December

December marked the tenth month in the Roman calendar; it is the twelfth month of the year nowadays and marks the end of it. As a matter of interest, just see how many of the following important people born in December can you identify?:

1st     WOODY ALLEN 1935

2nd   MARÍA CALLAS 1923

3rd   PAUL NICHOLAS 1945

 4th  THOMAS CARLYLE 1795 RAINER M. RILKE 1875

 5th  CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 1830

 6th  JOSEPH CONRAD  1857

 7th   WILLA CATHER  1873

8th   BJORNSTJERNE BJORNSON 1832

9th   JOHN MILTON  1608

10th  EMILY DICKINSON 1830

 11th ALEKSANDER SOLZHNITSYN 1918

12th  FRANK SINATRA 1915

 13th  HEINRICH HEINE 1797

 14th LEE REMICK 1935

15th  JOHN PAUL GETTY 1892

16th LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770 RAFAEL ALBERTI 1902

 17th JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER 1807 POPE FRANCIS 1936

18th  CHARLES WESLEY  1707

 19th  RALPH RICHARDSON 1902

 20th HARVEY S. FIRESTONE 1868

21st   FRANK ZAPPA  1940

 22nd  JEAN RACINE 1639 

23rd    JOSEPH SMITH 1805

24th    IGNATIUS LOYOLA 1491

25th    ISAAC NEWTON 1648

 26th  THOMAS GRAY  1716

 27th  LOUIS PASTEUR 1822

 28th  MAGGIE SMITH  1934

29th  W.E. GLADSTONE 1809

 30th RUDYARD KIPLING 1865 PATTY SMITH 1946

 31st B.E.MURILLO 1617; JOHN DENVER 1943

 1) Do the same with the remaining eleven months.(11 group projects)Choose your favourite month.

2) Classify the famous people above according to their professions.

3) Try to find at least two"famous"people for each single day.
4) Learn the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendars.
5) How many months are there in an arab/muslim/Mohammedan calendar?
6) Find out about the famous people who were born on the same day as you were born.
7) Do the same as above but mentioning the dates of the deaths of famous characters
8) What was the Revolutionary calendar? Mention some new months in that calendar
9) What were the Calends and the Greek calends? and the Ides?
10) Establish the difference between calendar year/ academic year and tax year
11) Etymological origin of the names of each month
12) Which months can also be proper nouns?Ex: April
13) Zodiac signs, horoscopes and chinese year animals. Are you skeptical or do you believe in them?
14) Local festivities and dates. When do they celebrate the fair in     x/ the 3 cultures festival/..?
15) Holidays and Holy days. Name the religious holidays in Spain: Ex: Immaculate Conception
16) Commemorative days From New year January1st to New year´s eve 31st December.List as many       as you can month by month.
17) Which feast days or name days can you remember from the calendar of saints?
18) Which festivities have moving dates? Ex: Thanksgiving, Ash Wednesday,etc..
19) Historical dates. Make up a list of important historical dates such as: 6th December 1978; 20th          November 1975,18th July 1936, 11th September 2001, etc..
20) Time metaphors: Ex: Eight days a week; a grief ago; a month of Sundays/Mondays;until 40th May,etc..
       Make up your own time metaphors.
21) Continue the sequences: ONDJFMA............  
                                               SSMTW...............
                                               FSTFFSS............
                                               ZOTTFF.............
                                               EFFNOSS..........
                                               8 5 4 9 1 7 6.......
                                                QWERTYU.........
                                                 ÑLKJHG............
                                                 CUDTCCSS.......
                                                 CDLM..............
22) Explain TIME OUT; TIME AND AGAIN; TIME AND TIDE; TIME AND ETERNITY;TIMES SQUARE; TIME AFTER TIME; TIMING
23) M_______H. Which words do you know that start with an "m" and end  with an"h"? Aim at 10.
24) Do you keep a diary? Do you have a monthly planner?
25) Establish the relationship between the pagan and the Christmas celebrations: Christmas= Winter solstice; Easter ?  St. John´s night? Autumn? Michaelmas?
26) What  the 12 days of Christmas are supposed to represent:
    1st day a partridge= Jesus
    2nd day two turtle doves= The Old and New Testament
    3rd day  three French hens= Faith, Hope and Charity
    4th day  four caling birds= Four Gospels
    5th day five gold rings= First five books of the O.T.
    6th day six geese a laying=six days of creation
    7th day seven swans= 7 sacraments
    8th day eight maids= eight beatitudes
    9th day nine ladies= nine fruits of the Holy spirit
    10th day ten lords= the ten commandments
    11th day eleven pipers= 11 faithful apostles
     12th day twelve dummers=12 points of doctrine in the Apostle´s creed.

27)Find out about unusual days celebrated in the USA. For instance: Popcorn day;Hugging day; Tell a lie day; Yo Yo day; Blame someone else day; Plan your epitaph day; Kiss and make up day,etc..
28) Which foreign festivities are slowly being celebrated in our culture? Ex: Halloween; Black Friday,etc...
29) Choose a year(any year will do) and write the most relevant events which took place in that particular year.
30) Christmas is.........,......(fun, magic,boring family,etc..) Xmas legends, i.e.:Forest animals can speak in human language on christmas eve!.
31) Define: Yuletide, crackers, mince pies, poinsettia, candy cane, Santa, hamper, mulled wine,
                    fudge, stockings.

