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.

ABOUT WRITING. You can learn anywhere.

EBAY, as you all know is basically a website to buy and sell items so it is essential to write a very good description of what you want to sell or need to buy. They include some hints about this which you may find interesting to read and then use in your essays, compositions, etc as thay are practical and easy to use.
This is their advice:

Writing a good title and description

Writing an effective title
What to avoid in your title
Writing an informative description
What to avoid in your description
Examples of titles and descriptions

Your listing's title and description are your advertisement; an opportunity to inform and excite buyers. A good title and description provides a clear picture of your item, which increases your chances that buyers will find and bid on or buy your item.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/title_desc_ov.html

If you also want some listening practice on "Learn How To Sell On Ebay - Tips For Selling On Ebay" and get your ear working, here you can find some videos to learn some more vocabulary on descriptions:

Video Games - E3 2010

http://g4tv.com/videos/8093/EBay-Tips/




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Mn9C-3pGI&feature=related

MORE ON BBC

Listen to BBc radio stations live. Radio on the Internet about different issues, podcasts, radio blogs, etc.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/











Or try the NEWS, Sport, TV, the weather or the QUIZZES for your exams:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/worldservice/quiznet/quizengine?ContentType=text/html;quiz=157_mobiles


you can also find very useful this link to EXAM SKILLS:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1143_exams/



and all these interesting sections:Preparing Building vocabulary Writing exams
Listening exams Speaking exams Reading exams Advice from IATEFL Insider guides
Useful Links

"It's easy to waste time worrying about exams - even when they're still months away! But there's a great deal you can do to help yourself prepare thoroughly and perform well... We've created resources for every move you need to make - from choosing the right course in the first place and planning your revision, to improving your exam technique. Each unit contains a handy list of tips from teachers, examiners and students. You can also listen to short programmes and download transcripts. There are glossaries to help you understand the audio. You'll also find a unit of tried-and-tested advice from English language experts who took part in the 2006 International Annual IATEFL conference. And to help you choose the right exam for you, we begin a series of Insider guides to different exams. These are written by the institutions which create the exams. Read up on the Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exams and the Trinity College London Examinations. Coming soon ... there'll be a chance to put your questions to an English language revision expert and an English language examiner in a live web chat! And if you e-mail us with your strategies for revising, we'll pass on the best of your advice! You can send all your comments and recommendations to us at: mailto:learningenglish@bbc.co.uk?subject=Exam. "

RON CLARK, THE TEACHER

http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/

Ron Clark, Founder and Mathematics Teacher

Ron Clark has been called "America's Educator."

In 2000, he was named Disney's American Teacher of the Year. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose book, The Essential 55, has sold over 1 million copies and has been published in 25 different countries.

He has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, and Oprah, and Ms. Winfrey even named him as her first "Phenomenal Man."

His classes have been honored at the White House on three separate occasions. Ron's teaching experiences in New York City are the subject of the uplifting film, The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, better known as Chandler from Friends.

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Clark

Ron Clark is an American teacher who has worked with disadvantaged students in rural North Carolina and Harlem, New York City. He is known for his books and multiple teaching awards. . Clark's latest project is the Ron Clark Academy, a private non-profit school in Atlanta, Georgia where students follow a unique curriculum. The school also gives students opportunities for international travel and offers training workshops for teachers to learn more about Clark's teaching methods.Clark made a set of rules called the esential55 that he use to teach his students.





Ron Clark interview Part 1 of 3.wmv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrsfpI5b9c&feature=related

cnn - ron clark academy "teaches you how to be a global citizen and a global leader"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkHMJMApeT8&feature=related



Ron Clark and students return from South Africa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOxHZVx7XHs&translated=1



Ron Clark Kids - You can Vote However You Like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEKNAZbn9p0&translated=1




Obama Inauguration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e1Qyt6V2Pc&feature=related

SPELLING BEE

http://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/chres/Home/tabid/153/ctl/Details/Mid/6693/ItemID/4798/Default.aspx?ContainerSrc=%5BG%5DContainers/XDContainerama/Paper&SkinSrc=%5BL%5DSkins/CHRES1/skin

http://wcloc.org/wordpress/current-season/spelling-bee/

WHAT'S THE "SPELLING BEE"?

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR THESE STUDENTS YOU ARE ABOUT TO KNOW?

