THE POWER OF INSPIRING WOMEN

THE POWER OF INSPIRING WOMEN

Why don't you tell us about any inspiring woman/women you have met?
It may be your mother/sister/cousin/best friend/celebrity...
Write some lines about her and what inspires you about who that woman is.

Here you have some we have come across in Mercy Mathews' blog.

"When I'm not mothering my 3 sons (including a set of twins!) or fixing meals, I love reading up on other blogs. My other interests include writing poetry, pot painting, chess, cricket and my latest passion - foosball!"
Website: http://allwomenstalk.com

The 7 Most Inspiring Women Celebrities …

There are so many women in the public eye but only a few of them can be called truly inspiring women celebrities. Apart from the fact that they all have tremendous wealth and have enjoyed widespread success and popularity, they have all overcome the odds to get to where they are today. That is what makes these individuals the most inspiring women celebrities of our time.

1. Oprah Winfrey



Photo Credit: obamamtoto.blogspot.com

Oprah was born in rural Mississippi in a small low-income family where she had a troubled childhood of rape, abuse, child pregnancy and tragedy. Through sheer grit and determination she overcame all odds, fighting her way through school and college to end up with a career in communication. Her talk show, the Oprah Winfrey show is possibly the most popular in the world and it is all due to her honest personality, straightforward style and general likability.

2. J.K. Rowling




Photo Credit: pressgazette.co.uk

J K Rowling, the single mother author of the Harry Potter series of books, was rejected 12 times by different publishers before a small British publishing house finally accepted it. The book went on to become an international phenomenal with millions of followers of all age groups. With just the power of her pen, J K Rowling went from near poverty to becoming a billionaire many times over, a definite contender for one of the most inspiring women celebrities if ever there was one.

3. Angeline Jolie
4. Maria Shriver
(...)

Do visit http://allwomenstalk.com/the-7-most-inspiring-women-celebrities/
and find out about the rest of the list.

You can write about the list too.

MORE ON GOOD TOOLS

Pronunciar Inglés
Consejos, videos y ejercicios para mejorar la pronunciación
Blog Ejercicios Fonemas Videos Recíbelo por Email

http://pronunciaringles.com/2011/04/19/descifrando-la-vocal-mas-comun-del-ingles-schwa/

Icíar is a Spaniard living in London. Like you, she is trying to learn and understand English :
Soy una chica española que vive en Londres. Pese a que mi marido es británico y hablamos inglés en casa, no conseguía mejorar mi acento. Mi marido me decía que no me preocupara ya que todo el mundo tiene acento en Londres. Pero eso no me servía de consuelo.
(...) Así que en este blog estoy comparando el idioma inglés y el español para intentar identificar porqué solemos cometer ciertos errores y así poder evitarlos de una forma consciente.

This is her last entry in her blog "Pronunciar Inglés":

Descifrando la vocal más común del inglés (Schwa)
April 19th, 2011 · 2 comentarios... ¿y tú qué opinas?
Una diferencia entre el inglés y el español es que en el idioma español las sílabas acentuadas tienen la misma duración que las inacentuadas, pero esto no ocurre en el idioma inglés. En inglés, muchas vocales inacentuadas se reducen utilizando un fonema débil, corto y centralizado. Este fonema suele ser la /ə/ también denominado Schwa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yj-uAltQJk&feature=player_embedded

Nationalities word formation

Here you are a very interesting website related to one of the grammar points studied in unit 5. It is very interesting, because, apart from giving you a very detailled explanation of this topic, you'll see a rather descriptive map on these kind of suffixes.

Ater that, why not getting subscribe to that blog?

GOOD TOOLS ...2

http://www.hablamejoringles.com/



















This is Zac Tobias and this is his blog: http://www.hablamejoringles.com/
He is a teacher in Madrid and, obviously, he teaches English there.

This is his BIO:
Me llamo Zac Tobias y soy un profesor y traductor norteamericano con más de 6 años de experiencia trabajando en Madrid. Esta página web es fruto de mis experiencias viviendo en España, enseñando inglés a hispanohablantes y reflexionando sobre las diferencias entre los dos idiomas y los problemas que suelen surgir.

You can read more about him if you visit his blog and make the most of his posts and the visitors' questions.

You can listen to some interesting points on pronunciation and even watch some videos and check how some Spanish celebrities speak English: Nadal, Barden, Pe and others. If they did it you can do it too!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ubO1SgJRs&feature=player_embedded



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53a2aJnqYlg&feature=player_embedded#at=26

GOOD TOOLS

If you are looking for good blogs to practice your English, improve your pronunciation or just read some real English, this will be very helpful:





http://elblogdelingles.blogspot.com/

Monica is a bilingual teacher (her mum is English) and she keeps this blog to help students, as simple as that.
The blog includes :
Inicio Curso Gratuito Índice All Lessons ¿Quieres Colaborar? Artículos Ebpai-Clases de Inglés Contacta FAQ
Posts Destacados: Business English Pronunciación Trucos para aprender inglés Escribir en Inglés Do and Does El participio pasado Wh-questions Recursos 1 Recursos 2

Please, visit Monica's blog watch her videos


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3oK1mgG2xM&feature=BF&list=ULc8yQAyi5HTE&index=23





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHN29k1_GI


and write your coments.
What do you think of the blog, is it useful for your studying?
Why/why not?
Do you keep a blog? In English?

