HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! (a bit delayed... )

The LingQ Project - Learning languages online

What is LingQ?
LingQ.com is a website where you can learn English and 10 other languages online.
On this site you will find hundreds of lessons to read and listen to free of charge. The podcasts cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced level lessons and topics include basic greetings, social issues, language learning and more all in natural English or other langauges. You can sign up for a FREE account and start learning a new language today!


In order to stress the importance of language learning, I asked my students from class 10D, from Escola Secundária/3 de Barcelinhos, to participate in the LingQ Project. 
Each student had to create some content to upload on the website as native speakers of the Portuguese language in order to help foreign students to learn our mother tongue.


If you want to learn European Portuguese, then join Class 10D from Escola Secundária/3 de Barcelinhos, Barcelos, Portugal as they talk about their lives and their country. 


These are the links to the lessons/podcasts:

• LESSON "Barcelos, a nossa cidade" - This is a simple text, a description of Barcelos, the hometown of my students. Text and audio were created by Eliana, Márcia, Sara and Sofia from Class 10D from Escola Secundária/3 de Barcelinhos.
• LESSON "Como chegar ao teatro? - Direcções" - This is a simple dialogue in which two teenagers ask for and give directions. Text and audio created by Débora, Carolina and Francisca from Class 10D.
• LESSON "Diálogo entre a Maria e a Íris" - This is a simple dialogue based on personal information between two teenagers. Text and audio created by Ana Sofia and Marisa from Class 10D. 
• LESSON "Mourinho em Publicidade do BCP Millenium" - This is an extract of a recording of a commercial. The commercial is about the bank Millennium and the speaker is José Mourinho, the famous football coach. The translation of the transcript was created by Pedro and Mateus from Class 10D.
• LESSON "Luís Vaz de Camões & o poema "Mudam-se os tempos, mudam-se as vontades" - This is a recording of the poem "Mudam-se os tempos, mudam-se as vontades" by Camões, followed by a short description about the poet. The glossary and audio were created by Ana Catarina Miranda, Ana Catarina Vilas Boas and Carina from Class 10D.
• LESSON "Poema "Frutos" de Eugénio de Andrade" - This is a recording of the poem "Frutos" by Eugénio de Andrade, followed by a short description about the poet. The glossary and audio were created by Joel and Miguel from Class 10D.
• LESSON "Mar Português" de Fernando Pessoa" - This is a recording of the poem "Mar Português" by Fernando Pessoa, followed by a short description about the poet. The glossary and audio were created by Regina and Cristiana from Class 10D. 

Sign up a for a free account and check out Class D's Portuguese lessons. 

SUMMER HOLIDAYS: Perfect time to practise your English!

Are you worried about forgetting your English during the summer holidays?
Don't worry! Here are some tips to practise your English!

HAVE YOU HEARD? CELL PHONES MAY CAUSE CANCER!

Are you permanently attached to your cell phone? If you are addicted to your cell phone, it seems you may be at risk!


Comment on these great cartoons!

www.cagle.com 

www.cagle.com

www.cagle.com

"BROADCAST YOURSELF": Cover songs & YouTube

If there’s one thing YouTube has always been good for, it is as a platform for any ordinary person to express himself or herself. That is the very basis of its “broadcast yourself” roots.

If you have the time - and patience! - to browse thousands of music videos on YouTube, you will quickly find out that most of them are actually cover songs!  Do you know what a cover song is?
A cover version (or simply "cover") is a song which is re-recorded by a singer or band, after another artist has released a recording of it. Sometimes the versions are similar, but sometimes they are very different. Many songs become more popular as cover versions than in their original recordings. (wikipedia.org)

Of course, there are also issues regarding copyright violations. If you are planning on taping a cover of your favourite song and uploading it on YouTube, perhaps you should read some information on this issue before... Otherwsie you could get into trouble! Here are the links to two articles that discuss this problem and give you some advice:
           "Recording, Releasing, and Performing Cover Songs" by Cameron Mizell
           "Music, Copyright, and YouTube" by  Suzanne Lainson
A great deal of musicians make videos of themselves performing cover songs at home and upload them to sites like YouTube. This has become a great way to capture people’s attention with the covered songs as a gateway to their original music. Usually, videos of cover songs get more views than videos of original music.
A good example of this is the band Karmin, a duo of singers from Boston, USA. Have you ever listened to their songs? Give them a try, I'm sure you'll love them!

What the Finns need to know about Portugal [video]

The following video is a compilation of great accomplishments of the Portuguese people. It also reveals how Portugal has been generous towards other countries in the world.
Portugal has been greatly affected by the economic crisis and international financial markets are "punishing" our national economy. 
Finland's support is necessary for the EU's bailout but a large number of Finns are against it. 
This video was presented yesterday, in Estoril, at the end of the ESTORIL CONFERENCES - Global Challenges, Local Answers. Its aim is to make the Finnish people aware of the Portuguese history and generosity.

What do you think of this?

Imagine waking up with a British Accent...

