April Fool's Day

April 1st is April Fool’s Day. If you’re not sure of what this is, go ahead and click on this link: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-fools-tradition-popularized

Here’s an example of a hoax from the BBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kvWS1XwCMM

And here you'll find a whole list of them in case you’re interested: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/

Don’t forget to check newspapers in English tomorrow April 1st to look for hoaxes!!

How different do you think practical jokes and hoaxes are in English speaking countries from those played in Spain?

Humour

I wonder if there is anything that reflects culture better than humour.

These are three examples of humour as understood in three different countries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMlv3ripSM (England)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY8Mx8p0YEw&feature=related (Scotland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1sx-vyWVk (US)

Can you think of any series/film scene or even comedian that makes you laugh?

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. What do you know about the history of this celebration?


http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/videos


Here are two Irish songs (the second one sung by an American singer-songwriter):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfngKaaDVro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-PM_4aeE4


Can you think of anything Irish worth sharing with others? I personally like Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' and Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'.

Interconnections

I love it when people connect things or things get connected by themselves and therefore complement each other. Here is a song that is deeply related to the book ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEtA5fhk4k
Find the lyrics here: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/TheGhostOfTomJoad.html

Can you think of two or more things that complement each other in some way? It could be a song and a book, a book and a film, a song and a film, or anything you can think of!!

'Girl with a Banjo'

Author: Mary Cassatt

http://www.marycassatt.org/

March 8 is International Women’s Day. This year is the 100th Anniversary of this commemoration.
We are lucky to be living in a relatively civilized world, but there is still a long road ahead for women in other countries: http://www.un.org/en/events/women/iwd/2011/

Who comes to your mind when you think of International Women’s Day?

Tricky Words

Who has been to a library and bought a book? Well, if you are a Spaniard learning English you probably have.

False friends or cognates are English words that look or sound similar to a Spanish word but have a totally different meaning. Here are some examples of false cognates:
http://www.developingteachers.com/tips/false_friends.htm

Which false friend/s have you used again and again? Do you have an anecdote involving a false friend?