Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen fans celebrate novel's 200th anniversary

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

 These are one of the most famous opening lines in the story of literature. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, was written by Jane Austen 200 hundred years ago. Today it is one of the novels which sells more copies in the UK and is studied and read all over the world.

Jane Austen

• Jane Austen (1775-1817) was one of eight children in a close-knit family
• Born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire
• In 1801 the family moved to Bath
• After the death of her father, the family moved several times, eventually settling in Chawton, Hampshire
• Her brother Henry negotiated with a publisher for her first novel, Sense and Sensibility
• She described her next, Pride and Prejudice, as her "own darling child"
• In 1816 Austen began to suffer from ill-health, thought to be Addison's disease. She died in Winchester a year later, aged 41
• Her legacy was six celebrated novels, which offered insight into the lives of middle- and upper-class women in the early 19th Century
• Source: BBC History

Click here to read an interesting article about the way her fans celebrate this important anniversary.

 Pride and Prejudice 200 anniversary

 

OBAMA'S SPEECH 21 Jan 2013

Last Monday 21 we could listen to Obama's inauguration speech in front of the capitol, in Washington.

I copy here the link to the discourse, which lasted 18 minues, and the link to the video, so that you can listen to and read it at the same time.

As you know, his English is very 'clear' and I think it's a very good ocassion for you to listen to someone with such an enormous power talking to his nation and also to the whole world.

Obama's inauguration speech 2013

EXTRA EXECISES ONLINE

Probably you all know that there is a web page available where you can do extra exercises online related to New English File Advanced.

 

Just in case you hadn't realized (the address in on the student's book back cover), I copy it for you to have quick access from here:

http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/advanced


You have extra help for 'colloquial English', 'grammar', 'idioms & collocations', 'lexis in context', 'pronunciation', 'text builder', 'vocabulary' and 'weblinks'. As you can see, very useful stuff.

 

LANCE ARMSTRONG'S CONFESSION

The world of cycling reacted with anger — and scepticism — today to Lance Armstrong’s primetime confession to doping and said that the former champion was still a long way from redemption.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey the Texan admitted that a cocktail of EPO, steroids and growth hormone propelled him to seven straight Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005.

Watch the complete interview or part of it here. It has subtitles in Spanish.

What a shame!

RESEARCH MADE BY THE GROUP OF TUESDAY & THURSDAY

Here you have the three projects the students of this group have made: the Glossary and the Immigrants in the USA and the situation of Ireland int he 30's.

 

Make sure you find some time to read them and learn something else.

Glossary Teacher Man MJ

IMMIGRATION USA

Ireland in the 30's


 

WELCOME BACK!

Dear students,

Happy New Year to everyone and welcome back to class.
I know it'll be hard to start again, but after a couple of days it won't be so difficult. I just wanted to remind you of the activities we have to do in January.

- Next week you have to do the presentations of the projects you prepared about Teacher Man. Remember that about 200 words are enough for the written work that will be published on this blog, but the oral presentation has to be longer, obviously. I think between 5 and 10 minutes will be all right, but if you need some more time, let me know before that day. Only one person per group is supposed to do the oral presentation, but, again, if you prefer to share the task (2 people maximum), let me know before, please.

- You also have to read the other two parts of Teacher Man in case you haven't done it yet. We'll have the second session at the end of January, so please make sure you find some time to read it. And I hope you enjoy it.

- The next book you'll have to read is 'Playing the Enemy', by John Carlin. Perhaps you can also find it as 'Invictus', which is the title of the film based on the book. If you can find the first, try the second title.



I hope you also enjoy it!