Saturday 21 June 2014
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Friday 13 June 2014
Suficiencia Exams: English 2014
1º Bachillerato:
Revise all the grammar points and train the skills you´ll be tested (Listening, Reading, Writing)
Good luck with the tests.
Thursday 12 June 2014
World Cup 2014
Brazil set to kick-off tournament
The month-long tournament sees 32 nations compete for a place in the final in Rio on Sunday, 13 July.
The opening match will be preceded by a ceremony in Sao Paulo that pays tribute to nature, people and football.
"Let me tell you the time has arrived. We are going together. This is our World Cup," said Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari on Wednesday.
Last year more than a million people took to the streets of major Brazilian cities to protest against what they see as excessive spending on the World Cup.
The host country's government is keen to prevent a repeat of some of the violence seen at those protests, and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has said she will not allow violent demonstrations to mar the World Cup.
Thousands of extra police and soldiers will be deployed to ensure the matches get under way smoothly.
Wednesday 11 June 2014
The benefits of bilingualism
Learning a foreign language is more than just a boost to your CV or handy for travelling. It will make you smarter, more decisive and even better at English, says Anne Merritt.
Physiological studies have found that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process. The brains of bilingual people operate differently than single language speakers, and these differences offer several mental benefits.
It is said that there are seven cognitive advantages to learning a foreign language. Many of these attributes are only apparent in people who speak multiple languages regularly – if you haven’t spoken a foreign tongue since your A levels, your brain might not be reaping these bilingual benefits. However, people who begin language study in their adult lives can still achieve the same levels of fluency as a young learner, and still reap the same mental benefits, too.
You become smarter. Speaking a foreign language improves the functionality of your brain by challenging it to recognise, negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems. This skill boosts your ability to negotiate meaning in other problem-solving tasks as well.
Students who study foreign languages tend to score better on standardised tests than their monolingual peers, particularly in the categories of maths, reading, and vocabulary.
Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a. Speaking one or more foreign languages improves your mind.
a) True. “Physiological studies have found that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process”
b. The longer you don't speak a foreign language, the less benefits you get for your brain.
b) True “ if you haven’t spoken a foreign tongue since your A levels, your brain might not be reaping these bilingual benefits.”
c. You must learn foreign languages when you are a kid if you want to benefit from that fact.
c) False. “People who begin language study in their adult lives can still achieve the same levels of fluency as a young learner, and still reap the same mental benefits, too.”
d. Foreign students do better on standardised tests, particularly in the categories of maths, reading and vocabulary.
d) False. „Students who study foreign languages tend to score better on standardised tests than their monolingual peers, particularly in the categories of maths, reading, and vocabulary”
Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. What are the benefits of learning a foreign language?
It will be easier for you to find a job, it makes travelling easier, you will become more intelligent, more resolute and your mother tongue will also improve.
b. In what aspects can speaking foreign languages help people?
Speaking foreign languages helps people in tasks involving problem solving; it can also help bilingual students to do better in maths, reading and vocabulary tests.
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. useful par. 1
b. benefit par .2
c. accomplish par. 3
d. to enhance, to improve par 4
Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. Anne Merritt said: “Learning a foreign language is more than just a boost to your CV;it will make you smarter, more decisive and even better at English”.
Anne Merritt said that learning a foreign language was more than just a boost to your CV; it would make you smarter, more decisive and even better at English.
b. If you haven’t spoken a foreign tongue since your A levels, your brain might not be reaping these bilingual benefits.
She remarked that If we hadn´t spoken a foreign language since our A levels, our brain might not be reaping those bilingual benefits
Tuesday 10 June 2014
Getting ready for PAU
"Top tips for surviving PAU"
Click on the links below
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Monday 9 June 2014
Football issues
The English Premier League remains the most lucrative in world football, according to a new survey by consultants Deloitte. It's calculated that revenues at the 20 Premier League clubs will have grown by 28% over the last season, to 5.4 billion dollars. But high wage costs mean that most of that money will have been paid to the players.
Reporter: Theo Leggett
The pitch at Wembley stadium hosts many big football matches
Listen
To take away:
Report
The wealth of the English Premier League was boosted this season by new domestic television deals, which are expected to generatenearly 6 billion dollars over three years. Commercial revenues, from sponsorship and merchandise sales have been growing rapidly, especially at Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, wage costs have also been increasing. In the 2012 to 2013 season, they accounted for 71 percent of overall income, while the money spent on player transfers grew by nearly a third, to 1.2 billion dollars.
As a result, although the Premier League is the richest in Europe, it is not the most profitable. That title goes to Germany's Bundesliga, which operates strict cost controls and limits the share of income which can be spent on players' wages.
However, wage costs have also been increasing. In the 2012 to 2013 season, they accounted for 71 percent of overall income, while the money spent on player transfers grew by nearly a third, to 1.2 billion dollars.
As a result, although the Premier League is the richest in Europe, it is not the most profitable. That title goes to Germany's Bundesliga, which operates strict cost controls and limits the share of income which can be spent on players' wages.
Friday 6 June 2014
Thursday 5 June 2014
English Contest "Big Challenge" award day
Today at IES Alisal Santander, the students received the participation certificates and awards according to classifications:
The Big Challenge is an English language contest for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is held every year in May in schools across France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden. This year, over 610,000 students with 30,000 teachers from 6,000 schools participated in The Big Challenge. Created in France in 1999 by a group of English teachers, its main purpose is to motivate students learning languages with an educational yet fun experience.
The Big Challenge is an English language contest for students between the ages of 11 and 16. It is held every year in May in schools across France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden. This year, over 610,000 students with 30,000 teachers from 6,000 schools participated in The Big Challenge. Created in France in 1999 by a group of English teachers, its main purpose is to motivate students learning languages with an educational yet fun experience.
Monday 2 June 2014
Breaking news: Spanish monarchy
King Juan Carlos of Spain has announced his intention to abdicate, after nearly 40 years on the throne.
"A new generation must be at the forefront... younger people with new energies," the 76-year-old king said in a televised address.
His son, Crown Prince Felipe, 45, will take over the throne.
For much of his reign, Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world's most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him.
His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into the business dealings of his daughter and her husband.
King Juan Carlos, 76, has had health problems in recent years
Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in April 2012, in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.
The first announcement about the abdication came from Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who told reporters: "His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession."
Later, the king himself said in a televised address that it was time for a "new era" in which a new generation could take on the transformations and reforms required.
He said his son, Prince Felipe, had the maturity and preparation to be king.
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