Hello, my dear students. The course is over. That’s a cold fact. The relevant question now (which you should be asking yourselves) seems to be: what do I know now that I didn’t know last September? That’s part of a reality check you all should try. Self-delluding excuses may help you muddle through some tough times but this is the hour of truth. So the question is: have or haven’t I learnt much? Am I or am I not up to the challenge?

(That is meant to be encouraging, not depressing).

Avanzado 2

I have put together these little magazines that you may decide to speed-read, download or even print out to have it as a keepsake. It’s entirely up to you. Enjoy.

This is the magazine for the students in my morning class.

This one is the magazine for the students in my evening class.

Intermedio 1

I am in the process of finishing your magazine. But so that you know that I haven't forgotten about you, here is a website that Idoia might appreciate. There are countless sites that cover the same old area. That one is just one of them. Remember that a well-structured essay does not depend on the use of all those linkers. For starters, fancy words such as furthermore, nonetheless or moreover sound a bit off if the rest of the text doesn't quite keep the same standard. But anyway, I understand your concern. Remember that the oral exam will take place on Wednesday. You will find a copy of the notice (= convocatoria) on the classroom door. I will upload another copy here sometime before Wednesday.

Hi there!

I must be the laziest inhabitant of the blogosphere but, truth be told, I’m a busy man. Anyway I promise I will post something you may find useful for the impending exams. Today, however, I decided to share with all of you something with a literary flavor, i.e. something rather useless… Bear with me, please.

You may remember how I mentioned the old concept that in face-to-face communication 55% of the message depends on the speaker’s body language. The tone of voice accounts for 38 % and only 7% is conveyed by the words which are uttered. Well, that happens to be an oversimplified version of a statement once made by Albert Mehrabian, a psychology professor from UCLA (if you want to know more about it you may click here). Whatever the actual reasons for its success, the tantalizing idea has crept into college classrooms and even become a part of popular culture to the point that even Hollywood comedies mention it (check out the opening scene of “Hitch”, a Will Smith vehicle, and pay attention to 01:00). I personally think that the concept may not be 100% accurate in every single case but it definitely feels true, doesn’t it? More often than not nonverbal communication overshadows the importance of the words a speaker chooses to utter and words, my dear students, is what we are all about at the EOI.

Why am I talking about this? Because we often neglect the importance of stress and intonation and I’ve found a beautiful way of illustrating just that.

Unlike what is happening (or rather NOT happening) in Spain with Cervantes’s anniversary, in the UK they have taken the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death quite seriously. In their celebrations the Brits have shown panache, originality and their unique sense of humor (yes, humor without the “u”, I write in American English).

An exquisite example of this healthy approach to their treasured history was offered by the BBC in this hilarious sketch that saw the likes of Paapa Essiedu, Benedict Cumberbatch and Judi Dench repeat what is arguably the most famous sentence ever penned by the Bard. The show ends with a plot device that I dare call princeps ex machina (yes, the term is mine, don’t bother to google it). Anyway, if you are patient enough, you will be rewarded. Do enjoy.

David Tennant & Company - A Line Of Hamlets por jacksmith2016

Hi everyone!

Only five weeks to the exams… and the clock keeps ticking…

As far as the oral exam goes, remember the little sentence I created so you can practise (and perfect) your pronunciation skills: "She’s a very special woman". If you are still unsure as to how to pronounce it check out my previous post.

As for the contents of our classes, I’ve decided to write a few words about one of the topics we’ve tackled in the classroom over the past few days. Sorry Intermedio 1 students. Today’s post is for my Avanzado 2 crowd.

Okay. After some consideration I’ve realized that the subject of graffiti art deserves a comment in this humble blog. So, even at the risk of being redundant or even pretentious, here are some thoughts on the matter:

“Graffiti” is one of those catch-all terms that seem to cover too much ground. It defines many forms of expression ranging from the obscene scrawls and doodles in bathroom stalls or the worthless scribblings of a bored teenager who decides to spray-paint “Steve is a jerk” on the walls of his high school (not very different from certain texts found in Pompeii) to the thought-provoking creations by Banksy or the political drawings that denounce government corruption. Graffiti can be a regrettable type of vandalism, vulgar self-promotion or even an inspiring display of street art. It is therefore analogous to the cases of public speeches or literature (in a way). Think about it. A public speech can be an uplifting exercise of rhetoric or just sheer drivel. Books can contain beautiful thoughts or dull tales. The difference between spray-painting a wall and other forms of personal expression lies, of course, in the inherent public nature of graffiti. When we walk to work we don’t have to hear speeches nor do we need to read certain books but, whether we like it or not, we can’t help seeing the graffiti… Do graffiti artists consider the impact of their work on our daily lives?

Today I thought you may like to take a look at this insightful video, which explores the issue of graffiti from a rather unexpected angle. Have fun.

Hello, hello! Anybody out there?

The question is far from rhetorical. I've recently learnt that somehow I had neglected to mention the very existence of this blog to my morning Avanzado 2 students. How is that for self-promotion?

Anyway, I know some of you are already on "exam mode" so I'll try to be as practical as humanly possible. This time I've decided to revisit some pronunciation issues that still need fixing... It's really just a simple phrase that may help you master those pesky little transitions that make you sound too Spanish. I hope it's useful. Sorry about the picture and the nonexistent editing.

People of Israel! It’s me. Your personal Moses in the English-speaking desert. This time I’m going to use this post as a reminder of some of the stuff I asked you to do over the Easter break. So I’ll go cut to the chase:

Avanzado 2: your a essay about your recipe for a happy life is due on April 7. Remember that the general idea should be something along the lines of “yes, we know that money doesn’t make us happy, what I believe is …”

Intermedio 1: I’m still waiting for those videoclips I asked you to record in the sanctity of your homes (no pressure). Remember that you get credit on the progress report!

If you have the time, check out this funny video: one light-hearted (and rather gratuitous) list to make you smile a little. Thanks to the autocomplete feature of the most popular search engine in the world offers (Google) we can have a few laughs by taking a look at the things people search for on the Internet. Hope you can enjoy it.

Hey, how are things? Thinking of your Easter holiday plans already? I understand... Still, there some of you out there who would like to revisit that old list of extreme adjectives that make your English more interesting. So here goes: extreme adjectives:

Extreme adjectives

(intermediate level)

good	great, excellent, terrific
bad	horrible, awul, terrible
big	huge, enormous
small	tiny
cold	freezing
hot	boiling
stupid	moronic
clever	intelligent, brilliant
surprising	amazing, astonishing
scary / frightening	terrifying
tasty	delicious
embarrassing	mortifying
sad	devastated, miserable
happy	elated, euphoric
painful	excruciating
strange	weird, bizarre
interesting	fascinating
pretty	beautiful
good-looking	gorgeous
dirty	filthy
ugly	hideous
disgusting	revolting
tired	exhausted
shocked	petrified
new	brand new

NOTE: Remember that pairs such as fast asleep/wide awake belong to the advanced level. The same can be said about extreme adjectives like mouth-watering, bone-chilling, drop-dead gorgeous, etc.

My dearest students. Some words of wisdom from your language facilitator (!). Just a few reminders for those of your that may have skipped some classes.

Avanzado 2: you are expected to submit a discursive essay on any one of the three topics that the textbook suggests (excercise 10A page 85). Please hand it in before the Easter break.

Intermedio 1: I have decided to upload a rapid-fire version of the PowerPoint presentation I put together for my after-the-exams-speech. Enjoy.

Oh! One more thing. Remember that stand-up comedian I mentioned in class? The one that does a perfect impression of the preview guy? Here's a short clip showing one of his trademark pieces.