Lola's Blog

Storm in the mountains by Albert Bierstadt. When was the last time that you watched the weather forecast? How much vocabulary do you know to talk about cold or hot weather? Do you know any expressions for talking about the weather? In this post you will learn vocabulary related to the weather and you will be able to keep updated on the latest weather report. Listening If you would like to prepare this listening activity beforehand, you are very welcome to download this PDF file . You can also download the MP3 file for your personal use at home. Watch the weather forecast If you would like to check the weather forecast on a daily basis, you can visit the BBC Weather page.

Public domain Many students of English complain about how difficult it is to learn English prepositions. I agree. I remember, as an undergraduate, I had to memorise never-ending lists of prepostions, adverbials, phrasal verbs...I found it an impossible task. Look at the picture on your left. What is the meaning of   at your own risk ? Click on this dictionary and check. Listening An embarrassing anecdote This is from a VOA (Voice of America) recording. The presenter talks about a friend, a non-native English speaker, who tried to tell someone "you will hear from me" meaning he would get in touch. But instead of saying "I'll get back to you" , he said "I'll get back at you" which means "I'll take revenge". The wrong preposition sent a completely different message with embarrassing consequences. Listen to What difference does a preposition make? In this interview the presenters talk to Professor  David Thatcher. Tip:  I...

Image by Gdudycha. CC BY SA. Wikimedia Commons Speaking Have you ever felt under a lot of stress? Look at the image above and tick the symptoms you have experienced or are experiencing at the moment because of stress.  Look up the meaning of  taut muscles ,  muddled thinking ,  hasty decisions ,  accident prone,   res tlessness . Do you have any recipe for a stress-free lifestyle? Watch this video Vocabulary Check the meaning of the following vocabulary before you watch: a) core issue       b) thorny issue      c) flexitime      d) paternity leave   e) corporation f) to get a grip  on something    g) to pause h) to work long hours    i) it's up to you Watch Nigel Marsh talking about how to make work-life balance work. It's a 10 minute long video. Task 1. He talks about four observations and then gives some tips on how ...

Public domain Can you answer these questions?: Do you know the difference between work and job ? Which words collocate with do and make ? For example, what is correct make or do a living ? Have you been made redundant recently?  Which big company has announced a new round of layoffs ? How much paternity leave can you take in Spain? If you are a parent, how do you juggle work and family life ? What is the state retirement age ? Do you get any perks in your company? Vocabulary What words come to your mind if somebody mentions the following?: unemployment job security casual employment changing work patterns employment opportunities maternity/paternity leave sick leave childcare retirement Can you speak for 4-6 minutes on each topic? Well, you'll have to work at it or work your socks off! Topic 1. Unemployment Follow this link to read an article about Spain . Follow this link to read about benefits in the UK , and this one to read about redundan...

Public domain. Pixabay Check Free Online Resources on this blog. You will find an amazing page to practise your listening skills. There is an archive of gripping real life stories. Please let me know how you get on with your listening. Hope you find this site useful.

Photo by Petr Kratochvil. Public domain Do you like tea? Do you think that the British drink a lot of tea? And how about the Spanish? Are the British falling out of love with tea? How much do you know about it? Is coffee culture strong in the UK and Ireland? Can you name three main coffee chains in the UK and Ireland? Click here to find out more. What is happening in Dublin at the moment? Click here to find out. Lola la Torre. Own work The tea-drinking queen Catherine of Braganza, who was Portuguese, married King Charles II in 1662. It is said that when she arrived in England, she brought with her a chest of tea, the favourite drink at the Portuguese court. Queen Catherine  invited her friends to her chamber to drink tea and that is how drinking tea in aristocratic circles started to be fashionable. Click on her image to find out more. Queen Catherine of Braganza. Wikimedia Etiquette and history of the Afternoon Tea Party The British have...

Click on Roald Dahl's photo to learn about his life. Watch this interview and take notes about what Dahl says regarding writing children's books his work as a "spy" in America   the story about the war of Independence and a British captain  his definition of a horror story   BBC Radio 4 Great Lives: Roald Dahl Did you know that Roald Dahl was interested in medicine? Listen to Professor Tom Solom, a neurologist, talking about Dahl. You can download this radio programme.

