YOU CAN LEARN

Holy Week in Malaga, is an ancient tradition that dates back to the age of the Catholic Monarchs. The city of Malaga is the capital city of the Costa del Sol and is located in Andalusia, the south of Spain, a land that perfectly combines modernity and tradition in the middle of the 21st Century. The most famous of these traditions is, undoubtedly, its well-known Holy Week of Malaga.The taste for Baroque art by the religious brotherhoods and associations and the great amount of processional materials that they have been accumulating for centuries result in a street stage of exuberant art, full of colour and majesty.

Every year, during the Passion Week in Malaga takes out to the streets a real festival perceptible by the five senses: processional thrones carrying images that are swung all along the entire route, thousands of penitents lighting and giving colour with their candles and robes, processional marches, as well as aromas of incense and flowers filling the air as the processions pass by and thousands of people crowded to see and applaud their favourite tronos (floats, thrones).

ST. PATRICK 2013

THE FUTURE TENSE

Theory: 1, 2, 3

Use of will future
Positive sentences in will future
Negative sentences in will future
Questions in will future
Mixed exercise in will future

Test:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3

Exercises: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

What will your future be? Ask a Fortune Teller

GAME: DISASTER WILL STRIKE

POPE BENEDICT XVI - FINAL GENERAL AUDIENCE

Pope Benedict XVI, who will be called "pope emeritus" when he steps down as the head of the Catholic Church, held his final general audience in front of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square, the eve of his resignation

The emotional, historic farewell delivered Wednesday 27th February before an admiring crowd may have been the last public appearance by the pontiff. Earlier in the day, the Pope arrived for his sendoff in the open-sided “popemobile,” passing through tens of thousands that had crowded into a Roman piazza. He stopped several times to bless and kiss babies and children. Pope Benedict XVI assured a huge, cheering crowd at the Vatican Wednesday that he was not abandoning the Catholic Church, saying he would remain at its service through prayer.

OSCARS 2013

Click on the picture to learn and practise English words and phrases about films and film award ceremonies.

OSCAR 2013 - ADELE WINS BEST ORIGINAL SONG

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: SKYFALL

A clearly emotional Adele thanked songwriting partner Paul

Epworth for "believing in me all the time.” She also gave a shoutout to husband Simon Konecki between sobs, saying “my man, I love you baby.”

Adele, the first female singer in history to top the Billboard

artist, album and singles list in the same year, already took

home a Golden Globe for the title track from the James Bond

film earlier this year.

Adele had performed the song on stage earlier in the evening - part of an Oscar telecast heavily

honoring music in movies.

OSCAR 2013 - "ARGO" WINS FOR BEST PICTURE

ARGO

Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers

FILM SYNOPSIS

When six Americans take refuge in the Canadian embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis, U.S. government agent Tony Mendez turns to Hollywood for help. Working with a producer and a makeup artist, he devises a rescue mission that centers on the creation of a fake film production company scouting locations in Iran.

PAST IRREGULAR VERBS - GAME

Play this game. Use the letter tiles to spell out your answer as quickly as possible. Good luck!

JANE AUSTEN - 200th ANNIVERSARY " PRIDE AND PREJUDICE"

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"

Two hundred years since the publication of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s most famous novel, readers continue to be entertained and illuminated by her work.

Austen’s novels brilliantly combine drama with humour as they explore the enduring truths about the ways in which we look for happiness and a sense of belonging. The novels dramatise issues of class and the expectations and conventions of the time during which the books were written.

Jane Austen’s novels provide us with rich examples of the uses of language to describe behaviour and the ways in which we all think and feel. Even though her novels are now two hundred years old, they remain relevant and resonant in our lives today in many ways.

GROUNDHOG'S DAY

When: February 2nd each year

Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. each year on February 2nd. On this day in mid-winter, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap, and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. This tradition is big on an otherwise cold and dreary mid-winter's day. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow (a sunny morning), there will be six more weeks of winter. He then returns to his den and goes back to sleep. If however, he does not see his shadow (cloudy days), he plays around outside of his hole for a while. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner. The Groundhog's Day tradition travelled long ways. It comes from German roots. German immigrants brought the tradition with them from Germany. As they settled in hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition of using the Groundhog to predict the the arrival of Spring. The tradition is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring. A famous Candlemas poems goes: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the site of the annual Ground Hog event. Our little rodent friend (yes, Groundhogs are classified as rodents) is called Punxsutawney Phil. There are a few other "predictors" around the country, but they all pale in comparison to Phil's ability to predict the remainder of winter.

GAME

SCHOOL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE AND PEACE 30th JANUARY

The goal of this day is to point out the importance of education in and for tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non violence and peace. And the importance of schools as instruments of peace and understanding between people of different formation, race, culture and religion. Likewise, January 30 is the anniversary of the death of the spiritual and national Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, murdered by a Buddhist fanatic.

Peace Heroes

HEAL THE WORLD by MICHAEL JACKSON

"Heal the World" is a song featured on Michael Jackson's hit album, Dangerous, released in 1991. The music video features children living in countries suffering from unrest.

In a 2001 Internet chat with fans, Jackson said "Heal the World" is the song he is most proud to have created. He also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach said children about how to help others. (From the Wikipedia)

HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST

IRREGULAR VERBS - GAME

RECORD BREAKING SKYDIVE

The daredevil Felix Baumgartner's latest stunt has made news headlines around the world. What record did he break? Watch and find out!

ACTIVITIES

PAST SIMPLE REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS

Pronunciation Practice

Listen to the pronunciation

Interactive Book

Regular Verbs: 1, 2, 3, 4

Irregular Verbs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Both: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Listen and fill in the blanks

Signal words in the simple past

There was/were: 1, 2, 3

Crossword

Games: 1, 2, 3

Grammar Snack

XMAS CALENDAR COUNTDOWN

PRINCESS KATE MIDDLETON IS PREGNANT

Kate Middleton and Prince William have announced that they are expecting their first child.

Clarence House announced the news just moments ago, revealing that both the Middletons and the royal family are "delighted with the news".

The official statement read: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.

"The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."