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From examenglish.com

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FCE Grammar test

Difficulty level: B2 /Upper Intermediate

This activity helps with the following grammar points that you need to master for the B2 First (FCE): verb forms, linking words, prepositions, tag questions, modal verbs, and conditionals.

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fce exam practice english language elt efl grammar writing structure cambridge business exercises esol

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First Certificate in English (FCE) - free grammar practice

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exam papers from Extremadura

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Escuela Oficial de Idiomas Villanueva - Don Benito. Calle Nazareno 14. Villanueva de la Serena. Badajoz. Teléfono 924021704.

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This is a wonderful resource for using stories ( the book contains several, complete with all materials )

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This is a wonderful resource for using stories ( the book contains several, complete with all materials )

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you can access and download your own copy at https://handsupproject.org/resources-for-teachers/

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What the exam consists of: 4 parts (plus mediation)

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En qué consiste el examen de inglés B2 de la EOI

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Help with tech ideas and creativity - Ditch that Textbook

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Help with tech ideas and creativity - Ditch that Textbook

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(What does ditch mean in slang?

(tr) slang to abandon or discard /to ditch a girlfriend. informal to land (an aircraft) on water in an emergency. (tr) US slang to evade /to ditch the police.)

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Hi, I'm Matt Miller. I love supporting teachers and saving them time. I'm all about deep, meaningful, FUN learning.

More than 100,000 educators worldwide get my best teaching ideas in my FREE email newsletter.

PS: Subscribe and get six FREE ebooks full of ideas to help you plan for class tomorrow.

About Ditch That Textbook

We can do better than marching
chapter by chapter through a textbook.

In his own classes, Matt Miller found that textbooks were more an obstacle to learning than a help. He ditched them. For years, he's learned what works better than traditional "textbook" teaching and shared those ideas widely. His workshops and keynote speeches empower, entertain and inspire teachers to move forward confidently.

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Get a weekly dose of tips, tricks, templates and more in your inbox -- practical ideas you can use in your class right away.

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Google ideas to make your classroom click

Create amazing, unforgettable learning experiences.

When your students use Docs, Slides, Sheets and more in G Suite, they can do so much more than write an essay or do an oral report.

But how?

Coming up with creative classroom activities with Google tools is our jam. Learn how your students can create ...

* stop-motion animation
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* and more.
Check out our FREE resources, including downloadable templates!

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The lessons are our way to change the world through our students! 🙌Thanks for all the resources @jmattmiller #Interface2019https://t.co/SxUXoWPfgr

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Learn how to move the needle for learning with tech. With these six areas, you'll see results from your tech use.

©2023 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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Ditch That Textbook offers technology for teachers that allows them to revolutionize their classrooms. With these educational technology tools, teachers can embrace classroom innovation & creativity.

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Edutopia... site with mixture of useful resources and topics

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Edutopia... site with mixture of useful resources and topics

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

The benefits of movement in the classroom aren't limited to younger students. Pairing new words and concepts with gestures or dance moves locks in understanding-and active brain breaks prime students to learn even more.

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A free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education.

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The latest news and resources in education since 2007

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Humanising Language Teaching - online magazine

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Humanising Language Teaching - online magazine

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Welcome to Humanising Language Teaching (HLT).

HLT is the leading free online magazine for Teachers of English.

Inside you'll find a wealth of ELT articles and ELT resources, lesson ideas, voices, book reviews and articles about 21st Century Skills, NLP, CLIL, Primary, Secondary and more!

Contributors include Mario Rinvolucri, Alan Maley, Rod Bolitho, Adrian Underhill, Tessa Woodward, Andrew Wright, Aleksandra Zaparucha and many more leading ELT experts.

We also encourage institutions to guest edit, ensuring HLT is a truly international publication.

HLT is edited by Hania Kryszewska and is published by .

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Welcome to Humanising Language Teaching (HLT). HLT is the leading free online magazine for Teachers of English. Inside you'll find a wealth of ELT articles and ELT resources, lesson ideas, voices, book reviews and articles about 21st Century Skills, NLP, CLIL, Primary, Secondary and more!

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Savvy is understanding or knowledge of how to do something. An example of savvy is the person who friends call to help them when their computer is having problems.

