Week Beginning Monday 2nd April

This Week's Important News

The Easter Dog

Remember that there will be no class this week because of the Easter holidays. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again on Monday 9th / Tuesday 10th April.  Enjoy!

This Week's Homework

NB2: Complete the listening activities of CD4; finish work on "How I Met Myself"; try and do Lesson 6B Workbook and CD Rom. It would be a good idea to have a look at Student's Book P 56 for our next class.

NA1: Do Listening Test 2; work on "Dragons' Eggs"; prepare Grammar Bank P 140 - 141 Section 5C.

This Week's Feast Day: Easter

Easter Greetings by Kustodiev

The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term "hebdomada alba", or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing worn by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as "esostarum" in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of this holiday, click here. To find out how Easter is celebrated around the world, click here.

Source: Larry Ferlazzo

This Week's In The News

It's often interesting and informative to find out how Spain is viewed outside of the country. Here is the report by the British newspaper, The Guardian, on the general strike.

This Week's In Need

This is one of 11 Siberian Husky puppies who are looking for a home. Can you help? If so, please send me an email.  Diane.

Week Beginning Monday 26th March

This Week's Real English

This Week's Homework

NB2A and NB2B: Listening CD2 Ex 15 - 18; complete pages 1 - 3 of revision Unit 5; do "progress test 5" at the weekend, if you want.

NA1: Prepare SB P 81 Ex a and b; Ex c will be for Wed 28th March. Please do it well. Do the exercises on infinitive or gerund in our Supplementary handout for Unit 5.

This Week's News

Our May exams will start on Monday 14th / Tuesday 15th May. These exams are very important and are instrumental in deciding if you are promoted to the next course.

The proposed date for the Reading, Writing and Listening Exams for Certificación is Monday 4th June for Nivel Básico, Tuesday 5th June for Nivel Intermedio, and Wednesday 6th June for Nivel Avanzado. The oral exams will take place after the written papers.

Any student in NA1 can sit Certificación for Nivel Intermedio "por libre".

This Week's Nature

A newborn clouded leopard cub being hand-fed at a US zoo.

There are some beautiful images in today's The Guardian's "Week in Wildlife". Click here to see them.