We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

United States of America

The White House is located in Washington DC and is the resindence and workplace of the presidente of the U.S.A.

Wales

Cardiff Castle, a complex medieval building in the center of town.
Cardiff is the capital of Wales.

8th Challenge

My creator used to be a teacher in Porto. What's her name?

Republic of Ireland

Saint patrick's day is a day celebrated in the Republic of Ireland

Scotland

This is the Loch Ness, where they say the legendary monster ness lives.

England

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well.

Northern Ireland

This is the Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland. Belfast City Hall is one of the best-known monuments of this country.

Índia

Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World !!

Christmas memories

Despite the crowded shopping centres and all the stress to buy the presents on time, I love Christmas!

I have wonderful memories of past Christmas and I hope you have some too. Tell us one of your best Christmas memories. Here is mine.

I was 8 or 9 and I had decided that Santa Claus wasn't real. My older cousins were always making fun of me because I wanted to keep believing, so I decided "I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus. It will be different this year..." I used to write a letter with a wish, but I didn't do it that year. However, I told my parents I wanted a bike. Unfortunately, they told me they couldn't afford it (a bicycle was something very expensive 20 years ago). On Christmas eve, I arrived home from my aunt's house, where we had dinner, and I looked for a bike all over the house, but there was no bike... The house wasn't very big, it was impossible to hide it... I remember that I was very sad, but only for some seconds, because a shiny white bicycle appeared in my bedroom as if by magic. I had been there a few seconds before and it wasn't there, how was it possible? At that moment I was sure that Santa was real... He made a bike appear in my room! Later I found out that my dad pulled it out from under the bed in just seconds while I was searching the other rooms. I couldn't see it because there were some boxes hiding it. I was very happy: I had my bike and Santa Claus was real, at least for one year more...
I can hardly wait to read about your memories...

Isn't Christmas fun? Watch the video and see how fun it can be...

How famous people mistreat the English language

When I drive to school in the morning, I usually listen to a radio programme on Antena 3 called Serginho na Farmville. Some time ago, the subject was how famous Portuguese personalities mistreat the English language: Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sócrates... It's very funny, specially their pronunciation!

Have fun!

http://mp3.rtp.pt/mp3/wavrss/at3/827197_66025-1005131928.mp3

7th Challenge

She lived in 10 Downing Street for 11 years. She was so tough that iron was part of her nickname. Who was she?

Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and her tough-talking rhetoric gained her the nickname the "Iron Lady".

6th Challenge

I was a giant and a dwarf. My life was full of adventures.
My "father's" name was Swift.
Who am I?

Chatroom for students of English

Dear students,
here is the link to one of the many chat rooms where you can communicate with other students of English as a foreign language. Don't forget that you need to have a Java support in your computer to enter the chat. I hope you are more successful than I was... If you manage to speak with someone interesting, tell us all about it.
http://www.englishclub.com/esl-chat/chatroom-2.htm

5th Challenge

What are people celebrating in the United Kingdom this evening?

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. A warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
Some of the English wonder, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honouring his attempt to do away with the government.

Lost in Translation

Dear students,

next lesson we are going to watch some parts of the fabulous film Lost in Translation. I'm sure that some of you have already seen it. It's an interesting film to discuss some ideas related to the topic we have been dealing with. Here you can read about it or watch the trailer. Have fun!

Bob Harris is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte, the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable travelling companions. Charlotte is looking for "her place in life," and Bob is tolerating a mediocre stateside marriage. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end.

4th Challenge

This one is easy...

What was the name of the famous band where my wife used to sing?

Good luck and hurry up!

3rd Challenge

As usual, you will be the winner of this challenge if you are the first to comment with the correct answer for the following question:

Who created the famous novel and later film character in the picture?



Will this challenge be more difficult than the previous ones? Let's see how fast you are... Good luck!

Who I am? - Cátia

Hello! My name is Cátia Bianchi. I was born during the Scorpio period in 1995, two days after the Halloween.
I'm determined, stubborn, playful, friendly, a little distracted, light-headed but also very responsible.
I am studying science and technology to achieve my dream of going to the Azores to study marine biology.
During my free time I love to go out with my friends, I go to the beach, I like listening to music and also staying at home drawing.
One of my favourite hobbies is swimming. I love the sea and all it has to do with it and also helping as a volunteer in the association of abandoned animals "Viva Animal". It is a unique experience because people can’t even imagine the many animals that are abandoned and need a cuddle.
The most important things in my life are my family that I love, and my friends who are always ready to help me.

