miércoles, 6 de abril de 2011

Explotación didáctica de un vídeo en clase de idiomas

El vídeo es una herramienta fundamental en la clase de idiomas. Los alumnos aprenden de forma divertida. Se sienten motivados y por ello aprenden más pues están de algún modo más concentrados. Precisamente éste que que he puesto en el blog me parece muy adecuado, ya que está lleno de humor y juegos de palabras.
Existen muchas actividades que se pueden realizar con este método audiovisual, ya se trabaje sólo con la imagen,sólo con el sonido o con ambos. Se pueden hacer múltiples ejercicios de descripción, predicción, role-plays, etc.

The annoying orange

sábado, 2 de abril de 2011

ESTE BLOG

El objetivo de este blog es publicar cosas que me parecen interesantes a mí y que tienen que ver con la lengua inglesa y el mundo anglosajón. Se trata de compartir información. Al principio pensé crearlo para mí, pero si es útil para mí, ¿por qué no compartirlo con los demás?.
En cuanto a los contenidos, me gustaría que estuviesen relacionados con la lengua inglesa y la cultura anglosajona.
El blog está dirigido a todo aquel que tenga interés por los contenidos que voy a publicar. Tanto a mis alumnos del IES donde trabajo como cualquier persona que pueda estar interesada en él. 

BRITISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
I have always been fascinated by the English culture. I love the English language, the English customs and their traditions. I became interested in the language at school and basically just fell in love with everything related to the British culture.
I have also felt attracted to the United Kingdom from an early age because my parents are keen on the British cinema and I have seen lots of English films. I´ve grown up watching them and I have learnt quite a lot about British customs and traditions. This has allowed me to study a lot about English culture from a multidisciplinary approach: history, literature, politics, cinema, etc.
Britain is full of customs and traditions. They are interesting and part of the British lifestyle. They are famous all over the world and the British themselves consider them as "British"


  • English tea. Tea is much more than a mere drink in Britain. It is a way of life, an art, almost a religion. It is served between three o'clock and five o'clock. It didn't exist before XIX century.
  • English breakfast. It consists of several courses: porridge, bacon, eggs, saussages, grilled or fried tomatoes and a slice of fried bread. Nowadays the only time people eat a full English breakfast is on Sundays and on holyday; when they can spend a more leisurely morning. People now, consider it unhealthy.
  • Take-away meals. They are very popular in Britain. Fish and chips is the classic English take-away food and is the traditional national food of England. It became popular in the 1800's when railways began to bring fresh fish straight from the coast.
  • Pubs. The word pub stands for public house. There are over 60 000 pubs in the UK. Pubs are a very important part in British life. People talk,eat, drink meet their friends and relax there.


There are also certain icons and institutions which spring in mind whenever one hears the word "British".

  • The British Bobby is one of the most cherised icons.
  •  The Bulldog which symbolises the very essence of britishness. He is solid, reliable, loyal, very individual, very nice when you get to know him.
  • In the same way the Americans have Uncle Sam, the British have John Bull. He is a fictional character who personifies the British nation, and the typical Ennglishman.
  • Britannia is the personification of British nationalism. She is portrayed as a young woman in a neo-classical gown and helmet seated by the sea. She is holding a trident in one hand and a shield decorated with the Union Jack in the other.
  • The Bowler hat conjures up an instant image of Britishness. It is worn today as the "unofficial uniform" of the city gent, always accesorized with a rolled up black umbrella.


EXERCISE 1



1.- Read the text and answer the following questions.

1.- Are you interested in the British culture?
2.- What do you think "makes the English so English"?
3.- Write some examples.
4.- Write something about the English sense of humour. It is known that not everybody
      understands English  sense of humour. Can you describe it?
5.- Why is it so typical that the English speak about the weather?
6.- Do you think it is important to study the culture in which the language originates?
7.- Write names of famous people who were born in Britain.

EXERCISE 2


2.- The following links will give you some extra information about customs and traditions in the UK. Read it carefully and then answer the following questions:


1.- What does it mean to be British?
2.- What are the countries that make up Great Britain?. And The United Kingdom?
3.- What are Britain's National Emblems?
4.- What are the symbols of England, Scotland and Wales?
5.- What is the name of The United Kigdom's National flag?. What does it symbolise?
6.- Name England's national game.
7.- Does The UK have a National Day?
8.-  Who is Ireland's Patron Saint?. When is it celebrated?
9.- Where can you see red double-decker buses?
10.- What does a typical London taxi look like?

EXERCISE 3

3.-  For this assignment,again,  you are going to use the Internet to find out some information about The
      United Kingdom. Go to the following link and watch the video, then answer the questions below.


1.- Name four British customs that are mentioned in the video.
2.- Is it an English tradition to have afternoon tea and biscuits? Where does it come from?
3.- Why is it so common, when visiting London,  to watch the change of the guard?
4.- From all the characteristics, either good or bad, for which the English are known,
     which do you think are the best known?