Top ten Halloween symbols

The Halloween night is close upon us, so I decided to write this post about the American festivity that has spread all over the world. It has become more and more popular in Spain, although some people criticize for being a mere copy of an American festivity. Anyway, it's a festival, right ? Why not learn something about it and enjoy it as much as possible ? Let's start with some of the Halloween symbols: 

10. Black cats : You are alone at night in a lonely alley and you see some bright eyes looking at you and you hear screeching howl. Scared ? Our perception of cats have changed over the centuries. They were considered sacred animal in the Egyptian culture and they were even considered a token indicating that a marriage was flourishing. However, in the Middle Ages they were closely associated to witchcraft, wickedness and death. Do not cross a black cat in Halloween, Friday, 13th or Tuesday 13th he he. Last trivia fact about cats: in Spanish they are said to have seven lives, but in the English culture, have got nine lives. Cats seem difficult to kill, don't you think ?

9. Skeletons and skulls: These bony depict dead people that on the night of Halloween come back to life. They belong to the spirits realm. The Celts believed that the soul could be found in the skull, which is the head of skeletons. In fact, Hamlet holds a skull while he reflects upon the human existence. For me, skeletons are funny characters and one of the best Halloween costumes. 

8. Witches flying on a broomstick and casting spells using a cauldron: Witches are the most characteristic female characters in the night of Halloween. As you know, alleged witches were often burned because people were afraid of their powers. What is characteristic about them ? Well, they wear pointed hats, they have hideous warts in their faces, the can fly using a broomstick and they cast their spells in cauldrons using odd ingredients such as frogs, spiders or more 'loathsome' animals. The most famous film about witches is probably Hocus Pocus (El Retorno de las Brujas). Why not watch it during the Halloween night ?

7. Spiders and cobwebs : Spiders usually produce disgust and loath among people (with the exception of Spiderman he he ). Spiders weave cobwebs, which are associated with the passage of time and fate. Spiders and cobwebs are necessary elements in haunted houses, so watch your eyes if you happen to be in a haunted house ! 

6. Bats and vampires : Who hasn't seen a bat at night ? Bats are nocturnal animals  They suck the blood of their preys and they are said to be able to communicate with the devil. Vampires can transform themselves into bats to escape and so can witches. There are a lot of famous vampires, Count Dracula being the most famous one. If you want to kill them, stab them with a stake in their heart while they sleep in their coffins, use silver or wear garlic wherever you go. 

5.Ghosts in haunted houses : Dead spirits with unfinished business in our world, spirits that can walk next to us and we cannot even touch them. The spirits that are released in Halloween frequently take the shape of ghosts, spooky creatures that dwell in haunted houses and scare us to hell ! 

4. Graveyard or cemeteries, tombs and gravestones: Apart from a haunted house, what is the spookiest place of all ? A cemetery, of course. This is the place where all the dead rest. However, in Halloween, they all come to life (either as ghosts or as zombies). You wouldn't like to be there on October, 31st ! 

3. Pumpkins : This orange plant is the Halloween symbol per excellence. It is said that witches can turn you into pumpkins, much like they did in Cinderella where a fairy transformed a pumpkin into a carriage.Anyway, other than using pumpkins for decoration, American use it for food, pumpkin pies and roaster pumpkin seed being two typical Halloween dishes. 

2. Trick-or-treating : As you know, in this tradition, children go door to door asking for candy, pronouncing the words "trick or treat". They are just saying that if they don't receive candy, they will play a prank, for example, they will throw eggs to your house or they will cover your house in toilet paper. This tradition goes back to a Gaelic festival, the Samhain, where people offered some food to the spirits to calm them down. 

1. Jack-o-lantern : This is probably the most representative element of house decoration. This is how it works. You take a real pumpkin, you empty it, you carve it to look scary and you put a candle in it. Perfect, right ? The origins of this object is a man named Jack, an unrepentant sinner, who managed to trick the devil and trapped him into a tree surrounded by crosses. He let the devil go only when he promised he will never reclaim his soul. When Jack died, he couldn't go to Heaven because he had been a sinner and he couldn't go to hell either. He had to wander eternally and the devil sent him a flame from hell. He put it into a turnip and used it to light his way. 

Did you enjoy the Halloween icons ? I hope you did. To finish this post, here you have a funny video about Halloween, a video in which parents tell their little children that they have eaten all the Halloween candy. You must watch it. Their reaction is priceless. 

