Sunday, June 10, 2012

The History of English in 10 Minutes

   

This is a brief and fun summary of the History of the English Language. If you want to have a deeper view of this fascinating discipline, the following link has 5 amazing documentaries called The Adventure of English, which I hope you enjoy as much as I do. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/adventure-of-english/ (scroll down the page).

Cheers,

Inma

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

ORAL PRESENTATIONS


Some of your amazing oral presentations have just been posted on the page above CAL so COOL (next to Read, Write, etc...).
Please feel free to send yours if you want them posted on our blog. So proud of you, CONGRATS!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Climate Change

Watch this National Geographic video on Global Warming: Global Warming 101



This is the transcript for the Global Warming 101 video. Listen and complete the blanks.

For 205 million years the Earth’s climate has fluctuated cycling from ice ages to warmer periods. But in the last century the planet’s temperature has risen unusually fast- about __________ degrees Fahrenheit.
Scientists believe it’s human activity that’s driving the temperatures up; a process known as GLOBAL WARMING.

Ever since the industrial revolution began, factories, power plants, and eventually cars, have burned fossil fuels such as oil and coal releasing a huge amount of carbon dioxide and other gases into the _______________.
These greenhouse gases trap the heat near the earth through a naturally occurring process called `_______________________´.
The greenhouse effect begins with the sun and the energy it radiates to the Earth.
The Earth and the atmosphere absorb some of this energy, while the rest _________________ back into space.
Naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere trap some of this energy and reflect it back, warming the earth.

Scientists now believe that the greenhouse effect is being intensified by the extra greenhouse gases that humans have released.

Evidence for global warming includes a recent string of very _______________.
Scientists report that 1998 was the warmest year in measured history, with 2005 coming in second.
Meanwhile, readings taken from ice cores show that the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane have hit their highest levels in the past 420.000 years.

Arctic sea ice is also shrinking. According to NASA studies, the extent of Arctic sea ice has declined about 10% in the _____________________.
As long as industrialized nations consume energy and developing countries increase their fossil fuel consumption, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will continue to rise.

Researchers predict that temperatures will increase about 2 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by ___________________.
What is less certain is what _______________________ mean for the planet.
Some climate models predict subtle changes. Others forecast rising sea levels which could flood coastal areas around the world.
Weather patterns could change, making hurricanes more frequent.
_________________________ could become more common in warm areas and species unable to adapt to the changing conditions would face extinction.
Although much remains to be learned about global warming many organizations advocate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the impact of global warming.
Consumers can help. By saving energy around the house, switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving fewer miles in the car each week. These simple changes may help keep the Earth cooler in the future.

Below you have a few Climate Change Glossaries to improve your vocabulary:

CLIMATECHANGEGLOSSARY.COM

GLOSSARY OF CLIMATE CHANGE TERMS. EPA. USA

GLOSSARY OF CLIMATE CHANGE ACRONYMS. UNITED NATIONS


Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.



Al Gore's 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth was an international success. It raised awareness about environmental issues and caused a good deal of controversy along the way.

An Inconvenient Truth Gap Fill Exercise:

If you look at the ten hottest years _____________, they've all occurred in the last 14 years and the hottest of all was 2005.

________________ is that we are causing global warming.

I am Al Gore. I used to be the next President of the United States of America.

This is Patagonia 75 years ago and the same glacier today. This is Mount Kilimanjaro 30 years ago and last year. ________________ there will be no more snows of Kilimanjaro.

This is really not a ____________ so much as a ________________. Temperature increases are taking place all over the world and that's causing stronger storms.

This is the biggest crisis in the history of this country.

Early this morning Hurricane Katrina _________________ into New Orleans.

Is it possible that we should prepare against other _______________________?

From Paramount Classics comes a film that has shocked audiences everywhere they've seen it.

The Arctic is experiencing faster melting. If this were to go, sea level worldwide would go up twenty feet. This is what would happen in Florida. Around Shanghai, home to 40 million people. The area around Calcutta, 60 million. Here's Manhattan. The World Trade Centre Memorial would be ____________________.

Think of the impact of _________________________. And then imagine 100 million.