Martin Luther King Jr. Do you know that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in America on 20th January? He is one of the greatest and most influential figures in the American civil rights movement. We had the pleasure of listening to a visiting American speaker who came to our school to give a talk on the history and the impact of the civil rights movement. He talked about Martin Luther King Jr., but also about those who are not so well-known but paved the way for freedom . His life How much do you know about Martin Luther King Jr? Click on this BBC link and take notes. A bit of history of the civil rights movement. Reading and Speaking Look at the photos below. Do you know who they are? What did they do to pave the way for African-Americans? Click on the history of the civil rights movement and learn about the timeline of the civil rights movement in America. Takes notes. You are going to report your findings in class. The beginning of the civil rights...

National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan Genghis Khan (1162 -1227) was the founder of the Mongol Empire , one of the most powerful forces in the world at that time. He is known as the most brutal leader the world has ever known, but he was one of the most successful. He united many nomadic tribes in Asia and conquered Central Asia and northern China. How can a child from humble beginnings living in cold and arid steppes become a great leader? Mongolia today How much do you know about Mongolia? Public domain Follow this link to learn some facts about Mongolia (capital, government, official language, population in Mongolia and China, geography and climate). Mongol empire during Genghis Khan time   Read about Genghis Khan's life before you watch the video. Look at this map and explain how Genghis Khan expanded from his Mongol Homeland. National Geographic New research may have brought light into why a Mongol nomadic tribe was able to conquer most ...

Arrested refugee-immigrants by Ggia. CC BY SA 3.0 This is a topic that generates heated debate. Immigrants leave their countries for a variety of reasons, but these days they do it because they are desperate to escape from war and conflict. Look at the photo on your left. What can you see? How do these people feel? How would you feel? Making predictions with "bound to + infinitive" Bound is an adjective and it means certain or highly likely to happen . Example 1:  I am bound to forget students' names. This sentence means that there is a good chance / it is highly probable that I will forget students' names if I only see them once a week. Example 2: You are bound to feel nervous the first time that you give an oral presentation. This means that you have never given an oral presentation and it is likely that you will feel nervous. Example 3: The number of refugees coming to Europe is bound to rise . This means that the number of refugees wil pro...

©Image by Lola la Torre Look at the picture above. Do you know what kind of house it is? Is it a detached house or  a terrace house ? Click here to revise vocabulary. Parts of the house. Outside ©Image by Lola la Torre Can you name the different parts of the house in this picture. Do you need help? Click here . Parts of the house. Inside  Image by JJ Harrison CC BY SA Can you describe this photo? Do you need help? Click here . If you would like to learn more vocabulary about houses and its contents, click here . Shakespeare's  house ©Image by Lola la Torre This is Shakespeare's house. What kind of house is it? Would you like to visit it? Well, we are going to take a virtual tour. You can leave a comment if you found this post useful.

©Lola la Torre 2015 Do you know who won the 2015 General Election in the UK? How much do you know about British politics? Can you name the main political parties? and their leaders? In this post you will learn about the British political system, interpret the results of the general election and listen to David Cameron, the new Primer Minister, deliver a speech to the nation.   Learning about the British political system This is a good short introduction to the British political system. Click on political parties . Results in full Well, after reading about the main political parties you should be able to interpret these figures . Listen to David Cameron Listen to David Cameron delivering a speech to the nation. You can download this worksheet and fill-in the gaps with the word or short phrase that you hear. You can read the transcript of the speech once you have completed the gaps. Follow this link . I hope you find this post useful. Let me know how you g...

Super Typhoon Paka. Public domain This post is about natural disasters. You will learn about earthquakes, floods, typhoons, cyclones, tsunamis and more. Do you remember the last time an earthquake hit the news on TV? How much do you know about floods, or tsunamis? Visit this BBC page and make a list of 9 natural disasters.     Earthquakes Aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Public domain What are earthquakes? Click here to find out more. How much do you know about the earthquake in Nepal ? What is the death toll so far? Follow this BBC link. Tsunamis  Image by Gerald Simmons. CC BY NC SA   Read the introduction about tsunamis and try to explain what they are. Video 1 Vocabulary Check the meaning of the following words: cliff ,   sea bed ,   fault .   Watch this video and make notes on the surprising facts scientists have discovered about the 2004 tsunami. Video 2 What makes the...

Image by BruceBlaus. CC-BY Is it possible to have a three-person baby? In which country is this possible? Well, we are not talking about science-fiction but about breakthrough in medicine. And yes, it is possible to create babies from the DNA of two women and one man. The question is, why? If you don't know the answer, keep reading. This post is about mitochondrial disease and how scientists from the University of Newcastle have developed a technique to treat this devastating disease. What is mitochondrial disease? Click here to find out. You can learn more about a pioneering technique developed at the University of Newcastle. More recently, MPs have voted in parliament in favour of creating babies free from this disease. Listening Listen to Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison, and Sharon Bernardi, who lost seven babies to this genetic disease. However, this has generated a debate. Some critics say that this procedure raises ethical and safety issues. What...

