For those who weren't at the brunch...

LEMON CURD

- 4 large lemons
- 450 gr. sugar
- 170 gr. margarine
- 5 fresh eggs

Lightly beat the eggs. Put the sugar in a thick pan or double boiler. Grate the rind of the washed lemons into it and then add their juice and the margarine. Dissolve the sugar in the liquid over very low heat, stirring frequently. When all are well blended, slowly pour in the eggs, cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick and creamy. On no account must it boil. Pour while still hot into dry jars and seal. This will keep several months in the refrigerator.
Enric

End of course brunch

A day in London

If I only had a day for seeing London, I would definitely take one of the double-decker bus tours. It's the best way to see all the major sights in one trip and you can jump on and off as you wish. The ticket usually includes a free river cruise and it costs about 22 pounds. Buses run every 20-30 minutes. I recommend to avoid rush hours.
I would also go shopping to Harrod's, especially if they are in the sales. I honestly think the visit is worthwhile, the store is amazing, especially the food and the toys departments.
I would finish wandering around Hyde Park, which is closed to the store.
I would have lunch in any of the pubs around the city. The menus are cheap and quite healthy compared with the typical fish & chips or mashed potatoes stuff.

Hope you enjoyed finding all about London and its history. Try and plan your 24 hours in London and tell us about it. Maybe next year the Education Department will pay for us to put it into practice! Meanwhile have a look at these ready-made webquests to get some ideas.

Nepal

Today I wanted to bring some pictures from Nepal so you could have an idea.
I show you two: The first one are two girls that they where living beside the university. The second is one of my favourite Buddhist temples in Kathmandu.
If you want to have a look at this web there is a photo album that is quite nice:

FAVORITE EXPRESSION

I don’t have a favourite expression, perhaps one that I always liked is to be a pain in the neck. Once I was in a family where there was a little boy, he was very nice but he was bothering all the time his sister.She always called him pain in the neck.
I use it sometimes too, when I have to do something that I don’t like: It’s a pain in the neck!

IDIOMS

Well, I don't have any favourite idiom. In fact, when speaking they don't come into my mind. I think using idioms in your daily speech is a further step for an advanced learner because that means that not only you master the grammar and the lexis but also cultural aspects.
I couldn't think of my favourite idiom, then I checked a link in our blog (goenglish.com) and found a list. I picked out the following:

• to be as mad as a hatter. Do you remember Alice in Wonderland? There was a rabbit who celebrated no birthday days. Well, he was the Mad Hatter. It turns out that a hatter was a professional in England who mended and made hats using a glue which affected his brain and led him to act strange.
• on the hook. That means to be in a difficult situation. For example: Oh, you've broken mum's ashtray. You are on the hook. The opposite is to be off the hook.

It's about time!

Believe me!

First of all I have to say, that I have not much FREE time in the afternoons and evenings so I'm writing now... by the way what time is it ? 0: 52 a.m. is that evening /night for the Spaniards or morning for the British, whatever... I'm looking after my nieces in the afternoon-evening-nights and I brought them/myself today to the Acuarium in BCN, I'm exausted! not complains though...

Well my idiomatic expression is... YOU ARE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE, It means that you are wrong, your are not understanding the matter, it's not true, ect. I don't know where it comes from so maybe you can help me to find it out... Thanks

See you tomorrow, sorry today
Yoli

Idioms

I'm fed up
It's used when something is very boring and you feel tired to put up with it

It's just my cup of tea
It's used to say exactly what I like. Ex: Do you like this book? It's just my cup of tea

You might be interested

I talked about it with some of you, but not everyone. The thing is that if you're interested in creating an English library at school for free, you should try this:

bookfairs@bookworldespana.com

This people is set up in Málaga and travels all over Spain with their van. If you book a day, they organize a bookfair in your school. Children can buy reading books in English at a good prize. Depending on the amount of money spent by the children, the school gets a budget, therefore free books. I honestly think that it's worthwhile.

My school is quite big, three lines in Primary. 1st and 2nd grade students aren't allowed to buy the books by themselves, parents come at 5 and buy them if they are interested. Students from 3rd grade onwards are allowed to bring 10-20€ maximum to buy their books with the English teacher assistance. We sort out the timetable so each group can spend about 30 minutes having a look at the different books. If they don't fancy any, they are not obliged to buy.

The first year it was a completely success, children were very enthusiastic about it, and the school got a budget of 600€. Since then we have a bookfair once a year. There are books for everyone, no matter their English level. They are easy to read and very attractive for them. In Spain you can only purchase them this way because they come straight from Britain.

