SHOPPING

1. Click here to see how to answer some questions about this topic and some good vocabulary you can use. Then you can watch the video where they answer some of these questions and others.


Look at old posts about the same topic. There are many other activities!

HEALTH

Listen and read some sentences related to health.

Do a vocabulary exercise here.

Talking about technology

Click here to see some vocabulary in use.

Look at how to answer some technology related questions and the vocabulary you can use. 

Two websites to learn English in a minute

1. English in a Minute (British English)


These short videos...

• focus on real confusing terms.

• are clear, short (1 minute) and to the point.

• have a transcript, so you can also practise pronunciation if you decide to read along.

• have a grammar reference

• usually have  a quiz to test your knowledge

2. English in a Minute (American English)

 

This site run by VOA Learning English (Voice of America) explains expressions used in American English although, in most cases obviously, the expressions on the videos are used both in British and in American English.

Holidays and Travelling Vocabulary

Click here to see the presentation we saw in class. There are more posts related to this topic in "Holidays" and "Travelling" in contents.

WORK

Click here and learn the difference between WORK, JOB and CAREER (there's an exercise at the bottom of the page).


Click here to see a lesson on how to talk about your job in English.


Click here to see an old post with very useful vocabulary to speak about work.

Key Differences Between Job and Work

The following points are noteworthy so far as the difference between job and work is concerned

1. Activity, performed by an individual for consideration, is called a job. Any activity that involves physical or mental strain, so as to accomplish a goal, is called work.
2. In the English Language, the word job is a countable noun, that means you can count the number of jobs, but at the same time, the term work is an uncountable noun.
3. The job is much more specific than work as it represents a regular and official activity whereas work means general efforts made to achieve a result.
4. A job is performed for a monetary compensation called salary or wages. On the contrary, work may or may not involve monetary compensation.
5. A job describes your designation in the company, while a work includes all the activities done by you.

Vocabulary and ideas for your opinion essay (Squatting)

Squatters who live in an unoccupied property should not be forced to leave it 

Vocabulary

Well-organised movement

Alternative lifestyle

Anti-political movement

A new class of squatters

Act out of necessity

Rise in unemployment

Cuts in social welfare programmes

To undergo a repossession

High rents

Lack of affordable houses

Empty / vacant / unoccupied houses

Derelict / Run-down buildings

Deprived areas

Property speculators

Homeowners

Evictions / to evict

To report / to file a report / a police report

Housing is a right and a need / an issue of human rights

Click here to read an article about Spain's housing crisis.

Another article about the Corrala movement in Spain. 

Here the latest news about the new laws in Spain.

Ideas and vocabulary for your opinion article (DOWNLOADING)

Downloading music or films without paying is as much of a crime as stealing from a shop

Some vocabulary:

File-sharing networks

A victimless crime

Get free access to

Copyright infringement

Intellectual property

Protect creators’ rights to profits

Audio streaming platforms (eg. Spotify)

A monthly fee / Pay a fair price / a subscription

Legitimate sources of entertainment online

Loss of jobs

The music industry

Some ideas

-          There is a drop in music sales.

-          A loss of jobs in the music industry.

-          It denies musicians the right to profits.

-          There is no incentive to produce new things

-          Illegal downloading places your computer at high risk. Infected files can result in loss of data, slow Internet connection and even identity theft.

-          CDs are obsolete and too expensive- not everyone can afford them

-          You cannot restrict access to ideas, expression, culture

-          Musicians become more popular and more demanded (concerts, shows, merchandising).

-          It is for personal use, you are not redistributing it.

-          It is very convenient.

Crime and Punishment

I. Click here to see vocabulary about this topic.

II. Vocabulary and examples here

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3



Listen to an exchange between a police officer and a criminal and answer the multiple choice questions. 

Listen to another audio passage and answer the multiple choice question.

Online shopping

Click here to listen to a podcast about shopping online.

Here you have some old posts about the same topic. 

Useful vocabulary:

• A good deal: if something is a good deal, you pay a low price. You can say that a store has some great deals, for example
• A bargain: the same as above
• 20% off : the price is now 20% less than the original price
• Overpriced: if sth is overpriced, it costs much more than you think it should
• To order: when you order something that you are going to pay for, you ask for it to be brought to you, sent to you, or obtained for you. “to order things online”
• Order number
• To place an order
• If you have a discount on the retail price, you pay less price than the price normally charged
• Goods: things made to be sold
• To be scheduled for delivery (tomorrow)
• Online form
• A secure payment page
• To enter your card details
• Get a refund
• You can pay “Cash on Delivery”
• To exchange a product
• To track your package
• Shipping rates

Ready to test your knowledge?  Fill in the blanks with some of the words above.

