The Good Place- TV series review by Nuria

The Good Place is a Netflix sitcom about afterlife, but it isn´t a black comedy, it is quite light and offers laughs and philosophical lessons.
Eleanor Sellstrop (Kristen Bell), an immoral and selfish woman, died and is sent by mistake to the "Good Place". Her efforts to avoid being caught and to keep her spot in this sort of heaven are the main plot of this sitcom.
To help her in her quest Eleanor counts on Chidi (N.Jackson Harper), her "soulmate". Chidi, a professor of Moral Philosophy, agrees to teach her ethics so that she can become a better person and earn a legitimate spot in the "Good Place".
This unusual premise makes this series unique in today´s TV landscape, because more than just making people laugh it strives to make people think about moral issues. What does it mean to be good? What´s my real motivation to do what I do? Does the end justify the means?
I recommend The Good Place because it is a comedy and provides plenty of laughs and also because Eleanor´s journey holds up a mirror to our lives.
Review by Nuria, (group A) 

TV series recommended by Raquel

Raquel (group D) is sending us 2 recommendations for TV series you can watch in original version:

If you want to learn English and have fun at the same time, you should take a look at these television series:

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a comedy series about the American police. The series is about Jake Peralta, an immature but talented NYPD detective in the 99th Brooklyn precinct, who enters into immediate dispute with his new commander, the serious and stern Captain Raymond Holt. With incredible comedy actors this is a series that you can't stop laughing at.



THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
This is a post-apocalyptic comedy about a man named Phil Miller, who suspects he's the only survivor after a deadly virus which began on the planet in 2020. He searches all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico in his RV and finds no one. He returns to his hometown of Tucson to think about the future, yet his loneliness drives him to think about suicide. Just before he's about to end it, he sees smoke coming from a campfire that belongs to a woman named Carol.

Grammar: all conditionals- a review in 90 seconds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/upper-intermediate/unit-28/session-1

Antonio Banderas on The Late Show

Last week Antonio Banderas was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, one of the talk shows I told you about in class.  He spoke about his new National Geographic TV series Genius:Picasso, about where he lives at the moment, being arrested after a performance during Franco´s dictatorship and more...

The CEFR levels explained

What you should be able to do in each skill  at each level  (self assessment grid)
Speaking Levels 
Global scale

Interactive Listening tests about different topics

UPDATE: 23.04
Some interactive listening tests you can take on this website ( B2 level).
If you find them difficult, you can try the ones at B1 level too. Click here. 
When you finish the test they show you your score,  the correct answers and you can also look at the script.

TED talk: How to live passionately no matter your age- Isabel Allende

A TED talk (about 8 min) recommended by Susana (group B):

BBC Grammar: let and allow in 90 seconds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/upper-intermediate/unit-5/session-1

BBC Grammar in 90 seconds: if without saying if

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/upper-intermediate/unit-18/session-1

Article: half of Europe's young adults are living with their parents

Two articles from The Guardian about a topic we discussed in class: 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/24/dependent-generation-half-young-european-adults-live-parents
Six people explain what it's really like living with their parents

BBC interview: Shopping and business ideas

Check your understanding with the script here:

The Book Project Awards

Our Book Project is successfully over! Congratulations to all the participants from groups A, B and D! You managed to read a book in original version and to talk about it in such an interesting way in your group OPs. So let´s celebrate your work with some awards... All the winners get a prize so come to the classes next week to pick it up!

BEST SPEAKERS:
group A : Alex (clear ideas, pronunciation and diction)
                Marina and Carlos (good fluency, rich vocabulary)
group B: Eva and Jorge (clear pronunciation and organization)
               Marina and Lucia (natural fluency)
group D: Mercedes (rich vocabulary, good fluency)
               Dolores (clear pronunciation, easy to follow)

MOST INFORMED SPEAKERS:
Fran (group B)
Jose Manuel (group A)
(for the well researched info on Botswana)

MOST ENTHUSIASTIC READERS:
Raquel (group D) 
Tomás  (group B)
Pedro  (group D)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: (this one really sounds like an Oscar...)
Tabinda (group B)
(for the performance of the Rosa Parks bus incident)

BEST PRESENTATION IDEA:
Adriana (group B)

BEST POWERPOINT:

group A: Daiana (Rosa Parks: My Story):



group D: Andrea (Rosa Parks: My Story):



group B: Carmen (a quiz with useful language from How I Live Now):

TED talks about happiness

Homework for next week : 7-8 February
Click to choose a talk about happiness from the TED website.

Recommendations:

Less stuff more happiness

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness 

All it takes is 10 mindful minutes

Want to be happier? Stay in the moment

How to buy happiness

The hidden power of smiling

The paradox of choice

 

1. Watch the video and take notes on the main ideas (disable the  subtitles to train your ear!!). You can listen again and again or hit stop and replay as many times as you want. 

2. When you have finished listening you can read the script or watch again with subtitles for any words or ideas that you have missed. 

3. Prepare a short presentation ( 3-5 min.) for your classmates where you explain ( as clearly as possible, you might need to simplify some ideas) what the video is about. ( you can use your notes while speaking).

4. Optional: include your own opinion about the topic. (under the video you have people´s comments, which can help you with critical thinking).

Youtube reviews of our books

Girl with a Pearl Earring: book+film review:

The No1 Ladies´ Detective Agency:

About a Boy:

How I Live Now : book+film review:

Rosa Parks: My Story: a third grader´s report:

Song: Last Christmas- Wham

Vocabulary:

once bitten, twice shy

You still catch my eye

Merry Christmas, I wrapped it up and sent it 

I loved you and I meant it

I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away

someone to rely on

I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

you tore me apart

you´ll never fool me again

TED talk: How books can open your mind

 TED talk with interactive exercises, about how books can open your mind:

http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_high_intermediate.php?id=17682

BBC Interview- Books

What 3 questions are the speakers asked?
Take notes about each question.

TED talk: The story inside the painting - Tracy Chevalier

 For those reading the book, in case you are interested. TED talk by Tracy Chevalier: 

Girl with a Pearl Earring- The paintings in the story

For those reading the book , if you want to use it in your final presentation:

http://www.tchevalier.com/gwape/paintings/

Comparing a book and a film- by Desi (advanced student)

Desi, who was part of the teamwork Oral Presentation devoted to Pay It Forward, compares Ryan Hyde's novel and its movie version. The teacher includes comments and 5 final cards with tips on how to address this kind of task, but you will learn a lot from listening to Desi's work on structure and language range. Notice her relative clauses, adding info the listeners need to follow what she says, not taking for granted listeners know what they might not know!