Reading one of our students messages in the course forum, I have remebered about this important event for Primary schools in this month so here you have some information about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_bee

A spelling bee is a competition where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States.[1] Today, National Spelling Bee competitions for English are held in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Indonesia, among others. Similar institutions are also found in numerous other countries such as France's "La dictée" and Poland's "Dyktando". They are rare to nonexistent in countries whose national language follows more phonetic spelling rules, as compared to the largely historical spelling of the English and French languages.

First three rounds of Spelling Bee in the books June 3rd 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_epSiDEZcCM

HD 9 wcpo

KSPR Ozarks Spelling Bee Champion Prepares for National Spelling Bee



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2w3W5kbOzw&feature=related
ksprnews , May 20th 2009

TEACHING TODAY

MANY OF YOU WILL END UP BEING A TEACHER.
What kind of teacher do you want to be?
I've recently read that most of the teaching generation today are teaching in XXI c. have learnt how to do it in XX c. using XIX methodology. What do you have to say? Do you agree?
This will be the century of e-learning, all kind of technology in our hands
Let's have a look at what has come to stay...

A Vision of K-12 Students Today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=player_embedded



21st century Pedagogy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72UFXqa8ZU&NR=1




Learning to Change-Changing to Learn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk&feature=related




What Kind Of Teacher Do You Want To Be?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBLempPVKVY&feature=related

SOME READING, SOME PRACTICE, SOME SMILES

Someone sent me this a few weeks ago, after Mother's Day in Spain. Do not worry! No more "mothers" entries after this -funny- one!!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS Answers given by 2nd grade school children:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2.. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.
What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1.. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them..
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter.. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

Our students want to know about sites to keep on improving or practicing their languages.

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH is one of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Here you can find General & Business English, Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation ,Quizzes ,
The Flatmates,Community , Specials, Downloads where you can practice Listenings, pronunciation, podcast, news, even a 6 minute English and if you have children try English kids!

WHAT’S BEHIND THE MOM´S SONG?

WHAT’S BEHIND THE MOM´S SONG?



http://www.anitarenfroe.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/anitarenfroe3


DON'T MISS THIS IF YOU WANT TO MEET HER:
CBS — October 03, 2007 — After years of parenting, comedian Anita Renfroe put her semantics to song and the result is an Internet phenomenon. She sits down with Hannah Storm to talk about her comic brainchild.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHJN2PGm1Yo

Who is Anita Renfroe???
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anita Renfroe (born 1962)[1] is an American Christian comedian from Atlanta, Georgia, the wife of a Baptist pastor and the mother of three children.[2] She became a sensation after her comic rendition of everything that a mother would typically say to her children in the course of a day, set to the William Tell Overture and entitled Momisms, was posted on YouTube.[1] She is a regular commentator on Good Morning America. [3]
According to Christian Book, "Anita Renfroe has the spiritual gift of saying what most women think but are afraid to say out loud." [4]
In April 2009, it was reported that Anita is taping a pilot for a new sitcom to air on ABC called "The Anita Renfroe Presentation."[5] She is set to costar with fellow comedian, Ryan Stiles. The show is about a couple raising two kids.
Anita has been touring with the largest touring Christian women's conference, Women of Faith, since 2006.

Haver you ever heard about Anita Renfroe?

What do you think of her " It’s been a wild decade going from “stay-at-home-mom” to “YouTube comedic Phe-mom-enon"?

The Mom's song

The course is coming to its end. Many of you complain about lack of time, lots of work, many other tasks and activities to be done, family to take care of...
Let me put a smile on your faces, moms and dads as well. And enjoy the weekend, even if studying!




source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkeL9Djgm0Y

As always, your comments and impressions are more than welcome!!

ELLLO: English Listening Lesson Library Online

elllo.org

Do you know ELLLO? ELLLO means English Listening Lesson Library Online :

Learn English naturally.

You can practice English in the funniest way.

Listening Lessons (Views, Mixer, Games ...)Activities include multimedia, free MP3 files, vocab tasks, language notes, print page and more.
Views
Mixer
Games
Videos
Songs
News
Points

There are now over 600 audio clips on ELLLO. Below are just a small sample of what is on the site.
High BeginnerThese activities are good for students who are new to learning English.
High IntermediateThese listening activities are a little more difficult.
Low IntermediateThese listening activities are a little more difficult, but not much.
AdvancedIn these clips, the speakers talk faster and the topics are more difficult.

The mp3 files and text on elllo are Creative Commons. Students and teachers are free to download, copy and distribute these materials for educational purposes. They are not transferable for commercial purposes.

ELLLO! Listening Games:

http://www.elllo.org/months/weeks/games.htm