In my educational blog, I have also written an entry about Halloween food. Click on the link to watch it. 
I'll be in touch.

Like two peas in a pod, but different after all: paronyms (I)

Hello again mates,

Everything alright ? Today, I'm writing a post about paronyms. Paronyms are similar words in appearance but different at the end of the day. These are the words we usually have problems with when in our English-learning process, since we frequently mistake them. Does it ring a bell ? Well, you will see my selection of paronyms now. I'm pretty sure that you have encountered and even mistaken- some of these pairs of words along your English learning process. Let's begin ! :

1. quiet vs. quite : a) Quiet = Calm, not noisy, peaceful

                               b) Quite = Really, completely, very.

The child was not simple quiet, he was quite quiet all the evening.

2. appealing vs. appalling : a) Appealing = Attractive, something that attracts your attention.

                                              b) Appalling = Awful', 'terrible' or 'disgusting.

The Chinese restaurant was an appealing idea, but the food turned out to be appalling ! We'll never come back.

3. college vs. colleague: a) College = University

                                        b) Colleague = Workmate

I work as an English teacher in Trinity College and when, I finish my work, I usually go out for a beer with my colleagues.

4. Price vs. prize: a) Price = The sum of money you pay for something.

                               b) Prize = Reward, award.

The prize of the competition was a great deal of money. You'll never again have to care for the prices at shops.

5. swam vs. swan: a) Swam = The simple past of the verb swim.

                                b) Swan = An animal of the goose family, similar to a duck.

Three swans swam in this lake yesterday. Now they are gone !

6. Lose vs. loose vs loss : a) Lose = The opposite of 'find.'

                                          b) Loss = The action of losing something.

                                          c) Loose = The opposite of 'hold'. To release or drop something.

Children often lose money when they have it in their hands and they loose it. Then, they are sad because of the loss of money.

7. Fall vs. feel: a) Fall = To come down to the ground. The past of is 'fell' and the participle 'fallen.'

                          b) Feel = To have feelings. The past and the participle is 'felt'.

The child felt a lot of pain when he fell down the stairs.

8. Lie (1) vs. lie (2) vs. lay = a) Lie (1): Not tell the truth. The past and participle are 'lied'

                 b) Lie (2): To rest in horizontal position. The past is 'lay' and the participle is 'lain.'

                 c) Lay: Other than the past of lie (2), it can mean to set or put something in a fixed place. Its past and participle are 'laid.'

Children usually lie on the sofa or lie when you ask them to lay the table.

9. Crash vs. crush: Crash = To make a loud noise or break to pieces

                                 Crush = To press, squeeze or break by force.

He was crushing grapes with his feet all the afternoon and, tired by the effort, he drove and crashed his car into a tree.

10. Coach vs. couch: Coach = A large bus; a carriage; or a person who trains a team.

                                    Couch = Sofa.

The coach slept on the couch after a nine-hour journey in a coach from the bus station, and a four-hour journey in a horse coach.

Did you enjoy my selection of paronyms? Did you use to have problems with these words when you studied English ? Do you still have problems with them ? Don't worry, son I will be writing another post with yet some more paronyms. Until then, I await your comments.

Fun resources to keep learning English autonomously

Howdy!

Here I am again with yet another my interesting posts ! (he he). Well, this time I'm bringing you something tremendously important for your English-learning process: nothing less than a bunch of webpages to keep learning English. You can access them by clicking on the links provided at the right-hand side of my blog. You often learn a language at an academic institution: schools, high schools, language schools, academies, colleges, universities... However, it is also important that you learn by yourselves, that you devote some of your spare time to English. Indeed. Let me talk to you about my favourite webpages in order to move forward in your English trip :

1. Pages to improve your listening skills: 

a) If you are an upper beginner, maybe http://www.listenaminute.com/ is your best choice. There you can find short listenings on familiar topics with easy exercises. In addition, the tapescript is provided so that you can check your answers. You can even download the listenings and listen to them on your way to work.

b) www.esl-lab.com is a a great webpage that offers different listenings ordered in three levels: easy, medium and difficult. Then, you can do multiple choice and fill-in-the-gaps exercises. You can also check the script if you need further help.

c) If you want to listen and watch at the same time, www.eslvideo.com is your best shot. You will have multiple choice exercises based on listening comprehension, but at the same time, you'll be allowed to watch funny, entertaining videos (and songs). It's perfect ! 

