ESL Charlie Brown Christmas Activities

50 years after it was created, one of the most beloved Christmas holiday TV specials continues to be the animated cartoon  "A Charlie Brown Christmas"  

Why is it so special? According to Robert Loyd, film critic for the Los Angeles Times, " it isn't about any invented crisis in the life of an imaginary  creature. There are no elves, no reindeer, no Santa. It's just about us. 

The Spirit of Christmas 

 Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts"  wrote a little fable  about how a meaningful  holiday such as Christmas has become so commercialized that it has  lost any meaning. The only magic Christmas now allows  is the kind we create ourselves when we pay attention to someone besides ourselves.  

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" remains true to both the spirit of Christmas and to the spirit of "Peanuts."

Although it t emphasizes the need for hope and love, it still reminds us that for many people around the world the Christmas season can bring anxiety and a feeling of being alone and unloved. 

 "I know nobody likes me," sighs Charlie Brown in the animated special.  "Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"

Grammar in Song:Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheran's song is a wonderful one with which to practice your listening, reading and grammar with. This set of activities include practice with verb tenses and clauses.  Enjoy. 

PDF Thinking Out Loud Activities

Answers Thinking Out Loud

Watch the video on describing the making of thinking out loud dance sequence . 

and answer the questions below. 

  

Comprehension Questions 

1.  What was the original plan for the video ? 

2. How did the "choreographers" respond when they found out Sheeran wanted to dance in      the video himself? 

3. How much experience did Ed have with dancing? 

4. How did Ed learn how to dance the specific choreography in the video? 

5. Why did the professional dancers who danced on tour admire Ed so much? 

6. Describe the different feelings Ed had a bout the experience? 

7. What did the choreographers say is so important "to sell" the song? 


SING OUT LOUD: 

Sing along with the song. If you don't believe how well this can be done, watch thousands of Spanish fans sing along to every word of the song -- without lyrics to help them.    

Thinking Out loud  live in Madrid 

ESL TED TALKS Quiz: The Hidden Power of Smiling

Just a simple smile can have a real impact on both ourselves and others around us. Watch this Ted Talk in which Ron Guzman explains how and why. Take the quiz to see how well you understood.

The interactive version of the quiz is below.

For a paper version of the quiz:  

• PDF Ted Talks: The Power of Smiling
• Answer Key: Ted Talks Hidden Power of Smiling

5 Great Mother's Day Songs and Activities

Many people don 't completely appreciate just what a mother is and does until they become parents themselves.  

Over the years many songs have been written to celebrate and praise mothers for the major roles they have and continue to play in our lives. 

Here are five songs  that focus on the different roles mothers play in our lives. All of them include a variety of listening, reading, writing, and discussion activities. Some songs even include a few grammar activities.  Enjoy them on your own or with your class.  

William and Kate Sue Re: Nude Photos

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will file a criminal complaint against a French magazine for publishing nude photos of Kate which were taken while they were on a private holiday. 

Closet Magazine recently published pictures of Kate Middleton sunbathing topless  while she and William were holidaying on a private estate in France.
 
A spokesmen for the palace said the royal couple are furious because paparazzi took the photographs without Kate or William's  knowledge or consent. 

" It is unthinkable that anyone should take such pictures, let alone publish them," he said.

 St Jame's Palace confirmed on Friday afternoon that William and Kate will sue the magazine for what's called "breach of privacy" - where they feel their privacy has been invaded. 

Royal lawyers working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going to court to try and stop any more private photos of Kate being published.

The pictures of Kate sunbathing without her bikini top on have been published in two European magazines, one foreign newspaper.  They have not been published in the United Kingdom. 

The lawyers  will ask for the photographer to be caught and charged, as well as getting the magazines removed from the shops. 


A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, says Cameron believes the royal couple are "entitled to their privacy."
 
Princess Diana's Death brought Respect for Privacy
 
The British press has been very careful about respecting the royals' privacy ever following the death of the prince's mother, Diana Princess of Wales, in Paris 15 years ago while being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes.

The topless photos of Kate  were probably inspired by a British tabloid's recent publication of Prince Harry naked at a party in Las Vegas, said Caroline Jan, a media lawyer from Britain. 

She added that the Kate Middleton photos are a sign that the French public's demand for gossip is bringing back the idea that is it acceptable to invade the privacy of popular young royals. .

The publicity briefly affected the couple's tour of the Far East and South Pacific  to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.  

BC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, traveling with the royal couple, said Prince William looked furious as they left Malaysia. 

"He is absolutely determined to protect the privacy of his wife; he has always been very protective of her and that anger has mounted during the day."

