OUR LAST CLASS IN THE YEAR

The last class in the year is always special. Students relax and enjoy caroling and playing games, looking forward to a well-deserved holiday. We had a great time then and although I know it was not a perfect class, it reminded me that teaching is fun and that students learn from motivating situations. So there were Marisol and me...up for the challenge of a last class before a Christmas holiday and excited about getting to know our students a bit better. 

I hope I never turn into a teacher that loses the enthusiastic spark I saw in my students´s eyes on 21 December. Thanks to Marisol, too, for contributing to make the class possible. 

Happy New Year, everybody!

EOI PONTEVEDRA 30 ANNIVERSARY: TEACHING LANGUAGES FOR 30 YEARS!

Hi!

I'm so excited! This is the week! We are celebrating our 30 anniversary on Thursday and I can't wait! No need to say that you are all invited to the event. There'll be games, gifts, competitions, talks, music, photo exhibitions... and much more!!!

Join us on this special occasion and be an important part of our school community at least for a day.

See you all there!!

CAFÉ CON LETRAS 2017

Hi everybody!

I hope you have had a great time in the library today. I did. Because learning and enjoying can go together!!

30 ANNIVERSARY AT SCHOOL: POSTER COMPETITION

It is time to celebrate... and not just because Christmas is coming.... This year we are having our 30 anniversary at school. We have been teaching languages for over 30 years now!!!

We would like to welcome you to all the events we are preparing for this special occasion: exhibitions, workshops, music are some of the things we are planning!

Let´s start with a POSTER COMPETITION. One of our highlights!!! Have a look at the school website for all the information you need to take part in the contest and win a book voucher for 150€.

SONIA LEBEDYNSKI NA EOI PONTEVEDRA

Next Thursday 30 November Galician singer Sonia Lebedynski is visiting our school. She will be giving an interview at the Assembly Hall at 18.00. Don´t miss this great opportunity to know her first solo album "Deserto de Centos". I hope to see you all there!

 

ROTEIRO E MAGOSTO

Equipo Dinamización Lingua Galega EOI Pontevedra: ROTEIRO E MAGOSTO: Meet the team to join a nice walk round the city of Pontevedra. Click on the link above for more information on how to take part!

LIBRARIES DAY

Hi everybody,

Libraries Day is an annual event that takes place on 24 October. It is dedicated to the celebration of libraries and librarians. We encourage you to take part in the celebration by borrowing a book from our school library this week. By doing so, you´ll get a small surprise. Have a happy Libraries Day!!

ENGLISH BOOK CLUB: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Are you keen on reading? Would you like to learn and improve your English in a more relaxing atmosphere? Why not joining the English Book Club at school? 

Registration is now open for intermediate level students and above. Contact the club at maria.muse@gmail.com. Take part in the meetings and have fun!

DO YOU REMEMBER MY FAMILY?

We have been practising family words in class, using the saxon genitive to express relationships. Now let's see how much of it you can remember. 

Here is a picture of part of my family. I took it this summer when we were in France on holiday. Can you try and make all the connections? We did this activity in class... so this is just refreshing your memory!

Use the comments section below to write sentences about my family. Who's Marcos? Who's he married with? Who are his children? Who are my nephews and nieces? etc.

If you also have nice pictures of your families, I can post them here. Just send them to me by email and I´ll do the rest:

Here is the first one. This is Porfi´s family!! Can you make your guesses??

 

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

As the inititative of the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year since 2001 on 26 September. It aims at alerting European citizens to the importance of language learning and diversifying the number of languages studied in order to increase intercultural exchange. 

I would like to join the celebration by sharing a video with you: "O rap da lingua" by Migallas Teatro, a theatre group that our workmate Carlos Yus, who works at the EOI as a Galician teacher, has founded. ENJOY!

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!! (Course 17 - 18)

Hi everybody!!

Eoi pontevedra acollida alumnado_novo_17-18 from paulokagomez

I am happy to welcome each and everyone of you to a new school year at EOI Pontevedra. It is hard to believe.... but it is that time of the year again!!! 