We have to act together to solve this global crisis.

Our ability to live is what is ______________.

Follow-up Discussion Questions:
Is global warming an urgent problem. Why/ why not?
What examples of freak weather can you think of in the world?
Can we do anything to improve the situation?
What are the consequences if we don't do anything?
Should this film be shown in schools?

An Inconvenient Truth Lesson Plan (with answers):
The Huffington Post:
Bjorn Lomborg: Al Gore 'Oversold The Message' Of Climate Change.

Why would a climate change activist dare to say that Al Gore "oversold the message" of global warming?
Bjorn Lomborg, author of the highly-controversial book The Skeptical Environmentalist, claims that Al Gore's documentary, 'An Inconvenient Truth,' was designed to scare us "witless."
Lomborg told The Huffington Post that the way Gore raised awareness around the issue of climate change "works very well as a scary way to get everyone's attention," but is an "incredibly poor way to make good decisions" about climate change.
"Unfortunately, for the last eighteen years, we've basically not been doing anything about global warming, because we're making these grand promises that we don't intend to keep."
So then what IS a constructive way to fight global warming, Bjorn?
There's a lot of amazing ideas. We look at a number of these in the film [the new documentary 'Cool It' which is in theaters November 12] solar and wind, of course, but we also look at growing your own oil fields through algae in the ocean, making artificial photosynthesis--a lot of other opportunities!
The trick here is to recognize that, because research is incredibly cheap, we should be funding all of these, and lots of them that we're not talking about. There are lots of great ideas! Most of them aren't working yet--they're much too expensive and most of them won't ever work! But that's okay, because some of them are gonna become so cheap, that they'll be the ones that are going to be parrying the rest of the 21st century.
Watch video interview here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/12/bjorn-lomborg-al-gore-and_n_782409.html


MORE CONTROVERSY.  http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=207672. This link will lead you to an ESLCafe Forum, where you could participate in this controversial discussion about Al Gore vs. Bjorn Lomborg's ideas.



This video about the same topic and Lomborg's movie COOL IT will also make you reflect upon the issue:



So it's a fact Global Warming is happening, but some blame it mainly on human actions whereas others consider it a natural change. What do you think?
You've probably already written about it in this week's composition...


Cheers,
Inma.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

This Calls for Celebration!

We've reached 10.000 pageviews since we started blogging last October!

Thank you for following WhimsiCAL!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Always Take the Weather with you...


Why Brits always talk about the weather

The weather is still Britain's favourite topic of conversation with three quarters of us discussing it more than anything else, according to research.

Pedestrians shelter beneath a Union Jack umbrella in central London: Why Brits always talk about the weather
Pedestrians shelter beneath a Union Jack umbrella in central London Photo: REUTERS
10:49AM BST 21 Sep 2009
It is so popular that even after England's football team beat Croatia to qualify for the World Cup, more men were talking about whether it would rain or shine. A mere quarter of men were chatting about football, compared with almost two thirds discussing the weather, according to a new study.
Researchers found our day to day lives are still characterised by traditional British activities like discussing the weather, enjoying fish and chips and drinking cups of tea. More than eight in ten of us believe tea is the ultimate traditional British drink, with everyone from the under 18s to the over 55s enjoying a cuppa.
When it comes to food, fish and chips is still seen as the ultimate in traditional British food. However one in five of us think curry has become a modern British culinary classic.

Dr David Lewis, a psychologist and Director of Research at Mindlab International, said we cling to traditions because they are comforting. He said: "These cultural symbols serve as the unshakeable foundation on which the British way of life is built. "Social and technological change makes many of us feel anxious and stressed because, by challenging accustomed ways of thinking and doing things, it undermines our sense of competence and self-belief. "Traditions offer a psychological 'comfort blanket' by appearing permanent and unchanging.  "By providing this sense of stability and predictability they help reassure us everything will turn out for the best, so encouraging a more positive and optimistic view of the future. "Traditions are also a source of tremendous pride. "By differentiating us from other nations they help create a unique identity, reinforcing our confidence in the attitudes and beliefs that make us typically British. "

The study was released today by British butter brand Country Life to celebrate the start of British Food Fortnight 2009 and involved a survey of 3,000 people.

