The nature vs. nurture gender debate
DO we treat treat girls and boys differently?
3 RULES FOR BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE
PRINCIPLES OF DEEP WORK
Friday, 20 December 2024
Shakespeare, reviews, time management, and positive psychology
SHAKESPEARE (C1)
Which "to be or not to be" scene do you prefer? Kenneth Branagh´s or Mel Gibson´s?
MORGAN LEVIEN ON AGEING AND DIET
Deep work summary video:
Summary of Atomic Habits by the author
Summary of Emotional Agility by a C2 student
Monday, 4 November 2024
C1 PRACTICAL PODCASTS and C1 SPEAKING CARDS
Here you have some C1 ESL podcasts you can use to practice your listening skill while revising vocabulary and topicss. And you can also take advantage of the pdf document to boost your pronunciation:
Phrasal verbs about health pdf script
Emotional Intelligence pdf script
Idioms about clothes pdf script
American vs. British English pdf script
Making a good first impression pdf script
MEDIATION VIDEO:
C1 SPEAKING PRACTICE:
ORAL MEDIATION (J-19) PTO (J-19) CPTO (J-19)
ORAL MEDIATION (S-19) PTO (S-19) CPTO (S-19)
Friday, 27 September 2024
News articles with tapescript, podcasts and more
On the Saturday Night Live show you can find funny satirical stuff. These two recent videos have gone viral and become instant classics:
I´ve found a few excellent resources to practice your reading and listening skills.
The content is very interesenting too and one of them can be be used as an app on the phone
Noa app
The Conversation
On The audio long reads from the Guardian you can read and listen to the article if you open it in a new window. That way you can also practice your pronunciation.
And to find out about podcasts you might enjoy you can check out the links below:
Best podcasts to learn English C1.2
To get started and ease your way into the world of English podcasts you can also try BBC 6 minute English B2/C1.1
Best British radio and podcasts (the phone app is great) and Great ad-free US radio and podcasts C2
I recommend to listen to some podcasts intensively, focusing on the grammar and vocabulary as well as modelling your accent on the speakers´, but you should also listen to others in a more leisurely way as if you where listening to the radio. Playing a radio station in the background when doing something else can prove to be very useful too.
Free audiobooks Free audiobooks-2
Best TV shows to practice British English C1/C2
Thursday, 26 September 2024
Welcome to the 24-25 school year! My name is Juan and my email is jjgs26@educastillalamancha.es.
I hope we can learn a lot and have some fun together.
26 SEPTEMBER IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EUROPEAN LANGUAGES:
20 things you might now know about the world of languages
This is the ice-breaking activity to get to know one another a little bit: 30/35:
200 questions to really get to know someone
And here you have the curricular description of C2 and C1
This is an extract from the DAILY SHOW , a funny way to to be up to date with international news:
And a video by he the former host of the Daily Show on the Southafrican accent:
If you want to keep up to date with what´s going on in our country you´d better do it in Engllish:
https://english.elpais.com/
Saturday, 8 August 2020
ASPECTS OF BRTISH AND AMERICAN SOCIETY IN TV SHOWS AND FILMS
Here you have some prestigious tv series and films that tackle different aspects of American and British society and will help you keep your English alive while staying in touch with contemporary issues:
MASS MEDIA
The newsroom (News) HBO
Succession (Media moguls) HBO
Mad Men (Advertising) Amazon
HISTORY
The Knick (history of medicine) HBO
Band of Brothers ( War World II) HBO
Deadwood (Wild West) HBO
Boardwalk Empire (Prohibition) HBO
POLITICS
House of Cards Netflix
The West Wing Amazon
Vice Amazon
The Plot against America HBO
The man in the High Castle Amazon
FINANCES
The Laundromat Netflix
The Spider´s Web Youtube
SOCIAL ISSUES
The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel Amazon
Years and Years HBO
This is Us Amazon
The Wire (HBO)
Monday, 6 July 2020
Recommended series for the summer
If you´re interested in series that depict cultural and historical events in British or American history I include a few prestigious series that will help you improve your English and gain an insight into some important aspects of British and American history
WHEN THEY SEE US (netflix)
AMERICAN CRIME STORY (netflix)
MRS. AMERICA (hbo)
A VERY PRIVATE SCANDAL (amazon)
Sunday, 14 June 2020
Return to "new normal"
Hi everybody!