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Crowdfunding campaign video - The Hands Up Project

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Free Membership of NILE (Norwich Institute of Language Education) - I recommend their online resources ; and they offer residential and online courses too

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Free Membership of NILE (Norwich Institute of Language Education) - I recommend their online resources ; and they offer residential and online courses too

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Teachers Community, Shared Lesson Plans etc

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Teachers Community, Shared Lesson Plans etc

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I've recently made an account and started connecting with other teachers on freeed.com (see link below), a great new platform and online community for teachers. It's completely free to create an account and it's full of useful lesson plans and other resources created and shared by teachers all over the world. The types of content range from ready-to-use class materials to book reviews and blog posts. It's an easy way to share materials and make connections with like-minded teachers.

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We interview Myles Klynhout, Community & Product Specialist at Freeed.

Freeed in 15 words or less?

We're creating a global discovery platform for teachers to connect and easily share their ideas.

How did you get into EdTech?

My journey started nearly 10 years ago, teaching English in Barcelona. I remember suddenly having to learn how to use the school's Interactive White Boards (IWB), Learner Management System (LMS), and coursebooks with CDs and DVDs - the acronyms go on and on!

Over time I felt that my students were overwhelmed by all this tech, so I started to take a less-is-more approach to materials in the classroom. The syllabus was determined by coursebooks and the teacher worked through a series of preordained grammar points.

The issue was that learners had little or no say over the content of the course; they were just expected to follow the coursebook, chapter by chapter.

Increasingly, I broke away from this and looked for materials on blogs. Mostly, they were written by teachers under a creative commons licence, so I could adapt them to my students' needs.

At the same time, along with fellow members of the cooperative Serveis Lingüístics de Barcelona (SLB), we set up an in-house materials bank. Our team of 20 teachers actively used this to exchange ideas, create materials and discuss how best to implement them in our different contexts. It got me thinking - could this work on a global level?

In 2017 I moved to Helsinki, home to a thriving Nordic Edtech scene, with innovative teachers and pedagogic advisors. After coming across Freeed at various educational conferences in Finland, we started sharing our ideas and it wasn't long before I joined the team!

How has EdTech changed ELT in the last 5 years?

One clear trend is the emergence of Peer-to-peer (P2P) learning platforms, such as italki and Verbling. Essentially, these platforms started out as directories of verified, qualified, independent teachers, however they began adding new features. By listening to user feedback (that of teachers and students), they were able to adapt more quickly than other face-to-face service to become the fastest growing sector in ELT.

This disruption has left the ELT publishing industry at somewhat of a crossroads and it now has to show the same ability to adapt. ELT products take a considerable investment of time and money to develop. The multistage process involves identifying the marketing or need, researching product requirements, pushing to get the project approved, before finally writing the content, producing and launching.

How can this process become more agile? Well, by learning from peer-to-peer platforms and developing products in cooperation with teachers and students from day one.

Feedback from teachers about how they use and adapt materials is valuable information, but it's often overlooked. Publishers should work to establish an ongoing feedback loop between the learner, teacher and materials writer.

The era of students paying upfront for a static coursebook could be coming to an end. This can be seen by Pearson's shift towards a Netflix-style subscription-based model that teachers can pick and choose from. Big changes are coming in ELT - agility and adaptability will be key to survival.

What do these changes mean for teachers and how can Freeed help?

Teachers already face many challenges and pressures. Good practice now means working with efficiency, consistency and creativity. The problem is that too many teachers are working alone, adapting authentic and published materials, or developing their own.

Too often, these materials never see the light! If more educators shared their great ideas, everyone would benefit. Freeed's mission is to make that happen, by ensuring that the process of sharing is as quick and easy as possible.

We understand the importance of teachers connecting and developing materials locally. Freeed's first community in Finland has achieved just this and now has more than 3000 active users - primary and secondary school teachers, all sharing lesson ideas and teaching tips.

Since then, communities have been established in the Netherlands and Tanzania. As our number of teachers grow, what we want to do next is link these local communities to one another, creating a global network of educators.

The new ELT community is a great opportunity for us to understand the challenges teachers face in different contexts around the world.

