Nada Será Igual.

Nada Será Igual is a series of short films (made by the Castellón de la Plana Department of Social Welfare). Each of the six films is 3-4 minutes long and contributes to a story which highlights 'problem' issues relevant to teenagers: relationships, drugs etc.

Here's the trailer (link to YouTube): Nada Será Igual trailer

The website also has pen-portraits (written) of the six main characters which give background information to help understand their actions in the episodes. Here are two examples:

Los padres de Lucas son médicos, gozan de una buena posición económica y sueñan con que su hijo siga algún día sus pasos.

Él es muy deportista y juega al futbol en el equipo local, va a la piscina al club de natación a las 6 de la mañana cada día antes 

del colegio y está más que acostumbrado a ser un ganador desde pequeño.

En el colegio sus notas son excelentes y podría decirse que es el ojito derecho de todos los profesores.

En definitiva, un chico perfecto, un chico modelo. Lucas cree que no puede defraudar a nadie, pasa el mayor tiempo 

entrenando y lo que le sobra estudiando para que su media no baje, sabe que llegar a la media de medicina es difícil 

y no puede despistarse ni un segundo.

Tanta presión hace que sea alguien muy inseguro, obsesivo y radical. No soporta la idea de perder, no puede perder a Marta.

Marta es una chica inocente y leal, amiga de sus amigas, siempre ha estado ahí cuando le han necesitado.

Le encanta bailar Ballet, es su gran pasión y cada verano viaja con una beca a Londres para perfeccionar su técnica.

Hace no mucho, el chico más perfecto del colegio le pidió salir, ella llevaba meses enamorada en secreto de él.

Marta ahora centra toda su atención en Lucas, empieza a descuidar a sus amigas, sus notas, el ballet y no se plantea ni por asomo irse esta vez a Londres, cree que Lucas le quiere tanto, tantísimo que no puede estar sin ella, y cree que si se fuese, él se enfadaría muchísimo y eso podría significar perderle. Lucas la ciega y esto hace que Marta cambie.

It looks like a very interesting site which could be useful if you have older students. N.B., the subtitles are in the local Valenciano language, but the videos are made in Spanish. Also note that there are a number of common 'swear' words included.


Let me know if you find this useful, and also the age that you think it might be appropriate for. I'd guess it's probably for A-Level.

Check it out here: nadaseraigual

Stop Press: Sixth episode plus extended interviews with the actors now available on YouTube and Facebook. Use the links from the website. 

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

Paint the Town...

If you can gloss over the fact that this is an ad for beer...

Fun little listening activity in the run-up to the Madrid derby match on Saturday. Isco (Real) and Koke (Atlético) paint the town red (and white).

Come on you yellows!

Isco v Koke

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

Sunny Spain...?

Navarra

 Well, actually no. Not always and not everywhere. If you've studied your geography, you'll know that temperatures drop as altitude rises. But do you also know that "...the average height of the ground (in Spain) is greater than in any European country except Switzerland..."? (The New Spaniards; John Hooper, Penguin 2006.)

So expect many parts of Spain to get very cold at this time of year. Here's a report from El País with a video for you to translate.

 elpais.com

Keep warm!

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

¡Sí, se Puede!

I was at the Mestalla on Sunday to see Valencia's match against Real Madrid. On the big screen they showed a promotional film which I thought the soccer-mad would enjoy translating.

And for some listening practice, how about the highlights of the game, with commentary in Español? What more could you ask for on your return after the Xmas break?

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Valencia CF Promotional Video

Valencia v Real Madrid Highlights

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

That's 'Happy New Year', I'm sure you know that.

But do you know the thirteen essential items for a happy Spanish new year?

Answer: Un reloj y doce uvas!

(That's a clock... and twelve grapes.)

It's a tradition in Spain to gather with friends and eat one grape with each 'bong' of the midnight chimes. It's so popular that you can buy your twelve grapes ready-skinned in most supermarkets. (Although I'll warn you, from experience, that they're very slippery: the lid of the tin is quite sharp: and the pressure of the bells clanging away makes for a pretty hectic New Year! One of our grapes ended up rolling around the town square!)

In the province of Castellón de la Plana (Valencia), the local Chamber of Commerce is trying to establish a new tradition (which might also help out the local farmers), 'Doce gajos en nochevieja'. Instead of eating twelve grapes, the good farmers of Castellón are suggesting twelve segments of clementina. (Might be easier to handle than twelve slippery uvas!)

12 Gajos de Nochevieja

So, a Happy New Year was had by all... Well, not quite.