I hope you like it… (:

Who I am? - Gonçalo

Hello!
My name is Gonçalo Gomes , I was born in Porto and I’m a 15- year-old boy. I’m a student and when I grow up I want to be a doctor or a biologist or join the army.

My passions are my girlfriend and handball. I love handball, to me it is the most fantastic sport.
When I play handball I don’t feel or think of anything, I just play and enjoy that moment.

In my free time like I play handball, I play computer, listen to music, go out with my friends and watch handball games (I forgot to say, my idols are Florian Khermann anda Stefan Kretzschmar).

I like almost all kinds of music, but my favourites are metal and rock. My favourite bands are Guns and Roses, Metallica, Eminem, Muse, Queen, Pearl Jam, Rolling Stones etc...

I almost forgot, I have a cat named Emilia. She is one of my passions too. I like to play with her but she is a bit mean, so she bites me a lot.

 think that’s everything, so bye I hope you read my assignment :)

Who am I? - Diana

*Hello my name is Diana Moreira. I was born in 1995 in the city of Porto. My favourites hobbies are: dancing (ballet), being with friends, swimming, going to the shoppig centre and  I like to ride a horse. My great passion is dancing. In the future I would love to be a doctor, but my dream since I was a child is to become a great dancer.

Who am I? - Hugo Cardoso

Hi there! My name is Hugo Cardoso (also known has Lilspect) and I was born on 17^th March 1995 in Massarelos, Oporto. I’m a 15 years old and I’m a student.

When I have a little bit of free time, I usually take a bike ride, our just play computer and surf on the internet. I love computers, and I have used computers since I was 2 and half years old. Honestly, I am a little bit of a nerd, because I spend most of my time on my computer. When I am there, I usually play an online game named World Of Warcraft, check my Facebook and watch some videos on YouTube .

I also have no idea about what I want to be in the future, but I think I still have time to think about it. My “tastes” are a bit weird, because I only like things that are “Old”, I think it’s a disease…I like everything that’s Old, for example, I have restored an old bike from my Mother’s Childhood, I have a large collection of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Songs (Duran Duran; Falco; Van Halen ,Guns ‘n Roses; Kiss; Prince; Bruce Springsteen; Cyndi Lauper; The Police; Queen; Pink Floyd)

Moving ahead, I have a pet named “Cookie”, which is a guinea pig. She’s so lovely, and when she asks for food she does a weird and cute sound that I just want to grab her and hug her! I also practise swimming, when I am motivated to do it. I think that’s almost everything about me that you should know…

Thanks’ for reading my assignment! (If you really read it) D:

Who Am I? Diogo Fernandes

Hello people! My name is Diogo Fernandes , I was born in Seixal but now I live with my father in Rio Tinto. I would like to be a Marine, I dont know why but I feel that it is my destiny. I love playing football and basketball. I like a lot of games like chess and other board games because I need to create tactics and think about the next move of the enemy. In my free time I like to run on the beach, spend some time with my friends, we can go to the cinema or just take a walk. I like comedy, war and futuristic films. My favourite band is " Linkin Park", I just love their songs; they have a lot of styles for every single song.

Have fun!

Who Am I? Ana Costa

Hi!

My name is Ana Costa. I am 14 years old. I live in Oporto and I LOVE my city!

Well, I'm here to talk about my free time and write a litlle about me so that you can know me better. So, first of all: I love talking! I talk about everything; music, singers, friendships, relationships, love... those things...

I like listening to music: it's my addiction. My favourite singer is Rihanna! I have all her songs in my mp3, but I like other singers like Beyonce, Muse, Michael Bubble...

I like watching movies, talking with my friends and family, listening to music, writing about my feelings... but what makes me really happy is when I can stay with all my family! I have a lot of fun and it's my favourite day of the week!

Well, I think I don't have anything else to say.

Bye!

