domingo, 29 de outubro de 2017

Listening Practice Online

Hello dear students!

Here is a great website for you to practice and improve your listening skill and English comprehension!








Learning Tips
  • Set realistic goals. Expectations should meet reality.
  • Understand the context to anticipate what you will listen.
  • Be patient.
Have a great practice!

domingo, 15 de outubro de 2017

Working on Mistakes

In the following video Gavin talks about some verbs that exist only in Portuguese.
It is comum for students to misuse them. Specially "know+ place" (conhecer+lugar) and "pass"(passar).


How to say "passar" in English?












domingo, 8 de outubro de 2017

Columbus Day- October

Columbus Day is an annual celebration that remembers Christoper Columbus’ arrival to the Americas on October 12th, 1492. Columbus Day is held each year on the second Monday of October. 
  • Instead of landing in the Indies, Columbus landed at what is now the Caribbean Islands; called Guanahani by the Indians and deemed San Salvador by Columbus. Columbus, however, believed he had reached Asia. He died in 1506 still believing he had found a route to the New World.
  • Columbus was searching for a new route that would allow ships to bring spices from Asia to Europe.
  • He sailed with a 90 man crew on three ships which were called the Santa Maria, the Nina, and the Pinta. They sailed for two long months that were filled with sickness, famine, and exhaustion.
  • The first commemoration of Columbus took place in 1792
  • Many people do not like this holiday, because the European settlement in the Americas led to the destruction of the history and culture of the people that were native to these lands.
  • In 1866, the Italian population of New York organized a celebration of the discovery of America.
  • In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing.
  • In 1937, every October 12 was proclaimed as “Columbus Day” by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • In 1968, Columbus Day was declared a federal public holiday on the second Monday in October by President Lydon B. Johnson, however, 22 states don’t celebrate Columbus Day.
Here is a video about the criticism over this holiday:

domingo, 1 de outubro de 2017

Video: How our friendship survives our opposing politics

Hello dear students,

The bipolarization that proceeds in the USA (Democrats vs. Republicans) happens here too.(in terms of different political position)
Here is an amazing video of two women who became friends before sharing their political positions and they tell how they manage to maintain their friendship and respect their different points of view.

Hallmarks:

"We have chosen to be genuinely curious about each other's ideas and perspectives and to be willing to listen to one another even when we disagree... and by putting aside our ego and preconceived ideas we've opened ourselves up to limitless learning... but remember, the goal isn't to win (the "debate"), the goal is to listen and to understand and to be open to learn something new."



If you have any problem following what they say, please press CC for English Subtitles/ Closed Captions
(Se você tiver qualquer problema seguindo o que elas dizem, por favor, pressione CC para Legendas em Inglês/ Closed Captions)

How to activate CC?
(Como ativar CC?)

Press CC in the bottom right corner of the video.
(Pressione CC no canto inferior direito do video)