BACKRONYMANIACS

This is a tongue-in-cheek collaborative unit of work. Firstly, I explain to my students what a backronym is;i.e.: a specially constructed phrase that is supposed to be the source of a word, invented either with a serious (mnemonics) or a humorous intent. Secondly,after providing them with some examples I ask them to create a new backronym out of their own invention.

We are dealing with false etymologies. For instance:

ADIDAS: All day I dream about sports

DEAD: Definitely ends another dude

 DENIAL: Don´t even notice I am lying.

 GOLF: Gentlemen, old ladies forbidden 

FIAT: Fix it again today 

FORD: First on race day / Fix or repair daily

SLIP: Sobriety losing its priority 

COMA: Cessation of motor/mental activity. 

POSH: Port out starboard home 

MÁLAGA:Make a little army great again 

COP: Constable on patrol 

BING: But it´s not google. 

NEWS:North, east, west, south 

TIPS: To insure prompt service 

KISS: Knights in Satan´s service / Keep it simple, stupid

FOCUS: Fuck off ´cause ur stupid. 

SHIT: Ship high in transit /Staying here is torturous

SPIC: Spanish, Polish, Italian, Chinese 

FUCK: For unlawful carnal knowledge 

SWAG: Secretly we are gay, stuff we all get; singing with Ariadna Grande(Adrián L.A. 3ºA)

WAG: Wife and girlfriends 

WOG: Wily oriental gentleman; Working on Government service 

VINE: Very imbecile, nerdy exploits. 

M.B.E.: My bloody effort 

LEARN:Let´s end all racism now  

MBA: Mediocre but arrogant 

PIT: Policy Information team; Pupil incluson team; Pool of inactive teachers..

RAP: Retards attempting poetry;Really annoying people; Really awful performance

MARINE: Muscles are required, intelligence non essential 

SNAIL: Slimy nocturnal animal invading lettuce. 

WORMS: Wiggly often resembling mini snakes. 

MONEY: Millions overspent nearly every year. 

ANGEL: Always near giving ethereal loving. 

CRAP: Career review action plan. 

SHAG: Sexual Health Action Group. 

MALTED:Multimedia authority for Language tutors & Educational Development

MILF: Meals/Men I´d like to forget 

GOD: Guaranteed Overnight deliveries

 LIFE: Love ideal friends eternally / Luck Imagination Frenzied Excitement.

PARSNIPS: Politics,Alcohol, Religion, Sex, Narcotics,Isms, Pork, Spain  

(topics to avoid)

AAAAA: American association against acronym abuse.

HERE´S WHAT MY STUDENTS CAME UP WITH:

HOME: Hell of my existence (Pablo Cereto 2ºBach.A)

 MATHs: Mental abuse towards humans (Natasha O´Keefe 3º ESO A)

STUDENT: Subjected to ultimate despair endless new traumas(A.B.C.)

HISTORY: Honestly I Study Texts or Read Yours (C.G.W.)  

TEACHER: Tutor, educator, advisor, counsellor, hero(ine), experimental,reliable.

YANKEES:You are not knowledgeable, elementary educated simpletons (M.B.L.)

ENGLISH: Every new grammar linguistic item´s suspiciously horrendous(L.P.F.)

BILINGUAL:But I learned interestingly nothing greatly unusual about languages

TRUMP: 

This ruler´s unwillingly my President;

 This rascal´s unwittingly M.P. 

Tears running under my presence (L.M.H.M.)

 Torment rooster under mounting pressure;

Tyrants reunited under Moses Prophet;

 Tyrannosaurus Rex Ultimate Media Product;

 The Real Universal Messiah, Phoney!;

 Today aRe yoU More Pooped?;

 The Rightist Unknown Machista Premier; 

Truth rarely uses mean passions;

Totalitarian regime unveils mysterious priority.....

SPELLING APPLICATION: MNEMONICS:

COLOURFUL
OUTRAGEOUS
MAKING us laugh
IN the papers
CREATIVE
SUNDAY funnies
(Create other acrostics as you please)

Which words are expressed by the following spellings or numbers?:

I B B4?B9?B6?B10? C 1 2 4 8 K9? O P Q R T U Y ?

What do the following frequently used acronyms mean?

FAQ´s; NIMBY; WYSIWYG; ASAP; TARDIS

My mnemonic way of checking whether all students are present:

L A N A D I A C L A Y ( Lucy,Alvaro, Noemi, Adonais; Daniel, Irene, Andrea, Chloe,Lidia, Aynara
 y Yaitza). C L A M I D I A (Carlota, Lorenzo, Antonio, Martin, Isabel, David, Ignacio, Amelia)...
C L A N G E M J E W E L (Carlos, Luis, Angela, Nicolás, Gloria, Elizabeth, Miguel, José, Eva, Warren, Elena, León)

On "new" FEELINGS and emotions..

