Module 06. Listening: And the Oscar goes to...

... Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona!

She got it. The 2009 Oscar award for best supporting actress belongs to our Pe.
She well deserves the award because she is an extraordinary actress and she has offered us memorable performances like her unforgettable Raimunda in Almodovar's Volver.

In the ceremony, she looked classy, gorgeous, extremely elegant and so nervous that her voice quivered as she delivered her heartfelt beautiful speech. Don't miss her speech, watch the video and listen to it: it's moving, intelligent and really good:



Pay attention to Pe's pronunciation. Is there anything you think she should improve?

Now, read the transcript and try to explain the meaning of the words in bold:

'This is not going to be 45 seconds, I can say that right now. Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one. Thank you so much to the Academy. I want to share this with my fellow nominees and with the amazing ensemble of actors that I had the privilege to work with in this movie. Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank for you having written over all these years some of the greatest characters for women. And I cannot talk about great female characters without thanking my friend Pedro Almodovar for having made me part of so many of his adventures. Thank you, Bigas Luna, Fernando Trueba, for giving me my first movies. Thank you, Harvey Weinstein. I wanted to dedicate this to my parents and to my brother and sister, to my friend Robert Carlo, who is not with us anymore, and to everyone who has helped me from the beginning and you know who you are and I thank you from my heart.

I grew up in a place called Alcobendas, where this was not a very realistic dream. And I, always on the night of the Academy Awards, I stay up to watch the show and I always felt that this was, this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world because art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can, to protect its survival. So I thank you so much and I have to say something in Spanish, because everyone... [SPANISH PART]

Taken and adapted from ESL Bloggers

Module 06. Listening: Miriam Makeba dead at 76

Part 1


Part 2

Module 06. Writing (Sample answer)

The gig of the year
I have to tell you about the Scissor Sisters. They give one of the best live shows of the year. They are an American band, whose style reminds you of the disco and glam-rock music of the 1970s. In 2006 they had a huge hit with 'I don't feel like dancing'.

On stage the two members of the band you notice most are the singers -Jake and Ana. What an incredible voice Jake has - a combination of opera and rock! Both he and Ana in their sexy black jackets were fantastic. As the show started Jake went straight into 'Laura' which really got the show going. The lighting and the set were amazing and you really had that disco feel.

The only thing I wasn't really happy about was the sound. It was a bit woolly and I couldn't hear the lyrics, but once the band was into its second song nobody really cared.

Judging from this live show they will be the best live band for years to come.

Module 6B. Art and entertainment (Lead-in questions)

6B ART AND ENTERTAINMENT (Speaking)

- What is art in your opinion?
- Do you like art in general?
- What form of art do you like best?
- Do you like modern art? Do you understand it? Does it make sense or do you think it is just nonsense?
- Do you like visiting museums? Do you visit museums when you go to another city?
- Have you ever been to any famous art museums? Which did you like the best? Why? Which did you like the least? Why?
- What famous painters do you know? What are they famous for?
- What is the longest time that you have spent on a painting?
- Do you think that websites are a form of art?
- How do you think that the idea of art has changed throughout history?

Module 06. Song review: If you were a sailboat (by Katie Melua)

Katie Melua, a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician, is giving a concert in the next edition of the 'Mar de Músicas' Festival. Although Katie is still not very popular in Spain, she was the United Kingdom's biggest-selling female artist in 2006.

You have been asked to write a review about Katie Melua's best-known song, 'If you were a sailboat', which you will have the chance to listen to live when you attend Melua's concert next summer. You have decided to watch the video on youtube.com first:



TASK
1. Watch the video and, if necessary, look at the lyrics to make sure you fully understood the song.
2. Write a short review of 'If I were a sailboat'. Include information about the artist, the style, what the song is about and your personal opinion about the song (e.g. did you like the song? would you recommend it?)

OPTIONAL TASK
A local radio station in Cartagena is offering free tickets for Katie Melua's next concert in the 'Mar de Músicas' Festival next summer. All you have to do is re-write the first verse of 'If you were a sailboat' using your own alternative lyrics. Katie will sing the best alternative lyrics live on the radio!

Here's some funny samples sent in by some listeners (ie. students) so far.
"If you were some tiling(1) I would grout(2) you
If you were a rule book I would flout(3) you all the same
If you were a football you would be my favourite game"

(1) tiling: square, flat pieces of clay used to cover the floor.
(2) to grout: to fill in the spaces between tiles using a mixture of sand, water and cement.
(3) to flout: to deliberately not follow a rule, order or law.

Module 06. Vocabulary: Musical Instruments

Hiya!

If you are into music (I am!), here's a useful link for you to look at the different families of musical instruments.

What's your favourite family? To be honest, I like all of them, but I have a special taste for stringed instruments.

Enjoy it!