2. Online dictionaries:

a) www.wordreference.com is a good online dictionary where you'll be able to consult the meaning of some English words (and French, Italian and many other languages). Furthermore, you can use this webpage as a monolingual English dictionary and you can ask all your doubts in the forum section.

b) www.linguee.es is also an outstanding dictionary. What makes it unique is that you can not only look for the meaning of words, but also whole expressions. This webpage will show you the expressions in REAL contexts using different real texts. A good alternative to Google translator, don't you think ?

c) http://www.thesaurus.com/ is a dictionary for synonyms and antonyms, which is key to enhance your vocabulary. Besides, you can use it as a translator ! 

3. Grammar webpages: There are hundreds -or even thousands- of grammar-based webpages. The one I recommend you is www.ego4u.com, a webpage that displays a great deal of grammar exercises, with good explanations. It has also other sections of vocabulary and tests worth visiting.

4. Learning English through songs: As I mentioned in my post about the use of songs in the classroom, all of us enjoy English and American songs. They are a great way to keep practising our English in a motivating way. To do that, you have http://es.lyricstraining.com/. This interactive webpage will allow you to listen to a song and complete its missing words. There are different levels: beginner, medium and advanced, and you can listen to the songs as many times as you like before completing it. Why don't you have a go at it ?

5. Improve your pronunciation: Maybe you have sometimes wondered how a word is pronounced in English. If you find it difficult to understand the phonetics symbols in your dictionaries, all you can do is to type http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php and listen to a native speaker pronounce it. That will definitely clear out all your dobuts. Moreover, you can hear the word in British, Scottish or American English among others, so you'll be able to understand the different accents of English.

6. Some miscellaneous engaging exercises designed by an English teacher herself, that is what you can find in http://www.isabelperez.com/. Her exercises are varied ranging from webquests, songs and projects to grammar, reading and writing exercises. A compulsory stop in your English route.

7. Pages to improve your reading skill: Reading is important. The more, you read the better. Newspapers provide countless English readings, so pay a visit to http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/#.Vi-mMrerTIV  to read the different English newspapers. You can also stop by http://www.mansioningles.com/  and click on reading. This webpage offers good listening exercises as well. 

8. English blogsites: Well, there are many teachers with educative blogs. For example, you can use my blog to keep learning the quirks of English and improve your reading skill on the way. Here you can also visit my educational blog, that is, the blog I'm using with my students in Calisto y Melibea high school. Anyway, blogs are a good way to keep learning English ! Don't you think so ? 

Here concludes my humble selection of webpages to keep learning English outside the classroom. Every day, more and more webpages for the learning of English spring up. Fear not, for I will be including them in the recommended links (that you can find as the right-hand side of my blog). Are there any other webpages that you use and are worth mentioning ? Please, share them in a comment. I will be pleased to include them in my post. 

Animals can also speak English (and many other languages) !

I've been busy the past few weeks and I couldn't write this post before. As you may know, on October, 4th it was the World Animal Day. I thought that, to celebrate that day, it would be a good idea to list the different animal sounds. As the title suggests, the sounds that animals make are different in each language. Yes, surprising though it may sound, the sound of a dog is perceived differently by Spaniards, Britons, the French or the Italian. In my post about onomatopoeic words, I already mentioned some animal sounds. With this post I intend to list all the sounds that the main animals make in English and Spanish and the action of their noises. As you'll see, there are startling differences in both languages. Let's get started with the list:

ANIMAL	ACTION OF ITS SOUND	ONOMATOPOEIC WORD IN SPANISH	ONOMATOPOEIC WORD IN ENGLISH
Dog	Bark	Guau guau	Woof
Cat	Mew/meow	Miau	Meow
Frog	Croak	Croak croak	Ribbit ribbit
Bird	Tweet/ chirp/cheep	Pío pío	Tweet / peep
Rooster/cock	Crow	Kikirikí	Cock-a-doodle-do
Pig	Grunt	Oink oink	Oink oink
Sheep	Bleat	Beee	Baa
Donkey/burro	Bray	Hiii-hooo, hiii-hoooo	Hee-haw
Horse	Neigh	Hiiii hiiiii	Neigh
Cow	Low/moo	muuuu	Moo
Chicken	Cluck	cococococo	Cluck cluck
Wolf	Howl	Auuuuuuu	Awooooo
Duck	Quack	Cua cua	Quack quack
Lion	Roar	Arrrrr	Roar
Snake	Hiss	Ssss	Hiss sss
Bee	Buzz	Bzzz	Buzz
Owl	Hoot	Buuuuh buuuuh	To whit to whoo / hoot

