miércoles, 9 de marzo de 2011

ST. PATRICK´S DAY


Saint Patrick´s day
Saint Patrick´s day is one of the most important days for Irish people.
But, who was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick was born with the name of Maewyn in 387, in Bennhaven Taberniae, current day Scotland.
At the age of 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave.
A few years later he escaped and started to preach Catholicism in Ireland.

By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day is observed on March 17, the date of Patrick's death.
On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

That day, people, streets, shops, schools,... turn green. This colour symbolizes the spring (a season that starts a few days later).

The shamrock is the image or the symbol of the party and symbolizes good luck.
Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the mystery of The Holy Trinity

Finally, shamrocks, beers and green colours, are the main elements of Saint Patrick´s day.

domingo, 20 de febrero de 2011

English Proverbs


  • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.
  • A cat in gloves catches no mice.Gato con guantes no caza ratones.
  • A stitch in time saves nine.Más vale prevenir que curar.
  • A word is enough to the wise.A buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan.
  • Absence makes the heart grow fonder.La ausencia alimenta al corazón.
  • Actions speak louder than words.Los hechos valen más que las palabras.
    Del dicho al hecho hay un gran trecho.
  • All cats are grey in the dark.Por la noche todos los gatos son pardos.
  • All griefs with bread are less. Las penas con pan son menos.
  • All roads lead to Rome.Todos los caminos conducen a Roma.
  • All that glitters is not gold.No es oro todo lo que reluce.
  • All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.Hay que divertirse y dejar de lado el trabajo por un rato.
  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away.Más vale prevenir que curar.
  • An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.Ojo por ojo y diente por diente.
  • Appearances are deceptive. / Looks are deceiving.Las apariencias engañan.
  • Barking dogs never bite.Perro ladrador, poco mordedor. / Perro que ladra no muerde.
  • Beggars can't be choosers.Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro.
  • Better late than never.Más vale tarde que nunca.
  • Better safe than sorry.Más vale pervenir que curar.
  • Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer.
  • Birds of a feather flock together.Dios los cría y ellos se juntan.
  • Blood is thicker than water.Los lazos familiares son más fuertes.
  • Chip off the old block.De tal palo, tal astilla.
  • Common sense is the least common of senses.El sentido común es el menos común de los sentidos.
  • Do what is right, come what may.Haz siempre lo correcto.
  • Don't bite more than you can chew.El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta.
  • Don't bite the hand that feeds you.No le muerdas la mano a quien te da de comer.
  • Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.No cantes victoria antes de tiempo. / No montes el caballo antes de ensillarlo.
  • Don't cry before you are hurt.No llores antes de tiempo.
  • Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth.A caballo regalado no le mires los dientes.
  • Don't meet trouble halfway.No te preocupes antes de tiempo.
  • Don't put all your eggs in one basket.No te lo juegues todo a una sola carta.
  • Early to bed, early to rise,
    makes the man healthy, wealthy and wise.
    A quien madruga, Dios lo ayuda.
  • Empty vessels make the most noise.Mucho ruido y pocas nueces.
  • Every cloud has a silver lining.No hay mal que por bien no venga.
  • Every law has its loophole.Hecha la ley, hecha la trampa.
  • Every time the sheep bleats, it loses a mouthful.Oveja que bala, bocado pierde.
  • Experience is the mother of knowledge.La experiencia es la madre de la ciencia.
  • Finders, keepers; losers, weepers.El que se fue a Sevilla, perdió su silla.
  • Give a dog a bad name and hang it.Hazte fama y échate a dormir. /
    Un perro maté y mataperros me llamaron.
  • God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.Dios aprieta pero no ahoga.
  • Half a loaf is better than none.Algo es algo, peor es nada. / Menos da una piedra.
  • He that fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.Soldado que huye, sirve para otra guerra. /
    Quien en tiempo huye, en tiempo acude.
  • He who laughs last, laughs best.Quien ríe último ríe mejor.
  • Hunt with cats and you catch only rats.Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.
  • If you have made your bed, now lie in it.Si cometes un error, debes asumir las consecuencias.
  • In for a penny, in for a pound.De perdidos, al río.
  • It never rains, but it pours.Las desgracias nunca vienen solas.
  • It takes all sorts to make a world.Hay de todo en la viña del Señor.
  • It's good fishing in troubled waters.A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores.
  • It's never too late to learn.Nunca es tarde para aprender.
  • It's no good crying over spilt milk.A lo hecho, pecho. / No hay que llorar sobre la leche derramada.
  • It's the last straw that breaks the camel's back.Es la gota que colma el vaso.
  • Let bygones be bygones.Lo pasado, pisado. / Borrón y cuenta nueva.
  • Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.Preocúpate del futuro cuando llegue.
  • Like father, like son.De tal palo, tal astilla.
  • Many a little, makes a mickle.Grano a grano, se hace una montaña.
  • Many hands make light work.Muchas manos hacen el trabajo ligero.
  • Money is the root of all evil.El dinero es el camino de la perdición.
  • More haste, less speed.Vísteme despacio que tengo prisa.
  • Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.No te hagas problema hasta que los problemas te angustien.
  • No pain, no gain.El que quiere celeste, que le cueste.
  • No news is good news.La falta de noticias es una buena noticia.
  • Nothing ventured, nothing gained.Quien no arriesga, no gana. / Quien no se arriesga, no cruza la mar.
  • One man's meat is another man's poison.Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito. / Para gustos, los colores.
  • Once bitten, twice shy.Gato escaldado, del agua fría huye.
  • People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.No hagas a los demás lo que no quieres que te hagan a ti.
  • Politeness costs nothing.Lo cortés no quita lo valiente.
  • Rome wasn't built in a day.Roma no se hizo en un día.
  • Silence is golden.El silencio es sagrado. / En boca cerrada no entran moscas.
  • Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors.La experiencia es la madre de la sabiduría.
  • Step by step, one goes a long way.Paso a paso, se recorre un largo camino.
  • Talk of the devil and he's sure to appear.Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma con su cetro y su corona.
  • Take care of the pennies/pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.Ahorra la calderilla y tendrás dinero. / Muchos pocos hacen un montón.
  • The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.De tal palo, tal astilla.
  • The die is cast.La suerte está echada.
  • The early bird catches the worm.A quien madruga, Dios lo ayuda.
  • The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.Lo mejor siempre lo tiene el otro.
  • The shoemaker's son goes always barefoot.En casa de herrero, cuchara de palo.
  • There's many a slip twixt cup and lip.
    Entre mano y boca desaparece la sopa. / Del plato a la boca se pierde la sopa.
  • Think twice, act wise.Piensa dos veces antes de actuar.
  • To call a spade, a spade.Al pan, pan y al vino, vino.
  • To err is human; to forgive, divine.Errar es humano, perdonar es divino.
  • Too many cooks spoil the broth.Demasiados cocineros estropean el caldo. / Muchas manos en un plato hacen mucho garabato.
  • Two in distress makes sorrow less.Las penas compartidas saben a menos.
  • Variety is the spice of life.En la variedad está el gusto.
  • What a small world!¡El mundo es un pañuelo!
  • What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente.
  • What goes around, comes around.Se cosecha lo que se siembra.
  • When in Rome, do as the Romans do.Donde fueres haz lo que vieres.
  • When one is hungry, everything tastes good.Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro.
  • When there's a will, there's a way.Querer es poder.
  • When there's life, there's hope.Mientras hay vida, hay esperanza.
  • Where there's smoke, there's fire.Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.
  • While the cat's away, the mice will play.Cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan.
  • You can't have your cake and eat it too.No se puede tener todo en la vida. / No puedes estar en misa y repicando.
  • You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.No se puede pedir peras al olmo. / Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda.
  • You can't teach an old dog new tricks.Loro viejo no aprende a hablar.
  • You have to take the rough with the smooth.Hay que tomar la vida como es. / Hay que estar a las duras y a las maduras.

