A2 Composition: Chatting

Mary O'Connor and Rocío Pérez are electronic pen pals. They often chat on Skype between Dublin and Seville. Today they are discussing their countries. Read their online conversation and write a similar one between two imaginary e-pen pals. Use structures and vocabulary from File 8.

Rocío: What's the weather like in Dublin today?

Mary: It's cloudy and rainy, as usual :( What about Seville?

Rocío: It's quite sunny here with a temperature of 28º.

Mary: Mmmmm. Sounds wonderful! Tell me, which is the biggest city in your country, Madrid or Barcelona?

Rocío: Madrid is bigger than BCN, but it is also noisier and much colder in winter. Is Dublin similar in size to Cork?

Mary: Dublin is the country's capital and it's more crowded than Cork. Both are very interesting cities to go sightseeing, particularly in summer. What are the most popular places to visit in Spain?

Rocío: Granada, Santiago, Seville, Madrid, BCN; everywhere you go in Spain offers something magical. And you will love the food here!

Mary: I can't wait to visit you. When is the best time to travel to Andalucía?

Rocío: Cool! Spring is the best season because it is not too hot. Would you like to learn to dance sevillanas during your stay?

Mary: Oh, I would love to! Can you teach me?

Rocío: Of course! One other thing. Are Spanish films popular in Ireland?

Mary: Yes! Most Spanish and Latin American films are released here. I always go and see them in the original version to improve my Spanish.

Rocío: What's your favourite actor or actress?

Mary: I am a big fan of Orlando Bloom. Did you see him in The Lord of The Rings?

Rocío: I did, and I agree, he's a fantastic actor...

Sevilla in Motion_Timelapse

One of my former students has created and published this timelapse video on the web by editing 12,000 photographs, and sent me the link today. So proud of you, Jose! Simply Awesome! Enjoy it on full screen.

"Ocho apellidos vascos" becomes most-seen Spanish movie ever

In the end, not even the Amazing Spider-Man could beat the Basques. The release of the second part of the rebooted Marvel superhero franchise last Thursday had been expected to spell the end of the reign of the all-conquering Ocho apellidos vascos at the top of the national box office chart, but it wasn’t to be. Director Emilio Martínez-Lázaro’s Basque Country-set romantic comedy remains at the top of Spain’s film charts for the sixth week, where it continues breaking records, taking in almost triple the gross of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It retains its place in the global box office top 15, which it has never left these past weeks despite having only been released in Spain, and this weekend it also became the most-watched Spanish film of all time in the nation’s theaters.

According to provisional figures released by box office measurement service Rentrak Spain (results from some theaters are still to be added), by Sunday Ocho apellidos vascos (starring Dani Rovira, Karra Elejalde, Carmen Machi and Clara Lago) had been seen by 6,525,919 people and had taken more than €38,154,471, leaving behind Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others (2001), which had previously topped the list with 6,410,561 tickets sold and earnings of €27,254,163.

Further behind are Juan Antonio Bayona’s tsunami-drama The Impossible (2012), with 6,124,698 viewers and earnings of €42,386,171;For a Few Dollars More (1966), with 5,520,971 tickets sold; comedian Santiago Segura’s Torrente 2, misión en Marbella (2001), with 5,321,969; La gran aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón (2003), with 4,985,983; Bayona’s The Orphanage (2007), with 4,420,636; and the 1970 Alfredo Landa comedy No desearás al vecino del quinto, which sold 4,371,624 tickets.

Those figures are for Spanish films at the domestic box office. In terms of the global market for Spanish movies, The Others reigns supreme as the highest-grossing Spanish movie in history, with worldwide earnings of almost €210 million, followed by The Impossible with €180 million, animation Planet 51 (€105 million), Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver (€85 million) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (€83 million).

Ocho apellidos vascos, which is about an Andalusian young man trying to pass himself off as a Basque for a girl, has yet to be released abroad, and judging by films dealing with similar themes, such as France’s Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, it is unlikely to have the same impact outside of Spain.