This unit started as simple practice of feelings vocabulary. I registered the students´feelings when learning a new language from frustration to fluency. Then I learned from Tiffany Watt Smith´s The book of human emotions that there were hundreds of different emotions in various cultures:
RINGXIETY:Anxiety caused by expecting a phone call
HAN:Collective acceptance of suffering combined with a silent wish for things to change
DEPAYSMENT: lack of orientation in foreign places
AWUMBUK: a feeling of emptiness left by guests when they have to leave
HEIMAT: Deep-rooted fondness towards a place to which one has a strong feeling of belonging(German)
TOSKA: Insatiable longing (Russian)
KAUKOKAIPUU: homesickness felt for a place one has never been(Finnish)
YAGÁN: a look between people that expresses unspoken but mutual desire
QUEESTING: to allow a lover access to one´s bed for chit-chat
DADIRRI: a deep spiritual act of reflective and respectful listening(Australian aboriginal)
FENG YUN:personal charm and graceful bearing (Mandarin Chinese)
ILUNGA: being ready to Forgive a first time, to Tolerate a second time, but never a third time.
MBUKI-MVUKI:to shed clothes to dance uninhibited (Bantu)
NGINYIWARRARRINGU: A sudden spasm of alarm that makes people leap to their feet and look about trying to see what caused it.
These examples  come from Tim Lomas´ Positive Lexicography Project and the International Positive Psychology Association, which shows us the cultural nuances and the different shades of meaning of different feelings. Compare the concept of nirvana in Sanskrit to the  joie de vivre or the bon vivant in French.

So let´s plunge into the different standardized feelings:

Thankful appreciative grateful gratified indebted obliged relieved

Thoughtful challenged curious illuminated informed interested pensive reflective deliberative 
meditative ruminative 
Unthinking, thoughtless, heedless, careless, disregardful

Angry aggravated annoyed brooding defiant disgusted enraged exasperated frustrated furious hateful hostile indignant infuriated mad obstinate outraged perturbed peeved pissed off rebellious seething spiteful surly upset vengeful cheesed off about sth

Ashamed apologetic embarrassed foolish guilty humble idiotic mortified regretful remorseful shameful worthless

Confident  hopeful inspired keen optimistic powerful productive strong sure trusting

 

 capable centered eager energetic focused grounded serene peaceful self-confident assured poised

Happy amused cheerful delighted ecstatic elated excited exuberant gleeful high gay merry blithe

joyful mischievous over the moon placid untroubled

Satisfied adequate content mellow peaceful pleased

Healthy, hearty, robust, vigorous, sound

 Friendly sociable, gregarious amicable, affable, chummy, congenial  neighbourly

Confused baffled befuddled bewitched bewildered disoriented flustered perplexed puzzled scattered troubled unfocused

Sad despondent depressed dismal low melancholy miserable unhappy weepy

Loving affectionate aroused caring devoted intimate tender warm lively, alive, vibrant, vivacious,energetic, spirited, feisty, spry, perky, effervescent, bubbly,pert

Hurt abandoned abused attacked belittled bitter cheated  disappointed dismayed disheartened

grieving gypped humiliated mournful sorrowful rejected resentful crestfallen crushed dejected

Scared afraid alarmed fearful frightened horrified hysterical insecure intimidated nervous panicky petrified terrified threatened vulnerable

Uncertain cynical doubtful dubious distrustful hesitant indecisive pessimistic skeptical suspicious

Uncomfortable unsure unsettled shy timid sheepish mousy reticent reluctant uneasy jittery nervous

irritable edgy, touchy,testy, tetchy. fractious

Uncaring ambivalent apathetic bored busy detached exhausted indifferent lethargic lazy

tired unmotivated nonchalant occupied selfish unconcerned

 Wanting empty envious homesick hungry ignored jealous lonely longing lustful

Weak inadequate burdened controlled despairing discouraged helpless hopeless impotent inhibited

lost passive powerless restricted suicidal

Worried agitated anxious bothered restless tense uneasy cross unsettled

Surprised aghast amazed astonished astounded incredulous shocked startled

A)

HOW DO YOU FEEL Today?

A feeling for every single day of the year

I feel sleepy/weepy...

B) Find the connection/interdependence between MIND & BODY and EMOTIONS & FEELINGS

C) Describe the basic feelings shown in emoticons or emojis

D) OVER & UN/UNDER . FUL/LESS Which adjectives can be modified by these particles to enhance or minimize the feelings?EX: overjoyed,undesired, underachiever, undervalued, joyful, affectless...

E) Contrast people´s values. Which country am I referring to when I quote?:

 In the South people are fiery, indolent,passionate, unsteady, independent,zealous, generous, candid.

.In the North they are cool, sober, laborious, persevering,interested, hypocritical in their religion.

(From Thomas Jefferson´s biography Restlessness and Torment)

F) Feel as much as you can; live life to the full .You´ll be a long, long time dead. On a single day you can run the whole gamut of human feelings from indignation to rejection, from being playful and funny to being sulky or brooding..

G ) State 3 situations which make you feel sad/happy/disgusted/angry/surprised/frightened

H) Subjectively give a colour to any emotion: Is Sadness black, blue or grey?

    Happiness is.............   Anger is.............  Fear is............... Surprise is.....................

I)  Seasons;ages and emotions: Which is the season of innocence/maturity/decay?

