"An attempt to integrate the teaching of the English language & ICT, using MUSIC as a mere pretext."


Sunday, May 29, 2011

The Elegance of the Loser

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - PART II
(Have a look first at the previous post, "At Wembley" - 28th May 2011)


 "We were beaten by a fantastic team. 
At the end of the day we have to acknowledge that we were beaten by a better team. 
I think it was the best team we have faced".

Alex Ferguson
Manchester United manager


These words are a clear example ot the humanity of some people, such as Sir Alex Ferguson. People like him are even greater at difficult times!


His football team lost...

 1     -     3
at

 the UEFA Champions League Final 2011.

*  *  *  *  *

Barcelona wins Champions League

Brilliant Barcelona, inspired by Messi, delivered a soccer masterclass to overwhelm Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final and lift the European Cup for the fourth time on Saturday.


"The people watching could see that we not only won but we played a brilliant match".

Pep Guardiola 
F.C. Barcelona coach

F.C. BARCELONA
FINAL CHAMPIONS 2011


CONGRATULATIONS !

* * * * *


Listen, Read and Sing...
"We are the Champions"
by Queen



*  *  *  *  *

At the end..., 

... Pep Guardiola was the one who could fly
and touch the sky!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

At Wembley !

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - PART I

Today, Saturday 28th May,
 Two of the greatest football teams 


are playing
the Champions League Final 2011 
at Wembley (London)


 
Two Gentlemen:





Sir Alex Ferguson

&   Pep Guardiola


Representing two of the biggest European Football Teams:


will fight to win.

... But only one gentleman will be able to fly 
and touch the sky!


Congratulations to both of them 
for fighting this battle !!

Here's something to whet your apetite...
Watch the following promo of the Final Champions league 2011.


GOOD  LUCK to both of them!!
GOOD  LUCK to both teams!!
.

Monday, May 23, 2011

"A Cappella"



     "A Cappella" ??

The Italian term "a cappella" refers to a performance of musical work 
by unaccompanied voices (according to the Enciclopaedia Britannica).
In other words, "a cappella" refers to a type of music
sung without instrumental accompaniment.


As an example...

Let's have a look at the song "Tom's Diner"
performed by the American singer



In the following video,
she sings the song "Tom's Diner"... 
"a cappella",
unaccompanied,
singing without instrumental sound,...
 a song without any musical instruments.
*  *  *
Now watch the video
with only Suzanne's voice!!
No musical instruments!!
Simply the crowd's clapping,
acting as the instruments in unison together...!!




*  *  *

 Activity 1.-
Write the LYRICS of the song, separating all the words:

Iamsittinginthemorningatthedineronthecorner
Iamwaitingatthecounterforthemantopourthecoffee
andhefillsitonlyhalfwayandbeforeIevenargue
heislookingoutthewindowatsomebodycomingin
"Itisalwaysnicetoseeyou"saysthemanbehindthecounter
tothewomanwhohascomeinsheisshakingherumbrella
andIlooktheotherwayastheyarekissingtheirhellos
I'mpretendingnottoseetheminsteadIpourthemilk
Iopenupthepaperthere'sastoryofanactor
whohaddiedwhilehewasdrinkingitwasnooneIhadheardof
andI'mturningtothehoroscopeandlookingforthefunnies
whenI'mfeelingsomeonewatchingmeandsoIraisemyhead
there'sawomanontheoutsidelookinginsidedoessheseeme?
noshedoesnotreallyseemecausesheseesherownreflection
andI'mtryingnottonoticethatshe'shitchingupherskirt
andwhileshe'sstraighteningherstockingsherhairhasgottenwet
Oh,thisrainitwillcontinuethroughthemorningasI'mlistening
tothebellsothecathedralIamthinkingofyourvoice...
andofthemidnightpicniconceuponatimebeforetherainbegan...
IfinishupmycoffeeIt'stimetocatchthetrain

*  *  *

Activity 2.-
Number the following Jumbled Words according to the order they appear in the song:

Cathedral
Morning
Picnic
Train
Actor
Paper
Coffee
Corner
Milk
Woman
Horoscopes
Window
Behind
Wet
Skirt
Umbrella
Stockings
Outside
Inside
Head


SELF-CORRECTION.-
Check out the Lyrics of the song "Tom's Diner"
to correct the two previous activities.

