Gerund or Infinitive??? That is the question ;)

Here you are a complete tutorial about this grammatical aspect.
Read the explanations, do the exercises and check the pictures to help you memorise all the info.
Remember all the information is also available in your students book (Contrast 1) in pages 128-129
Gerunds and Infinitives Part 1 (explanation + exercises)
Gerunds and Infinitives Part 2 (explanation + exercises)
Gerunds and Infinitives Part 3 (explanation + exercises),
Extra Practice at
ego4you.com,
englishch-hilfen 
englishexercises

Grammar Picture 1  Grammar Picture 2

Test yourself here with Perfect English or here with OUP via super fast testing exercises :)

Br. English vs Am. English

Here you are two images showing the differences, spelling and vocabulary wise, between Br.E. and Am.E.

ESO3 RECYCLING PROJECT II Edition

Unit 2 was about recycling. We have learnt how important recycling is for present and future generations. In order to prove we are on eco-mode, our project requieres some active action from our side.
Option 1: Bring a recycled object from home that you usually use. Say what it is, what it is made of and why you use it.
Example: coconut bag. It is a bag made of coconut. I use it because it is perfect for small things such as mobile, keys or change. It is very handy to go out in summer.
Option 2: Create your own recycled object. Show the class how we can create things with our own hands and using materials we have at home.
Example one: corner bookmark (video tutorial in Spanish)
Example two: a butterfly bookmark (video tutorial in English)

2014 Project Results

CULTURE CLASS with JON

Jon, from Burlington Books, visited our school today and shared his culture presentations with much sense of humour and not less patience :)

He explained all ESO and AS (1º Bachillerato) groups facts and curiositites about British culture: food, music, the Royal Family, flags, symbols, currency, why people drive on the left, the city of London and much more! The groups participated actively, especially when "who wants to be a millionare" game was played. The brave and lucky ones got some gifts and prizes ;)

We hope students have enjoyed the Culture Class.

 

11th November is Poppy Day / Remembrance Day.

Remembrance or Armistice Day is also commonly and popularly known as Poppy Day. If you want to learn about the story behing the Poppy, watch the following video with a delicious Scottich accent.

Over a million men and women from Britain and the British Empire were killed during World War I. The poppy is the most popular symbol to remember them and honour them. This year, a field of ceramic poppies has been exhibited at the Tower of London. A beautiful and plastic image of all the blood shed in conflict.

Paul Cummins: Poppies The Tower of London

From the website Poppie Appeal, you can obtain all the past and current information about this day. You can get involved in Remembrance Day actively by taking a "Poppie Selfie" and posting it on twitter or instagram and sharing it with @PoppieLegion or @RoyalBritishLegion with the hashtag #poppieselfie. Alternatively, you can simply learn how to wear your poppy properly for next year in this unusual tutorial ;)

The Irregular Verbs PROJECT

My students are currently facing one of the most feared grammar aspects: Irregular verbs!

we decided to stand up for a meaningful learning of these troublesome friends. We will analyse them, classify them depending on their form and group them in colours for a better memorization.

SESSION ONE

a) Pair work: write down the different groups we are able to spot.

b) Group work: discussion to reach a consensus and stablish a given number of groups.

Our proposals were:

Vowel Change

Same form for the three verbs

Same base but different past and past participle

Different base but same past and past participle

All three forms are different.

Students try to classify all the verbs in their workbook list using the grouping suggested. We will see how effective or defective our proposals were.

SESSION TWO

a) Group work: After adjusting any deficiencies, the class will list irregular verbs into separate pieces of paper according to verb behaviour and will assign one given colour to each group.

b) Individual work: Students will highlight each verb on workbook list using the chosen colour.

EXTRA WORK

a) Each group will design a 3-dimensional flashcard to revise irregular verbs in the future.

For quicker lesson plannings, you can present this lesson by espressoenglish ;)

Contrast 1 Links from Unit 2

Another chance to listen to REAL english!
Unit 2 links are as follows:

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE TEXT (You tube video)
DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA TEXT (You tube video)

Massive Halloween Celebration at school

School celebration of Halloween. Very proud of a really impressive participation. More than 30 pumpkins and 20 posters fought to win the first place in a contest of high quality and creativity. Some students were brave enough to dress up (teachers were even braver as one third of the staff went all crazy wearing spooky costumes). 

A big thank you to EVERYBODY and a special mention to those who were corageous enough to dance and sing in front of the school community. YOU ARE GREAT!!!! Looking foward to next year!!!

Click here to see my HALLOWEEN ALBUM