An American woman woke up with a British accent. Is this really possible?

Apparently, yes, it is possible. Have you ever heard of the Foreign Language Syndrome? 

Watch the report about Karen Butler, who blames a sedative used during dental surgery, for changing her voice into a British accent. You can read the transcript below.

If only my students could wake up with a British accent! :-)

    Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

TRANSCRIPT:

You're watching multisource health news analysis from News

Would you ever believe that an American woman from Portland, Oregon who talks like this:

“Hi this is Karen, sorry I can’t come to the phone at the moment.” (Video: KATU)

Could leave a dentist appointment sounding like this?

 “Oh where are you from, where did you get that accent? Well I got it from my dentist in Toledo!” (Video: WEWS)

Karen Butler suffers from an extremely rare disorder, Foreign Accent Syndrome. Most sufferers contract the syndrome after a stroke or brain trauma.

But Butler blames the anesthetic, Halcion, for her new voice after receiving oral surgery. Doctors are puzzled about her case because the syndrome has never been linked to a sedative. (Video: MSNBC)

KATU speaks with a stroke doctor about the logistics:

Reporter: “Why accent instead of just saying it’s a speech impediment or change? It seems interesting that it becomes an accent.”

Doctor: “As you’ve already pointed out it’s exceedingly rare. Now stroke very commonly affects language and most typically someone who has a stroke has trouble speaking... This is a very small part of the brain that affects language, that affects the articulation and intonation of speech.”

The condition is so rare only 100 cases have been reported worldwide since the 1900s. While American media celebrates Butler’s oddity, NBC reveals the cultural backlash in other countries with similar cases:

 “Hello, my name is Kate...”

“When her voice changed, life changed. She lost her job and became depressed.”

“You lose your identity, because you don’t know who you are anymore. You don’t fit in anywhere.”

“Sarah Callwell knows just how she feels. Her accent changed earlier this year. Now some people think she sounds Chinese.”

“At first I felt very alone, I felt like I did not belong in this country anymore.”

The original accent can return to sufferers of the syndrome, but Butler tells the Oregonian she feels more outgoing thanks to the change:

 “It wasn’t until this happened to me and everywhere you go people are so curious to know about who you are and what you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done... It has just really changed a great deal of my willingness.”

Transcript by Newsy.com (http://www.newsy.com/videos/american-woman-wakes-up-with-british-accent/)

THE ROYAL WEDDING

Yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot yesterday. Billions of people watched the wedding ceremony all over the globe. 
Here are some photos of what happened yesterday.

Have you also been affected by the Royal Wedding Mania?

HAPPY EASTER!

glitter-graphics.com

How sweet has been your Easter so far? 

Have you eaten loads of chocolate eggs or chocolate bunnies? 


What about almonds? 


Are you a fan of chocolate covered almonds or the colourful sugar-coated ones? 




Easter by the Numbers [infographic]
According to this infographic, in the United States, Americans eat a lot of candy at Easter. Delicious chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and more. It doesn’t take a healthcare degree to figure out what all that candy means for our bodies. If you want to keep the extra pounds off, stay away from the basket! 

http://degreesearch.org/blog/2011/04/easter-by-the-numbers-infographic/

"VIVA A ESCOLA" - Snacks'R'Us and Spelling Bee Contest - 7 APRIL 2011

Next Thursday, 7th April, our school will be holding the 2011 edition of the "VIVA A ESCOLA" event.

The English Department is organising two events: Snacks'R'Us and the 2nd edition of the Spelling Bee Contest.


All students are invited to visit room 17. 


Come and visit the exhibit and have a snack for 50 cents (beverage included). There will be food from different English-speaking countries: the UK and the USA, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and even Jamaica!

Support your classmates in the finals of the Spelling Bee Contest! There are prizes!

Are you ready for the Spelling Bee Contest?


Do you want to practise your spelling skills?


Then check out this great website: Spelling Bee The Game


Or click on the video below and follow this YouTube Interactive Spelling Bee. It's fun!

It's April Fools' Day!

Have you been fooled today? Ooops! Today is April Fools' Day! 

Every year, April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on the April 1. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness.
The day is marked by the commission of good humoured or funny jokes, hoaxes, and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, teachers, neighbors, work associates, etc. 

The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in 1392. Many writers suggest that the restoration of January 1 as New Year's Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the holiday, but this theory does not explain earlier references. (adapted from Wikipedia.org)

Interested in playing a joke on someone? Watch this video in order to learn how to prank a friend's food!

For more jokes and pranks, you can always check out the The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time!

FIXED - An intriguing story set in a hospital

While browsing Vimeo website the other day, I came across a very intriguing story about a patient who goes to the hospital and undergoes a lot of exams in order to find a cure to his aching leg. I believe you will all enjoy it!


"Fixed" is a short animation film by the young director Jeffrey Thompson. 

"Fixed" 2010 from Jeffrey Thompson on Vimeo.

What do you think of the doctors' solution to this patient's problem?

You can find more interesting videos and music videos at Vimeo website.