English in Madrid

Two questions that arose from our MOJ class were: Why are spaghetti westerns so called? Was Phantom of the Opera based on a true story? What Are Spaghetti Westerns and Where Did The Name Come From By the second half of the twentieth century, spaghetti had become so well known throughout the world as an Italian food, that the word spaghetti itself came to be a sort of metaphor for anything Italian. So it is not surprising that when Italian film companies began to produce western movies in the 1960’s, they quickly came to be referred to as spaghetti westerns . Source: allaboutspaghetti.com     Vocabulary :   a put-down -   lone (adj) -   alongside -   vastly superior -   broadly recognised -   highly acclaimed -   achievement (n) -   so much so -   a label -   endearment -   rather than -   to tend to -   fare (n) -   first an...

Each sentence has a missing word. Identify it and rewrite the sentences. e.g. A: Where you from? B: Scotland. answer: Where are you from? B: Scotland. A: How long do you to get work?     B: About 40 minutes. A: I bought this designer jacket years ago but I've never worn it.   B: What a of money. Today is warmer yesterday. I have the same car my brother. The Spanish don't dress as well the French. What's the most interesting country you've been? I got 90% in the exam. It was by my best mark. Burgos is famous its cathedral. Santander is a town the north coast of Spain. My son spends too time playing video games. A: How people were at the party?     B: Around twenty. A: Why you take her to Paris for your anniversary?     B: That's a great idea. Correct the sentences that have mistakes: I can save half an hour if I drive to work. I speak much better than I did a...

Source: Wikipedia (Navicore)   What's the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? I asked this question on arriving at my MOJ class. I had seen a bright light falling through the sky (it wasn't 8am yet and so it was still dark). It was too big and too close to be a shooting star. It must have been a meteor. Or maybe a meteorite. José, the boffin in our class, gave an explanation; but I did a little research myself. I found this question: What is the difference between a meteor, a meteoroid, a meteorite, an asteroid and a comet? Most of us probably have seen meteors or shooting stars. A  meteor  is the flash of light that we see in the night sky when a small chunk of interplanetary debris burns up as it passes through our atmosphere. "Meteor" refers to the flash of light caused by the debris, not the debris itself. The debris is called a  meteoroid . A meteoroid is a piece of interplanetary matter that is smaller than a kilometer an...

Source: You Tube (Rodgers and Hammerstein) Key Words: Shall we dance King and I Shall We Dance? - The King and I (Anna sings) We've just been introduced I do not know you well But when the music started something drew me to your side So many men and girls are in each others arms It made me think we might be similarly occupied Shall we dance , on a bright cloud of music Shall we fly Shall we dance Shall we then say goodnight and mean goodbye Or per chance , when the last little star has left the sky Shall we still be together with our arms about each other And shall you be my new romance On the clear understanding that this kind of thing can happen Shall we dance, shall we dance, shall we dance (Interlude) Shall we dance, on a bright cloud of music Shall we fly Shall we dance Shall we then say goodnight and mean goodbye (The King Sings) Or per chance, when the last little star has leave the sky (Anna Sings) Shall we still be together with our a...

I discovered two more False Friends the other day in class. False Friends are words that sound similar but have different meanings (embarrassed - embarazoso, constipado - constipated, actually - actualmente, library - librería and so on ). Source: Wikipedia (Irekia) Notorious means famous for something bad (de mala fama). Jack the Ripper is one of Britain's most notorious serial killers . Spain has become notorious for corruption. The King is a notorious womanizer . That company is notorious for paying low wages to its staff. It's a notoriously difficult exam to pass. She gained notoriety for being a difficult person to work with. I looked up notorio  and I see - well-known, famous, obvious, evident and noticeable . In English you can say:  It's a well-known fact that...  He told a blatant (= obvious) lie .  It was an obvious mistake .  I don't know if you can use notorio for the examples above.  How would you u...

