A Dickensian Video

Now that you have finished watching 'Oliver Twist' in class, I would like you to learn some English expressions based on Charles Dickens' novels.

Watch this video and learn about Charles Dickens' influence on the English language:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theteacher/2012/02/120207_teacher_dickens.shtml

Everything at Once

This is the song we listened to in class. I thought you may like to listen to it again.

Hooked by an octopus

This is a long but really really interesting video on how animals can change one's life:

Answer the following questions and send them to your teacher:

What state is he from? Where is that?

How old was he when he had his first contact with an octopus? What happened?

Where did he go to college?

What happened in the aquarium? Do octopuses play?

Why did he quit school?

Why did he go to Australia?

What is the meaning of the expression “it threw science on its head”? Why does he say this?

What advice does he give to people who are concerned about the environment?

Speechless

A woman stands in the middle of a court. She can’t believe what is happening. She has her hand over her mouth. She is speechless. What is going on?

A brief history of the British Empire

Saint Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day is coming soon. Would you like to know the origins of this day?

Now do this quiz and check that you understood the video.

Charles Dickens' 200th anniversary

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the writer Charles Dickens, one of English literature's most revered novelists and author of books such as "Oliver Twist", "Great Expectations" and "A Tale of Two Cities".

Would you like to know a little bit more about his life? Read this article and watch this video:

How much do you know about Charles Dickens' novels?
Can you match the title of each novel with the summary of its plot?
Click here to download the activity.

Then, play this game.
Can you survive Charles Dickens' London?

Groundhog Day

Learn a little bit more about this famous festivity celebrated on 2nd February in the United States and Canada. Watch this video and do the quiz next to it.

                                                                Image taken from Google

Martin Luther King Day

This holiday is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of January. Why was Martin Luther King so important to American history?
Read this article
Then, watch this video about his life and complete the quiz.
You may also like to watch his famous speech "I have a dream".

                                                         

Merry Christmas!

Listen to this famous Christmas song by Mariah Carey.

Guy Fawkes

Read this text about this famous British festivity celebrated on 5th November. Then, watch the video. Are you brave enough to play the game and to try not to blow up the Houses of Parliament?

 

                                                                 Image taken from Google

British vs American English

Watch this video from the BBC webpage and learn some vocabulary differences between British English and American English. Did you know all the words mentioned in the video?

Read this article to know the main differences between British English and American English.

Thanksgiving

Click here and learn about the history of the pumpkin pie.

                                                                        Image taken from Google

Halloween

Watch this video and learn the history of Halloween, one of the most famous holidays in the English speaking world.

                                                               Image taken from Google

Steve Jobs' most famous speech

My Blackberry is not working!