Marilyn Monroe. Public domain Do you think that beautiful people are happier and more successful than less beautiful people? What do you know about Marilyn Monroe? Was she beautiful and successful ? Was she happy? This post is about plastic surgery, their benefits and risks. You are going to revise parts of the body, and the structure have/get something done to talk about plastic surgery procedures. Vocabulary Click here to revise vocabulary about the body . Click here to revise vocabulary about the face . Reading Read "Plastic surgery booming in the UK" and answer the following questions: What are the top ten surgical procedures in the UK? What is the most popular procedure among women? and among men? What does the article say about faulty breast implants?  Watch this video Watch Dr  Rajiv Grover talk about the rise of cosmetic surgery in the UK? He mentions a tried and tested procedure? What is it? What is the percentage of people rejected for ...

Evan Amos. Public domain When was the last time you listened to the radio in English? Which website is your favourite for listening? Well, here you have a chance to do some listening practice before the exam. You will hear an interview with Baz Luhrmann, the director of The Great Gatsby. Your task is to complete the gaps wih the word or words that you hear in English. The text is divided into two parts. Listen to Part 1, first, and then Part 2. You can check your answers by reading the transcript. Do not read it until the end, of course. Hope you enjoy this listening exercise. Let me know how you get on with it. Download worksheet.

David Fincher by Elen Nivrae. CC-BY This post is about the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which was directed by American director and producer David Fincher. You are going to learn vocabulary for talking and reviewing a film review. Your last task will be to write a review of about 200-230 words. You should bring to class your student book Global , along with the handout on how to write a book review.   The director and the cast How much do you know about the director, David Fincher? and the cast? Photo by Maggie. CC-BY Photo by Paul Cush. CC-BY Photo by The Heart Truth. Public domain You can follow these links if you would like to learn more about David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson . Watch this interview with Taraji P. Henson How many actors played the character of Benjamin Button? Why? How did she establish chemistry with a character played by different people? How did Queenie survive in a h...

Photo by Pep Fernández. Flickr.com CC-BY-NC-SA Nelson Mandela (1928-2013) died a year ago. He was 95 years old. He did nothing but fought throughout his entire life for peace and reconcilation in South Africa, a country notorious for racial oppression and apartheid . Is South Africa a peaceful country today? Reading and Listening Read this article about how South Africans are celebrating Nelson Mandela's life today. You can also watch an interview with his grandaughter, Ndileka Mandela, who talks about his gradnfather's legacy. And meanwhile, demonstrators fill the streets of New York Have you watched or read the news recently? What's going on in America? How much do you know about Eric Garner? Reading  Read this Wikipedia article about him and take notes When and where did it happen? Who was involved in the incident? What happened to Eric? What was the outcome of the investigation and the grand jury?  Watch this video Visit this New York T...

Solar Power Plant at Serpa by Ceinturion. CC-BY-SA How much do you know about renewable and non-renewable energy sources? Are you aware of, for example, the estimated time left for oil? Who are the two world greatest carbon polluters in the world? Are they doing anything to curb the situation? What does the scientific community think is going to happen if we don't reduce greenhouse emissions? Can you give some examples? Well, this is the topic we are going to discuss in class today. Worksheet You can download this  Renewable and non-renewable energy sources worksheet . News report First, download the worksheet so that you can complete the listening exercises.

Arthur Racham en.wikipedia.org Look at this picture. What can you see? What famous fable is being pictured here? That's right! Can you tell the story? Definition of fable 1) Make a list of 3-5 fables you remember. 2) Can you write a definition of fable ? 3) How is it structured? 4) What makes a good fable? You can check your answers here.   Aesop  Aesop by Velázquez, Prado Museum. Wikimedia Commons Physical appearance Most of the world's best known fables are attributed to Aesop , a Greek slave who lived around 550 BC. In the anonymous Aesop Romance (dated 1st or 2nd century AD) we find a vivid description of Aesop's appearance: "of loathsome aspect... potbellied, misshapen of head, snub-nosed, swarthy, dwarfish, bandy-legged, short-armed, squint-eyed, liver-lipped—a portentous monstrosity" (Source: Wikipedia). Don't you think this description is a bit of an exaggeration? Visit the Linguee page and translate  Aesop´s descr...