Friday, November 21, 2014
How to say 'I am Groot' in 15 languages
'Guardians of the Gallaxy' featuring Marvel's characters was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. And 'Groot', one of the heroes in the movie, was quite charismatic, even though tree-like creature could only say one sentence, which was the line introducing himself. On the video bellow, we can listen to the Groot saying his famous catchline in 15 different languages, which can be a nice way to bring the topic of translation to the discussion with the young students:
Marcadores:
Groot,
languages,
Marvel,
Teaching,
Translation
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Idiomas sem Fronteiras: Brazilian Government special program for language learners
Good News for all language learners and teachers in Brazil. The Brazilian Government has launched a program called 'Idiomas sem Fronteiras' (something as 'Languages without borders') that aims at linguistic development of college students, professors and also language teachers at public schools. The program will offer on-line classes and possibly the opportunity for an exchange experience. Besides English, the program includes French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Italian, German and also Portuguese for foreigners students.
For more information, check the link:
Marcadores:
Education,
English,
Idiomas sem fronteiras,
News,
Teaching
Friday, May 9, 2014
Brazilian students learn English with elderly American
In a very nice and simple way, CNA, a Brazilian Language School, has put their students in contact with some eldery people from Chicago, US, in order to offer them the opportunity to improve their language skills by talking to native speakers. On the other hand, the elderly involved on this project could find some interested and careful listeners. Check the results on the video bellow:
Marcadores:
CNA,
elderly,
Teaching,
Teaching Strategies
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Song & Lyrics: Fifa World Cup Brazil 2014 Official Song
I commented on previous posts how controversial the Fifa World Cup in Brazil is. Anyway, there's less than one month left, so I guess we should take the most we can out of it as a learning opportunity. One thing that always can help is the official song, which this time is sung in English and Portuguese, and with a very positive message.
The song is performed by the legendary Mexican guitarrist Carlos Santana, the Swedish DJ Avicii the Haitian-American Wyclef Jean and the Brazilian Alexandre Pires. The song title "Dar um jeito" is a very coloquial expression that reflects the positive feeling Brazilian people usually have, even when against the odds of living in a nation not fully mature in many aspects. Check it out:
Dar um Jeito (We wil find a way) lyrics
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
When you got nothing to eat
And you find it hard to sleep
How you struggling on the streets
And you can't escape the heat
But your heart could feel that beat
So you get up off your feet
Ain't no mountain you can't reach
Grab a star and make a wish
We're celebrating and we're wavin' all our wrath
We are united even though we're different flags
We are one voice, one heart
One soul, once we set that goal
You know we're gonna start
Here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know oh oh oh
So here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gonna find a way, yeah we gonna find a way
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gon find a way, yeah we gon find a way
Você nasceu pra brilhar
Está escrito em seu olhar
É tão forte a sensação
De vestir uma nação
Quando o jogo começar
Ninguém vai te segurar
Sua determinação
É de um grande campeão
E nós celebramos e vibramos por vocês
O mundo inteiro está torcendo outra vez
Nós somos uma voz, corpo e alma
Coração, então vamos gritar
Explode a emoção
Here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know oh oh oh
So here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gon find a way, yeah we gon find a way
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gon find a way, yeah we gon find a way
Here we go
Here we go
Here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know oh oh oh
So here we go, oh oh oh
That's all we know
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gonna find a way, yeah we gonna find a way
Dar um jeito (oh oh oh)
We gonna find a way, yeah we gonna find a way
Here we go
Marcadores:
Brazil 2014,
official song,
resources,
Song & Lyrics,
Teaching
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014: the year we were waiting for
2013 was quite a busy year and I'm ashamed I left this blog a little abandoned. That's the price of being involved in so many projects. So, if there's one thing I can say about the year that had just gone is that it was a very creative and productive time, which means that I'm also burned out by now.
Hopefully, this is the vacation time around here, so I can take a rest and a deep breath and try to rearrange things. And of course, do some planning about teaching, career and other personal goals.
Looking at what is about to come, 2014 is probably going to be a very awkward year: the Fifa World Cup is on the corner, and it will have a serious impact on school schedules. At least on my school district, the next term will start sooner than the usual, so we can finish our activities before the World Cup starts. And the second term will be split in two, so teachers and students will have a break in October to compensate some days of vacation they missed in January. And of course, there'll be all the media euphoria that will affect the kids (not to mention all the others things concerning this World Cup...), what will demand a lot of energy and creativity from us teachers.
It's ironic that we have been talking about 2014 for so long, since the World Cup was announced, and, well, now it's here and nothing has changed and even the basic infrastructure like stadia isn't done yet.
Apart from that, a new year always seems to give us that psychological strength that we're always looking for, what makes it always welcome.
So, for many reasons, I guess we all have been waiting for 2014. Let the new year renew your hopes and get ready for all the opportunities it will bring.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Valuable distinctions in ESP
I’ve always
heard about English for Specific Purposes (ESP) but it was only recently that I
got acquainted with two important distinctions on this field. I’m talking about
two concepts that are very valuable to every teacher/instructor on this
context: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational
Purposes (EOP).
English For
Academic Purposes
As the name
suggests, it focuses on the preparation of students who are about to start a
course in an Academic Field. It involves not only the languages skills, like
specific vocabulary, but also key abilities related to common activities in any
Academic Situation, such as writing reports, taking notes, raising questions and
doing formal presentations, that are directly linked to the students’ academic
success.
English for
Occupational Purposes
It’s more
like a training on some very specific language that is going to be demanded on
a professional situation. It can take place prior to work or in service. It
tends to be a really practical approach focusing on students' realistic and immediate needs.
These two distinctions are really key for teachers designing a course and who needs to have a clear view of its goals in order to estabilish realistic and achievable goals.
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Monday, April 1, 2013
April Fools' Day Vocabulary ('Dia da Mentira' em Inglês)
Don't be a fool! A few key words related to April Fools' Day and their Portuguese translation.
April Fools' Day
("Dia da Mentira", literalmente, "Dia dos Tolos")
Fool (tolo, bobo)
Hoax (farsa / fraude)
Joke (piada)
To make fun of somebody / to mock somebody
(tirar sarro de alguém)
Prank / Practical Joke (trote / 'piada prática')
Trick (truque, artimanha, trote, 'peça')
To play a trick ('pregar uma peça')
You may also like:
Marcadores:
April Fool's Day,
celebration dates,
language,
Vocabulary
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