Leonard Cohen and Spain

I am a big fan of music and poetry, and as on the 22nd of November we celebrate the day of the Andalusian Gypsy community, I would like to remember a man who sadly passed away a few years ago, Leonard Cohen.

He was not Gypsy nor Spanish, but he had a profound connexion with both through flamenco music. He explains his story in the poignant speech he gave when he was honored with the Prince of Asturias award for literature in 2011. Please watch the video, and you can download the transcription here: cohen_transcript. 

(Click here to find the video with Spanish subtitles)

His poetry has been sung by so many artists that it is difficult to keep track of the list. I have chosen a recent version by a young man who sings beautifully. Here you have an Hallelujah cover by Ed Sheeran. Can you complete the gaps without looking at the lyrics?

Hallelujah

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord

That David 1___________ and it pleased the Lord

But you don’t really care for music, do you?

Well it goes like this:

The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

(Hallelujah x 4)

Well maybe there’s a God above

But all I’ve ever 2___________ from love

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you

And it’s not a cry that you can hear at night

It’s not somebody who’s 3___________ the light

It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

(Hallelujah x 4)

You 4___________ I took your name in vain

But I never really 5___________ that name

But if I did, what really is it to you?

And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not some victory march

It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

(Hallelujah x 4)

your faith was strong but you needed proof

You 6___________ her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to her kitchen chair

And she broke your throne and she 7___________ your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

(Hallelujah x 12)

 

Enjoy the good things in life!

Spill the beans!

Hi students! we are going to start this year by sharing some personal information. Here is the deal: you pick a candy from the bag (don’t look!) and before eating it, you have to share a piece of information about yourself with the class. The nature of the information depends on the color of the candy bean.

Have fun!

Writing tasks rules

Hi students! remember how important writing tasks are! here you have the basic rules for a correct writing task submission.

Keep in mind to use your own words when writing, nobody likes to be accused of plagiarism!! 😉

Subtitulado y Edición de Vídeos

Aquí tenéis varias opciones para añadir subtítulos a vuestros vídeos:

1. Subtitle Workshop

2. Jubler

3. SubtitleCreator

4. Open Subtitle Editor

5. SubMagic

1. Subtitle Workshop : Subtitle Workshop es considerado como la mejor herramienta de edición de subtítulos gratuita con una interfaz fácil de utilizar. Soporta bien todos los formatos populares de subtítulos como ASS, DKS, SCR, SUB, etc. Además, te permite crear, editar y convertir subtítulos con facilidad. Además, viene con algunas características avanzadas, como la revisión ortográfica, la vista previa del vídeo, etc. Con estas grandes características, gran velocidad y estabilidad, Subtitle Workshop toma mucho menos tiempo para editar subtítulos y recibió premios en todo el mundo. Tenga en cuenta que también es compatible con Windows Vista.

2. Jubler : Jubler es una herramienta de edición de subtítulos basada en texto. Puede utilizarse para crear nuevos subtítulos o para corregir, refinar, transformar y convertir subtítulos existentes. Al igual que Subtitle Workshop, Jubler también soporta todos los formatos de subtítulos normales.

3. SubtitleCreator : SubtitleCreator es un editor de subtítulos gratuito que te permite añadir subtítulos a tu DVD. Puede convertir archivos de texto SRT o SUB basados en ASCII al formato SUP binario y te permite cambiar el color de los subtítulos existentes. Viene con una función incorporada de Asistente de Autorizado de DVD, que te permite añadir nuevos subtítulos a un DVD previamente copiado. La última versión soporta Karaoke.

4. Open Subtitle Editor . El editor de subtítulos gratuito es muy fácil de utilizar. Funciones de edición de vídeo y edición de subtítulos como traducción de subtítulos, resincronización de vídeo, añadir y eliminar subtítulos, etc. se proporcionan. También eres libre de añadir nuevos subtítulos a cualquier vídeo

5. SubMagic :SubMagic es una herramienta de subtítulos de vídeo gratuita pero potente. Puedes convertir, editar y mejorar los subtítulos de vídeo libremente. Además, también se proporciona la función de traducción de subtítulos

EDICIÓN DE VÍDEO:

a la hora de hacer la película tened en cuenta la STORYBOARD, es decir, planear de antemano los diferentes escenarios y planos que vais a tomar.

1. WONDERSHARE FILMORA: versión gratuita. El único pequeño problema es que deja marca de agua, pero no os preocupéis.

2. WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER

Gracias a Cristina Prieto por la aportación

Passive voice: online practice

Here you have some web pages to train the use of the passive voice:

Learn English

British Council

English Hilfen

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Quizlet

Dear students, please check this app out! Quizlet is a fun and easy way to practice vocabulary. If you search for my username mrscora you will find all the vocabulary sorted by topics. There you can choose which words to review, play with them and even listen to their pronunciation. Join your classroom in the menu “Clases”, this way I can follow your progress!

Play online quizzes which are personalized depending on your performance:

You can also practice vocabulary finding pairs of words + translation:

Let me know what you think! Enjoy your learning

Wheel of Emotions

The Wheel of Emotions helps you visualize the spectrum of emotions and how they relate to each other. With this useful resource, you will never have trouble expressing your emotions again!

Win, beat, earn, gain

Win – Irregular verb. We use win in contexts related to competition and fighting. We can win a war, a battle, an award, a match, a prize, an election, a medal…

Beat –  irregular verb. You win a match, but defeat a team or an opponent

Earn – regular verb. You can earn money or a salary. (You can also MAKE money/a profit by investing)

Gain – regular verb. We gain time, weight, experience, recognition, confidence, strenght…

Take the win/beat/gain/earn test

Relative Clauses: useful webs

Here you can find useful web pages with exercises to practice relative clauses:

English Online for you – tests on relative clauses

British Council

English Hilfen 1

English Hilfen 2

And this web page offers a neat lesson about relatives!

Tips for Selectividad

 HERE you can find the marking criteria along with an example of an English as a Foreign Language Selectividad test (in Spanish). Read it all the way through and get ready to give the best of yourself!

General considerations

• Take your time to read the full exercise from the beginning to the end, and choose your option. Once you have made your choice, STICK TO IT! You only have 1h30m to complete the exercise, and you want to have some time at the end for double checking.

• Read carefully the questions before you answer them.

• Be familiar with the marking criteria, make sure you know what you are expected to do (and not to do!) in the examination.

• Train, train, TRAIN! The more you practice, the more confident you will feel when the time comes. Download previous exams from HERE

The English as a Foreign Language Selectividad test is divided into three parts: Comprehension (worth 3 points), Use of English (worth 4 points) and Production (worth 3 points). Organize your time accordingly so you don’t run out of time.

Remember, the key to success is a good preparation!