website has lots of different sections where you can find texts, audio files and activities designed for foreign students of English.
• Duolingo is a great website if you want to learn English (French, German or Portuguese) on your own. It uses translation and dictation as its main activities. It can be useful particularly if you want to reinforce what you have learnt in class. You can register using your Facebook or Google account.
• Newspapers in English. Here you'll find lots of online newspapers to read in English:
• from Spain
• from England A-K
• from England L-Z
• from Ireland
• from other European countries

If you know any other interesting websites that we haven't mentioned, just leave a comment so that we can also include it.  Thanks for your help.

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

Dialogues in English for EFL students

This blog has an interesting page with lots of dialogues in common situations we may come accross if we visit a foreign country. Just have a look.

http://blogpara-aprenderingles.blogspot.it/p/dialogos-en-ingles.html

ESO-3 Reading comprehension exercise

Read the text and answer the following questions:

Back Together

Tamara Rabi had no idea Adriana Scott existed until students at a university in Long Island began confusing her with the other girl. The girls were born in Mexico and then adopted by different sets of parents in the US. Tamara grew up with Jewish parents on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Adriana was raised a Catholic in a Long Island suburb of the city. But each girl had no idea she had a twin until Tamara moved to Long Island.  

In 2003 a friend of Adriana's turned up at Tamara's 20th birthday party and could not believe his eyes. Tamara had already noticed how some people on her university campus smiled and said hello, clearly mistaking her for somebody else.

In 2004 they decided to meet so Tamara contacted Adriana by email and soon afterwards they met in a car park. "I didn't know what to say, except hi. I was just in shock to see myself", says Adriana. The funny thing is that they grew up just 20 miles apart.

“We have the same mannerisms, the same interests, the same grades in school," Adriana says.

"We had the same dream when we were younger. It was a nightmare... A really loud noise, followed by a real quiet one," adds Tamara.

Adriana's mother was the only family member on either side who knew she had a twin, but she had no idea where she might be. After agonising over it, she kept it secret to avoid the pain of a possibly fruitless search - a judgement which Adriana agrees with.

"In some ways it's the best of both worlds, as I have a sister but I haven't grown up in a state of sibling rivalry," she says.  

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3343763.stm

1. True or false:
• In 2004, Tamara met Adriana.
• Tamara met Adriana at a party.
• Tamara and Adriana are similar.
• Adriana knew she had a twin even before she met Tamara.
• The two girls grew up in different countries.
• They want to be rivals.
2. Answer the following questions:
• Why did people at university stare at them?
• How did Tamara contact Adriana?
• How are Tamara and Adriana similar? Give two examples.
• Why didn't Adriana's mother tell her about her sister?
• How do the girls feel about each other today?
3. Key to this exercise

Project about English-speaking countries

This term we are going to carry out a project about English-speaking countries. 

Each student is going to get the name of an English-speaking country (with the exception of the USA and the UK) to do some research about. The research is going to carried out using English-only websites about the topic.

You are going to have a template presentation which will guide you in terms of letting you know what aspects you have to write about. You have to decide what information, pictures, etc. to include.

Template countries 2014 from Ana Arias Castro

You will have to present it before all your classmates and the assessment will take into account everything:

• contents
• language (correct grammar, punctuation, vocabulary...)
• layout
• the fact that you mention the websites you have used
• how you explain everything and how you answer your classmates' questions

And here you are two presentations about the UK and the USA (by Taylor Matherly) that might give you an idea of what to include, even though you are invited to be creative.

The united kingdom from Ana Arias Castro

 

Usa from Ana Arias Castro

ESO-3 Malala's speech in the UN

from Wikipedia

Malala is a Pakistani girl who was shot in her head because she is an activist for women's rights. This is the speech in the United Nations that we have listened to in class.

You can read more about Malala's story in this article from the BBC News.

Interesting websites for ESL students

• News in levels will help you read news in English at your own level. Once you've understood it you might try a higher level, or the other way round, try the most difficult level and then an easier one.
• Activities for Esl/EFL students offers a wide range of activities, particularly quizzes, which are always fun.
• The English Page focuses on grammar points that you may study in class.
• Isabel Pérez is probably one of the most interesting Spanish websites. You'll find all sorts of grammar and vocabulary exercises but also interesting texts on a variety of topics. It is also a good website for ESL teachers.
• Lyrics Training will let you listen to your favourite songs and learn English at the same time. Our former assistant, Sam, recommended it.
• Five minute English has short articles on different topics that will be useful for language learners, such as the difference between hear and listen to.
• ESL America has lots of activities with audio files so that you can focus on difficult aspects of pronunciation.

Musixmatch: lyrics on your phone

If you like listening to music on your phone, this application is for you. Musixmatch will let you read the lyrics as you are listening to your favourite songs. It will download the lyrics for each song and store them so that they can be read even offline. 
Musixmatch's searchable database contains more than 7,5 million lyrics in more than 32 languages (many of them in Spanish). Find out more at Wikipedia.

www.musixmatch.com

ESL/EFL Passive sentences in the news

www.nytimes.com

Passive structures are often used in the news as this type of structure lets us focus on what has happened without necessarily mentioning who has done it. These are recent examples:

•  A 55-year old man has been killed in an attack at a south London betting shop. (BBC news)
• Three further arrests have been made in connection with the murder of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, police have said. (BBC news)
• Two men have been charged with endarering an aircraft after RAF Typhoon jets escorted a passanger plane over the UK. (BBC news)
• Women were secretly filmed at West Point, the Army Says. (New York Times)

• Powerful tornados ripped through Oklahoma, with dozens believed to have been killed in winds of up to 200mph, including at least 20 children at an elementary school. As many as 26 tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa, according to the National Weather Service, with 91 people confirmed dead in Oklahoma thus far. (Huffington Post)

If you have a look at the most important online newspapers in English you will be able to see many other good examples of passive structures in the news. Just have a try.

ESO-4 Relative clauses

I hope this presentation will help you uncerstand relative clauses (unit 8) a bit better:

Relative Clauses 4º from marperez