sábado, 12 de febrero de 2011

HISTORY OF VALENTINE´S DAY


English version text click here.
Spanish version text click here.

martes, 25 de enero de 2011

No Violencia y Paz -30 de Enero -

Imagine there's no Heaven 
It's easy if you try 
And no Hell below us 
Above us only sky 

Imagine all the people 
Living for today 
Imagine there's no country 
It isn't hard to do 

Nothing to kill or die for 
And no religion too 
Imagine all the people 
Living life in peace 

You may say I'm a dreamer 
But I'm not the only one 
Maybe someday you will join us 
And the world will be as one 

Imagine no posessions 
I wonder if you can 
No need for greed or hunger 
Or Brotherhood of Man 

Imagine all the people 
Sharing all the world 
You may say that I'm a dreamer 
But I'm not the only one 

And maybe someday you will join us 
And the world will be as one 

You may say that I'm a dreamer 
But I'm not the only one 
Maybe someday you will join us 
And the world will be as one...

domingo, 9 de enero de 2011

Tongue Twisters!!!

A fun way to help students with pronunciation is to implement tongue twisters into your curriculum. Tongue twisters are difficult for non-native speakers but are very helpful for learning proper pronunciation. Below is one of my favorite tongue twisters.

Practice the tongue twister at this link.
"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood."

Once you can say this rapidly you have mastered English!!!

Como pronunciar el R y el W en ingles.

Este video es ideal para practicar la pronunciacion del R y W


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