Mourning on Earth and in Macondo

GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ

Aracataca, Colombia, 1927 - México DF, 2014

Andrew Fullwood, wood sculptor

Enjoy listening to American sculptor Andrew Fullwood and watching his stunning works.

Pulitzer Prize

The Guardian and the Washington Post have been awarded the highest accolade in US journalism, winning the Pulitzer prize for public service for their groundbreaking articles on the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities based on the leaks of Edward Snowden.

The award, announced in New York on Monday, comes 10 months after the Guardian published the first report based on the leaks from Snowden, revealing the agency’s bulk collection of US citizens’ phone records.

In the series of articles that ensued, teams of journalists at the Guardian and the Washington Post published the most substantial disclosures of US government secrets since the Pentagon Papers on the Vietnam war in 1971.

The Pulitzer committee praised the Guardian for its "revelation of widespread secret surveillance by the National Security Agency, helping through aggressive reporting to spark a debate about the relationship between the government and the public over issues of security and privacy".

Snowden, in a statement, said: "Today's decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognises was work of vital public importance."

He said that his actions in leaking the documents that formed the basis of the reporting "would have been meaningless without the dedication, passion, and skill of these newspapers".

"We are truly honoured that our journalism has been recognised with the Pulitzer prize," said Alan Rusbridger, the editor-in-chief of the Guardian. "This was a complex story, written, edited and produced by a team of wonderful journalists. We are particularly grateful for our colleagues across the world who supported the Guardian in circumstances which threatened to stifle our reporting. And we share this honour, not only with our colleagues at the Washington Post, but also with Edward Snowden, who risked so much in the cause of the public service which has today been acknowledged by the award of this prestigious prize."

Janine Gibson, the editor-in-chief of Guardian US, said: "We're extremely proud and gratified to have been honoured by the Pulitzer board. It's been an intense, exhaustive and sometimes chilling year working on this story, and we're grateful for the acknowledgement by our peers that the revelations made by Edward Snowden and the work by the journalists involved represent a high achievement in public service."

Derecho a desconectar

Hace no tantos años, en los inicios de las nuevas tecnologías digitales, a Steve Jobs y otros grandes emprendedores les costaba convencer a los empresarios de que regalaran ordenadores portátiles y teléfonos móviles a sus empleados. Pensaban que lo que querían era vender más aparatos. "Una buena idea puede surgir en la ducha”, decía Jobs. Pronto se convencieron de las ventajas de la propuesta: facilitarles la conexión ponía a cualquier empleado en disposición de producir las 24 horas del día.

Ahora son algunos empleados los que tratan de liberarse del yugo de la conectividad. Tienen todas las facilidades, todo cuanto necesitan para trabajar al alcance de un clic, pero ya no hay límites a su jornada laboral. Mejor dicho, toda la jornada es laboral. Un alto número de empresas ha aprovechado esa mayor disponibilidad para aumentar la carga de trabajo, especialmente en los niveles directivos y de gestión, de modo que no desconectan, literalmente. Así es como hemos llegado a una reivindicación insólita: definir la jornada laboral, no por el tiempo de trabajo, sino por el tiempo de descanso. Por primera vez se ha plantado en Francia el derecho a la desconexión como una reivindicación laboral.

La patronal y los sindicatos de los sectores de asesoría técnica, ingeniería, informática, recursos humanos y consultoría han llegado a un acuerdo por el que los empleados desconectarán sus aparatos al menos 11 horas al día y los fines de semana. El acuerdo surge después de constatar que la conexión permanente tiene un coste en términos de salud: aumenta el estrés y la ansiedad. El sociólogo Daniel Cohen ya advirtió en Nuestros tiempos modernos que el estrés es la enfermedad laboral de este momento.

El trabajo por objetivos y la competitividad extrema han creado tal clima de tensión en algunas empresas que ha llegado a ser acusado de causar suicidios. El expresidente de France Télécom, Didier Lombard, fue procesado el año pasado por acoso moral tras el suicidio de una treintena de empleados entre 2008 y 2009. 

