Madiba

Nelson Mandela led the fight against apartheid in South Africa for several decades. He spent nearly 26 years in prison for his efforts. The international community campaigned for many years to get him released. Finally, he was freed on 11 February 1990. The event was broadcast live all over the world.
He worked tirelessly to help South Africa move toward reconciliation and a multi-racial democracy. In 1994, he became his country’s first black president and served for five years before stepping down in 1999. He has won many awards in his life, but perhaps his greatest is the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Since his retirement from South African politics, he has remained active on the world stage. One of his biggest commitments is in the fight against AIDS.
The United Nations General Assembly has created a special day to celebrate Nelson Mandela. July 18th, Mandela’s birthday, is now officially Nelson Mandela International Day. The UN recognises Mandela’s contributions towards improving race relations and human rights. He is today one of the world’s most respected statesmen.

Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th century, created by British author and physician Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes is famous for his ability at using logic and careful observation to solve cases.

Holmes was said to have lived at 221B Baker Street, London (an upper-storey flat at 221 Baker Street), where he spent many of his professional years with his friend and colleague Dr. Watson while the residence was maintained by Mrs. Hudson. Recently, a new version film has been released at cinemas in Spain. Look for information about the film: main actors, reviews, plot, etc.

A Christmas Carol

Do you like Christmas stories? You have probably heard about Disney's new movie: A Christmas Carol 3D. Did you know that this story was written by Charles Dickens in 1843? Yes, this is not a new tale but there are a lot of film versions based on it.

Let's talk about its main character: At the beginning of the novel, Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight fisted, greedy man, who hates Christmas. Scrooge has only his nephew left but doesn't particularly care for him. On Christmas Eve he is visited by three ghosts. Who are they? What do they want from Scrooge? To find out more, read an easy adaptation ( five chapters ) of
" A Christmas Carol ".

Happy Turkey Day!

In the United States, Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.This year Thanksgiving is on Thursday, the 26th of November. However, in other countries like Canada people celebrate this day on the second Monday in October!

Do you know how do people celebrate that day? or why is it celebrated? Try to look for information on the net or ask Sara, our language assistant, for help.

However, most people mark Thanksgiving on their calendar for a very different reason: the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday and it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Sales bring big crowds to shops and shopping malls all over the USA. Black Friday is not an official holiday but many employees have the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers.

Discuss in pairs the following questions.( Double-click on the image below to enlarge it).

Spooky writers

What do Poe, Mary Shelley or Stephen King have in common? Yes, they all wrote about fantasy or horror stories. Try to find out some details about these authors by clicking on this link .

Then, compare in groups and try to find similarities and differences in their lives and works. Can you name two books written by these authors ? When did they write ? Did they have happy or miserable lives ?

Now watch this video about one of Poe's most famous and spooky stories.


Edgar Allan Poe - El Corazón Delator (Tell Tale Heart) Subtitulado