This is going to be a special course, because this year we are celebrating our school´s 30th anniversary!!!! So, I hope you had a very good summer break to be ready for a wonderful start to this festive time. Are you willing to embark on the exciting journey that begins with the new school year?? There will be lots of opportunities for language learning!!!

Starting over is always a very exciting time of year for most students – learning how to navigate the new classroom, meeting new friends and the teacher, and reconnecting with the old ones will likely be the primary focus of interest for the first few days. As in any time of change and transition, this can also be a rather stressful period; these are a few things you can do to settle back into school:

1. Establish a routine to make sure an early start on Monday is not too much of a shock.

2. Go and buy some exciting new kit!! What about picking up a fun new school notebook or pen.

3. Have a positive attitude and see the school year as a new opportunity rather than the end of fun.

4. Stay organised and get into the habit of preparing everything you need to make your school day life easier.

5. Introduce a new school year´s resolution. Choose your own challenge or goal and stick to it!

If you are really looking forward to the new school year, send us your own tips and goals in the comments section below or let us know how you are coping!!

HAPPY SUMMER!!

I am sure you are all looking forward to your summer holiday... Are you ready to hit the beach with lots of old friends? If so, you might not see some of your classmates until school begins again!! That's why I am sending out the cute summer message above to all of you, marking the beginning of the summer. 

A summer time greeting is the perfect way to start the season... so, I'm looking forward to your wonderful summer quotes in return!! Share them on the comments below!!

Happy summer!!

ITip of MAY: HiNative

When learning a new language, there are always times when you run into questions about language and culture you have no idea of. HiNative is a global platform where you can ask all your language and cultural questions directly to native speakers. It allows you to ask any question. It is a simple and easy to use interface where you will learn about pronunciation, vocabulary and also culture.

HiNative is available both online and as an app for iPhone or Android, so there is no excuse for not using it!

BOOK LENDING SERVICE FOR SUMMER 17

Our school library is offering a special book lending service for summer 17. You can borrow books from our library until 22 June and take them home for the summer holiday. So, there is no excuse to keep on enjoying reading in English on the beach!! For more information on timetables and service conditions have a look at the school library's blog. If you borrow a book, you'll get a free bag to keep them!

Happy summer holiday!

FILMS: DUBBED OR IN ORIGINAL VERSION

Hi everybody,

my CALC students did an oral exam practice last week. The topic was "Films: Dubbed or in original version".

They did a great job at the lab recording their own voices and sending me their monologues. Here is the result. Judge by yourselves!!

Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

SURVIVING ORAL EXAMS: B1 CERTIFICATION TEST

The oral exam is a wonderful opportunity for you to demonstrate your speaking skills and knowledge. It can also be good practice to communicate. On June 15 you will have to come to school at the time you have been called to do your best in the exam and try to pass the B1 Certification Test. 

Have a look here to know the time of the oral exam and read the tips below to prepare for it:

1. Make a good impression. Dress well and act properly, which includes turning off your mobile! Keep good posture and eye contact with both the examiner and your partner. Make them feel confident and relaxed.

2. Don't be late! Get to school with time to collect yourself and check out the situation.

3. Don´t go to the exam with an empty stomach! Fresh fruit and vegetables can help you reduce anxiety. Take a snack or something light to help keep your mind off of your stress.

4. Read the instructions carefully and balance your time because there is no reward for finishing first. So, stay focused and don´t panic.

Whatever happens, don´t think about the fear and keep on task!!

OUR COOK BOOK

My intermediate students have worked hard with food, kitchen and utensils vocabulary. As a result, they have written some recipes with wonderful dishes. If you want to try, here you are OUR COOK BOOK. My end-of-course present for my students, who have done a great job this year! Thanks for participating in the course!

and don't forget to tell us all about your cooking experiences in the comments section below!

ITIP OF MAY: WORKRAVE

Hi everyone,

not everything in life is about working... so I would like to give you a new monthly tip that will help you cope with stress and hard work now that the course is coming to an end!! What about downloading a new IT application that will relieve your final exam effort??

WORKRAVE is a computer programme that you can download to promote resting and relaxation when working at your PC. The software will give you tips on how to stop and do some little exercise and will also automatically turn your screen off after minutes or hours of working. So, next time you are working hard for your exams, meet Miss Workrave and have fun with her!!!

