Yolanda's blog

How to change negative things into positive ones this Christmas. This amazing new Scrabble film will warm your heart and improve your vocabulary.

Who's Still Standing? was the American adaptation of the Israeli game show Lauf al Hamiliyon , (Hebrew: לעוף על המיליון), which offers contestants the opportunity to win up to US$1 million while competing in head-to-head trivia battles. On May 13, 2012, it was announced that the show would not be renewed for a second season due to high production costs, despite having acceptable ratings.

Planning a holiday : Text with interesting vocabulary A listening on Ecotourism Listening on Bournemouth Listening on Ethical travel Videos and listenings on different British towns Listenings on travelling Difference between hiking and trekking THAI COOKING HOLIDAY: Thank you Ruth for sharing your pictures.  This is the blog where you can get more information about this activity: suwanneethaicookingclasschiangrai.blogspot.com.es  The kitchen Tom Yum Kung Enjoying cooking Papaya Salad Papaya Salad Steam Banana Tom yun kung

This video has been created for and by HomeForExchange.com, the leading home exchange agency. It's a tutorial for newcomers who are not familiar with home exchange or house swap yet.

Part of the fun of learning a language is getting to know its idioms and expressions, but there are many whose meaning is far from clear and whose origins are obscure. Today we look at 10 unusual expressions in English and where they come from. 1. to kick the bucket A euphemism for ‘to die’. One theory suggests it comes from the days when prisoners were executed by hanging. An upturned bucket, or some other kind of pedestal, would be placed under their feet as they were strung up to the gallows and then kicked away to make them drop. More likely, however, it comes from an old secondary meaning of ‘bucket’, which was the beam used to hang animals up for slaughter in a farm. The dying animals would spasm as they struggled, hence ‘kicking the bucket’. A: I’d love to travel around the world one day. B: So would I. There’s loads of places I want to see before I kick the bucket. 2. Break a leg! It might surprise you, but this expression is used to wish someone good luck. It c...

Read some examples of complaint letters about a Language School. Click on the comments section.

  A reading from The Guardian with activities and key: CLICK HERE

NOTES AND AN EXERCISE

This is a listening with useful vocabulary that you might need when renting accommodation . QUALITIES OF A GOOD ROOMMATE

White House announces that the country's highest peak, Mount McKinley, will now be called by its Alaskan name, Denali President Barack Obama will change the name of Mount McKinley, the top of which is the country's highest point, back to its traditional Alaskan title, Denali. His administration announced the name change on Sunday, citing the authority of the Department of the Interior, ahead of a trip to Alaska on Monday that will see him become the first sitting president to visit the state's Arctic. Alaskans have long called the 20,320-foot mountain Denali, though pushes by its politicians to have the name changed have met with opposition from those in Ohio, the home state of the 25th president.  He was assassinated early in his second term in 1901.

The Blue Moon of July 31 marks the second full moon of the month. For our latest on the lunar event, read:  Blue Moon Full Moon Rises Tonight: What to Expect On Friday, much of the world will have the opportunity to observe a Blue Moon: A somewhat rare occurrence that doesn't have anything to do with the moon's color. During most years, the Earth experiences 12 full moons, one in each month. But some years, such as 2015, have 13 full moons, and one of those "extra" lunar displays gets the label of  Blue Moon .

Last summer I was reading El diario montañés and I came across the following article about HABLAMOS, an agreement between the UIMP and our EOI to promote conversation exchanges among students. I immediately recognized one of my Avanzado 2 students. I emailed her asking for an article about her experience because I thought it might encourage other students to take part in the programme. So, read both articles and take the plunge! ¿Qué te parece si ‘Hablamos’? El primer jueves de cada mes, más de un centenar de estudiantes extranjeros de la UIMP y españoles de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas se reúnen para intercambiar conversación. READ MORE... This is the link to the school's website where you can find further information and sign up if you are interested:   http://www.eoisantander.org/noticia-2/    This is Cintia's article: I decided to join in because I love learning English. I really enjoy the moment in which I manage to talk about issues concerning Santander ...

What does this term refer to? Watch the first part of the video and find out. The other stories are also interesting: Radio La Colifata in Argentina, Surveillance and Privacy

Nestled in northern Mexico and the canyons of the Sierra Madre Occidental is a small tribe of indigenous people known as the Tarahumara. They call themselves Rarámuri, loosely translated as "running people," "foot-runner," "swift of foot," or "he who walks well." They are known for evading the Spanish conquerors in the sixteenth century and keeping their cave-dwelling culture alive and secluded. They are also known for their long distance running and their superior health, not displaying the common health issues of "modern" societies. So what is the Tarahumara story and what can we learn from them? How can we use their history as an example for our own primal living? For some they may not be an example of what is considered primal, but they are one of the closest we can find in today's world . 