El acuerdo puede aportar cierta mejora, pero no será fácil que se cumpla y tampoco aborda el problema de la exigencia de disponibilidad absoluta y de las cargas de trabajo excesivas. (El País, 12.04.14)

Say / Tell / Speak / Talk

• To say is to make a simple statement of fact. The statement does not necessarily have to be addressed to any particular person, but, if it is, it is followed by "to".
• To tell is to give instructions, orders or information to another person and must always be followed by a person object, except in certain expressions: tell the truth, tell a lie, tell the time, tell the difference, tell a story, etc.
• To speak is generally considered to be more specific than talk. It is used with languages and adverbs of manner. 
• To talk is often used with "about". 

Exercise 1. Cross out the incorrect verbs in the following sentences:

1. He said/told that he had a headache.
2. "What did he say/tell?" "He said/told me he didn't want to go out tonight."
3. "What a lovely dress!", told/said Helen.
4. The teacher told/said them to finish their homework.
5. My sister always says/tells the truth; she never tells/says lies.
6. I had to say/tell him how to make an omelette.
7. "Do you have something to tell/say me?"
8. "You are speaking/talking much too fast. Slow down!"
9. He talks/speaks English much more fluently since he's been to the States.
10. "What sort of things would you like to talk/speak about today?"

Exercise 2. Put the corresponding tense/form of say, tell, speak or talk in the blanks.

My friend John is always on the phone. He calls me ________ about hs job, ________ me the latest news or sometimes just ________ hello. His conversations are never very short; sometimes he ________ for hours about his favourite subjects and he ________ very quickly. The trouble with John is that you can't always believe what he ________. When he _______ me he'd met a wonderful Spanish woman on holiday and she'd ________ she would marry him, I was pretty sure he was ________ a lie. Apart from the fact that he doesn't _______ the language at all, a mutual friend of ours _______ me that he has never actually been abroad. She also _______ that he doesn't even have a passport!

A2 Composition: Travelling Abroad

Angela is asking her friend Pablo about his travelling experience. Write a similar conversation using the words in bold. Write about 125 words this time.

Angela: Pablo, have you ever been to Venice?
Pablo: Yes, I have. Just once.
Angela: When did you go?
Pablo: I went last autumn.
Angela: Who did you go with?
Pablo: I went with my boyfriend Miguel.
Angela: Tell me, what is Venice like?
Pablo: It’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen; and it’s one of the most romantic destinations in the world, believe me.
Angela: And what did you do there? Did you have fun?
Pablo: Yes, we did. We had a superb time! We saw all the sights. We travelled on a vaporetto along the Grand Canal, but we couldn’t afford to go on a gondola; it was too expensive.
Angela: Where did you stay?
Pablo: We stayed in a youth hostel near Venice which wasn’t very expensive.
Angela: How long did you stay there?
Pablo: We only stayed for a couple of days. Venice isn’t cheap, you know!
Angela: Did you see anyone famous while you were there?
Pablo: You won’t believe it, but we saw Nicole Kidman in person. She was so beautiful in her red dress! She even gave us her autograph!
Angela: Wow! Your trip sounds fascinating. Where are you going to go next?
Pablo: Well, Miguel and I are getting married next summer and we would like to go somewhere exciting on our honeymoon. What about you? Have you ever been abroad?
Angela: Well, in fact, I’ve just come back from …

A2 Present Perfect Translations

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. - ¿Tu abuela ha volado alguna vez? - Sí.

2. Aún no he visto la nueva película de Almodóvar pero me gustaría verla mañana.

3. Los padres de mi mejor amiga acaban de volver de Italia.

4. Llevo aquí una hora y todavía no he hablado con mi jefe.

5. Ya he fregado y hasta he limpiado el suelo.

6. Acabamos de comprar ese coche. ¿Te gusta?

7. Nunca he conocido a una persona famosa.

8. Hace mucho tiempo que no comemos pizza.

9. Hace más de 10 años que vivo en París.

10. No veo a mis padres desde el año pasado.

Las maestras de la República_documental

Las maestras republicanas fueron unas mujeres valientes y comprometidas que participaron en la conquista de los derechos de las mujeres en España y en la modernización de la educación, basada en los principios de la escuela pública y democrática. Este documental, a través de la recreación de una maestra de la época y de imágenes de archivo inéditas, nos descubre el maravilloso legado que nos han dejado las maestras republicanas y que ha llegado hasta nuestros días. Articulado en base a testimonios de investigadores y familiares, nos muestra el momento histórico que vivieron estas docentes y su participación en la transformación social de nuestro país a través de la educación. Premio Goya 2014 a la Mejor Película Documental

