New Year's Resolutions

2012 is about to end, what are your New Year's Resolution?

Lose weight? Go to the gym? Give up smoking?

To express your New Year's Resolution you must use this grammar structure:

SUBJECT+ WILL/WILL NOT INFINITIVE WITHOUT YOU

the short form for WILL is 'LL and the short form for WILL NOT is WON'T

EXAMPLES:
I will give up smoking. I will take up guitar classes. I will carry on studying Russian.

NOW YOU TRY!
 Create your sentences and email me! doublelanguages@gmail.com
 
USEFUL VOCABULARY

RESOLUTION	A plan to improve yourself or your life
TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF	To make a new start in your life
TO GIVE UP	To stop doing something
TO TAKE UP	To start something new for the first time
TO CARRY ON	To continue doing something
TO KEEP A RESOLUTION	To be successful in achieving the goals you set yourself
TO BREAK A RESOLUTION	To be unsuccessful in achieving the goals you set yourself

Non credere ai Maya e prenota subito il tuo corso di lingue per l'anno 2013

movie afternoon for kids: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

Ti aspettiamo sabato 15 dicembre alle 15:15 per vedere insieme il film ARTHUR CHRISTMAS!

GRAMMAR IN EVERY DAY LIFE: LESSON 1 SHOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

I always tell my students they have to studyEnglish grammar in order to speak correctly not just because they have to do fill-the-gap exercises on student's books.

In this first post about GRAMMAR IN EVERY DAY LIFE I am going to give you some information about
SHOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE


We use should have for the past.
We use should have to say that someone didn't do something, but it would have been better to do it.

Ex: You should have told them the truth (you told them a lie)


From the free newspaper METRO UK 3rd December 2012

ACTIVITIES: DECEMBER

A NATALE REGALA LE LINGUE

Se a Natale non sai cosa regalare...

 5 LEZIONI ONLY YOU (INDIVIDUALI) A SOLO €99,90

 5 ACTIVITIES IN LINGUA INGLESE A SOLO €25,00

I buoni sono acquistabili da oggi 26 Novembre 2012 fino al 22 Dicembre 2012! Affrettatevi!

Language Exchange: November 10th

Last Saturday we had our first meeting with the new students!

The Language Exchange is an amazing activity you can practice your speaking skills with both your classmates and native American people.

In the first meeting we played HUMAN BINGO

Students wrote the names of the people who were in class, then the questions they wanted to ask. Later they started their interviews. When they had all their charts filled in we talked about each student. Everyone said something about the others, of course the information was given both in Italian (by the Americans) and in English (by the Italians).

Our next meeting will be on December 1st. If you want to take part you have to enrol at LARISSA'S LANGUAGES (STUDIO DI CONSULENZA LINGUISTICA).
I remind my students on Saturday 17th there will be the MOVIE AFTERNOON, please confirm your presence ;-)

President Obama's Election Night Speech (November 7th)

 This link

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/06/us/politics/06-obama-election-night-speech.html

is the collection of the key moments of the speech delivered by the President Obama after his election.

This will help you to improve your listening skill. Plus, below the video you can find the tapescript (so if you have troubles to understand everything you can also read)

If you have any question please email me doublelanguages@gmail.com 

PICTIONARY - VISUAL GAME

Ieri c'è stato il primo incontro delle FREE ACTIVITIES per i nostri studenti e le nostre studentesse dei gruppi PLAY ENGLISH  e PRE-TEENS!
Yesterday there was the first meeting of FREE ACTIVITIES for our students from PLAY ENGLISH and PRE-TEENS groups.
Giocare a Pictionary è divertente, puoi ripetere il lessico studiato e imparare nuove parole.
Playing Pictionary is funny, you can review vocabulary and learn new words.

Ringrazio tutti coloro che sono stati presenti ieri.
I thank everyone who came yesterday.

If you are an English teacher contact me for further information about the rules!

Remember remember the 5th November

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMOIxD-GzJA&feature=fvwrel 

What is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes' Day?

 The year was 1605 and some English Catholics were angry because the King of England, James the first, was treating them badly. In November 1605 a group of men made a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament (the government buildings) in London. An enormous explosion was planned for November 5th. This was the day that the King was due to open parliament. The plan is known as the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the group was called Guy Fawkes. The men put 36 barrels of gunpowder (a type of explosive) in the Houses of Parliament and they waited for the King to arrive. The group decided that Guy Fawkes should light the gunpowder and cause the explosion. Did they succeed? No, they didn’t. The police found the gunpowder before it exploded and they caught all the men involved in the plot. The men were tortured and killed. To celebrate his survival, King James ordered the people of England to have a bonfire on the night of November 5th.