J) Find out about the urban tribe called "emos" What are their characteristics?

K) Check lexicalized metaphors and poetic language to describe feelings:  Ex: a heart of stone/glass/gold

Give two more examples

L) FEEL TERRIBLE versus FEEL TERRIFIC Beware of false friends and try to find the opposite of the following feelings:

 indignant, exhausted, curious, lonely, hysterical, special. combative, indecisive, guilty,hateful,withdrawn, grumpy,generous,.....

M) Educating your emotions: How many different types of tears/blush do you know? Ex: Tears of joy/pain/anger/frustration/ crocodile/clown/ combotears......

N) In the famous song "Feelings" by Morris Albert give a name to the different feelings expressed in it.

    Do the same with The Bee Gee´s Emotion and Maria Carey´s Emotions

Ñ) Draw a funny face to see if the others agree with the feeling you tried to convey. 

O) I feel v. I feel like   Verbs followed by bare infinitive or-ing form:

 I felt the car stop; I felt the car losing speed

I feel that they will be happy living together; I feel that Barça should win.
 Give other examples using both feel and feel like:

P) Read about Daniel Goleman´s seminal book Emotional Intelligence and  Peter Salovey. Rafael Bisquerra and Oliver Sacks have written on the neurology of emotions. Find some other psychologists who have written about this topic.

Q) Food and emotions. There is a close connection between your daily intake and your feelings about food and even life itself

Finish off sentences like :  Lentils make me feel..............

                                          Steak and kidney pie makes me feel..............
                                          Pork makes me feel.....................
                                          French cuisine makes me................
                                          Deer meat/Venison makes me

R) Road Rage is very common: Could you explain why people change their personalities when they are at the wheel?

S) Combat negative emotions and NEGATIVE people: Avoid anxiety, stressors, weariness, loneliness, tension, hatred, envy, fear, grief, dejection,depression, despair, the vanity of egos and emptiness...

T)  In the Middle Ages people believed in the strong connection between MOODS and the natural elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Air...Study the different Humours of long ago. Check how the different natural phenomena may affect our moods: WIND, PERSISTENT DROUGHT/ RAIN, HURRICANES/TYPHOONS, .....

U) Music and emotions

Traditionally music has been regarded as the food of love, it has charms to soothe a savage breast, it brings people together and sets us free. It is a platitude to state that music makes us smarter, happier and more productive. This romantic idealization of music persists as it holds incredible power to move us; it is the doorway to the infinitude of the human soul and expresses humanity´s collectve longing for freedom and brotherhoood. The therapeutic use of music has been widely researched but the opposite may be true. THERE IS MUSICAL TORTURE NOWADAYS Yelling, loud music and light control creates FEAR; Disorientation,Violence....Indeed , there are strong links between music and violence: Remember Hitler´s cultural triumphalism after listemning to Wagner´s music, the musical torture the P.O.W.´s suffered at Guantanamo or Irak.

Mention some songs/groups/type of music which can trigger violent instincts. For example: AC/DC; Metallica,Eminem,Extremoduro,Siniestro Total, Molotov, Grupo Marrano,etc... Hard rock,heavy metal, rap, punk, hip hop or bachata can be toxic for your emotional well-being.

V) ANIMALS and EMOTIONS 

  Which emotional qualities would you associate with a bat, a dolphin, a horse, a parrot, a spider, a whale, an elephant, a turtle,  a toad, a frog, a worm, a wasp, a panda, etc..?

Which emotion is symbolised by  these animals?:

ELEPHANTS= Emotional Intelligence
MULES=
GORILLAS=
SWANS=
CHIMPANZEES=
KOALAS=
PANDAS=
...........

W)
No truly democratic society can exist without the cultivation of certain emotions that teach  people to enter empathetically into other people´s lives.
 We have to analyse the structure of emotions: how we may even harbour aggressiveness towards the people we are supposed to love.(Inspired by The New YorkerJuly 25th 2016  Martha Nussbaum´s philosophy of emotions)

Comment and debate the following topics:

ANGER CONTROL. Is there justified anger?
Towards emotional refinement and aesthetic education
Creative guilt
Admission of our essential vulnerability and the ability to accept our own fragility and needs
Anti Disgust attitudes
Preparation for the surprises of life
Foster more emotional expressiveness in emotionally barren environments

X) Learn about bipolar and OC disorders and how the emotions disease may affect your overall health.
 Is there an epidemic of anger, intolerance, xenophobia, hatred,  gluttony, desperation...nowadays?

Y)Can we ever really know what anyone is truly feeling?

Z) How do you evolve from HATRED to REMORSE; from ANGER to KINDNESS; from REVENGE to SELF-CONTROL or from RESENTFULNESS to THANKFULNESS?

Re Collections

(This is first and foremost a unit to review and practise vocabulary)
People enjoy collecting objects of all sorts. It is a primeval instinct to hoard, to accumulate as many items as possible; perhaps never considering that these objects will outlive the owners, who may use them as substitutes of the “self”. Certain patterns of collection are common among people who have lived through difficult times, poverty or war. These attitudes have a lot in common with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorders). See the Diogenes´ syndrome.

Many things are designed to give us anxiety in our consumer society: whenever you think your collection is complete you will discover some crucial items missing.

