Hello!

Hello students!

We are Esther, Susi, Carmen and Lucía, four students from the "Master de Secundaria" at the University of Alicante.

Breaking with traditions is a blog to learn and practice English. We want to show you some traditions in a different way, breaking with normal traditions. We will also explain how to use reported speech in English. As we know that studying grammar can be boring, we have tried to make this blog as fun as possible, so... ENJOY IT!

This is our e-mail address: breakingwithtraditions@hotmail.com


WHAT'S ON THIS BLOG:

(haz clic en los enlaces para acceder a los ejercicios)

• A QUIZ about traditions around the world
• Reading: SAINT PATRICK'S DAY
• Grammar explanation about REPORTED SPEECH
• EXERCICES to practice reported speech: Write into reported speech, A visit to the fortune-teller, One pumpkin and six suspects, Who said that?, Fish and chips
• Listening: EASTER EGGS
• Reading and Vocabulary: SHOPPING IN LONDON, TYPES OF SHOPS
• Writing: E-MAILS, WRITING CONTEST
  
• Extra materials: interesting links, Test: Are you a shopaholic?, Computers Vocabulary,
  
• Answers to all the exercices
  

ABOUT US...



I am Lucía. In this picture, I am in Times Square, New York. I went there three years ago to improve my English. Have you ever been to New York?

I'm Esther. This is a picture of my last trip to London. I am in front of Buckingham Palace. Do you know who lives there?

Hi! I'm Susi. In this picture I'm enjoying a boat trip on Lake Windermere, the largest lake in England. Like any other lake, it has a monster in it!

Hi there! My name's Carmen. This is a picture of me when I went to Northern Ireland in 2005 to improve my English. I made a trip to Giant's Causeway, have you ever heard about this legend?






We hope you like our blog! Participate in it using the "comments" (Homer wants you to comment in our blog!) or send us an e-mail to breakingwithtraditions@hotmail.com. We will write you back as soon as we read it ;)

Quiz: Traditions from English speaking countries

1. What are these men doing?

a. Fighting against each other

b. Demonstrating their tribe’s power

c. Dancing a folk song.

2. Where is this traditional English folk dance from?

a. England

b. England, USA and Australia

c. Australia and USA

3. What do dancers usually wear in their knees?

a. Chickpeas

b. Bells

c. Colourful buttons

4. Why is there an odd dancer?

a. He is supposed to be a lucky man

b. He is a learner dancer

c. He is the leader and guide of the dancers

5. What is this man doing?

a. Smoking a long cigarette made from tree leaves by aboriginal tribes

b. Eating an indigenous banana called Kanhannataa

c. Playing an aboriginal instrument called Didgeridoo

6. Where is this aboriginal tradition original from?

a. England

b. Australia

c. Canada

7. What is this instrument made of?

a. Wood

b. Plastic

c. Stone

8. What kind of sound does the instrument make?

a. High-pitched, even shrill

b. Low-pitched, depending on the lenght

c. Most of them don’t make any sound because they are very old

9. Who are these girls?

a. Hostesses at a tourist fair wearing traditional customs

b. High school students at their graduation ceremony

c. Young dancers at a dance competition

10. What are these girls doing?

a. Waiting in a typical school graduation ceremony

b. Dancing a folk song

c. Doing a traditional greeting

11. Where is this traditional dance from?

a. Ireland

b. USA

c. New Zealand

12. What does this traditional dance consist of?

a. Individual “solos” made with rapid movements of the legs, arms tight to the body

b. Group movements around a central dancer

c. Pair or group jumps and heel hits into the floor.

