Homework 19th December 2012

What a amusing last day class!! Today we were playing a quiz related with Christmas... The atmosphere was relaxed and I think we enjoyed a lot. About homework... I think this time it will be better to click in the Teacher's blog to find the homework, because there is a link and other stuffs. For the next year, dates between 9th and 16th will be used for the speaking exams. The topics will be the same as we have heard in class from our classmates. The regular lessons will start on the 21st of January. Have a nice Christmas holidays!! Enjoy with your family or with friends!! I'll try to type something!!

Santander absorbs Banesto and Banif and shuts branches

Continue reading the main story

Banco Santander is to absorb two Spanish banks, Banesto and Banif, closing 700 branches in the process.

Santander has more than 14,000 branches in 12 countries

It owns 90% of Banesto and will buy out the minority shareholders with Santander shares at a 25% premium. It already owns all of Banif.

The three banks have 4,664 branches in Spain between them. All the remaining branches will be branded as Santander.

Santander predicted that the merger would save it 520m euros ($684m; £422m) a year in three years' time.

It said that the merger was part of the restructuring of the Spanish financial system.

Santander did not say how many jobs would go, but said job cuts would be implemented gradually through transfers around the group, natural turnover and voluntary redundancy.

It added that the proportion of Spanish bank branches owned by the group would increase by 2015 despite the closures, because other banks were also cutting back their networks.

Santander said the total number of bank branches in Spain was expected to fall to 30,000 by the end of 2015, down from 46,000 in 2008

This piece of news belongs to BBC.CO.UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20754294

New words:

shuts = cerrar           shareholders = accionista        remaining = restantes

to absorb = absorver         merger = fusión        turnover =  sustitutos

buy out = comprar el total      redundancy =  cese

Homework 17th December 2012

Hi to everyone! I would like to apologize myself because I'm being a bit lazy with the blog those last days. There is always an excuse, and to be very busy studing for a public examination as a Physical Education teacher  is mine, and that is why I temporally abandoned the blog. Don't worry, I will be here at least this year, I need only a couple of days to organize myself.
Bearing in mind, I think I didn't tell you nothing at all about the last Workshop day... I got a private lesson!! I was in a state of shock!! After our crowded lessons, I had our teacher only for me... I was following her lesson script about "The King's Speech".

We were speaking about the problems that you can find in front of a audience. We also spoke about which advice I'd given to somebody who had this kind of problems (stammer = tartamudear, gabble = farfullar, be blocked = bloquearse). And more other questions were done by her. I think I know the theory, but I need some more practice...
          Coming back to the aim of this article, for the next Wednesday there is no homework.
What have we made today?
First of all, we were through an intensive passive grammar lesson (which I urgently needed), and after this exhausting content... we listened a speech about "Stereotypes"... and guess what? Our teacher was examinated by our class. She got about 3-4 minutes, time which was used by her to write on the blackboard a diagram with the most relevant vocabulary and main ideas related with the topic. After this speech about "Genetics", the class gave their assessment. It was to be expected the good mark, and as we guess... she pass the speaking test!!.
For those who only want to know if there is a homework for Wednesday --> There is no homework at all!! See you tomorrow!!

Homework 12th December 2012

What an odd date!! Thank goodness we are alive or maybe in 5 minutes all will be dust... but I think Mayas were wrong... We will see in a while!
Today we were speaking about the importance of practical knowledge and how some subjects or careers are too much theoretical. Afterwards we listened to nine people who explained how satisfied were about their studies and how they used in their lives. Later some of our partners gave us a pair of speeches related with "Working world" and "Stereotypes". The level is rising everytime...
       Moving us to the next homework, we should look for page 55 (Student's book) where we must do exercises 1,2 and 3. In our December's booklet, there is a listening about "Witness of the prosecution" which will be upload in the teacher's blog and finally, from Workbook, in module 5, page 35, exercises 7,8 and 9 but these ones should be checked by yourself (look at the keys). I think that's all. Whether I'll see you in the workshop today or I'll see you on Monday. Have a nice weekend!!

Christmas Carol show!

Hi! Although I told you something in class, I'd like to describe without any kind of pressure. This time was my third time, and I loved!. This theater is located in a Private School lecture hall (Cardenal Spinola School), the atmosphere is quite familiar. You feel like you were a child once more time... Although the company members are amateurs, and some actors were children I found them superb! Specially three of four characters.  Hundreds of jokes were told, some of them in spanish and this pantomime is as well a musical. With the exception of the second year, I could understand quite a lot of the play, but maybe because I knew the plot, however I haven't expected to understand everyword. To be part of the audience means to be part of the play, you can sing, boo the badies or cheer the goodies, and in some cases even dance (from your seat).

         As a pantomime, Madrid Players follow the tale plot, but taking some liberties. Currently jokes or famous people have a place in this play, for example, this year Isabel Pantoja, Mario Vaquerizo, Alaska, and some others were in the play. Last year Lady Gaga was the star. Maybe you are wondering how they can mix all of this... After my first visit I thought I was hooked and as I can see... it is true! I strongly recommend you visit this amateur group. They always play around december in this school but you can follow them in their blog and website. Right now, I'm counting the days for the next play... Which tale will be? Who knows?... Will be you there?

Vocabulary Module 2. Mixed Emotions

Hi classmates! Here you are some vocabulary from unit 2. I hope it'll be useful!! See you around!

T2 vocabulary mixed_emotions from Isidoro Interino JCCM Educación

Homework, 5th December 2012

I'm sorry for the delay! I got really busy. Today in class we made some exercises from the booklet about News Reports and we listened "The Life of Thatcher" from the booklet as well. For the next Monday, our homework will be exercises 3 & 4 from pages 48-49, moreover a New Report writing (120-150 words).
Pay attention, a REPORT should include:
  * Passive forms    * Indirect speech   * Headlines    * Facts   * Figures    * To inform    
 * be objective    * Scientific       * Formal language       * Specific vocabulary included    
           But don't worry, you'll have an extra day in order to finish this last task properly. Have a nice weekend!!

ATTENTION              PLEASE, ATTENTION           PLEASE, more homework:
I've already seen more homework than we were told. I'm talking about the exercises about collocations (december's booklet, pages related with  "Study and learning", for mor info CLICK HERE.

Homework 3rd December 2012

Almost all that we did today was checking exercises and a crowded fire-drill, which I hope never become real. For tomorrow 5th December there isn't any homework. See you around!!