HAKA - A CULTURAL ICON

Haka is a traditional Maori dance.
In the past, it was ignored and sworn at by colonials, who considered it dirty.
But nothing could stop its cultural and symbolic rise: It declined under colonisation, but rose again during a cultural renaissance.
Haka is much more than a dance: It has become a New Zealand icon and as such, it must always be treated with respect.
If you want to learn more about it (or even learn the haka song), press here.




If you want to see a performance and admire its intensity in a rugby game, see the video below. It is a match against the Irish team.

ULURU and THE RED CENTRE

Yo, mates!
How's it going? I hope you've all been succesful in your exams...
As for me, I've been travelling around a little bit. I'm sending some pics about my journey to Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and King's Canyon (I forgot its aboriginal name). I slept in a sleeping bag under the stars in the middle of nowhere, I saw sunrise at Uluru... Unforgettable! Awesome! but so hot... it was boiling!
I hope you like these pics.

SYDNEY!!!

Hi everybody! How`s it going?
I am sending you some pics so that you can see how beautiful Sydney is.
I am having a really great time, I met lots of people and the weather is perfect!
What about you?

TAKE YOUR TIME...

when taking the oral exam.

Don't hurry up! take your time. The teacher can wait...
As an example, here you can see why Miss Carolina 2007 gave such an awful answer because she was really nervous (maybe on the verge of a nervous breakdown because lots of American people were waiting for her answer).
See the two videos.
In the first one, she doesn't take any time to think of a right answer...
In the second one, she is saying exactly what she really thinks and what she should have said before.
Have fun! They are nice videos!

Bill Gates (Upper-Intermediate)

Who doesn't know Bill Gates?
Click here and listen to this piece of news.
You should listen to it to get a general understanding.
Later, try to complete the gaps you find below (see the glossary and the key in the article itself):
1. According to the article, Bill gates ______ _______ of the future and decided to work on computers.
2. After he ________ ______ of school, he moved to Mexico.
3. Today, he's the youngest __________ billionaire
4. Although he's in his 50s, he still has ______ _______
5. Today, he's focused on his _________ _________
6. For him, being rich also means ________ ________

Tackling Technophobia (Advanced)

Listen to Ida Harris talking about the Older Adults Technology Services Office (OATS) in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

She explains her original fear of computers and how she is competent enough now to play a significant role on OATS’ Senior Planet website.

This is a good example that shows technophobes they can overcome their fears of IT.

Are you addicted to TV? (intermediate)

Are you sure you are not a TV addict?
Would you like to take a quiz and see the results to ckeck to what extent you are right?
Click here and follow instructions. Write down any new word you find in the quiz that you didn't know before (we can see them in class).
Now, have a look at the picture on the right. If you found this picture in the oral exam and you had to talk about it for two minutes, what would you say about it? What other ideas and topics could arise from the picture?