Think about your  own immaterial collections:

 My immaterial COLLECTIONS : I´ve been a collector of fears: fear of darkness, fear of my father, fear of freedom, fear of flying, fear of getting pregnant, fear of nakedness, fear of physical violence, fear of smiling without any teeth, fear of being mugged, fear of aches and pains,of death and fear of fear itself.

I´VE ALSO COLLECTED DREAMS, experiences, compliments, insults, illnesses, mistakes and sadness… Speak about the above. Fear /experiences/mistakes SWAP SHOP.

If Numismatics is coin collection, what are Philately, Phillumeny or Deltiology?

MATCH BOXES

POST CARDS

 MOVIE MEMORABILIA

 HISTORICAL MEMORABILIA 

 ANTIQUE TOYS/ DOLLS/CHINA

 METEORITES

ART DECO/NOUVEAU

 EPHEMERA

 SUGAR SACHETS / COFFEE SACHETS 

AIRLINE/METRO/ TUBE/TRAIN/BUS TICKETS 

CONCERT TICKETS  

BANK NOTES 

BIBLES

 PENCILS/BIROS/PENS 

 CALENDARS 

WOODEN MASKS 

CACTUS PLANTS 

POTS 

TEDDY BEARS 

BOOKS

MINIATURES

 FILMS 

VINYL RECORDS L.P.´S 

 VHS/CASSETTE TAPES

VIDEO GAMES 

FLAGS  

MAPS

 SOUVENIRS

VINTAGE APRONS/ CARS

 FOSSILS 

ROCKS& MINERALS

 COMIC BOOKS 

BASEBALL CAPS 

STICKERS 

AWARDS 

 PERFUME 

TRADING CARDS 

CLOCKS / WATCHES 

PINS AND BADGES  

STICKERS 

ANIMALS 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS :Guitars;Violins,.. 

WW2 MEMORABILIA 

MAGAZINES (National Geographic, NEW YORKER...) 

ARCHEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS 

MOBILE PHONE CASES

 BEER/ SOFT DRINKS CANS

 BIKES

 CHAMPAGNE TOPS 

LEGOS

 PLAYMOBIL 

GEMSTONES & CRYSTALS 

JEWELS

 KEYCHAINS /KEYRINGS

SUNGLASSES 

SHOES 

STATUES 

MARBLES 

HELLO KITTY / DISNEY MERCHANDISE

 POKEMON CARDS 

HARRY POTTER MEMORABILIA 

GUNS

 FRIDGE MAGNETS 

 CAR PLATES

BRAS & PANTIES

DILDOS 

BEER BOTTLE CAPS 

CHEWED GUMS

 TV´S 

SILVER/GOLD/ PLATINUM 

SEASHELLS 

HARMONICAS 

FEATHERS

 GLASS (Murano) 

ANIMAL SKULLS

 BATH ITEMS

 FOOTBALL CARDS 

FISHING LURES

  CONDOMS 

COKE CAN RINGS 

VASES  

MICHAEL JACKSON´S /BEATLES´/ QUEEN´S/...MEMORABILIA 

TAXIDERMY : STUFFED ANIMALS

 BUTTONS /CUFFLINKS 

BOARD GAMES 

MODEL AIRPLANES 

FLOWERS

 CHOCOLATE/ CANDY WRAPPERS

 PILLOWS 

CIGARS

 LIGHTERS 

BIRDS / BIRDS´EGGS

  CHEESE 

COAT HANGERS

 MAKE UP 

TROLLS AND LEPRECHAUNS

 PIGGY BANKS 

CONDIMENT PACKETS

 CLOTHES 

WINE BOTTLES 

SWORDS

 HOLY ITEMS

 PAPER FIGURES (Papiroflexy)

 DRY FLOWERS

 MUGS

 LIPSTICK  / LIP BALMS

TOOTHPASTE 

MODEL HORSES

 REMOTE CONTROL TOYS 

TEAS 

BOOKMARKS

 NUTS

 CRUCIFIED INSECTS 

MODEL MILITARY SHIPS

HATS

 MEDALS 

RINGS 

 DRAWINGS 

DICE 

PAPER CLIPS

 TOWELS

 POSTERS 

PEZ DISPENSERS

 EARTH/ WATER FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES 

THIMBLES 

PAPER/ NEWSPAPERS

 PHOTOGRAPHS

ADD TWO MORE TO THE LIST ABOVE

INSANE or IMPOSSIBLE COLLECTIONS:

HUMAN HAIR (FAMOUS STARS´HAIR FROM THEIR EYEBROWS/LEGS..)

POOP

SEX TOYS/ PORN

DIRT

FINGERNAILS

SWEATY SOCKS/ UNDERWEAR

NAZI PARAPHERNALIA

PIZZA BOXES

PROTECTED BIRDS´EGGS
GARBAGE

GIRLFRIENDS/BOYFRIENDS

ADD TWO MORE;

BEHIND AND BEYOND NAMES

What´s behind your name and surname?

Decades ago there were hardly any foreign students in our schools. Nowadays about a quarter of the school population was born in a foreign country. We´ve witnessed some crucial demographic changes and have welcomed many students from nearly all countries. This unit is a tribute to those children and teenagers who had to leave their home countries and found something a bit better under the andalusian sun.