From The Daily Telegraph, 2009.


Now see how much you can understand from this Weather Report in U.S Television:



Activities to practise with Weather topics:

-Definitions: with audio. VOCABULARY & LISTENING
-Weather in the U.S. PODCAST. LISTENING
-Weather Lesson BBC. With tapescripts and audio. READING, LISTENING
-Weather_fill in the blanks. READING
-Hot and Cold Idioms. READING & WRITING
-Weather Idioms. READING & WRITING
-Idiom Dictionary. Weather. READING & WRITING
-Weather_Idioms Quiz. READING & WRITING
-More Weather Idioms. READING & WRITING

(most of the above from TeachYa!.com)


Vocabulary Sheet:
Do you know that expression When in Rome, do as Romans do? Well, that's exactly what I would like you to do, right down here, posting comments.
ABOUT...?? DO AS THE ENGLISH AND TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER  :)

Thursday, March 8, 2012

International Women's Day


Unintended Beauty, her story…

Sharbat Gula (Pashto: شربت ګله, literally "Flower Sharbat") (pronounced [ˈʃaɾbat]) (born ca. 1972) is an Afghan woman who was the subject of a famous photograph by journalist Steve McCurry. Gula was living as a refugee in Pakistan, during the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when she was photographed. The image brought her recognition when it was featured on the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic Magazine, at a time when she was approximately 12 years old. Gula was known throughout the world simply as "the Afghan Girl" until she was formally identified in early 2002.

An Afghan (Pashtun) by ethnicity, Gula was orphaned during the Soviet Union's bombing of Afghanistan and sent to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984. Her village was attacked by Soviet helicopter gunships sometime in the early 1980s. The Soviet strike killed her parents—forcing her, her siblings and grandmother to hike over the mountains to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in neighboring Pakistan. She married Rahmat Gul in the late 1980s and returned to Afghanistan in 1992. Gula had three daughters: Robina, Zahida, and Alia. A fourth daughter died in infancy. Gula has expressed the hope that her girls will receive the education she was never able to complete.
1984 photograph, “Afghan Girl” 

At the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in 1984, Gula's photograph was taken by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Gula was one of the students in an informal school within the refugee camp; McCurry, rarely given the opportunity to photograph Afghan women, seized the opportunity and captured her image.

Although her name was not known, her picture, titled "Afghan Girl", appeared on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic. The image of her face, with a red scarf draped loosely over her head and with her piercing sea-green eyes staring directly into the camera, became a symbol both of the 1980s Afghan conflict and of the refugee situation worldwide. The image itself was named "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the magazine.

Search for the Afghan Girl The identity of the Afghan Girl remained unknown for over 17 years; Afghanistan remained largely closed to Western media until after the removal of the Taliban government in 2001. Although McCurry made several attempts during the 1990s to locate her, he was unsuccessful. In January 2002, a National Geographic team traveled to Afghanistan to locate the subject of the now-famous photograph. McCurry, upon learning that the Nasir Bagh refugee camp was soon to close, inquired of its remaining residents, one of whom knew Gula's brother and was able to send word to her hometown. However, there were a number of women who came forward and identified themselves erroneously as the famous Afghan Girl. In addition, after being shown the 1985 photo, a handful of young men falsely claimed Gula as their wife. The team finally located Gula, then around the age of 30, in a remote region of Afghanistan; she had returned to her native country from the refugee camp in 1992. Her identity was confirmed using biometric technology, which matched her iris patterns to those of the photograph with almost full certainty. She vividly recalled being photographed—she had been photographed on only three occasions: in 1984 and during the search for her when a National Geographic producer took the identifying pictures that led to the reunion with Steve McCurry. She had never seen her famous portrait before it was shown to her in January 2003. 

  More recent pictures of her were featured as part of a cover story on her life in the April 2002 issue of National Geographic and she was the subject of a television documentary, entitled Search for the Afghan Girl, which aired in March 2002. In recognition of her, National Geographic set up the Afghan Girls Fund, a charitable organization with the goal of educating Afghan girls and young women. In 2008, the scope of the fund was broadened to include boys and the name was changed to Afghan Children's Fund.

