Shanglish now on Twitter

It's the new year and Shanglish is getting with the times in 2015. Follow @shanglish_ondas at the new Twitter account.

Preparing for your oral presentation

Laura captivated the class with her oral presentation on the Golden Ratio this week and was kind enough to share her presentation with us here on the blog. 

Wondering how to prepare for your oral presentation? One of the most important things to remember is to bring a visual guide that compliments your topic without relying too heavily on text. In other words, keep the amount of text minimal, as too much can be distracting for your audience and will tempt you to read instead of speaking naturally about your topic. Check out Laura’s PowerPoint for an excellent example of preparation and use of an effective visual aid.

Head over heels for body expressions

This week in class we learned some new expressions and idioms related to the body and watched a short film called Head over heels. For further information about a related topic, check out the non-verbal communication entry previously posted on Shanglish.

Homework

a) Write a short response to the film Head over heels in the comments section below. Answer the following questions:

1. What was the main message of the film?
2. What does the title of the film have to do with the content and overall message?
3. What does the film demonstrate about relationships? age? co-habitation? routines?
4. Do any other body idioms from the Body Expressions Worksheet apply to ideas or scenes from this film? Please explain.
5. Additional comments / opinions / critiques

b) Choose five expressions from the Body Expressions Worksheet and write your own example or anecdote in the comments section below.

Oral presentations are back!

Oral presentations have begun. 

Last week Cristina spoke about the fascinating and complex world of wines.

The week before, Elvira captivated the class with anecdotes about Madrid's secret (and not-so-secret) legends.

Congratulations to both Cristina and Elvira on a job well done!

We look ford to the rest of the students' oral presentations this Trimester at Ondas.

Thanksgiving at Ondas

This week in conversation class we brought a little bit of Thanksgiving to Madrid. Click here if you would like to read more about Thanksgiving traditions and history.

Check out the photos of our cranberry sauce taste-test.

Cranberry sauce is a staple of this North American holiday.

...and it goes great with turkey.

So, the verdict?

The students loved it!

Next year we'll have to bring the turkey to accompany the sauce.