Never tell me that you can't!

Sorry for stopping writing for a while, but some days there's neither energy nor time left.

Anyway I'm back with something I found in the web. I think it's one of those things I call "wonders from the web".

I think that if I had had this kind of open sources in the past when I was learning English, I would have learnt more, saving both money and time!!

That's what I mean in the title of this post: never tell me that you can't learn English, because nowadays your statement can't be true! 

I tell you what I'm so enthusiastic about: it is a database with a lot of videos in it, graduated for different levels of competence and for each video there is a range of activities you can do to make your vision more profitable!

In order to start watching videos you have to register (you can do it through Facebook or giving an email address and adding a password)

Select your preferences: you can choose from three levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced), different topics, different focuses (vocabulary or pronunciation) and find which videos are more suitable for your learning needs and interests.

For each video you have four different activities and you are marked on your performance (A,B,C or D)

Have a go! See for yourself!

Bye :)

Would you like to talk to someone (in English)?

 I very often hear my students saying: "I can read English, I can understand English but I've got some problems with speaking".

Practising is the best way to improve this ability, but if you are not in an English speaking country, it is not so easy to find someone to talk to, and, in the event you find somebody, you have to cope with your being afraid of making mistakes: it often happen to adults.

Today I would like to suggest a way to speak English with someone at your level of competence and with your same motivation: the web can offer the chance you are looking for! 

It's a network of teachers and students from around the world, and they all want to speak English. You only have to register and follow instructions. You need to have a Skype contact and a headset or other device that enables two-way conversation.

If you don't have a clue about the topics you could speak about, they suggest you some possible speaking tasks.

Click on the logo and start a new adventure. 

Have a good time with your new English speaking friends!

Found another collection of listening activities

Today, while looking for some materials for my lessons at school, I've come across a collection of listening activities:

• PRACTICAL ENGLISH CONVERSATIONS

• DIALOGUES

• MORE CONVERSATIONS

• SHORT VIDEOS (there's also the complete series called "Flatmates" from BBC videos)

You find more suggestions about the topic of listening on a previous post I added a few weeks ago

Keep in touch with English (and remember the password for this blog: 

"Never give up!!")

Make good art!!

... Works produced by human creative skill and imagination...      A unique human gift. 

How can a person express his or her own deep feelings and make up something, that can overtake time and space? Difficult to explain, even in your mother tongue.

How many art expressions do you know?

Literature

Theatre

Photography

Music

Sculpture

Painting

Ballet

Architecture

Cinema

Design

When you live next to someone, who wants to dedicate his or her life to art, it often happens that, at first, you can be very doubtful about the possibility of making a living out of it.

On the other hand, we have to thank all artists, who took the risk and enriched our world with beauty.

Watch this video and get involved by this man's energy... It's contagious! 
Neil Gaiman addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012.
A very inspiring speech for any artist and everyone who hopes to be creative and successful. It's quite a long video and not that easy, but believe me, it's worthy! 

Let's finish with a quote from Pablo Picasso: 

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls".

Worth trying!!

Do you know the LLP, the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Community? 

If you are a European teacher or student you probably answered: yes!

Do you want to undertake a professional development course, maybe a full immersion in the English language? 

Every year there are several deadline dates for sending your applications...

What I would like to suggest today is an In-service training for teachers: you could get a grant for taking part to a training course up to 6 weeks.

Why not taking a chance before the next deadline?

Here you can find all National Agencies

I know that for Italy the next deadline is on 17/09/13 (for training activities taking place from 1/1/2014 to 30/4/2014)

 Modulo Formazione in Servizio Comenius - scadenza 17/09/2013.pdf 

 ALLEGATO A 

  Guida 2013 alla compilazione delle Eforms.pdf   Guida alla compilazione del budget Formazione in Servizio 2013.pdf   

If you are not Italian, don't worry: around that date there should be deadlines for the other countries as well.

I know that some of you have another question: where am I supposed to go and what course am I supposed to attend? 

Sometimes it happens that you get an invitation to a course, but if you are not so lucky you can look for offers in the Comenius Training database:

You can select a language course in English...

... and that's it! you will find a long list of possibilities!

Good luck!!

...

Stereotypes and misunderstanding

Our world seems to become smaller as time passes by, and some places are getting very "international".

Are ideas about people changing at the same speed or are stereotypes still there with all their strength?

In my opinion a good way to go beyond them is to find the funny side of this matter.  :)

Maz Jobrani - Talk at Doha by Marina Priest

Am I ready for a PET certification?

If you are a full time student, you are probably ready for any exam as far as you decide to study for it.

The less time you have for studing (because you are working, you've got a family and you are living the busiest time ever!), the more doubts you have about your level of "English reliability".

I am thinking of my experience: I didn't have the possibility of studing English full time, and when I started learning it, I was already working as a full time teacher. It's not the best condition you could face, but, if I did succeed, I stronlgly believe you can do the same!

In any case, if you are still doubtful, a good idea could be starting with a test about your A2 competence concerning grammar and vocabulary.


You could face two different situations:

• you don't have any problems neither with grammar nor with vocabulary. That's a good starting point for concentrating just on B1 preparation, and stopping you from having doubts;
• you are not satisfied with the results, and you are aware of some gaps in your previous preparation (it's not your fault, but you couldn't find enough time for English), that's not to bad! If you need a refreshment about your A2 English, you can go through the Reach your A2 blog and maybe find some useful materials.

In any case remember: never give up English!! :)