Halloween 2

 

Video of The Evolution of Halloween: From Ancient Rituals to Modern Celebrations

Listening Exercise of Multiple Choice

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/XQjcldaSQ3C

🎃 C1 Discussion Points: Halloween

 

1. Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation
   Should certain Halloween costumes be banned because they appropriate or misrepresent other cultures? Why or why not?
2. Commercialization of Tradition
   Has Halloween become too commercialized to retain its cultural or historical meaning? How does marketing shape modern celebrations?
3. Fear and Entertainment
   Why do humans enjoy being scared during Halloween? Discuss the psychological appeal of horror movies and haunted attractions.
4. Globalization of Halloween
   Is the spread of Halloween to non-Western countries a sign of cultural exchange or cultural domination?
5. Ethics of Trick-or-Treating
   Should parents encourage children to participate in trick-or-treating in all neighborhoods, or are there ethical or safety concerns to consider?
6. Environmental Impact
   How can Halloween celebrations become more sustainable—especially regarding costumes, decorations, and candy packaging?
7. Symbolism of Death and the Supernatural
   What does the popularity of ghosts, zombies, and skeletons say about how modern societies perceive death?
8. Education and Inclusion
   Should schools celebrate Halloween, given its pagan origins and diverse student backgrounds? How can educators approach it inclusively?

 

Halloween

 

C1: Halloween Special – Spoopy Season

1. What are the similarities and differences between these two images?

• Which of these images do you find the spookiest?

Listening (Part 2) VIDEO – The Messed Up Origins™ of Jack-o’-Lanterns

Listening Exercise

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/u97yPJvfwYK

Reading and Use of English (Part 7)

Read the text and choose the correct paragraph from [A]-[G] to fill in the gaps [1]-[6]. There is one extra paragraph, which you do not need to use.

ADAPTED FROM CULTURE DESK – San Francisco Chronicle

What is spoopy? Your guide to the Internet’s favorite Halloween aesthetic

For the past few years, October has not only heralded the return of Halloween and pumpkin spice lattes, it has also marked the dawning of spoopy season. For a small group of people who belong in the center of a Venn diagram of mellowed-out goths and the “extremely online,” the spoopy aesthetic has become a source of joy and comfort in turbulent times.

[1]____

“Spookiness is campy, but spoopiness is campy in a very specific way,” says John Paul Brammer, a New York City writer and advice columnist whose popular memes about the demonic goat from the movie “The Witch” are more of the former. “Spoopy’s whole thing is that it is not frightening. It’s not threatening, not arcane, but uses the trappings of the threatening and the arcane to make the joke: OoOoOooOo!!! SpoooOOoooOOooky!!”

[2]____

Its origin is much more straightforward than its meaning. In 2009, the word was spotted on a skeleton-theme sign displayed at a Ross Dress For Less store. Though its ascent took some time, the term gained popularity on niche social media communities like Tumblr until it finally reached escape velocity to spread even further.

[3]____

Though it might seem random, the delight of this sort of banal creepiness stems from the desire to look an object of fear in the eye — and laugh.

[4]____

In political discourse, Prevas points to anti-transgender activists using the image of Frankenstein’s monster to demonize transgender people. Historically, monsters have often stood in for types of people who were undesirable: racial minorities, immigrants, queer people, anyone outside the “normal.” “I love the unsettling part of (spoopiness),” Prevas says, “that disconnect between seeing the creatures which we expect to see in a horror scenario in a perfectly quotidian scene.”

[5]____

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it resonates so well right now, at a time when marginalized people’s status feels extremely fraught and political rhetoric insists on estranging us from polite society. This aesthetic defies the imperative to be afraid: Instead, we embrace the monsters as part of ourselves, as neighbours. To let the monster out is, in a sense, letting oneself out. 

[6]_____

When we look at the skeleton riding a bike, it almost feels aspirational: This is what life could look like if our cloistered selves were set free. As it turns out, spoopiness might be just what we need right now.

[A] Because I’m a restaurant critic, my gauge of whether or not something has hit the mainstream is “The Great British Bake-Off.” In the 10th season, currently airing on the British Channel 4 and Netflix, Spanish contestant Helena Garcia has emerged as a fan favourite thanks to her memorably macabre but cute creations like a chocolate orange tarantula flanked by macadamia nut spider eggs, eldritch horror pies and bloody green “witch finger” biscuits.

