Announcements

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 

 

CLASSES START ON THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER AT 19.00 

WHAT'S ON GUIDE

- Free Talks

- Oxford Cultural Bytes:

It's a series of cultural talks published on Youtube with activities:

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oxford+cultural+bytes

Activities:

http://www.catalogooxford.es/oxfordculturaltalks/

- TED Talks 

- Language Exchange If you are interested in a language exchange, click here  

- The Arts Society Mallorca

https://theartssociety.org/mallorca

 

- Palma Gospel Singers

 
http://www.palmagospelsingers.com/agenda-de-conciertos/ 

 

- Conversations with Dick Fleming
- Every Thursday at Can Verger cultural centre (C/Major, 85) in Calvià at 18.15,  (although currently online via Zoom for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic) Dick Fleming meets students who want to improve their speaking skills. It is free of charge. For further information you can contact the culture department at the Calvià town hall.
 Tel: 971 13 91 81 
 email: cultura@calvia.com

- Dick Fleming runs free conversation classes online (Zoom) every Tuesday and Friday at 10h30. Anyone interested in joining these groups should send an email to dickfleming_008@yahoo.com."

- Films in English 
You can check what films in English our cinemas are currently showing:

• Cine Ciutat
  http://cineciutat.org/
  (get a discount with the EOI enrolment form or the EOI student card)
• AFICINE

- Newspapers

Majorca Daily Bulletin
http://majorcadailybulletin.com/

Euroweekly News 

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/
________________________________________

Calvià Town Hall 

What's on Guide

________________________________________



"Tea Time Chat" Conversation Groups 

Mondays and Thursdays from 17:00 to  18:30 at The Beehive (22, Paseo del Mar; Palmanova). 

Wednesday from 17:00 to  18:30 at La Tasca (8 Riu Sil; Santa Ponsa)

For more information you can call the International Deparment at Calvià Town Hall (971 13 91 00)  

For further information contact:
- The International Department at Calvià townhall:
email: internacional@calvia.com
telephones: 971139184/971139185
- IFOC (Institute for Training and Employment)
email: info@ifoc.es
telephone: 971134613

_________________________________________

Snack & Languages

Language exchange

When? Every Monday from 17.00 to 19.00
Where? CUC (Centre Universitari de Calvià) in Bendinat.
C/ de la Ginesta 7 07181 Bendinat- Calvià
Tel: 971 40 20 68
email: cuc@calvia.com

___________________________________

Cine Club Costitx

They meet once a month (the first Saturday of each month at 7.00 pm) ...

- to watch good films in company

- to watch good films in English with subtitles in English

- BUT ESPECIALLY TO PRACTISE ENGLISH
After the film they usually sit and chat, share some food and drinks. It's a small group and they all enjoy the meetings. 

To become a member of the CineClub Costitx there is an annual fee of 10.- €.

Venue: Ca ses Monges in Costitx (Just park near the centre and ask for directions)

Please send an email either to brigitte.fritsche@gmail.com or to cineclubcostitx@gmail.com to confirm your attendance.
You can fill in the subscription form either at the Town Hall or online or on Friday .... please take note that for legal reasons you have to be a member of the Cineclub to watch the films

Should you have any doubt please send an email to cineclubcostitx@gmail.com

or to Brigitte Fritsche <brigitte.fritsche@gmail.com>

______________________________________

 

BBC radio app:

BBC Sounds

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/getting-started-with-bbc-sounds/sounds-intro

 

English Radio

- Talk Radio Europe 97.3 FM
- BBC Radio 4
- BBC World Service 

Radio Listings

TV

UK TV Guide

______________________________________________

Bookshops and Libraries

Bookshops

Come in
C/ Sant Miquel, 58, 07002 Palma. Tel/ 971711693
email: gerenciapalma@libreriainglesa.com

Akzent
C/ Carme, 14, 07003 Palma. Tel/ 971 719 994
email:  

idiomas@akzent-palma.com
libros@akzent-palma.com

Dialog

La Rambla, 15. Palma

Tuareg

C/ Bisbe Joan Maura 69, 07005-Palma Tel/ 871940404
email: llibreriatuareg@gmail.com

Re-Read

Carrer del 31 de Desembre, 13

07003 Palma de Mallorca

Teléfono: 871 04 52 97

Books in English in Calvià

New and used:
 Universal Bookshop

Used:
 Lions Charity Shop, The Salvation Army, Deixalles

Remember that every Saturday morning there is a Flea market in Son Bugadellas, where you can find plenty of books in English.
 