How can I join the Freeed ELT community?

Step 1: Go to the Freeed website and Get Started.

Step 2: Quickly create your free account and join the ELT community (Freeed will always be free for teachers!).

Step 3: Start sharing ideas with other English teachers. You might even find the perfect materials for tomorrow's lesson.

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Freeed launches its international community for English language teachers - Freeed.com

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We interview Myles Klynhout, Community & Product Specialist at Freeed. Freeed in 15 words or less? We're creating a global discovery platform for teachers to connect and easily share their ideas. How did you get into EdTech? My journey started nearly 10 years ago, teaching English in Barcelona.

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Ways to use Padlet with your students, if you'd like

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Ways to use Padlet with your students, if you'd like

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How to Promote Student Collaboration with Padlet

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You might like to explore ways in which you could support this

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Yippeee!!!!! Let's start here....

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Globish (English without idioms or phrasal verbs) and only 1500 words

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Globish (English without idioms or phrasal verbs) and only 1500 words

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Peer teaching - 3 ways to maximise peer-to-peer learning

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Peer teaching - 3 ways to maximise peer-to-peer learning

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How to use this in your classroom

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The Protégé Effect: 3 Ways to Maximize Peer-to-Peer Learning

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10 ways to encourage peer teaching - and some pros and cons

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10 ways to encourage peer teaching - and some pros and cons

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Fun fact: This article references the man who built the (public, not private) school I went to in Scotland - Dr Andrew Bell - and what was known there as the 'dominie' system!

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How Peer Teaching Improves Student Learning and 10 Ways To Encourage It | InformED

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Students who engage in effective peer teaching perform higher on measures of academic achievement than students who do not.

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A quick review of how to form phrasal verbs, and use them

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A quick review of how to form phrasal verbs, and use them

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How To Use Phrasal Verbs | Secrets Revealed!!!

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Not sure if this is  useful to a study of Phrasal Verbs - but it is a very explicit analysis of some related grammar points, at least! 

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Not sure if this is  useful to a study of Phrasal Verbs - but it is a very explicit analysis of some related grammar points, at least! 

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Prepositions and adverbs can have a literal meaning which is spatial or "orientational", and then, as happens with all words, metaphorical meanings develop that are systematic extensions from the original core meaning.[14] Many verbs in English can interact with an adverb or a preposition, and the verb + preposition/adverb complex is readily understood when used in its literal sense.

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Another webinar on 4 March - and I recommend David Farmer's slot (Drama Games in Teaching)

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Another webinar on 4 March - and I recommend David Farmer's slot (Drama Games in Teaching)

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Again, thank you Eva for mentioning this series - fascinating for anyone who is interested in human story

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Again, thank you Eva for mentioning this series - fascinating for anyone who is interested in human story

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We may well return to this site in our last session

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Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed - Subtítulos Inglés - Español

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The wonderful story of a phrase - and how quickly English embraces new ones!

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The wonderful story of a phrase - and how quickly English embraces new ones!

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Update, May 29, 2015: Vocabulary.com executive editor Ben Zimmer considered the origins and evolution of the term bucket list in a May 29, 2015, Wall Street Journal column. According to Zimmer, (and word researcher Hugo van Kemenade), when used in this context, the phrase originated with Bucket List screenwriter Justin Zackham; the earlier usages mentioned in this column were misdated.

I love a cultural coincidence.

Two of the TV shows I watched last night mentioned bucket lists. On Glee, Kurt Hummel, all of 17, whipped out his iPhone and showed his boyfriend, Blaine, a few of the things he intends to do before he dies. (My favorite: "Arrive at school in a hot air balloon.") On NCIS, Tony DiNozzo, shaken by a terrorist attack, became hyperaware of his own mortality and printed out a list that included more prosaic choices: "Date a Bond girl and/or Miss Universe. Develop a catch phrase. The luge." When I tweeted about this, @magazinemama reminded me that on last week's Parks & Recreation, doofus Andy was also working on a bucket list. His items included winning the lottery, making the best grilled-cheese sandwich ever, and remaking (this time getting it right).

This got me wondering: Where did the term bucket list come from? Surely it didn't originate with the Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman film from 2007 in which, to quote the Internet Movie Database, "Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die."