*  *  *

Sunday, May 15, 2011

EURO ;-) VISION !?!?

 Eldar & Nigar


 Do you know this lady and this gentleman?
... 
They are Eldar & Nigar,
a romantic duo from Azerbaijan
who after singing their sensual ballad
"Running Scared"
in Dusseldorf (Germany) 
last week-end
became the WINNERS of the
Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

**
This is the video-clip of their song:


Have a look at the lyrics of the song...
Do you think it is a very simple song 
or a difficult one? Why?

"Running Scared"

Come to me, come to me tonight
Oh God, I need you, anyway
Baby, I just wanna be, be around you all the time
Oh God, I need you, oh...

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of life
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

Come to me, come to me a bit more
Oh God, I need you
There's nothing left for me to say

So rest on me darling, stay forever more
Oh God, I need you, I need you

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of life
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

Oh, what I wouldn't give away
To be your shelter and keep you safe
Keep you safe

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of life
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

I'm running, I'm scared tonight
I'm running, I'm scared of breathing
'Cause I adore you

And I'm running
And I'm running scared
'Cause I adore you
( from: http://www.letrasmania.com/letras )

* * *
By the way,
Do you Know that Azerbaijan is a former Soviet Republic?
But, ... where is Azerbaijan? 

Choose the correct answer:
a) It's a country near The Netherlands.
b) It's a country between Hungary and Poland.
c) It's a country next to Lithuania.
d) It's a country in Eastern Europe.




(The answer is the orange spot on the map).


I'm sure that for many, many people...
Eurovision has put Azerbaijan on the map.

Monday, May 9, 2011

BISHOPBRIGGS


Have you ever heard about Bishopbriggs?

We all know the geographical location of places such as London, Paris or Madrid, for example.

However, many other places are not so well known in general. In other words, they are simply unknown for the man/woman in the street -like myself (a teacher from CEUTA; a small Spanish town on the north coast of Africa, that is opposite Gibraltar and frontier with Morocco).

And that is the case of a nice place called...
 ...Bishopbriggs !!

Do you know that place? ;-)

Let me share an anecdote with you...

When I finished my studies at University in Granada (Spain), I received a phone call from the Spanish Ministry of Education, in Madrid, to let me know that I had been selected for a post as a Language Assistant Teacher in Scotland for the next school year, 1994/1995. 
-          Where?- I asked
The voice, at the other side of the telephone, answered to my geographical ignorance:
-          In Bishopbriggs

Immediately, I replied:

-          Excuse me ?!?!?!?

The voice said again:
-          BISHOPBRIGGS
Then, I asked once more:
-          Bicho… WHAT ?!?!?
The voice, patiently, repeated louder:
-          BISHOP - BRIGGS

After several unsuccessful attempts, I said:

-          Ah! I Know … Bishop - briggs.

But I didn´t… I simply had repeated what the lady had uttered a second before.
To tell you the truth, I had never heard about Bishopbriggs before. And what is more, I hadn’t a clue where Bishopbriggs was. But it did not matter to me.  I accepted the post. I was excited and happy because I was going to that place, although I didn´t know where it was.  And today I simply can tell you that it was great!

I spent one school year of my life in a secondary school in Bishopbriggs, teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (and improving my English as well) and it was wonderful, both professionally and personally. Even I still have very good friends there, ... the Griffins. 

Today, I miss the old days in wet Scotland (despite the weather).



So, ... Because of that personal experience, I know a small nice Scottish location called Bishopbriggs. 

  

And... That is what normally happens!! Sometimes, either personal experiences (like in my case) or famous people (such as well-known singers) put certain places on the map...

Today, for many people, Amy Macdonald ...

... and her "This is the Life" has put Bishopbriggs on the map.


Amy Macdonald (born 25 August 1987 in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow) is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Her debut album, "This is the Life" (2007), has sold more than 2.5 millions copies.

Watch the video-clip of her song "This is the Life"...



(a song used in a famous TV advert).

