The Hat

This year, we will celebrate Carnival making in groups our own hats. To go warming up that day, have an eye at this short film about different models of hat.

And now, let's watch and listen to a song by Ingrid Michaelson called 'The Hat'.

Here you can read the lyrics of this song.

Enjoy!!!

Describing Pictures

To describe a picture or an image in English, you should follow these steps:

Introduction

· The photo / picture shows...

· It was taken by / in...

· It's a black-and-white / coloured photo.

What and where

· In the foreground/background there are... / there is... / you can see...

· On the left/right there are... / there is... / you can see...

· At the top/At the bottom there are... / there is... / you can see...

· In the middle/centre there are... / there is... / you can see...

· Behind/In front of ... there are... / there is... / you can see...

Who and what

To describe the persons or animals in the picture and explain what is happening, you have to use the Present Continuous: He is walking / They are sleeping / ...

Personal opinion

· It seems as if...

· The woman / boy / cat / child seems to...

· I think... / believe... /guess...

· I (don't) like the picture because...

For well skilled students, or those who want to improve their description skills, here you have a presentation with some exercises that could help you: 

Describing a Picture in English

Transition Words and Phrases

Transition words and phrases help establish clear connections between ideas and ensure that sentences and paragraphs flow together smoothly, making them easier to read. Use the following words and phrases in the following circumstances.

To indicate more information: Besides Furthermore In addition Indeed In fact Second...Third..., etc.	To indicate an example: For example For instance In particular Particularly Specifically
To indicate a cause or reason: As Because Because of  For  For the reason that Since	To indicate a result or an effect: Finally Consequently So  Therefore
To indicate a purpose or reason why: In order to So So that With this in mind	To compare or contrast: Although  However  In comparison In contrast Nevertheless On the other hand Yet
To indicate a particular period of time:  After  Before During Eventually Finally First, . . . Second, . . ., etc. Immediately Later Next Previously Soon
To summarize: Briefly In brief Summing up To sum up To summarize	To conclude: Given these facts In conclusion So Therefore To conclude

The Fonix 2.013: Task Types

REGIONAL STAGE TASK TYPES:

Each year the competition uses a theme to base all the tasks around. 

1st CYCLE OF SECONDARY / 1º Y 2º DE ESO)

• Vocabulary: Verbs and nouns related to a theme.
• Reading: Text about the given theme with questions about it.
• Language: Present Simple / Past Simple + verbs related to theme.
• Tasks: gap filler, answering questions, matching, true / false questions and putting words in order to make sentences. Giving simple advice.
• Writing: Writing about 120 words about the given theme.
• Time Limit: 55 minutes +

2nd CYCLE OF SECONDARY (3º Y 4º DE ESO)

• Vocabulary: General verb tense review, words related to a theme.
• Reading: Text about the given theme with questions about it.
• Language: Present simple / Past Simple / Present Perfect and Past Perfect.
• Tasks: Matching definitions, gap filler, completing sentences with correct tense, giving advice.
• Writing: Giving opinion about a theme. Writing about 130 words.
• Time Limit: 55 minutes +

The Fonix 2.013 Contestants

Now we have our contestants for the Fonix 2.011:

• 1rst ESO: Shahseb Ali
• 2nd ESO: Ayesha Bibi
• 3rd ESO: Muhammad Daud
• 4th ESO: Mehmoona Arbab

Meet all four next Saturday 2nd March at 12:00 midday.

Good Luck!

School Day of Non-violence and Peace (DENIP)

DENIP works to promote a Culture and an independent, free and voluntary Education for Non-violence and Peace. It was founded by Llorenç Vidal. It is celebrated January, the 30th.

• The "School Day of Non-violence and Peace" (DENIP), founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part.

• It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.

• It is observed on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi. In countries with a Southern Hemisphere school calendar, it can be observed on March 30 or thereabouts.

• Its basic message is: "Universal Love, Non-violence and Peace. Universal Love is better than egoism, Non-violence is better than violence, and Peace is better than war".

• Friends of DENIP are those persons who, by accepting the spiritual, individual and social supremacy of universal love, non-violence, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights and peace above their opposites, advocate the diffusion of the principles which inspired this celebration.