LISTENING ACTIVITY

Watch the video and fill in the gaps. You can check your answers by activating the subtitles.

SINGLES’ DAY 
________________, cheap and some say addictive, online ________________________ are going through the roof in China. An electric tooth flosser caught Lu Ching’s eye, ______________ 20%. He rarely visits a ________________these days. Laptop, fitness equipment, cameras, all bought with a few __________________ and many other items he admits he doesn't even need. Sometimes I do ____________________ online, especially when they are on sale. A lot of times I buy them without thinking too much and never touch them again after I open the packages; even if I don't like them, I don't _______________ them because I'm lazy. Singles’ day started in the 1990s as a response to Valentine's Day, but it has gone far beyond people's relationship status. Online giant Alibaba managed to turn what's now called Double 11 into a shopping spectacle that captivates most of China. Exactly at midnight on November 11 __________________ appear online and the _______________ ____________ begins. Twenty years ago, America was China's role model but now when we talk about online business China is doing better than the U.S. in many ways. 2016 nearly 18 billion US dollars were spent in just 24 hours. As a publicity stunt ecommerce companies are using drones to ______________ _______________ to some of China’s islands. Transport companies are working _______________ to ________________ millions of packages. More than 650 million ___________________ were ___________________last year and this year's __________________ are most likely to be even higher despite a slowing economy but it is an environmental _______________ to the online shopping festival according to Greenpeace. Research shows that in 2016, Double 11 produced 258 thousand tons of CO2 because of transportation and waste _____________________that's the equivalent of two and a half million trees When we shop online the _________________ tend to ________________- They always wrap more layers around the original packaging usually plastic bags. This uses more resources and creates more waste. A problem Lu Ching has yet to become aware of. For him, online shopping has become like his mobile phone there's no life without it anymore and to prove that ___________________shopping does not increase laziness he demonstrates the home gym he bought online.

(Activities taken from Cristina Cabal's wonderful blog. Thank you very much!)

Shopping

Click here to do a listening activity about shopping.

Money vocabulary

Extreme Sports

1. Click here to do a listening activity about the topic.

2. Mountain Climber


Listen and fill in the gaps with the correct information (one word in each gap). Check your answers in "comments".

-On her expedition , she become aware of the feelings of _________________ and _________________ connected with mountaineering.

- She had previously taken part in several so-called _________________  _________________ 

- She found the _________________   _________________  for climbing Everest particularly hard.

- She was particularly worried about the _________________   _________________  she would have to climb through

-She says you cannot take any of the _________________  of life with you on Everest.

- On her first trip there, she regretted taking her _________________  with her.

- When she climbed Everest, she left her _________________  after a certain point.

-She says you mustn't waste _________________ when you are on the mountain.
-When they reached the top, they had a sensation of _________________ _________________ 

-Her book about climbing Everest is called _________________  _________________  _________________  _________________ _________________ 

Extreme sports

These are the words you need to fill in the exercise in the photocopy.

PUSH       SEEKING       SEEKERS        DANGER       THREATENING       RISK         RELEASE      ADDICTED       JUNKIES  RUSH           TEST        ASSOCIATED   OVERCOMING   CHALLENGE    ACHIEVEMENT   EXTREME       ENJOY       PERFORMED       HIGH          USED

MULTI-WORD VERBS

Click here to study and play with the verbs.

Sport vocabulary

VOCABULARY

 

Click here to see the more vocabulary about sports equipment.

Click here to watch a great lesson on how to talk about sport.

Talent and abilities

Watch the video and learn to use the expressions in the photocopy I gave you in class.



Hard work vs Talent
Listen to two people talking about that topic. You can do the quiz and vocabulary activities and then see the script.

Talent Wish
Listen to two college students talk about talents they wish they had. Do the quiz and vocabulary activities and check the script.

Merry Christmas!

Ashlie and Stephen are getting ready for Christmas. They need to buy presents and decorate the tree, but there's still time for a bit of ice-skating... Click here to watch the video and do some activities.
Learn some vocabulary about the holiday here.

It's Christmas morning! Ashlie's got a lot to do to cook dinner for the family, but can she get Stephen to help? Watch the video here. Learn some vocabulary about the food and present simple and continuous here.



 And here's a slow version of the classic by Mariah Carey

 

Click on "Christmas" in contents and have a look at old posts about the holiday.

The Media

Click here to review some vocabulary.
Newspaper vocabulary
TV genres
How to describe a TV programme

Click on "media" in contents to do more activities related to the topic.

News reports

Click here to see old posts about the same topics.