Thursday, 25 May 2023

Reported Speech & Tina Turner

 https://cantabria-elt.blogspot.com/2022/04/reported-speech-direct-speech.html

Singer Tina Turner, whose soul classics and pop hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It made her a superstar, has died at the age of 83. Dubbed the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner was famed for her raunchy and energetic stage performances and husky, powerful vocals.



Thursday, 11 May 2023

Writing. Opinion Essays

Practice makes perfect. Try these activities and then write your own composition. Rememeber the structure, linking words, vocabulary, etc...

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/28871847/opinion-essay-connectors

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/52733708/opinion-essay-vocabulary

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/5600697/writing/label-the-paragraphs-of-an-opinion-essay

USE OF ENGLISH-EXPLAINING HOW TO WRITE

https://cantabria-elt.blogspot.com/2020/10/opinion-essays-writing.html

https://cantabria-elt.blogspot.com/2022/02/guided-writing-opinion-essays.html

Structure of the Opinion Essay:

  • Introduction – introduces the topic and state your opinion clearly
  • Body - consists of three or more paragraphs each presenting a separate viewpoint supported by reasons/examples
  • Conclusion – summarizes/restates your opinion using different words

Useful Language

То express opinion: I believe, In my opinion, I think, In my view, I strongly believe, I see it, It seems to me (that), As far as I am concerned, I am (not) convinced that..., In my opinion/view …My opinion is that …, I (firmly) believe …, I (definitely) feel/think that, I am inclined to believe that ……
То list points: In the first place, first of all, to start with, Firstly, to begin with
То add more points: what is more, another major reason, also, furthermore, moreover, in addition to this/that, besides, apart from this, not to mention the fact that
То introduce contrasting viewpoints: It is argued that, People argue that, There are people who oppose, Contrary to what most people believe,
As opposed to the above ideas
To introduce examples: for example, for instance, such as, in particular, especially
To conclude: To sum up, All in all, All things considered, Taking everything into account.

Paragraph outline: Examples:


STRUCTURE:
INTRO
It is generally believed that_________________________________________ and I completely agree.
I really feel it is better___________________________________________ although some think ________________________________________. I personally prefer to _________________________.

BODY
There are several reasons why I think________________________________ is better. First of all, you ____________________________________. Most of people think ______________________________.
Secondly, ____________________________ gives you the opportunity to ________________________.
I´m absolutely convinced that __________________________________. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, ____________________ makes you learn__________________________ which is another positive/negative aspect.

CONCLUSION
It seems to me that ________________________ is far better. There are lots of reasons to
__________________. To sum up, from my point of view, _______________________________. Maybe in the future,____________________________

Watching movies at home can be better than the cinema (Opinion essay: 150-180w)

Many people consider that watching movies is a relaxing activity. While some prefer going to the cinema, others think that staying at home is much more comfortable. Although TV streaming offer might be wider, I still prefer the cinema.

Firstly,personally, a bigger screen and better sound are certainly more enjoyable. Besides, going to the cinema is an opportunity to go out and meet friends, which makes the films even more attracting than at home. In addition, you can watch the latest movies which have recently been released instead of waiting for months.

However, the price should also be considered. Although there are discounts to encourage people to go to the cinema, it is cheaper to download the films. At home, films can be watched whenever you want or even stopped, and not being disturbed by people eating crisps.

To sum up, all these reasons make the cinema the best option for me. The atmosphere drives you to enjoy the plot and the special effects. In my opinion, what matters is not the place, but the people you are watching the movie with.




Physical Education should be taught in schools
Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion with arguments and examples.

Computers are a necessityDo you agree or disagree? 
Support your opinion with arguments and examples.

Wednesday, 10 May 2023

School audio tour guide

  



1- Welcome-entrance/hall

2-Janitor´s office/communication

3-Conference room

4-Canteen/café

5-Photocopy service

6-Secretary

7-Directing board (Principal/Head of Studies)

8-Playground/Gym/Vegetable garden

9-Library

10-Departments

11-Laboratories (Science(Chemistry)

12-Music rooms/Computer rooms

13-Programmes/Types of studies

14-School rules & useful tips (timing/restrictions)

15-Out and about

16-Website information

Monday, 8 May 2023

Europe Day. May 9th.

 

Europe Day 2023

Europe Day celebrates Europe’s achievements and unity, and commemorates the signing of the Schuman Declaration on 9 May 1950. This ambitious plan to secure long-term peace in post-war Europe laid the early foundations for what is now the European Union. In 2023, Europe stands together to tackle the most important issues of our time and build a better future for all Europeans. This is our democracy in action.


