Living in a new country

This video is the second episode in a BBC Learning English series called the "Flatmates". In this video, Michal has just arrived from Poland and is new to the UK. He has come to practise his English and is meeting his new flatmates. Can you spot his mistake?

flatmates, house-mates and room-mates are all people who we live with.
workmates are people who we work with.
Classmates are people who are in the same class as us.


The word "mate" is similar to friend, but more informal.
Other informal words for friend are "buddy" and "pal".


Here is a playlist of episodes 1-137
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAi1JlMIQVM&feature=bf_prev&list=PL63FB966A10363FAF

New year- 2012 (twenty twelve/two thousand and twelve)

In English speaking countries new years eve is always on the 31st December. People usually celebrate in the evening of the 31st. At ten seconds before midnight they do a new year countdown. They say; ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, happy new year! When the clock strikes twelve the fireworks go off and people kiss, hug and say; happy new year! The 1st day of the year (January 1st) is called new years day. New years day is a public holiday in Britain. Which means that most people get the day off work. Every year people make new years resolutions before the start of the new year. Common new years resolutions are to give up smoking and go to the gym. But many people break their new years resolutions. They start smoking again and don't go to the gym. They can always make new years resolutions again in the following year.

Put these new year events in order


people kiss, hug and say; happy new year
people break their new years resolutions
New years day
people go to parties
the clock strikes twelve
people make new years resolutions
they do a new year countdown
New years eve

Match the words with the correct meaning


midnight=    12am/ 12pm
go off=        leave/start
public holiday=  national holiday/ holiday for those who work with the pubic
day off=  bad day/ a day without work
fireworks= colours in the sky that make a lot of noise/ people who work with fire
give up= to stop/ to take

Not everyone in the world celebrates new year on the 31st December. The Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist calenders celebrate new year on a different day every year because they relate the the new year to the cycles of the moon. The Chinese new year also relates to lunar cycles and is the most important festival in China today. January 1st was not the first day of the year in Scotland until 1600 and it was the first country to recognize January 1st as new years day!
To find out more about new year across the world, look at this page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year

Religions
Name of religion (n)              name of person (adj)                name of object (adj)
Islam                                                    Muslim                                             Islamic
Judaism                                                Jew                                                  Jewish
Hinduism                                             Hindu                                               Hindu
Buddhism                                            Buddhist                                           Buddhist
Christianity                                          Christian                                           Christian
Catholicism                                         Catholic                                            Catholic
Protestantism                                       Protestant                                         Protestant
Sikhism                                                Sikh                                                   Sikh


Example

A Catholic goes to church on Sundays.
There is a lot of Islamic art in Seville.
There are many different types of Buddhists.


Grammar (prepositions of time) In, At, On


In, At or On?


January, 31st December, morning, night, winter, morning, midnight, 11pm, Sunday, December, spring, new year, new years day, Christmas, my birthday, the week, the weekend.

Example: In January


2012 is a leap year


A leap year is every four years and has one extra day. 2012 can be said in two ways.

1. When is the extra day?
2. What are the two ways of saying 2012?

To find out more about 2012 look at this page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012

Do you have any new years resolutions?


Here are some common new years resolutions.  Match part 1 and 2.


1                                                                    2
give up                                                           the gym
watch less                                                       weight
study                                                               smoking
save                                                                 T.V
go to                                                                English
do                                                                    money
lose                                                                  exercise

Do you have any new years resolutions this year?


This page has some ideas
http://www.moninavelarde.com/newyears/

speak slowly

Ernie tells bert to go to the kitchen because the bread is burning. Bert tells Ernie to "slow down" because he can't understand a word. Ernie speaks more slowly and says; "The bread that you put in the toaster is burning".

Which of these things can you find in a kitchen?

table, oven, armchair, toilet, washing machine, hair dryer, cupboard, bed, curtains, sink, bath, carpet, fridge, television, desk, cooker, microwave, wardrobe, toaster.

What are the names of these other rooms?

1. In the living room there is a green sofa (couch). On the sofa there are 3 pillows. There are 2 armchairs. In the middle of the room there is a small coffee table. There are 2 lamps. In the middle of the room there is a small coffee table. There are 2 big bookcases behind the sofa.

2. In the dining room there is a table and some chairs

3. In the bedroom there is a bed and some curtains.

4. In the bathroom there is a toilet, a sink a bath and a small cat.

5. In the kitchen there is a fridge, a cooker, a sink and many cupboards. On top of the fridge there is a small cat in a basket.