New Year Customs and Celebrations in The UK

It is traditional in England to celebrate the end of the old year and welcome in the new year at the end of December.

New Year's Eve

December 31 is New Year's Eve. Many English people have parties in their homes on New Year's Eve. Others celebrate in pubs or clubs with their friends and families, or attend outdoor gatherings and firework displays. 

Just before midnight on New Year's Eve, people hold hands and sing a traditional song called "Auld Lang Syne". They count the seconds down to the new year and when the clock strikes midnight, they hug and kiss and wish each other a happy new year! Sometimes people set off fireworks as the new year begins.

People often drink a toast to the coming year with a fizzy alcoholic drink called champagne. Some people let their children stay up late to join in with the celebrations. 

New Year's Day

New Year's day is celebrated on January 1. New Year's Day is a bank holiday.

New Year's Day is a holiday for nearly everyone in the UK. Very few buses and trains run on New Year's Day. Most people stay at home and relax with their families.

First Footing

There is an old superstition in Scotland and some other parts of the UK that the first person to enter someone's home on New Year's Day will bring all the luck for the coming year with them. This person is known as the first footer.

Dark haired people are thought to be the luckiest first footers, and it is traditional to carry a lump of coal when going first footing.

New Year's Resolutions

People often make resolutions at the start of the new year. Resolutions are things that people have decided (or resolved) to do to make their lives better, such as stopping smoking or losing weight. Not everybody manages to keep their New Year's resolutions, though!

Revise types of houses in England and improve your English.

Types of houses in England

England has many types of homes. In the large cities, people often live in apartments, which are called flats. In most towns, there are streets of houses joined together in long rows. They are called terraced houses.

The main types of houses in England are:

Detached: it is a house which is not joined to another house
Semi-detached: it is a  house which is joined to another house on one side; or two houses joined together
Terraced: it is a house which is part of a line of houses. It is a house which is joined to other houses on two sides; several houses joined together
Flats: they are part of a bigger building where all the flats share a front door; they are called “apartments” in American English
Bungalow: it is a house which is only on one floor, no stairs. It may be joined to another bungalow or might stand alone

The most popular type of home in England is semi-detached (more than 27% of all homes), closely followed by detached 

Sing this song and revise irregular verbs

A very good and enjoyable way of revising irregular verbs and improving your pronuntiation.

Don't worry if you are not good at singing, only try to do your best and sing:

http://youtu.be/P_r8pDziQKE

Adjetivos acabados en "-ed" y en "-Ing"

Las parejas de adjetivos acabados en “-ed” y en “-ing” (interested / interesting) suelen ser a menudo confundidas por los estudiantes de inglés. En el post de hoy espero aclarar la diferencia entre estos dos tipos de adjetivos, y que nuestros alumnos de bachillerato y los que preparan B1 ( PET) lo lean.

Los adjetivos acabados en “-ed” hacen referencia a estados de ánimo y, por lo tanto, a personas:

I’m interested in American cinema.

I’m excited about going on holiday.

Los adjetivos acabados en “-ing” hacen referencia a los objetos (o personas) que producen un estado de ánimo:

This is a very interesting book.

Our holiday in Tanzania was exciting.

Importante

Los adjetivos acabados en “-ing” no deben confundirse con el participio presente que forma el progresivo en inglés.

This is a tiring exercise. (adjetivo)

He is tiring everybody with his constant questions. (Present Progressive)

Halloween celebrations.

Here you have an enjoyable reading task to improve you English and your culture.

Here we go!

Halloween Celebrations

With dictionary look up. Double click on any word for its definition.
This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously!

The History of Halloween

Halloween is an ancient festival, which has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain (Sah-ween), this was when the Celts (the ancient inhabitants of Great Britain) celebrated their New Year and the day they believed that the souls of those who had died that year progressed to the underworld. It was said to be a night when ghosts, demons and witches roamed the earth and people tried to placate them with offerings of nuts and berries. 

Nowadays these offerings are more likely to be the Mars Bars and Snickers (formerly Marathons) given out to children trick or treating, but it remains a day when we can acknowledge our fears and celebrate forces we do not understand. Today in the UK it is celebrated on All Hallows Eve, the night of October 31, the last night of October which was originally the eve of Samhain.