Here are some interesting links to practise writing: http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/writing/makeover/index.htm   Here are also some tips for the writing part with very useful connectors that you can use : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8bpxPIO_5vQYmxUQkY1UzhWWTg/view

A waitress in New York City was in for a huge shock when she received an extraordinary tip from a patron. Unlike other recent “tips” for hard working wait staff that have been going viral, this tip was actually positive. Positive, as in $3000 dollars’ worth of positivity! Now that’s service with a smile. A man only identified as Mike left the three thousand dollar tip on $43.50 worth of food. He performed this act of kindness after the waitress told him that she had recently been served an eviction notice from her apartment. Aside from the generous %6800 percent tip for her service he left for her, the man had another tip for the waitress;  “Don’t let pay it forward end with you.” Mike was inspired by a middle school teacher of his named Rich Specht who dealt with a personal tragedy by creating a pay it forward foundation. After their 22 month old son drowned in a pond as the family prepared for Hurricane Sandy in 2012 Specht started ReesSpechtLife.com –to encourag...

Dear Georgia, Good teachers  as you are a rare breed. Thank you for you knowledge, patience, enthusiasm and kindness.  Your Avanzado 2 students have left some messages for you. (Click on Comments.)

Here's a talk that could literally change your life. Which career should I pursue? Should I break up — or get married?! Where should I live? Big decisions like these can be agonizingly difficult. But that's because we think about them the wrong way, says philosopher Ruth Chang. She offers a powerful new framework for shaping who we truly are.

With his trusty white steed and dense suit of armour, St George is - along with tea and rain - one the most recognisable symbols of England.  And to mark St George’s Day, Google has featured an illustrated Doodle of England's patron saint battling a dragon on its homepage. Here are some facts about the Patron Saint of England that might surprise you... Saint George isn’t English While St George’s exact birthdate remains unclear but is likely to be 270 AD, we know that he was born in Cappadocia, part of modern day Turkey.   READ MORE...

Pocoyo is using his energy and creativity to support Earth Hour!  Together with his friends, Elly the elephant and Pato the duck, the trio will use their power to take on the biggest environmental challenge facing our planet today - climate change.  As 'Kids Ambassadors' for Earth Hour since 2010, Pocoyo, Elly and Pato have helped raise the profile of the Earth Hour movement by raising awareness on our planet among future generations and encouraging audiences to support the cause. 

Americans must continue to embrace the message of the civil rights movement, President Obama told a crowd of thousands Saturday, speaking from a site he said symbolized "the daring of America's character."  In a speech at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where 50 years ago, police beat and tear-gassed protesters, Obama issued his call to action. "Fifty years from 'Bloody Sunday,' our march is not yet finished. But we are getting closer," he said. The March 7, 1965, violence against the peaceful civil rights advocates making the 50-mile march from Selma to Alabama's capital of Montgomery shocked the country and ramped up calls for equal rights for black voters. READ MORE...

Today every company needs to advertise its product to inform the customers about the product, increase the sales, acquire market value, and gain reputation and name in the industry. Every business spends lot of money for advertising their products but the money spent will lead to success only when the best techniques of advertising are used for the product. So here are some very  common and most used techniques used by the advertisers to get desired results . ADVERTISING VOCABULARY

Hervé Falciani is a former HSBC Suisse bank employee responsible for one of the largest leaks of banking data in history. Seen here speaking in February 2014, he tells film-maker Nick Francis why he became a whistleblower. As a result of his leaks, governments around the world have recovered billions of US dollars in unpaid tax.

Ellen found some amazing kids with some very cool inventions. She's ready to try them all out... if she isn't upstaged by an adorable toddler!

If you'd like to share your compositions with your classmates, please leave them as a comment.  I'm sure your classmates will appreciate it. TASK 1 Some people think women should be present in the same proportion as men in the army, managing positions in companies, political parties etc. To what extend do you agree or disagree?  (200 words) TASK 2 You are a student at an English language school in Brighton and are living in private accommodation with other flat mates. You have not had hot water or heating for some time. The landlord’s workmen have tried to fix the problem but without success. Write a letter to the landlord complaining about this situation (180 WORDS). In your letter: · state your reason for writing. · describe the problems and explain how you feel. · propose a solution and ask the landlord to take action.

We can use singular or plural verbs with many collective nouns. Singular and plural forms are often mixed as are the pronouns that refer back to the nouns in the previous sentence. family / team / committee / firm Collective nouns refer to groups of people usually. Our choice of singular or plural verb form often depends on whether we are thinking of the group as an impersonal unit (in which case we use thesingular verb - and relative pronoun which) or as a collection of individuals (in which case we use the plural verb form - and relative pronoun who) . Compare the following: My family, who have lived on this island all their lives, are determined to remain here. The team who are playing this weekend includes neither of the new signings. The team which lies third from the bottom of the league will also be relegated this year. The human resources committee is going to meet on Thursday. They will endorse all promotions from grade C to grade B for the coming year. My firm, which ...