Here are the poems we looked at in class. You can listen to me reading them in these Soundcloud links:
Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth Toast
Try to read the parts you practised in class and copy my pronunciation. Take your time and speak clearly. Can you copy the poem’s rhythm?
And here’s the wonderful short film we watched of Vincent by Tim Burton.
Happy Halloween.
Do you remember a really good night out? Click here to listen to an interview with me about a memorable night I had. Click here to download the questions.
Now it’s 
your turn. Study the irregular verbs first from unit 7 and think about your answers to the same questions. Why don’t you do these exercises from the English File coursebook website to practise?
Now click here and answer my questions. I give you time to answer so there is a pause after the questions.
5th November is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain. It’s a very popular festival in which there are firework displays and bonfires. But the origins of the festival are not really a cause for celebration.
Listen to this explanation of Guy Fawkes Night from http://www.eslholidaylessons.com. The first part is about its origins and the second part is about present day celebrations.
You can watch this video to find out more about the history of Guy Fawkes.
Now watch this video about fire safety from the National Health Service in the UK (NHS). Where there’s fire, there will be accidents! Do you think people are as safety conscious where you live?
Do you remember when Mario Casas came to Guía to make a film last year? The traffic literally stopped for the day. We love to see films made and catch a glimpse of famous actors. And we also love to visit film locations, and take a selfie in the same place as if we were Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. Here are two videos about two locations that have been used for films. The first is of Chatsworth House which was Darcy’s stately home Pemberley in the film version of Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”. Many people now visit Chatsworth House to imagine themselves in the romantic lead roles.
Another film location is the university city of Cambridge. Have you seen the film about Stephen Hawking “The Theory of Everything”? And you also see Ely Cathedral in “The King’s Speech”. You might also remember Trinity College in the film “Chariots of Fire”.
Click here to access the BBC website for English language learners. It’s a great website for intermediate learners. There are different sections you can use depending on what you want to practise. For example, there is a grammar section which focuses on language at this level, such as phrasal verbs. You can do interactive exercises and see how the language is used in context.
Click on the option “Features” and you will see a menu of all the different pages. You can practise your listening skills in “Drama” by listening to episodes which you can download so you can listen to them wherever you are. Another good section is “Words in the News” which is a short news report you can read and listen to. “Lingo hack” and “News Report” are similar too but the news story is probably a bit more difficult. They help you understand authentic BBC TV news stories. Excellent to help you with listening skills.
And if you want to learn a more conversational English, look at the section “The English We Speak” – a 3 minute download to read or listen to and learn about current words people use. But perhaps my favourite section is “6 Minute English“, which is a conversation you can download. Two people discuss topics as varied as clothes, evolution and space, and you learn new language that will help you understand and increase your vocabulary. There is also a section on pronunciation to help you master those difficult sounds.
So what are you waiting for? Put www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish on your favourites list and check it every week. You will notice a difference!
English in Guía 