WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT FOR US TO LEARN ENGLISH?

It is not easy to answer this question, there seem to be many different and, at the same time, interrelated causes that make learning English something especially difficult for Spanish people. In an article published in "El País" in the year 2008, we can find some possible answers to this controversial subject.

Here you can find the complete article

WINNER OF THE MONTHLY SHORT STORY CONTEST

By A.M

The Iron Gate

 

It was a cold dark December morning. I awake about 4 o’clock in the morning to the bitter cold wind drafting in through the cracked window.  I was freezing under the tattered old blanket. I was hungry, and my family had run out of food and no one had the time to get any, plus main reason was we did not have enough money.

“Benjamin!” my mother yells. “You’re going to be late!”

I jumped out of my pallet on the floor, put some clothes on, and hurried off to the meat-packing plant. It wasn’t a long walk, but it was below freezing outside and it seemed to take forever to get to work. I could barely see my breath in front of me because it was so dark. I waited at the iron gate, waiting to go into the plant with some older men. They were all much taller than me, and you could see their age on their faces. I was only about 10 at the time. Some of the older men had a few fingers missing from where they had cut it off from being weary and delirious. There were also children about my age waiting at the gate with me. Most of the children were boys such as me; girls usually would work in the textile mill, or sewing factories. My dad was also there, we did not work together though. He would be getting off about the same time I would go in. He looked rough, he had scars on his face where wires running through the air would cut his face. His hands were raw from all of the chemicals he used..........

LEARNING ENGLISH WITH SONGS

Do you like music? I know you do. Learning English through the use of songs is great fun, here you can find some practice with Beyonce's "Halo":

Something about her....

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, in 1981. She is an American singer, record producer, actress and model. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the leader of the group Destiny’s Child. She started her solo career with the album Dangerously in Love in 2001. The success of her solo albums has established Beyoncé as one of the most famous artists in the music industry nowadays.

Halo

Listen to the song and fill in the spaces with the following words: 

1st verse: baby  fight  angel

2nd verse: risk  rule

3rd verse: can  face  my

Remember those walls I built?
Well, baby they are tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make a sound
I found a way to let you in
But, I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had, you break it
It's the risk that I'm taking
I ain't never gonna shut you out!

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo
I can see your halo
I can feel your halo
I can see your halo
Halo, ooh ooh.....

You can found the complete lyrics in this link