I turned to the newly released fifth edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, but, sadly, it's not included. Executive editor Steve Kleinedler told me that, although he's been keeping an eye on the term, it needs a few more years in usage before it proves itself worthy of addition to the big book.

A quick search through Google Books suggests that though the phrase was popularized by the 2007 film, it was indeed used occasionally before Jack and Morgan hit the road. Its first application seems to have been in computer programming: e.g., "Guava compiler knows statically that there are no references from buckets inside of one bucket list to objects inside another."

In 1993, the phrase showed up in a different context: a National Labor Relations Board report indicating agenda items that must be postponed (getting warmer): "The conferees were told that if comments or questions came up concerning bargainable issues or items that required more information, these matters should be placed in a 'bucket list' to indicate that they could not be considered at the conference."

In 2004, the term was used-perhaps for the first time?-in the context of things to do before one kicks the bucket (a phrase in use since at least 1785) in the book Unfair & Unbalanced: The Lunatic Magniloquence of Henry E. Panky, by Patrick M. Carlisle. That work includes the sentences, "So, anyway, a Great Man, in his querulous twilight years, who doesn't want to go gently into that blacky black night. He wants to cut loose, dance on the razor's edge, pry the lid off his bucket list!"

*

Bonus cultural coincidence: Parkour has also cropped up in several TV shows of late-most recently Inspector Lewis (those wacky Oxford students!), New Girl, Happy Endings, and Work of Art. (It was on , which usually lags behind the cultural zeitgeist-Scranton!-back in 2010.) Parkour's origins are more straightforward. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it derives from the French term parcours de combattant-literally, "combatant's course," or more loosely, obstacle course. It is also related to the Medieval Latin percursus, the past participle of percurrere, meaning to run through or rove.

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When Did People Start Saying "Bucket List"?

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Update, May 29, 2015: Vocabulary.com executive editor Ben Zimmer considered the origins and evolution of the term bucket list in a May 29, 2015, Wall Street Journal column . According to Zimmer, (and word researcher Hugo van Kemenade), when used in this context, the phrase originated with Bucket List screenwriter Justin Zackham; the earlier usages mentioned in this column were misdated.

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Trevor Noah reminds a British audience of their country's colonial past

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Watch Trevor Noah remind a British audience of their country's colonial past

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Guo Jing lives in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak of a new virus which has got the world worried.

Wuhan has been under lockdown since 23 January, to try to contain the infection. Transport is shut down, most shops and businesses closed, and people are being advised to stay at home.

Jing is a 29-year-old social worker and rights activist who lives on her own. For the past week, she has kept a diary, which she shares here with the BBC.

Thursday 23 January - the day of the lockdown

I didn't know what to do when I woke up and learned about the lockdown. I don't know what it means, how long it will last and what kind of preparations I should make.

There are a lot of infuriating comments [on social media]: that many patients cannot be hospitalised after diagnosis [because of a lack of places], that patients with fever are not properly treated.

Many more people are wearing masks. Friends have told me to stock up on supplies. Rice and noodles have almost sold out.

A man was buying lots of salt, and someone asked him why he was buying so much. He replied: "What if the lockdown lasted for a whole year?"

I went to a pharmacy and it was already limiting the number of shoppers. It had already sold out of masks and alcohol disinfectant.

After stocking up on food, I am still in shock. Cars and pedestrians are dwindling, and the city has come to a stop all out of a sudden.

When will the city live again?

Friday 24 January - a silent New Year's Eve

The world is quiet, and the silence is horrifying. I live alone, so I can only tell there are other human beings around from the occasional noises in the corridor.

I have a lot of time to think about how to survive. I don't have any resources or connections.

One of my goals is not to fall sick, so I have to make myself exercise. Food is crucial to survival too, so I have to know whether there is enough supply.

The government hasn't said how long the lockdown will last, nor how we can carry on functioning. People are saying it might last until May.

The pharmacy and the convenience store downstairs were closed today, but it was comforting to see that couriers are still out delivering food.

Noodles are all sold out in the supermarkets, but there is some rice. I also went to the market today. I bought celery, garlic shoots and eggs.

