Lola's Blog

Sintra (Portugal). © Lola la Torre This is going to be a review lesson on holiday activities. You are going to review vocabulary and practise your speaking skills. Speaking 1 - What words do you associate with the words "beach"? - When was the last time you went to the beach? - Where did you go?  How long for? - Was it a good place for a holiday? Why/Why not? - Have you been back to the same place?   Vocabulary related to holidays 1) Types of holiday   How many different types of holidays can you think of?  Choose one type of holiday you are interested in and note down 3-4 things you can do on your holiday. 2) Types of accommodation   How many types of accommodation can you remember? How do you say "con baño incluido" ? Visit this page and make a list. Choose five types of accommodation you are interested in and write what the equivalent in Spanish might be. Are you a student? Can you afford a hotel? Why don't you visit the Univers...

Image by Itenney1225 CC BY NC. Flickr.com Look at this photo. Yes, of course you guessed right. It's Leonardo di Caprio, but my question is not about him. My question is about the title of his latest film. Have you seen it? What did you make of it? The film is based on a famous novel. Have you read The Great Gatsby ? Who wrote it? Who are the main characters? Where and when is the novel set? Would you like to find out? Then keep on reading. A video about the author Watch this short video about the author of The Great Gatsby and check the following: his full name his personal life his early career the era in which he lived why he went to Hollywood why he is a great American writer Another great American writer Do you know who wrote The Color Purple ? Click here to find out. There is only one more question and I don't think you'll find it difficult to guess. Who directed the film The Color Purple ? Read this Wikipedia article and find out. W...

Keith Edkins. CC-BY-SA In the post titled "Choosing a book to read", I asked you whether you could think of a book similar to the one written by Bram Stoker. Well, I don't think you'll find it difficult to guess the title of another book by just looking at the photo on your left. Of course, it had to be Frankenstein . But do you know who wrote it? Do you know why Dracula and Frankenstein are called Gothic novels ? What do they have in common? Why do people love these kind of books? Do you like Gothic novels? Check t he meaning of Gothic novel here. Look at the slideshow below and see whether you can guess the author and any famous books written by them. All photos are from Wikimedia Commons. Not bad! You guessed most of them, I'm sure. The best Gothic novels (1764-1937) Would you like to find out what the top 100 Gothic novels are? Visit the goodreads page and do the following tasks: Tick the books you have already read, in English, ...

Bodleian Library by Remi Mathis. Wikimedia Do you like reading books in English? Do you usually borrow books from the library? Are you a bookworm ? If I asked you to suggest titles or authors in English, what would you recommend? This post is one of a series in which we'll be exploring great literature. To begin with, here you have a link to the Open University 20th century British authors page. The interactive guide is a great tool. Choose an author and you will see his or her connection with other authors. Well, I hope you enjoy exploring British writers. If you like a particular author or a title, let me know!

© Blenheim Palace. Image byLola la Torre Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice summer and managed to relax.  I'd like to share with you how I spent my summer holiday, but, you'll have to guess rather than me telling you!  Guess the pictures 1) Look at this picture and guess what this building is: a) a hotel      b) a language school    c) a palace Click here to find out. 2) Do you know the man represented in the picture? What is his connection with the building in the photo above? Click on the image below to find out.   Image from Wikimedia Video Watch the video below about Winston Churchill. Several people talk about him and how he influenced politics during and after his death. As you watch take notes on the following: What is Churchill's impact in today's politics? What personal traits made him successful? What talents did he have? Things you can do around Blenheim Palace Once again, I'd like you to guess w...

Bob Marley. Wikimedia What kind of music do you like? Do you like reggae? What do you know about Bob Marley? Do you know any of his songs? Perhaps you would like to know more about his life. He led a fascinating lifestyle until his death. Did you know that he had 11 children by different women? Some of his children are musicians too. Go to his official website   to learn about his life and music. Get up, stand up   Listen to this song and fill in the gaps. Some gaps are prepositions but I have also included some challenging words. This song provides food for thought. I hope you enjoy it. Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Don't give _____ the fight! Preacherman, don't tell me, Heaven is ______ the earth. I know you don't know, What life is really worth. It's not all that glitters is gold, Half the story has never been to...

Image by Lola la Torre. Tagxedo This post is to clarify some doubts concerning the difference between an article and an essay .  As you know, one of the tasks in the Writing Paper may include an article to be published in a magazine or a newspaper. Remember to read the instructions for the task carefully and ask yourself these two questions: What is the aim of the task? Who is going to read my article?  What is an article? An article is a piece of writing intended for publication in a magazine, a journal or a newspaper.  An article is another label for an essay. It can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience. How many different types of article or essay are there? There are very many different types depending on the purpose (to entertain, to inform, to persuade....) and the audience (general public, specialised audience, children, young people...). Depending on the purpose an article can present an opinion (opinion essay) compare an...