Welcome to all students.

The new academic course is about to start, and we want to welcome back all Juan XXIII students and staff.

It has been a busy summer and now we are looking forward to a wonderful new course.    Let´s share knowledge, hopes, work and feelings.

Whatever you do, be good and...

be happy!!

did you know…?

The Union Jack

The Union Jack represents the United Kingdom. The UK is Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. The flag is a symbol of unity. It is a combination of the flags of Saint George for England, Saint Andrew for Scotland and Saint Patrick for Northern Ireland. Wales doesn´t have any representation on the flag.

HAVE A KIT-KAT

Sites for language learners.

Recursos de Internet para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje del inglés (Páginas para el estudiante).

BBC WS – Learning                         http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish

Bell English                                        http://www.bellenglish.com/

British Council                                   http://learnenglish.org.uk

Dave’s ESL Café                              http://www.eslcafe.com/

Discovery School                              http://discoveryschool.com/

Edufind On-Line English Grammar http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/index.cfm

English is it                                        http://www.english.is.it/

English Live                                       http://www.englishlive.co.uk/

English Page                                     http://www.englishpage.com

Exercises for English                        http://a4esl.org/

Guide to Grammar and Writing       http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar

It’s On-Line                                        http://www.its-online.com/

Kid’s Jokes                                       http://www.kidsjokes.co.uk

Many Things (fun exercises)            http://wwwmanythings.org/

OUP ELT                                           http://www.oup.com/elt

Partyland                                           http://www.eslpartyland.com

Planet English                                   http://www.planetenglish.com

PlanET                                               http://www.the –planet.co.uk

Turner Learning                                http://www.turnerlearning.com

Customs and Traditions Costumbres y Tradiciones Anglosajonas

 Birthday celebrations                      http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/Christmassongs/recipes/jokes      http://www.christmas.com

 Christmas traditions, songs, jokes…

                                                         http://www.santas.net

Easter traditions, songs, recipes

                                                        http://www.easterbunnys.net

Easter Traditions                           http://www.easter-traditions.com

Halloween                                      http://www.jackolanterns.net/

Thanksgiving Day                         http://www.thanksgiving-day.org

British Traditions and Customs   http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/

 

Dictionaries Diccionarios

Cambridge International Dictionary of English         

                                                       http://dictionary.combridge.org/

Cobuild                                         http://www.cobuild.collins.co.uk

Idioms and Quizzes                     http://www.geocities.com/athens/aegean/6720Merriam-Webster

(+Thesaurus)

                                                      http://www.m-w.com

Oxford English Dictionary Online

                                                      http://www.oed.com

Word Detective                           http://www.word-detective.com/

Worldwide Words- origins of words              

                                                      http://www.worldwidewords.org/

Educational Organisations Instituciones Educativas

 British Council                            http://www.britcoun.org/

British Council – Learning English

                                                    http://www.britcoun.org/english/index.htm

British Council – Education links

                                                    http://www.britishcouncil.org/education/dir/index.htm

Exams Exámenes

British Council – Education and Training

                                                   http://www.britishcouncil.org.uk/education

Cambridge Exams                  http://www.ucles.org.uk

Cambridge EFL Exams          http://www.cambridge-efl.org

Museums Museos

British Museum                        http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Science Museum London       http://www.nmsi.ac.uk

Hermitage St. Petersburg    

                                                   http://www.hermitagemuseum.org

Louvre                                       http://www.louvre.fr/louvre.htm

News Media Noticias

BBC Online                              http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/today

BBC News                               http://bbe.co.uk/

CNN                                          http://www.cnn.com

Penpal and Keypal Sites Intercambios Online

 ePals for classroom exchange   http://www.epals.com

It’s On-Line                                   http://www.its-online.com

Songs Canciones

Song lyrics                                    http://lyrics.ch

Instant Ideas Songs                     http://www.instant-ideas.com/songs/index.htm

ESL Lounge Songs                     http://www.esl-lounge.com/songstop.htm

Downloading songs / videos / ads

                                                      http://www.kazaa.com

Downloading songs                    http://www.imesh.com

Teaching Materials Material para el profesorado

 BBC Teaching English              http://www.teaachingenglish.org.uk

Eclipse Crossword Maker        http://www.eclipsecrossword.com

Handouts for EFL teachers      http://www.handoutsonline.com/index.shtml

OUP ELT                                    http://www.oup.com/elt

Travel Viajes

Time Out                                    http://www.timeout.com

British Tourist Authority            http://www.visitbritain.com

This is                                        http://www.thisislondon.co.uk

New York                                   http://www.nycvisit.com

  

Sightseeing

There are three main ways of travel in London… Well, four actually, because your feet are probably the best means of transportation. They will take you into the little alleys and squares, they will bring you close to people and events. So make sure to wear stout shoes when you visit the city.

The quickest, but definitely not the most comfortable way to get to places. Especially not in the    << rush hours >>

(between 08:00 – 09:30 and 16:00 – 18:00).

                                        Each underground line has a different colour on the map; Victoria Line is light blue, Central Line is red, etc… The direction is important: north or south on some lines, east or west on others.

