“Had better’ is a fixed expression, The ‘had’ never changes its form.
The doctor said “You should lose weight.” (deberías perder peso)
“Reza, you had better lose weight or you will have a heart attack.”
‘had better’ is stronger advice than ‘should’.
Had better can imply a threat (a threat = una amenaza).
“You’d better pay us the money or we’ll burn down your shop.” (said by the mafia)
“I should have listened to my wife.” (should + have + past particple)
Contractions:
should have = should’ve
You had better = You’d better
Craig should get up earlier
He should watch less TV. He shouldn’t watch so much TV.
Students should listen to podcasts and listen to the listening on mansioningles.com
http://www.mansioningles.com/listening00.htm
Should students watch films with Spanish subtitles?
Craig thinks that they shouldn’t. They should watch films with English subtitles.
Reza thinks that students should watch films in English first, then in Spanish, and then in English again.
Reza should tidy his house a lot more. He shouldn’t spend so much time watching TV.

Reza recommends that students spend about half an hour a day watching the news or something in English. Here are some suggestions:
www.bbc.com
www.voanews.com
www.cnn.es

Vocabulary Corner: Music

Reza studied music in Devon where he lived for three years.
He studied the violin and wanted to play professionally, but he had to give it up and became an English teacher instead.
bass player – bajista
lead singer (the frontman/woman of a band) – vocalista
drummer – el baterista
guitarist – guitarrista
music track = pista (de musica)
keyboard player = tecladista / teclista
conductor = director (de orquesta)
(bus) conductor (de autobus, tranvía) etc = cobrador/revisor
audience = audiencia
loud = de volumen alto, fuerte, ruidoso (soft music = de volumen bajo)
stage = escenario
backing singers = coros, cantantes de apoyo

Idioms (Idioms with no sense – illogical idioms)

CRAIG: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” (“no se puede tener todo”) – to have or to ask for too much.
If you have the cake, of course you’re going to eat it!
“When pigs fly” / “pigs might fly” – about something that will never happen (I’d love to go out on a date with Keira Knightley – Yeah right, and pigs might fly!)
Craig will only go out with Keira Knightly when hell freezes over.
“It’s cheap at half the price.” = Yes that is cheap!
“Wipe that smile off your face.” = quita la sonrisa de la cara.
“You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face!” = Stop laughing now or something terrible is going to happen to you.
“I’ll give you a good hiding (spanking – US)”! = to beat up (golpear)
“Never in a month of Sundays.” = No es probable que pase. When something us unlikely to happen. – “Once in a blue moon.” = Casi nunca.
“You mark my words.” (I will be right Mark = write:- write my words).

*Dispones de más PODCAST en inglés publicados en los cuadernos anteriores
a los que puedes acceder directamente así como al índice de su contenido.