"Alma, María, alma”. El pedagogo de la Institución Libre de Enseñanza Manuel Cossío recomendaba a la maestra María Sánchez Arbós trabajar con alma, con entusiasmo. Eran los tiempos de la República,los tabiques de madera que separaban hasta entonces en las escuelas a niños y niñas habían caído. Comenzaba entonces un periodo corto, apenas cinco años, pero intenso y fructífero en los que la labor por una educación pública, laica y solidaria rompería todos los tabúes vividos hasta entonces en España. Y ahí aparecieron las maestras, que simbolizaron como nadie los valores de la Segunda República, enfrentándose a un pensamiento conservador y católico y luchando contra un analfabetismo que alcanzaba al 32% de los mayores de diez años. Echaron abajo barreras y con su trabajo en ciudades y, sobre todo, en el campo, se convirtieron en las nuevas mujeres, independientes, libres y defensoras de la igualdad entre sexos. El documental Las maestras de la República, que se estrenó ayer en las salas, rastrea por las vidas de todas aquellas mujeres comprometidas que participaron en la conquista de los derechos femeninos, a través de su trabajo, y en la modernización de la educación, plantando las raíces por una enseñanza pública y de calidad. Dirigido por Pilar Pérez Solano,Las maestras de la República, producido por la Federación de Trabajadores de la Enseñanza del sindicato UGT, obtuvo el goya al mejor largometraje documental en la última gala de los premios de la Academia de Cine.

Pérez Solano: "No hemos profundizado en el dolor, sino en el legado que nos dejaron, que fue inspirador para el futuro"

Pilar Pérez Solano, alicantina de 46 años, todavía no sale de su asombro de cómo este documental, realizado sin presupuesto y rodado con un equipo de cuatro personas, ha alcanzado el éxito que le ha venido acompañando desde que se enseñó por primera vez en marzo de hace un año. “Es todo sorprendente. Nunca pudimos imaginar todo lo que nos está pasando”, confiesa su realizadora, que acaba de recibir una llamada telefónica para viajar a Nueva York en la próxima primavera y presentar allí su trabajo. “Estas maestras eran unas auténticas desconocidas y creo que estamos en un momento decisivo de recuperar nuestra identidad a través de la memoria histórica, además de un gran entusiasmo con todo ese movimiento a favor de los valores que instauró la Segunda República en nuestro país”.

Ella misma ha realizado ese viaje hacia el pasado, descubriendo la labor y memoria de estas mujeres, desde que en 2010, en la Biblioteca Nacional en Madrid, fue invitada a unas jornadas sobre las maestras republicanas, en unas jornadas de la FETE.

El documental, con imágenes de archivo inéditas y entrevistas con historiadores y familiares de las protagonistas, sigue las reflexiones de una maestra de la época, interpretada por Laura de Pedro, con una voz en off que va leyendo fragmentos del libro de Josefina Aldecoa, Historia de una maestra. “Si yo quisiera explicar lo que era entonces para mí la política, no sabría. Yo creía en la cultura, en la educación, en la justicia. Amaba mi profesión y me entregaba a ella con afán. ¿Todo eso era política? Encontré en Ezequiel todo aquello que mi padre me había enseñado, la austeridad, la mística del trabajo, la inagotable entrega. ¿Era eso política?”, se pregunta la maestra Gabriela López Pardo en el libro de Aldecoa ante la llegada de la República, en abril de 1931.

