back from edinburgh!

this is one of the busiest weeks of the year! i'm just coming back from edinburgh, I have to prepare my selfstudy folder for the last class of english and I have to study for spanish final test and other exams.

Let's talk about Edinburgh! How can improove my english  speaking and my english listening ? Going where everyone (more or less) speaks english!   my boyfriend and I went to edinburgh on wednesday for a little study-holiday! in our hostel there were  a lot of foreigners ( from USA; Australia etc) and it was a plesure to have a conversation with them, between a cookie and a pancake. Unlike i expected, words came so fluency.  my teacher was right when he sad that  to improove english everyone have to speak it.  it's very difficult to think in another language when people around you talk in italian. during the trip we met some people  in bars and pubs. while they were drinking a beer, they asked us were we come from, if we were students and other question like these. after the presentation they adviced us some places to visit, the best pub, the best way to arrive at home.  they spoke very fast, but - surprise surprise- i understood everything!
the spoke fast, but not enought.
the best meeting that I had these days was at Dunbarton ( little city near glasgow) with a woman  and her husband. My boyfriend and I were just arrived in Dunbarton station when a man asked us if we were looking for bangpipes contest. We said yes and they came with us. The man was born there and the woman ( his wife ) was born in Glasgow but they decided to have a visit to his parents. While my boyfriend was talking with the man under the rain  (it was so rainy) I improoved my speaking  with that woman talking about my life, univesity, my trips and she told me about her life and her job as a hostess and her trips in Italy.

I konw that it seems to be easy speak about yourself. It seems easyer  than a presentation. I'm sure, not for me. it is more difficult to be listened by someone that is actually intrested about what you are talikng about than to explain to your classmates what you had prepared at home

the to complete my individual study we saw 2 films:
two weeks notice ( with H. Grant, do you know it ? )
pirates of carribean ( a film that i haven't seen at a real scottish cinema without subtitle) it's a very good step for me! if i have to be honest , i didn't understand all of the dialogues, but it's a detail.


ps : it's hard to speak italian when you speak english for 5 days!!

modi di dire e frasi importanti

it mighy appeal to you ( potrebbe piacerti )
overall ( tutto sommato)
otherwise ( altrimenti )
you remaind me OF somebody ( mi ricordi qualcuno )
i took a shut in the dark ( ho tirato a caso )
to look something up and down ( esaminare qualcosa)
wheter you like it or not ( che ti piaccia o no )
help out ( dare una mano )
i couldn't take it anymore ( non ce la faccio più )
to set aside ( mettere da parte )
turned out to be ( risultare )
please join us for lunch!
he arranges (ha fatto sì che )
to keep me going ( per sostenermi )
don't waste my time!
get out of my site!
to get rid it ( sbarazzarsi di )
to turned INTO something
thing can get a whole lot worse ( le cose vanno sempre peggio )
he accused me of lying --> to accuse somebody of + verb+ing

tell the truth and shame the devil

i pride myself on.. ( sono orgoglioso di..)
something comes up ( è successo qualcosa )
it all comes down to ( dipende tutto da )
i wouldn't like to be in his shoes ( non vorrei essere nei suoi panni )
widely known ( non è molto conosciuto )
i couldn't  agree more ( non potrei essere più d'accordo )
i'm dying to.. ( non vedo l'ora )
i would jump at the chance ( lo farei al volo)
i can't say for certain ( non posso dirlo per certo )
it's madness ( è una pazzia)

esercizi online

understand!

it's really hard to write here my improvement. during a class some weeks ago i  understood that i really don't understand english. i thought that  my first problem was vocabulary, but i was wrong. my first problem is the listening. i can't understand a mothertongue  that is speaking normaly. i understan just italian that have good speaking. . i'm sorry but now i have to go. see you  soon!!!

about smartphone

this morning i was thinking about our tecnology( pc, smartphone, ipod/pad)and  how we personalize them. the background is a picture, a photo, a special moment of our live. i think that the picture that you choose shows what you are and what you want to be.i realized that who has him/her self picture needs your attention. this person is insecure, he is looking for someone that says :" you are the best" " whatever will happen, i'll be here with you". nobody will tell you that he needs help.  he is a leader, his best friend is himself, he don't want anyone beside him.
actually he feels alone and he thinks that nobody could be enough for him

Raise on the rock

I was born in a hurricane
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
Ran before I walked
Reaching for the top
Out of control just like a runaway train

I never walked on the narrow path
I always wanted what I did't have
All was not enough
Riding lady luck
Driving in the fast lane and just stepped on the gas

Cause I was raised on rock
My dad was howling but my heart was a rolling stone
Yeah I was raised on rock
My mama said I had a devil to scratch my soul
And I was raised on rock

Shoot me up baby make me high
And hit the jackpot in the heat of the night
Wanna kiss your lips
Wanna move your hips
See my desire in your laser-beam eyes

You shake me up got me spinning 'round
You know what's going up must come down
Tomorrow I'll be gone
A million miles from home
The only road I know leads out of town

Cause I was raised on rock
My dad was howling but my heart was a rolling stone
Yeah I was raised on rock
My mama said I had a devil to scratch my soul
And I was raised on rock

Growing up with the guitar men
Growing up way too fast
Follow the sound of a rock And roll band
This call will always last

Cause I was raised on rock

articles

THE

• when the person or thing referred to is unique: The sun came out and soon we were dry
• to talk about specific things when the context makes it clear what we are referring to : your dinner is in the fridge
• to talk about previously mentioned things: a man and a woman walked into the room; the man was wearing sunglasses
• with superlatives : he's the bravest person in the team 
• to talk a generic class of things : the bicycle was invented about 200 years ago
• with oceans, seas, rivers and desert : she said she'd driven across the Sahara
• with plural mountain ranges and island groups: are the Andes as high as the Himalayas ?
• with continents and countries whose name includes a common noun : he's from The Czech Republic, 
• but he's living in the United States
• Areas: there is a range of mountains in THE north
• With hotels, cinema, theatres : they had afternoon tea at THE Ritz
• With newspaper : The Times, The Guardian, The Indipendent
• With national groups : THE English are mixed race

A/AN

• With singular jobs, etc : she ‘s an architect
• With a singular countable nouns ( mentioned for first time or when it doesn’t matter which one: I’d like A sandwich and a glass of Orange juice
• With there number : 100 1000 1000000 :  he made A million dollars in one year
•  

ZERO ARTICLE

We use no article ( the zero article) when talking about :

• Uncountable, plural and abstract nouns used in their general sense : happiness isn’t the only thing in life
• Continents and countries : they are going to visit Africa
• Mountains and lakes : is Laka Titicaca in Peru ?
• Villages, towns and cities :  San Marco is a pleasant little fishing village
• Streets, road etc : in London there are some good shops on Oxford Street
• Magazines : do you read Tie magazine?
• Illness : I’ve got flu!

To/ at / from  school / university/ college

At home

In/to class

To/at/from work

On foot

By accident/chance