Kisses, Ana Costa (:

Who Am I? Sofia Oliveira

Hi! (:

My name is Sofia. I was born in 1995 and I live in Rio Tinto with my mum and sister. I'm a student and... well... I still don't know which area I will choose.

I'm sweet, very sensible and emotive, loyal to my friends... but I'm not very patient and I'm absolutely stubborn!!!

The two important pieces in my life are my family and friends. I really respect my friendships and I appreciate the fact that I have a lot of friends that are always with me. Like everyone, I hate offenses and lies.

In my free time I like being and spending good times with my friends. We always have a lot of fun together. I like to go to the cinema, listen to music and surf the internet, too.

Bye !! (:

Who am I?! Luis Correia

Hello everyone! My name is Luis, I was born in Vila Nova de Gaia and I live with my parents. I would like to have my own business. I love playing football, honestly I like all sports. I love physical activity. Not like a lot of games like chess and other board games because they are very boring. I love hanging out with my friends, going to the beach, to the cinema and to the entertainment complex. I like all kinds of films provided that they are well made. I like all kinds of music, Queen, Rolling Stones, David Guetta, Super Tramp, Martinho da Vila among others. As you can see I have very diverse tastes.

Have fun reading this. Thanks!

Who I am? - Sara

Hi, My Name is Sara Fernandes and I was born in Porto (Portugal) in 1995. I still don’t know what I want to be, of course that I would like to have a job related to medicine, but I don’t know if I have skills enough, so I will wait to see. I love my family, it is very important for me, because they are the only people who always wish us well.
In my free time, I like watching TV, surfing the internet, listening to music and playing with my piano (Ican't really play!), which is my favourite hobby. But the place where I spend more time is in my garage, where I roller blade, watch TV and play ping pong with my brothers.
I hear all kinds of music, it depends on how I feel, but in particular I listen to a lot of Owl City and Paramore.
One day after finishing school, I would like to go on a trip without destination with my friends all over Europe on foot, by car or bike, but no airplane that it may fall.
Hope that with this bit, you'll know a little more of me.

Who I am - Mafalda

Hi, my name is Mafalda Frias and I was born in 1994. I’m studying to be a psychiatrist in the future because I like to hear people and help them. I love my family, my best friends, my boyfriend and my pets. They are very important to me.
In my free time I usually listen to music, watch movies on TV, I like being with my best friends to make videos and laughing on and on, and sometimes I go out with them. On Saturday I clean the house.
I love animals (including frogs *.*), the nature, watching cartoons, music and playing the guitar.
My favourite bands are Muse, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Guns and Roses and others.
This is a little bit about me and I hope you like it.

Who am I? Pedro Silva

Hello, my name is Pedro Silva and I was born in Porto in 1995. I'm a student and I'd like to become a Software Engineer.

I like going to the cinema with my friends and my family, listening to music, playing cards, going to the beach and I love tennis and extreme sports and one day I want to try bungee jumping.

My favourite hobbies are surfing the internet and playing computer.

In summer holidays, I always go to Armação de Pêra, in the Algarve. It's a beautiful city and I like to go there every year.

When I get my course, I will travel around the world and experience different cultures, different kinds of food and different sports and I'm anxious for that day to arrive.

This is a short text about me, about my hobbies and my ambitions.

I hope you like it!

Who am I? - André Santos

Hi!

My name is André and I live in Rio Tinto near the famous city of Oporto.

I love animals and therefore I have a mini-zoo at home. I have a golden retriever called Lua, a parrot, many other birds and rabbits.

My hobbies are surfing the internet, watching films and reading.

The books I like most are the Twilight Saga as well as the movies that were made based on these books.

In the summer I usually travel with my parents and I have been to Barcelona, Tarragona, Huelva and Zaragoza as well as almost all over Portugal.

I also love music. My favourite bands are MUSE and U2.

Who am I? - André T.

Hello, my name is André Torres. I was born in Oporto. I'm studying to be a doctor because it's the best job. I live with my parents and my grandmother.

In my free time, I skate in Oporto with my friends (Wilson, João and Flávio) and when it is raining I skate inside my house. It’s my favourite sport. I love listening to music mainly David Guetta and skating music. Sometimes I see movies. I really love to see horror films.