Although it seems the opposite (basically for the comment's length, haha!) I have no commission from them. And if you try it out and doesn't work, say they don't sell a single book, don't worry, because IT'S FOR FREE!!!

Give me a break!

My favourite expressions? Two come up to my mind:

Give me a break! Actually, I use it quite often, especially when my baby moans (poor little thing! I love you! ;-)

Monkey see, monkey do. I told you this morning in class. I learned it reading a very nice book I recommend: 'My family and other animals' by Gerald Durrell. By the way, Geoff, why don't they say 'monkey sees, monkey does'? I know you have no linguists therefore you don't follow any rules but... Or is it just for keeping up the distances between native speakers and second language learners? (ha ha!)

I've got butter fingers!!

At the moment I can not think of any idiom that really struck me when I was studying English. But I learnt one the other day that really got my attention: "to have butter fingers".Thank you Enric because you taught it to me!! I thought it was a funny expression because it describes me completely,mmm.... I sometimes have butter fingers and I get a spot of coffe on my clothes, or I drop my papers onto the floor...
Funny photos the ones today!

See you later alligator…

Ten years ago I did a summer course in the south of England, in a city called Bournemouth and I stayed with a family there. Every morning, after saying goodbye to them, I went to my school of English. But, one day, instead of saying goodbye, I said: : “See you later” and then, my landlady answered: “alligator”; “On a while, crocodile”, her husband added. I was very surprised with this expression and we laughed altogether. Then they explained that it was an expression they used with their grandchildren when they came to visit them.

I found it very funny and, from that day, we said goodbye each other in this way. Nowadays, when I write a letter to them, I use to finish it with this expression: “See you later alligator...”

Give him an inch and he will take a yard

The first time I went to London I stayed with a family with two boys of 11 and 13. My landlady was allways saying this to her kids as they were allways asking for more and more of everything (they were a little spoilt boys!)

We've got a quite similar idiom (or proverb) but I like the words from the anglo saxon measures "inch" and "yard" used in the sentence instead of "hand" an "arm".

Joan is in this group too!

Joan was little let down this morning because Geoff took some photos and he didn't appear in any.

This is your moment of glory Joan!

Well, they seem are enjoying very much the class, but don't ask Isabel about what has happened with the tow car this morning!

The class is over

This is one of my favourite expressions in English, first of all because I use it a lot at school and when you say it after a hard lesson( so, quite often ) you feel relieved ( oh my god, what a hard work we've got!!). Besides, it's very funny because after a few days at school, children learn it in a natural way and many times, when we are in class and time's up, I look at my watch and say: " Well children, ...... " but I can't finish the sentence because they say altogether loudly: " THE CLASS IS OVER !! "

Global warming?

It seems to me that everybody is talking about the same topic.Last night I watched a program on Tv about the global warming in Spain and its effects on plants and on the sea level in the Mediterranean Sea. Experts say we should give up our old habits; as we should be very aware thant we can not keep up and put up with this situation anymore. It is our responsibility to improve and do small things to help, we can not leave our planet die and let down ourselves and our children.
Small things can turn out to big changes.
Ingrid

If you want even more practice of PV try this exercise.
You can also choose a random PV and it's meaning at Dave Sperling's ESL Cafe Phrasal Verb page!

Hard at work on a cloudy Monday morning!

We are still looking good into Week 2, so keep up the hard work and it'll all turn out well in the end!

Hello everybody,
I'm very happy because at last I could enter to the blog. I've had a lot of problems to have a count, but at last I' m doing some practice. It's 1 oclock and I feel tired, see you tomorrow.
AnnaG

My carbon footprint

Of course, everybody can do something to reduce the global warming but I think politicians should be leading it. Time's going up, and the problem is that there are not politicians with a high category
, I mean with the courage to put moral issues above economic and politicians interests.
On the other hand I think that people should go out of their "caves" and demonstrate in the streets, showing that we are fed up with ineptitud and that we don't want politicians who make fun of us. A new revolution could be coming, why not ?

Global warming

Now you have seen this documentary what do you think about climate change and your carbon footprint? It's a big issue but do you think individuals can do anything to reduce the effect of climate change? tell us what you think.

Hello everybody!

Hello everybody!

Perhaps I'm the last in entering the blog, but finally here I am!!

I'll take the oportunity to say you about the book I'm reading which is really nice and easy to read. It's "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon.
It's about a teenager who finds killed his neighbours' dog. The book has an amusing and a sad face and I think this is why I like it, because it's as real life.

I haven't done the homework yet. See you tomorrow!!!

Help! I need fresh air!

All my life I’ve been in touch with mountains: climbing, walking, running, and so on. But there is only one thing I can not stand: going into caves.

