Category: languages

Today, we’re in the pool and waiting to start but someone is holding us up. Who MIGHT it be?

Grammar today? Podría – might, and a declaration about the universal right to wear a bikini!

httpv://youtu.be/jIi2irCJ7Ow

Competition begins and today, the Angry Family help with some directions – or they try to help her!

Grammar point? Positions and directions

httpv://youtu.be/dm1VnIBn0-w

Day three of Angry Olympics, and we reach the Opening Ceremony. What is GOING TO happen?

Today’s grammar point is the simple future using the present tense of IR A and the infinitive, as well as how to make the phrase negative.

httpv://youtu.be/5RvlA6vCrIw

What should the Angry family do today? DECISIONS! DECISIONS!

Grammar for today? how to say ‘should’ using DEBER and the conditional tense.

httpv://youtu.be/VO1I2gvQNLA

I’ve just rediscovered these wonderful videos and in the run up to the Olympics, I’ll be posting one every day.

Whilst they’re based on the Beijing Olympics, they look at specific language points each time and are funny!

Today’s episode, CAN CAN, looks at PODER – to be able to, as well as transport vocabulary.

httpv://youtu.be/zievaeBgBVo

Having been playing with Linguatrivia French ever since ILILC2 in February, I was pleased to see that a Spanish version has been released!

As with the French version, it features hundreds of questions at 3 levels with the difficulty and number of questions increasing with the level.

As the blurb says –

Put your Spanish knowledge to the test with this interactive quiz, based on Linguascope’s Linguatrivia competition. With a bank of hundreds of questions on Spanish language, culture, geography and more, this app will put you through your paces whether you are revising for a test at school or college, or just want to practise and improve your Spanish. As an added incentive, your correct answers will enable the little runner to jump the hurdles successfully – whereas incorrect answers leave him flat on his face!

I like playing the French version as I no longer teach French and I need to keep myself on my toes, especially as I never know when I’ll need to use it! And the Spanish one will also keep me on my toes – if I get less than 100% I’ll be back to heavy duty study ;o)
Linguatrivia Spanish costs £1.99 and works on iPod (3rd and 4th generation), iPhone 3GS and higher, and iPad – if you’ve got iOS4.3 or higher, you’re fine!

The blurb mentions a Linguatrivia Competition – this is in French and details of the next one, taking place next February, are on the Linguatrivia site. I wonder if there’ll be a Spanish version to come…?

They did it!  Having watched the quarter finals against France in France, the semis against Portugal in a restaurant in France and the final against Italy in an Italian restaurant in Switzerland, I am very very pleased to had survived all the excitement!!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz7MjY8GGdo

The Adidas advertisement featuring the Spanish ‘selección’ have the message El pasado no cuenta – Todo vuelve a empezar. The past doesn’t count. It’s all starting again.

Which it is!

httpv://youtu.be/JE3z0vVJDRk

And then they made another, with a similar message, but pointing out that La Furia Roja actually won in their away kit at the World Cup!

httpv://youtu.be/jjowT-C6s4s

Thanks to Pat Sweeney on the Yahoo MFL Resources group for pointing out this group.

If you like Hi5, and you love a bit of 90s “cheese”, you’ll love Nubeluz.

As Pat writes –

“Many of Nubeluz’s songs seem to be innocent good fun and definitely have catchy tunes that make you want to dance and sing along.
However, some “carry a message “. For example “Papi, deja de fumar!”
( Daddy, give up smoking!) or “Cuidado ” ( Be careful!) which warns of being mislead by friends to get involved in things that are not right or good.”

She goes on to pose a question –

“I would be very interested to know what people think of the songs and whether they would deem them suitable for using as teaching aids..and if so..with which groups..how?”

So…here are some ideas for how to use  Yo quiero ser

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm1ZqJel8-c

I think this would fit well with the topics People who help us or Jobs people do that are part of EYFS and KS1. I think that the chorus is the most useful part.

