En mi dormitorio

En mi dormitorio, hay...  In my bedroom there is/are...

un armario.......... a wardrobe
un ordenador...... a computer
un alfombra........ a rug
una cama............ a bed
una mesa............ a table
una silla...............a chair
una  estantería...a bookshelf
una lámpara...... a lamp

un dormitorio limpio y arreglado.

to say where things are

in front of..........delante del/de la
behind...............detrás
between........entre
on top of...........encima del/de la
under...............debajo del/de la...
on the left of.............a la izquierda del/de la
on the right side of...a la derecha del/de la

Tip : use del if the noun that follows is masculine
Use de la if the noun that follows is feminine.

un cuarto desordenado

¿Tu cuarto está sucio y desordenado? Is your room dirty and messy?
No, es limpio y arreglado!                        No, it's clean and tidy!

Examples

La ventana está a la derecha del armario...the window is on the right side of the wardrobe

Mi gato está debajo de la cama...................my cat is under the bed

Los posters están en las paredes................the posters are on the wall

Tip: make sure that you conjugate the verb 'estar'  (to be) properly!

Object pronouns

Position of Object Pronouns

An object pronoun generally goes before the verb.

Me dio el libro:  he gave me the book

Exceptions: when a conjugated verb is used with an infinitive or present participle, the object pronouns can either precede the conjugated verb or be attached to the infinitive or participle

Voy a leerlo,

lo voy a leer =  I am going to read it

Estoy leyéndolo,

Lo estoy leyendo= I am reading it.

In affirmative commands, the object pronoun must follow the verb and is attached to it

Léalo a su madre!:  read it to your mother!.

When an indirect object and a direct object pronoun are used together, the indirect goes before the direct object pronoun

No te lo doy: I am not giving it to you

Léamelo: read it to me.

If both pronouns are of the third person, se is used instead of the indirect object le or les

Se lo di: I gave it to him

This se is not to be confused with the reflexive se

Se las lavaron they washed them.

Use the following pronouns for a direct object
Me
Juan no me ve: John does not see me
Te
Te quiero mucho: I like you a lot
Le
Senor, no le comprendo: Sir, I don't understand you.
La
Senora, no la veo a Vd: Madame, I don't see you.
Lo
¿Dónde está tu libro? Ve a buscarlo! Where is your book? Go and get it!

Pronouns are definitely not an easy thing to understand. Practice is the best!
Follow this link for more explanations on the pronouns and other grammar topics.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dict_en_es/front/notes

Creative MFL ideas

Teaching languages is more exciting when you can share ideas and good practice with other colleagues. You may want to be inspired by the following slide show.

Creative MFL ideas for KS3 and KS4 from Chris Fuller

You will note that lots of examples are in Spanish so this is even better!

Daily routine

1. El arreglo personal                                                        Personal hygiene

2. un despertador                                                             the alarm clock
3. despertarse                                                                  to wake up
4. el jabón                                                                        the soap
5. el champú                                                                     the shampoo
6. lavarse                                                                          to have a wash 
7. una toalla                                                                      the towel
8. una secadora                                                                the dryer
9. secarse                                                                        to dry yourself
10. (el) agua caliente                                                           the hot water
11.  bañarse/ducharse                                                         to bathe / shower 
12. unas tijeras                                                                   the scissors                                                            
13. un cepillo                                                                      a brush
14. un cepillo de dientes                                                      a toothbrush
15. cepillarse                                                                      to brush your hair
16. una maquinilla de afeitar                                                a razor
17. una afeitadora eléctrica                                                 an electric shaver
18. para afeitarse                                                                to shave 
19. unos rulos                                                                     curlers
20. rizarse                                                                          to curl your hair
21. un peine                                                                        a comb
22. peinarse                                                                       to comb your hair
23. el lápiz labial                                                                 a lipstick                                                        
24. maquillarse                                                                   to put some make up on.

There is more vocabulary on this topic on this website. (Click on the word website)

Brain-based learning, a buzz phrase...

Do you wish to find out more about brain-based learning theory? Read on...

Brain based learning theory is guided by the assumption that “research in neuroscience should guide learning and assessment.” (Gulpinar, 2005) Much of brain-based learning (or BBL) theory stresses the importance of environment and learning climate and engaging students by reducing stress and getting them to a state of “relaxed alertness.” Reduce stress, put on some background music, make sure that every student is welcome..