Trick or Treat

Many of today's Halloween traditions are associated with America, however they originated in Celtic history. For example the custom of 'trick or treat' originated in England as ‘Mischief Night' when children declared one ‘lawless night' of unpunished pranks (usually May Day eve or Halloween). In the late 19thC, the Irish belief that 'the little people' or fairies played pranks on Halloween, led boys and young men to carry out practical jokes on that night, Nowadays children dress up in costumes and go from door to door where they knock on the door, or ring the doorbell, and yell 'Trick or treat!'. The idea being that the owners of the house give the children a treat (sweets or money) or the children will play a trick on them - I believe that in legal terminology this is called extortion!

  

It was the Irish who brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. The practice of carving Jack-o'-lanterns goes back to the Irish legend of Jack, a lazy but shrewd farmer who tricked the Devil into a tree, then refused to let the Devil down unless the Devil agreed to never let Jack into Hell . The story goes that the Devil agreed, but when Jack died, he was too sinful to be allowed into Heaven, and the Devil wouldn't let him into Hell. So, Jack carved out one of his turnips, put a candle inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He was known as Jack of the Lantern, or Jack-O'-Lantern.

Nowadays the typical Jack-o'-lantern is a pumpkin whose top and stem have been carved off and inner membranes and seeds scooped out to leave a hollow shell. Sections of a side are carved out to make a design, usually a face. It is possible, using thicker and thinner sections cut with differing tools, to create surprisingly detailed and realistic designs. A light source (traditionally a candle) is placed inside the pumpkin and the top is put back into place (often after a "chimney" is carved in the lid in order to allow heat to escape). The light illuminates the design from the inside. Jack-o'-lanterns are generally made for Halloween, and were originally made from large turnips, beets and swedes, before the introduction of the now more familiar pumpkin from the Americas.

This text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation Licence.

Superstitions associated with Halloween

It was believed to be the night when the barrier between the living world and that of the spirits was at its weakest. In the old days people lit bonfires to ward away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck.

Now we light candles in pumpkin lanterns called Jack-o'-Lanterns. This is intended to scare away evil spirits from the home.

Halloween was also a time to honour the dead, and divine the future.

Hazel NutsThe hazel nut was sacred to ancient Celts, they were believed to have divining powers and was sacred to poets. The magic power of this nut was considered to be especially powerful on Halloween -- and was often used in marriage divinations.Robert Burns wrote about this Halloween custom in Scotland: ... "Some merry, friendly, countra folks Together did convene, To burn their nuts, an' pu their stocks, An' haud their Halloween Fu' blithe that night."

Hazel nuts were sometimes named after an individual, and the thrown into the bonfire on samhain eve. The manner in which it burned would determine the "fate" for that person for the next year.

Apple-bobbing

Float a number of apples in a bowl of water (supposedly representing the Cauldron of rebirth), and try to catch one using only your teeth. When you have caught one, peel it in one unbroken strip, and throw the strip of peel over your left shoulder. The letter the peel forms is the initial of your future husband or wife.

Nut-cracking

Place two nuts (such as conkers) on a fire. Give the nuts the names of two possible lovers and the one that cracks first will be the one.

Halloween Costumes 

It's traditional for people (especially children) to dress up at Halloween. In the past this wasn't done just for fun, it was thought that the costume would confuse any evil spirits so they wouldn't play any pranks on you.

Nowadays Halloween costumes can range from cute to downright scary. The simplest costume has to be draping a white sheet over your head and making a couple of holes for the eyes, but a lot of people go all out as vampires, witches, or a character from a horror film.

The top 10 costumes in 2009 were as follows:-

For adults	For children
Witch Pirate Vampire Cat Fairy Nurse Batman Politician Ghost Angel	Witch Spider Man Pirate Pumpkin Vampire Disney Princess Star Wars Character Athlete Fairy Batman

Some people even like to get their pets in on the act.

