Top links: Canales de TV, Estaciones de radio y cine para practicar inglés

Canales de TV:

• BBC UK : Página de la cadena británica de TV BBC, información sobre programas, noticias y clips online.
• SKY : Página de la cadena SKY donde encontrar noticias sobre todos sus canales.
• BLOOMBERG : Página del canal BLOOMBERG, con noticias, videos, etc de carácter económico.
• ITN News: Canal de noticias, actualidad, entretenimiento, etc...
• CHANNEL 4 : Página del canal de TV británico.
• TV COM : Página donde encontrar información, videos y fichas de las series de TV americanas de actualidad.
• HBO : Página del canal americano de TV.
• CNN : Página del canal de noticias.

Estaciones de radio:

• BBC 1 : BBC 1 Radio, canal perteneciente a la prestigiosa cadena de TV británica.
• BBC 2 : BBC 2 Radio, canal perteneciente a la prestigiosa cadena de TV británica.
• BBC SCOTLAND : Canal regional de la BBC en Escocia.
• ALASKA PUBLIC RADIO : Radio pública de Alaska, noticias, mp3, etc.
• NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO : New York online, clips, mp3, etc.
• RADIO IOWA : Canal de radio americano.
• RADIO AUSTRALIA : Radio pública australiana, mp3, etc.
• RADIO NEW ZEALAND : Canal de radio de Nueva Zelanda.
• ABC : Canal de noticias australiano.

Cine:

• CINEMA: Página dedicada al septimo arte, noticias, clips, etc.
• EMPIRE: Página de la reivsta EMPIRE, críticas, noticias, estrenos, etc.
• CINEMA-SCOPE: Página dedicada al cine a nivel internacional, certámenes, etc.
• TIME OUT: Página de la revista británica.
• FILM: Página de la revista de cine, entrevistas, críticas, estrenos, etc.
• APPLE TRAILERS: Página en la que encontrar trailers de los últimos estrenos.
• ROTTEN TOMATOES: Página con diferentes contenidos de cine, trailers, noticias, cotilleos, etc.

Sweet Idioms

A piece of cake- very easy. It's a piece of cake.

As easy as pie- very easy. It was as easy as pie.

Like giving candy to a baby- very easy, especially when you do something wrong.

A fruitcake- really strange crazy, a kind of serious word. She's a fruitcake. 

Going bananas- becoming crazy, especially with too much to do. I'm going bananas.

 Nut/ nutty- funny kind of crazy, usually makes you laugh. He's a nut. or He's nutty.

 A tough cookie- a tough or strong person, or doesn't show his emotions easily. That man is a tough cookie. 

Sugar and spice- very sweet, nice, or kind, feminine, (used for girls.) Her daughter is sugar and spice. 

Richard Branson: Advice for Entrepreneurs

3 Easy, Inexpensive Ways To Manage Stress

By MELISASource on May 13, 2013

We all know the damaging health effects that stress can have on our minds and bodies. It has even been deemed as a link to long-term conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Yet with so much happening in the course of a day, it is becoming more challenging for the traditional methods of alleviating stress to be completely successful.

Stress has now changed from being something to “treat” or “fix” to something that requires continuous health maintenance. The more we try to do to end it completely, the more that happens to bring it back -- and over time, this cycle can pack a hefty punch to overall wellness.

In other words: The trips to the spa and mini-vacations are still really great ways to help with stress, but with the state of the world, there is an even greater need to practice stress management daily.

Below are three simple—and inexpensive things you can incorporate in your daily routine to help keep stress at bay.

Get Up, Get Out, and Get Something

Breaking away from the stresses of life doesn’t have to necessarily mean doing something elaborate or costly. Getting up and out of your current environment and getting one of the following may help immensely:

Fresh air

Change of scenery (even if it is just to a different room)

A short walk (sometimes 3-10 minutes is all that is needed)

A quick “vent-chat” with a good friend

Turn It Off…Turn It On

We all love to be "in the know" when it comes to what’s happening in the world, but sometimes the constant and fast-paced feed of images and information can actually do more to elevate our stress rather than reduce it. And trust me: your body will definitely alert you: your blood pressure, respirations, and heart rate will begin to rise the more you watch your screen.

Be sure that you are making not just one, but several moments throughout your day to turn it all off—disconnect from social media and the internet, and unglue yourself from the TV. Do not just put the phone on silent—turn it off too and put it out of sight.

Get yourself into some silence if you can. Or, turn on something more soothing like relaxing music, nature sounds, or motivational/inspirational speaking messages instead. Your vital signs will thank you.

Get In The Habit Of "Doing The Most"

Don’t just say that you want to keep your stress managed—do all that you can to make it a way of life. That means, assessing your day, associations, and behaviors on a regular basis to remove and otherwise guard yourself from what adds stress to your day in advance. Ongoing tweaks of habits and daily rituals here and there are the key to ensuring your mental and emotional wellness remains in balance.

Remember, your mind is a temple—and the only one that is responsible for guarding what is fed into your temple and its care is you. Also remember that it is never a good practice to allow stress to build up. You do not have to wait until vacation time or until you have "extra money" to do something about it. By using a few simple practices to make stress management a lifestyle, you can ensure that your temple is secure for not just a moment, but for life.

First Certificate in English Speaking with Examiners

Aquí te dejo un ejemplo de una parte del examen del FCE con algunos consejos por parte del examinador sobre las respuestas de los estudiantes.

Sienna Miller plays Tippi Hedren in HBO's 'The Girl'

Siempre he dado mucha importancia al "listening". Muchos de mis alumnos se sienten frustrados porque no entienden todo lo que se dice, bien sea por problemas de vocabulario o por la velocidad de la conversación.

Mi consejo es siempre el mismo: no es necesario entender TODAS las palabras cuando uno escucha. Casi siempre es suficiente entender las “keywords” o palabras claves para entender el mensaje principal.

Intenta escuchar  este vídeo en el que la actriz Sienna Miller habla sobre su interpretación de Tippi Hendren en la película "The Girl". Se expresa a un ritmo normal, por tanto, busca las palabras principales para entenderla. No importa que no entiendas todo.

Si tu meta es aprender de verdad, tienes que escuchar inglés después o antes de las clases, todos los días.

Actor Hugh Laurie Talks New Album 'Didn't It Rain'

Después de su primer disco "Let them talk", Hugh Laurie presenta su nuevo disco Didn't It Rain'

Aquí os dejo el vídeo para que lo escuchéis. 

¡Vamos sólo dura 4 minutos!