You buy your ticket from an office or a machine (unless you have a day pass). Then you go through the barrier and follow the signs to the right platform. You need to remember the name of your line, your direction and your destination.

In the trains, above each door, there is a map of the line you are on. You can follow where you are by looking at this map and the names on the walls at the stations.

You must hand your ticket, or show your day pass, to the ticket collector at the end of your journey. At the escalators, please observe the signs: stand on the right.

Do you remember the difference between these two kinds of stop?

At a compulsory stop all buses stop.

At a request stop you stop the bus by putting out your arm.

The way to see the most in London is to travel by bus and sit on the top deck, upstairs. Look and see if the stop you are standing at is a << request >> stop. If it is, the bus will not stop unless you signal to the driver. There are two kinds of buses in London: A one-man operated bus, on which you pay as you enter; and the traditional bus on which the conductor asks for your fare and the driver does the driving. On both types, show your travelcard and everything will be fine. If you don´t have one, tell the conductor where you are going. Most conductors are very helpful and, if you ask them in advance, they will be happy to tell you when to get off.

Have exact money ready for the fare when going by bus. Avoid using 5 pounds or ten pounds notes.

London transport´s Sightseeing Tour is the best way to see the most of London – the original double – deck bus tour of the capital, and still the best. It is the only one with genuine red London buses… part of the excitement of London itself. It´s a great introduction to a great city, covers 18 miles and lasts about one and a half hours, passing most of London´s landmarks including St Paul´s, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament and lots more. Tickets are bought in advance from any London Transport or LVCB Information Centre at a special low price. Otherwise, just pay as you board the bus. All tours are guided and there is also a special tour which includes direct entrance to Madame Tussaud´s. a fully qualified Tourist Board guide will tell you all about London and bring the history to life. There are frequent departures daily from Piccadilly Circus Haymarket, Victoria, Marble Arch and Baker Street Station. French and German commentary is available on certain departures from Baker Street.

Useful Questions: Where can you start the tour?

How long does the tour last? What distance does it cover? Will there be a guide? Where can you book seats?

          

THE TAXIS

In London taxis, the black taxis at least have got metres. But be careful, there are other taxis. These can be any colours or type of car and they haven´t got metres. These are the minicabs. Some are good, and some are not so good, and some of them charge too much.

Did you know, by the way, that taxi drivers in London have to pass a test, the Knowledge, before they get their licence? It takes several years to prepare for this test, future taxi drivers have to know every detail of Central London by heart, and all the main routes in the suburbs.

RENT A BIKE!

If you decide to spend a time in England RENTING A BIKE will be a good decision!. That is, if you are in a town in which the traffic is not too heavy, and there aren´t too many hills!

If you decide that you want to go ahead, you must be familiar with the traffic rules for bicycles. And don´t forget: Left-hand side driving- also for you!

All traffic in Britain travel on the left-hand side of the street, except in one-way streets. Take extra care before crossing the road.  

10 golden rules:

1-   Before starting, don´t forget to look behind to see what traffic is sharing the road with you. Wait until the road is clear. Then give the “I am moving out” signal (rise your right hand).

2-  Keep well to the left, but not too close to the kerb -never ride in the middle of the road.

3-  Do not ride too close behind a moving vehicle – you cannot see where you are going and it may stop without warning.

4-  If you ride with a friend in a town, always go in single file.

5-  Remember that it is illegal to ride on pavements and footpaths.

6-  If there is a cycle path the beside the road, use it!

7-  You must ride with both hands on the handlebar – except when you give signals.

8-  Always stop when required to do so by a school crossing patrol (the lollipop-people!) or the police.

9-  When slowing down or stopping, use the “I am slowing down and stopping” signal (wave your right hand up and down).

10-  Do not use personal radios or walkmen while driving – use eyes and ears.

Discussion topics

Do you do any cycling?

Can you think of any reasons why cycling should be preferable to motor racing as a sport?

Draw up a list of advantages and disadvantages of travelling by bicycle as opposed to motor travel.

 Signs and notices

-Where would you find them and why?

-Draw other signs you know – English ones, of course!

-What do they mean?

Practical work

-On your way home from school today, look out for signs and notices of all  kinds.

-Write down the words and make sketches, and report back to class tomorrow.

-Look for newspaper reports about bikers´accidents. Read it aloud for the class.

-Class discussion.

 Can you identify these cycles?

tandem, tricycle, unicycle, penny-farthing, butcher´s bike, racing bike, city bike, sit-up-and-beg bike

Manners, manners…

 

                 “An orderly queue of one”

Here is an amusing text on how to be an alien, written by one who tried it-and survived it!

QUEUEING is the national passion of an otherwise dispassionate race.

The English are rather shy about it and deny that they adore it. On the Continent, if people are waiting at a bus-stop they loiter around in a seemingly vague fashion. When the bus arrives they make a dash for it; most of them leave by the bus and a lucky minority is taken away by an elegant black ambulance car. An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms and orderly queue of one.

