English Without End

James Corden's Carpool Karaoke  is going viral. I just love this segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden . Who would've thought that a British talk show host driving around L.A. and having a bit of a sing-song would become such an internet sensation? My favourite ones are Adele's and Chris Martin's from Coldplay. Hilarious!! And now, what a surprise! He has even arranged for a special Christmas carpool with Mariah Carey and her famous ' All I want for Christmas is you' with some of his carpoolers. I just loved the bit with Red Hot Chili Peppers clapping to the beat. Absolutely fantastic! I take my hat off to Mr. Corden. If you liked it and want to see more, here you have the carpool karaoke YouTube channel . Automatic subtitles seem to work fine in most of them, which is a plus. Christmas Ad Round Up 2016 The battle for the most popular Christmas advert is underway Sainsbury's Christmas campaign beats John Lewis to the tit...

Remembrance Day in the UK Remembrance Sunday: veterans march past the Cenotaph in memory of the fallen and defiance of terror (The Telegraph) Events to remember servicemen and women who died in conflict VIDEO   (BBC News) When is Remembrance Sunday 2016? Why do we wear poppies to remember war dead? (Sunday Express) British War Poets      Wilfred Owen: Dulce Et Decorum Est Top ten war poems (The Guardian) Remembrance Sunday READING EXERCISE

Can you name the European Cities by their name in phonetic alphabet form? Quiz I say tomato , you say tomeito From the film Shall We Dance  (1937)

Past tense pronunciation post As you all know, connected speech is a very important feature of the English language. I have happened to come across this wonderful song with clear examples such as: Picture perfect memories scatter ed a ll around the floor. It's a quater after one, I' m a ll alone and I need you now. I said I wouldn't call but I los t a ll control. It's quarter after one, I' m a little drunk and I need you now . Now, listen carefully and then sing along. I'm sure you can do it! More songs sharing this feature:  Does it ring any bells? Ally McBeal And then I saw her face Now I' m a believ er Not a trace Of doubt in my mind I' m in love I' m a believ er I couldn't lea ve her If I tried (lyrics)

MOOC  /mu:k/ stands for Massive Open Online Course . They are distance-learning courses run online by many universities worldwide. Usually, they are open to anyone who registers. One single course may admit even thousands of students. It is possible to study almost any subject through this method, and dozens of famous universities worldwide are now offering MOOCs. They can be treated as A standalone study for individuals interested in a particular subject matter, or consolidation study for a course you are already following. Massive open online courses ( BBC news video ) A course you might be interesting in taking: Reading Tools: prepara tu examen de comprensión de lectura en inglés Websites with the best courses: Coursera edX Open University MOOC.es Yale Open Courses Open Education Consortium Open Culture and many more. If you want to know the MOOC your teacher is doing right now, click here . I'm loving it! BBC Culture: Las Meninas , the wo...

The importance of attitude : How changing your attitude will change your life. The importance of your attitude on learning Attitude problem?: Victor Kuppers at TEDxAndorralaVella " Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play is free will." Even though in Spanish, I really wanted you to listen to what he has to say:  Never ever will we be able to change the hand we are dealt but we can ALWAYS choose our attitude , our ultimate freedom. So true! Ordinary Day  song by Great Big Sea (a group from Newfoundland, "Terranova" ) I'm free to be whatever I, whatever I choose song by Oasis Unwritten song by Natasha Bedingfield "That's the attitude!" , Ellen says to Michael J. Fox who talks about staying positive through Parkinson's, a disease he has been suffering from for 20 years but which hasn't prevented him from appearing on tv shows. One of them is The Good Wife in which he plays th...

Leonard Cohen, Epic and Enigmatic Songwriter, Is Dead at 82 . 'No other artist’s music felt or sounded like his': tributes pour in to Leonard Cohen . Leonard Cohen managed that rare thing: to talk with clarity about death . Why does Leonard Cohen owe it all to Spain? Acceptance speech for the 2011 Prince of Asturias Award for Arts & Letters.  From minute 5:34 onwards he tells  the story of how he got his song and why he owes it all to Spain. A must-see! Leonard Cohen on Federico García Lorca: The lyrics of the song  " Take This Waltz"  derive from  Pequeño Vals Vienés    (“Little Viennese Waltz”) , a poem written in Spanish by Lorca.  Compare:        Take This Waltz   lyrics        Pequeño vals vienés   poem Your teacher's choice: Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Leonard CohenSongs

