The World's Oldest Pianist and Holocaust Survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer - 109 years old!

Hi guys! Here's an inspirational story for the weekend, I hope you enjoy! It's really motivational :o) 

KET Speaking Test - Part 2

Comparatives and superlatives - Johnny Grammar

English Language Learning Tips - Tenses Part 1

The UK: Lindsay's top 5 British bands/singers

Some of you have asked about British singers and bands. Listening to music is a great way to learn new vocabulary in English and enjoy yourself! So, here you go: my selection of top British musical talent, especially for you!

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1) She has red hair, she is super fashionable, she is inspirational... (no, it's not me...) it's Florence and the Machine! Her voice is incredible. You should watch her music videos on Youtube. Very eccentric!

2) He is half Scottish, half Italian... it's Paolo Nutini from the West of Scotland. This is great music for a quiet evening. Be careful - his Scottish accent is strong!

3) Belle and Sebastian - more Scottish talent. This was my favourite band when I was growing up and remind me of being 17, young and carefree...! :o)

4) A top band of mine from last year - Alt J. I would love to see them live in concert! Really cool music, super catchy!

5) And last but not least we have Bombay Bicycle Club. There are similarities between them and Alt J, that's probably why I like them so much. Another band I want to see in concert! Be sure to listen to the song 'How can you swallow so much sleep' - it's amazing! Maybe they should perform in Catania...?!

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Do you have any other British bands you like listening to???

!! Help Zone !! Using LIKE and AS !

Afternoon to all! 

Here is a !red alert! grammar point which is important for English learners. I have posted here a link to the British Council website on the difference between the use of LIKE and AS. Of course, in Italian you have one word: 'come'. English is a little bit more complicated, but worry not, it's not difficult to learn the difference! Try the quiz on the page too.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/and

It's as easy as 1,2,3...! ;)

Morning all !

Here is my recent blog entry for the Giga School blog. It highlights a few differences between the English of England and of Scotland. (Remember I am Scottish!)



http://gigaschoolblog.blogspot.it/2013/11/8DifferencesBetweenEnglishandScottish.html

British and American films: My favourites for you to check out!

Hello everyone! After talking to my KET class today I have decided to write up a list of my all-time favourite films in English. Maybe you have seen them or maybe I can persuade you to...

Here are my top 5:

1) Almost Famous - a feel good film about rock music journalism in the 70s. Some amazing music, great fashion and first class acting!

2) Submarine - a film set in Wales about young love. Very funny and quirky (unusual). Very British!

3) Me Without You - a film about friendship that starts in the 70s and ends in the 2000s. It's not a very well-known film but I can guarantee you will enjoy it! It's set in England and has a wonderful soundtrack.

4) Hallam Foe - I am particularly proud of this one as it is set in my hometown - Edinburgh! This film is hard to describe - it's very unusual but really worth watching! Something a bit different...

5) My Girl - an American classic from the early 90s. This is the story of two children and their moving friendship. It really captures the essence of childhood. Be warned - you might cry at this one!

Let me know if you have seen any of these or plan to! Happy watching!

Oops! I almost forgot another absolute favourite of mine: Dead Poets Society. This is incredible. It's about a revolutionary teacher (very inspirational for me!) A must-see!

- Almost Famous -

The influence of Shakespeare. . .

Evening all,

I grew to really dislike studying Shakespeare during my school days in Edinburgh. Perhaps hate... I think we studied 5 or 6 plays in senior school, making it one play per year. That's one too many if you ask me. However, the impact of this famous playwright on the English language is quite incredible! This is a fact I am only starting to learn now. I have added a link sent to me by my IELTS student Antonio which gives some good detail about the origins of Shakespearean words and the various plays they come from. 

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html

As the website tells us: 

"...He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together..."

That is the question!

Mini dictionary:-

- I really dislike: I really don't like

- To hate (verb): detestare

- Impact (noun): impatto, effetto

- Playwright (noun): A person who writes plays

- Origins (noun): origini

Museum of ME!

Create and explore a visual archive of your social life with your facebook account!

Click this link to create your own!

http://www.intel.com/museumofme/r/index.htm

My KET class at Giga

Here's a photo of today's KET class, complete with fly swats for a game we played!

The Optimist Creed - Promise Yourself

Hi everyone! Here is a really positive piece of writing to reflect on. One of my students saw it on the wall in Giga and commented on how wonderful it is. 

Here you go!

New Class at Giga!

Good afternoon! 

Here at Giga we are starting a new class for people who love music. In this class you will be able to study songs and lyrics in a fun, communicative way! (You don't need to sing!)

For more information, please speak to Francesca or Andrea at the Reception.

Bye for now,

L 

English accents around the world

Hi everyone,

Have a look at this video link below which demonstrates many different kinds of English accents. The speaker is really talented!

See you soon!

L :)


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