Lola's Blog

President Barack Obama giving a speech Many of my students find speaking English difficult. Let me tell you you are not alone. There are a lot of learners of English around the world who find speaking daunting . This post is about how to improve your speaking skills for the oral exam. You are not expected to deliver a speech like Barack Obama so be realistic about what you can achieve. Some tips Listen to real English as much as you can. Find a native speaker and set up a tandem partnership. You can agree to speak in English one day, and in Spanish another day. Native speakers don't tend to correct your mistakes, but if this is very important for you, make sure you ask your partner to correct you at the end of your meeting. Record yourself on your mobile phone . Choose one topic and talk about it. Then, listen to your recording and analyse your mistakes. First, you can make a note of your pronunciation mistakes , then your grammar mistakes , vocabulary and finally a

Photo by Cancillería Ecuador CC BY SA Angelina Jolie is a famous actress. Have you been to the cinema to see her latest film, Maleficent ? She is the villain in the film. This post is not about her film but about Angelina's humanitarian work and the recent news about a summit to be celebrated in London on victims of sexual violence in war. You are going to read a news report and watch a video about this crime. Before you read What can you see in the picture below?  What are the faces of these women telling you?  Is there justice in their country? Public domain   Read the news about a summit in London Who is going to host the summit? What is the objective of the summit? Which countries are taking part? What "weapon of war" does the article refer to? What is the international protocol trying to achieve? What does this expression mean?: It was time to get rid of the "stigma and shame attached to it" Watch this video Sexual

Shakira & Alejandro Sanz with King Juan Carlos I.  ALAS_CUMBRE_64. CC-BY Surely this is one of the top stories of the week. King Juan Carlos I of Spain announced his intention to abdicate on Monday 2 June. What is your reaction to this piece of news? Do people talk about it in your circles? How has the international press reacted? If you are interested, keep reading.... Watch or read the international press CNN. Watch the American news Visit this link to watch a series of short videos about King Juan Carlos's abdication. BBC news Visit this link to read about the announcement of King Juan Carlos's decision to step down. The Guardian Read this report published in a popular British newspaper. Canadian CBC News Another report from a Canadian point of view. Other monarchs who abdicated How much do you know about Spanish kings and queens? Do you know the king pictured below? Click on his image and learn about this Spanish king.   Portrait by