Thursday 25 February 2010

Making invitations

"What are you doing next Saturday? We're having some people over for a meal. Would you like to come?"

"Are you free next Thursday?"

"Are you doing anything next weekend?"

"Would you be interested in coming to the cinema with me tonight?"

"How do you fancy going out for a meal at the weekend?"

Accepting

"Would you like to…"

"I'd love to, thanks."

"That's very kind of you, thanks."

"That sounds lovely, thanks."

Do you fancy coming to the cinema tonight?

"What a great idea, thanks."

Declining

"Would you like to come over for dinner on Saturday?"

"That's very kind of you, but actually I'm doing something else on Saturday."

"Well, I'd love to, but I'm already going out to the cinema."

"I'm really sorry, but I've got something else on."

"I really don't think I can – I'm supposed to be doing something else."

Speaking Tip

It's important to be polite when you decline an invitation. We normally give a reason why we can't do something and either apologise, or use words like "actually" or "really".

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Synopsis of Pygmalion.

Liza Doolittle is a Cockney flower girl selling flowers by night in the streets of London. Liza can
sing and she dreams of performing on the stage of the theatre. She wants to escape from her life
of poverty and misery. One winter’s evening she finds herself standing outside the famous West
End theatre, sheltering from the rain. By chance, two famous voice coaches: Henry Higgins and
Mr. Pickering are also stood outside.
In an unusual encounter, the three characters become acquainted. Higgins insults Liza’s singing
and she gets angry. Pickering becomes involved and they then discover that both Pickering and
Higgins have something in common: singing! Higgins and Pickering instantly become friends and
they both go to Pickering’s hotel to discuss their work. They leave Liza outside the theatre, singing to herself on her own.
The very next day Higgins and Pickering meet again at Higgins’ house. Higgins’ shows Pickering
the work he does tape recording people’s different accents. To the two men’s surprise, Liza arrives with a request: she wants to learn how to sing and pay Mr. Higgins for lessons!
Like the day before, Higgins is very rude to Liza. However, he accepts Liza’s request as a
challenge to himself. They embark on a bet to transform Liza from a Cockney, street girl into a
young, fair lady. With Higgins’ techniques and Liza’s determination and practice, things seem to
start reasonably well. However, Higgins is a stubborn man and Liza has her own ideas for her
future and how it should be…..
Will Higgins succeed in his challenge to turn Liza into a star? Will Liza gain the success she has
always dreamt of? Or will Liza return to her life as a flower girl on the streets of London town?




Tuesday 16 February 2010

Emilio Botín


For those who haven't delivered the presentation yet. Don't you speak much better than him? Relax and be confident.
See you tomorrow

Monday 15 February 2010

Making suggestions

There are a number of formulas used when making suggestions in English. Here are some of the most common:
  • Why don't you / we go to the movies tonight?
  • You / we could visit New York while you're / we're there.
  • Let's go to the travel agent's this afternoon to book our ticket.
  • What about asking your brother for help?
  • How about going to Hawaii for your vacation?
  • I suggest you / we take all the factors into consideration before we decide.
After you study these constructions, take the Making suggestions-quiz to check your understanding.

Saturday 6 February 2010

Oral Presentation Tips

1. Be organized! The more organized and focused your presentation is, the more relaxed you'll feel.
2. Breathe! (It helps you relax.)
3. Don't try to cover too much material. Remember you only have 3 minutes.
4. Speak clearly, slowly and at an appropriate level for your audience.
5. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for your audience. If you use new vocabulary, make sure you explain it and write it on the board.
6. Make eye contact with all members of your audience.
7. Move around.
8. Use hand gestures.
9. Allow the audience to ask questions at the end of your presentation.
10. Don't read your presentation. You can use short notes, but reading a presentation is unnatural; also, it makes it very difficult for your audience to follow.
11. Practise your presentation with a partner or in front of the mirror.
12. Remember to thank your audience and introduce the next speaker.

Thursday 4 February 2010

Healthy eating

Remember that "we are what we eat". Surfing the Net I´ve come across this interesting Irish website: Healthy eating
I hope you find it useful because you´ll have to talk about your eating habits in class by the end of February.
See you tomorrow