Images and Symbols Associated with Halloween

	Black cats		Cauldrons		Ghosts
	Haunted  Houses		Monsters		Pumpkins (Jack-o'-Lanterns)
	Spiders		Vampires		Witches

 

Halloween Stories

Another popular tradition is to tell scary stories at Halloween. Turn the lights off, shine a torch under your chin, and tell your scariest tale.

Cornish Ghost Stories

The Guests

The Little White Dog

Base and Strong Adjectives

Este es un resumen, para nuestros estudiantes de 1 de bachillerato y para todos aquellos que estén aprendiendo inglés, sobre los adjetivos extremos en inglés: Base adjectives versus strong adjectives

Base adjectives

Base adjectives are normal adjectives that don't have the idea of 'very'

Strong adjectives

Strong adjectives, however, are extreme adjectives that have the idea of 'very'

Examples

• gorgeous = very beautiful
• huge = very big

Base Adjectives	Strong Adjectives
beautiful	gorgeous
ugly	awful
dirty	filthy
good	superb, great, fantastic
bad	terrible
happy	thrilled
angry	furious
hungry	starving
tired	exhausted
funny	hilarious
big	huge, enormous
small	tiny
fat	obese
scared	terrified
cold	freezing
hot	boiling

The use of very, absolutely and really with base and strong adjectives

Very, absolutely and really are used differently according whether the adjective is a base or a strong one:

	very	absolutely	really
Base adjectives
Strong adjectives

Examples:

• He was very happy; he was absolutely thrilled.
• He was really happy/thrilled.

Improve your English through Reading.

Right now you are reading English. That means that you are using your brain in a very active way. Reading is a very active process. It is true that the writer does a lot of work, but the reader also has to work hard. When you read a text, you have to do some or all of these:

• imagine a scene in your head
• understand clearly what the writer is trying to say
• agree or disagree with the writer

Advantages of Reading

When you learn a language, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. There are many advantages associated with reading, including:

Learning Vocabulary In Context

You will usually encounter new words when you read. If there are too many new words for you, then the level is too high and you should read something simpler. But if there are, say, a maximum of five new words per page, you will learn this vocabulary easily. You may not even need to use a dictionary because you can guess the meaning from the rest of the text (from the context). Not only do you learn new words, but you see them being used naturally.

A model for wrtiting 

When you read, it gives you a good example for writing. Texts that you read show you structures and expressions that you can use when you write.

Seeing "Correctly Structured" English

When people write, they usually use "correct" English with a proper grammatical structure. This is not always true when people speak. So, by reading you see and learn grammatical English naturally.

Seeing "Correctly Structured" English

You can read as fast or as slowly as you like. You can read ten pages in 30 minutes, or take one hour to explore just one page. It doesn't matter. The choice is yours. You cannot easily do this when speaking or listening. This is one of the big advantages of reading because different people work at different speeds.

Personal Interest

If you choose something to read that you like, it can actually be interesting and enjoyable. For example, if you like to read about football in your own language, why not read about football in English? You will get information about football and improve your English at the same time.

Five Tips for Reading

Tip #1

Try to read at the right level. Read something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every three words to look in a dictionary, it is not interesting for you and you will soon be discouraged.

Tip #2

Make a note of new vocabulary. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your vocabulary book. But you don't have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meaning as you read; mark them with a pen; then come back when you have finished reading to check in a dictionary and add them to your vocabulary book.

Tip #3

Try to read regularly. For example, read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. Fix a time to read and keep to it. For example, you could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up, or at lunchtime.

Tip #4

Be organised. Have everything ready:

• something to read
• a marker to highlight difficult words
• a dictionary
• your vocabulary book
• a pen to write down the new words

Tip #5

Read what interests YOU. Choose a magazine or book about a subject that you like.

Things to Read

Newspapers

You can find English-language newspapers in all large cities around the world. Newspapers are interesting because they are about real life and the news. BUT they are not easy to read. Try reading newspapers if your level is intermediate or above.