[B] What is “spoopy”? It’s the coupling of wildly absurdist humour with terror — an aesthetic unto itself that, like camp, can be hard to articulate.

[C] Spoopy is a reclamation and reframing of these monsters, a mind-set that boasts, “You say I should be scared of this? Hilarious!”

[D] In fables and literary fiction, monsters are the embodiments of everything that society represses: a “warning system” of sorts, says Christine Prevas, a Columbia University Ph.D. candidate whose research focuses on applying queer theory to contemporary horror. The monster is a taboo made flesh: A prepubescent girl turned foul-mouthed, vomiting demon in “The Exorcist”; a bad sexual encounter run amok in “It Follows.”

[E] When I look at this stuff, it reminds me of how I like to “watch” horror movies by reading their plot summaries on Wikipedia: a digital version of peeking at Medusa’s face by holding up a mirror.

[F] This disruption of the narrative of otherness mirrors the way people actually want to be seen. For instance, queer people can be queer outside of designated contexts like gay bars and the privacy of one’s bedroom, Prevas says. “We’re also queer in the grocery store. We’re also queer on a bicycle.”

[G] Much easier than defining it is sorting through what is and isn’t spoopy. As a start, think of it as friendly and somewhat sarcastic horror: A skeleton isn’t, but a skeleton riding a bike? Definitely spoopy. The Babadook isn’t, but the memes that claim that the monster is a proud gay man? Super spoopy.

Reading Worksheet:

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/AYdXzekb7AX

Vocabulary Exercises

Collaborative Vocabulary Exercise:
https://wordwall.net/es/resource/81020759

Individual Vocabulary Exercise:

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/tTZp3Pvt-_c

8.2.3. 🎨🧠 Poster Project: “Explaining Educational Learning Theories through Defining Clauses”

Poster Project: 'Explaining Educational Learning Theories through Defining Clauses'

 

1. Objective: Students will apply relative clauses while writing a short explanation of a learning theory based on research.

2. Instructions:

Students research and explain one learning theory in a short, coherent paragraph (100–130 words) using defining relative clauses (who, which, that, where, whose). They then design a poster for classroom display combining theory and pedagogy.

 

3. Poster Design Components:

Each student/group designs a poster including:

1. Title: Name of the theory (e.g., Constructivism in English Learning)
2. Theorist(s): e.g., Vygotsky, Piaget, Skinner, Rogers
3. Short explanation paragraph: using defining relative clauses
4. Icons/Visuals: representing collaboration, feedback, scaffolding, etc.
5. Classroom Activity Example: one clear example from the paragraph
6. APA Reference: e.g., Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Harvard University Press.

 

4. Assessment Rubric (10 points)

Criterion	Description	Points
Grammar accuracy	Correct and varied use of defining relative clauses	2
Content accuracy	Faithful, concise explanation of the theory	2
Connection & cohesion	Logical linking between ideas and example	2
Visual presentation	Clear layout, color, images, readability	2
Creativity & clarity	Original, pedagogically meaningful design	2
Total		10 points

 

🧠 Foundational Educational Learning Theories:

 

1. Constructivism – learners actively construct knowledge through experience and interaction (Vygotsky, Piaget).
2. Behaviorism – learning as habit formation through repetition and reinforcement (Skinner, Pavlov, Thorndike).
3. Cognitivism – language learning as a mental process involving input, storage, and retrieval (Piaget, Bruner).
4. Sociocultural Theory – emphasizes social interaction, scaffolding, and the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky).
5. Krashen’s Input Hypothesis – comprehensible input (“i + 1”) is essential for acquisition.
6. Swain’s Output Hypothesis – learners improve through meaningful language production.
7. Interaction Hypothesis – negotiation of meaning during communication promotes acquisition (Long).
8. Connectionism – language learning as pattern recognition through exposure and frequency (Rumelhart & McClelland).
9. Humanistic Approaches – focus on affective factors, motivation, and the whole learner (Rogers, Maslow).

8.2.2. Alternative words to when, where and who

 🧠 Constructivism: A Dynamic Approach to Learning

 

Constructivism is an educational theory in which learning is viewed as an active and reflective process rather than a passive reception of information. It challenges traditional instruction in which teachers transmit knowledge directly and students simply memorize content. Instead, learners actively construct meaning through interaction, experience, and collaboration with others.