José Luis Pereñiguez of Canal Sur (Andalucian TV station) has lost his job for cutting into the striking of the bells with adverts. In the first video of the following newspaper article you can see what viewers saw on their screens. The second video shows the reaction of a family who (for reasons best known to themselves) had decided to record the event for posterity. 

elpais 

It soon became clear that quite a few families record their New Year grape- (or clementina-) eating festivities, as dozens of videos began to appear on Youtube. Some of them are hilarious...

Disbelief

The next one features a brewing family row about who suggested watching the bells on Canal Sur... 

Family row

I must say, what I notice most is how good-natured the response usually is. But then, the videos are still being posted...

And BTW, don't worry if you find it difficult to understand what some of the people are saying, Andalucia is famous (even among Spaniards) for having an almost impossibly incomprehensible accent. And anyway, words aren't necessary, the faces tell the whole story...

Happy New Year!

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

Viñetas, el humor negro.

One of my first Spanish teachers told me that you'll know when you're really making progress in a foreign language; it's when you start to 'get' some of the humour. Part of the challenge is, of course, the language; but another aspect is a knowledge of the 'issues of the day' which make the local people smile (if sometimes a little sardonically).

As you've probably noticed already, I have a liking for the 'Fe de Ratas' viñetas (by J.M. Nieto) published in the ABC newspaper. Well, here's another dibujante who often brings me a smile, although it's usually through slightly gritted teeth. Andrés Rábago (who draws under the pseudonym 'el Roto' in the left-of-centre El País newspaper) has recently been awarded the Premio Internacional Libertad de la Prensa 2014 for his 'línea de independencia y el espíritu crítico.'

Here are a selection of mis favoritos:. Treat it as a quiz if you like. How many do you 'get' straight away? How many can you make sense of with the help of your dictionary?

I'll leave you with a tale of my own 'eureka' moment of Spanish humor. It'd taken me a while to work out what was going on in the supermercado deli-counters, the centro de salud and all the other places where the locals employed their very 'un-British' queuing system. It involves entering and asking of the waiting crowd, '¿Quién es el ultim@?' (BTW, I love the way younger Spaniards use the '@' symbol to indicate that a word can be masculino or feminina.) Whoever has just entered before you will raise their hand and you can join the throng for a chat knowing that you only have to keep an eye on this person to know when it's your turn next. (But don't forget to identify yourself when the subsequent person walks in!)

Anyway, on to my big moment... I was on my way to a match at Villarreal's Madrigal estadio one evening. It's crammed amid the narrow terraced streets of the town. I turned down the short side-street that led to my turnstile to find it full of people waiting to get in. I wasn't late for the game so assumed there was some problem with the turnstile. A few seconds later, as the crowd built up behind me, a local wag shouted, '¿Ultimo?' Well how we all laughed. And then I noticed. I was laughing too. I really felt I'd crossed a barrier in my linguistic development.

¡Mucha suerte!

JJD

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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

El Gordo.

So it's Christmas! (Well, at least it'll be December by the time you get to school on Monday.) So what do you think of when you think of Christmas in Spain?

El Gordo. 'The Fat One'. 

Spain's annual 2 billion euro lottery draw is due to take place (as always) on the 22nd of December. And, as is now also 'as always', it comes with a high-profile publicity campaign.

This year it's a series of mini-stories under the theme, 'El mayor premio es compartirlo.' (The best prize is to share it.) 

Many bars, clubs and businesses buy a ticket which their customers subsequently purchase 'shares' in, meaning that a win is often for a group of people joined by a common interest or activity.

Here's the headline story, about a man who forgets to buy his share in his local bar's ticket, only to discover that it wins the top prize. Have your pañuelos at the ready as you translate, it's getting rave reviews in the Spanish press as a real tear-jerker. Who's going to be the first in the class to shed a tear?

El mayor premio es compartirlo: El Pais.

There are nueve short stories in all, ideal for higher-level students to translate as the Christmas season kicks-in. You can find them at El Bar de Antonio (the official website):

http://elbardeantonio.es/

¡Feliz Navidad a todos, y muy buena suerte!

JJD

And a P.S., If you're really up-to-speed with current Spanish politics, you'll enjoy this parodia, featuring current presidente Mariano Rajoy (of the right-wing Partido Popular) and the leader of the recently-formed (and fast-growing) Podemos party, led by Pablo Iglesias. Rajoy plays the unlucky loser, Iglesias is the barman. Imagine Rajoy is Cameron and Iglesias is Farage and you'll get the drift (although it's interesting to note that Podemos is a left-of-centre party).

 El bar de Pablo Parodia

Presidente Mariano Rajoy

Pablo Iglesias, Podemos

If you enjoyed this resource, you might enjoy reading about my life here in Spain as an immersion teacher of a class of 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