SONG OF THE SEA: QUESTIONS

Hi there again,

as you all know, the film festival at school (FILMS AND ART) has already come to an end. Today we saw Song of the Sea. I hope you have enjoyed it!! It is time now to think about it and go on with the video listening activity we started in class. Here are the questions you got from the video where a young girl interviews the director and producer of the film. Watch the video again and try to give an answer to the questions in the comments section below. 

1. Why is storytelling so important?

2. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

3. Did making the film teach you anything about the stories and memories that you grew up with?

4. Can you describe the animation techniques in the film and why did you use them?

5. What´s your top tip for animation?

6. In what way are the locations in the film based on real places?

7. What makes a good story?

I hope you have a great English-learning weekend! See you all in class. I´ll be looking forward to your answers!

CLASS SURVEY: MOBILE PHONE USE

My CALC students have carried out a survey in class about their use of MOBILE PHONES.  It was aimed at detecting whether they overuse their mobiles or even if some of them can be regarded as addicts!!

After asking each other the survey questions, the conclusions brought together the points made by most students and were very clear: 

All students in class have a smartphone which is relatively new. Most of them are not even one year old and were bought even when the old one still worked!! which makes it clear what everyday life would like for my students if they couldn't use their mobiles for a week. I think most of them would't survive!! They don't even go out and leave their phones at home... intentionally!! Most of my students use their mobiles for social networks or apps and check their phones as much as they can, even if they don't ring or vibrate!!

These results are a major sign of the mobile phone dependence that my students have and should serve them as a warning of the harm phones can cause in their lives.

So, next time you go out, why don´t you leave your mobile behind?

FILM FESTIVAL AT SCHOOL: SONG OF THE SEA

The film festival at school is exclusively dedicated to English next week. SONG OF THE SEA will be screened in its original version with subtitles. The length of the film is 1h30m and it will be on next...

Monday 24 April at 20.00 

Friday 28 April at 10.30. 

Song of the Sea is an Irish film based on a traditional Celtic myth. Saoirse is a special little girl with magical powers that turn her into a seal-like creature called a Selkie. Disappearing into the sea one night, she is found by her grandmother who eventually decides she and her brother Ben would be safer living in the city. Looking forward to going back home, both children set out on an odd journey.

Let´s warm up a little by watching an interview with the film director. I hope it makes you come to school and watch it with us!!

After watching the film next week, I would like you to share your opinion with us. Open the comment section below and write your own ideas about the film. You could include a summary of the story, mention other films that it is similar to or describe what you particularly liked or disliked about it. 

Use the "Reacciones" section below to give us your rating about the film!! 

ITip of April: HowToPronounce.com

Hi everybody,

spring is already here and it has brought us a new ITip: HowToPronounce.com. This website will allow students to practise their pronunciation in just one click. Type the word you want to listen, choose the language and click on the Pronounce button. You can hear the word as many times as you like:

The website will also allow you to record your own voice pronouncing the word, so I do think it is worth a try!

I hope you find it useful. Enjoy!!

FILM FESTIVAL AT SCHOOL: FILMS WITH ART

The third annual film festival at the EOI Pontevedra will be held April 5 - 26 in the Assembly Hall. The visitors to the festival will be able to enjoy wonderful films based on art this year. So, do not hesitate to visit our school and see the films!! Sharing your opinion after the screening will be awarded!! 

You can find everything about the festival films, events and information on our shcool library´s blog. 

So, if you want to be sure you enjoy every single bit of it, then I advise you save a date for the Third Annual Film Festival at the EOI Pontevedra!!

Have a look at the events scheduled on our school facebook or the presentation below to check on times and dates of the different films. Have fun!

SAMPLE MONOLOGUE: TRADITIONAL LEARNING VS. IT LEARNING

Hi everybody,

My students are working hard preparing for exams next week. Practising their writing, listening and reading is really important for them.... but how can they practise their oral abilities? We tried in the lab and here is a good example of the resulf of their hard work. I would like you to judge by yourselves. Do you think my student did a good monologue? Can you leave your opinions and comments in the section below? I am sure we will appreciate them because we can all learn from each other to overcome everyday mistakes!