After going home, I washed all my clothes and took a shower. Personal hygiene is important - I think I am washing my hands 20 to 30 times a day.

Wuhan: The London-sized city where the virus began

People cry out 'stay strong' from Wuhan windows

How do you quarantine a city - and does it work?

Going out makes me feel that I am still connected to the world. It's very difficult to imagine how elderly citizens living alone and people with disabilities will get through this.

I didn't want to cook less than usual, because it was the last night of the year of the pig - it was supposed to be a meal of celebration.

Over dinner, I was on a video call with my friends. There was no escaping talk of the virus. Some people are in towns near Wuhan, some chose not to go home because of the disease, some still insist on gathering despite the outbreak.

A friend coughed during the call. Someone jokingly told her to hang up!

We chatted for three hours and I thought I could then fall asleep with happy thoughts. But when I closed my eyes, memories of the past few days came in flashbacks.

Tears fell. I felt helpless, angry and sad. I thought about death, too.

I don't have many regrets, because my job is meaningful. But I don't want my life to end.

Saturday 25 January - Chinese New Year alone

Today is Chinese New Year. I never have much interest in celebrating festivals, but now new year feels even more irrelevant.

In the morning, I saw some blood after I sneezed, and I was scared. My brain was filled with worries about sickness. I was wondering if I should go out or not. But I had no fever and a good appetite, so I went out.

I wore two masks even though people say it's pointless and unnecessary. I am worried about [poor quality] fakes, so a double mask makes me feel safer.

It was still very quiet.

Chinese wish is for new year health, not fortune

Chinese diasporas stockpile surgical masks

A flower shop was open, and the owner had placed some chrysanthemums [often used as funeral flowers] at the door. But I didn't know if that meant anything.

In the supermarket, the vegetable shelves were empty and almost all dumplings and noodles were sold out. There were only a few people queuing.

I keep having this urge to buy lots during each visit to the shop. I bought another 2.5 kg of rice, even though I have 7kg of rice at home. I also couldn't help buying some sweet potatoes, dumplings, sausages, red beans, green beans, millet and salted eggs.

I don't even like salted eggs! I will give them to friends, after the lockdown is lifted.

I have enough food for a month, and this compulsive buying seems crazy. But under such circumstances, how could I blame myself?

I went for a walk by the river. Two snack shops were open and some people were out walking their dogs. I saw some others were taking a stroll as well - I guess they also didn't want to be trapped.

I'd never walked along that road before. It felt like my world had expanded just a little bit.

Sunday 26 January - making your voice heard

It not just the city that's trapped. It's also the voices of the people.

On the first day of the lockdown, I couldn't write [anything about it] on social media [because of censorship]. I couldn't even write on WeChat. Internet censorship has existed for a long time in China, but now it feels even more cruel.

Can wearing masks stop the spread of viruses?

How are coronavirus patients treated?

Scientists race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

Has China learned lessons since deadly Sars epidemic‎?

When your life is turned upside down, it's a challenge to build up your daily life again. I keep exercising in the mornings, using an app, but I can't focus because my brain is occupied.

I left home again today and tried to count how many people I met - I met eight during my walk to a noodle shop some 500m away from my home.

I didn't want to go home. I wanted to explore more. It's only two months since I moved to Wuhan. I don't have many friends here, and I don't know the city very well.

I guess I saw about 100 people today. I have to keep making myself heard and break the shackles. I hope everyone stays hopeful. Friends, I hope that we will meet and talk in the future.

Around 8pm I heard the shouts of "Go, Wuhan!" from people's windows. The collective chanting is a form of self-empowerment.

Tuesday 28 January - finally sunlight

Panic has driven a wedge between people.

In many cities, people are required to wear a face mask in public. On the face of it, the measure is to control the pneumonia outbreak. But actually it could lead to abuse of power.

Some citizens without a mask have been thrown off public transport. We don't know why they didn't wear a mask. Perhaps they couldn't buy any, or they didn't know about the notice. No matter what, their rights to go out should not be taken away.

In some videos circulating online, some people had sealed up the doors of people who'd self-quarantined themselves. People from Hubei province [where Wuhan is] were driven out of their homes and had nowhere to go.