Activities you might do:

• ask learners to identify the jobs they hear in the chorus. They are repeated at the very end so there are 2 chances to catch them. You might provide a tick sheet with pictures for younger learners or the names in Spanish for older ones.
• make a pelmanism game with job images and names in Spanish for matching first then for playing.
• cut the lyrics (chorus) into strips. Ask learners firstly to see if they can match the jobs with the description of what they do. This uses their LLS as they will look for cognates, make connections between the word for the job and words in the description and so on. Then they can check their answers by listening and watching again.
• I might use Amara (was UniversalSubtitles) http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/ to put Spanish subtitles on the video too. (See this example and also this post about how and why)

• I might use other video clip such as Los oficios which features a famous song, or this version with the words.
• This clip Cuando sea grande would be a good step onto using the future tense. Seré dentista/artista etc. I also like the final lines – “Cuando sea grande, haré mil cosas/Porque estoy seguro que podré. Y mientras tanto llega la hora/Solamente niño quiero ser”
• There is a whole unit of work on Udicom on Los oficios. These resources are intended for ‘alumnos de compensatoria’ or learners needing extra help in Spain so many are very simple exercises on copywriting, phonics, matching and writing words and short phrases. I particularly like the phonics sections and the use of little rhymes too.
• This interactive site is useful for learning the names of jobs by hovering over the people, and clicking to see/hear a short sentence about what they do. Further forward (click on arrow bottom right) it talks about “profesiones” – professions as opposed to “oficios” – jobs.
• Here’s a free poster that you can download – I believe you need to purchase the other posters tagged Los oficios but you can look at them for ideas!
• I also found this blog with an image and short descriptions for 6 jobs/professions.
• And this is a wonderful site with lots of ideas and materials for a wide age range. There are a number of stories at a variety of levels (primary and secondary) as well as comics and ‘information books’, all presented online. As this resource is aimed at social studies for Spanish learners, so you need to bear that in mind e.g. Look at the complexity of language rather than going by the age indicated. I looked at a few stories – Alejandro el canguro pintor (basic) is a lovely tale about a kangaroo that draws all the time, and Maria auxiliar de ayuda a domicilio is more complex and a home help who makes Grandma’s life better. There’s a teachers guide that includes ideas and some activity sheets. Well worth an explore if you’re looking to work cross curricularly at primary or secondary level!

So, Pat. Does that answer your question? 🙂

Fasten your bug-belts for some exciting news!

Starting on Monday 12th every weekday on CBeebies at 09.35 and repeated at 13.35 is…..

You may have already discovered Lingo and his multi-lingual bug friends on the CBeebies website – I know that he has been a hit with more than one family that I know! Lingo ‘the ultimate show bug’ is putting on a show and  and his performing bug friends help him prepare, teaching him some words in their language on the way, ready  for the ‘Big Bug Show’.

Well, after lots of planning, and auditioning of bugs, Wei the Chinese bug, Jargonaise the French bug and Queso the Spanish bug will all be starring in their own week of programmes on CBeebies.

The schedule is as follows –

Week 1: Chinese
Mon 12th – Ep 1: “Chop Chop”
Tues 13th – Ep 2: “Wei’s Giant Jump”
Wed 14th – Ep 3: “Cannonbug”
Thur 15th – Ep 4: “Wei Up High”
Fri 16th     – Ep 5: “Wei’s Buggy Best 3”

Week 2: French
Mon 19th – Ep 6: “Can-Can’t”
Tues 20th – Ep 7: “Trapeasy Rider”
Weds 21st – Ep 8: “Balancing Bug”
Thurs 22nd – Ep 9: “The Limbo Show”
Fri 23rd       – Ep 10: “Jargonaise’s Buggy Best 3”

Week 3: Spanish
Mon 26th – Ep 11: “Questanets”
Tues 27th – Ep 12: “Queso The Clown”
Weds 28th – Ep 13 “Ice Cream Queso”
Thurs 29th – Ep 14: “Strong Bug”
Fri 30th      – Ep 15: “Queso’s Buggy Best 3”

I’m especially excited as I have been involved with Lingo since the beginning of the process, firstly with the website and then with the programmes and, whilst my contribution was one of many and possibly quite small, it’s good to see the fruits of one’s efforts!

Make sure you tune in for fun, laughter and language learning at 09.35 on Monday. And if you can’t watch it then, record it or find it on iPlayer.