PROBAS CERTIFICACIÓN 2017

Exam time is coming!!!! 

Xa está publicada na páxina web da EOI toda a información relativa ao calendario e desenvolvemento das probas de certificación de nivel básico, intermedio, avanzado e C1 que terán lugar na escola durante os meses de xuño e setembro. 

Terán que realizar as probas de nivel INTERMEDIO todolos meus alumnos.....!! É dicir, os meus alumnos CALC - que se teñen que matricular A PARTIR DO 20 DE MARZO - e os alumnos do curso intermedio intensivo. Para todos eles, ahí van unhas cantas recomendacións!! Incluíndo algún que outro consello sobre como afrontar unha proba destas características:

• Consultade o calendario de xuño para as probas escritas (comprensión escrita, comprensión oral, expresión escrita), único para todas as EOI de Galicia.

• O calendario para as probas de expresión oral será fixado pola Escola, podendo ter lugar antes ou despois das probas escritas. O calendario xeral definitivo das probas orais será publicado, alén de nos taboleiros da Escola, na mesma páxina web da EOI, na categoría do departamento correspondente.

Por último, é altamente recomendable que consultedes tamén a guía do candidato de nivel Intermedio e os modelos de exames de anos anteriores que proporciona a Xunta de Galicia. 

Good luck everybody....!! and as I know that both my CALC and intensive intermediate level students are really worried about these exams, I have just prepared a document with links to different language schools in Spain and mock exams to practise. Just copy the links on your navigation bar and enjoy!! 

... And don´t forget that "Practice makes perfect"!!

A NEW WRITING COMPETITION AT SCHOOL

The Equipo de Dinamización da Lingua Galega at the EOI together with the City Council proudly announce its eighth writing competition for Microrrelato en Galego. The competition will take place next Tuesday 21 March at 18.00 and will last for two hours. Find out more about the competition and how to enter by clicking on the image below. 

You can also take part by making your own contributions to the competition suggesting the words that contestants will have to include in their pieces of writing. Give us your ideas at the school entrance and do not miss this wonderful opportunity to show your writing skills. 

ITIP OF MARCH: RADIO GARDEN

Want to tune in to the world's radio stations? Radio Garden allows you to listen to any radio station in the world with just a single click on the map. You will be able to listen to radio programmes and shows from all over the world on your computer. You can explore live radio by rotating the globe on the site and choosing the place you are interested in with your mouse. It allows the world to be explored through its sounds and will definitely grow English learners' listening skills.

This interactive website presents a globe covered in tiny dots, each representing a radio station that can be tuned in to at the click of your mouse. It features over 8,000 radio stations and it can be used as a tool to English learning and practice!! Just click on the map and enjoy!!

 

SURVEY RESULTS

Here you can see an overview of the results of the class survey you did last week. All your answers have been gathered here for you and me to analyse them and enhance our learning experience. As for me, I've just realised I need to slow down my classes a little bit, so thanks for the hint! I promise I will try!

And what about you? What is your conclusion from the results? Please give us your opinion in the comments section below.

Thanks a lot for participating!!

JIVIN' ON DOWN TO HARLEM!

Have you ever been to a juke joint? Have you ever wanted to? Do you like art with a touch of European and African styles? Do you like your music like your cocido-fresh, hot, and soulful?

If so, please come to the Assembly Hall this week and learn more about the fantastic era of the Harlem Renaissance where music and art flourished in the booming diverse community of Harlem. 

Conference by Jarrett MacDowell, our language assistant, Thursday 23 at 18.30 or Friday 24 at 10.30.

I and my intensive intermediate English students won't miss it!

MAKE YOUR CLASS ENJOYABLE WHEN LEARNING THE PARTS OF THE BODY

As a student I heard that the main purpose of a class is to learn, but that doesn't necessarily mean it must be boring. Learning and enjoying at the same time can be possible when students have the right attitude and motivation. As a teacher, I always try to make my classes enjoyable. That is why there is an activity that I keep doing every year with my Intermediate 2 students when it is time to learn the body parts. Year after year, they get so involved in it that totally forget the sense of time and, best of all, they learn the parts of the body without even noticing it!!

Here is a very good example of how fun English learning can be!! Enjoy!!