What do they do today to celebrate this day?

 On November 5th people remember the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes, which are burned on the fire. The Guy is made of old clothes and the clothes are filled with newspaper. The Guy is a reminder of Guy Fawkes. The fireworks are a reminder of the gunpowder that Guy Fawkes hid in the cellar of Parliament. Some people have a small bonfire in their garden on November 5th. In main towns and cities there are big bonfires and firework displays.

A tradition...

 Penny for the Guy
In Britain only adults can buy fireworks but in the past they were sold to children too. During the days before Bonfire Night, children used to take their home-made Guys onto the streets and ask for ‘a penny for the Guy’ to collect money to buy fireworks. Now you have to be over 18 to buy fireworks, and safety on Bonfire Night is an important issue.

from www.britishcouncil.org

It is funny to see how the economic crisis is displayed in this comics published on the Guardian website.

 Moreover, the biggest bonfire is in Kent.Every year, the Edenbridge Bonfire Society chooses a different celebrity "villain" to take the place of Guy Fawkes, and this year it was the turn of Armstrong, who was recently stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping offences. 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/9654214/Bonfire-Night-Lance-Armstrong-effigy-burns-at-Edenbridge-fireworks-display.html



If you want more news about Bonfire night events and food visit

 http://www.bonfirenight.net/

and if you want to watch a nice video about Guy Fawkes' story click

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1DC2BAsXb4
 

  

it's HALLOWEEN time

Here we are it's Halloween again!

You are an English teacher and you do not know how to celebrate this festival with your students, well don't worry we'll help you... LOOK BELOW ;-)

- KIDS (7-10 YEARS)
from our PLAY ENGLISH course
CRAFTWORK: TRICK OR TREAT BUCKET

you need:
- a paper cup
- a black marker
- orange acrylic colour
- some white carton paper
- staples
- candies














- PRE-TEENS (11-13 YEARS)
READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT

Halloween is celebrated on October the 31st every year. It
originated from a pagan holiday and the Christian holiday of All
Saints’ Day. The name Halloween is a shortened version of All
Hallows’ Eve. Today, it is more of a fun day for children and has
largely lost its religious roots. Halloween is probably most famous in
the U.S.A. Irish immigrants took it to America in the mid-1600s and
it slowly spread across the country. Halloween is not celebrated in
many countries around the world although many people know about
it. Some Christians are not so happy that people celebrate
Halloween. They believe the holiday is un-Christian because of its
origin as a pagan "festival of the dead."
Halloween has many easily identifiable symbols. The colours orange
and black are widely used. In particular, orange pumpkins and fires
and black witches, cats and costumes are common features of this
day. One of the biggest Halloween activities is trick-or-treating. This
is when children knock on doors and ask for a small gift. If they
don’t get anything, they’ll play a trick on the person who opens the
door. Food also  plays a big part of Halloween. Toffee apples are
very popular and so is anything made from pumpkin. Halloween is
also a popular topic for Hollywood. Many horror movies have been
made about it. Because of this, Halloween is now known in many
countries that never actually celebrate it.


Answer the following questions:
1) What is the origin of the word Halloween?
2) Who brought Halloween tradition to the USA?
3) What is trick-or-treating?
4) What is the most popular food at Halloween?
5) Is Halloween celebrated in your country? How?


- TEENS (14-18 YEARS)
Watch the video and answe the following questions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R-VRAemIvbI

1) What was All Saints originally called?
2) What is the custom of playing pranks at Halloween called?
3) Who were the first people to celebrate Halloween?
4) Who introduced the holiday to the USA?
5) When is All Saints day celebrated?

A novembre cominciano le STUDENT ACTIVITIES

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ITALIAN: Some gestures

WE ALL KNOW ITALIANS TALK WITH THEIR HANDS, SO HERE YOU WILL A FIND A SELECTION OF ITALIAN GESTURES WITH THEIR ENGLISH TRANSLATION. ENJOY IT!

Che puzza!

English translation: What a smell!

Scongiuro.

English translation: Gesturer wants to ward off bad luck.

Un momento!

English translation: One moment please! or May I speak?

Mah!

English translation: Perplexed. Gesturer is undecided.

Ho fame.

English translation: I'm hungry.

Ehi tu, vieni qui! (Ascolta!)

English translation: Hey! Come here, you! (Listen!)

Come?

English translation: What?

Silenzio.

English translation: Silence (keep quiet).

Che peso! (Mi sta qua!)

English translation: I cannot stand this situation/person/thing any longer.

Che sbadato!

English translation: How could I have forgotten?!

Idea!

English translation: I've got an idea!

Perfetto.

English translation: Perfect.