Horses leap bonfires in controversial festival More than 100 horses and riders leapt the flames of roaring bonfires in a small Spanish town in a centuries-old festival that has raised the ire of animal rights activists . Smoke and flames filled the night in San Bartolomé de Pinares, a central Spanish town of some 600 inhabitants, in the annual festival held on Thursday, the eve of Saint Anthony's Day for the patron saint of animals. One by one, horses and their riders jumped the flames of large bonfires lit in the narrow, paved streets of the town, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of Madrid. Source: Thelocal       Vocabulary : to leap (jump) - a bonfire - roaring (adj) - a flame - the eve of - narrow - lit - paved - to sit astride - fiercely - to date back - concerned (worried) - welfare - to no avail - to bless - a mane - a tail - plaited - to catch fire - to sprinkle - evil - to ride  (...

Source: You Tube (MagicWandTVRemote)       Vocabulary :   a stake (in a company) -   huge (adj) -   a (magic) wand -   a wizard -   to rotate -   a flick -   to fast forward -   to rewind -   a ceiling -   a fan -   revenue (n) -   within (prep) -   a business partner -   to spot -   a brand - an electronic display -   a mark-up -   a wholesaler -   blended (adj) - to stand up to scrutiny - retail (n) - (to make) a net profit - to require - a forecast - appeal (n) - equity - to break cover - ratchet (n) - a deal - to end up - a share - a sliding scale - a canny move - an outline - an entrepreneur - tricky (adj) -   Here is an article about the inventor of the Snowbone, who appeared in the first series of Dragon'...

We heard today about a runner who cheated in a marathon by swapping kit mid-race with his twin brother. It reminded me of another story about a runner who cheated in a race. Read about what happened and watch the video. Kielder run organisers: Rob Sloan 'admitted cheating' A runner who was disqualified from a marathon after being accused of cheating admitted he had made a mistake, event organisers have said. Sunderland Harrier Rob Sloan came third during Sunday's Kielder Marathon but was stripped of the title over a claim he travelled part of the way by bus. He told the BBC he was angry over the accusation and that he did not cheat. But event organiser Northumbrian Water said Mr Sloan had admitted failing to complete the course and had apologised. Mr Sloan is accused of hopping on a bus with spectators about five miles short of the end of the race in Northumberland, then jumping off to run across the finishing line. Steven Cairns of Peebles, Scotland, was lat...

Source:  Bernard Hermant on Unsplash " It "- a little word that can cause big problems for the Spanish. Many of you start your comment: Hi Graham! I'm + "your name". This would be fine if we had never met: A: Hello. My name is Graham. B: Hi Graham. I'm José. A: Nice to meet you. B: Nice to meet you. But in situations where you don't see the person who is speaking and you know the person already eg on the phone, buzzing to get into a flat or saying hello on the blog; we use it: Buzzzzzzzzz buzzzzzzzz A: Who is it? (¿Quién es?) B: It's me - Graham (Soy yo) A: Oh, hi Graham. Come on in. So next time when you write a comment, use "it": Hi Graham! It's + "your name". Students, of all levels, often omit "it" in sentences: A: Is  Tuesday?     B: No, is  Wednesday. A: Is it Tuesday?     B: No, it's Wednesday. Be careful after verbs like "think": A: What's Madrid like?  ...

Source:  Mauro Sbicego en Unsplash Alan Turing, code-breaker castrated for homosexuality, receives royal pardon Alan Turing, a British code-breaker during World War II who was later subjected to chemical castration for homosexual activity, has received a royal pardon nearly 60 years after he committed suicide. Turing was best known for developing the Bombe, a code-breaking machine that deciphered messages encoded by German machines. His work is considered by many to have saved thousands of lives and helped change the course of the war. “Dr. Turing deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science,” British Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement Tuesday. “A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man.” Turing’s castration in 1952 – after he was convicted of homosexual activity, which was illegal at the time – is “a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory a...

