A Taste of My Students´ Oral Exams

Here is an example of the oral exam that Noé prepared when I suggested the topic for the third term - click here to read my suggestions

 

Noé, thanks for sharing the video

Adrián´s Suggestion

Adrián suggested that I should include the following videos in my blog, so here your are. Both videos are by CDZA

The first one is called History of Misheard Lyrics; I think it is quite difficult to get  the mistakes but this link may help: Misheard lyrics

The second video is called The Beatles´Argument (you may click on the captions but they are automatic - which means there are quite a few mistakes):

 

Thanks, Adrián!

A challenge

GOOD is "a global community of people and organizations working towards individual and collective progress". Yasha Wallin, who is a creativity curator at GOOD and defines herself as an overall enthusiast, has launched this challenge: Do one thing every day that scares you. Here is how she explains her idea:

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing everyday that scares you." The idea being the more we take ourselves out of our comfort zones—our little bubbles—the more we will experience life, community, the unexpected. Confront your fears: speak up, talk to a stranger, take a dance class, ask for someone's phone number, climb a mountain, learn to surf, begin writing that novel, go to a party alone, tell someone you love them. Let's all take the challenge: Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Are you ready to take up the challenge? Will you share it with us? Write it on the board below - you may write it anonymously… (double-click on the board to write your challenge)

Good luck!

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Here´s to Adrián - and to All Led Zeppelin´s Fans

Adrián was wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt last Thursday; needless to say, he is a Led Zeppelin fan and his favourite song is "Stairway to Heaven". There are likely to be a few more out there so here´s to you all:

This video was recorded at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington DC on December 2, 2012, when the band received the Kennedy Center Honors in the annual gala tribute (click here to read about it). This is the reason why they were chosen: 

The Kennedy Center Honors provide recognition to living individuals who throughout their lifetimes have made significant contributions to American culture through the performing arts. The primary criterion is excellence, and artistic achievement in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures, and television is considered.

The singer in the video is Ann Wilson and the guitarist is her sister, Nancy Wilson, members of Heart, an American rock band; Jason John Bonham plays the drums honoring his father, Led Zeppelin´s drummer, Jason Bonham.

A great performance and a moving video!

If you want to watch the full segment of the ceremony, click here

Would you like to recommend someonefor the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors? Click here and submit your recommendation 

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Palestine

Cristina G. F´s oral exam this morning was a description of a photograph taken in Palestine (click here to see it) : she showed us a map of the region and told us about the current war so I thought it would be a good occasion to learn about the conflicts in the area. I hope the following videos will help you to get an idea of what things are like over there.

The first video is called Middle East Peace, The Real Story, by Avaaz. It may be too difficult for you to follow, that´s why I recommend you to watch it in Spanish first (click here to get the link) and then watch the version in English for some listening practice

The second video is called This Land is Mine, it´s an animated story of Palestine. Its creator is animator Nina Paley - you should click here to understand who kills who in the video ( i.e. in the history of the country)

This Land Is Mine from Nina Paley on Vimeo

As for the third video, it is about a project called The Israeli Palestinian Blood Donation Project. Read about it first: 

In June 2010 creative minds from all over the world were invited to present ideas that would bring Israelis and Palestinians closer together. Saatchi & Saatchi Israel launched the ‘Impossible Brief,’ which led to Blood Relations - a joint Israeli-Palestinian blood donation in Tel Aviv. Israeli and Palestinian members of the Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF), an organisation for parents from both sides of the conflict who had lost family members, came together to give blood as a symbolic act of healing. An Israeli Blood bank and an Islamic hospital agreed to accept both the Israeli and Palestinian blood donations.

The big question behind their project was this: Could you hurt someone with your blood running through their veins? 

Optional comment / opinion essay: What do you think about the project in general and the question above - and the idea behind the question, obviously?