Activity.-
Using the lyrics of the song This is the Life look for Synonyms, Antonyms & Definitions:

A Synonym for:
- Chilly:_______
- Obscure: _______

An Antonym for:
- Hot: ________
- Light: ________
- Low: _______
- Inside: ______
- Everybody: ______

Which words have the following Definitions?:
- _________ : vocal, instrumental or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody or harmony.
-  _________ : a type of car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

In conclusion, and taking the example of Bishopbriggs, I think that:

"Either personal experiences (a) or famous people (b) put certain places on the map".
My personal experience as Assistant Teacher in Scotland (a) and the music performed by famous people such as Amy Macdonald (b) has helped to put Bishopbriggs on the map. (Bishopbriggs is a small town in East Dunbartonshirne, near Glasgow, in Scotland; UK). Today Bishopbriggs' close geographic proximity to Glasgow effectively makes it a suburb and commuter town of the city.


And this is Bishopbriggs
... a lovely place that otherwise -maybe- would not have been known for us!


"This is the Life"...

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Samson's Titanic

TITANIC - PART  II 
(Have a look first at the previous post, "TITANIC" - 6th May 2011)

 Talking about "Titanic"...
Do you know this book?


  In my opinion, a story worthwhile reading ...

Let's have a look at the opening lines of that fantastic book,  
"Samson's Titanic Journey"
by Lauren Graham & Roisin Mathews...
(O'Donnell Press)


Samson was very excited. He had lived in the shipyard in Belfast since he was a baby mouse but never before had as much as fuss been made about a ship. The beautiful new luxury liner called Titanic was about to be launched. The shipyard workers had been building it for months and now the day had arrived when it would finally set sail for Southampton.
Samson was going too. He had decided to leave his hometown in search of a better life in America and couldn´t think of a more spectacular way to get there than by travelling on board the Titanic. (...)  
 ____________________________________________________________________ 

READING COMPREHENSION

1.- Answer the following questions:

a) Who is Samson?
b) Why was Samson excited?
c) What is Samson’s hometown?
d) Where had he decided to go after abandoning his hometown?
e) How many geographical locations are mentioned on the given text? Name all of them and explain “Samson’s journey”.

2.- Read the text carefully and look for:

a) A Synonym for:
- Ultimately:
-Abandon:
b) An Antonym for:
-          Always:
-          Calm:
-          Old:
-          Humble:

3.- Grammatical Reference:

-          Is Samson male or female? Why?
-          What does “it” refer to in line 3?
-          What does “he” refer to in line 5?

4.- Find the words on the text whose definitions are the following ones:

    -  “a place where ships are built or repaired”:
    -   “a ship belonging to a regular line”: 


 *  *  *
And just to finish...
Close your eyes and listen to Sungha Jung
a 15-year-old guitarist from South Korea
performing "My heart will go on" with his guitar.




                                                                                                               I hope you like it! 

.

Friday, May 6, 2011

TITANIC

TITANIC - PART  I


Read the following cutting from a Spanish newspaper:


El “Titanic” navega de nuevo

La ciudad de Belfast, en el norte de la isla de Irlanda, conmemora en el mes de mayo el centenario de la botadura del Titanic en sus astilleros con dos exposiciones y varias rutas turísticas en barco y en autobús.

EL PAÍS
Suplemento EL VIAJERO
(09.04.11)



 Let's commemorate that event with the famous song
"My heart will go on", by Celine Dion,
from the sound track of the 1997 film ...



Watch the following video with the Theme Song of the film "TITANIC":


Activity.-
Listen to the song "My heart will go on" again and 
Write the missing word in every line: (lines 1-14)

Every  _1_  in my dreams
I see you. I feel  _2_.
That is how  _3_  Know you go on.
Far across  _4_  distance
And spaces  _5_  us
You have come to show you go  _6_.
Near, far, wherever you  _7_
I believe that the  _8_  does go on
Once more you  _9_  the door
And you are  _10_  in my heart
And my heart will go on  _11_  on.
Love can touch us one  _12_
And last  _13_  a lifetime
And  _14_  let go till we are gone.

SELF-CORRECTION.-
You can check out your answers at:
http://www.lyrics.com/my-heart-will-go-on-lyrics-celine-dion.html

Now it is your turn...
If you have an addiction
and that is Karaoke
the following video is specially for you...

Enjoy your singing!!



But if you like history instead, have a look at the following Visual Documentary about
"The Titanic Tragedy"




                                                                                                         Have a nice week-end !!