Me llamo Bond, Santi Bond...

No, it just doesn't have the same ring, does it? Santiago might be the Spanish version of James, but I don't think it's going to stick to 007.

XL Semanal, a popular weekly Spanish magazine, have recently published two Bond-related articles: an interview with Daniel Craig plus some snaps and brief notes on each of his 007 films. Useful reading exercises for any Bond fans. 

Here they are:

Daniel Craig interview XLSemanal

15 years of Craig as Bond


If you want to know what it's like living and working (as a teacher) in Spain, why not read Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher's Spanish Adventure, (Monday Books) available from Amazon, or Cucarachas or Cucuruchos: An English Teacher's Spanish Dilemma the sequel? Both available as eBooks, Cucarachas also as a paperback edition, from Amazon.

  
For free sample chapters:

 of Zen Kyu Maestro, click HERE.

Cucarachas paperback, click HERE.

Cucarachas eBook, click HERE.

El Gordo 2019 Videos

The Spanish Lotería de Estado has launched its annual Xmas lottery video publicity campaign. This time there are four videos telling heart-warming stories which your students might find useful listening opportunities.

Here's a link to the official site:
https://www.laloterianavidad.com/videos/

Also an article from El País newspaper discussing this year's campaign as reading practice:
https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/11/14/television/1573726006_744458.html

I've already got my décimo so, buena suerte a todos!

If you like the blog, why try the books?

Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher's Spanish Adventure, 
(a Monday Books eBook) available from Amazon.  

Cucarachas or Cucuruchos? An English Teacher's Spanish Dilemma. eBook or paperback from Amazon.

The first years of an English teacher, teaching a class of lively Spanish seven-year-olds, in English, in Spain.

What could possiobly go wrong?

“The detailed way Dean has described the atmosphere of this little city in Spain is magnificent.” Salford University, The Salfordian.

 For free sample chapters:

 of Zen Kyu Maestro, click HERE.

Cucarachas paperback, click HERE.

Cucarachas eBook, click HERE.

Alguien Quiere Brunch?

English is well known for 'borrowing' words from other languages, or simply inventing new ones, but Spanish is not usually considered to be such a 'magpie' language. In the following article (link below,) el Mundo newspaper outlines some of the latest additions to Spain's Real Academia Española (RAE) (digital) dictionary, the 'bible' of castellano, the Spanish language. 

So, anyone for a Spanish 'brunch'?

elmundo.es

If you like the blog, why try the books?

Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher's Spanish Adventure, 
(a Monday Books eBook) available from Amazon.  

Cucarachas or Cucuruchos? An English Teacher's Spanish Dilemma. eBook or paperback from Amazon.

The first years of an English teacher, teaching a class of lively Spanish seven-year-olds, in English, in Spain.

What could possiobly go wrong?

“The detailed way Dean has described the atmosphere of this little city in Spain is magnificent.” Salford University, The Salfordian.

 For free sample chapters:

 of Zen Kyu Maestro, click HERE.

Cucarachas paperback, click HERE.

Cucarachas eBook, click HERE.

Back to School Ham.

Yes, it's true! A certain Spanish supermarket near to me is offering 'Back to School Hams' to beef up the children (and their teachers?) It promises to make 120 sarnies!

It might be a little translation exercise to keep your students amused.

¡Que rico!

If you enjoyed this resource, you might like to read about my first two years here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of Spanish primary children. 

Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher´s Spanish Adventure is published as an eBook by Monday Books. There´s a free sample chapter available to download here: Zen Kyu Maestro 

Cucarachas or Cucuruchos: An English Teacher's Spanish Dilemma is available an eBook and paperback. Free Sample chapter here: Cucarachas

Also, you can keep up with my current observations on life as an ex-pat teacher in Spain, as well as thoughts on the Spanish and English languages on my blog: zen kyu maestro...teacher in Spain or follow me on Twitter (@JeremyJoseDean) and/or Facebook (Jeremy Jose Dean).

Acoso Escolar: Bullying

Here's a reading/translation/discussion resource from Argentina which your students might find interesting.

It comes from the following website where you might find some more resources. Do let me know if you find it useful: https://libresdebullying.wordpress.com/

JJD

If you enjoyed this resource, you might like to read about my first year here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of Spanish primary children. Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher´s Spanish Adventure is published as an eBook by Monday Books. There´s a free sample chapter available to download here: Zen Kyu Maestro

 Also, you can keep up with my current observations on life as an ex-pat teacher in Spain, as well as thoughts on the Spanish and English languages on my blog: zen kyu maestro...teacher in Spain or follow me on Twitter (@JeremyJoseDean) and/or Facebook (Jeremy Jose Dean).

New Season... (or should that be, New School Year?)

Hola otra vez. So the World Cup is over and a new season, I mean term, begins. The season didn't start well for my local team, Villarreal, they lost 1-2 at home to Real Sociedad. But it was what I found on my seat as I arrived for the match that forms the resource for this post.

Unlike the Premiership, LaLiga is introducing VAR this season. Here's the leaflet explaining how VAR will operate. I hope any football-mad students you have will enjoy translating it.

Also, LaLiga has produced a number of short videos explaining how VAR is going to work, here's the link you might wish to use in class, or pass on to your students to view as homework: https://www.laliga.es/var

If you enjoyed this resource, you might like to read about my first year here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of Spanish primary children. Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher´s Spanish Adventure is published as an eBook by Monday Books. There´s a free sample chapter available to download here: Zen Kyu Maestro

 Also, you can keep up with my current observations on life as an ex-pat teacher in Spain, as well as thoughts on the Spanish and English languages on my blog: zen kyu maestro...teacher in Spain or follow me on Twitter (@JeremyJoseDean) and/or Facebook (Jeremy Jose Dean).

Estamos más cerca de lo que creemos...

Saw this ad in the cinema the other night. Yes, it's coke; yes, it's a huge generalisation; yes, I've seen at least one other version (for Argentinians, not Spaniards) but... I live in Spain and it just felt 'right'.

I've certainly been kissed, squeezed, stroked and pawed (by males and females) much more than I'd ever experienced in the UK. Well, actually, aside from close relatives and my wife, I don't think I'd ever been kissed, squeezed, stroked or pawed at all in the UK. (And certainly never by the parents of children in my class!) There's certainly something to the sentiment of this ad that you can (quite literally) 'feel' if you live here.

Your students can debate all the issues, at a minimum I'd say it's an entertaining intro to the topic. I also enclose a newspaper article which co-incided with the release.

¡Y feliz año nuevo a todos!

JJD

Estamos más cerca de lo que creemos...

Spanish newspaper article 

 If you enjoyed this resource, you might like to read about my first year here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of Spanish primary children. Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher´s Spanish Adventure is published as an eBook by Monday Books. There´s a free sample chapter available to download here: Zen Kyu Maestro

 Also, you can keep up with my current observations on life as an ex-pat teacher in Spain, as well as thoughts on the Spanish and English languages on my blog: zen kyu maestro...teacher in Spain or follow me on Twitter (@JeremyJoseDean) and/or Facebook (Jeremy Jose Dean).