The Sharbat Gula Justice Center

Educating and Empowering Women World WideMen and women are two wings of the same bird, unless they work in synchronicity the bird can not soar. 

Sharbat Gula Justice Center's mission is to promote human rights in societies that are undergoing transition from war and its associated social upheaval. They provide educational facilities, legal advocacy for victims of gender apartheid and vocational resources and training for women and girls. The core of their work is to assist women in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. While their geographic focus is on this triad, they promote equality between men and women worldwide, and work within the international framework and mandates adopted by the United Nations for developing nations. Their work is non-partisan and has broad based institutional support as the most effective means of transitioning developing nations from disorder to one governed by rule of law. 

Her Life Revealed
Sharbat Gula which means "flower nectar" in Afghanistan's main language (lingua franca), of Pashto, is the most iconic recognizable face in the world, yet VERY few who recognize her haunting green eyes, know where she is from or her struggle. Upon finding her after 17 years, she was asked what she most wanted in her life. What she asked for was not for herself but for her three daughters. Her wish has been the education of her three young daughters. To this end the Sharbat Gula Justice Center was created; to provide the means for the education of girls and women in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. While their geographic focus is based on this trinity, they assist women worldwide, building schools, providing vocational training and legal asylum for victims of gender based persecution. Their work revolves not around 'charity' but JUSTICE. It is only JUST that everyone, most importantly WOMEN have the same opportunities that exist for men, if not more so, for women are the first teachers of children and the creators of future generations. This work and programs on behalf of women have inspired other NGO's and policy makers to focus on women as the focal point of effective "nation building". Women's rights promotion and socio-economic development opportunities for women have been cited and documented by numerous United Nations studies to be the most effective remedy for societies in transition who wish to join the group of developed nations.

UPON REFLECTION ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, MARCH 8TH:

§  Victimization and Third World: being orphaned, a girl and a refugee.

§  Beauty Standards/Awareness: how do you think Sharbat Gula conceived her own beauty as opposed to the Western standards?

§  Reaching Goals/ Motherhood/ Main Wish: Education for her daughters.

§  Recognition/Achievements/ (Un)intentionally.

Reflect Upon the Following extracts: When they met again, McCurry told Sharbat her image had become famous as a symbol of the Afghan people. "I don't think she was particularly interested in her personal fame," McCurry said. "But she was pleased when we said she had come to be a symbol of the dignity and resilience of her people."The award-winning photographer said his original image of Sharbat had seized the imagination of so many people around the world because her face, particularly her eyes, expressed pain and resilience as well as strength and beauty. When Sharbat agreed to have her picture taken for the second time in her life, she came out from the secrecy of her veil to tell her story. She wanted the people around the world who knew her face to know that she survived the refugee camp in Pakistan.Sharbat said she fared relatively well under Taliban rule, which, she feels, provided a measure of stability after the chaos and terror of the Soviet war.
According to Matson and McCurry, Sharbat Gula has returned to anonymity; the latest publicity about her name and face is unlikely to draw attention to her in Afghanistan. "She will not give another media interview and she wishes not to be contacted," Matson said.

"Clearly she has become a symbol that National Geographic has used to illustrate the circumstances of refugees like her, and many people have inquired about her," he said. "She stood for an entire group of refugees, not just Afghan refugees. She has helped us with our mission of educating people about other cultures and regions—and she's helping us again by drawing attention to the lives of Afghan women and girls in general." 

Have a nice weekend you all. A special mention to all women within our group and beyond on this day...Cheers, -Inma.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Brush up your English with CURSANGLIA

Personalized English Immersion for teachers?
Here we go!
Courses, schedules and experiences designed especially for you!
More info on their website: http://www.cursanglia.net/
Text and images from Cursanglia website


 

