Memory game with similar sounds

The website "manythings.org" has amazing tools for people that are learning English. I've found these games very useful to improve our sounds. Sometimes it may be difficult for students to easily recognize the differences between vowel sounds or between some consonant sounds, so these games may come really handy.
Concentration games

Vocabulary games

Learning vocabulary is essential if you are learning a new language. I've found a website with lots of interactive games to practise vocabulary.
English flashgames

Video: Suitable poetry (video and true/false sentences)

Watch this video and decide if the following sentences are true or false.


Pitfalls in negotiating – Video with multiple choice exercise


Listen to Professor Horacio Falçao from INSEAD talking about cross cultural negotiations and choose the correct option to answer the questions or complete the sentences below.
  1. What does the professor say about misunderstanding in cross cultural negotiations?
    1. People tend to overestimate cross cultural negotiations.
    2. People tend both to underestimate and to overestimate cross cultural negotiations at the same time.
    3. People tend to underestimate cross cultural negotiations.
  2. When he explains how people underestimate cross cultural negotiations, he says that
    1. People tend to look only at national culture.
    2. People tend to analyze different cultural aspects.
    3. People do not pay attention to differences in culture.
  3. Why do people need to understand that national culture is only a part of the negotiation?
    1. Because negotiators can persuade people from any cultural background.
    2. Because there are many different cross cultural issues that impact in the way people act.
    3. Because if people fail to conform to the national culture, they are out of the negotiation.
  4. As regards overestimating, that is to say making certain assumptions about the other part when these assumptions may not be correct, Professor Falçao explains that
    1. People usually make mistakes when they perceive that their national culture is there.
    2. People usually make better negotiations when their national culture is there.
    3. People usually make mistakes when they try to disguise their national culture to please the other.
  5. Why does he say that it is better to negotiate with an older Muslim woman who lives in the countryside of Mongolia than with a Catholic, middle-aged, lawyer background man from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?
    1. Because the negotiator may feel a certain proximity with the man from Brazil than with the woman from Mongolia, and as a result he may lose money.
    2. Because the negotiator may feel a certain proximity with the man from Brazil than with the woman from Mongolia, and as a result he may overestimate that proximity and overlook important aspects of the negotiation.
    3. Because the negotiator may feel a certain proximity with the man from Brazil than with the woman from Mongolia, and as a result he may lose run the risk of losing money.
  6. Why is the advantage of carrying out a cross cultural negotiation where proximity is not seen?
    1. People do not need to take care of the negotiation as much as when they are negotiating with people from their same background.
    2. People can obtain more benefits because the other part does not understand the different cultures.
    3. People usually take extra care in the negotiation process and therefore obtain better results.
  7. How can people overcome the fact that there are so many people with so many different cultural backgrounds?
    1. People should think that people negotiate in the same way all over the world.
    2. People should consider that every negotiation is a cross cultural event.
    3. People should negotiate only with those people who have similar cultural backgrounds.
  8. When the interviewer mentions the case of negotiations in Hong Kong, what does he say as regards timing?
    1. People in Hong Kong do not waste time and go straight into negotiating.
    2. People in Hong Kong take some time after the negotiation is done to reconsider things.
    3. People in Hong Kong take some time before the actual negotiation actually begins.
  9. How does Professor Falçao see this example?
    1. He thinks that it may be the case of an introvert businessman from Hong Kong.
    2. He thinks that people from the West are not as introvert and people from the East.
    3. He thinks that this is a very unusual case.
  10. What does he mean by rituals?
    1. They are the ways in which people build relationships and communicate with one another.
    2. They are the ceremonies done before the negotiation.
    3. They are typical ways of communicating that are the same all over the world.

 

Song: Oh, mother! by Christina Aguilera

Listen to this song and complete the lyrics using the words from the list below.

again / again / always / back / break / bruises / change / children / face / hurt / innocent / inside / kids / knew / life / life / moment / money / more / over / pain / remember / sick / spent / still / stronger / stronger / tears / thank / thought / through / touch / you /

Whoa, oh, yeah,

She was so young with such eyes
She always dreamt of a fairytale
And all the things that your can't buy
She that he was a wonderful guy
Then suddenly, things seemed to
It was the she took on his name
He took his anger out on her
She kept all of her locked away

Oh mother, we're
From all of the you have shed
Oh mother, don't look
Cause he'll never hurt us

So mother, I you
For all that you've done and do
You got me, I got
Together we always pull
We pull through
We always pull through
Oh mother, oh mother, oh mother

It was the day that he turned on his
That she she just had to leave him
So many voices of her head
Saying over and over and ,
"You deserve much than this."