Libraries
Our school has got a  library. You can borrow readers, Speak Up magazines and videos.

Our local libraries also have materials in English. You can visit the Bendinat branch or the Magaluf branch and see if they have what you are looking for.

Reading List C2

1ST TERM 
TASK 1
Reading Circle:
Each student chooses a title. The students do some research and take notes on an index card. With their notes they present the most relevant information regarding the book. Deadline 27 Oct

TASK 2
Book fair:
Read one of the suggested readers and take some notes on an index card. On the day of the book fair use your notes to talk about the book. Deadline 12 Jan

2ND and 3RD TERMS
Book review:
At the book fair a classmate suggested a book you thought would be interesting to read. Read the book and write a review comparing the two books you will have read this academic year. Deadline: end of Apr.
In your review you can follow this structure:

1st paragraph: introduction (introduce briefly the two books you are going to compare)

2nd paragraph: discuss their similarities

3rd paragraph: discuss their differences

4th paragraph: conclusion and opinion

NB you can also include your favourite quotes from the books and add some explanations. You can also try to convince the reader that the books you have chosen should (not) be on the Reading List next year.

How to write a Review?

 Useful language

Sample:

Close-up p 167. Review. All in the Mind. Word formation

Suggested readers

1. NORMAL PEOPLE, Sally Rooney

2. THE UNCOMMON READER, Alan Bennett 

3. MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, Elizabeth Strout

4. NUTSHELL, Ian McEwan

5. ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE,  Gail Honeyman 

6. LEVIATHAN, Paul Auster 

7. SAPIENS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND,  Yuval Noah Harari 

8. 21 LESSONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, Yuval Noah Harari 

9. ATOMIC HABITS: AN EASY AND PROVEN WAY TO BUILD GOOD HABITS AND BREAK 10. BAD ONES, James Clear 

11. THIS IS GOING TO HURT: SECRET DIARIES OF A JUNIOR DOCTOR, Adam Kay 

12. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE: AN OLD MAN, A YOUNG MAN, AND LIFE'S GREATEST LESSON Mitch Albom 

13. THE SALT PATH, Raynor Winn 

14. THE UNINHABITABLE EARTH: A STORY OF THE FUTURE, David Wallace-Wells 

15. THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Margaret Atwood

16. EDUCATED, Tara Westover 

17. CONFESSIONS OF A BOOKSELLER, Shaun Bythell 

18. THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK: A COUNTERINTUITIVE APPROACH TO LIVING A GOOD LIFE,  Mark Manson 

19. 12 RULES FOR LIFE: AN ANTIDOTE TO CHAOS,  Jordan Peterson 

20. AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, Tayari Jones

21. A LIZARD IN MY LUGGAGE,  Anna Nicholas

22. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, Khaled Hosseini

23. ANGELA'S ASHES, Frank McCourt 

24. Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart 

25. Anna Nicholas's Column 

Close-up p 31. Adverts. Mediation

How to describe adverts:


Sequence:



Firstly,...First,... In the first place,… To begin with,…To start with,… First of all,…
Secondly,... Thirdly,...
Then... In addition to that,… Apart from that,… Besides… Furthermore,... Moreover,... If this were not enough,.... On top of all this,... To make matters worse,...



Appearance and reality:



At first sight … but in fact…. 
Apparently…but they were really/actually...
The fact is that… 
As a matter of fact…



Cause and effect: 



Due to…  
Consequently,... 
As a result… 
In consequence,… 
For this reason… For these reasons… 
For one reason or another…



Contrast and concession: 



Although... Even though...
However,... Nevertheless,...
Despite... In spite of...
On one hand....On the other hand,...