I was 12 or 13 and, with a group of friends, we went to a small cave near Esparreguera, my home town. I was very excited because it was my first time and I liked very much the idea of being under the ground.

We went into the cave and we did the first steps with the outside light. As we went deep inside the cave the light was going down. We had to pass over a big rock and that meant it was completely dark. We lighted the torches on and… It was awful! The air was completely rare and thick like a “patch of fog”. I could see the dust floating and I started imaging all those particles coming into my lunges. I was certain that dust was suffocating me. I yelled my friends to go out: I needed fresh air and feel the outside light again. And the worst thing of all is that I thought I suffered from claustrophobia all my life!


After that I realized I’m not a claustrophobic person. I can take lifts, stay in small places and rooms, in the dark and everywhere without feeling panic. But I’ve tried to go into caves, even big ones like Andratx in Mallorca, and I always have a similar feeling…

Enric.

An anecdote about steep paths

When I was thirteen, my parents and I moved house. It was located at the top of a hill. Therefore, the neighbourhood was full of steep streets up and down. To own a car, then, was really helpul, so that it allows you to go downtown and buy food or other necessay things.
However, I was thirteen and a long time had to go by before I got my driving license. I started attending high school every morning. It was not far away but between it and my house there was a 15-minute-tortured path. At that time we had to carry heavy books. My school bag weighed around 10 kilograms. The way back home was really hard, especially in June at 2.30 P.M.

"Caught in the tight spot"

This past year I was enroled in "Comissió de festes" in my school. You already know what it is about; organising all the school festivities, saying what is to be done and how... The problem was that whaterver our comission said, it was always a problem for some other colleagues at the school, whether we celebrated the festivities very much or not.There was always half the teaching team disagreing about what was decided, no matter what we said or did. So this job was a bit difficult to deal with, because we always had complaints and disagreements on one side or the other. We felt many times really caugth in a VERY tight spot!!! Has it ever happened to you in your schools?
Ingrid

Hello, Hola, Hallo!

Hello! My name is Isabel and I'm working in a school in Barcelona, the same school as Anna.
I love being a teacher and right now I'm working in pre.primary, teaching English to very young learners (3-6 year olds).
I think we are going to learn a lot from eachother! Very nice group!
I prefer speaking than writing so...I leave you by now!

In a tight spot!

Two years ago I joined a rowing team. I wanted to keep fit while having fun. I hate gyms and I need someone to cheer me up in order to work out. We train all the year through, no matter what the weather is like. One winter morning we got in a tight spot. The wind changed all of a sudden and big waves started to hit the boat. Instead of going back toport, we decided to go surfing. You bet! A huge wave was carrying us straight to the rocks without control. We didn't know what to do. We tried to steer the boat several times but didn't succeed. Just when we were about to crash against the rocks, two people jumped out into the cold water, and that was precisely what saved us all, because the boat moved slightly to th right and reached the seashore.

"South of Granada"

I'm going to explain about my first impressions about the five chapters of the book I have started reading. The author of the book, a bristh man, settles in Alpujarra mountains, south of Granada, after the First World War. He describes in a clear and fascinated way everything he witnesses and he explains it in a detailed manner: the people's feelings, their temperament, occupations, customs and behaviour of what he calls Andalusian way of life.

I was in a bit of tight spot

On 21st of June I was at school when someone told me that Aniol's father wanted to see me. He told me that the report he had received wasn't his son one. "I would like it was" he said.
I felt as I could die.
The report was Biel's report and Biel is a very clever student. I apologize and Aniol's father was very kind and understood the mistake.
Then I called Biel's parents. My God! They had Berta's report! I had to apologize again "Please throw away this report and I will send you the right one"
When I called Berta's family... well, it happened again. I had to repeat the same conversation 6 times til I found Aniol's report. The envelopes and the reports had been mixed up.
I'm a very lucky teacher because all families understood our mistake and none of them were angry with the school but I was really in a tight spot.

Marga

a steep path

It happened to me a few weeks a go while I was rollerblading with a couple of friends from my school. We started the route in Diagonal Mar and went all the way to the Forum area. It was everything allright until one of the teachers proposed to take a steep path. We followed him but suddenly I lost control and started going down hill really fast. I got very scared and let myself fall in the ground. First I couldn´t move at all and thought I had broken something but after a few minutes I was able to start moving and stand up by myself. I was very lucky but I got a huge bruise in my left leg which is still swallen by now. Since then I´ve been chosing the paths very carefully but I know very soon I´ll start taking risky paths again.
I spend a very good time rollerblading and I usually practice it once or twice a week. If you are in the mood to try it please let me know and join us.

introduction

hello everyone!!