Hay dolor pero poco en Las maestras de la República y eso que fueron duramente represaliadas tras la Guerra Civil y el triunfo del golpe de Estado del general Franco. “No he querido hacer una historia ni triste, ni dramática. No hemos profundizado en el dolor, sino en el legado que nos dejaron, que fueron muy inspiradoras con el futuro y lo que estamos viviendo ahora. Hemos ensalzado el optimismo de que todo es posible. Nos dieron un ejemplo y unas claves muy claras para la enseñanza. El dolor no nos ayuda y eso que fueron apartadas, acusándolas de crímenes contra la moral. Sufrieron cárcel y algunas fueron asesinadas. Muchas de ellas se exiliaron al exterior, principalmente a México, donde montaron las escuelas rurales, y otras sufrieron el exilio interior, que fue durísimo. Se tuvieron que conformar con clases particulares”, explica la directora.

María Sánchez Argós, Julia Vigre o Balbina Gayo son mucho más que tres nombres. Son el símbolo de aquellas maestras que recitaban a Machado y Juan Ramón Jiménez con respeto y emoción. Los mismos sentimientos que hoy todavía alberga Hilda Farfante. A sus 82 años, la hija de Balbina Gayo, llora desconsolada cuando recuerda el fusilamiento en septiembre de 1936 de su madre —directora de una escuela en Cangas (Asturias)— y su padre —profesor en el mismo centro—. Tenía cinco años y era la mayor de tres hermanas. Ella se quedó con una hermana de su madre, también maestra, con la que vivió en la dictadura franquista y en la que aprendió a vivir en el silencio, el horror y el miedo. “Lo que no aprendí de mi tía fue a no llorar en público. Estuve muchos años sin gritar hasta hace poco. Grité tanto que me quité todos los gritos que llevaba dentro”. Por Rocío García, Babelia, 15.04.14

Las maestras de la República. Dirección: Pilar Pérez Solano. Estreno en salas: 14 de marzo.

Philomena (a must-see film)

A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent... Currently showing in English at the Metromar cinema in Mairena del Aljarafe, 8.30pm Not to be missed!

Andy Goldsworth, environmental artist

Homophobia around the World

The International Lesbian and Gay Association’s 2008 report on state-sponsored homophobia says that to be lesbian or gay risks jail time in 86 countries and death penalty in seven.

The research deals only with legislation criminalising consensual sexual acts between persons of the same sex in private above the age of consent. In addition to those 86 countries, there are six provinces or territorial units which also punish homosexuality with imprisonment, said ILGA.

"Although many of the countries listed in the report do not systematically implement those laws, their mere existence reinforces a culture where a significant portion of the citizens needs to hide from the rest of the population out of fear," said Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, co-secretary general of ILGA. "A culture where hatred and violence are justified by the state and force people into invisibility or into denying who they truly are."

"Whether exported by colonial empires or the result of legislations culturally shaped by religious beliefs, if not deriving directly from a conservative interpretation of religious texts, homophobic laws are the fruit of a certain time and context in history. Homophobia is cultural, not inborn. People learn it as they grow."

This year, a list of countries according to their legislations affecting lesbian and gay people has also been included. This allows readers to get a quick and comprehensive overview on the legal situation in the world, from countries penalising homosexual activity with death penalty to the few ones allowing adoption for same-sex couples. Along the same lines, ILGA has published a map on gay rights that can be used to raise awareness of people on the many laws affecting gay people in the world.

Philipp Braun, co-secretary general of ILGA, said: "In many cases, prejudice against homosexual people is the result of ignorance and fear. This long catalogue of horrors is but a tale of the intolerance against what is foreign and different. Decriminalisation of same sex activity is as urgent as ever. The fight for the respect of every minority has to be everyone’s fight. We believe that the recognition of sexual minorities as components of our civil societies and the acknowledgement of the equality of their human rights can contribute to learning how to live together, that is, the learning of democracy."

"It is important to set this debate where it belongs: on the human rights agenda. Altogether 60 countries have publicly supported sexual orientation as an issue at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights/Human Rights Council since 2003.
ILGA's 2008 report on state homophobia around the world is available at http://www.ilga.org/

Photo: On July 19th 2005, Iranian teenagers Mahmoud Asgari, 15 and Ayaz Marhoni, 17, were hanged for perverting Islamic law.

