The alien and the underdog.

Who is Barak Obama?

Presidential candidate Barak Obama showed his sense of humour joking about his identity at a white-tie charity dinner in New York city. Obama was not the only one to tell jokes and prove he has a great sense of humour . As you will see, candidate McCain can also be really funny. I found the videos hilarious and enjoyed them a great deal. Why don't you watch and see?

You can also do the following activity to check your understanding:

McCain's 'underdog' joke

(When someone is considered the 'underdog' at a competition or political election, this means they are at a disadvantage or expected to lose.)

At the same charity dinner the Republican candidate didn't waste the opportunity to make some jokes. Who did candidate John McCain thank for giving him support? Can you guess?

Are you surprised? He thanked no other than ... Hillary Clinton!

Can you imagine Zapatero and Rajoy joking like this? Would you like them to do so ?

Hints and tips for the oral exam.

You know you'll have to take a final exam at the end of the year and there is a speaking part you should prepare with special care. I have found the slide show below at Mª José's Blog . There she gives you very useful tips to help you get ready for the test.

Tips for the oral exam

View more presentations from macose.

Every Breath You Take.

I've always had a special weakness for 'Every Breath You Take', which has been one of my favourite songs since the very first time I heard it. I was in London then, and it was a long , long time ago!
The song was written by Sting , originally performed by The Police and released on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity. It became a hit in the 80's and ranks as one of the best songs of all time on several lists, like Rolling Stones'.
The song also had a remarkable music video, whose black-and-white cinematography was widely praised. Both MTV and VH1 named it as one of the greatest music videos ever.
Although the lyrics may seem highly romantic, they weren't originally intended as such. On second thought they make you think of a sinister controlling character watching your every move.
Anyway, I'll always prefer my naive first impression of something romantic.
What do you think? Does it sound romantic to you , or does it sound unnerving , even scary?

'Yes,We can' ; Barak Obama's song.

Will-I-Am of the Black Eyed Peas brought together a cast full of 'stars' to put Barack Obama’s speech to music in a powerful show of support for the Obama campaign.
Obama's oration is quite impressive and his message rings clear:

Change, Hope, Yes We Can.

But do you think he can? Do you think he will win the election and become the next USA president? If he wins, will he bring the promised change to his country?
Who would you prefer for president: Obama or McCain? Why?
I'm really interested in your opinions. You can send a comment just by clicking on the comments link below the song's lyrics.

Song's lyrics:

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores
and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballots;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Si Se Puede
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)

We know the battle ahead will be long,
but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!
(We want change! We want change! We want change…)

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check.
We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. We want change!
(We want change! I want change! We want change! I want change…)

The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA;
we will remember that there is something happening in America;
that we are not as divided as our politics suggests;
that we are one people;
we are one nation;
and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)

Students' Introductions.

Listen to four adult students introducing themselves. You have to find the mistakes in the texts and correct them.

Motions are Cool !

Last week, while I was surfing the Net, I came across this original technique to learn phonetics. It's called Motion Phonics. I found it very surprising but I really think it may work.
Motion Phonics is a registered methodology system. Free use of the concept and materials is granted by the author, Angel Castaño, except for profitable purposes.

Why don't you give it a try? There's nothing to lose and much to gain!

The Bluest Eyes.

Paul Newman, one of the last great 20th-century movie stars has left us for ever.
He was a stunningly handsome man. His features were so perfect that he could be described as beautiful and he had the most striking blue gaze on the screen. However, He was much more than mere good looks, he was a talented actor, starring in unforgettable films like 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' , 'Cool hand Luke', 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' or 'The Long Hot Summer'.
On September 26 , 2008, the world lost , not only a screen legend but a good decent person, a devoted family man and philanthropist.
His main motto was, 'If you do not exploit your success in order to improve things in the world, then you are really wasting it'.
His death at the age of 83 after a long struggle against cancer has been a great loss indeed.

We'll miss you, 'Blue Eyes'.