Wednesday 31 July 2013

Curiosidades del inglés: tres letras dobles consecutivas

“Bookkeeper” and “bookkeeping” are the only two words in the English language with three consecutive double letters.
“Bookkeeper” (contable)  y “bookkeeping” (contabilidad) son las únicas dos palabras del idioma inglés con tres letras dobles consecutivas.

Monday 29 July 2013

CAPITAL LETTERS

                           
                                                     

El empleo de las letras mayúsculas (capitalization en inglés) se rige normalmente por varias normas básicas. Esta son las más importantes.







            ·        La primera palabra de una oración

An apple a day  keeps doctors away.


·        Los nombres propios siempre llevan mayúscula al igual que en español

Margaret Mitchell is the author of a book. 


·        El pronombre I (yo) siempre va en mayúscula en inglés

Rose and I went to the park. 


·        Los parentescos cuando se utilizan como sustantivos propios

My sister wrote a letter to Uncle Felipe, but not to her two other uncles

·        Todas las nacionalidades

She speaks very good French

·        Los idiomas también se escriben con mayúscula

I am from Mexico that is why I am Mexican and I speak Spanish


·        Los meses del año

I always go on holiday in August


·        Los días de la semana

I never go out on Sundays







Friday 26 July 2013

Things American Tourist Say

An American English teacher living in Spain shows several clichés that American tourists use all the time in our country. Although a bit difficult to understand, it's worth having a look. I especially enjoy her great sense of humour and her attitude towards this subject.






Thursday 25 July 2013




                                                                                

                                                                                  Thanks to Grammar.net for the Infographic.


Wednesday 24 July 2013

Actividades de refuerzo (Nivel Inicial)


Mis alumnos de nivel inicial (BÁSICO 1) me pidieron algunas páginas para practicar durante el verano. Aquí dejo algunas que os puedan ser útiles. ¡Practicad que se acerca el nuevo curso!  





http://www.isabelperez.com/

http://elblogdelingles.blogspot.com.es/

http://marivyortiz.blogspot.com.es/

http://kickme.to/mansioningles

http://www.agendaweb.org/



Monday 22 July 2013

Pretending you're not a guiri

Entertaining article full of up-to-date vocabulary. And much of it is absolutely real (and useful if you’re a guiri)


Guiri: ( Urban Dictionary def.) a somewhat pejorative term for a foreigner, usually a tourist, who happens to be in Spain and stands out as being obviously not a local. The term is usually used to refer to fairer-skinned people from Great Britain or Germany, but can be extended to any foreigner that is in Spain.

  1. Don't overuse sorry, please and thanks in conversation: The Spanish are an emotional bunch, but they go for heartfelt apologies rather than saying sorry every time they brush against someone on the underground. According to a survey in the UK, the average Brit will say sorry a staggering 1.9 million times in their lifetimes.

  1. Forget the early lunch and dinner hours: If you don't want to be identified as guiri, try not be seen eating lunch when your fellow Spaniards are just finishing  breakfast.

  1. Don't order sangría all the time: Contrary to popular belief abroad, Spanish people's favourite drink is beer and not sangría. There's nothing wrong with ordering this refreshing wine punch, but getting a round of cañas will make you blend in much more.

  1. Don't be offended by compliments: It's not just builders who will sing your praises in Spain. Everyone from a bartender to an old lady in the street will  call you guapo/a (handsome/beautiful) or cariño (darling). This doesn't mean they're coming on to you necessarily, so take it with a pinch of salt.

  1. Don't yell out "hola" when you're waving at someone you know across the street. Say adios (goodbye) or hasta luego (see you later) instead. That's what Spaniards say when they are in a rush and don't have time to stop and talk. As the Beatles used to sing, "I don't know why you say good bye, I say hello!".

  1. Stop hunting around for UK style tea: If you're from the UK or Ireland, you may have had trouble satisfying your craving for a good cuppa while in Spain. Most supermarkets only stock herbal tea rather than the landmark black tea with milk that's so popular in the British Isles.

  1. Don't underdress if it's getting chilly: OK, for many expats who stem from colder climes, Spain's climate is positively tropical. You might not even feel the cold as much as back home (especially when you've got your beer jacket on), but don't expect to go unnoticed if you're walking around in shorts in a chilly 10 degrees.

  1. Make sure you greet complete strangers in lifts: There's no need to get to know them inside out, but saying buenos dias or buenas tardes in these kind of situations is considered good manners in Spain. If you give them the cold elevator shoulder, they'll probably guess you're a guiri.


  1. Don't succumb to outdated Spanish stereotypes: There's nothing wrong with being a fan of bullfighting and flamenco, but assuming that's all that modern day Spaniards are interested in these pastimes is a long way from the truth. Ditch your Hemingway novels and go to a Spanish stand-up comedy show. You'll get insider knowledge on Spanish culture and pick up a few handy chistes (jokes) at the same time.

Sunday 21 July 2013

Los errores más comunes en inglés


           

Durante muchos años he notado que hay ciertos errores que gran parte de los alumnos cometen cuando  intentan hablar inglés. Os detallo los más frecuentes ya que reconocerlos suele ser el primer paso para corregirlos.
Fíjate si tu también los cometes y procura no caer en ellos.



Pronunciación:

Top 1: Pronunciar “b” por “v”. Por ejemplo: very [beri] y no [veri]. Se pronuncia mordiéndose el labio inferior casi como una “f”. (Debe hacer cosquillas)

Top 2: Pronunciar money (dinero) [moni] y no [mani]. El sonido de la “o” es parecido al de una “a” , por tanto, no es una “o”.