I hope you´re fine and making the most of the new normality.
As a tribute to the all the victims of systemic racism and police brutality in the US and all over the world I offer this visual quote by the great writer Maya Angelou that encapsulates the solution to this disgraceful reality:
I´d also like to share an article by the renowned primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall on the challanges the world is facing now:
Here you have a blog where they recommend "the best 17 podcasts to learn English":
And a video where you´re talked through the best British TV shows to improve your English:
Take good care of yourself and of someone else if you can!
Saturday, 9 May 2020
Getting through the pandemic with greater wisdom
Susan David on Getting through the pandemic with greater wisdom
Right now we are facing one
of the biggest challenges in our lives: a global pandemic which is forcing us
to stay within our homes or distance ourselves from our family, friends, and
neighbors. It’s a time full of uncertainty, anxiety, and sadness, and it’s easy
to get overwhelmed with these tough emotions.
On the one hand, we might obsessively brood on our feelings, struggling to sleep in the face of discouraging statistics or overthinking a minor quarrel with a spouse. On the other, we might bottle our emotions, blindly pursuing a sense of normalcy that right now doesn’t truly exist, or rationalizing our way out of them (“I shouldn’t be sad.”). Our culture often dictates the idea that natural emotions are either good or bad, positive or negative, and we can find ourselves forcing happiness rather than observing how we are actually feeling. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-happiness. I like being happy. I’m a pretty happy person. But when we push aside normal emotions to embrace false positivity, we lose our capacity to develop skills to deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. Now is not the time for white-knuckled control. Instead, it’s the time to cultivate the wisdom and courage to move forward with emotional agility.
The pyramid model I’ve developed (above) illustrates the critical steps we can follow to deal with both the reality of our present and the emotions that come with this reality, in a healthy way. The steps outlined can leave us more resilient and stronger than ever.
- Gentle Acceptance:
As much as we want to, we cannot control every situation–especially a
global pandemic. There is no value in struggling to deny or suppress
feelings of anxiety, hopelessness or grief. This only makes us feel worse.
By showing up to a difficult situation and accepting it, we are freed up
to move beyond it. Acceptance is the prerequisite for positive change.
- Compassion: You
must be kind to yourself. These are not normal times: tens of thousands of
people are dying and losing their livelihoods. Recognize with kindness
that you are trying to live your life and juggle competing demands in
abnormal circumstances. Give yourself a break and let go of perfectionism.
Now is not the time for perfection but for forgiveness and flexibility. Also,
see if you can let go of judging others. They, too, are doing the best
they can. You don’t have insight into the history of the woman who is
hoarding food or what it is she has seen in her past, but she is scared.
Try to broaden your scope.
- Routine: Human
beings need routine in order to maintain a sense of order. It’s the glue
that holds us together from day to day. When we are faced with the
unfamiliar, we tend to fill in the gaps with fear. We are currently away
from our routines–working from home, homeschooling, and living in close
quarters with others. We are adapting to unprecedented circumstances. This
can be scary. So let’s fill in the gaps of the unknown with things that
are comfortable, familiar, and connected with our values. Healthy routines
are essential, specifically those associated with sleep, exercise and
eating. Our bodies and minds are so interconnected and our physical health
is reflected in our psychological state. Try to ground yourself during the
course of the day by incorporating experiences that are reminiscent of
your normal lifestyle. Whether that means waking up at the time you
normally would to commute to work or maintaining your family tradition of
Friday movie night, the preservation of these small habits will give you
comfort. Remember that it may not be possible to adhere to all aspects of
your regular routine and approach this new reality with grace instead of
rigidity.
