Viva la Vida Lyrics - Coldplay

INTERESTING VOCABULARY

To rule 

To own

To roll the dice 

Fear

Crowd

Cavalry

Choir

Sword

Shield

Field

Drums

Puppet

String 

FUCK

Do you know the meaning of FUCK? What do the letters F.U.C.K stand for? 

FORNICATING UNDER CONSENT OF THE KING

In ancient England you could not have sex unless you had consent of the king or unless you were in the Royal Family. When couples wanted to have a baby, they asked the king for permission and the king gave them a placard that they hung on their door while they were having sex. 

DAYS OF THE WEEK

Do you know where the days of the week come from?

SUNDAY: The day of the sun

MONDAY: The day of the moon 

TUESDAY: The day of Tuisto, the god of war. 

WEDNESDAY: The day of Woden. Woden is the god of Northern religions. 

THURSDAY: The day of Thor, the god of thunder. 

FRIDAY: The day of Freya, the goddess of fertility. 

SATURDAY: The day of Saturn, the Roman god. 

These names were made up by the Vikings who got to Great Britain in the 8th century. 

* Thanks to MªCarmen (tourism class) who brought this curious information to class last week. 

English is a crazy language

Virgin America Safety Video

Watch this funny video! You can review vocabulary of airline companies, phrasal verbs and specific words in an entertaining way! ENJOY!!!! 

ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH

Spanish students have a lot of problems with adjectives in English. Two important things that I usually highlight in class are: 

1. Adjectives are always SINGULAR . I have two BEAUTIFUL children (not beautifuls) 

2. Adjectives always go BEFORE the noun . I have a BLUE PEN (not pen blue). 

Apart from these basic things, students always use the same adjectives to describe elements: small, big, beautiful, ugly... and in English there are hundreds of different adjectives you can use!!! 

I am going to ask you some questions I would like you to answer using adjectives. Choose one or two, it's not necessary to answer all of them:  

1. Describe the most important person for you. 

2. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? 

3. Tell us about the best moment in your life and describe your feelings. 

4. Who do you admire? Tell us why. 

5. Tell us about the last book you read. 

6. Describe the last party you went to. 

THE LEAP DAY - THE LEAP YEAR

Some days ago, I was watching one of my favourite American shows (Modern Family)  and I learnt a new expression! 

THE LEAP DAY

Do you know the meaning of this word? The leap day is February 29. It's a date that usually occurs every four years . 

According to this, THE LEAP YEAR  is the year that contains an additional day. (año bisiesto). 

English is a crazy language!

English is a crazy language. Why? 

HAMBURGER-  There is no ham in a hamburger

EGGPLANT- There is no egg in the eggplant 

PINEAPPLE- There is no apple in a pineapple 

FRENCH FRIES-  They were not invented in France

BOXING RINGS are square 

A GUINEA PIG is not a pig from Guinea 

Do you know the meaning of these words? 

Eggplant                                             French fries                       

Guinea Pig                                                     Boxing ring 

      

Confusing words

Do you know the difference between these three words? 

RECEIPT 

RECIPE 

PRESCRIPTION

Receipt is what you get when you buy an item (ticket de compra, recibo, factura) 

Recipe is the set of instructions that you have to follow to cook something (receta de cocina) 

Prescription is what you get when you go to the doctor and he/she prescribes drugs to you (receta médica) 

The words may be confusing because in Spanish we use the same word for recipe and prescription. 

Receipt                                           Recipe 

 Prescription

Playing with words in English. Funny images!

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day

Why? 

In the 17th century, pilgrims emigrated from England to New England (North America) and took their traditions with them . One of their traditions was Thanksgiving Day, a day in which they thanked God for all the good things they had (specially food at that time). From that moment, Americans have been celebrating this feast to thank God for all the blessings and possessions they have. 

What? 

Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. 

The day after Thanksgiving, that is Black Friday is the day of the biggest sale of the year. There are various deals and offers that one can avail on Black Friday that is falling on 23rd November this year. One only needs to be an early bird..

Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season.

Where? 

Thanksgiving as we know it today is celebrated mainly in Canada and in The United States.

When? 

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the States every fourth Thursday of November. The following day is the Black Friday where people usually go shopping and do not neither work nor study. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends

                                         Do you know the meaning of the words in bold? 

ACRONYMS IN ENGLISH

What is an ACRONYM? An acronym is a word formed from the initials of words in a phrase. For example: 

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

English is a language which contains a lot of acronyms. Do you know what these initials stand for? 

BBC                 .....................................................

BC and AD       .....................................................

GMT                .....................................................

RSPV               .....................................................

CIA                  .....................................................

FBI                  ......................................................

GCSE               ......................................................

LOL                 .....................................................

BTW                ......................................................

SOS                  .....................................................

UFO                 ......................................................

VAT                 .....................................................

VIP                  ......................................................

Ph.D                 .....................................................

Do you know any of them? Leave a comment and guess their meanings! I'll post the solution in a week. Good luck! 

FALSE FRIENDS

What is a false friend? False friends are words that are similar in Spanish and English but their meanings are different. For example, when a Spanish student reads the word EMBARRASSED, he/she thinks it means embarazada. However, despite its similarity to the Spanish word, the meaning is : avergonzado.  Although most of you know the most common ones, Spanish speakers tend to forget the real meanings of the words when writing and speaking. That is why, I provide you with a short revision of them! 

What are the meaning of these words? 

1. QUIET                                                         11. EVENTUALLY 

2. CONSTIPATED                                           12. LECTURE 

3. COLLAR                                                      13. MASCARA

4. ACTUAL                                                      14. SENSIBLE

5. ADVISE                                                        15. COLLEGE

6. ARENA                                                         16. AVOCADO 

7. PROVE                                                         17. BALLOON 

8. DISCUSSION                                                18. CARPET 

9. RECEIPT                                                       19. CONDUCTOR 

10. LARGE                                                         20. IDIOM 

How many do you know? 10, 12, 20? 

KEY: 

1. Calmado (no quieto) 

2. Estreñido (no constipado) 

3. Cuello de una camisa (no collar de joyas) 

4. Real (no actual) 

5. Aconsejar (no avisar) 

6. Estadio, ruedo (no arena) 

7. Demostrar ( no probar) 

8. Conversación, debate (no discusión) 

9. Recibo (no receta) 

10. Grande (no largo)

11. Finalmente (no eventualmente) 

12. Conferencia ( no lectura) 

13. Rímel (no máscara) 

14. Sensato (no sensible) 

15. Universidad (no colegio) 

16. Aguacate (no abogado) 

17. Globo (no balón) 

18.  Alfombra (no carpeta) 

19. Director de orquesta (no conductor de vehículos) 

20. Frase hecha, expresión (no idioma) 

Now, what's the English word for the blue words? Leave a comment and tell me if you know all of them! 

One word- two meanings

Think of a word that suits both definitions. Encuentra la palabra que corresponda a ambas definiciones


1. not left /correct -----> RIGHT 

2. something to read/ to reserve  ----->   BOOK 

3. not warm/ a slight illness ----->  COLD

4. a small amount of liquid/ to let fall -----> DROP 

5. everything is ok/ punishment for speeding or parking -----> FINE

6. to sack/ very hot situation -----> FIRE

7. nice and friendly/ a sort of something -----> KIND

8. to put a finger on a button/ the papers -----> PRESS

9. not first/ unit of time -----> SECOND

10. a group of words/ to send to prison -----> SENTENCE

11. open space for a market/ geometric shape -----> SQUARE

12.  blonde/gentlemanly at sport -----> FAIR


Can you guess the words? Give it a try and leave a comment!