13. What is this man doing?

a. Trying to catch the bull through the rope

b. Sitting on the ground for the bull to come for him

c. Trying to stand up after falling from the bull

14. What are the other men around the bull doing? How are they called?

a. Rodeo clowns stay near the bull in order to aid and protect the rider when the ride ends.

b. Cowboys lead the bull around the bullring with a rope during the show

c. Bullfighters distract the bull’s attention until rider falls to the “arena”

15. Where is this tradition from?

a. Canada and USA

b. New Zealand and Canada

c. USA

16. What does this tradition consist of?

a. Riding a bull for as much time as possible

b. Fighting against the bull until it dies

c. A bull race around in the “arena”

Check your answers!

• Traditional English folk dance: Morris Dancing

Morris dancing is a traditional English form of folk dance which is alos performed in other English-speaking countries such as the USA and Australia. The roots of Morris Dancing seem to be very old, probably dating back to the Middle Ages.

In the dance, men dress up in costumes with hats and ribbons and bells around their ankles. They dance through the streets and one man often carries an inflated pig bladder on the end of a stick. He will run up to young women in the street and hit them over the head with the pig's bladder. This is supposed to mean lucky (men).

• Australian aboriginal tradition: Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet. Musicologists classify it as an aerophono. The instrument is traditionally made from Eucalyptus trees which have had their interiors died.

It is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument. A modern didgeridoo can measure from 1 to 3 m long. The length is related to the sound wavelength of the keynote. The longer the instrument, the lower the pitch of key of the instrument.

• Traditional Irish dancing: Irish Stepdance

Irish stepdance is a form of traditional dance originated in Ireland. Most people think of step dancing when thinking about Irish dance, but Irish dance includes a wide variety of types for solo, pair, and group dances. There is, of course, much more than just step dancing. Irish dance also includes set dancing, céili, waltzes, and other group dances.
The Irish stepdance is characterized for its rapid leg movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. In modern Irish step dancing, arms and hands are held rigid during solo dances. However, hand movements still occur in group dances, in part required by the interactions between the dancers. There are many types of step dancing, including reels and jigs. There are four basic Irish step dances (solos): reel, (light) jig, slip jig, and hornpipe.
Apart from public dance performances, Irish stepdancing is also done in competitions and other formal settings all over the world. Most stepdances are solo dances, which can be divided into two broad categories based on the shoes worn by the dancer: hard shoe and soft shoe dances.

• Traditional USA rodeo show: Bull Riding

Bull riding is a form of traditional rodeo that involves a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted for at least eight seconds while the animal attempts to buck off the rider. The rider tightly fastens one hand to the bull with a long braided rope. It is a risky sport and has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports”.
Informal rodeos began as competitions between neighboring ranches in the American Old West. Each bull has a unique name and number used to identify the bull. A sufficient number of bulls, each judged to be of good strength, health, agility, and age, are selected to perform. The rider and bull are matched randomly before the competition.
A rider mounts a bull and grips a flat braided rope. After he secures a good grip on the rope, the rider nods to signal he is ready. The bucking chute (a small enclosure which opens from the side) is opened and the bull storms out into the arena. The rider must attempt to stay on the bull for at least eight seconds, while only touching the bull with his riding hand. His other hand must remain free for the duration of the ride.
The bull bucks, rears, kicks, spins, and twists in an effort to throw the rider off. This continues for a number of seconds until the rider bucks off or dismounts after completing his ride. A loud buzzer announces the completion of an eight second ride.
Throughout the ride, bullfighters, also popularly known as rodeo clowns stay near the bull in order to aid the rider if necessary. When the ride ends, either intentionally or not, the bullfighters distract the bull to protect the rider from harm.

Reading: St Patrick's Day

Read the following text:

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Saint Patrick's Day, colloquially known as St. Paddy's Day or simply Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day in honour of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is generally celebrated on March 17th, not only in Ireland but in many places around the world. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by people of Irish descent and also by non-Irish people. This festivity is very popular in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and North America.

Customs and traditions. Green is the colour!