You probably know that the most common Spanish surnames are:

GARCÍA

GONZÁLEZ

RODRÍGUEZ

FERNÁNDEZ

LÓPEZ

MARTÍNEZ

SANCHEZ

PÉREZ

GÓMEZ

MARTIN.

The most common Christian names for men are:

ANTONIO

JOSÉ

MANUEL

FRANCISCO

JUAN

DAVID

And for Spanish women:

María

Carmen

Josefa

Isabel

Ana María

Mª Pilar

Mª Teresa

Ana

Mª Dolores/ Loli

In both English and Spanish there are names which can be used either for a boy or a girl:

BORJA

REYES

FRAN

CHRIS

PAU

SAM

JORDAN

ALEX

DANNI

LES

PAT

BOBBY

MADISON

MORGAN

JAMIE

1. FIND OUT THE COUNTRY THESE SURNAMES ORIGINATED FROM:

ARIDI DADDUK

KHAMAL BATTIKI

PFLIPSEN

MOZZI

TANAKA

O´HANLON

MAC LAREN

DUVIGNAC

IQBAL

VAN DER HEIDE.

2. Christian names which ARE also SURNAMES:

PALOMA

ESTEBAN

MARCELO

MODESTO

OLIVA

LORENZO

JAIME

FELIX

BAUTISTA

BENITO

AMADOR

DOMINGO

PAZ

VENTURA

LEÓN

ORIOL

Etc…Find two more.

3. Some English surnames have A DIRECT EQUIVALENT IN SPANISH.

ABBOT……….

BARBER……….

CURTIS……….

WOLF………..

HILL……………

JEROME……..

KING……….

QUEEN……….

PAGE………..

PORTER………

COOK.............(We´ll miss you John)

4. Upper-class families have long used English double-barreled or even triple barreled surnames. Try to find some Spanish ones:

VANE-TEMPEST-STEWART

LANE-FOX-PITT-RIVERS

ELLIOT-MURRAY-KYNYNMUND

ANDERSON-CARTER-JAMES

EX: ALVAREZ DE CIENFUEGOS……

5. There are seven types of surnames:

OCCUPATIONAL: Smith, Carpenter, Silversmith, Porter,..

DESCRIBING A PERSONAL CHARACTERISTIC: FAIR, BROWN, SHORT,..

FROM AN ENGLISH or SPANISH PLACE NAME :KIPLING,MASLOW

FROM THE NAME OF AN ESTATE:NORTON, MURCIA,..

FROM A GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE: BRIDGE, LAKE,forest; HILL…

PATRONYMIC or ANCESTRAL:JOHNSON,HOWELLS,ANDERSEN,..

SIGNIFYING PATRONAGE: HICKMAN, KILPATRICK,..

6. Find five English or American surnames which are in common everyday use in Spanish.

Ex: Osborne,…….

7. What´s behind these names, which became nouns or adjectives?:

WEAPONS:

MAUSER

COLT

KALASHNIKOV

GATLING

DERRINGER

LUGER

REMINGTON

WINCHESTER

SHRAPNEL

STEN GUN

TOMMY GUN

UZI GUN

OBJECTS:

BIRO

BLOOMERS

CONDOM

GUILLOTINE

LEOTARD

TARMAC

PRALINE

TEDDY BEAR

WELLIES

TUPPERWARE

WRITERS & FICTIONAL CHARACTERS:

ORWELLIAN

KAFKAESQUE

CLERIHEW

QUIXOTIC

ROMEO

SPOONERISM

FAGIN

MICAWBER

ROBINSON CRUSOE

ROBIN HOOD

SCIENCE EPONYMS:

AMPERE

CURIE

DIESEL

FAHRENHEIT

FERMIUM

GALVANISE

GAUSS

GEIGER

JOULE

NEWTON

BECQUEREL

OHM

CELSIUS

COULOMB

ANGSTROM

AVOGADRO

WATT

VOLT

MAXWELL

CHEMICAL ELEMENTS NAMED AFTER SCIENTISTS; (See if you can guess who they are after):
CURIUM
EINSTENIUM
FERMIUM
GADOLINIUM
HAHNIUM
LAWRENCIUM
MENDELEVIUM
RUTHERFORDIUM

PLANTS:

BEGONIA

BOUGANVILLEA

CAMELIA

FREESIA

FRANGIPANI

FUCHSIA

GARDENIA

LOBELIA

MACADAMIA

MAGNOLIA

MARIGOLD

SEQUOIA

WISTERIA

DISEASES & SYNDROMES:

DOWN´S

ALZHEIMER

PAGET´S

CREUTZFELD-JAKOB

PRADER-WILLI

KAPOSI´S SARCOMA

PARKINSON

HODGKIN

ASPERGER

TURNER

8. Find out ABOUT the original people who gave their names to the following:

BOYCOTT

BRAILLE

CYRILLIC

DERRICK

GUY

HOOVER

JACUZZI

LYNCH

MACKINTOSH

SADISM

MASOCHISM

RAMBO

MATA HARI

GUINNESS

i)What follows is just a list of some of our students´ surnames. Try to classify them according to their original countries (This task is more difficult as in the USA Spanish surnames such as Rodríguez or Lopez are becoming part of American culture):

