Thanksgiving material for you to learn English

The busiest day in the United States is probably finished. Why ? Well, Thanksgiving is really important in the US and it is the time of the year when Americans decide to go back to their families. Last year I wrote a really interesting post about Thanksgiving. This year, however, I'm going to summarize Thanksgiving traditions with videos and vocabulary, so, if you want to learn about this important festivity, keep reading and enjoy yourselves ! 

1) Thanksgiving glossary

King James  I : An unpopular Catholic King who was a Catholic and was against the Protestants. He made the Puritans leave England. 

Puritans : Group of people who believed in God, but they were against Catholics and against King James I. They became pilgrims and they got aboard a ship : the Mayflower and arrived in the city of Plymouth where they decided to establish the colony of New England. They became friends with the Indians there and prepared food for them because they had taught them to survive. 

Mayflower : Name of the ship where the Puritans got on when they decided to leave England and go to New York. A lot of people died in the ship because of the illnesses.

Plymouth : The city in Massachusetts where the  Puritans arrived.  

New England : The name of the colony that the Puritans established in Plymouth.

Indians / native Americans : The original inhabitants of America (and Plymouth). They taught Puritans to survive. 

Squanto : The leader of the Indians. 

2) Thanksgiving food

  

              Roast turkey                                  Stuffing

   

  Turducken (turkey + duck+                Pumpkin pie

                          chicken)               

 

   

   Green bean casserole                        Sweet potato

   

     Corn pudding                                 Cranberry sauce

     Turkey cookies 

Black Friday : It is the day after Thanksgiving when stores and shops offer such incredible knock-downs that some people are willing to sleep on the street the previous day or fight to get the most discounted television

3) Thanksgiving videos

Here you have some videos that will help you understand Thanksgiving traditions

Here you can see Obama pardoning the life of his last turkey as president. 

To conclude this lengthy post, I would like to share with you a hilarious video in which children say why they are thankful for. You can't miss it. Well, Thanksgiving is over, so the Christmas season is officially open. 
See you soon:

What colour are you associated with? : colour idioms II

Hello there,

Some time ago, in September, I wrote a post about some colour idioms, and I promised I would soon reprise it with brand new idioms. I also include a funny exercise. Well, now that I'm seeing colours with my students of Básico 1, it's the perfect opportunity, so let's get started :

From : http://www.madrid.org/wleg/servlet/Servidor?opcion=VerHtml&nmnorma=8134&cdestado=P

Brown is associated with security and stability because it's the colour of the earth. It is also associated to material possessions. However, this is not reflected in the idioms. 

1. Brown off : When you brown someone off, you irritate and infuriate them,e.g. 'Madrid's traffic jam browns me off every day.' 

2. Brown-nose : Try to please someone in a way that other people may find odd or disagreeable. 'He always brown-noses new managers. That's in his nature.'

From : http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/yellow-clipart

Yellow is the colour of hope, sunshine and happiness, but, as you can see, it has some negative idioms, such as number 1. 
1. To be yellow : To be a coward. 'If you don't want to come with us to the haunted house is because you're yellow.'

2. a golden opportunity : A very good opportunity. A scholarship to the United States is a golden opportunity.

From : http://www.clker.com/clipart-splash-17.html

Pink represents compassion, empathy and love, what is is conveyed by the second idiom. 

1. See pink elephants : To be so drunk, to the point of having hallucinations. 'When I started to see pink elephants, I knew that I was really drunk.'

2. Tickled pink : Very much pleased. 'I was tickled pink when I received the invitation to her wedding party.'

From : http://worldartsme.com/color-grey-clipart.html#gal_post_12296_color-grey-clipart-1.jpg

Grey represents the in-betweeners, something formal or sophisticated. 
1. A grey area / a gray area : A situation where there are no clear rules,e.g.  'I don't know if that activity is illegal. I think there is a great area.' 

From : http://www.clipartkid.com/color-white-cliparts/

White is often associated to purity and transparency and this is somehow reflected in the idioms.

1. It's not black or white : We can't classify all problems in a category. There are grey areas, for example, 'not all immigrants are criminals and not all citizens are innocent people. Everything isn't just black or white. There are grey areas.'

2. Show the white flag : Give up, surrender, for instance, 'the team decided to show the white flag when they lost their best player.'

3. A white lie : A very small lie, a fib. 'He didn't want to spare his feelings so he told her a white lie and said he had enjoyed her presentation.'

4. To be as white as a sheet : To be very pale. 'Oh man, what's the matter ? You're as white as a sheet ! Go home and rest. 

Well, I hope you have a colourful weekend and that you have learnt a lot about colour idioms. See you next week with an important event for the US, Thanksgiving. Have a nice weekend. 

Remembrance Day and Veterans Day

I think you agree that language and culture can't be separated. Learning some culture helps to improve your level of language and understand other cultures much better. That is why I thought it would be a good idea to tell you about Remembrance Day, celebrated in England on November, 11th. This day is celebrated in the Commonwealth countries, that is, the countries that are dependent on the United Kingdom, for example, Australia, Canada and South Africa. Why is that day celebrated ?