People celebrate this holiday eating Irish food, listening to Irish music, enjoying Irish drinks (such as Irish beer, Irish whiskey and Irish cream) and wearing green clothes and items. The shamrock, a three-leaved plant, is Saint Patrick’s symbol. Many people also dress up as leprechauns. People have worn green ribbons and shamrocks in celebration of St Patrick's Day since the 17th century. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1961.

Parades are also very popular. They have a particularly long history in the USA and Canada. The parade in New York City has become the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world.

ACTIVITIES

Choose the correct answer: (easy)

1. Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland/England
2. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated only in Ireland/in many places around the world
3. On Saint Patrick's Day people swim in the Chicago river/wear green clothes
4. The tradition of wearing ribbons and shamrocks is very old/new

Answer the following questions: (intermediate)

1. Who is Saint Patrick?
2. When is Saint Patrick’s day celebrated?
   
3. What is a shamrock? What does it represent?
   
4. How do people celebrate Saint Patrick’s day?
   
5. What happens in Chicago on Saint Patrick’s day?

Are the following sentences true or false? (intermediate)

1. Saint Patrick is celebrated every three years.
2. People usually wear green clothes on Saint Patrick’s day.
   
3. The shamrock is an emblem of Saint Patrick.
   
4. Chicago doesn’t dye its river green anymore.
   
5. The most popular parade on Saint Patrick’s day takes place in Ireland.

IRELAND AND SAINT PATRICK’S QUIZ (advanced)

1. In Ireland, what does the color green stand for?

a) Spring

b) Countryside

c) Hope and nature

2. Which of the following is the first official language of Ireland?

a) Irish

b) English

c) Scottish

3. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17^th to commemorate...

a) The day Saint Patrick died

b) The day Saint Patrick was born

c) The day Saint Patrick killed a snake

4. What colors are on the Irish flag?

a) Green, white and orange

b) Blue, red and white

c) White, red and green

5. What happens if you don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day?

a) People pinch you (Haz clic en la palabra para ver su significado)

b) You have bad luck for seven years

c) Nobody talks to you

6) Which of the following things do people eat in a traditional St. Patrick’s Day party?

a) pizza

b) pineapple

c) potatoes

To find the answers, you might need to visit these websites:

• Saint Patrick's history and traditions
  
• A bit of history (you can also watch some videos!)
• Irish food
  
• European languages
  
• European flags
  

REPORTED SPEECH

We use Reported speech to report what people have said:
“My friend said that
English people drink a lot of tea”.

Exercices: reported speech practice

A) Put these sentences into reported speech:

Example: 'I am a teacher', Mary told me.
Reported speech: Mary told me that she was a teacher

1. I’ve finished my homework, Mary told us.
2. I’ll be back at eight, George said.
3. I’m not going shopping today, Sarah said
4. I need to phone my brother, Brian told the police
5. I haven’t seen him for a year, said Josh
6. I’ll call you tomorrow, Bill told me
7. I’m going to be late for dinner, Kristen told me

B) Ahora te damos un texto en reported speech. Léelo con atención y después completa la conversación con las palabras exactas que dijeron Anne y Tony.

Anne asked Tony what music he liked and he told her that he liked heavy metal music. Actually, he said that he sometimes played with a band called The Cliff.

Then, Anne asked him where the band played and Alex answered that they played live in a well known pub in the city centre every Friday night.

Finally, Tracy asked him if he wanted to become a professional musician but Alex said that he had a very successful career and that he only played with the band as a hobbie.

Anne: Tony, what music do you like ?

Tony: I .................................................................... Actually, I sometimes....................... .........................................................................

Anne: Where ...................................................................................?

Tony: We .....................................................................................

Anne: Tony, ........................................................................ professional musician?

Tony: I ................................................................ I .............................................................

C) Can you put this joke into reported speech?

In a restaurant:

Customer: Waiter, waiter! There is a frog in my soup!!!
Waiter: I’m sorry, sir. The fly is on holiday.

Te damos el principio:

In a restaurant, a customer called the waiter and told him that........