OSLIKOVA
HEIMER
BAUER
KENIRY
SIEGEL
PEARSON
BOUAZZOUNI
CHAKOUBI
MGUAMGUAM
CHEN
LIN
QIANG
NIELSEN
PORTO
JANEIRO
MIZOUARI
COLLICK
YEO
LOCK
BECKER
KRAMPITZ
ROBICHAUD
BADMAEVA
LANGE
ECKERSLEY
WARREN
ALBRECHT
SCHULTE
BAMOHAMED
FUILLERAT
ABONNEAU
BARNWELL

j) Fashions in naming boys and girls have changed.People tend to give their children unisex names,or after famous actors and actresses: Ex: Quincy, Remi,Winter, Ellis, Briar, Indigo,Sage, Sasha, Ray

Find the etymological origin of the following:

AINARA

ADONAIS/ADONIS 
GASTÓN
ARIEL
DENNIS
ABRAHAM
TAMARA
GAEL
AYMEN
ZOUHEIR
JADE
ABRIL/AVRIL
YERAY
SARAY
CIRO
THALIA
MELISSA
ABIGAIL
YAIZA
MIRELLA
JAIRO
GIOVANNI
SHANIA
MARVIN
SABINE
DAWN
VIOLANTE/YOLANDA
YVON
HECTOR
CÉSAR
SABRINA
YASMINA
ARACELI
SHEILA
SHELLEY

k) Find the Spanish equivalent of the following expressions:

ACHILLES´ HEEL
ADAM´S APPLE
CAESAR SALAD
CASSANDRA
SWORD of DAMOCLES
DOW-JONES INDEX
GORDIAN KNOT
LOGANBERRY
LORELEI
MESMERIZE
OCKAM´S RAZOR
PANDORA´S BOX
PAVLOVA
SANDWICH
VENN DIAGRAM

l) See which products are advertised behind these trade marks:

ROBERTSON´S
AVON
BOVRIL
HEINZ
HORLICKS
HP
LEA&PERRINS
WORCESTER
SCHOLL
VICKS
WALLS
WRIGLEY´S
YALE

m) Some Christian names characterize the person or even mark their characters deeply NOMEN OMEN as the Romans used to say:

PRUDENCE
LIBERTY
PEACE/ PAZ
DOLORES
ANGUSTIAS
MODEST
HORACE
VICTORIA
MAXIMILIAN
HOPE/ ESPERANZA
CARIDAD
FE/ FAITH
JULIO CÉSAR.
EVARISTO
INOCENCIO

n) Traditionally feminine Christian names end in -a and masculines in -o. However, this is not always the case as we have some feminine names ending in -o:

ROCÍO
AMPARO
MARTIRIO
SOCORRO
SAGRARIO
PRADOS
LORETO

Add two more

Masculine names ending in -a(s)

WAMBA
DIMAS
WALIA
ELIA
EGICA
LUCA(S)
GORKA
IRA
MATÍAS

Add two more

Ñ) Christian names have featured geographical marks or shrines.See where in Spain you can find the following;

GÁDOR
VALVANERA
CABEZA
FUENSANTA
COVADONGA
ALMUDENA
IRATI
VALLE
GUADALUPE
CASTELLAR
AITANA

o) Name your pet in an original way:

p)ROUND THE WORLD NAMES: Which culture or countries would you associate with the names below?;
ABRAHAM       VLADIMIR     ENZO           RAJIV                        KEIKO
ISAAC                 IVAN              MARCO       RABINDRANATH  ATSUKO
MOSES                FJODOR       STEFANO     PRAKASH              MASANORI

COLIN               ABDELMAJIK  TERJE        HELMUT         MONTSERRAT
GEORGE            DRISS               INA             DIETER            OLIVER
JOHN                 SALIH                BIRGIT       HANS              JORDI

DILMA             GORKA          SOFÍA              COLETTE          SEAMUS
DEVANIZIO    ARÁNZAZU  ARISTOTELES  FRANCOISE    KEENAN
EDSON            UNAI             APOSTOLOS      PIERRE             KELLY

ZSA ZSA                 ISWEL          LAM
LADISLAV(laszlo)  EVAN           CHUN
JANOS                      LLOYD      QUONG

q) Create an anagram from your name and surnames. For instance: GEORGE BEST becomes GO GET BEERS

r) A fashionable name in 2016 can quickly become outdated tomorrow.
    Reflect on the recent changes in naming boys and girls: From Kevin, Oscar,
    Ezekiel,...to Joaquina, Ofelia,Gwendoline, Jennifer, etc..
    The most popular and strangest baby names in 2016 are:
    SANSA, AUDI, TOKYO, BROOKLYN; APPLE, XZAYVIAN, AITANA;etc..

s) Make up your funny combinations of christian names and surnames.Exs:
     Luz Cuesta Mogollón
     Dolores Fuertes Barriga
     Crystal Ball
     April Weeks
     Anita Job
     Barb Dwyer
     Gladys Friday

t) A bit of geography related to Christian saints´ names: Where in the  world would you find...:?