VIDEO TRANSCRIPT. DUBBING ACTIVITY:



 EPAS- DUBBING ACTIVITY


The clip about Europe Day will be dubbed cooperatively. First choose the section  (A-H) to record your voice in off. Can´t be repeated so make sure you have your own. 
Read the subtitles as that will be the text synchronising your word to the video section you are dubbing.
Practice makes perfect so, as it is just a short chunk, reading should be rehearsed (volume off).
In groups, the video will be played and your reading recorded to be added to the images so that this speaking activity becomes your own production. The final file will be posted here.
Good luck and try your best.



Wednesday, 3 May 2023

EU Democracy

This Infoclip illustrates European fundamental rights (freedom of press and media, independence of justice, reception of migrants) and European democracy (European elections, MEPs voting in plenary sessions, the Conference on the Future of Europe).

https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/es/video/infoclip-european-democracy_I209636

In a healthy and thriving democracy, citizens can freely express their views, choose their political leaders, and have a say about their future.

Democracy in the EU faces challenges from rising extremism, election interference, the spread of manipulative information and threats against journalists.

Citizens should be able to make electoral choices in a public space where different views can be expressed freely. Free media, academia and civil society should be able to play their role in stimulating open debate, free from malign interference, either foreign or domestic.

What is the European Democracy Action plan?

The European Democracy Action Plan is designed to empower citizens and build more resilient democracies across the EU by

  • promoting free and fair elections
  • strengthening media freedom
  • countering disinformation

These measures will be implemented throughout this Commission’s mandate. In 2023, a year ahead of the next European elections, the Commission will review the implementation of the action plan.



Protecting free and fair elections

Safeguarding our European democracy requires more determined action to protect electoral processes. This means keeping elections free and fair, preserving open democratic debate, and updating digital safeguards.

Media freedom and pluralism

The European Media Freedom Act will ensure that media – public and private – can operate more easily across borders in the EU internal market, without undue pressure. It also takes the digital transformation of the media space into account.Strategic lawsuits against public participation are a particular form of harassment used primarily against journalists and human rights defenders to prevent or penalise speaking up on issues of public interest.

Countering disinformation

Democracies around the world are facing a proliferation of false information, which may have the potential to destabilise their democratic institutions, and undermine the trust of citizens. To address misinformation, disinformation and foreign interference, different policy responses are required. The European Democracy Action Plan sets out a comprehensive response, building on existing EU work and firmly rooted in European values and principles. It safeguards the freedom of expression and people’s right to access legal content.

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

Euroscola work. May 4th 23

connection link for the upcoming Euroscola session on Thursday, 4th of May :

 

https://ep.interactio.eu/sjn7-pljp-b8nt

 

 

When connecting the day of the event, please note to indicate the information as follows:

 

Country (drop down menu, select your country)

School: Name of the school

Email: Your Email

INTERACTIO PLATFORM: https://ep.interactio.eu/join/gfej-i2ru-db8u

In order to validate the participation of all students, we kindly ask you to send this registration form to your students' parents via the following link:   

https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Euroscola040523



PROGRAMME OF THE DAY

Euroscola combines both in-person attendance, directly in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg and online, via live-stream and interactive online platforms.

The morning programme of Euroscola includes an official opening by the President of the Parliament, a Q&A session with an Vice-President, and an "Innovation Lab" where students share their ideas with a European Parliament expert on the topic of the session, which will be put to a final vote. Special guests may also be invited. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, via live video on Interactio for online students,  directly in the hemycycle for students present in the European Parliament in Starsbourg or in written form via Slido for all types of attendees. The morning session lasts from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

The afternoon programme will only be offered to face-to-face participants. This part will be dedicated to a simulation game on the legislative procedure of the European Union.

Check out the programme and further details to make the most of your Euroscola experience!

Programme 04/05/2023Download programme 04/05/2023 

TOPICS

Defending democracy – at home and abroad

HR/VP Blog – Democracy is in decline globally. In this context, EU efforts to observe elections help countries across the world to counter attacks on democracy and build greater democratic resilience. This week, the European External Action Service and the European Parliament hosted in Brussels a meeting of key international actors in the field of electoral observation. This is an opportunity for me to highlight the importance of their work, which rarely makes the headlines.

The trend of the past decade is clear: democracy is under severe threat. A recent Global State of Democracy Report confirmed that people are losing faith in democracy. We see everywhere a greater polarisation, often fuelled by disinformation, and deliberate efforts by non-democratic regimes to undermine the universal right of people to elect their own governments and choose their own future. When democracy is being attacked, we, as EU, stand strong in our convictions. We must and will continue to support democracy, both internally and externally.