Some British newspapers:

• The Telegraph
• The Times
• The Independent
• The Guardian
• The Financial Times (business)
• The Sunday Times

Some American newspapers:

• The International Herald Tribune
• The New York Times
• The Wall Street Journal (business)

Magazines

Some magazines are published weekly, some monthly. You can find English-language magazines in many large cities around the world. If you cannot find the magazine you want in your town, you may be able to order it for delivery. Many magazines have pictures which can help your understanding. You will need an intermediate level for most magazines, but a pre-intermediate level may be ok for some magazines.

There are magazines on every subject:

• Politics
• Sport
• The House
• Cars
• Music
• Romance
• Travel
• Language
• etc

Books

Books are divided mainly into:

• Non-fiction (history, biography, travel, cooking etc)
• Fiction (stories and novels)

Some books are easier to read than others. It often depends on the author. Agatha Christie, for example, wrote in an easier style and with simpler vocabulary than Stephen King. You can buy books in specialised English-language bookshops in large cities around the world. You may also be able to find some English-language books in libraries. And if you attend lessons in Aulaglobal you can borrow many English-language books from out library.

Short Stories

Short stories can be a good choice when learning a language because they are...short. It's like reading a whole book in a few pages. You have all the excitement of a story in a book, but you only have to read 5,000 or 10,000 words. So you can quite quickly finish the story and feel that you have achieved something. Short stories are published in magazines, in books of short stories, and on the Internet. You can also borrow short histories from our library.

Readers

Readers are books that are specially published to be easy to read. They are short and with simple vocabulary. They are usually available at different levels, so you should be able to find the right level for you. Many readers are stories by famous authors in simple form. This is an excellent way for you to start practising reading. And once again you can borrow us these kind of books.

Cornflakes Packets

By "Cornflakes Packets", we mean any product you can buy that has English writing on or with it. If you buy a box of chocolates, or a new camera, why not read the description or instructions in English? There are many such examples, and they all give you an opportunity to read real English:

• airline tickets
• cans or packets of food
• bottles of drink
• tapes and CDs
• user guides for videos, computers...
• etc

Good luck with your reading. It will help you make a lot of Progress!

Reading improvement

If you want to improve your reading skill for PET (B1) or FCE (B2) you can use this interesting article about wearing uniforms and his beneficts. 

Read:http://bit.ly/readingaboutwearinguniforms

¿Qué hacer si tu hijo adolescente no quiere estudiar?

Hemos encontrado en la red este artículo, que puede se útil si tu hijo quiere dejar los estudios:

Las discusiones por los deberes son comunes

Durante años los padres se acostumbran a decir a sus hijos que su obligación es la de estudiar. Todos sueñan con que lleguen a tener una larga formación académica confiados en que esto suponga que en el futuro podrán tener acceso a trabajar en algo que realmente les gusta, que les dará una mayor estabilidad económica y menos problemas. Sin embargo no siempre los hijos tienen deseos de estudiar y ahí es cuando sus padres tienen auténticos quebraderos de cabeza para encontrar una solución.

Tus hijos tienen que estudiar obligatoriamente hasta secundaria

En España la educación es obligatoria hasta la Secundaria, por lo que a pesar de los deseos que puedan expresar los hijos de dejar el colegio porque no quieren estudiar es fácil convencerles, o al menos controlarlos. Es una obligación que estén escolarizados y que acudan al colegio y cumplan con los compromisos que les imponen los profesores. Además, en nuestro país no está permitido trabajar a los menores de 16 años.

El mayor de los problemas es cuando los hijos ya están en el instituto y ese periodo de obligatoriedad ya no es tal. ¿Qué hacer entonces? No es fácilatajar la cuestión en el seno de la familia, pero también es cierto que lo habitual es que en años anteriores, incluso estando en el colegio, los estudiantes hayan mostrado sus recelos a mantener su formación durante mucho tiempo. No existe una fórmula por la que conseguir hacer cambiar de opinión a los estudiantes, pero sí una serie de consejos que pueden servir a que recapacite o incluso a que los padres no vean tan mala su decisión. 

Analizar el rechazo a seguir estudiando

Lo primero que hay que hacer cuando un hijo plantea a sus padres que no quiere estudiar es hablar con él y tratar de encontrar el verdadero motivo que le ha llevado a tomar esa decisión. De nada vale discutir y amenazar, porque lo único que conseguiremos es posicionarlo en nuestra contra y ofuscarse más en su decisión.