HOW BRAIN-BASED LEARNING IMPACTS EDUCATION
Curriculum -- Teachers must design learning around student interests and make learning contextual. One example, start talking about theme parks during your MFL lesson and you will see that your students'interest increases dramatically.  
Instruction -- Educators let students learn in teams and use peripheral learning. Teachers structure learning around real problems, encouraging students to also learn in settings outside the classroom and the school building.
Assessment -- Since all students are learning, their assessment should allow them to understand their own learning styles and preferences. This way, students monitor and enhance their own learning process.
The three instructional techniques associated with brain-based learning are:
1. Orchestrated immersion -- Creating learning environments that fully immerse students in an educational experience.
2. Relaxed alertness -- Trying to eliminate fear in learners, while maintaining a highly challenging environment.
3. Active processing -- Allowing the learner to consolidate and internalize information by actively processing it.

Here is where you can find an overview of brain-based learning theory.

Kinesthetic activities

As I was browsing the web to find different kinesthetic activities for my students, I found the following one. You write sentences, split them into three, i.e. the sujects, the verbs and the complements. You give the bits of sentences to the pupils who in turn have to build the sentence up. To do this, the students need to get up and go round the classroom and find their match.
Recently, I did a similar activity to consolidate the past tense. They received different cards, subject, auxiliary verb, complement and past participle. However the students were working together on  4 sentences. So a little variation is beneficial. As I was doing a carousel, I could hear some other students desperate to get their hands on the cards. The same eagerness was apparent in another class, I told the students that they could get up and use the interactive whiteboard soon as they'd finish the first tasks. Soon enough, they got up in group of 4 to enjoy a snake and ladder grammar game on hobbies (testing opinions and present tense).

The European Day of Languages

The European Day of Languages was created during the European Year of Languages in 2001, a Council of Europe initiative jointly with the European Union.
Throughout Europe, hundreds of activities celebrating language diversity and promoting language learning are held on 26 September.
We are having a special assembly and a competition at our school. Let us know what you are planning!

ceremonia de Inauguración de los Juegos de Londres 2012.

Ceremonia de Inauguración de los Juegos de Londres 2012.
The opening ceremony for the games in London
En total serán 205 los países que desfilarán incluido el grupo de atletas independientes en el estadio Olímpico londinense. 
Grecia abrirá el fuego con el taekwondista Alexandros Nikolaidis 
y Gran Bretaña, como anfitriona, cerrará el emotivo paseo de los representantes de los deportistas con Chris Hoy, la gran figura del ciclismo en pista con 4 oros olímpicos en su palmarés.


Source: www.ABC.es

Guanabana

Ayer, mi hija compró una botella de guanabana que es una fruta exotica.
Posee vitaminas, minerales y aminoácidos esenciales, muy importantes para la salud.
Es delicioso. Y tu ? le has bebido un zumo de guanabana ?

Tickets for the olympic games 2012

Handball action in the Copper BoxHolly Lam-Moores shoots for goal during Team GB's victory over Angola at the London Handball Cup in November 2011.

Los británicos se quejan de no poder adquirir entradas para los Juegos. Las quejas por las pocas y caras entradas para los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 son producto de una demanda sin precedentes por parte de los británicos.
Las entradas para la ceremonia inaugural cuestan entre 20,12 libras esterlinas (31,80 dólares) y 2.012 libras (3.200 dólares). 
Williamson dijo que los organizadores de Londres tenían que promocionar entradas para deportes como el balonmano, que es un misterio en el país anfitrión (host)
Otras especialidades como el tiro con arco, el tiro y lucha podían también registrar llenos completos.
Los atletas también pueden esperar un estadio Olímpico completo en las pruebas de clasificación. “Las sesiones matinales del atletismo, cuando se realizan las pruebas preliminares (preliminary rounds), siempre fueron con un estadio a medio llenar”, señaló Williamson.
Sin embargo, las entradas para los partidos de fútbol en sedes como (in places such as) Newcastle y Glasgow están siendo más complicados de vender.
Answer the following questions

1. What do the British complain about?
2. How much do the tickets for the inauguration cost?
3. Why did the organisers have to promote the tickets for the handball?
4. For which sports could the tickets be sold out?

Answers soon to be revealed.