Sing along with Wilco!

 It's been already three months since I made my way back to my hometown from Madrid, and until I find a home for a new life, I'm living in my parents' house.

Going back to your old bedroom brings back memories and stories that once were lived and dreamt there. One of them was that of translating the lyrics of the songs that I loved (please don't ask me of which bands) a task that made me enjoy learning English and, actually, I have made a living out of it.

When I'm asked how I achieved such a command of the English language, I always say that I've never studied English, but that I have just loved every single moment I've spent reading, listening and speaking this language.

I'm pretty sure that many of you have loved listening to music since you were very small and that you have never developed such a passion for languages, but maybe, you can find through this new post a new passion that makes you improve your English a little bit.

So, let's start having fun with Wilco today, with this song I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!

These are the instructions for the task:

1. Listen to the song playing it on the video you will find below.

2. Listen to the song again while you read the lyrics.

3. Note down all those words you don't know (you will find a vocabulary section below).

4. Have a look at those words or expressions in red and form a new sentence with them.

5. Send them to me by replying to the post if you would like me to correct them.

6. Have fun and sing along!

SONG 1: WILCO - JESUS, ETC.

Jesus, don't cry

you can rely on me honey

you can combine anything you want

I'll be around

you were right about the stars

each one is a setting sun

tall buildings shake

voices escape singing sad sad songs

tuned to chords strung down your cheeks

bitter melodies turning your orbit around

don't cry

you can rely on me honey

you can come by any time you want

I'll be around

you were right about the stars

each one is a setting sun

tall buildings shake

voices escape singing sad sad songs

tuned to chords strung down your cheeks

bitter melodies turning your orbit around

voices whine

skyscrapers are scraping together

your voice is smoking

last cigarettes are all you can get

turning your orbit around

our love

our love

our love is all we have

our love

our love is all of God's money

everyone is a burning sun

tall buildings shake

voices escape singing sad sad songs

tuned to chords strung down your cheeks

bitter melodies turning your orbit around

voices whine

skyscrapers are scraping together

your voice is smoking

last cigarettes are all you can get

turning your orbit around

last cigarettes are all you can get

turning your orbit around

last cigarettes are all you can get

turning your orbit around

Key Vocabulary:

to rely on = confiar en

to be right about = tener razón

to be around = estar a tu lado

all we have = todo lo que tenemos

Honey = cariño

Setting sun = Sol poniente

Shake = temblar 

Chords = acordes

Cheeks = mejillas

Bitter = amarga

Whine = quejarse

Burning = quemarse

Now it’s your turn, form new sentences with the words in red! And if you need some help, I’ll be around!

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Today, we're going to learn about The Tudors, mainly about the gossipy story of Henry VIII and his six wives. King Henry VIII is a key character for England's history because he broke relationships with the Catholic Church to be able to divorce his first wife. Let's have a quick look at who's who during this Tudor area.

According to the BBC's history channel, he's one of the most famous Kings in England's history. But why?

Born on 1491, he's the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. It was his older brother Arthur who was meant to be king, but after his death shortly after getting married to Catherine of Aragon he was heir to the throne of England. 

But who did Henry VIII marry? Have a look! 

Yes, you're right! She is his dead brother's wife Catherine of Aragon! 

Apparently, Arthur and Catherine's marriage was arranged since they were little and she was meant to be the Queen of England. She couldn't be Queen with Arthur, but she became Queen with Henry VIII. 

Mary I was born from this first marriage, but they had lots of problems to have children, and Catherine went through several miscarriages. Henry VIII was convinced that all these disgraces happened because he shouldn't have married his brother's widow. 

How do you think the story ended? In divorce!

It was because of her that he broke with the Catholic Church after the Pope's continuous refusals to annul their marriage.  But, what did he do then to get divorce from Catherine of Aragon?  He demanded the clergy to recognise him as the sole protector and supreme head of the Church of England. This way, his religious authority was above the Pope's and he managed to introduce several acts among which was the one of divorce, introducing this reform to the Church of England. 