No puedes obligar a que tu hijo estudie en la universidad

Podemos darnos cuenta de que el hijo ha pensado el tema y que tiene argumentos de peso para haber tomado esa decisión. Pero en otros casos podemos llegar a la conclusión de que no es así, que en realidad busca una salida rápida al instituto y prepararse a buscar trabajo para conseguir dinero y ser independiente o ayudar en casa.

La crisis puede ser un motivo para dejar los estudios

Especialmente en los últimos años, con la fuerte crisis económica que ha azotado a todo el mundo,es habitual que el hijo piense que el hecho de continuar sus estudios es una carga económica para la familia, especialmente si se planteaacudir a la universidad. Es por ello que creen que su responsabilidad es la de tener un trabajo con el que poder aportar dinero en casa lo antes posible.

El dinero puede ser un problema para continuar estudiando

En ese caso puede que la cuestión económica tenga más peso que la académica. Aquí no hay una solución definitiva para resolver la cuestión. Los padres han de valorar lo que supone que su hijo abandone los estudios para buscar trabajo, si realmente es necesario. En caso de que así sea se puede ver la posibilidad de que ésta sea una medida provisional y que vuelva al instituto en el futuro o que incluso trate de compatibilizar las clases con el trabajo.

También puede darse la situación de que la cuestión económica no sea tan mala como creía el menor -la percepción de los hijos no siempre es la misma que la de los padres en temas de dinero- y no sea necesario que abandone los estudios. Entonces se ha de estudiar qué hacer para tomar la mejor de las decisiones.

Pide consejo a profesores, padres u orientadores para conseguir estudiar [/cimg] 

Pedir consejo y otras opiniones

El abandonar los estudios es un asunto de vital importancia para un joven, ya que puede marcar su futuro. Está más que demostrado que hoy en día la formación es imprescindible para conseguir un trabajo, más aún para tener una carrera profesional. Ese será el principal argumento de los padres para intentar disuadir a su hijo de dejar las clases.

Pero hay que tener en cuenta que esta vida no es un sprint. En función de las circunstancias de cada casa se puede plantear un abandono temporal de los estudios, pero hay que tener en cuenta que para él va a ser difícil retomar después las clases, especialmente si no se le daba bien yadesde el colegio o ha conseguido un trabajo con el que conseguir dinero sin necesidad de mejorar su formación.

Pide ayuda a personas cualificadas para ayudarte en los estudios

Hay que tener en cuenta todas las posibilidades y para ello lo mejor es pedir consejo a quienes están acostumbrados a tratar estas situaciones o incluso han pasado por ellas. Así las primeras conversaciones han de tenerse en el seno de la familia, y no nos referimos únicamente a los padres. A la edad en que los hijos están en el instituto hay que tener en cuenta que no suelen seguir los consejos de sus progenitores, pero sí los de hermanos mayores, primos o incluso tíos. Se puede recurrir a ellos.

Luego está la ayuda profesional. Nos referimos a los profesores del instituto, que pueden evaluar la situación académica y sugerir qué hacer. En este sentido cobra especial importancia la figura del orientador, una persona que conversará con el estudiante y, en función de sus habilidades y deseos de futuro, le puede ayudar a decidir qué hacer.

No desesperes, todo esfuerzo tiene su resultado

Reorientar los estudios

Cuando un hijo anuncia a sus padres la intención de abandonar los estudios puede ser porque esté confundido. En los últimos años parecemos predispuestos a que cuando uno acaba el instituto a continuación accede a la universidad, algo que puede parecer arduo y poco estimulante para algunos alumnos. Si es el caso de tu hijo ha llegado el momento de plantear alternativas.

Hoy en día la oferta formativa es enorme y no hay que obligarle a estudiar algo con lo que no se siente cómodo y en lo que acabará por fracasar. Existen módulos de formación y cursos que abarcan una amplia variedad de campos laborales y que le permitirán trabajar en un futuro no demasiado lejano. A buen seguros le resultarán más estimulantes que una carrera y pueden quitarle de la cabeza la idea de abandonar los estudios.