SANTIAGO  (Chile, Cuba,Spain,..)
SAN FRANCISCO
SANTO DOMINGO
SAN JUAN
SAN JOSE
SAN FERNANDO
SAN QUENTIN
SAN JOAQUÍN
SANTAFE
SAN JUAN DE CAPISTRANO
SAN JACINTO
SAN ANTONIO
SAN DIEGO

u) Find the etymology and original meaning of your own name and surnames: Exs:

VIVIAN: Full of life
VALERIE:Strong
SAMANTHA:She who listens
NATALIA:Born at Christmas
CAITLIN:Pure
ALISON:Light of the sun
ABIGAIL:Father´s joy
EILEEN:Light of the sun
NICHOLAS: Victory of the people
EDWARD:Happy guardian

v)Write an acrostic of your name or surnames.Ex: Eve
Every
Vital
Experience

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July -

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,...(Lewis Carroll  Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland)


Regions of Nothingness turn fast with hope,
Ascend to the being as he touches them
Freely and happily like a rock
Asteroid zooming down a slope
Ever the slow avalanche, axis of his orb,
Love´s thief of dusks chocolate and strawberry.....

(Homage to Rafael Pérez Estrada by Jesús Aguado)

w) Historical Dynasties and Dyniceties:

Why are these  families famous?
The Medici
The Borgias
The Windsors
The Kennedys
The Caesars
The Bourbons
The Napoleons
The Ming
The Ptolemaic

x) Tell us about your family nickname or your school nickname.

y) Choose an original name for your future baby, for example,

BOYS: Craig, Florian, Ken, Rudolf, Godric, Quentin, Lucifer,Akhenaton, Tutankhamen, etc..

GIRLS: Asia, Mia, Moon, Niamh, Saffron, Saskia,Delilah, Artemis, Dolly, Nefertiti,Hipatia, etc..

z) names often confused: Madonna-Maradona; Schlegel- Scheler_Schiller; etc..

ç) What would you call jokes....
 What would you call an irishman hanging from a ceiling?
 Sean D´Ólier
 What would you call a bullet that came back?
 Rick O´Shea
 What would you call the children of the corn´s father?
 POP corn
 What would you call an alligator in a vest?
 An investigator
 What would you call a group of unorganised cats?
 A cat-astrophe.

ç+) Some nouns sound better in one language than in another, for instance
Matthew sounds better than Mateo; Does Aurora sound better than Dawn?
Reflect on this and give us some examples and explain why you think it sounds
better in one language than in another...

* +) Some famous writers changed their names to become more appealing.
        Who´s behind these names and surnames?:
        Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
        G.A. Domínguez Bastida
        J. Ramón J. Mantecón
       Mary Anne Evans
       Félix R. García Sarmiento

      Give three other examples:

**+ The school with strange staff names:
RECAREDO
RESTITUTO
ERUNDINO
REMIGIO
MACARIO
FULGENCIO
IRENEO
SECUNDINO
BALBINO
TIBURCIO
EUSTAQUIO
EUFRASIO
SATURIO
PETRONILA
HENAR
ERÉNDIRA
LEOVIGILDO
ALMENDRA

Make up your own list of strange(no longer fashionable) names

**++
Untranslatable proper names from oine language to another:
ANGUSTIAS
DOLORES
AMPARO
COLLEEN / COLLIN
BATHSHEBA

Give two more examples

¡+Ç
Short forms of Christian names:
INA-TINA-MARTINA
FINA-ADOLFINA-JOSEFINA-SERAFINA
ISA-LISA-ELISA-FELISA
ANA_ELIANA-MARIANA
ELODY-MELODY
Give three more examples if you can

?¿ *+ Some suffixes indicate origin,son of: sen/son/mc/mac/ EZ in Spanish.
Guess who the following surnames originate from:


FERNÁNDEZ
PÉREZ
RAMÍREZ
NÚÑEZ
JIMÉNEZ
SÁNCHEZ
ÁLVAREZ
DOMÍNGUEZ
MARTÍNEZ
RODRÍGUEZ

The Unnamable : In Germany very few people are named Adolf, after the tragic memory of the Nazi leader. Which names would you never give your child? As a clue, the following were fashionable names a hundred years ago: Gregoria, Ezequiela, Gabriela, Serafina, etc..

       

            Full Stop.Period The controversy over naming your baby LOBO.
            In the summer of    2016  the Spanish court finally agreed to let a couple name
                                        their new born baby WOLF. What special name would you choose for your
                                        new born baby? Remember ATAULFO means WOLF.
                                        If you can call your child LEÓN or PALOMA, why not LOBO?

 Final After thought project
ALL GREAT NAMES IN HISTORY are CALLED:
JOSEPH,or ROBERTor JOHN or FERDINAND  or ELIZABETH  or MARY  or SOPHIA  or JULIA
EXs: Joseph of Nazareth, Joseph Conrad, Joseph Priestley, José Martí, José Saramago, José Rizal,
         José Zorrilla, José de San Martín, José R. Copacabana, Josep Carreras, Chief Joseph,
           J.Merrick, J.Stalin, J. McCarthy, J. Goebbels, J. Fiennes, J, Brodsky.....
           Find out who they were and why they are important in our history.