American British English

Recently I have read an article about an English journalist who had been working at The Guardian in New York for three years. She speaks about how English and American are divided by a common language, and, in the end she has decided to use communication accommodation, which is a real science to back this problem up. This theory says that, when people interact they adjust their speech, their vocal pattern and their gestures to accommodate to others. Scientists say the phenomenon of adopting first vocabulary and then even taking on a foreign accent is born out of empathy, or a subconscious desire to fit it.

Oscar Wilde in The Canterville Ghost  - the story about an American family who wants to buy an English haunted castle - wrote “ We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course the language”.

Thinking about all that, I have reminded a song by Sting, An Englishman in New York.


I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I'm an Englishman in New York…
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York…

Well, now just in case you have to go to New York and you don’t want to feel like an alien, find out how to say these words in American English.

Term, film, flat, taxi, return ticket, petrol, main road, motorway, underground, subway, pavement, lorry, car park, university, autumn, holiday, fortnight, tap rubbish, dustbin, wardrobe, ground floor, lift, toilet, chips, crisps.

Manga and Gothic

In second Eso we have work the Urban Tribes. Have a look at two good works of your schoolmates: Manga by Carlos Portero and Gothic by Gerard Jara.

Follow the link for watching:

- Anime: http://is.gd/BKhtie

- Gothic: http://is.gd/IOP6Qs

Gattaca

A) Vocabulary: adjectives to describe a film
Decide if these adjectives are positive (+) or negative (-):

Awful                    Fun                        Great                   Terrible
Brilliant                Dreadful                 Boring                 Appalling
Good                   OK                          Amazing             Bad
Rubbish               Incredible               Gripping             Excellent
Predictable         Sensational            Dull                     Disappointing

B) Task: describe and evaluate a film
Use the adjectives from A to evaluate

The plot
Dialogues
The ending
The special effects
The photography
The soundtrack

About Gattaca, after evaluating the film, answer this question.

Would you like to decide about the sex, health, skills, personality of your children? Yes or no? Give reasons.

Madame Bovary

Cherchez information sur Gustav Flaubert, l'auter du roman "Madame Bovary". Claude Chabrol, directeur du film, et donnez votre opinion sur le personage de Emma.

Happy!

Write down in 50-70 words what makes you really happy.

Alma (be careful!)

Watch the video and explain what happens in 200 words.

Family Fortunes

Scientists and psychologists agree that although many factors contribute to forming your personality, for example, your sex, class, culture, or lifestyle, one of the most important is your position in the family. So how have you been affected?

Are you a first child, a middle child, the youngest, or an only child?

If you are a first-born child, you are probably self-confident and a good leader – you came first after all. You may be bossy and even aggressive if you don’t get what you want. You are ambitious and good at communicating because you learnt to speak from your parents, not from brothers and sisters. On the other hand, you are the oldest and so you have to be the most responsible, and this can make you the kind of person who worries a lot.

Middle children are often independent and competitive. You had to fight with your brothers and sisters to get what you wanted. You are also co-operative as you always had to negotiate with your older or younger brothers and sisters. You are sociable, as you always had someone to play with. On the other hand, you may be jealous and insecure or moody if you felt your parents preferred your older brothers or sisters.

Youngest children are often very charming. You learned very quickly that you could get exactly what you wanted by being charming- and this can make you manipulative. You are usually affectionate and relaxed because when you arrived your parents were more relaxed themselves. But you are often not very independent, as you always had so many people to help you. This makes it hard for you to take decisions. And you may be lazy, because your parents pushed you less and were less strict with you than with your older brothers and sisters.

Only children are often quite selfish. You had the wonderful luxury of not having to share your parents’ attention with anybody else. In fact, you received so much attention as a child that you find it difficult to be interested in other people. On the other hand, you are usually organized and responsible, and often imaginative. But you may find it difficult to communicate with others, and are very sensitive to criticism.

a)    What’s your position in the family? Are you the oldest, the youngest, in the middle, or an only child?  Do you like your position? Why (not)?

b)    Underline the adjectives of personality. Write them in the chart.

	First-born children	Middle children	Youngest children	Only children
Positive adjectives	Self-confident
Negative adjectives
Positive or negative adjectives

What are you like? What are your brothers/sisters/friends like?

I’m a middle child. I’m competitive, but I’m not really moody.....

My younger brother is definitely.....