Un tiempo de prueba

Lo ideal es que la decisión de si un joven continúa o no con sus estudios se tome en casa y sea consensuada por toda la familia. En caso de que no sea así se hace necesario que alguna de las dos partes ceda para evitar enfrentamientos.

Un modo de huir de los problemas es adoptar una solución temporal o intermedia. Ya comentamos anteriormente que se puede dejar temporalmente los estudios. Es una buena alternativa. De este modo se puede acordar una especie de año lejos de las clases, lo que le permitirá a nuestro hijo conocer de primera mano lo que significa acceder al mercado laboral e, incluso, trabajar. Pasado un tiempo él y su familia verán si el abandonar los estudios ha sido la decisión adecuada, por lo que puede mantenerla. De no ser así aún está a tiempo de retomar los estudios sin mayores problemas.

Fuente: Noelia Rodríguez Alvarez Martes, 23 de Septiembre de 2014

Easy and most common prefix in English.

Prefixes are added to the beginnings of words to change their meaning.

For example, the prefix UN- means the opposite:

• happy  
• unhappy  

The prefix OVER- means “too much:”

• spend –> overspend (spend too much money)

Here are 10 common prefixes in English with example words and sentences:

PRE- = before

• prepaid – “I bought a prepaid phone card with $20 worth of credit.”
• predict - “I predict that Brazil will win the next World Cup.”
• prevent – “Seat belts can prevent serious injuries if you get into a car accident.”

POST- = after

• postgraduate – “There are 200 students in the postgraduate program in marketing.”
• postwar - “The country’s economy struggled during the postwar period.”
• posthumous – (after death): “The author received a posthumous award for his book.”

MULTI- = many

• multicultural – “Our group of friends is quite multicultural – we know people from five continents.”
• multimillionaire – “He started a successful business and became a multimillionaire.”
• multiply – (to become many): “My problems multiplied until they completely took over my life.”

MONO- = one

• monopolize – (only one person or entity having control of something): “That company is trying to monopolize the market by signing exclusivity contracts with distributors.”
• monologue - (only one person talking): “My friend launched into a 15-minute monologue about what she thinks of the new president.”
• monotheistic - (only believing in one God): “Judaism is a monotheistic religion.”

BI- = two

• bicycle – (has two wheels): “My son’s learning how to ride a bicycle.”
• bilingual – (speaks two languages): “Most of the company managers are bilingual.”
• bipartisan - (involving two political parties): “The law has bipartisan support.”

OVER- = too much

• oversleep – “I overslept by an hour and missed my first class.”
• overpriced - “Everything in that store is overpriced. They charge $60 for a T-shirt!”
• overheat - “Stop the car! I think the engine is overheating.”

UNDER- = too little

• undercooked – “This chicken is undercooked; I don’t think it’s safe to eat.”
• underrepresented - “Women are underrepresented in our company leadership – only 2 of the 35 managers and directors are women.”
• underestimate - (to think too little of something) – “I underestimated the cost of our vacation, and we ended up spending far more than we’d budgeted.”

SUPER- = extra, extreme, over, above

• supermodel – (a really famous, highly-paid model): “Gisele Bündchen is a Brazilian supermodel.”
• supercomputer - (an extremely powerful computer): “NASA’s supercomputers control the rocket launch.”
• superfluous – (something extra and not needed): “You should cut superfluous words from your sentences.”

MIS- = wrong

• misunderstand – “I misunderstood the teacher – I did exercise 5 instead of exercise 4.”
• misbehave - “My children were misbehaving at the birthday party, so I took them home early.”
• misplace - (to lose something because you put it in the wrong place): “I seem to have misplaced my glasses.”

ANTI- = opposite, against

• antisocial - “She’s a bit antisocial – she avoids parties and other social situations.”
• anti-aging - “My mother uses anti-aging lotion to make her skin look younger.”
• anticlimactic – (an event that was not as exciting / interesting as imagined): “The end of the movie was rather anticlimactic.”