Start the Weekend With a Smile

This is said to be a real story: a waitress receives extraordinary tips, which, in fact, are part of a plan to thank her for her previous actions and help her have the "best shift* ever". Click here to read more about it

* shift= a person's scheduled period of work, esp. at a place of employment operating continuously during the day and night.

Do some speaking practice: tell this story aloud; include as many details as possible and remember to answer the 5 wh- questions: who? when? where? what? why?

What do you think about this story? Who do you think feels happier, the person who gives or the person who receives?

Harry Potter in real life

Here´s to all the potterheads out there:

Improv Everywhere keep surprising me: now they play scenes from famous movies all over New York, "Harry Potter in Real Life" is the last one. This is how they talk about it:

For our latest mission, we sent an 11-year-old actor dressed as Harry Potter into New York's Pennsylvania Station to search for Platform 9 3/4. Harry wandered the station with a caged owl and a luggage cart and asked both strangers and transit employees how to get to the Hogwarts Express, presenting them with his Platform 9 3/4 ticket.

Jurassic Park in real life: click here

Lord of the Rings in real life: click here

Indiana Jones in real life: click here

Start the weekend with a smile!

School Year 2013-14: Homework Assignment 4

Manuela Moreno won the award for the best screenplay and best director in the XI edition of Notodofilmfest with this short film "Pipas"(=sunflower seeds).

As a teacher, my feelings about this video are bittersweet: it is so funny and yet so true and,therefore, sad...

Here´s your homework: 

• switch off the sound and watch the video; as you read its subtitles in English, try to imagine what the conversation will sound like in Spanish. Pay attention to its slang and colloquial language
• write a new title for the film and explain why you think yours is better
• write a message to your class tutor explaining why you think you should/shouldn´t see and discuss this video in class
• turn the sound on and watch it again. Believe me, it is worth it!

Corto PIPAS from Manuela Moreno on Vimeo.

Start the weekend with a smile!

Note:  I first saw this video in Trafegando Ronseis, a blog that I truly recommend

British English vs. American English

English is not an easy language; sometimes not even speakers from different countries, but with English as their mother tongue, can fully understand each other. This may be due to their pronunciation (or "mispronunciation", from the other speaker´s point of view) or to the vocabulary itself - slang, for instance.

Here is a good example of all those things mentioned before: British actor Hugh Laurie is interviewed by American television host Ellen DeGeneres. In this excerpt of the interview, they question each other about different slang words. If you find the interview difficult to understand (their sense of humour may complicate things a little bit as well), click here and you will be able to watch the interview subtitled in Spanish - the part embedded below starts around minute 6:30.

Start the weekend with a smile!

Start the Weekend With a Smile

Did you know that October 4th is World Smile Day ?

Let´s see if I can help you celebrate!

Watch this video compilation of fails, wins and crazy situations from different countries.

In your view, what is the funniest situation shown in the video? (Don´t just mention it, explain why you think so)

Miming a Song

Here´s a post to help you start the weekend with a smile.

Do you know Queen´s song, Don´t Stop Me Now? I am sure you will recognise its music as soon as you hear it but you may not know its lyrics.

In the first video here, English comedian David Armand makes a hilarious mime of  Queen´s "Don´t Stop me Now" on the BBC TV programme called  Fast and Loose. Watch the video and try to imagine the message he is miming - the lyrics are below, just in case you need to check whether your interpretation was correct.

 

Don´t Stop Me Now, Lyrics:

Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time 
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out - yeah 
And floating around in ecstasy 
So don't stop me now don't stop me 
'Cause I'm having a good time having a good time 

I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky 
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity 
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva 
I'm gonna go go go 
There's no stopping me 

I'm burnin' through the sky yeah 
Two hundred degrees 
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit 
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light 
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you 

CHORUS: Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time 
              I'm having a ball 
              Don't stop me now 
              If you wanna have a good time just give me a call 
              Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time) 
              Don't stop me now (Yes I'm havin' a good time) 
              I don't want to stop at all 

Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars 
On a collision course 
I am a satellite I'm out of control 
I am a sex machine ready to reload 
Like an atom bomb about to 
Oh oh oh oh oh explode 

I'm burnin' through the sky yeah 
Two hundred degrees 
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit 
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light 
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you 

Don't stop me don't stop me 
Don't stop me hey hey hey 
Don't stop me don't stop me 
Ooh ooh ooh, I like it 
Don't stop me don't stop me 
Have a good time good time 
Don't stop me don't stop me ah 
Oh yeah 
Alright 

Oh, I'm burnin' through the sky yeah 
Two hundred degrees 
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit 
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light 
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you 

CHORUS

And here is a video of Queen playing the song ( and Freddie Mercury singing, of course) 

Facts that Will Make You Smile

Read about some funny facts that will make you smile; try to imagine the meaning of the words you do not know with the help of the images that are shown.

Click here and go to the "about" section if you want to know where the images come from.

What´s your favourite picture? Why?

