Global English Blog

eBook readers!

2007-02-23T20:05:00.000+01:00

New eBook websites!

eBookstore
http://www.cambridge.org/ebookstore/

or click here for e readers... http://www.cambridge.org/ebookstore/default.asp?sub1=E5&sub2=E51

eBooks World
http://www.ebooksworld.de/

Or copy and paste this address into your internet browser...
http://www.ebooksworld.de/index.php?option=com_phpshop&page=shop.
browse&category_id=b22be0ef1f3097af9a197af5c725166c&
option=com_phpshop&Itemid=60

Follow this link for information on ebooks (copy and paste)...
http://www.ebooksworld.de/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=62

Recommended learner dictionaries

2006-10-31T18:56:00.000+01:00

Do you have a dictionary at home? Is it bilingual (Spanish and English) or monolingual (English only)?

If you have a pre-intermediate level of English, or higher, you could benefit from having a monolingual dictionary.

Here are some monolingual dictionaries I recommend - all with CD-ROM:

Collins Cobuild Student's Dictionary Plus Grammar (Intermediate level and higher)
see: http://www.collins.co.uk/books.aspx?book=32804

Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English (Intermediate level and higher)
http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/isbn/6980?cc=gb

Oxford Essential Dictionary (Elementary and pre-intermediate level)
see: http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/isbn/6000?cc=gb

Also see: http://www.collins.co.uk/books.aspx?group=151 for more Collins Cobuild dictionaries.

English literacy sites for kids

2006-10-27T12:03:00.000+02:00

BBC History for kids
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/index.shtml

BBC Schools
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/

Dynamo's history
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/lab/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/literacy.shtml

Fun Brain - Grammar Gorilla
http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html

BBC Literacy for kids
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/literacy.shtml

British Council Kids
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids.htm

San Fransisco Webquest - research activities for the web

2006-10-21T14:38:00.000+02:00

Language skills: vocabulary, reading, writing and language (how many...?, going to) Level: pre-intermediate to intermediate

Practise your reading and research skills. Find the answers to the questions from the internet by following the links. Practise writing and grammar (how many...?, going to).

Remember!
Don't worry if you don't understand every word on the websites. You only need to find the asnwers to the questions.

Extra help:
Activity 1 - Read the first 3 paragraphs of the webpage. Can you find all the answers in only 5 minutes? You don't need to understand every word.
Activity 3 - Do this activity if you know the language structure going to. You can begin your sentences with first, then, after that, finally. Choose between 5 and 10 activities. Can you do this activity in less than 10 minutes? Then put the activities you choose to do in San Fransisco in order and add up the cost in dollars. Is it less than $400?

Finally I'll check your answers if you give them to me. You can send them to me by email or give them to me in person.
Have fun!

Here's the link... (copy into your browser)
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/uploadedFiles/
Inspiration/HR.insp_webquest.pdf

Practise your pronunciation

2006-10-07T14:03:00.000+02:00

Language skill: pronunciation.

Learn the phonetic symbols in English! Many dictionaries show the phonetic symbols for words. Learning the sounds will help you to say new words without needing to ask another person.

Good pronunciation helps with speaking and listening too. The British Council has produced an audio pronunciation chart. You can download the chart to your computer and use it at work or at home to hear and practise repeating the sounds.

Here's the link:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/download/pron_chart/pron_chart.shtml

Fun games at New English File

2006-10-07T13:57:00.000+02:00

Language skills: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and more...
Level: Elementary

Practice English by playing games. Ask me if you need help.

Have fun!

Here's the link:
http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/englishfile/

Richard Branson and Virgin – Longman Company of the Month

2006-10-07T13:55:00.000+02:00

Language skill: reading.

Follow the link below to read about Richard Branson and Virgin. Every month Longman has a new Company of the Month.

Then you can do the vocabulary activity on the same page. You could also do the discussion activity as a writing exercise. Write a composition, give to me and I'll check it. I can also give you the answers to the other questions.

Have fun!

Here's the link:
http://www.longman.com/business/company/branson.htm

Charles Handy’s Guide to Management Gurus

2006-10-07T13:48:00.000+02:00

Lydia and others...