Furthermore, the Pew Research Center carried out a global survey in 2014, called Global Attitudes Project, asking:  Do you personally believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable, morally unacceptable, or is it not a moral issue in your country? Half or more in most of the 40 nations polled say that homosexuality is unacceptable. Nine-in-ten or more hold this view in seven nations. However, Europeans are much less likely to say homosexuality is unacceptable – this is especially true in Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Britain, and Italy, where about 20% or fewer express this opinion. Click on link for statistics results.

Oscar Wilde dixit:

I have nothing to declare except my genius.

I find it harder and harder every day 
to live up to my blue china.
Who, being loved, is poor?
Wickedness is a myth invented by good people 
to account for the curious attractiveness of others.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to 
do with it. It is never any use to oneself.
Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
There is no sin except stupidity.
A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything 
and the value of nothing.
Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple 
and the simple thing is the right thing.
Punctuality is the thief of time.
Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.
Nothing looks so like innocence as an indiscretion.
Thought is not catching.
Lying, the telling of beautiful untrue things, 
is the proper aim of art.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
I can resist everything except temptation.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us 
are looking at the stars.

Fighting Gender-based Violence_video

This six-part video series provides practical tips and insight from activists, survivors and experts on interviewing techniques, creating appropriate questions, safety and security, and the effects of trauma on survivors.

Mezquita, catedral y de todos

Vigencia de Antonio Machado

El 22 de febrero de 1939 fallecía el poeta Antonio Machado en Collioure (Francia). Todavía hoy nos impresionan tan trágicas circunstancias. No fue por una neumonía, como se dice, sino por el dolor de la pérdida de España: venía herido de muerte del fatal éxodo de la guerra incivil. Y allá, en suelo extraño, queda enterrada la caja de resonancia más emotiva de nuestra historia inmediata.
Porque Machado —cual “olmo seco”— simboliza la derrota de las ilusiones republicanas. De aquel proyecto laico, democrático y social para España, que pudo haber sido y no fue por culpa del alzamiento de los facciosos.
Han pasado 75 años, pero su legado sigue vivo. Antonio Machado es nuestro poeta nacional, del que más versos se leen y se cantan. “Es para España lo que Paul Valéry en Francia”, advirtió Corpus Barga al cruzar la frontera. Sobre todo un claro referente moral, dado su ejemplo cívico y su decidida apuesta por la educación y por la ciencia para regenerar aquella España corrupta de la Restauración.
Pidió cultura y trabajo. Y nos dijo: aprended a distinguir los valores falsos de los verdaderos y el mérito real de las personas bajo toda suerte de disfraces.
Conviene acordarse y recordarlo.
José María Martínez Laseca. Profesor de Literatura del IES Antonio Machado, Soria

Absolutamente recomendable es el documental de Eduardo Chapero-Jackson, Los mundos sutiles, emitido por La 2 y disponible en rtve.es, que se adentra en la trayectoria vital y literaria del poeta a través de la música y la danza.

Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed_film

A2 Compound Exercise

Complete with the appropriate compound of some, any, every or no. 
Example: "Is there anything to drink?"

1. ______________ in class likes Melanie. She’s really a popular girl.
2. The pub was empty. There wasn’t ______________ there, so I went home.
3. “Would you like ______________ to eat, Juan?”
“No, I had ______________ before I left home, thanks.”
4. Fred’s bored today. He doesn’t have ______________ to go. I think he really needs ______________ to talk to, but all his friends are on holiday ______________ in France at the moment. Poor Fred!
5. “I left my English textbook ______________ yesterday.”
“Did you look for it?”
“Yes, I looked ______________ for it, but I couldn’t find it.”
6. The student had ______________ at all to say in class, so he didn’t open his mouth for the whole hour.
7. “I have ______________ important to tell you. Can you be quiet, please.”
8. ______________ knows English is an international language.
9. “What did you have to eat?”
“______________ ! The fridge was empty.”
“Perhaps you can get ______________ at Joe’s bar, but hurry up. It closes at 10.”
10. Susan makes friends ______________ she goes.
11. They want to buy a nice country house _____________ in the Alpujarras.