Mettersi il paraocchi.

English translation: To put on blinders. (just to see things one way)

È un po' toccato.

English translation: He's a little crazy.

Giuro.

English translation: I swear it.

Fumare.

English translation: Got a smoke?

Me ne frego.

English translation: I don't give a damn.

OK!

English translation: OK!

Activity to review PERMISSION and OBLIGATION modal verbs

Modal verbs CAN - CANNOT - MUST  are used to express PERMISSION and OBLIGATION 

CAN --> POSITIVE PERMISSION

CANNOT --> NEGATIVE PERMISSION 

MUST --> OBLIGATION

let's see some examples 

You cannot drink alcoholic drinks here.

You must keep this place tidy.

now you try

picture n.1

picture n.2

picture n.3

picture n.4

picture n.5

picture n.6

picture n.7

I'm waiting for your answers ;-)

Perché imparare l'inglese? Perché hai paura di farlo?

L'anno scorso ho pubblicato questo post molto divertente copiato dal giornalista Beppe Severgnini in cui dava ben 31 motivi per imparare la lingua inglese
http://larissaslanguages.blogspot.it/2011/09/31-motivi-per-studiare-la-lingua.html

Oggi ne pubblico un altro, diviso in 5 punti.

1) "Superare le barriere linguistiche
Anche se sono molte le persone che viaggiano in giro per il mondo senza parlare nessuna lingua straniera, queste esperienze risultano essere ampiamente limitate dall'incapacità di poter comunicare con la gente del posto e con gli altri turisti. Questa barriera linguistica viene in molti casi superata grazie alla lingua inglese che è anche diventata lingua del turismo e che permette di affrontare molte situazioni come ad esempio chiedere e capire informazioni o trovare un alloggio ma che anche aiuta a vivere un esperienza più costruttiva.

2) Migliorare il proprio futuro
Qualunque siano gli obiettivi per la tua carriera, conoscere la lingua inglese aumenterà le tue possibilità di successo. Sono diversi i vantaggi che potrebbero derivare dalla conoscenza della lingua inglese tra cui :

• Migliorare il proprio CV e quindi aumentare le possibilità di ottenere un lavoro ma anche di guadagnare più soldi.
• Diventare un uomo/donna d'affari considerando che l'economia internazionale è basata sulla lingua inglese.
• Diventare esperti del proprio settore involve anche avere contatti con esperti che vivono in altre nazioni, prendere parte a congressi internazionali e visitare centri accademici all'estero.

3) Meno difficile di quanto molti pensano
Oltre ad essere una lingua la cui conoscenza presenta indubbi vantaggi, l'inglese è anche una delle lingue più facili da imparare e da usare. Di seguito alcuni esempi come prova :

• Il plurale di una parola si forma aggiungendo una s alla stessa e pochissime sono le eccezioni.
• Coniugare i verbi in inglese non è difficile e i verbi irregolari non sono molti.
• Ci si riferisce a tutte le persone dando loro del tu.
• L'inglese è dappertutto : musica, film in lingua originale, siti web, giornali, e quindi si può imparare anche senza ricorrere ai libri di testo.

4) Aprire le porte della conoscenza
L'inglese specialmente negli ultimi anni ha avuto il felice compito di facilitare l'accesso alla conoscenza. Senza ombra di dubbio Internet ci permette un facile e veloce accesso alle informazioni ad un costo molto basso e conoscere l'inglese rappresenta un'opportunità senza limiti. Infatti sono oltre un miliardo le pagine che contengono informazioni di ogni genere in lingua inglese. Ma internet non è l'unico esempio, se consideriamo per esempio il campo delle scienze la maggior parte degli articoli e pubblicazioni sono in lingua inglese.

5) Una scelta che ti gratificherà 

Imparare l'inglese, ma anche ogni altra lingua in generale, non è soltanto utile ma è anche gratificante ed è motivo di grande soddisfazione. Non nascondendo tutte le difficoltà legate all'apprendimento di una nuova lingua, fare progressi e scoprire di essere in grado di parlare con le persone o di capire la TV è una sensazione che ripaga alla grande. Queste sono le sensazioni che ti aiuteranno a non sentirti mai appagato ma invece ti stimoleranno a raggiungere un livello sempre più elevato.

(http://www.londraviaggi.it/5_buone_ragioni_per_imparare_inglese.php)

Ed ora la mia domanda, rivolta a tutti voi, cos'è che vi frena dall'apprendimento della lingua inglese? Quali sono le vostre paure? Quali sono le vostre difficoltà e punti deboli?

Sono curiosa di sapere le vostre risposte e sarei lieta se riuscissi a darvi dei buoni consigli!