Digital Books

Time is changing the way we learn (and teach as well, of course; here you have a sample of the new materials that are being developed by publishers; hopefully, we wil luse them all in a short time. Try and have a look at them. http://www.digital-text.com/muestra_capitulos/a42i.html

American slang vs. British slang

Listen to this interview of Hugh laurie by Ellen Degeneres: absolutely fantastic!

The curious incident of the dog in the night time

Now that summer time is approaching (thank God), let me rec ommend you a book to read: "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon; the story is written in the first-person perspective of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome living in Swindon, Wiltshire.

His author has been awarded with several prizes (Whitbread Book of the Year, and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize). I'm sure you will enjoy it, and learn to look at the world with another perspective.

A home movie inspired by Tolkien's work

The Hunt For Gollum is a new film based on the JRR Tolkien's world, made by a group of enthusiasts of this british writer and a young director, Chris Bouchard. You can watch it with subtitles in different languages. It is a 40 minutes film, and the result is incredible. And what's more, it has cost less than £5.000 only! The story is placed between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and it has been filmed taking the Appendices as plot.

Quiz time!

After a whole year of hard work, it's time to put your English to the test with some fairly easy quizzes!

First, you can try this motivating Intermediate Level grammar test (38 questions). You should pass this one with flying colours! Your level is supposed to be much higher, isn't it?

Now, a short BBC quiz on 'Telephoning', testing vocabulary which is specific to the telephone.
(Remember, we have been working on this stuff when dealing with business and occupations).

Another BBC vocabulary test to complement the first two units about travelling and the USA.
Finally, a spelling test designed for native speakers: The Commonly Confused Words Test (just click on 'Next', you don't need to sign up).

When you are old

Listen to this wonderful poem by W. B. Yeats, no doubt one of the most beautiful love poems ever witten.
Post a comment on it later on.




Here you have the words:

863. When You are Old

WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.