English for Enogastronomy

Talking about past events and emotions together with some hints at poetic language. Oscar Wilde offers us another chance to appreciate his words and wit. We wish to thank professor Simonetta Antonioni for the kind support and interesting lecture. THE SELFISH GIANT (Thank you HarperCollins e-book for sharing) USE OF ENGLISH ( level A2) Simple Past Tense   in narrating past events (Courtesy of professor Simonetta Antonioni) A quick guide to Wilde's poetic language (Courtesy of professor Simonetta Antonioni)

This week we're going to learn how to make a written/oral report about fiction ( novel/short story). I'm sharing two versions of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost; a full version for upper intermediate level ( B2) and an adapted one for pre-intermidiate ( B1). I also include a synopsis about the author and his short story and a mind map with suggestions for a three-minute-talk. To Know more about Oscar Wilde you can read my previous post HERE B1 version B2 version SYNOPSIS BOOK REVIEW-MIND MAP

  Green Book tells the story of two men who are forced to become friends during their journey on a concert tour in the racist South of the USA. The film is based on a true story : in the 1960s, musician Don Shirley and a tough guy and chauffeur, Tony Lip, are complete opposites. Shirley is a highly-educated African-American who lives above Carnegie Hall playing classical music for audiences. Lip, is an Italian-American from the Bronx who works in security but agrees to be Shirley's driver through the south. They are two very different guys, with different problems,  who grow to respect and admire one another .  But what has the Green Book to do with them? And, more in general, WHAT is the Green Book?   The GREEN BOOK was  a guide which  listed hotels, restaurants and even gas stations that were safe for black people during the time of African- American segregation. Created by Victor H. Green in Harlem, for 30 years, travelers f...

A PREZI presentation about the many meanings of the word discrimination .  Do you Know what  HUMAN RIGHTS are?  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into more than 500 languages. Click here for more details. This is a lesson plan on Human Rights for my fellow teachers ( thank you Equality and Human Rights for sharing)

Some ne w catchy and creative lectures about Sha kespeare's Hamlet carried out by our teaching team (click on the arrow to enlarge). Courtesy of professor Simonetta Antonioni Courtesy of professor Adele Esposito

My latest flipped class before taking  students to theatre. Enjoy. WARM UP: answer the following questions. Write your answers on your notebook. Have you ever been to the theatre? Which play did you see? Do you know the names of any famous playwright? Have you ever seen any English plays or heard of any English playwrights?  Have you ever heard of Shakespeare or seen any of his plays(or films based on them) ? Can you name any of his plays? Do you know when he lived or anything about his life? Now watch the video. Remember that while watching  you can stop, skip, move forward/backw ard , watch it again. Last but not least, to switch to full screen click the full screen icon in the bottom corner of the video.   A nswer the following questions (c lick on the highlighted words to find out more ) : When and where was Shakespeare born? What did Shakespeare’s father do? With whom did he marry? How many children did they have? Why did he g...

As a city of millenary heritage, Rome  boasts  mysterious presences whose stories are bound to its legends and myths. Together with my students I have organized a historical and cultural sightseeing tour which has proved a perfect  match between enjoying a fantastic promenade through the city  beauties, learning new things about historical and artistic sites and , last but not least,  get a shiver of terror running through our bones! I'm talking about ghosts folks! Those creepy, spooky, evanescent presences that  haunt the ancient Roman streets. Ponte Sisto, Via Giulia, Piazza Farnese, Campo de'Fiori,  Via del Governo Vecchio,  Piazza Navona, Castel Sant'Angelo; all of them  worth visiting not only for their architectural qualities, but also for the many ghost stories bound to those places. Eager to find out more? Just have  a glance at this fantastic website Beatrice Cenci Donna Olimpia Pamphili The ghost hand of Costanza ...

If you think that you already know everything about Halloween, then you should read this post. An amazing video ,  interesting facts about the Pagan festival and some  tasks to follow...  We wish to thank the British Council for sharing the following teaching resource  TRICK or TREATS? Flying witches, pumpkin lanterns, trick or treat... What do you know about Halloween? Here are some Halloween facts to get started. Halloween is celebrated on 31st October. This isn’t a public holiday in Britain. Halloween is the night before the Catholic festival of All Saints and the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain (1st November). Halloween is also sometimes called All Hallows' Eve, All Hallowtide and can also be written Hallowe’en. Halloween colours are orange and black. Orange is related to harvests because the end of October is the end of the harvest (the time when fruit and vegetables are collected). Black is related to death. In the UK Halloween trad...

A Summary is a brief account of a text.It is a long text distilled to its essentials.The sentence structure and the vocabulary have been changed, but the main ideas remain. The length of a summary must provide all the necessary information contained in the text but in few , simple words. When you write a summary you mustn't copy words or sentences , especially those of the author. You should re-organize and re-write the main points trying to give the same impressions and ideas as far as possible. Never write personal opinions: objectivity is essential. Writing a summary you should: -Keep to the text ; -Follow the logic of the text, -not write your personal ideas or commentaries - be clear Methodology - Read the text twice and highlight the main points - Eliminate all the words , details, passive forms and expressions that are not useful or relevant. -Highlight keywords and key sentences - Write down the summary and verify weather it keeps to the general ideas...