Read some of these news stories. In your comments, tell me the new expressions that you have discovered. Which of these stories interested you most? Spain grants bullfighting protected status "Women drive worse than men": Spanish judge Spanish wealth gap is biggest in Europe, says charity Madrid's buskers to face X-factor-style audition Madrid is just fine Spain summons US ambassador over claim NSA tracked 60m calls a month Spain pulls out of two-year recession Spanish government drops plans to cut European funding scheme Rubbish piles up as Madrid cleaners go on strike http://t.co/gs6ZHCTAFu vía @rtenews — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) November 7, 2013 Spanish royals feel the heat as e-mails compound fall from grace Spanish taxpayers pay price as king goes from have yacht to have not Noisy neighbour faces the music Catalonia sets date for independence referenudm but Madrid vows to block it Spain's Eurovegas plan: US casino operat...

Read some of these news stories. In your comments, tell me the new expressions that you have discovered. Which of these stories interested you most? Spain's Mariano Rajoy "implicated after publication of slush fund documents" Spain's Mariano Rajoy refuses to step down Madrid declares war on plague of raccoon and parrot invaders Spanish train crash: 78 killed and 130 injured in derailment Spain considers Gibraltar border fee Royal Navy warships to visit Gibraltar amid diplomatic row "Monkey Christ" painter stages exhibition Has anyone been to the Tomatina? Would you (pay to) go? : Budget-hit Spanish town charges for tomato-throwing fest http://t.co/7ou02b5QOc — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) August 28, 2013 Gareth Bale joins Real Madrid for a world record fee of £86m Catalans form human chain for independence from Spain Lost Spanish ticket handed in to clear conscience Analysis of Botella's speech Adiós, siesta? Spain...

Today is the start of the sales in Spain. Are you going to look for a bargain or like me, you   can't face the crowds ? Did you spend too much money on presents? Do you know what "showrooming" is? Listen to 6 minute English to find out. If you find it too difficult, read the transcript as you listen. Take a note of the new expressions. Then you can read  about the peril of showrooming .

Look at the following examples that express hopes, plans and so on for the New Year. Then write some of your own ideas for the year ahead. Hopes: I hope (that) I 'll have more free time to do sport. I hope to visit my uncle in London this year. I haven't seen him for years. I wouldn't mind chang ing job. I'm not happy with the one I have. I 'd love to set up my own business but I don't know if I have the determination to succeed. I 'd like to go to the theatre more. I only went once last year.   Resolutions / promises: I 'll try to go to the gym three times a week. I won't drink so much.                               (See post on will for promises, offers... ) Future plans / arrangements: I 'm going to get married in May. I 'm hav ing my summer holidays in September this year....

You can click on the key symbol to get the answers. If you do the crossword, write me a short comment. Did you get them all?

Read some of these news stories. In your comments, tell me the new expressions that you have discovered. Which of these stories interested you most? Spain's Princess Christina named as suspect in corruption case http://t.co/BZI5a9pBWj vía @guardian — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) April 3, 2013 "Nobody elected the King": Thousands protest monarchy in Spain King of Spain is now 'less popular than tax inspectors' - http://t.co/2E1fIynEcA vía @Independent Never liked the man... — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) April 7, 2013 Queen Sofia wins apology from online adultery agency Margaret Thatcher to have a Madrid street in her name http://t.co/MrwRuD4eOs — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) April 12, 2013 "Escraches" have been in the news a lot recently. = doorstep demonstration. http://t.co/0y6rtbuhhD Do you think they should be allowed? — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) April 15, 2013 Expat goodbyes bring down Sp...

Source: Wikipedia ( Oren Rozen ) Which of the following stories interested you most? Read at least one article and in your comment tell me any new words or expressions that you discover. Spain: The pain of austerity deepens Spain healthcare bosses quit over Madrid privatisation Here Comes The Sun flashmob cheers Spanish unemployment office Spain's El País apologises for false Hugo Chavez photo Government faces corruption allegations Operation Puerto doctor admits footballers came to his clinic BBC News - Spanish apathy turns to anger at corruption 'epidemic' http://t.co/2UMdRJQn — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) February 12, 2013 Rajoy as a Romanian BEGGAR. http://t.co/r12WoI59PS Just heard this sketch described as xenophobe. Where's your sense of humour???? — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) February 23, 2013 Spain police arrest 45 in Madrid after protest Spanish have highest healthy life expectancy in Europe Spanish spy chief denies sending Germ...