Laurence Pieau, the editor in chief of the magazine that first published the photos has said,  "there is nothing shocking” about the photos. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like you see millions of at the beach.”

Privacy lawsuits against French tabloids are common and are usually resolved with damage awards of between 1,000 euros ($1,300) and 15,000 euros, as well as printed notices telling readers the tabloid was condemned in court, said Christophe Bigot, a Paris-based media lawyer who doesn't represent the magazine. 

French privacy fines are set “based on personal suffering, and traditionally French judges assess these fines much lower than Anglo-Saxon judges,” Bigot said. 

Since Middleton was hidden from view, her award would probably be in the higher range, as much as 10,000 euros, though there is no specific limit to such awards, he said. 

Meanwhile , despite their recent problems with the media  Kate Middleton and Prince William  looked as cheerful as ever as they continued their tour and arrived in the Honiara International Airport in the Solomon Islands September 16. 

adapted from articles on the BBC, AP, The Telegram, the New York Times 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES 

• Take a short comprehension quiz on the reading. 

•  Then, watch the video called Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

• Finally - write a comment about  what YOU think about invading the privacy of famous people. 

•  IN YOUR OPINION does the the media (paparazzi) have the right to pursue and photograph celebrities and royalty in the privacy of their own homes or holiday spots? 

LISTENING CAN BE FUN !

Hi there, 

I told you I would send a few specific links for you to practice listening.  

I want to start with some fun ones  first.  The first four are songs that feature the future tense with "will" .  Each song is very different, but each song . includes the words to the song, so you can sing 

along to them, Try doing it several times. Singing in English is an excellent way to improve your pronunciation. Make sure you open your mouth nice and wide. 

Also, have a good look at how the verb "will" is used for future. I couldn't find any "going to", but if I do, I will post them.  If you have a printer bring them along to class.

So here we go with the songs  

LADY BUG WILL YOU MARRY ME                  This  is a wonderful song to sing along to and it is very easy.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU by Whitney Houston    This is a very famous song that has been sung by many  different people.

I WILL SURVIVE by Gloria Gaynor    This is also a famous song that makes you want to dance right away. Millions of women think it is their song of freedom because it is about a woman who discovers she can survive without a man, and that she will continue to do so.

WHEN I'M 64   by the Beatles   You can't possibly think of a song that talks about the future and not think of the Beatles singing this song. It talks about real life and asks a woman if she will still love him when he's 64. 

Now, I want you to listen to five English dialogues. Do the exercises. Read the script and do not move on to the next one until you get 100%. .These will help you in your listening test.

LISTENING TO ENGLISH DIALOGUES:

1.    An Emergency Call  

 ( This is about a 911 situation) 

2.    What's the matter?

(This is about sickness and health - good vocabulary practice)

3.   There is No Place Like Home

         (This is about apartments - good vocabulary   practice) 

4.  A Thief in the Park  

     ( This is about taking security measures)

5. Listen to a Radio Advertisement  

        (This is about learning how to listen and understand radio advertisements)  

Finally,  I am  posting the calendar for the rest of the term.  When you look at it, you will see how little time we have left.

UB/PI   2011    MARCH  -- END OF TERM CALENDAR

We have one week and three days , or seven teaching days  before you write your final exams. We still need to cover several grammar, reading and speaking points.  All of us

need to use our time well in class – not waste time fooling around.   

Tentative Plan. I may change the subjects as we go along.

NOTE: to Upper Beginners. Because you do not have a speaking test with another teacher,

I will give you a final speaking test, after a grammar, listening or reading test.

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRI. SAT, SUN
7 Speaking ( Story Telling) –test Future Tense Reading Practice	8 Reading test Grammar: Future Speaking	9 Grammar: Comparatives Listening Test Speaking Test  Messages (I have 2 audio labs)	10 Grammar: Comparatives Speaking Writing	11,12,13 HOMEWORK
14 Speaking ; Present Perfect Reading	15 Present Perfect Speaking practice  Review writing	16 Grammar Quiz   (Multiple choice) Practice Listening Test	17 FINAL WRITING EXAM	18,19,20 HOMEWORK
21 UB – NO CLASS P.I. ORAL INTERVIEW	22. FINAL GRAMMAR EXAM	23 FINAL READING EXAM	24 FINAL LISTENING EXAM	25,26,27 FREE AT LAST
28 TEACHER CONSULTATIONS	29. TEACHER CONSULTATIONS	30 NO CLASS	31 REPORT CARDS Registration For spring session	FREE AT LAST