At week-ends an Englishman queues up at the bus-stop, travels out to Richmond, queues up for a boat, then queues up for tea, then queues up for ice-cream, then joins a few more odd queues just for the sake of the fun of it, then queues up at the bus-stop and has the time of his life.

Many English families spend lovely evenings at home just by queueing up for a few hours, and the parents are very sad when the children leave them and queue up to go bed.

               (From How to be an Alien by George Mikes)  

For your information:

Don´t forget to queue up, British style, when waiting 

for the bus.

Queue jumping is bad manners.

 

LONDON

London is wonderful!

It has everything. It has crowded streets and tube trains and miles of fresh green grass, trees and flowers.

Put on your comfortable shoes, put your map and your tube ticket in your pocket, hold on tight to your purse - pickpockets love crowds - keep your eyes and ears open and go out to meet this noisy, crowded, eccentric, glittering, exciting, fascinating, wonderful London!

It has fashionable Harrods and cheap street markets. It has the woman who shares her sandwiches with the pigeons in the park and the lady lunching at the Savoy. It has museums, discos, gambling arcades and bingo halls

In London you can meet people from all parts of the world. London is a capital, a port, a centre for international finance, a tourist mecca, a leading city for theatre and entertainment and, of course, much more... 

Come and see the sights!

          (Clickea título para ampliar mapa)

o  Look at the map.

 It shows the part of London where you find elegant shops, theatres, cinemas, expensive hotels and clubs (The West End) as well as buildings for government (Westminster).

·       Can you find these places?       

 – HP… Houses of Parliament. – PC… Piccadilly Circus. 
– SC… Speaker´s Corner.     – BP… Buckingham Palace. 
– DS… Downing Street.       – HG… Horse Guards Parade.
– WA… Westminster Abbey  – CG… Covent Garden. 
– LS… Leicester Square.      –TS… Trafalgar Square.
– MA… Marble Arch.          – MT… Madame Tussaud´s
– VR… Victoria Railway Station  - RE... Royal Exchange
- SP... Saint Paul´s Cathedral - BE... Bank of England
- TL... Tower of London      -TB... Tower Bridge
- M... The Monument     - SC... St Cathrine´s Dock
 

·       Find the main streets: 

Piccadilly, Baker Street, Regent Street, Oxford Street, 
Charing Cross Road, Park Lane, Petticoat Lane,
Liverpool Street... and the River Thames. 

·       What are the names of the parks on the map?

“When a person is tired of London he / she is tired of life”

The map shows different parts of London: The West End where you find elegant shops, theatres, cinemas, expensive hotels, clubs as well as buildings for Government (Westminster) and The City. The two are not the same! The City is where you can find the “typical English man” wearing a pin-striped suit and carrying umbrella, briefcase, and the Times newspaper, because this is where the banks and insurance companies are. The City is the oldest part of London, but only one of the buildings below is very old. Which one is that?  Many buildings in The City are quite new-about forty years old. Why?

GAME
Guess the names of the buildings or places corresponding to these descriptions.

1-   The buildings include the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The clock tower, housing Big Ben, is 320 feet high. -…

2-  An open place laid out in 1829 to commemorate Admiral Nelson´s victories over Napoleon. -…

3-  A large church founded in 1065. Many British sovereigns have been crowned here. - …

4-  The Prime Minister lives at No 10 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) at No 11. -…

5-  The London home of the Queen. The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place outside this building every day at 11.30 a.m. (Earlier on Sundays). -…

6-  You can see the Queen´s Life Guard on horseback in front of this building. - …

7-  The national meeting place with Eros (the God of Love). - …

8-  The Sunday platform for free speech. - …

9-  It was erected in Pudding Lane to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666 (it was here the fire broke out). - …

10-  It is a 900 year old fortress in which you find the Crown Jewels. Everything is guarded by the Beefeaters. - …

11-  It was built about 100 years ago, it has become the symbol of London. Its central parts can open to let ships through. - …

12- It was built by Sir Christopher Wren. Its beautiful dome contains the Whispering Gallery. - … 

ON THE RIVER

The river THAMES

The river Thames is where and why London came to be. By creating London, it changed the face and the map of the world. The Thames is London´s river, and it is pure history. The Celts, the Romans, the Angles, the Saxons, the Vikings all sailed up it. It has been a witness of England history: the building of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, the traders and pirates, the Great Fire of London, the riots in Trafalgar Square, the construction of railways, the digging of the underground, the  public executions, the suffragettes, the installation of electric street lamps, the hunt for Jack the Ripper, the crowds running for air raid shelters as the Thames served as a flight path for German bombers blitzing London during the second World War, the building of the high office blocks, the immigration from the old colonies, the invasion by tourists and language students…

The stretch between London Bridge and Tower Bridge was once a forest of masts. Now it is deserted. And the dock arena below Tower Bridge, that used to be the treasure chamber of the Empire, has gone from teeming life to tumble-down warehouses, and it is now a brand new area of flats, offices and parks, The New Docklands. Every time you look at the river Thames you have a look at England´s history and you smell the atmosphere of the old river.