LISTENING

Aren´t you so good at listening? How about increasing practice? Here you have some listening activities:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/london/unit1/listen1_js.shtml

http://www.esl-lab.com/

EASTER

What is Easter? Easter is the time for holidays, festivals and a time for giving chocolate Easter eggs. But Easter means much more....
Easter is the oldest and the most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life again of Jesus Christ. For Christians, the dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the Christian year.

What is the Easter story ?
Easter is the story of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his death.The Easter story includes Maundy Thursday (the Last supper leading to the Eucharist), Good Friday (the day on which Jesus was crucified) and Easter Day (the day on which Jesus came back to life).
It is a sad story because Jesus was killed. But the story has a very happy ending, because Jesus came back to life and visited his friends and followers once more. He did not die at all, but went back up to Heaven to be with God, his father.

Where does the name 'Easter' come from?
Pagan traditions give us the English word "Easter" which comes from the word "Eostre". The Anglo-Saxon word for April was "Eostre-monath" (the month of openings). However, it should be remembered that Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ long before the word "Easter" was used, and the word they used for the celebration was "Pascha", which is derived from and linked to the Jewish festival of Passover.
According to Bede, the English monastic historian, the English word Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of April, which was known as "Eostremonath" in the AngloSaxon tongue and since Pascha was most often celebrated in Eostremonath, the English Christians began calling it "Easter". Bede also notes that the month was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Esostre.
Rituals related to the goddess Eostre focus on new beginnings, symbolized by the Easter egg, and fertility, which is symbolized by the hare (or Easter bunny).


Do you want to know more information about this celebration? Visit:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter/easterday.htm

Saint Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in the whole of Ireland on 17 March, in honour of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Who was St. Patrick?

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was born in Wales somewhere around AD 385. He was carried off by pirates and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary.

The most famous story about Saint Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. He died on 17th March in AD 461 and this day has since been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.

How is St Patrick's Day celebrated?

St.Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades in the large cities, the wearing of the green and drinking Guinness (traditional drink of Ireland).

If you want to be lucky at St. Patrick´s Day, there are four options:
1. Catch a Leprechaun
2. Kiss Blarney Stone
3. Find a shamrock
4. Dress in green
 
A Leprechaun is an Irish elf. He lives at the end of the rainbow. He has got a pot full of gold, his treasure. He spends his time making shoes with a hammer. If you follow the sound of the hammer, you may find him. Perhaps, he´ll tell you where his treasure is.
In Blarney castle there is a magic stone. If you kiss it, you will be lucky and you receive the gift of eloquence. But this is very difficult, you have to climb up to the highest tower and bend outside it.
According to Catholic tradition, a shamrock was carried by St. Patrick as the symbol of the Trinity. Of course, finding a four-leaved shamrock gives good luck.
Green is Ireland´s colour. It is related to hope, to nature and to spring. Remember that Ireland is called the Emerald Isle.
Happy St. Patrick´s Day!
Para tener suerte el Día de St. Patrick, hay cuatro opciones:

1. Atrapar un Leprechaun.
2. Besar la piedra de Blarney.
3. Encontrar un “shamrock”.
4. Vestir de verde.
El Leprechaun es un duende irlandés. Vive al final del arco iris y tiene una olla llena de oro. Es solitario y pasa el tiempo fabricando zapatos. Se puede encontrar siguiendo el sonido de su martillo. Si lo encuentras, quizás te diga donde está el tesoro.

En el castillo situado en Blarney hay una piedra mágica. Besarla da suerte y concede el don de la elocuencia. Pero es una operación complicada. Hay que subirse en la torre más alta y casi colgar del vacío para alcanzarla.

El “shamrock” es el trébol. Según la tradición católica, San Patricio llevaba un trébol como símbolo de la Trinidad. Por supuesto, encontrar uno de cuatro hojas da mucha suerte.
 El color verde es el símbolo de la isla de Irlanda. Está relacionado con la esperanza, la naturaleza y la primavera.

FELIZ DÍA DE SAINT PATRICK

Game:

St Patrick’s Day

 

FASHION.

The History of Fashion

The 1960s
The mini-skirt was a symbol of rebellion against the older generation. It coincided with the feminist revolution, when many women questioned their traditional role as stay-at-home housewives.
The 1970's
The 1970s was very much the please-yourself decade. Minis, midis and maxis were all fashionable. Jeans and hippy styles were popular too.
The 1980's
As more and more women became involved in work outside the home and developed careers, their fashion reflected their desire to be taken seriously at work and they dressed accordingly. Suits with padded shoulders became popular.
The 1990's
Fashion took on a more streamlined look. Skirts were straighter and jackets were less bulky. Camouflage and fake furs beacame more popular.

Glossary:
-bulky: voluminoso, abultado.
-fake furs: pileles falsas (imitación)
-padded shoulders: hombreras
-streamlined: moderno/a.