Expressions to compare and contrast



Nowhere near as exciting as...
Considerably/much/far more thought-provoking than...
By far the most moving advert....
Bear a close/a striking/a strong/a slight/little/no resemblance to: e.g. Her latest novel, a tale of unrequited love, bears little resemblance to her earlier, more philosophical work.
There is little to choose between (hardly any difference between) the two CDs in terms of quality of production.
The plot of this advert develops along very different lines from that of last year's advert.
There are several obvious/striking similarities between the two adverts.
There is a world of difference between the two adverts, despite their shared Christmas influences.
What sets the advert apart from others of the same subject is its ability to make us laugh.
A considerable/huge/marked/slight difference
A close/remarkable/striking/ similarity
Be dissimilar from/to: E.g. Dissimilar from other adverts
Be very much alike
Be unlike another advert
One advert Differs from the other in one respect.
One thing compares (un)favourably/ well/badly with another
Develop in a different way from
Have a great deal/little/nothing in common with

It is in their thematic content that the two adverts resemble each other most. Both focus on the topic of Christmas.
Also common to both adverts is the fact that we witness the spirit of Christmas

To point something out:



In particular… Especially… Above all… . Let alone... Not to mention…  In other words… In any case… 



Referring to someone or something:

With regard to… In regard to...  As regards... Regarding...As for... As to... As far as adverts are concerned

Descriptive language:

Positive descriptions

It has a catchy slogan
The advert offers alluring images of
It’s fairly entertaining
I found it very absorbing. 
The ad is completely engrossing from start to finish.
I found the storyline so intriguing – I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next.
The advert has a gripping storyline.
You’ll love the ad – it’s riveting stuff.
I find adverts like these compulsive viewing.
I found the advert very compelling.
It is hands down (easily and without any doubt) the best ad this year.
The kid gives a compelling/ memorable/ stunning performance.
Her performance is mesmerizing. 
The acting is very convincing
It is both entertaining and educational.
It is highly enlightening/inspiring/thought-provoking
It is food for thought.
The advert provides a fascinating insight (understanding,vision) into the lifestyle in small villages. 
No wonder the film has captured the imagination of audiences all over the world.
It's a deeply moving advert.
I admire the outstanding performance of the kid.
The ad conveys a powerful message
It's an innovative ad.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in human values.
One particular strength of the advert is...
The design/production/ performance/ advert is second to none (the best). 
I would strongly advise you to see it. 
Do not be put off (to make sb lose interest in or enthusiasm for sth. Sp. Desanimar)by the topic/critics/song. 
It will have you roaring with laughter (laugh very loudly). 
Hats off to the kid who gives a stunning performance. He is remarkably convincing 
The strength of this ad lies in its powerful acting and mundane (ordinary) realism.
This ad is a definite must-see.


Negative descriptions

It's a clichéd /ˈkliːʃeɪd/ Christmas ad.
There are two versions of this excruciating /ɪkˈskruːʃieɪtɪŋ/ ad.  
The ad is excruciatingly boring.
Implausible: Not seeming reasonable or probable; failing to convince; not believable. Sp. Inverosímil. E.g. A rather implausible story.
Overhyped: promoted or publicized to excess exaggerating its good qualities, in order to get a lot of public attention for it: Influencers overhyped the ad.
Sentimental: producing emotions such as pity, romantic love or sadness, which may be too strong or not appropriate; feeling these emotions too much. Sp. Sensiblero: a slushy, sentimental story
Slushy: stories, films / movies or feelings that are considered to be silly and without value because they are too emotional and romantic. Corny. Sp. Sensiblero: e.g. a slushy Christmas ad
cheesy:  
1. not very good or original, and without style, in a way that is embarrassing but amusing. E.g. a cheesy ad. That’s the cheesiest storyline I’ve ever seen.
2. too emotional or romantic, in a way that is embarrassing. E.g. a cheesy love song. a cheesy ad.
drippy: boring, stupid and weak or sentimental. E.g. her drippy boyfriend. A drippy advert.
 
Tedious: lasting or taking too long and not interesting. Boring. E.g. A very long and tedious advert.
Unconvincing: not seeming true or real; not making you believe that sth is true: e.g.
I find the characters in the ad very unconvincing.
I found the plot rather predictable/disappointing.
One particular weakness of the film is...
The music is not its best feature 
I would strongly advise you not to see it. 
I would definitely give it a miss (decide not to do sth.)
 

