Linguae Francae

Today we're going to talk about the main European Union Institutions and how they work. To start with, let's watch this short video to revise what the European Union is and its origins: So, how many countries are there in the EU after the UK's departure? The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership of 27 democratic countries. There are seven institutions involved in running the European Union. But today we're going to learn about three of them: Watch this video and learn how the European Union works. And now read and study the data that summarises the information from the Video. The European Commission: Members ➞ is made up of 27 commissioners, one from each EU country. Role ➞ proposes new laws for the EU. Location ➞ is based in Brussels (Belgium). ______________________________________________________________________________________ The European Parliament: Members ➞ 705 MEPs (Members of the European Parliament).  Members elected every 5 years ...

THE EUROPEAN UNION Today we're starting a new Unit "The European Union". Today's lesson objectives: 1. Recognise and identify the EU's flag and anthem. 2. Understand the origins of the European Union. 3. Understand what the European Union is. The Flag of Europe The European Flag is an official symbol used by two separate organisations, the Council of   Europe (Consejo Europeo) and the European Union itself (EU). Originally the flag was designed in 1955 for the Council of Europe but later it was adopted by the  European Union. It consists of a  circle of twelve  golden stars on a blue background. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries.  The figure twelve is considered the symbol of perfection and completeness.  The stars symbolise the peoples of Europe in a form of a circle,  a sign of unity. Therefore, they stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The Europea...

HELLO EVERYBODY! You already know what public services are how they are funded. Today we're going to learn how the public funds are spent. That is, we're going to talk about budget. WHAT IS BUDGET? Budget is  the amount of money that the government can spend on public services. Presupuesto :   la cantidad de dinero que un gobierno puede gastar en los servicios públicos. One of the responsibilities that the Spanish Constitution establishes is the duty to pay taxes to support public services such as education, healthcare, public transport,  defense, culture, infrastructure (roads), sport,  social services, employment  etc. WHO COLLECTS TAXES? Public administrations such as the national government, the autonomous communities and municipalities collect taxes. They are also responsible to calculate how much public services cost and how much they can spend on them. That is, they make a budget ( presupuesto ).  The national government budget must be approved by ...

PUBLIC SERVICES  - TAXES  Today we're going to recognise different public services and understand how they are funded. To start with, let's look at some vocabulary: Public services :   basic necessities that everybody needs and pays for.  Servicios públicos:   necesidades básicas que todos necesitamos y pagamos por ellos. Tax:  a sum of  money paid to the government to support public services based on income, sales, etc. Impuesto:  dinero que ha de pagarse al Estado para hacer frente a las necesidades públicas. Value added tax (VAT): money consumers pay on top of the price for services and products. Impuesto sobre el valor añadido (IVA): dinero extra que los consumidores pagan por servicios y productos. PUBLIC SERVICES One of the responsibilities that the Spanish Constitution establishes is the duty to pay taxes to support public services such as education, healthcare, public transport,  defense, culture, infrastructure (roads), sport,...

HOW'S SPAIN ORGANISED? You already know that Spain's 1978 Constitution established the organisation of the regions. It divided Spain's territory into autonomous communities. There are 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla, which are in the North Africa. Autonomous communities are then divided into 50 provinces. Each autonomous community has its own capital and government. Some communities also have their own language and law code (Statute of Autonomy). Remember that Spain has four co-oficial languages in addition to Spanish. These are Català, Euskera, Galego and Valencià. Autonomous communites are responsible for some public services . For example they organise: - Education - Healthcare. - Social services. - Regional tourism. 1. Use this interactive map to revise the capital cities of Spanish provinces. Click on the link  CAPITALS 2. Open your books on page 10 and read about Spain's organisation. Click on the link  to listen and read...

HOW IS POWER DISTRIBUTED IN SPAIN? Let's find it out! To start with, can you answer these questions? Post your answers in the blog. 1. Who is the head of state at present? 2. Who is the president of the government (or prime minister) at the moment? 3. What political party forms the government now? 4. Who are the ministers in charge of the ministries for health, education, justice and defence? Consult this site to find it out →👀🔎 SPANISH GOVERNMENT Now, open your books on page 8-9. Listen and Read.                                                                          👂→ AUDIO PAGE 8 Then read once again aloud (en voz alta).  👀👂→ AUDIO PAGE 9 After you read and study, complete the  mind map "Spain's political system" and then do the exercise following the diagram. COPY IT IN YOUR NOTEBOOK...

Hello everybody! Check your activites of 28-04-2020 Answer Key: Worksheet " Spain's politics " 1.Choose the correct word from the box. a)  Everybody has rights in a democracy. b) A democracy gives us the freedom to live and travel wherever we choose. c) We have the right to be treated equally by the law. d) Living in a democracy also brings important responsibilities . e) We should look after people who are weaker than us, and be respectful of others in public. f) Some might say that voting is a responsibility. 2.Match sentence halves and write. a) A democracy means that there is freedom, justice and equality. b) The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes fundamental human rights for all. c) People have rights but they also have responsibilities. ______________________________________________________________________ RIGHT TO EDUCATION One of the rights that Spanish Constitution establishes is the right to education. But do you know that ...

(DERECHOS Y DEBERES) I've checked your Quiz answers and I think we should work a bit more on the issue of our rights and responsibilites. 1. To start with, listen to four different statements and decide whether the speakers are talking about rights or responsibilites. Write in your notebooks: Right or Responsibility . Click to listen  Audio 3 a. b. c. d. 2. Then, complete the worksheet. Copy the sentences in your notebook. Click to download and print → Worksheet  "Spain's Politics