Sofía Vergara´s (Gloria´s) English

Just in case you don´t know, Sofía Vergara is the Colombian actress who plays the role of Gloria in the TV series Modern Family. I have decided to write about her because there are some similarities between my students´ and her problems with English: accent, grammar and vocabulary mistakes and what someone calls "little mispronunciations." Thank God most students don´t have problems with all these things at the same time.

What´s the purpose of learning a foreign language? If you ask most students in high school (i.e., compulsory education), they will probably say they do it to pass the subject (which is not at all rewarding for a teacher, but that´s just the way it is). However, for most people the real purpose is communication and, let´s be honest, your accent should not be an obstacle for that - unless it is a really strong Sofia Vergara´s / Gloria´s accent.

Here is a video made up of short clips of ABC´s Modern Family which shows how Gloria manages to make herself understood, no matter what; these are some of the mistakes you will hear : 

• he boxed with an alligator ( = wrestled)
• its´sended
• we live in a doggy dog world (we live in a dog-eat-dog world)
• blessings in the skies (=blessings in disguise)
• carpal tunnel syndrome (carpool tunnel syndrome)
• a box of baby cheeses / a box of baby Jesus
• undermelting his confidence (= undermining his confidence)
• flood
• ear-rings
• yes
• look / Luke

Self-confidence is really important when you speak a foreign language and Sofía / Gloria is a very good example of a self-confident person ("I have an accent but people understand me just fine," she says; "do you need me to learn you English?," she volunteers); besides, she doesn´t seem to notice the problems people have trying to understand her ("I honestly didn´t get any of that," "I´m so confused right now," say some of the people listening to her).

I wish my students could copy this attitude  and were brave enough to answer back, like her, "You try to speak in another language!"

The next video is an interview with TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres; it is subtitled in Spanish so you will not need to concentrate on understanding her - just enjoy her strong Colombian accent. In fact, this interview shows to what extent your level of English is not that important when there is a combination of accent + beautiful body + pretty face + funny.

Click here to watch one more interview at Ellen DeGeneres´show with no subtitles. Check how much you understand.

Talking to Strangers

Have you ever been in a ball-pit? 

Imagine you see a ball-pit on a sidewalk with the following message: Take a Seat & Make a Friend; would you do it?. I like what one of the women in the video says, "I don´t usually hang out with strangers in ball-pits," I bet no one does!

Would you be willing to tell a stranger the answer to any of the questions written on the balls inside this ball-pit?:

• share 3 things on your bucket list
• find the one thing you have in common
• describe the first time you fell in love
• talk about someone who inspires you
• talk about an experience that changed your life

Do you think the fact that they are inside the ball-pit together makes it easier for them to have a chat? Why (not)? If you agree, we might consider asking our principal for one ball-pit for our classes...

As you can see, chances to make friends and to have a conversation in English can sometimes be just around the corner...

Start the Weekend with a Smile

Here´s one of the reasons why NY is my favourite city: anything can happen anytime anywhere in the city....

Optional homework: Have you ever witnessed a similar experience in a public place? Tell us about it! (Remember the 5 "W" questions that will help you to give all the necessary details to make it a good story: who?, when?, where?, what? why?)

A Prank

Prank: A practical joke or mischievous trick.

It´s Friday again so let´s start the weekend with a smile. This is a prank with a name: "feeding the homeless." Watch the video and do some oral practice. You may either tell the prank to a friend or just to yourself - in this case, do it in front of a mirror, it will be easier to practise if you keep eye contact with someone (even if that someone is you- anyway, can there be a better audience for you than yourself?)

When the video has finished, make sure you can answer the basic questions that will help you to make it a meaningful story: who? when? where? what? why? how?

Vocabulary that you will hear - and that you will, hopefully, learn as you rehearse telling the story aloud: 

undecover agent 
surveillance work
sergeant
blow someone´s cover
deliver pizza
credit card

"I appreciate it"

awesome

And last, but not least, what do you think about this prank? I am looking forward to reading your comments.

A Prank

Let´s see if you can learn some colloquial vocabulary while we share some smiles: this video is called Drive Thru Invisible Driver Prank; how would you translate this title? The most important word, the noun, is the last one and all the others are adjectives that you should translate from last to first: the most significant adjective is the one  closest to the noun, so...your translation is...?

Let me help you with some vocabulary, most of it is very colloquial so I will link it to "Urban Dictionary":

thru

to pull up

OMG

what the heck...?

am I tripping?

snap! 

Have a nice weekend!

Exams: First-marking-period

English teachers are used to spending long hours correcting but right now, as the first term is coming to an end and we need to have marks ready for the first-marking-period, texts, essays and projects just pile up on our desks... 

I can´t help identifying myself with this image- which I use in my posts over and over again: whenever I find myself  surrounded by exam papers, I remember it because it is so real, I feel just like that sometimes.... And I wish for an easy way to grade exams, reports, papers, something like this one explained here:

Enjoy yourself with the following examples of exam-related situations - we need some humor to start the weekend: 

* Peculiar topics for essays:

* Narrative essays:

* Students´attitude in relation to essays:

* With a little help from the teacher...