And this is the moment when Queen Catherine of Aragon became Henry VIII's fist ex-wife. She died shortly after. 

In the next post we will continue discovering more information about his wives in this TV-soap look-alike story.

See you soon and I hope you have enjoyed today's post.

New Year's Traditions and Resolutions

This is the last School day of the year and we are going to watch a video about how New Year's eve is celebrated in the USA. At the end of the video there is a description of what a New Year's resolution is. 

I would like you to write around 250 words describing how Christmas are celebrated in your family and to think about your new year's resolutions for the year to come. You will have to handle it to me on the first day of class after Christmas holidays. 

I have been thinking about my new year's resolution for 2014 and here are mines:

1. Go to the gym at least 3 days a week.
2. Read more than a book every month.
3. Do more fun activities in the English class!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Last week, I requested you to have a guess about what happened to the man on the Voicethread task. Now, I'm going to introduce you to the book that you will have to read during Christmas holidays: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

At the end of the page, you will find a link to the writing task that you will have to send me by Friday.

Here's an adapted introductory text:

Chapter 1 – Marley’s Ghost

Marley was dead, to begin with – there’s no doubt about that. He was as dead as a doornail.

Marley and Scrooge were business partners once. But then Marley died and now their firm belonged to Scrooge, who was a stingy and heartless old man. Once upon a time, on Christmas Eve, old Scrooge sat busy in his office. It was very cold outside and in Scrooge’s office it was not much warmer either. Suddenly, a cheerful person entered the office. It was Scrooge’s nephew.

“A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” Fred said.

“Bah!” said Scrooge, “Humbug!”

“Christmas a humbug, uncle!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “You don’t mean that, I am sure?”

“I do,” said Scrooge. “What’s Christmas time to you? You have to pay bills without money! You’re a year older but not an hour richer! Keep Christmas in your way, and let me keep it in mine.”

“Keep it? But you don’t keep it,” said Scrooge’s nephew, who was a very friendly young man. He even tried to cheer Scrooge up and invited him for dinner on Christmas Day. But Scrooge said no and sent him out.

When Scrooge’s nephew left, two gentlemen came in to collect money for the poor who had no place they could go. Stingy Scrooge, however, didn’t give the gentlemen any money.

“Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” he asked sarcastically and told them to leave the office.

When it was time to close the office, Scrooge talked to his clerk, Bob Cratchit.

“You want all day off tomorrow, don’t you?” said Scrooge.

“If that is okay, Sir,” answered the clerk.

“It’s not okay,” said Scrooge, “and it is not fair. After all, I have to pay you for the day although you don’t work. But if it must be, I want you to start work even earlier the following morning.”

Cratchit promised that he would; and the two went home.

Scrooge lived all alone in an old house. The yard was very dark and scary that night and when Scrooge wanted to unlock the door, he had the feeling that he saw Marley’s face there. This was rather spooky, but Scrooge was not frightened easily. “Humbug,” he said, opened the door and walked in. He locked himself in, however, which he usually didn’t do. But then he felt safe again and sat down before the fire.

Suddenly, Scrooge heard a noise, deep down below, as if somebody was dragging a heavy chain. The noise came nearer and nearer, and then Scrooge saw a ghost coming right through the heavy door. It was Marley’s ghost, and his chains were long; they were made of cash-boxes, keys and heavy purses.

“Who are you?” said Scrooge

“In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.”

“But why do you come to me now?”

“I must wander through the world and I wear the chains because I was so stingy in life. I only cared about business but not about the people around me. Now, I am here to warn you. You still have a chance, Ebenezer. Three spirits will come to you. Expect the first tomorrow, when the bell tolls one.”

When he had said these words, Marley’s ghost disappeared; and the night became quiet again. Scrooge went straight to bed, without undressing, and fell asleep immediately.

The text has been taken from the following website: http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/literature/christmas-carol/chapter-1

Here are the links two dictionaires to solve all your vocabulary doubts: 

Longman English Dictionary Online 

Cambridge English Dictionary EN-ES

Link to the task