 

The foundations of this theory were established by Jean Piaget, by whom the concept of cognitive development was defined. He identified stages at which learners form mental frameworks through experimentation and discovery. Lev Vygotsky, from whom the sociocultural dimension of learning derived, emphasized that knowledge develops through dialogue and cooperation. His concept of the Zone of Proximal Development describes the distance in which learners can perform tasks with assistance before mastering them independently.

 

Constructivism promotes learning environments in which exploration, inquiry, and creativity thrive. Teachers design authentic tasks on which students can test ideas, reflect, and build understanding. In these classrooms, the educator becomes a guide to whom learners turn for feedback and from whom they receive support. Learning becomes more meaningful when students take responsibility for constructing knowledge.

 

Modern pedagogical models such as problem-based and experiential learning originate from constructivism, from which current approaches draw their core principles. It provides a framework by which education becomes more personal, interactive, and transformative, preparing learners to think critically and apply knowledge beyond the classroom.

 

References (APA 7)

Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Harvard University Press.

Piaget, J. (1954). The construction of reality in the child. Basic Books.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Reading Comprehension Exercise:

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/Xd_nr-L58Fa

 

 

Collaborative online review exercise about 'in', 'on' and 'at'

https://wordwall.net/resource/55458480

 

Individual online exercise about 'which' vs 'when' and 'where'

https://www.topworksheets.com/custom/789cc1f1-3e1d-4dca-8489-b059d4f4b67c

 

'In which' versus 'where' and 'when'

Cancun is the city where I live.

Cancun is the city in which I live.

 

Spring break is the season when many young Americans arrive in Cancun.

Spring break is the season in which many young Americans arrive in Cancun.

What statements do you think sound more formal - the ones with 'in which' or the ones with 'where' and 'when'? 

As you can probably guess, 'in which' is more formal than 'where' and 'when.'

 

 Collaborative online exercise about prepostion + which or whom on Wordwall

https://wordwall.net/resource/55416780

 

Collaborative online exercise about relative clauses with preposition + relative pronoun on https://wordwall.net/resource/31776102

Individual assignment

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/8HyO8kCeRsF

Teamwork Assignment: Do research about a theory of Learning English as a Foreign Language to design a poster on Canva.

🎓 Elements to Analyse a Theory on a Poster

1. Title and Author(s)

• Name of the theory.

• Key thinker(s) by whom the theory was developed.

• Period or context in which it emerged.

2. Historical Context

• The era or educational movement from which the theory originated.

• Social, cultural, or technological conditions at which the theory became relevant.

3. Main Concepts

• Core principles and keywords that define the theory.

• Essential ideas on which the theory is based (e.g., interaction, experience, behavior, cognition).

4. Key Theorists

• Biographical background of the scholar(s).

• Influences or schools of thought from which they drew inspiration.

5. Learning Process

• Description of how learning occurs according to the theory.

• The relationship between teacher, learner, and environment.

6. Classroom Application

• Examples of activities or methodologies in which the theory is applied.

• Teaching roles and student behaviors related to the model.

9. Conclusion

• Final statement summarizing why the theory remains relevant.

• Implications for modern teaching practice.

10. References

• Academic sources and publications in APA 7 format.

• Include at least three reliable references from which theoretical support is drawn.

8.1.2. Learning Styles

What theories of learning styles do you know?

Video of Honey and Mumford’s Four Learning Styles Explained | Educational Psychology Series

Listening Exercise:

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/Di9B3q1oFYH

Individual Reading Exam Task on Page 64

Collaborative Exercise 5 on Page 65 on Wordwall

https://wordwall.net/resource/78523316

This text is a classic summary of Honey and Mumford’s four learning styles, which are derived from Kolb’s experiential learning model.

Here’s how each paragraph corresponds to the specific style:

 

🧠 Learner A – Theorist

Description in the text:

“People in this group adapt and integrate observations into complex but logically sound theories… They like to analyse and synthesise… Their philosophy prizes rationality and logic.”

Key traits:

• Logical, objective, perfectionist
• Like models, theories, and systems
• Prefer rational explanations and dislike ambiguity

 

⚡ Learner B – Activist

Description in the text:

“People in this group involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences… ‘I’ll try anything once’… They thrive on the challenge of new experiences.”

Key traits:

• Open-minded, spontaneous, enthusiastic
• Enjoy new experiences and teamwork
• Act first and think later

 

🧩 Learner C – Pragmatist

Description in the text:

“These people are keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice… They like to get on with things and act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them.”