Profesores

Los cursos para profesores van dirigidos especialmente a profesores de inglés no nativos, o profesores de asignaturas no lingüísticas que se impartan en inglés, y que deseen reciclar o mejorar sus habilidades lingüísticas a la vez que aprenden numerosas técnicas y métodos de enseñanza.
Estos cursos dan a los profesores la oportunidad de discutir y compartir ideas con colegas de distintos países que desempeñan la misma función, así como de compartir sus experiencias.
Todas las sesiones tienen un gran enfoque comunicativo y están diseñadas para profesores tanto de primaria como de secundaria.
Si has obtenido una Grundtvig o una Comenius, aquí podrás encontrar tu curso ideal.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Radio Story

Official website of Nadia Kingsley
In 2008, Short Story Radio awarded Nadia Kingsley joint first prize for her story After the Tone. Here is the winning story - recorded by Elspeth Rae and Lisa Armytage. Nadia would like to take this opportunity to send them both her heartfelt thanks and admiration for both of their performances.
Please do visit http://www.shortstoryradio.com/ to hear more recorded stories by other authors, including Ian Douglas - the other joint first prize winner.
 Listen to After the Tone

Hi there,

Here's what we briefly covered in class yesterday.
I uploaded the listening comprehension questions below (scroll down, answers are at the end of the document). This might be good practise for your upcoming tests, as long as you enjoy the activity, but if you find it too hard, just leave it, we can do it together in class.

Take it easy on your exams and happy listening!

Cheers,
Inma.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Plate of Peas




Hi there,

Rick Beyer is the author of the short story, A Plate of Peas, we started reading in class yesterday. It's part of the book True Tales of American Life, edited by Paul Auster, (Faber & Faber 2001) pp.120-122.

Here's the author's website: http://rickbeyer.net/index.php?page=bio&display=36
If you scroll down on his site, you can find a link to listen to Paul Auster reading the stroy or else by clicking on this one from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/programs/watc/storyproject/2000/001203.story.html

I also attached the activities about the text you were assigned for the weekend, you can do it for love !  :)



View more documents from Inma Alvarez.

Have a great weekend,
Inma.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Great commercial + Sesame Street parody





Hilarious :))

The Old Spice guy or Grover...Who would you rather smell like??

Have a good weekend !

One in 8 Million.

1 IN 8 MILLION. New York People

New York is a city of characters. The Times introduced 54 of such individuals in sound and images, ordinary people telling extraordinary stories__ of passions and problems, relationships and routines vocations and obsessions...

Pick your favourite

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Successful Writing

Successful Writing Upper-Intermediate Evans
Hi there,

Came across this on Scribd and thought of giving you a useful St. Valentine's present, since I know you LOOVE writing in English : -P
Please check units 10 and 11 on "For and Against" Essays and Opinion Essays, which is what we've been working on.

Also, here's the link about the stuff I x-copied for you last Wednesday in class. You can click on the red links and practice with some writing samples.
http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/for-and-against-essays

Cheers big ears

Thursday, February 9, 2012

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: London's gone wild with 200th Charles Dickens' Anniversary

Oliver Twist
Charles John Huffam Dickens, 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic novels and characters. Dickens's novels were, among other things, works of social commentary. He was a fierce critic of the poverty and social stratification of Victorian society. Dickens's second novel, Oliver Twist (1839), shocked readers with its images of poverty and crime and was responsible for the clearing of the actual London slum, Jacob's Island, that was the basis of the story. In addition, with the character of the tragic prostitute, Nancy, Dickens "humanised" such women for the reading public; women who were regarded as "unfortunates", inherently immoral casualties of the Victorian class/economic system.Bleak House and Little Dorrit elaborated expansive critiques of the Victorian institutional apparatus: the interminable lawsuits of the Court of Chancery that destroyed people's lives in Bleak House and a dual attack in Little Dorrit on inefficient, corrupt patent offices and unregulated market speculation.
Dickens 2012 seems to aim an international celebration of the life and work of Charles Dickens to mark the bicentenary of his birth, which falls on 7 February 2012. Institutions and organisations from all over the world are partners of Dickens 2012 and deliver a programme of events and activities to commemorate this anniversary.
More info on:
DICKENS2012.ORG  Official website
IN THE MEDIA
TO ENJOY HIS WORK (ONLINE READING, free downloads):
Fiction  (Click on the names)

Have a nice week-end and happy reading,

Inma.