She was so of believing the lies and trying to hide
Covering the cuts and (cuts and bruises)
So tired of defending her , she could have died
Fighting for the lives of her

Oh mother, we're stronger
From all of the tears you have shed (all of the tears you have shed)
Oh mother, don't look back
Cause he'll never hurt us again (he'll never hurt us again)

So mother, I thank you (thank you)
For all that you've done and still do (still do)
You got me, I got you, (yeah you got me and I got you)
Together we always pull through.
We always pull through
We always pull through
Oh mother, oh mother, oh mother

All of your life you have
Burying and regret
But mama, he'll never us again

For everytime he tried to you down
Just who's still around
It's over, and we're
And we'll never have to go back

Oh mother, we're stronger
From all of the tears you have shed
Oh mother, don't look back (oh mother don't look back again)
Cause he'll never hurt us again (cause he'll never hurt us again)

So mother, I thank you (and I thank you for everything you've done)
For all that you've done and still do (together we always move on)
You got me, I got you, (you got me, I got you)
Together we always pull through (always pull through)
We always pull through
We always pull through

I love you mom

Stand by me – Listen and complete the lyrics




John Lennon’s birthday

John Winston Ono Lennon, (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles and, with Paul McCartney, formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
He was born and raised in Liverpool, and became involved in music since he was a teenager, his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. The group became extremely successful. However, some years later it broke up because of differences among its members. After the breaking up of The Beatles, Lennon launched a solo career that transformed him into one of the greatest musicians of all times. Some of his best albums include John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and his most iconic songs are "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine".
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, on film, and in interviews, and became controversial through his work as a peace activist. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him. His songs were adapted as anthems by the anti-war movement. He disengaed himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, Lennon reemerged in 1980 with a comeback album, Double Fantasy, but was murdered three weeks after its release.
Lennon's solo album sales in the United States alone stand at 14 million units,
and as performer, writer, or co-writer he is responsible for 27 number one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth greatest singer of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. On his birthday on October 09, 2010, Google, in the form of a google doodle, changed its logo to a movie version, to commemorate his achievements.
(adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon)
True or False?
  1. John Lennon's full name is John Winston Lennon.
  2. He was born in England.
  3. He grew up in Liverpool.
  4. His first band was called The Beatles.
  5. He started his solo career before The Beatles broke up.
  6. He always lived in England.
  7. He never stopped his music career.
  8. His ideas made him a controversial figure.
  9. He agreed with the Vietnam War.
  10. He was murdered in 1981.
  11. On October 9, 2010 John Lennon would have been 70 years old.
  12. To commemorate his birthday, Google changed its name.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Song: I'd like - Freshlyground

The following song offers practice for the grammatical structure CONDITIONAL SENTENCES - TYPE 2..
 Listen and enjoy the song and then complete the listening comprehension exercise.

Doo be doo - Freshlyground

This beautiful song is the excuse for a listening comprehension exercise.
  • First, enjoy the song. 
  • Then, work with the listening comprehension activity.

Song: Potbelly - Freshlyground

This beautiful song gives a wonderful message, that love is stronger than any differences. Listen and watch the video and complete the lyrics.

Tenses: Verb forms

The website English Page has a section dealing with irregular verbs in English. You can check how much you know here:
English Page - iregular verb forms

Verb tenses

I've found an interesting site called English Page. It has, among other things, tutorials and exercises to practise verb tenses. For all of you interested in the topic, follow the link below:
English Page - Verb tenses

Vocabulary: Learn and help

If you want to see how much you know about the English language, you can access the website below and play the game. You'll be also helping stop hunger in the world.
Free rice

Music: Playhouse - Somewhere only we know

Listening to music is an excellent way to learn or practise a new language. Listen to the song and watch the video and then complete the lyrics of the song.
SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW (Keane – sung by Lifehouse)

SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW (Keane – sung by Lifehouse)

Listen to the song and fill in the blanks.


I WALKED AN EMPTY LAND
I KNEW THE PATHWAY LIKE THE OF MY HAND
I FELT THE EARTH BENEATH MY
SAT BY THE AND IT MADE ME COMPLETE

OH SIMPLE , WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?
I´M GETTING OLD AND I NEED SOMETHING TO ON
SO TELL ME YOU´RE GONNA LET ME IN
I´M GETTING AND I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN

I CAME ACROSS A FALLEN
I FELT THE OF IT LOOKING AT ME
IS THIS THE PLACE WE TO LOVE?
IS THIS THE PLACE THAT I´VE OF?

OH SIMPLE THING, WHERE HAVE YOU ?
I´M GETTING AND I NEED SOMETHING TO RELY ON
SO ME WHEN YOU´RE GONNA LET ME IN
I´M GETTING TIRED AND I NEED SOMEWHERE TO
(X2)
AND IF YOU HAVE A WHY DON´T WE GO
TALK ABOUT IT SOMEWHERE ONLY WE ?
THIS BE THE END OF EVERYTHING
SO WHY DON´T WE GO, SOMEWHERE WE KNOW
SOMEWHERE WE KNOW

AH,AH,AH
OH,OH,OH

THIS COULD BE THE OF EVERYTHING
SO WHY DON´T WE GO
ONLY WE KNOW
ONLY WE KNOW...

Music: Jason Mraz - I'm yours

This beautiful song may surely make you feel better, but it may also help you with your English. Listen and choose the correct option.