Key traits:

• Practical, goal-oriented, efficient
• Apply ideas immediately
• Prefer action and results to theory

 

👁️ Learner D – Reflector

Description in the text:

“They collect data… prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to a conclusion… They prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions.”

Key traits:

• Observant, cautious, thoughtful
• Gather and analyse data before acting
• Prefer watching to taking the spotlight

 

🧾 Summary Table

Letter	Learning Style	Key Verbs	Learning Preference
A	Theorist	analyse, synthesise, rationalise	Logical structure, models
B	Activist	try, act, involve, brainstorm	Immediate experience, action
C	Pragmatist	apply, experiment, implement	Practical application
D	Reflector	observe, collect, ponder	Observation and reflection

 

Quiz of Honey and Mumford Learning Style Questionnaire: What kind of learner are you?

https://www.mint-hr.com/mumford/

7.2.2. Inversion Part 2

Inversion Part 2

Review Listening Exercise of Inversion in the Article An Environmental Expedition in Antarctica

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/SArVEWEhDkJ

Uses of Inersion in Academic or Formal English and Daily Life

 

🔹 1. Rules & Instructions

Academic / Formal:

• Inversion makes rules more impersonal, universal, and emphatic.
• At no time shall plagiarism be tolerated in academic writing.
• Only after completing the prerequisites may students register for the seminar.

Daily Life:

• Polite notices, official warnings, or service interactions.
• Should you need assistance, contact reception.
• Under no circumstances should passengers open the emergency door.

🔹 2. Descriptions / Explanations

Academic / Formal:

• Used in essays, reports, or descriptive analysis to emphasize rarity or significance.
• Seldom has architecture reflected cultural values as vividly as in the Gothic period.
• So influential was Newton’s work that it shaped centuries of scientific thought.

Daily Life:

• Storytelling or casual emphasis.
• Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.
• Rarely do we get such heavy rain in March.

🔹 3. Narratives / Storytelling

Academic / Literary Style:

• Creates drama and suspense in formal reports, novels, or biographies.
• Hardly had the negotiations begun when conflict broke out.
• No sooner had the king died than civil war erupted.

Daily Life:

• Casual stories told with surprise or exaggeration.
• Never have I laughed so much in my life!
• So shocked was he that he couldn’t say a word.

🔹 4. Accounts of Events in History

Academic / Formal:

• Inversion gives history writing a dramatic and authoritative tone.
• Never before had Europe witnessed such devastation as during the Black Death.
• Only after the Second World War did women gain greater access to higher education.
• Rarely has a single invention changed the world as profoundly as the printing press.

Daily Life:

• Everyday references to history or shared memory (less common, but possible in informal talk).
• Never had the town seen so many visitors until the Olympics came.
• Only after 2000 did smartphones become part of daily life.

Inversion online exercise

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/inversion-exercise-1.html

Collaborative exercise 1 on page 57

The Uses of Inversion in Public Relations:

https://compactcae2bythedarkprince.blogspot.com/2025/09/types-of-messages-which-can-be-given-in.html

Types of messages which can be given in Public Relations applying inversions

Types of messages which can be given in Public Relations applying inversions

In Public Relations (PR), inversion is very useful because it makes language more formal, emphatic, and persuasive. Here are the types of PR messages where inversion can be applied, with examples for each:

1. Crisis Communication Messages

Used to show authority, urgency, and control in emergencies.

• On no account should the public believe the rumors spreading online.
• Under no circumstances can safety standards be compromised.
• At no time did the company neglect its duty of care.

2. Corporate & Brand Statements

To highlight achievements and values with emphasis.

• Not only does our company create innovative products, but it also invests in sustainability.
• Rarely have customers shown such loyalty to a brand.
• Never before has our industry witnessed such rapid transformation.

3. Press Releases

To make announcements more impactful.

• No sooner had the campaign been launched than it received international attention.
• Hardly had the press conference ended when social media erupted with positive feedback.
• Little did we imagine that the event would attract over a million viewers.

4. Marketing & Promotional Messages

To persuade and differentiate the brand.

• Nowhere else will clients find such a unique blend of quality and affordability.
• In no other country will tourists experience such cultural diversity.
• Seldom has a new service been received with such enthusiasm.

5. Historical / Legacy Messages

To celebrate milestones or emphasize growth.

• Not until 2010 did the company expand into global markets.
• Only when our first factory was established did mass production become possible.
• Not since the 1980s has the sector seen such innovation.