Democracy remains the only approach that can tackle the enormous challenges societies face.

Democracy remains indeed the only approach that can tackle the enormous challenges societies face. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, some authoritarian regimes pretended they had more efficient policies than democracies. However, the rest of the story has proven exactly the opposite. The same applies to the fight against climate change: if citizens are not directly involved in the urgent choices to make, it will become more difficult to achieve carbon neutrality in time. I grew up in a dictatorship and I am well placed to appreciate the difference that democracy makes.

Supporting democratic elections is not imposing a Western model

Supporting participation in democratic elections is not about imposing any Western model, as some want to make-believe: it is nothing less than a universal right. Political participation goes hand in hand with trust in institutions. It is a fundamental right and a fundamental citizen responsibility as well. This is why re-establishing public confidence in democratic processes is essential. We must help our partners worldwide when a rising democracy struggles to build more robust institutions.

Political participation is a fundamental right and a fundamental citizen responsibility as well. We must help our partners worldwide when a rising democracy struggles to build more robust institutions.

“To be or not to be a democracy” goes beyond elections. However, elections constitute a cornerstone of any democratic architecture. Without them, there is no democracy to talk about. This is why the EU, together with partners around the world, is putting a lot of effort into observing elections. Since the beginning of my mandate, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has sent 25 electoral observations and follow-up missions in 23 countries, 13 in Africa, 6 in Latin America, 2 in the Middle East, 1 in the Pacific and 1 in the Western Balkans. Since 1990, we have had in total no less than 170 EU missions.

Thanking the thousands of national and international election observers

However, before going further on this, I would like to thank the thousands of national and international election observers that serve worldwide: they embody democratic resilience. The increase in attacks against them is alarming. In the run-up to the 2019 elections in Mozambique, one of the country's most prominent citizen observers, Dr. Anastácio Matavel, was assassinated by the police. It is totally unacceptable. Electoral observers must be considered what they truly are: human rights defenders. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms. Mary Lawlor, called last October on states to take “all necessary steps” to allow election observers to carry out their work.

Our EU Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) do not interfere with national processes, as some want to make-believe: the organisation of elections is the sole responsibility of the country itself and EU missions are only deployed by invitation. Over the past decades, the EU has become one of the most respected election observation providers in the world, in particular because EU missions have demonstrated independence, professionalism and impartiality; they are seen therefore as being capable of assessing the electoral process and recommending reforms honestly.

Our efforts have proven their value

And our efforts have proven their value. In 2021, I have decided to send an EU mission to observe the regional and municipal elections in Venezuela. My decision was initially challenged in Europe, although being much awaited by civil society and political forces in Venezuela. Finally, the mission proved helpful. We have seen improvements in the electoral conditions compared to previous processes - these Venezuelan elections were marked by the return of the majority of political parties to the electoral arena. The mission report raised also a number of structural deficiencies and made many recommendations for reforms. This mission helped pave the way for the return to the negotiation process between Venezuelan conflicting parties in Mexico, which is currently taking place.

This year, the presence of an EU Election Observation Missions in Kenya and in Colombia helped to defuse political tensions.

I could mention other examples, as the EU mission last August, in Kenya. The situation around the presidential election was quite tense and fears of unrests following the results were high. The presence of an EU EOM and its evaluation of the election process helped to defuse these tensions and avoid major violence. In spring 2022, during the last presidential elections in Colombia, EU EOM presence, together with the prominent role of brave local observers, also served to defuse tensions in a country that has experienced a lot of political violence in recent years.

Most people may think that when observers have left the country this is the end of the mission – but this is actually when the real work should begin! To give one relevant example: in Nigeria, the Election Follow-up Mission deployed in February 2022 after the 2019 elections, concluded that significant progress had been made: out of the previous 30 recommendations, 13 had been implemented. The Nigerian National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society had found a compromising ground for the new Election Act. The EU – together with member states and the larger international community – has provided financial and technical support to the process.

The new challenge of the digitalisation of the electoral process

We are working now to respond to new challenges such as the digitalisation of the electoral process, with elections increasingly moving online. We have also made progress when it comes to assessing social media and disinformation during elections. Citizens have the right to access truthful information and facts – their votes should not be distorted by propaganda from abroad or from within. There were among the issues discussed in Brussels this week with international partners who also adhere to the UN-sponsored “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation”.

But, let’s be frank: making progress on democracy is often hard. The forces blocking democratic change are powerful. But democracy is too important – politicians shying away from doing the right thing should be met with clear demands. The EU will continue to advance the democracy agenda worldwide, with all relevant partners, including through our election observation missions.

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