Did you enjoy these sounds ? Now, let's practise with a song

Try to match the onomatopoeic animal sounds below with the appropriate animal. Then, listen to the song and check your answers:

Baa     Bla bla bla     Buzz               Cluck              Hee haw         Hiss         Grrr       Meow    Moo         Neigh              Oink            Pawoooo        Quack   Raaaar           Ribbit       Squeak           Thump           To whit to whoooo       Tweet         Woof

	Rabbit: Dog:               Mouse: Sheep: People: Cow: Owl: Cat Duck: Pig Bird: Horse: Snake: Chicken: Frog: Bees: Donkey: Elephant: Lion: Bear:

How was the song ?  A bit childish, maybe, but at least, you can learn a great deal about animal sounds. Before saying goodbye, I would like to share with you an interactive webpage that my girlfriend showed me once. Like her, this webpage is great and allows you to keep learning  - and contrast - animal sounds in different languages. 

I hope you have enjoyed my post. Now every time you hear your pet, pay close attention because maybe it is speaking English ! he he.                        

Songs in the classroom: Somebody I Used to Know

We can't deny that all of us listen to songs in English by American, English and other English-speaking singers. We end up learning their lyrics by heart, humming them, and even singing them in the shower. Songs have proved to be quite a motivating method to teach - and learn - English. This is why, from now on I will be posting some songs to this blog. You will be able to listen to the song and do some exercises designed by me. Then you will be able to check the answers by clicking the link down below. Ready ? Well, the first song in my list is Gotye's Somebody I Used to Know. This song is ideal to practise simple past tenses (both regular and irregular), as well as the structure 'used to + infinitive'. Besides, it tackles the topic of love relationships and their difficulties. Well, are you ready ? Let's have a go at this song. Here you have  the Youtube video to listen to it carefully to do my exercises:

1. Listen to the video above and fill in the gaps of the song by using the simple past of the verbs in the box

be (x4)     can          feel           not have(x2)   happen    say (x2)    tell

"Somebody That I Used To Know"
(feat. Kimbra)

[Gotye:]
Now and then I think of when we _______ (1) together
Like when you _____ (2) you felt so happy you could die
______ (3) myself that you were right for me
But _____ (4) so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember.

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we felt  that we _____(5)  not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I _____ (6)  glad that it was over

You ________ (7) to cut me off
Make out like it never _________ (8)  and that we _____ (9) nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you ________ (10) to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it ____(11) always something that I’d done
But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You ______ (12) that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

Chorus

Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)

(I used to know)
(That I used to know)
(I used to know)
Somebody 

2) Explain the meaning of the words and expressions in bold:

a)      Now and then

b)      That feels so rough

c)       We could not make sense

d)      You screwed me over

e)      Hung up on somebody

     3) Transform the following expressions of the song using ‘used to’

    a)      I think of when we were together:

    4)  Can you explain the structure: have +someone+ infinitive in the sentence: have      your friends collect your records…? What does it mean? Can you say it in another    way?

5)  What is the meaning of ‘though’ in I guess that I don’t need that though. Can you replace ‘though’ for a different marker?

  6) Look at the lyrics of the song and write down all the vocabulary and expressions    related to relationships 

7) Replace 'that' by another relative beginning with wh- in the phrase: 'somebody that I used to know'. Can you omit the relative ? Why ?

     

      Answers:

 
1) Check the lyrics of the song in this link:
2) a) From time to time / sometimes
b) it is hard, it is difficult to accept
c) we couldn't make the relationship work; we couldn't be together
d) you did something really annoying to me (it can also mean 'to cheat' hinting at an infidelity)
e) feel in love with somebody; be hooked on somebody

3) I think of when we used to be together

4) It is an imperative. It is when you force somebody to do something. A possible rephrasing of the sentence would be 'you made your friends collect your records ...'

5) 'Though' is similar to however. 'However, I guess I don't need that...'

6) 'together', 'right for me', 'love,' 'we couldn't make sense', ' we could still be friends', 'it was over', 'cut me off' , 'be hung up on somebody'

7) That can be replaced by 'who' (or 'whom'). The relative can be omitted because it works as an object and it is followed by the subject 'I', so the phrase 'somebody I used to know' is perfectly acceptable in English

  Well, did you enjoy the song and the exercises ? Maybe you should listen to it again until, eventually, you'll end up humming it over and over again.