lunes, 11 de febrero de 2013

ST. VALENTINE´S DAY

            Valentine´s Day is February 14th. It is not a holiday, but it is a special day for many people in different countries around the world. Each year on Valentine´s Day, friends and lovers exchange valentine cards,chocolates, candy, flowers, and other gifts. Children make valentines for their classmates and put them in a decorated mailbox at school. On February 14th, the teacher opens the box and distributes the cards to the students. Many schools also celebrate Valentine´s Day with parties. Some people like to go to a romantic restaurant on Valentine´s Day to celebrate. People of all ages love to send and receive valentines.
            There are many symbols of Valentine´s Day, such as hearts, roses and cupids. The symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman times. Cupid was the son of the love goddess, Venus. Cupid was a playful child who flew around shooting love arrows into people´s hearts, making them fall in love.
            Have you ever fallen in love? Have you ever declared your love to another person? There have been thousands of love declarations in the history of cinema. We are showing you three famous ones here. Which one is the best for you? Why? Add your comments.

The Notebook

My dearest Ally,

I couldnt sleep last night because I know it's over between us. I'm not
bitter anymore because I know what we had was real. And if in some distant
place in the future we see each other in our new lives, I will smile at you
with joy and remember how we spent a summer beneath the trees learning from
each other and growing in love. The best love is the kind that awakens the
soul and makes us reach for more and that plants a fire in our hearts and
brings peace to our minds and that's what you've given me and that's what
I'd hope to give to you forever. I love you; I'll be seeing you.

Noah




Love Actually



Runaway Bride







    Maggie Carpenter: I love you, Homer Eisenhower Graham. Will you marry me?
Ike Graham: I... I've got to think about this a little bit.
Maggie Carpenter: Good. I was hoping you'd say that.
Ike Graham: [laughing] You were not!
Maggie Carpenter: I was, because if you said "yes" right away, then I wouldn't get to say this next part, and I've been practicing.
[Maggie sits down, clears her throat]
Maggie Carpenter: Ready?
Ike Graham: I'm listening.
Maggie Carpenter: I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is going to want get out. But I also guarantee...
[starts to cry]
Maggie Carpenter: ...that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart... you're the only one for me.

Would you add a new one? I´m looking forward to your suggestions!
And now some idioms and expressions related to love:

1. blind date.- a social meeting or date with someone you have never met before (the date has been arranged by a friend or family member).
2. to fall (or be) head over heels in love .- to love someone very much
3. to be madly in love.- to love someone very much
4. to be crazy about someone.- to like someone very much
5. to have a crush on somebody.- to like someone very much
6. puppy love .- young love between children or teenagers.
7. pop the question.- to ask someone to marry you
8. love at first sight.- falling ion love the first time you meet soemone
9. love is blind.- people do not see the fauklts in their lovers
10. love conquers all.- love is strong enough to overcome all problems

And last but not least...my two presents for you on Valentine´s Day: a poem and a song. Hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Sonnet XVIII

Shall I compare thee to a summer´s day?
Thou art more lovely a nd more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer´s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm´d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature´s changing course, untrimm´d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander´st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest;
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare



ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE   by THE BEATLES

sábado, 9 de febrero de 2013

MAKING CONVERSATION

How can you start a conversation when you don´t know what to say?
Here are some key expressions you can use to "break the ice".

Starting a conversation:
Can I join you?
I hear you work for.../you study at ...
Is this your first time....?
What do you think of...?

Offering :                                                                        Responding:
Can I help you?                                                                 Yes, please.
Can I get you something...?                                              Yes, of course.
Would you like another...?                                                Yes, that´s right.
Please take a seat.                                                           No, thanks. I´m fine.

Finishing a conversation:
Please, excuse me.
Nice talking to you.
See you later.


Now, let´s practice it. Dani and Piotr (Gestión Administrativa)  are at a conference cocktail party. Maybe their tone is not particularly right for the situation, but they could hardly say a word in English at the beginning of the course. Well done, boys! Keep working!
 
But it wasn´t so easy... Here is just one outtake....to have a laugh!