Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man who believes that Christmas is just an excuse for people to miss work and for idle people to expect handouts. He doesn't believe in all of the good cheer and charity that the season promotes and wants everybody to know it.
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business associate, Jacob Marley -- a man who was as greedy and cold as Scrooge is. Marley warns Scrooge that if he continues to live so selfishly, he will spend eternity wearing the chains that his greed has built.
Three ghosts visit Scrooge successively: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They show Scrooge his error in valuing money over people. Scrooge is frightened by the bleak picture of his life and promises to change his ways.
Scrooge awakes on Christmas morning a new man. He becomes jolly and charitable, and truly turns into the man he promised the ghosts he would become. He carries the spirit of Christmas with him all the year round.
You can read touching novella if you click on this link.
Jim Carreys A Christmas Carol Official Trailer:
What is Next Stop London 2010 all about? 
Every year since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace.
Do you want to test your level of English? Click on these links, you've got different tests to know how skilled you are in the English language.This is the list of countries that qualified in the order they were announced during the Second Semi-final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest:
This video shows the official recap of all 19 songs competing at the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, in Moscow, Russia!
This means that 15 out of 25 participants of the Final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known. The remaining 10 finalists will be known after the Second Semi-Final, which will take place on May 14th at 21:00 CET!
Which is your favourite song to win the contest? Write and tell us!!! This is one of my favourite songs: Iceland's Is it true?
Since 2008, the Eurovision Song Contest consists of three live shows, aired prime-time to millions of homes across Europe. During two Semi-Finals, viewers and juries across Europe determine which countries will be represented in the Final.
World Book Day is held on April, 23rd to commemorate the death of Shakespeare and Cervantes, two of the world's most celebrated writers. For more information on this topic, click on this link, which will take you to last year's World Book Day entry.Appreciate what you have ...
and do your best for a better world
There is no proper "future tense" in English. However, there are multiple ways of expressing future time: Will, Be going to, Present continuous and Present simple. 
Although the main aim of this blog is to help people to learn English, we cannot forget that culture is also a very important aspect to take into account when studying a foreign language. So, this post is intended for you to know some traditional British recipes.
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day, although not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible. Traditionally, in some countries, the jokes only last until noon: like UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool". Elsewhere, such as in Ireland, France, and the USA, the jokes last all day. (Source: Wikipedia)
When two verbs appear together in a sentence, the first verb determines if the second verb will be in the gerund form (-ing form) or the infinitive form (to+base form). But, how do we know if a verb is followed by the gerund or the infinitive? The only way is to memorize which verbs are followed by gerunds and which are followed by infinitives.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. (Source: Wikipedia).
A colleague at school has told me about this site today: http://www.acapela.tv/. Here you'll find different characters which change the text you type into speech. It can be used as a greeting card or as a way of practising your language skills.
- a preposition meaning in the capacity of / in the function of like in the sentence:
She works as a teacher.
- but it is usually a conjunction of manner and goes therefore followed by a verb form, for example:
When in Rome do as Romans do.
- It also appears in comparative structures:
Peter is as tall as a my brother.
- In the group such as it means like:
There are different ways of travelling such as (=like) walking, flying or driving.
LIKE
Is a preposition and goes therefore followed by a noun. It expresses similarity:
She feels like a rolling stone (=in the same way as)
It was like a dream (=similar to)
Like is a preposition and is therefore followed by pronouns in the object form.
They said they didn't want people like me in that group.
It can also be followed by a verb, in the -ing form
There's nothing like fishing from a boat.
In fact, when we want to ask about the description of something we use:
WHAT IS something LIKE ? which is quite different from
HOW is something /someone ? where we become interested in personal state, etc.
Source: http://english.baladre.org/sedaviwebfront/asliketheory.htm
Spanish explanation and examples.
More Spanish explanations: I and II.
Yesterday we went to Gibraltar on a school trip and all I have to say is that it was fantastic! We spent a great time there despite the weather. Luckily, it did not rain, but the wind was really strong. We went to Europa Point, we visited Saint Michael's caves and we stopped at the Apes' Den. An ape jumped onto my shoulders and I took a nice picture! Then we had free time to have lunch and go shopping.
Next week we are going to Gibraltar on a school trip. You know that you will have to work in groups and do a special Gymkhana during the visit. It will be really funny and it will give you the opportunity to be in direct contact with British people. You are encouraged to speak English with them and ask questions to complete your task.
Many kisses and lots of love!
I wish you all a Happy Saint Valentine's Day!
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
“Smiles form the channels of a future tear.”
Lord Byron
“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
John Lennon
“Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”
Jane Austen
Isabel's ESL activities and links
21 Reasons Why I Love You
Love calculator
I love you in various languages
Valentine's Day resources St. Valentine's cards
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (February 27, 1863 - August 10, 1923), was a Spanish painter, born in Valencia, who excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes, and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by a dexterous representation of the people and landscape under the sunlight of his native land. 
Let's "Give Peace a Chance". Let's contribute to make a better world for everyone. 