Conclusion:



Finally,... Lastly,…To sum up,... All things considered,... All in all,…(with everything considered) In conclusion,... In general,… On the whole…



Expressing personal opinion:



For my part,...  In my view… As I saw it,... To my mind,...



Here you will find more Useful language. 




Now half of the class watches the Hafod Hardware advert and describes it to the other half:




Sample answer:
Here’s what happens. A little boy wakes up. He brushes his teeth, eats his breakfast and goes to work. He opens the shop, fixes a broom; he cleans the counter and restocks the shelves. He serves a customer, does a bit of accounting, serves another customer. At the end of the day he switches off the light, bends down to pick up a Christmas tree and – PLOT TWIST! – he’s actually a 30-year-old man. The message comes up: ‘Be a kid this Christmas’. The end
Read more about it:
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/dec/04/the-100-christmas-ad-that-blows-john-lewis-out-of-the-water


Then the other half of the class watches the John Lewis advert and describes it to the first half: 




Sample answer: 
This advert features a young girl, Ava, and a dragon who cannot stop himself spurting fire, disrupting Christmas fun by melting a snowman and burning down a Christmas tree.  The story has a happy ending when Edgar uses his fiery breath to light the Christmas pudding for the village feast.
Read more about it here:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/nov/14/john-lewis-christmas-ad-excitable-dragon-edgar-waitrose

Close-up p 31. Key Word Transformations

1.
  "You should stay at home and rest", I said
 But she said, "I am determined to come"
ADAMANT
I've urged her_____________________________________________________ would come.




KEY
I've urged her to stay at home and rest but she was adamant that she would come.

adamant: determined not to change your mind or to be persuaded about something. be adamant that: insist.

• Eva was adamant that she would not come.
• The government remained adamant that there was no more money available.

2. She hesitated before agreeing to resign as managing director.
RELUCTANTLY
She _________________________________________________ down as managing director.




KEY
She reluctantly agreed to step down as managing director.



3. She will have to pay a pretty considerable fine if she is caught.
HEFTY
Should _____________________________________________________ paid.



KEY
Should she be caught, a pretty hefty fine will have to be paid. 



4.  I can only suppose the voters ignore the opposition because they are giving all their attention to the government's programme, which makes them think seriously.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING 
I can only suppose the voters ignore the opposition because they are too engrossed _____________________________________________________________ programme.




KEY
I can only suppose the voters ignore the opposition because they are too engrossed in/with the government's thought-provoking programme.



5. A big weather shock would convince even traditionalist disbelievers in climate change that there really is a problem.
DIEHARD
A big weather shock will sooner or later take place. Only then ____________________________________________________ convinced that there really is a problem.



KEY
A big weather shock will sooner or later take place. Only then would even diehard disbelievers in climate change be convinced that there really is a problem.

Write two more sentences using words and expressions from our last session:
6. ______________
7._______________ 

Close-up p 31. Key Word Transformations

1. If this were not enough, the ad is terribly boring.
EXCRUCIATINGLY
On ______________________________________________________ tedious.



KEY
1. On top of all this, the ad is excruciatingly tedious.


 
2. Apparently the advert looks very attractive, but it is actually another slushy Christmas ad.
ALLURING
At _________________________________________ fact it is actually another corny Christmas ad.



 KEY


2. At first sight the advert looks very alluring, but in fact it is actually another corny Christmas ad.

3. Due to the unconvincing acting, you can give the advert a miss.
IMPLAUSIBLE
Owing ___________________________________________________ given a miss.



KEY
3. Owing to the implausible acting, the advert can be given a miss.

4. Notwithstanding the low budget, the film was completely absorbing from start to finish.
ENGROSSED
In __________________________________________________________ the film from start to finish.



KEY


4. In spite of the low budget, people were completely engrossed by the film from start to finish  




5. The advert's storyline was nowhere near as gripping as people had expected.
LIKE
The advert's storyline ________________________________________________ was expected. 


KEY



5. The advert's storyline was nothing like as gripping as it was expected.  




6. The students found the book both highly informative and thought-provoking.
ENLIGHTENING
Not ___________________________________________________________ thought.



KEY


6. Not only did the students find the book highly enlightening but also food for thought.
 
 Write two more sentences using words and expressions from our last session:
7. ______________
8._______________