Do women really want to marry for money?

"A woman tries to get all she can out of a man. A man tries to get all he can into a woman." (popular quotation)

Personally, I absolutely disagree with this stereotypical view of women. However, recent research seems to support this idea... So, is it true that smart girls get minks, the way minks get minks.

The following article may be a challenging reading, as it contains many cultural references that you must work out, but it could be a subject for reflection:

  Want to read the entire article?         The Telegraph

Affluenza

Affluenza - Keeping up with the Joneses.

Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. 

1. Introduction to the topic (Australian video): A satirical presentation of affluenza, focusing on the hardships of an Australian teenage... 

 2. Oliver James, psychologist and writer, Talks about affluenza and puts it in a nutshell: most folks are about as happy as they make their minds to be (not his own words, though).

Now, please consider how much you fall into this pattern of behaviour. Food for thought! 

English Conversation Club

English Conversation Club

The ECC has been designed by the Department of English. It is run as an off-the-school activity, though. The goal is to offer a wide range of speaking sessions in a schedule that fits each and everyone. We made an effort to provide different times, so we got to offer four NA2 groups with this distribution:

• Mondays 10-11am
• Tuesdays 1-2pm
• Tuesdays 8-9pm
• Wednesdays 6-7pm

Sessions start on Feb 1st, one session a week.

The groups are limited to 12 people plus a native language assistant. Participants will be given an identification card to take part in the activities. The language assistant will care to keep the conversation or debate going, to monitor the students' performance and to provide topics for each session (unless you come up with something worth debating)-

Being an off-the-school program, payment is required. However, we managed to keep the price to the minimum operative fee. If you pay by the month, it will be 6.00€ (four sessions); if you pay by the term (4 months, Feb-May/16 sessions) it will be 20.00€ in a total down payment.

If you want to enroll, send an email to englishclub*@*eoimurcia.org (omitting the *'s) providing the following information: 

• Name + family name
• Level ((NI1/NI2/NA1/NA2)
• Schedule (e.g., MAR/13-14, etc)
• Term (either 1 month / 4 months)

Don't forget that openings are limited (just 48 seats!), so we'll have to go for a raffle again (no trip to Dublin this time).

If you have any doubt, feel free to write and ask.

English Conversation Club

After the failure to have both Steven and Anthony as language assistants and the coming of Philip, the assistant, we've been fighting hard to keep them here and to design something useful for the students. As a result, the English Coffee Hour is now reshaped, redefined and renamed as the new English Conversation Club. 

The aim is to have a flexible timetable with at least four hours (different times) devoted to conversation for NA2 in small groups monitored by either Steven or Anthony. Registration will be compulsory to attend the club and a minimum fee has been set for that purpose (after all, this is an off-the-schedule thing). Should you be interested, please let me know in class a.s.a.p.

Free Conversation Club for Advanced level

As I've already told you, we are quite lucky to have two language assisstants to take up the gap created by Dave. Now, two Americans are joining the school. Steven will take care of morning classes and Anthony will come in the evenings. I'll supply details about their schedule in class.

Then, as a free, extra issue, there'll be a English Coffee Hour (well, two hours, in fact). You can join in the Pit (the core gap in the heart of the school) in the tables next to the Cafeteria, and have a drink or eat a snack as you relax and spend some time talking in English with Steven, with your classmates or with other NA students. The idea is to talk about current events or topics of your own interest in a pleasant, friendly environment.

This English Coffee Hour will take place every other week, starting on Tuesday, January 17, from 11:30 to 13:30. I understand that holding this event in the morning could make it difficult for those of you who work in the morning. Unfortunately, the range of hours to choose from was very limited and that was all I could make of it.

Have a try. It's just a late morning coffee... with a zest of English practice!!

Like to visit Dublin for free?

In Dublin's Fair City. Win a magic night at 4-star hotel o'Callagham (Dublin, Ireland) and an Aer Lingus  round trip flight to Dublin for two and a night out at Fitzgeralds Irish Pub in Murcia (Plaza Cetina).  

Entering the contest. All you have to do is a short composition in the range of 15 to 20 lines on the topic "Dublin and Me". Once ready, nuts hand it on or mail it to me, neatly identified, including student's name + teacher's name + language + contact phone. It handed in on paper, a small envelope is welcome. Deadline for this is December 1.  

Choosing the winner. On December 16, from 9:30pm, the EOI at Murcia has arranged a gathering for students and teachers alike. The aim is having a chitchat gathering for friends, music and (for those who can) a drink. All informal, that's to say, no talking about class business, no oh-damn-my-English-is-so… and the like. During this night out, at about 10:30, a raffle will be drawn, a piece of writing extracted from the box of participants and the winner will be summoned; if they fail to show up, a second piece of writing will be drawn and the author's name called to stand up and claim the prize, and so until the lucky one shows up and grabs the weekend pack. All the rest, unfortunate ones, can then go back to mind their beer, I mean, to go on with their small talk. There will be minor prizes (no more Dublin weekends) for the 20 first to arrive. There will be a nice out for all the rest. 

Key fact. Don't forget, you just need 10 minutes to write a 20-line-long text in English… More or less the same you need to drink up a pint of Guinness.