 

FALLING IN LOVE WITH A BOOK

Hi,

Many of us associate the "most romantic" day of the year with flowers and cards. However, our school would like to celebrate St. Valentine's Day with a good book!! Share a the picture of that book that you have fallen in love with on our school twitter co #librosquenamoran, facebook or the blog of the library and show your affection for reading!!

ITIP Of February: Games Zone

 

My new ITIP for february is Games Zone. It is a great site to play English language games online and learn English in an enjoyable way. You can practise your vocabulary and grammar just by clicking on the images and words and get rid of never-ending vocabulary lists!! Hope you enjoy it!!

HELP ME IMPROVE MY CLASSES!!

As a teacher, it is very important for me to think twice often and consider whether my classes are effective enough and whether my students are working hard. That is why I would like you to fill out the evaluation form below. It will help us both, my students and me, to realize if the job done is efficient and if our level of excellence is improving. Let's revise our performance in class!!

Remember that answers are totally anonymous so do not be afraid to complete the questions listed below. I would really appreciate it. Your deadline is Friday 17 and the questionnaire results will be published then.

On the school website you will also find a questionnaire to give us your opinion about the school. You can click here if you want to participate!.

Thank you so  much in advance for collaborating!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH... SÉS!!

... and the day finally came.. Sés arrived at school a bit early and helped us get in the mood with a nice cup of coffee in the canteen.. Then she talked, smiled, made us laugh and sang!! I felt like home with her, didn´t you?

Thanks everybody for participating!

SÉS NA EOI DE PONTEVEDRA

By now you must have all guessed that Sés is the Galician singer who is visiting our school next Tuesday 7 February. For more info on her music and songs visits Sés website. I hope to see you all there at 17.00!!

SAMPLE MONOLOGUES

My intensive intermediate English students are doing their exams this week and here are some sample monologues they recorded in our lab session last week. These are very good examples of what they have to do in the second part of their oral exam. I hope they help them a lot!!

Good luck, everybody!! and, as I always say, practice makes perfect or at least, progress!!!

GUESS WHICH FAMOUS GALICIAN SINGER IS VISITING OUR SCHOOL SOON!!

Hi everybody!!

a very famous Galician singer is visiting our school soon. I am sure you are all looking forward to her visit...... but who is she? Follow the clues on the presentation below and try to figure it out... if you have any ideas, try in the comment section below. Any guesses? Stay tuned for more information on who's coming over!!

PLAYING KAHOOT AGAIN AND HAVING LOTS OF FUN!!!

In today´s class we played Kahoot! again because we all love it and we are all worth it!! 

It was time to practise the present perfect with FOR and SINCE and I must admit that all my students on the intensive course did a great job. I am so excited they understood the grammar rules so well that I had to share the results with you. Congrats to the Outsiders.... because they worked hard and so fast that managed to win the game!!!

In case you might be interested in having a look at the game, click here to get the pin and start playing on your phone with your kahoot app!! You can download it from google play or your itunes store.

ART AND MUSIC QUIZ

Hi, 

my intensive course students have made a very challenging art and music quiz in class. We have been practising the passive and art and music vocabulary... Here is the result!! Now it is time for them to participate. The student who gets the right answers first will be awarded with a great prize!! Go and try your answers in the comment section below! Good luck!!

Art and music quiz de paulokagomez

THE FITTEST PERSON I KNOW DOMINOES

Here is the result to the domino game my intermediate 1 students played in class last week... just in case you did not have the opportunity to take you own notes about it!

Any problems with vocabulary? If so, please ask!!

HEALTH MONOLOGUES

My students at the intensive intermediate course are about to finish! They are having their last class practice before the exam and working hard to pass. This practice has also included some work in the student's lab. Here are the results of some of the sample monologues they recorded. Judge by yourselves!!

DUOLINGO: APP OF THE YEAR

Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free and fun. You can practice online with duolingo.com or with the apps.

Duolingo is a language learning platform that includes 66 different language courses across 23 languages.

It has a gamified skill tree that users can progress through and a vocabulary section where the words learned can be practised. It makes language learning fun, enjoyable and very challenging!! That's why I´ve decided to include it in my ITip this month!