BLM = Black Lives Matter

BLM (= Black Lives Matter) is an international human rights movement we have all become acquainted with after George Floyd´s death - a homicide for most of us. Get further information about both topics (the movement and G. Floyd's killing) watching the video below.

Rest in Power, Beautiful #blacklivesmatter from BLM Global Network on Vimeo.

Life has never been easy for black people in the USA; white privilege has always been there. Muhammad Ali, born Cassius M. Clay, the boxer, is talking about this in the video below - even though he does not mention the words. I do not agree with the laughs in the video; in fact, I feel terrible listening to him mention a bunch of unfair situations but that is, unfortunately, the way it was and still is.

I guess we can only imagine how hard life is for black people. 

`Flawed´

Flawed = not perfect or correct

This short film, Flawed, nominated to an Emmy in 2012, is a reflection on the modern obsession with being flawless (flawless = without imperfections or defects, i.e. perfect). When the narrator falls in love with a plastic surgeon, she does not like what he does in his job until she learns that he treats people with illnesses. Their relationship makes her reflect on prejudices about appearance - mainly hers, because of her big nose.

The drawings used to tell the story are just hypnotizing. I hope you will enjoy both the video and the story.

You can read an interview with the filmmaker, Andrea Dorfman, here

If you find it too hard to follow, click here to watch the video with subtitles in English.

 

Coronavirus Vocabulary

Languages are alive and when something "new" happens and overwhelms our lives, like the COVID-19, new words come up to let us express ourselves; many of these words are quickly adopted by all of us and those in English officially become part of the language when they are included in The Oxford Dictionary. 

Do you know what these words and expressions mean? Try to guess their meaning before watching these Simple English Videos:

• coronavirus vs. COVID-19
• elbow bump
• self-isolation
• self-quarantine
• social-distancing
• WFH
• PPE
• non-essential
• lockdown vs. stay at home
• shelter in place

• covidiot
• coronacoaster
• coronials
• the COVID-10
• fattening the curve
• the locktail hour
• quarantinis
• furlough merlot
• bored-eaux
• cabernet tedium
• elephant in the zoom

A Song for the Coronavirus Pandemic

A song to remember the coronavirus pandemic, Cristóvam´s Andrá Tutto Bene´



This is the information about the origins of this song that was posted when the song was released: 

While in the depths of quarantine and social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, two Portuguese friends came together through music and film to shine a light on the unsung heroes bravely fighting a devastating Coronavirus. 

“Andrà Tutto Bene” (Everything Will Be Alright) is a resounding message of hope and courage that celebrates the collective human spirt and touches the hearts of millions around the globe. Composed and performed by Cristóvam and with a video concept created and directed by Pedro Varela

This is a tribute to all of today’s heroes—from those on the front lines, to those sheltering in place—so that we can (and will) overcome. Divided we fight, but united we stand.

Reading

Michelle y Barack Obama read "The Word Collector", a book by Peter H. Reynolds, an author and illustrator of children´s books. 

The video includes the subtitles so I suggest that you should read it along and try to imitate their pronunciation and intonation. It is an excellent activity to improve your speaking and reading skills. I am sure you will learn some vocabulary, too.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) el 14 May, 2020 a las 9:08 PDT

British vs. American English

Here is a funny video explaining some differences in vocabulary between British and American English

Improving Your Listening Ability

The Spoken English Code is a YouTube channel whose aim is to help students understand spoken English better. 

This is how it works: taking a short excerpt from someone's speech, the narrator analyses the speaker´s pronunciation and explains the language he/she uses. In the video below, the speaker is Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York, whom we have all gotten acquainted with during the coronavirus pandemic due to his disagreements with Donald Trump.

How Google Search Works

This is a 5-minute-long video about how Google search works: why some pages appear first in the results, what factors may change the ranking of a webpage... this information may come in useful when you are doing your own research

Thanks to `Free Technology for Teachers´ for the video

Typing vs. Writing

Think about these questions before you watch the video - and learn about yourself:

• Are you a person who likes pencils? 

• Would you say typing and writing work just the same? Watch the video (click to get the subtitles in English if you need them)  and make sure you understand when and why one is better than the other.

• What about doodling? Do you doodle? Learn about it and what it says about you

 

Climate Change

140 Seconds of Optimism from Climate Optimist on Vimeo.

Are you optimistic about climate change? Join here