23/05/2008

How to pronounce -ed endings correctly

How's your pronunciation these days? Do you feel you need some more practice with final -ed in verbs?

Some useful sites for you:

- Short interactive lesson here.
- Explanation + audio here.
- Drag and drop exercise here.
- BBC Grammar Challenge here (again!).

Hope you enjoy them.

Take care and have a nice weekend.

18/05/2008

English made special for you

Would you like to get some more practice in American English? Voa News has a section of news that can be read and listened to at the same time- the language they use is "Special English". This section is specially designed for people like us, whose native language is NOT English. Here you have the explanation they give:

"On October 19, 1959, the Voice of America broadcast the first Special English program. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language was not English. Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. They still are. Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. Over the years, its role has expanded. It helps people learn American English while they learn about American life and stay informed about world news and developments in science."

Why not give it a try? Click here to get started.

Hope you like it!

03/05/2008

Health Websites

Hi there again!

Do you remember the activities we did last week? You can do some more on the Internet. Try the following websites:

- Click here if you want to access an interactive site for children: you can read about getting ready for hospital, getting treated and getting around. Lots of vocabulary and fun activities!

- A similar interactive site for children here.

- General health vocabulary + images here and here.

- Would you like to have the transcriptions to the words read aloud? Healthy habits read aloud (karaoke style) here.

- An interactive tale about going to the doctor here.

- Conversations at the doctor's here.

- How to make an appointment here.

- A telephone conversation here.

Hope you enjoy!
Take care.

Chocolate cake (by Cristina Belver)

Thanks for sharing the recipe with us, Cristina. Here it goes:


I’LL TELL TOU HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE CAKE

YOU’LL NEED:

1/2 cup of dark cocoa

1/2 cup of boiled water

1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate

100 g of softened butter

2 cups of sugar

2 eggs

2 ½ cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

¾ cups of milk

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  • Grease a cake recipient
  • Put cocoa, boiled water, salt and bicarbonate in a little bowl
  • In a separated bowl beat the eggs, butter with sugar, mix with flour and baking powder
  • Mix all this with the cocoa
  • Pour into prepared recipient
  • Bake at 180 º C until a knife inserted in centre comes out clean, approximately for 30 minutes
  • When the cake has room temperature, place cut in half horizontally and whip with dulce de leche.
  • Put chocolate on the top and around the cake
  • Put the cake into the fridge for one hour.

If you prefer you can add rhum to the dulce de leche and chopped walnut on the top