"While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living." - Cyril Connolly

Literature enables us to  learns about life , people’s minds and heart. Literature gives us the tools to travel to places and times we would never go, to do things we would not do, to fight monsters we would never face in real life. Literature gives us  a new world to explore .

So Literature as a teaching tool can be really productive. Adult students ,specially, enjoy working with books: they like the idea of being challenged to read in another language, to analyse characters, settings, to learn new vocabulary.

ROMEO AND JULIET BY SHAKESPEARE

ROMEO AND JULIET

Penguin Readers-Level 3

Answer the following questions:

1-What is the setting of the play?

2-Who were The Capulets and The Montague?  Were they  enemies ? Why?

3-Do you think Romeo and Juliet were common teenagers? Could this story happen nowadays?

4-Is friendship important in the story? Give examples

5-What can we learn from this story? Tell us briefly.

1-    The setting is in the 17th century, the story happens in Verona, Italy.

2-    They Were  two importan and old families of Verona, they were enemies because they had a terrible quarrel.

3-    I think that Romeo and Juliet were the common teenagers for that time.  But now it is different , because they are studying, learnig different languages , practicing sports , their relationship are light and they don’t like serious commitment .

4-    In this story the friendship is very important because Romeo killed for his friends . “Tybalt is alive , and my friend Mercutio is dead ! ”

5-    The most important topics for me are the peace and friendship. You couldn’nt fight for old problems all your life. It is not worthy .  And I also learnt about the  value of friends.

VERONICA PERNAS: she is a student at C.E.S. She started studying English this year and she is really fond of reading books which has helped her improved her speaking skills. Her part in this project was to tell us about "Romeo and Juliet" using her simple language.

Sherlock Holmes and the Duke´s son 

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

OXFORD BOOKWORMS -Stage 1

After Reading Sherlock Holmes and the Duke´s son story we want to tell you a summary of it.

Chapter 1 – Sherlock Holmes has a visitor-

The story took place in Mackleton, north of England. The main problem was the disappearance of the Duke´s son. One day Dr. Huxtable, the Prior School´s owner travelled to London to meet Sherlock Holmes in order to find a solution of the missing boy. Once there, Dr. Huxtable explained who the boy´s father was: the Duke of Holderness, the government minister. Besides, there was an important reward and that´s why Sherlock Holmes took the case.

Chapter 2 – Dr Huxtable´s story -

 The Priory School was the best one for young boys in England. It had the sons of many important people.

On the first of May, young Lord Saltier (Arthur) arrived. He was ten years old.

The Duchess, his mother, was living in the south of France and she didn´t know about her missing son.

On the night of the thirteenth of May, he disappeared. Heidegger, the German teacher, was missing too. He rode away on his bicycle during the night. The Duke wrote a letter to his son.

Arthur didn´t received any letter from his mother.

Chapter 3 – Holmes and Watson go north –

The Duke and his secretary, Mr James Wilder, were at the school.

Holmes then began to work at once on the case. He looked carefully the place with the help of a large map. He concluded that the boy and the teacher didn´t go through the route. Dr Huxtable brought some news: the gardeners found the boy´s school blue hat at the north of Ragged Shaw.

The next morning, Holmes decided to walk north and crossed the moor.

Chapter 4 – The body on the moor –

It was very early when Holmes and Watson went to Ragged Shaw and Lower Shill Moor. They found sheep and cows tracks. They also found a Dunlop tyre track. Then they found what they were looking for: the Palmer tyre track (the tyre of the German teacher bicycle). They continued looking carefully on the ground and found a dark, red mark of blood and after that, behind a bush, they body of the German teacher... he was dead. He had a stroke on his head and Holmes thought that it was murder. They discovered the Dunlop track going north.

“Every mystery has an answer” said Holmes.

Chapter 5 – A visit to the Green Man Inn –

Sherlock Holmes and Watson went to the Green Man Inn. They met Ruben Hayes there. There was something in the place that called Holmes´ attention. There were many cow tracks in Green Man but no cows in the moor. They stayed hidden near to the Inn and the saw a man arriving in bicycle (with Dunlop tyres). It was Mr James Wilder. Later, another man, rode quickly out of the stable and disappeared. A different person came down the road and went into the Inn.

Holmes stood on Watson´s back and looked across the window. He had the answer to the mystery.

Chapter 6 – Sherlock Holmes talked to the Duke –

The next morning, Holmes and Dr Watson went to the Duke´s office at Holderness Hall. He talked with him in the absence of James Wilder.

Holmes explained were his son was... at the Green Man Inn. He also revealed who the kidnapper was. “It was you” say Sherlock Holmes to the Duke.

The Duke wanted silence about this case and offered Sherlock Holmes a cheque for twelve thousand ponds. The detective couldn´t be in silence because a murder was committed.

The killer was Reuben Hayes and the police sent him to prison.

The Duke revealed a secret: James Wilder was his son.

Chapter 7 -The Duke's son-

 The Duke made his story, public: James Wilder was his son. James knew that the Duke was his father. He hated the Duchess and, Arthur, because he had everything. In order to separate them, the Duke sent Arthur to Dr. Huxtable`s School. James kidnapped Arthur with the help of Reuben Hayes, cheating his brother with a fake letter from the Duchess, inviting him to meet his mother. Finally, Sherlock Holmes took the cheque for twelve thousand ponds and put it in his pocket.....

London was waiting for more crimes to be resolved.

Teacher: Vanesa Sanchez

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ BY L. FRANK BAUM

                                                       

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

When choosing this book to work with these girls, what came to my mind was the "Idea of Journey" in our lives. Both of them have adventurous spirits that have taken them to different places, different jobs, different experiences but they have always returned HOME. 

Here they express and show us the meaning of HOME for them:

   Valeria Pernas                                

My home for me is like my nest  where I have all what I want: my sons, my husband, my father, my cats, my dogs, my books and  the farm! It doesn’t matter the place : in the Sea, in the City ,in the Farm. We always travel with our home in our Hearts!  It is the place where I feel, like the Germans say  the ”GEMÜTLICH”. 

Valentina Ciaramella

When people think in the meaning of the word Home, generally think in the building of their houses. But for me, the meaning of this word is deeper. Home sounds for me family who I share my life, friends that I choose every day, my pets who make my life happier, spaces where I enjoy time doing the things that I love. So Home is a lot more than a house, it is like a house with feelings that surround my life.