Podcasts for English learners Podcasts in English Professional Podcasts Audio and Video on the go BBC Radio Podcasts 10 Best Podcast Apps New York Public Radio

Random acts of kindness A walk down memory lane: Pay It Forward (2000):  "Call it generosity between two strangers"

The episode's writer said that the fictional Trump presidency was a warning to America: "It was consistent with the vision of America going insane". Read the article here . A prediction yet to come is Hillary Clinton presidency after Trump: Ten times The Simpsons predicted the future (from the ebola outbreak to 9/11). 5 Simpsons predictions yet to come true. Don't move to Canada just yet (Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

Toys 'R' UsFaces Backlash After Announcing Thanksgiving Opening Hours Please, do notice the collocations:      growing number     announce a release     opening time     to spark a backlash     alleviate the stress     large retailers     

Cambridge Dictionary: READ What I like about it:    - Level is specified  - Idioms and phrasal verbs related to the word Oxford Dictionary: READ What I like about it:    - More examples available   - Synonyms Longman Dictionary: READ What I like about it:    - Top spoken and written words code   - Examples with pronunciation   - Grammar patterns   - Thesaurus Macmillan Dictionary: READ What I like about it:    - Activator-like   - Explore Thesaurus available   - Synomyms and related words   - Phrases and phrasal verbs   - Red words and stars for frequency of use:    http://www.macmillandictionary.com/ Lots and lots of games and resources

Bonfire Night 2016: Who was Guy Fawkes and why do we celebrate with firework displays? The Gunpowder Plot on Horrible Histories (2009) To find out more: Bonfire night webquest Play the Gunpowder plot game Guy Fawkes Day:  Remembering The Fifth Of November With  V For Vendetta . For older posts about Bonfire Night, click here .

Why is English so hard to learn article How hard is English? How weird? The Economist article Languages difficulty ranking How to Speak English With Confidence in 9 Easy Steps      

Learn English with songs: This is Halloween Learn English with songs: Thriller Halloween vocabulary: Spooky idioms and ghostly phrases Idioms and proverbs for Halloween quiz Guess the Halloween idiom powerpoint Seriously scary TV shows to watch this Halloween: The Walking Dead (more than just zombies) Buffy, the vampire slayer (more than just vampires) Stranger Things  (I want more...) The X-Files (a classic) Twin Peaks (who killed Laura Palmer?) Black Mirror (British accent) Fringe (binge watch alert) For bookworms: Dracula by Bram Stoker Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (yes, The Treasure Island guy) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (remember Rebecca? ) Edgar Allan Poe Anne Rice For older posts on Halloween, click here .

Can't quit saying 'um' and 'uh'?  Just learn how to use them better The Obama 'uh' count video:

Do you have a couple of minutes a day to spare? I'm sure you do.  That's what'll take you to practise grammar, vocabulary and real world English using the Macmillan Real Video series: Real Grammar Real Vocabulary Real World English

Why learning a language is a daily commitment. 7 ways to develop good habits in language learning. How to set SMART goals in language learning . 7 Ways to Develop Good Language Learning Habits from Transparent Language, Inc. Top ten reasons to learn a language. Fawlty Towers  (tv series). Top ten Fawlty Towers moments (watchmojo.com video) Hilarious!!!

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Where? Conde Duque Cultural Centre (C/ Conde Duque, 11, Madrid) When? September 20th, 8pm (Salón de Actos) Free activity Want to know more?  http://awards.bafta.org/award/2016/film/british-short-film

Tourism New Zealand 100% pure: sustainable tourism video release Kiwi accent Book your flight to Middle Earth : video. Top 10 New Zealand books of the decade A history of New Zealand Literature — through selected texts. New Zealand Literature : University of Waikato. The media in NZ:       NZ Herald       NZ radio stations (live)       One news NZ (videos)       ABC News NZ (videos)

Making a presentation like Steve Jobs. BBC Skillwise website:  giving a presentation BBC Tallking Business:  Presentations: Language Expert How to make your presentations better without opening your mouth . Body language and voice tone account for 63% of communication (according to this article). Tips for effective presentations Tips on making presentations  (by University of Kent, the UK's European University).  Worth checking out the part  "Advanced Presention Tips: the Art of Rhetoric ":  tricolon effect   or the rule of three ( The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ) use of contrast   ( A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.  Margaret Thatcher ) use of similes and metaphors  ( A beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion.  J.F.Kennedy ) alliteration   ( Let it be our cause to give that child a  happy   home, a...