Information taken from Teaching English to Primary Children 

Imagine

Imagine there's no Heaven  It's easy if you try  No hell below us  Above us only sky  Imagine all the people  Living for today  Imagine there's no countries  It isn't hard to do  Nothing to kill or die for  And no religion too  Imagine all the people  Living life in peace  You may say that I'm a dreamer  But I'm not the only one  I hope someday you'll join us  And the world will be as one  Imagine no possessions  I wonder if you can  No need for greed or hunger  A brotherhood of man  Imagine all the people  Sharing all the world  You may say that I'm a dreamer  But I'm not the only one  I hope someday you'll join us  And the world will live as one

Meaning of the song

John Lennon's song was written during the height of the war in Vietnam, the first Nixon administration and the peace movement. Much of the popular culture of that time was centered on those factors. Despite of this, Imagine remains in effect up to now and has become an anthem not only of universal hope but of peace, too.

This song is John's idea of a perfect world. It reflects, then, John Lennon's beliefs: a communist world could be the solution to all the world's problems. In Imagine, Lennon urges men and women to create a world fit to live in, a world without countries, private possessions or religions.

The author is sure that he isn’t alone in this: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I'm not the only one”. All around the world there are people who have this way of thinking and if everybody “joins” him, the world would be better.

The Fonix 2.013: Level Test Dates (Local Stage)

The Local Stage (level tests) to choose the candidates for each class will be held next Tuesday, 29th  of January. The timetable for the tests is as it follows:

• 1^st ESO: 4.00
• 2^nd ESO: 3.00
• 3^rd ESO: 9.30
• 4^th ESO: 10.30

Food Vocabulary by 3rd ESO-A

The students of 3rd ESO-A have prepared this vocabulary about food. Lets have an eye!

Feixang's work:

Xianqing's one:

Sabahat's presentation:

This is the vocabulary by Melvin and Daud:

Yafei and Liyan's video:

The work by Juan:

Khair-Un-Nisa's vocabulary:

This is the work by Bingjie and Muneeb:

And, finally, Marina and Carmen's work:

ICT Vocabulary

The digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Here you have a list of useful elements to acquire this key competence.

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs (Chicago, September 1, 1875 – Encino, March 19, 1950) was an American novelist; creator of Tarzan, Burroughs also published science fiction and crime novels. Burroughs often portrayed Africans, Arabs or Asians as evil or comic, but the stories contain elements that have kept them 'politically correct'.

For more information about the biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, check these links:

• Wikipedia
• The Literature Network
• Bio.
• Answers.com
• Suite 101
• ERB.com

Son of Man (Disney's Tarzan OST)

One of the most known versions of Tarzan is the one from the Disney Factory. The music of the film was composed and performed by Phil Collins. The main title form the soundtrack is called Son of Man.

You can read the lyrics of this song following this link.

Clothes

With this presentation there is a chance to learn more vocabulary on clothes.

What Are You Wearing Today? (1rst ESO-A)

This is the video that the students of 1rst ESO-A have prepared to learn the clothes vocabulary.

What Are You Wearing Today? (1rst ESO-B)

This is the video that the students of 1rst ESO-B have prepared to learn the clothes vocabulary.

Clothing Activities

Here you have a bunch of activities to review the clothing vocabulary.

1. A hangman game by Learning Together.
2. Help the boy dressing with this activity by English Flash Games.
3. A memory game by ESL Games.
4. A multiple choice activity by My English Pages.
5. Lots of different games and activities by Agenda Web.

Quantifiers: Some and Any

General rules:

SOME is used in affirmative statements with uncountable nouns. ANY is used in questions. ANY is used in negative statements with plural countable nouns. ANY is used in negative statements with uncountable nouns.

	COUNTABLE		UNCOUNTABLE
	Singular	Plural	Always singular
AFFIRMATIVE	A1	SOME2	SOME7
NEGATIVE	ANY3	ANY4	ANY8
INTERROGATIVE	ANY5	ANY6	ANY9

1. There is a book.
2. There are some books.
3. There isn't any book.
4. There aren't any books.
5. Is there any book?
6. Are there any books?
7. There is some sugar.
8. Is there any sugar?
9. There isn't any sugar.

 Activities:

• The Yellow Pencil (6 exercises).
• Englisch-Hilfen. 
• English Exercises (also issue on a and an).
• Cadi UV exercise 1.
• Cadi UV exercise 2.
• Autoenglish.
• Ego4you (grammar, examples and exercises).

The Past Simple Tense: Irregular Verbs

There are a lot of irregular verbs in English. Here is a list of the most common that you should learn:

All Irregular verbs stay the same:

I ran	I spoke	I won
You ran	You spoke	You won
He ran	He spoke	He won
We ran	We spoke	We won
You ran	You spoke	You won
They ran	They spoke	They won

.

Except, the verb to be:

I was

You were

He was

We were

You were

They were