Christmas Countdown 3

OMG, I've left everything to the last minute! Reading, baking, shopping, blogging...everything!
That's exactly why I like the internet so much - we can do stuff so much faster than before, don't you agree?
I'm planning to send Santa Claus some letters to try my luck with presents but first I'll try to strike up a conversation with him.

At http://www.santabot.com/ we / learners can chat with Santa forever! Not a single question goes unanswered, it's free online chat with Santa Claus.
Have a go or invite your kids / learners / students to practise their English during the Christmas break!

Now, letters!
Though this is the busiest time at the North Pole, be sure that Santa will answer evey single letter he gets.
I've followed all the steps and given the right email address and in the twinkling of an eye, my letter was answered (: For that I've used http://santa-at-home.com/writesanta.shtml and after reading the instructions you see below, you just have to scroll down and you'll find the electronic sheet of paper and the envelope for your letter.

and http://www.merry-christmas.com/santa/send-letter-to-santa

This last one is a very comprehensive website so be sure you / students don't miss the music, traditions or recipes. Yummy!!! 

Keep students entertained while practising and learning English!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Mourning Nelson Mandela

The prisoner-turned South African President, Nelson Mandela, passed away yesterday at the age of 95 leaving behind a legacy of courage and inspiration for generations to come.
The news is everywhere. No need to say much more, I guess, but below I've embedded a multiple choice doc to check one's knowledge on Mandela - and why not ask students to fill it in as a warm up for a lesson on Nelson Mandela, an icon of Freedom and also a Noble Peace Prize winner?

World AIDS Day: 25 years on

Source: LIFE magazine - The photo that changed the face of
 AIDS (pic by Therese Frare)

It was back in 1988 that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared to promote AIDS awareness on Dec 1 each year. Today, 25 years on, what are the results?The war on th epidemic is clearly being won, but what about battling the stigma?
We can prevent being infected, record numbers of people are being treated worldwide, yet "homophobic laws" in over 70 countries, discrimination against sex workers, people who inject drugs among other most-at-risk populations, demonstrate that there's still a long way to go.
Moreover, austerity-stricken Europe, namely Portugal due to successive budget cuts in health services, I fear, can be at risk of HIV outbreaks...
New infections are still high among adolescents though - whether in Africa (where there are still to many teenage girls with a "sugar daddy"), or in Europe, which have led to further action by Advocacy Group ONE and The Global Fund.
Below is a short video by The Global Fund to "Be the Generation to Defeat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria" - the moment is NOW, right now!