Survey

Please, take some minutes to fill out the following survey about the use you have been making of this blog:



Thank you very much,

INDIA TO LAUNCH COW URINE AS SOFT DRINK?

http://www.jla.co.uk/dynamicUploads/sunday-times-logo.jpg

From Times Online February 11, 2009

India to launch cow urine as soft drink
Jeremy Page, Delhi
source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article5707554.ece

Does your Pepsi lack pep? Is your Coke not the real thing? India's Hindu nationalist movement apparently has the answer: a new soft drink made from cow urine.
The bovine brew is in the final stages of development by the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's biggest and oldest Hindu nationalist group, according to the man who makes it.
Om Prakash, the head of the department, said the drink – called "gau jal", or "cow water" – in Sanskrit was undergoing laboratory tests and would be launched "very soon, maybe by the end of this year".
"Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too," he told The Times from his headquarters in Hardwar, one of four holy cities on the River Ganges. "Its USP will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins."
The drink is the latest attempt by the RSS – which was founded in 1925 and now claims eight million members – to cleanse India of foreign influence and promote its ideology of Hindutva, or Hindu-ness.
Hindus revere cows and slaughtering them is illegal in most of India. Cow dung is traditionally used as a fuel and disinfectant in villages, while cow urine and dung are often consumed in rituals to "purify" those on the bottom rungs of the Hindu caste system.
In 2001, the RSS and its offshoots – which include the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party – began promoting cow urine as a cure for ailments ranging from liver disease to obesity and even cancer.
The movement has often been accused of using more violent methods, such as killing 67 Christians in the eastern state of Orissa last year, and assaulting women in a pub in Mangalore last month. It also has a history of targeting foreign business in India, as in 1994, when it organised a nationwide boycott of multinational consumer goods, including Pepsi and Coca Cola.
The cola brands are popular in India, now one of their biggest markets, but have struggled in recent years to shake off allegations, which they deny, that they contain dangerous levels of pesticide.
Mr Prakash said his drink, by contrast, was made mainly of cow urine, mixed with a few medicinal and ayurvedic herbs. He said it would be "cheap", but declined to give further details about its price or ingredients until it was officially launched.
He insisted, however, that it would be able to compete with the American cola brands, even with their enormous advertising budgets. "We're going to give them good competition as our drink is good for mankind," he said. "We may also think of exporting it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-ht0DJZBpU




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G_7Yb5dilE&feature=related

AND it may help bees....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iowt6WPekA&feature=related

Dr. RANDY PAUSCH and how to live life.

A dear friend has sent me this video that I'd love to share with you today.
I won't write anything about this entry. Dr. Randy Pausch words' are more important. Listen to this amazing man.

"Inspirational Speech by Dr. Randy Pausch On the Oprah Winfrey Show: The Last Lecture. Dr. Pausch Passed Away on July 25th, 2008.

This is a video that everyone should see. For those of you who aren't familiar with who Dr. Randy Pausch is, the short story goes like this:He is a happily married man with three very young children. He spent years working for Disney as an Imagineer who helped them develop some of their theme park attractions. He then went on to teach at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania.
Abruptly, his life took a turn for the worse when he got cancer and fought it off after years of treatment. The cancer has since returned and has near-totally corupted several vital organs leaving him with mere months to live.
This video is his shortened speech on how not even death can bring this man down and how the dreams he sought to come true can inspire us all.
This video has changed my life and I will NEVER forget it. Will it do the same for you? Please pass this video from the Oprah Winfrey Show on to anyone you feel takes life for granted or just pass it to someone who loves to live.
The full video can be found here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...
Additional Info on Dr. Pausch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pa...
Dr. Pausch's final fight to get the message out about his disease:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iP7xr6ig-shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ7zeZ...

http://www.firstgiving.com/randypausch PLEASE donate to the Randy Pausch pancreatic cancer research fund.

Please watch this and find some true happiness in your life."


Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ya9BXClRw TheArchfiend

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR VOCABULARY

http://ctlgbtlaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/dictionary.jpg

Whether you are looking to improve your grades, seem smarter at work, or simply wanting to impress your friends, these tips will help you achieve your goal of an increased vocabulary.

You Will Need Reading material
Dictionary
Notebook
Note cards
Word-a-day calendars
Internet access
Crossword puzzles
Address book (optional)

Step 1: Read as much as you can
Read as much as you can to encounter words that you don’t already know.

Step 2: Look up the definitions unfamiliar words
Use a dictionary to look up the definitions of the unfamiliar words that you come across in your reading.

Remember a word can have different meanings. Note all of the definitions for your word.

Step 3: Keep a list of your new vocabulary words
Use a notebook to keep a list of your vocabulary words. Write the definition as well as a sentence using the word to help you remember the context.

Use an address book to keep an alphabetical list of your words.

Step 4: Make vocabulary flash cards
Create flashcards to reinforce your new words. Write the word on one side of a note card and the definition on the other. Quiz yourself by looking at the word and remembering the definition.

Step 5: Use word-a-day calendars and web sites
Make efforts to learn a new word every day. Use a word-a-day calendar and web sites to introduce you to new words.

Learn common prefixes and suffixes. These parts that come together to create words can help you figure out what a word means.

Step 6: Play word games
Play word games. Use computer games or crossword puzzles to grow your vocabulary and help reinforce the words you are learning.

Step 7: Use your new words in daily conversation
Use your new words in your daily conversations. Continue using and reviewing your words to reinforce what you’ve learned.

In 1857, British scholars decided to build a dictionary to contain all words in the English language. They created the Oxford English Dictionary, which still serves as the language’s definitive dictionary.

http://www.howcast.com/videos/349857-How-To-Increase-Your-Vocabulary

How To Increase Your Vocabulary on Howcast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-556oxBdnh4&NR=1

Could you imagine the famous Happy Meal without toys?

Read this article and use the comments option you share with us what you think about this topic.