In summer, I go with my parents to the beach in Póvoa de Varzim. At night we play cards.

I love hanging out with my friends at night because it's fun.

This is a short text about me and I hope you like it!

Halloween

Dear students,
if you want to learn more about Halloween and get inspired for our ghost story, watch the video and post your comment.

Halloween ghost story

Dear students,
Halloween is next week and we are celebrating it with our own ghost story. I wrote the beginning and you should continue it according to your imagination. You can start posting comments to continue it, but please follow the rules.
1. Each comment mustn’t have more than 150 words.
2. Each student can comment only two times.
3. Try to keep the initial tone and don’t forget to mention the characters who are already part of the story.
4. You may add new characters, human or not, as long as they fit the story. Don’t forget to describe them.
5. If two of you post almost at the same time, the last entry will be deleted or you can edit it according to the previous post.
6. Don’t write your paragraph directly in the comment box – copy it from a word document previously written.
7. Pay attention to the previous details and don't complicate the story too much.

8. Be creative and have fun!
It was foggy and cold on that dark moonless night. One could hear cats disturbingly crying and screaming as if they were being tortured by shadows. The small village was sleeping, but Dr. Farrow was returning home from Jake’s house. “Why can’t I find a reason for those strange scars on Jake’s body? Where did they come from? They keep appearing from nowhere… And all that agony… The man is in so much pain and I can’t help him” – he thought. Suddenly, a dog started barking furiously and Dr. Farrow got startled in a jump, feeling his heart bumping in his chest. He took some minutes to recover and continued his way home. His house was in the woods just outside the village, and there he lived with his wife and daughter. “Strange… the lights are on” – he thought while opening the door. He couldn’t understand the terrible picture he saw next: Marian and Eve, his wife and daughter, were sitting on the sofa and they didn’t look human. Their faces were very pale covered in purple veins, their eyes were all white and they had a frightening smile. “We were waiting for you, Daddy!” – it wasn’t Eve’s voice anymore, it was the voice of a monster.

2nd Challenge

What was the nickname of the oldest daughter of the King of England who had six wives?
Be the first to post the correct answer and you'll be the winner of the second challenge! Hurry up!

Assignement - Who am I?

Hello, my name is Ana Cunha. I was born in Porto in 1995. I'm a student, and in the future I'd like to become a chemistry engineer, because I love chemistry , it's fascinating.

In my freetime I like listening to music, being with my friends, going out with them, going to the cinema. I like music a lot. I like mainly to listen to Michael Jackson and David Guetta!

I love going to the beach , because it's a very peaceful place, and I love the sea .

I'm a scout , and it is amazing! You can camp, be in contact with nature, make friends , help people , and have a lot of fun.

The most important thing in my life is my family , and my friends, mainly my best friend who's like a brother to me. I like him very much.

I hope you like it (:

1st Challenge

Dear students,

here is your first challenge:

"Can you guess who I am? You will be the winner of this challenge if you are the first to post my real name. Good luck!"

Who am I?

Dear students, this is your first assignment: write a short text about your interests, family, friends, school life... I'm looking forward to reading about you. Please, consider the following text about me as a model, but be creative and original as far as possible. You can send me your text through e-mail or show it to me in class to be corrected. You should post your assignment by 30th October.  Have fun!

Hello! My name is JoanaN and I live somewhere near a castle. I was born some months before John Lennon was shot. I've been a teacher for eight years and I love what I do.

In my free time I like going to the seaside for a walk, I play, sing and draw with my son and I read. Reading is one of my favourite hobbies. Last summer I read four books. The best was "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. I can't think of anything better to do than lying in the sun on the beach with a good book.

Like most of you, I also like music. I listen to almost every kind of music depending on the situation. Diana Krall is one of my favourite singers, but I also like U2, Pearl Jam, Coldplay and there are fabulous new Portuguese bands. As a result of two memorable trips to Brazil, I also like Bossa Nova. I usually say that once you go to Brazil, you’ll never be the same. It’s a wonderful country!

Travelling is one of my passions. Saint Augustine said “the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” and I couldn’t agree more. We really grow when we meet new cultures and new people. In the near future I’d like to visit Paris and Greece.