I'm Judith, the baby of the course. I've been planning and unplanning my holiday schedule for a couple of months and somehow, I'm just here now!!Well, it loofs like we're going to have a nice time all together and we are going to learn much more than what at least I expected. I'll be very happy to use it in my holiday trip to Germany, if they understand such technical and sophisticated expressions. If they don't, I'll be prouder of myself.(I'll feel chuffed!!)
cu!!

introducing ourselves

hello there,

This is Anna and Yolanda. Anna had some problems of connention, so we both are writing at the same time. If you want to say something to Anna just mention her name and do the same if you want to say something to me,

Hear you soon

Introduction

Hi,

I'm Carme and I'm an English teacher in a Primary School in Badalona. I teach 4th, 5th & 6th year olds. I'm 34 four and I have a gorgeous baby just 8 months old. I live in Badalona and I like travelling, reading and having spare time.

Bye for now!

That' me

Hi everyone,

I'm Cristina from Sant Joan Despí, though I 'm originally from Viladecans, a town growing excessively. As you know, I'm an English teacher for 4 years and next September I start at a new school in Sant Just but as a primary teacher :(.... For me it's the first time I'm going to be in charge of a group. A challenging experience, isn't it?
See you

I'm Marga. I work as an English teacher in 3rd and 4th level in a Primary School but I'm the 3rd level tutor and I also teach the children Maths and Catalan Language.
I really love my job and at school I feel like I were at home because I've been working there for 18 years.

Hi! I'm Maria and I'm coming from a small village , 200 inhabitants. I live in a very quite place and I work 30 km away. My village lies in a country plane where people used to live from the land but it is changing by now. The main crops in this area are wheat and rye fields, vineyards, fruit trees and every house has his own vegetable garden.

a little bit about myself

I´m Anna but kids at my school call me Ann. I was born in Vilafranca and lived there for many years. I recently moved to Barcelona in the St. Marti neighborhood and I´m actually teaching at a school in the Vila Olimpica area. I mainly teach English to first and second graders although I also spend a few hours a week teaching older kids. My experience at that school has been very positive as I´ve learned a lot from my colleagues.

Dancers and Musicians

Hello colleagues! I'm Josep, and I teach in a Primary School in Barcelona, very near the EOI Vall Hebron. My school is a bit special, because it's the only public school in Catalonia where the pupils study both Primary and Dancing or Music learnings. The boys and girls start in the first course and finish in the sixth course. In the first and second courses they all study the same subjects, but when they have to pass to the third course, they have to decide if they want to study Dancing or Music, and they will continue studying the same until they finish in the sixth course. It's very interesting and the boys and girls can study classic dancing or piano (for example) at the school, without having to go to private classes after going out the school in the afternoon.

HI CLASSMATES

It is very funny to find out how a blog works. I think i'll try to use it next course and encourage my pupils to create a blog for each class( in 5th and 6th level ).
Well that's enough for today, it's very late and I should read some new pages of my book before falling asleep.
See u

Wow! I'm a "blogger"

Hello to you all!
Wow, it's the first time I've ever written in a blog! I'm even excited about this, because I didn't know what blogs were for and not particularly understood what it whas about! Now, I'm enjoying because it's funny to read the comments other write down and join them!
I agree with you Enric, about all the new words we learnt in class!!! There are many!I find it challenging!!
In fact, I've learned one new word for your word cards Geoff, while signing in the blog: "Blogger". A part from learning new vocabulary in class, I think I'm going to learn about computers as well!!
Tomorrow I'm going to give the "speech" in class. We'll see how it goes...Maybe I should check some vocabulary up in the dictionary...or rather go and have some dinner... By now, I think the 2nd option is more interesting...
See you tomorrow!!!
Ingrid

Classroom Library

Are you a bookworm? Now that the classroom library is in full swing, write your initial impressions in the comment section. We're dying to hear all about it. If you are in a tight spot and you need to see a review of the book you are reading, just to be son the safe side go to the Amazon Online Bookstore, look up your book title and find out all about it.

Hi everyone!

I'm Enric, from Esparreguera. This is a medium town in the north of Baix Llobregat close to Montserrat mountain with a long tradition on theatre, as you probably know (La Passió).

I work in the school Pau Vila, a big school (2 lines and 450 pupils) with a very big playgroung and completely rebuilt from last year. I teach 6 to 10 year olds and I've been working in this school since 1994.

As you will realize in my talk I like mountains very much. I also like running, music and English, of course. Well, that's all by now.

See you. Enric