Top 3: Pronunciar “parents” (padres) tal como suena con una “a” bien redonda a la española y no [perents]. La “a” de “parents” tiene un sonido más parecido a la “e” que a la “a”.


Estructuras gramáticales:

Top 1: “People is” are (correcto). “people (gente) en inglés es plural. Por tanto, decimos “people are” o “people have”.

Top 2: I haven't .... Nadie se acuerda de que si se utiliza “haven't” para decir “no tengo” hay que añadir. “got”(Es imprescindible).  Por eso recomiendo decir “I don't have” o “She/he doesn't have.”

Top 3: The last year, the last weekend, the last night, the last month. Cuando nos referimos a algo que hicimos el año pasado, el fin de semana pasado, la noche pasada, el mes pasado, no ponemos el artículo determinado “the” como hacemos en español, es decir, el o la.


False friends o errores con ciertas expresiones:

Top 1: Utilizar actually” [akchuali] como “actualmente” como en español, cuando en realidad significa “realmente”.

Top2: Utilizar “history”[histori] por “story”[stori]. Por ejemplo: he told me a history. El me contó una historia. “History” en inglés sólo se refiere a la asignatura que nos enseñan en el colegio o en la Universidad como, por ejemplo, “la historia de España.”No significa “historia” relato de hechos. En este caso debemos utilizar “story”.

Top 3: Utilizar “do” por “make” o “make” por “do”. Por ejemplo, “I make a job” en vez de “I do a job” Yo hago un trabajo.


Tiempos verbales:

Por ejemplo, mal uso del tiempo pasado y el participio en los verbos irregulares.

Top 1: write, ride y drive. Por ejemplo: I have write, (written es lo correcto) o You have rode.(ridden es lo correcto)

Top 2: “was” por “were”. Si el alumno no piensa detenidamente dice: “You was” aunque sepa muy bien que es “you were”. Igual ocurre con las terceras personas del Presente (“have” en vez de “has”, “do” por “does”, o omitir la letras “s” al final del verbo).

Top 3: Poner el “do” en lugar del verbo “to be”. Por ejemplo “Does she having a shower?” en vez de: “Is she having a shower?”


  
Recuerda que sólo hay dos formas de evitar estos errores, una repetir y dos practicar. Te pongo un ejemplo, di cien veces en voz alta “people are”, prometo que funciona.

Nota: Las pronunciaciones que aparecen entre corchetes son sólo aproximadas y no sustituyen al alfabeto fonético que es el correcto.


Tuesday 16 July 2013

Tips to improve your speaking

Very interesting video about different ways to improve your speaking. Just follow the tips!

Monday 15 July 2013

Food Idioms


1.  Kevin got 100% on all his exams, what an egg head! ( A very studious and academic person)







2. Steve Jobs was the big cheese of the technological world. (A very influential person)










3. It’s a beautiful day outside! Don’t be such a couch potato. Go and play with your friends. (A lazy person)



4. Jose got a 51% on his last English test, but he’s a tough cookie. He won’t give up.(A very determined person)






5. Many people agree that Brad Pitt is the top banana of Hollywood actors but I think George Clooney is much better.
   

6. My brother said I must be a bad apple after I went to jail for drinking and driving.                                        






7. His criticisms of our iPhones are just sour grapes because his parents won’t buy him one. (Pretending to dislike something you can’t have)














Saturday 13 July 2013

Verbs & Prepositions

Some verbs are usually followed by prepositions before the object of the verb. these are called dependent prepositions and they are followed by a noun or a gerund (‘ing’ form).
  • He’s waiting for the bus.
For is the dependent preposition for ‘wait

We can use other prepositions with ‘wait’ – e.g. He waited at the bus stop – but ‘for’ is the dependent preposition.
Here are some other verbs with their dependent prepositions.

Verbs with ‘for’
  • He apologised for being late. You can also ‘apologise to someone’
  • I applied for the job but I didn’t get it.
  • How do you ask for a coffee in Polish?
  • She spent many years caring for her aged parents.
  • I can’t go out tonight because I have to prepare for my interview tomorrow.
With ‘from’
  • This spray should protect you from mosquitoes.
  • Has he recovered from his illness yet?
  • He won an award because he saved someone from drowning.
  • I suffer from hay fever.
With ‘in’
  • She believes in ghosts.
  • Our company specialises in computer software.
  • You have to work hard if you want to succeed in life.
With ‘of’
  • I don’t approve of your language, young man.
  • Our dog died of old age.
  • This shampoo smells of bananas.
With ‘on’
  • The film is based on the novel by Boris Pasternak.
  • If you make so much noise I can’t concentrate on my work.
  • Come on! We’re relying on you!
  • We don’t agree on anything but we’re good friends.
With ‘to’
  • Can I introduce you to my wife?
  • Please refer to the notes at the end for more information.
  • Nobody responded to my complaint.
With ‘with’
  • I agree with everything you’ve said.
  • My secretary will provide you with more information if you need it.
There are many more verb + dependent preposition combinations – make a note of them as you meet them.
                                                                                      


                                                                                                    (From: British Council, Learn English)

Thursday 4 July 2013

Curiosidades del inglés: La frase más corta


The shortest complete sentence in the English language is “Go”.


La frase completa más corta del idioma inglés es “Go” ("ve", imperativo del verbo ir).