* Examples of  weird answers:

* Handwriting- a big problem teachers face:

Hava a nice (rainy) weekend!

A Prank

Jimmy Kimmel is the creator and host of the TV show called Jimmy Kimmel Live. I have mentioned him at least once in a post entitled "A Funny Video."

Here´s a video of a Halloween prank he suggested (and the title is quite revealing): "I told my kids I ate all their Halloween candy again". He did the same last year and it was so successful that he decided to ask parents to play the same joke on their kids again this year and record their reactions. This prank is meaningless if you do not remember the "Trick or Treat" Halloween practice for children and its relation to candy.

Learn about infographics software.

This is quite an interesting and funny video, why?

• It makes me think there are quite a few bored and malicious parents out there who seem to enjoy themselves when they see their children sad
• most of the children seem to be quite spoilt
• some of the children look too old to to throw tantrums and react in such a childish way.
• my faith in humanity was restored with the last three - and I do hope you agree

What do you think about my comments above? Do you agree?

Click here if you fancy smiling a little bit longer, you´ll watch a different type of prank

A Smile for Friday

Start the weekend with a smile: I am sorry  I am advertising Coca-Cola but this is a video full of positive energy, a video that makes you feel good. It gives a turn to the goal of security cameras: reporting good actions instead of crimes. 

This is a good chance to learn about some positive crimes worth committing; try to imagine what they are before watching the video:

• people stealing kisses
• music addicts
• harmless soldiers (this reminded me of "Arde Lucus" in Lugo)
• honest pickpockets
• potato chip dealers
• attacks of friendship
• friendly gangs
• unexpected firemen
• rebels with a cause (word play with the title of the film "Rebel Without a Cause")
• peaceful warriors
• crazy heroes

Watching people can be great fun!

By the way, the song you can hear is Supertramp´s "Give a Little Bit"

Lyrics | Open Skyz lyrics

A Commercial

What would you do if... 

... you went to a restaurant for dinner and you were offered not to pay for it  but wash the dishes instead?

That was what sponge brand "Scotch-Brite" did as part of their publicity campaign in several restaurants around the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.


Here´s some vocabulary that you may not know- check its meaning before watching the video or pause the video when the word comes out to really understand the message:

clout

the younger set

team up

target audience

low-cost

consumer

Pay attention to the pronunciation of the following word:

brite (= bright)

Ask your friends and family, what would they do?


And now, how could you explain the title of this commercial, Wash Your Bill? 

Start the Weekend with a Song, a Smile and a Tear, Maybe

Do you know Kelly Clarkson´s song "Stronger"? If you don´t, here it is. You can find its lyrics in the first video below; in the second video,  the cancer patients of Seattle Children´s Hospital perform the song.


This is my suggestion: play the first video with no sound, and listen to the second one; thus, you´ll get the lyrics from the first and the emotions from the second.

 

The second video was directed by one of the patients, Chris Rumble, and Seattle University film students were the camera crew.

Moving, wasn´t it? When you see what some people are going through, school exams do not seem to be such a great deal, do they?

If you would like to see how the video was made, click here

Start the Weekend with a Smile:

Improv Everywhere  is, according to their own definition, a New York City-based prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. I love what 

they do since I can only see the positive side of their goal of getting people to smile.

Here are some of their pranks:

Say Something Nice: a megaphone was attached to a sign that said "say something nice" and it was left alone in public spaces around New York to give a chance to passers-by to amplify their voices and "say something nice." The most common responses were "I love you," "I love New York," "Have a great day"

What would you say? 

Black Tie Beach: several people spent a day at Coney Island beach wearing black tie attire. I can´t help thinking about the dry-cleaning bills...

The Sleeper Car: on a Sunday evening, they  transformed a New York subway car into a "sleeper car" complete with  beds, complimentary pyjamas, earplugs, sleep masks, and a courtesy wake up nudge at the passenger´s stop.

Frozen Grand Central: Over 200 people froze in place at the same time in Grand Central Terminal in New York

.

As you have probably deduced from the amount of videos posted here, I am a big fan of this group. I find what they do just great, and their pranks make me envy New Yorkers even a little bit more. 


If you want to see any more of their scenes, click here.


As for English practice, watch the talk given by Charlie Tood, the creator of "Improve Everywhere." Remember to choose the subtitles in the language of your choice - I would recommend English, but if it is too hard, click on Spanish or Galician.

Start the Weekend With a Smile

Here´s a joke that will help you learn some vocabulary. Pay attention to the speaker´s intonation; for some pronunciation practice, repeat the sentences after him, imitating both his accent and his intonation. As for vocabulary learning, read carefully the definitions of the words and expressions the second time you hear the joke in the video.

Would you like to hear some other jokes? Go to Teacher Joe´s webpage, click here.