Language skills: listening, reading and taking notes.

Charles Handy is a management guru. In his series he discusses other business gurus, including himself, Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, Warren Bennis, Sumantra Ghoshal, Kenichi Ohmae, Gary Hamel, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Bill Gates, Ricardo Semler, Michael Porter, Fons Trompennar and Charles Hampden Turner.

Each management guru is dicussed in a different programme - one programme, one management guru. You can listen to the radio programmes, and download the scripts, to read while you listen.

Read the introductory text before each programme (highlights) and look at the useful glossary of business terms.

To start:
Listen to the introductory radio programme. Try listening without reading the script, and making notes on what you hear. Then you can listen again and read the script to check. Or you ask me for help and I can give you questions to listen for, as well as other exercises.

This is a very interesting series, it may change the way you work and think!

Here is the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/work/handy/index.shtml

Also see the following article on the series at the World Sevice website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/011011_handy.shtml

Have you got 5 minutes? Short listening exercises online

2006-10-07T13:44:00.000+02:00

Language skills: listening and vocabulary.

The listening activities are short. Just 5 or 10 minutes long.
Doing just one activity every day or once a week will increase your vocabulary and improve your listening skills.

Audio opens in Windows Media Player or Real Player, with comprehension questions and answers.

To start:
1. Click on the link below.
2. Listening activities are organized by difficulty (easy = elementary, medium = intermediate and difficult = advanced), chose a level and then a topic.
3. Read the pre-listening section and also the questions before you listen.
4. Click the PLAY button and the audio software will open.
5. Listen and click on your answers - mutliple choice answers. Click FINAL SCORE to check.
6. Click on QUIZ SCRIPT to listen and read the script.
7. If you have time, you could do the post-listening activities.

I can help you with any questions.
Have fun!

Here's the link:
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
'This ESL/EFL multimedia site is designed to help English learners improve their listening comprehension through a variety of audio and video conversations, interviews, and news reports.'

Also see http://www.esl-lab.com/guide.htm for a study guide - listening activities in topic groups.

Business news websites

2006-10-07T13:40:00.000+02:00

Keep up-to-date with the latest business news in English.
You can watch the news on video at the BBC website.

BBC News (Business section)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/default.stm

Fast Company Magazine
http://www.fastcompany.com/homepage/index.html

The Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/europe

The Guardian Unlimited (Business section)
http://business.guardian.co.uk/

The Guardian - Office Hours
http://www.guardian.co.uk/officehours/0,3147,,00.html

CCN – Money
http://money.cnn.com/

New online graded reader!

2006-10-07T13:37:00.000+02:00

You can see the first few pages for free. If you want to buy it it's only £2.85. That's about €4.20.

It's cheaper than buying the book in the traditional format. But you won't have much time to read it on your computer. The file expires after 2 hours. You need to print it when you download it.

Here's the link:
http://www.penguindossiers.com/

What do you think of this new idea?
Would you download online books like this?
Would you prefer to read a book this way or do you like the traditional book format more?

Summaries of 1984 by George Orwell

2006-10-07T13:30:00.000+02:00

For more information on George Orwell see the Penguin Dossier:http://www.penguindossiers.com/thismonth-frameset.html

1984 was writing about 1948 or 2006?
Can the goverment change the mind of the people? 1984 is a story about a future world. The government has the absolute power and the people live how the Party want. They can not use all words, speak about vaporized people, etc… Nowadays, I think, there are countries with the same problem…more or less. In conclusion, I think that there are not a lot of differences from the book and the real life. If you want speak about this, you can answer this blog.
Juani