- Connection: It’s
important to note that “social distancing” is really physical distancing.
Connection is so important, now more than ever. Even though you cannot be
in someone’s physical presence, you can continue to nourish your
relationships, especially if you’re feeling lonely. You need that support.
Also, if safe, make sure to hug your child and/or partner. Put down your
phone and laugh with your family, play games, do puzzles.
- Courage:
Research now shows that the radical acceptance of all of our emotions–even
the messy, difficult ones–is the cornerstone to resilience, thriving, and
true, authentic happiness. But courage is more than just the acceptance of
emotions. Our emotions are data that tells us what we’re missing in our
lives. A ‘guilty’ parent might be missing real connection with her child.
Grief is love, looking for its home – reminding us of the our special
times. Slow down and face into your difficult emotions with courage. What
you find there will signpost to you how to make better decisions and take
values-based actions.
- Reset:
This is the time for reflection. What priorities did you once have that no
longer seem important? What parts of ‘normal’ do you not want to rush back
to? Gather your data, keep a journal, and reflect on what you learn about
yourself. This information is valuable and it will guide you as you move
forward.
- Wisdom:
Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility. We are young until we are
not. We walk down the streets sexy until one day we realize that we are
unseen. We are healthy until a diagnosis brings us to our knees. The only
certainty is uncertainty, and once we realize this as truth, the healthier
and more authentically happier we will be. When I was little, I would wake
up at night terrified by the idea of death. My father would comfort me
with soft pats and kisses. But he would never lie. “We all die, Susie,” he
would say. “It’s normal to be scared.” He didn’t try to invent a falsely
positive buffer between me and reality. It took me a while to understand
the power of how he guided me through those nights. What he showed me is
that courage is not an absence of fear; courage is fear walking.
Our time on this earth is all
too short and all too precious. Life is asking us all right now–are you agile?
Let the answer be an unreserved “yes.” It’s a yes borne of a correspondence
with your own heart–in seeing yourself for who you truly are. Because in seeing
yourself, you are also able to see others, too: the only sustainable way
forward in a fragile, beautiful world.
Saturday, 2 May 2020
Virtual tours of the world
To celebrate the chance to venture out for a stroll here you have a few links in case you don´t live near the countryside:
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/national-park-service
Best virtual travel experiences
Google earth virtual tours of 31 national parks
Virtual tours of museums and national parks in the UK
10 Best virtual tours of wolrd´s natural wonders
National parks in US
More National Parks in US
Make the post of the spring weather these days and stretch your legs!
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/national-park-service
Best virtual travel experiences
Google earth virtual tours of 31 national parks
Virtual tours of museums and national parks in the UK
10 Best virtual tours of wolrd´s natural wonders
National parks in US
More National Parks in US
Make the post of the spring weather these days and stretch your legs!
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
World Book Day
Happy World Book day everybody!
Run out of things to do in quarantine? We've got you covered with 50 fun, free ways to keep busy during the coronavirus lockdown.
So you’re in lockdown. You’ve completed Netflix list and you’re tired of talking about the news with your flatmate.
Don’t fret, there are still plenty of free things left to do.
We’ve collated a list of 50 fun and free things to do using your internet connection or items you already have lying around to get you through the weeks of lockdown.
We’ve collated a list of 50 fun and free things to do using your internet connection or items you already have lying around to get you through the weeks of lockdown.
Monday, 6 April 2020
Easter Week
If you feel like celebrating Easter week you can watch a clip from the classic film adaptation of the musical JesusChrist Superstar (there´s a playlist with other good songs)
On another totally different note you can have fun trying to answer Jimmy Carr´s daily lockdown questions ( here you have a compilation of week 1)
HAPPY EASTER , TAKE CARE AND TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ISOLATION
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Morgan´s articles
Here you have the links to the two articles read aloud by Morgan , the texts and the recordings. One of the texts is the link for the Robinson´s review.
You also have a presentation about
Patriot´s Day
Feel free to share your reactions with me in written or audio form.
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