1. To commemorate and remember those who lost their lives during World War II, serving the UK.

2. To celebrate the end of World War II at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The motto of this festivity is : Lest we forget (para que no lo olvidemos)

How do the people remember ? The most common thing is to carry poppies to the dead ones as you can see in the picture down below.

The remembrance poppy has become a symbol of peace and a way to remember those who have passed away. 

If you want to know more, I include this video to commemorate the lives of soldiers that gave their lives. Remember : lest not forget.

In America, however, they celebrate the Veterans Day and it is a public holiday.

Much like in the UK, in the US people remember the hard work and struggle of Veterans, that is, the people that have fought so hard for their homeland (the US). This day, parades and other events are organized, including a visit to the tomb of the unknowns. This streak of patriotism will never be taken lightly in the US. They believe in the system; they respect their soldiers and they like to thank them for their effort on this very special day. The president himself or one of his representatives lay a wreath of flowers to honour all the Veterans (living or dead).

Well, if you would like to practise your listening a little bit more, you can watch this video and answer the questions. Have a nice, long weekend.

P.S. There are some mistakes in the answers of the exercise, the correct answers being

1a, 2a, 3c, 4a, 5c, 6a

Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes' Night / The Gunpowder Plot

Howdy !

Today is 5th November. That day in England, there is a bonfire where the effigies of Guy Fawkes are burnt and there are fireworks ! It's a very special evening called Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night or Guy Fawkes Night. But what is the origin of this festivity ? 

Well, it all goes back to November, 5th 1605, that is 410 years ago. A man, Guy Fawkes, and other people wanted to assassinate the king James I to defend Catholicism. They planned to kill the king by blowing up (or exploding) the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder, so they dug  a tunnel into the Houses of Parliament. However, the King received an anonymous letter telling him all the plan, so he had Guy Fawkes and the other men arrested, they sentenced them to death and they were executed. The king declared this as a festivity so that everyone remembered to be good to the king and from that day on, there are fireworks and a bonfire night. There is also a famous song to commemorate this day. Here you have it.

The Fifth of November

    Remember, remember! 

    The fifth of November, 

    The Gunpowder treason and plot; 

    I know of no reason 

    Why the Gunpowder treason 

    Should ever be forgot! 

    Guy Fawkes and his companions 

    Did the scheme contrive, 

    To blow the King and Parliament 

    All up alive. 

    Threescore barrels, laid below, 

    To prove old England's overthrow. 

    But, by God's providence, him they catch, 

    With a dark lantern, lighting a match! 

    A stick and a stake 

    For King James's sake! 

    If you won't give me one, 

    I'll take two, 

    The better for me, 

    And the worse for you. 

    A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, 

    A penn'orth of cheese to choke him, 

    A pint of beer to wash it down, 

    And a jolly good fire to burn him. 

    Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! 

    Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! 

    Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Anyway, here you have two videos explaining Bonfire Night with questions:

Video 1 



Questions :

1) When is Bonfire Night ?
a) 5th November
b) 25th December
c) 31st December

2) How do people celebrate Bonfire Night ?
a) With bonfires
b) With fireworks
c) With bonfires and fireworks

3) How many people went to the Bonfire Night in the video ?
a) Over 2,000
b) Over 20,000
c) Over 200,000

4) What time did the procession start ?
a) 16.00
b) 18.00
c) 19.45

5) What did Guy Fawkes try to do 400 years ago ?
a) Blow up the Houses of Parliament
b) Became a politician
c) Rob the Houses of Parliament

6) What do people put on the bonfire ?
a) Rubbish
b) Potatoes
c) Rag dolls named 'Guys'

7) What does Leon do ?
a) He researches the History of Bonfire Night
b) He organises Bonfire Night processions
c) He organises firework displays

8) What did the people think about Bonfire Night ?
a) They didn't like it
b) Some of them liked it
c) All of them liked it

Video 2

Vocabulary of the second video

Fireworks = Fuegos artificiales

Gunpowder = Pólvora

Plot = Conspiración

He caught the eye of a man = Un hombre llamó su atención

Cellar = Bodega

Plotters = Conspiradores

Gruesome = Espantoso, horripilante

Crows = Cuervos

Effigy = Efigie, (el modelo de una persona)

True or false ?

1. King James I lived in 1800s.

2. Guy Fawkes was born in York, America

3. He was a soldier fighting the Dutch reformers.

4. Thomas, Robert and Guy Fawkes loved the king.

5. They wanted a catholic king.

6. There were 36 barrels of gunpowder.

7. The king found out about the plot because he discovered the gunpowder.

8. Guy Fawkes escaped.

9. The first time this day was celebrated was in 1706.
10. Every year an effigy of Guy Fawkes is burned in a bonfire.

Answers :
Video 1
1a, 2c, 3b, 4b, 5a, 6c, 7, 8c

Video 2
1. False (He lived in the 1600s, that is, the seventeenth century)
2. False. He was born in York, England.
3. True
4. False. They hated the king. They wanted a Catholic king.
5. True.
6. True.
7. False. Someone wrote a letter to him.
8. False. He died escaping.
9. False. It started to be celebrated in 1606.
10. True.