Dear reader: The book that you have in your hands tells a story about a totalitarian state that controls every aspect of people's life, even people's thoughts. This state is called Oceania and is ruled by the Party. The Party's leader and dictator is Big Brother. In this state people are spyed by telescreens installed in each room. Winston Smith is the central character of the book and he hates the Party. So he decides to rebel against it by writing a diary in which he reveals his rebellious thoughts although he is aware of the posibility of being discovered by the Thought Police and his probable murdered. Winston falls in love with Julia, an attractive young dark-haired female who works with Winston at the Ministry of Truth. And although relationships are strictly forbidden, Winston rents a room inMr Carrington’s junk shop, where he can meet Julia to talk to her without the fear of being observed by the Telescreens. After some time The Thought Police burst in to arrest Wiston and Julia and then they discover that Mr. Carrington is a member of it. In the last chapters of teh book, O'Brien, a member of the party, pretends to "re-integrate" Winston by torturing and brainwashing him until he ends fully believing in the Party and its doctrines. On the other hand, Winston is forced to betray Julia, and his love feelings are completely destroyed.
Pedro Pablo

-------- 1984 --------
Our story set in 1984 in the city of London. Winston Smith lives in a world where the Goberment controls people every second of the day. Big Brother and the Thought Police control the past as well as the present. They decide what you must to do and what you must think. Winston don’t agree with the idea of the party and the policy intervention. He fights again, the party with the love of Julia. Finally Winston decided the change sides, when he is tortured in room 101 and the Party win.
Miguel Molina

1984
Was 1984 writing in 1948 or in 2006? The book was writing in 1948 and talk about the power of the Govern in 1984 (the future), but, really, was it writing in 1948 or George Orwell is speaking in the present? There are many coincidences with our present. 1984 talk about people, about the human conduct in extreme conditions. Winston is the main character and in the book he lives a particulary experience. He thinks that he has a good friends, that he loves a woman and he thinks that a better life is possible. Winston was captured by the Govern, because he was thinking another things opposite the Govern. The Govern has the power, and they can change the people mind with the T.V., newspaper, telescreem, etc. The Govern made pain, big pain to Winston, and finally he change his thought. He doesn’t love, he doesn’t think, and he likes the Govern.Actually, in 2006, are there many differences with some world governments? There are many differences with our real life? George Orwell wrote about the future….but now is the present…..and its true!!
Mario García Lozano

Introduction to the book.
Winston Smith lives in Oceania, a country where the government, the Party, control everything: the past, the present and even the thoughts of the people. The Party watch people with screams which are in everyplace and they punish people who desagree. Winston secretly has his own opinion although he is afraid because he knows that when somebody do or think something against the Party, it can be “vaporized”, that person can desappear. He wants to change his world but he can´t. Then he meet Julia, a young woman who gives him the strength to fight against de power. They fall in love and decide to fight with their love but they are discovered for the Party. Will “they” get Winston´s mind and change his thoughts? This is a present book written un 1948 about power and freedom that will make you think about our actual situation.
Teresa Garrigós Domínguez

Dear reader. The book you have on your hands tells us a society wheregoverment controls people. A society where love is punished, where there is two truths, where telescreen is always on. In this world, Winston Smith andJulia, our main characteres will try fight againts this.Society is controled by The Party, all thoughts, all lives, all you do is wathed by telescreen and if you don´t think like The Party you can becaptured, they can make pain to you and they can vaporize you. But WinstonSmith don´t think like them and Julia, her love, neither. They try to fightagaints The Party because they want to be free, love, think, ... but they are captured. Winston betrays Julia and they recieves much pain and The Party get changetheir minds, their thoughts. So, like you will read Goverment always win. I wish you enjoy reading thisbook, called 1984.
David Carrasco

Useful websites for learning English online

2006-10-07T13:23:00.000+02:00

BRITISH COUNCIL WEBSITES
British Council Learn English for professionals
http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm

British Council Learning English for adults
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning.htm

British Council Learn English Central
http://www.britishcouncil.org/central.htm

RADIO
BBC World Service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

BBC Radio 4 ( I listen to this station every day!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/

1984, George Orwell / Management Gurus

2006-10-07T13:19:00.000+02:00

We've been reading George Orwell's 1984.

I hope to post summaries of the book next week.The next book we're going to read together is on Management Gurus.
Follow this link to read about the book: http://plrcatalogue.pearson.com/TopicArea.asp?TopicAreaID=AD0003

To see other Penguin graded readers follow this link:
http://plrcatalogue.pearson.com/