MATCHMAKERS

What if you couldn't choose your boyfriend or girlfriend? Some years ago young people couldn't. Matchmakers did! They were always warm accepted in houses. Mostly women were occupied with matchmaking. Their main aim was to find a good match to brides and to bridegrooms. Their services were generously paid, especially when both parts agreed such kind of marriage. In many cases parents decided on behalf of their children to make them engage. Often engagement was organized between under-age-children. Such ceremony was formal and was considered as a kind of verbal declaration of such intentions. Everything was organized by parents with the help of matchmakers.

We're going to pretend we are matchmakers and we have to convince parents how good the boys and girls from our class are.

Don't forget to add your comments with the results of the interviews you did during last Friday lesson.

Cinema is always an inspiration. In this scene of Fiddle on the roof (1971), you can see some girls worried about who their matchmaker is finding for them.

UNIT 4. Grammar: the present perfect

In Unit 4 we are studying the PRESENT PERFECT. In the Grammar Bank (pages 98-99) you have information about this tense. But to learn more and get some practice go to

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

Then for more practice, go to

www.englishpage.com

And here you have some examples of how to use the present perfect:

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

HAPPY 2012!!!


Have you heard about New Year's Resolutions?

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. People committing themselves to a New Year's resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year. This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous.



Here you have some of the most common resolutions:

-Quit smoking
-Get in shape
-Save more, spend less
-Dedicate more time to family
-Read more
-Learn a musical instrument
-Get in to a relationship
-Learn a new language
-Control temper:
-Keep up with the resolutions



Other lists include:

■Keeping in touch with friends more
■Exercising more
■Eating a more healthy diet
■Relaxing more
■Helping family more
■Learning something new
■Saving more money
■Reducing loans and debts.
■Becoming a volunteer for a local organization or charity
■Making regular contributions to a world wide charity
■Being more environmentally aware
■Recycling more products
■Helping a neighbour or a friend in need


Add comments with your resolutions for 2012.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_resolution
http://www.wishafriend.com/newyear/new-year-resolutions.php
http://www.rachaelwestdesigns.com/new-years-resolution-ideas-for-2011

Your special Spanish omelette

In this unit we are learning to cook. Everyone knows (more or less) how to cook Spanish omelette. But do you have special tips to prepare it? Please share your secret recipe with your classmates.

Two songs for baby 7 billion

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about our world? Here you have two famous songs with two different views.

We keep reading...

Juan José Cintado and Jorge Luceño told us about the books they've just read: King Arthur and his knights and Robin Hood. They told us about the plot and the characters. It was very interesting. Who's next?

Our self-portraits were great!

In unit 2 we were learning how to describe ourselves. We used different colours to describe our personality: red for active, energetic people; yellow for relaxed and cheerful; green for friendly and open; blue for calm; brown for warm and black for rebellius.
24 posters for 24 different people. We had all the colours and most of the works were really artistic. Congratulations!