Teamwork Activity: Writing PR Sentences with Inversion for an Oral Presentation

 

Objective: Students will practice writing five inversion-based sentences per task in Public Relations contexts linked to Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Riviera Maya. They will then present them orally in a persuasive and professional tone.

 

Instructions for Students

1. Work in teams of 3–4 people.
2. Each team will complete one PR scenario with inversion expressions.
3. Write five original sentences using the required expressions.
4. Contexts should be adapted to local settings (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya).
5. Present orally as if addressing clients, media, or the public.

🔹 Tasks

Task 1 – Safety Rules (Preventive Communication)
Context: Draft safety rules for visitors at a Cancún eco-park safari event.
Expressions: On no account, At no time, Under no circumstances

• Example: On no account should visitors leave their vehicles during the safari ride.

Task 2 – Crisis Communication
Context: A Playa del Carmen hotel responding to an emergency (fire, hurricane, accident).
Some Useful Expressions: On no account, At no time, Under no circumstances

• Example: Under no circumstances can safety standards be compromised, even during evacuation procedures.

Task 3 – Adventure Narrative & Event Promotion
Context: Influencer trip in Playa del Carmen.
Some Useful Expressions: Hardly, No sooner, Little

• Example: Hardly had we arrived at the cenote when the influencers began livestreaming.

Task 4 – Description & Place Branding
Context: Promote the Riviera Maya in a tourism campaign.
Some Useful Expressions: Nowhere else, Rarely, In no other country

• Example: Nowhere else will tourists find such a unique blend of turquoise beaches and Mayan ruins.

Task 5 – History & Corporate Heritage
Context: Write an account of Cancún’s tourism development for a commemorative event.
Some Useful Expressions: Not until, Only when, Not since

• Example: Not until the 1970s did Cancún transform into a global tourism hub.

Task 6 – Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Context: A Playa del Carmen resort launching a beach-cleaning initiative.
Some Useful Expressions: Never before, Not only, So strongly

• Example: Never before has our company invested so much in protecting local ecosystems.

Task 7 – Marketing & Product Launch
Context: Introducing a new Riviera Maya luxury hotel.
Some Useful Expressions: Seldom, Nowhere, Only by

• Example: Seldom has a resort offered guests both Mayan cultural immersion and five-star luxury.

Task 8 – Political/Institutional PR Messaging
Context: Cancún authorities addressing sustainable tourism policies.
Some Useful Expressions: No longer, Rarely, Only then

• Example: No longer will unchecked development be allowed along the coast without environmental studies.

 

6.2.3. Verbs followed by verbs in gerund or infintive with different meanings

Oral Review of Exercise 2 on page 50

6.2.3. Verbs followed by verbs in gerund or infinitive with different meanings

Introductory Review Exercise:

https://www.liveworksheets.com/worksheet/en/english-language/484939 

A Night at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid

 

Last summer, I visited the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid, famous for housing Picasso’s Guernica. At first, I thought the evening would simply mean admiring a few masterpieces before dinner, but it actually meant to provoke deep reflection on war, memory, and social change.

 

In the first gallery, I decided to try engaging with the artworks by sketching fragments of Guernica in my notebook. This experiment contrasted with the challenge of later having to try to explain my impressions to a Spanish visitor. That attempt was far more demanding than sketching in silence.

 

Midway through the visit, I realized I had forgotten bringing my camera. Surprisingly, this made me more attentive. Soon after, the guide reminded us to remember to take out our phones to scan the QR code for the interactive commentary.

Later, I paused before a haunting installation about exile and dictatorship. I couldn’t help but regret not staying longer in front of it, since the atmosphere was overwhelming yet enlightening. However, I did not regret to say that the museum achieved its goal of unsettling its audience and reminding us of Spain’s turbulent past.

 

As the lights dimmed in the gallery, some visitors stopped to take one final picture, while others stopped looking and simply closed their eyes to reflect. Both gestures captured the essence of art appreciation at the Reina Sofia museum: sometimes pausing for action, other times letting go.

 

Reading Comprehension Exercise:

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/lzMso95S2Br

6.2.3. Verbs followed by verbs in gerund or to- infinitive with different meanings

Teamwork Exercise 3 on page 50

Individual Online Exercise about the Verbs followed by -ing or to infinitive with Different Meaning

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/zIHWu2xL4Ah

Speaking cards of verbs followed by gerund and/or

infinitive

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/76613780