But at the same time, some people are offering accommodation to Hubei people.

There are a lot of ways the government could encourage people to stay home. It has to ensure that every citizen has enough face masks, or even give cash rewards to citizens who stay home.

Today, there's finally sunlight - just like my mood. I saw more people in my complex and there were a few community workers. They appeared to perform temperature checks on non-residents.

It is not easy to build trust and bonds under a lockdown. The city is worn down by heaviness.

In the midst of all this, I can't help but becoming more on-guard.

My anxiety about survival has been slowly dissipating. Walking further in the city will be meaningless if I don't make any connections with people here.

Social participation is an important need. Everyone has to find a role in society and makes one's life meaningful.

In this lonely city, I have to find my role.
Guo Jing also published parts of her diary on WeChat. She was talking to the BBC's Grace Tsoi. Illustrations by Davies Surya.
Learn more about the new virus

Your questions: You asked, we answered

The story explained: How worried should we be?

In graphics: A visual guide to the outbreak

In detail: Follow all our coverage here

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Guo Jing lives in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak of a new virus which has got the world worried. Wuhan has been under lockdown since 23 January, to try to contain the infection. Transport is shut down, most shops and businesses closed, and people are being advised to stay at home.

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Wuhan residents chant ‘Keep it up, Wuhan’ out of their windows to boost morale

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Our first session will look at some of the ideas behind Project Based Learning - what is it? how does it work? will it suit my classes? - and take a quick look at a PBL lesson ourselves, as students.
This lesson is the basis for the COMPETITION run by the OUP  whose  details are in the COLUMN TO THE LEFT and whose deadline is 6 MARCH

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Webinars - gamifying English in primary school, integrating video in the secondary classroom, CLIL and ESL, and how to work with teens....

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Webinars - gamifying English in primary school, integrating video in the secondary classroom, CLIL and ESL, and how to work with teens....

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24-27 February 2020 online

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Song clips, listening ,pictures... games!

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Song clips, listening ,pictures... games!

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Coolenglish.net is your source for interactive English learning material. Games, grammar, and vocabulary for ESL classes, teachers, and students. ESL games and activities, ESL classes.

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End of February 2020

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12 February 1 am (converted from 5pm MST zone)

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I'm excited to invite you to my free 1-hour training, MAKE IT COUNT! In this training, I'll teach you about the project-based learning lesson structure and how it can be used to increase engagement + retention. This lesson structure is a fantastic way to reteach your standards without boring test prep worksheet and rushed review lessons. We'll discuss aligning standards across disciplines, easy planning, and implementation. I'll even show you examples from real classrooms!

One Online Session: February 11 @ 5pm MST
Training sessions are recorded and a replay will be available. However, those who show up live will have the chance to ask questions and enter to win copies of my book!

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Make it Count! Project-Based Learning Training

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I'm excited to invite you to my free 1-hour training, MAKE IT COUNT! In this training, I'll teach you about the project-based learning lesson structure and how it can be used to increase engagement + retention. This lesson structure is a fantastic way to reteach your standards without boring test prep worksheet and rushed review lessons.

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She was alone, she hadn't seen anyone for a week and she was watching her favourite TV program "I've got a talent". She  loved that program more than any other because she found it hilarious. When she opened the door, she was laughing and laughing. The 2 policemen were really surprised and really serious. "Good evening Ms Smith," they said to her. She couldn't stop laughing. The 2 policemen were getting annoyed. "Ms Smith, your neighbours called us because the music from your house is very loud and it's disturbing them." She was still laughing and overjoyed, so she couldn't even say a word. The 2 policemen couldn't believe it. There was a 99 year-old lady laughing at them at mid-night. They tried to tell her again that she had to turn down the music or they would have to arrest her, but the situation was so unbelievable that they nearly started laughing as well. How could she  be listening to music at mid-night...she was so old... Finally Ms Smith stopped laughing and told them. " It's my favourite programme  and it's only once a week! I can't hear it if I don't turn up the volume to the maximum!"

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Reading, writing, listening, speaking (plus solutions)

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examen EOI B2 nivel avanzado inglés - idiomium

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inglés de nivel avanzado de la EOI, que se corresponde con el nivel B2 del MCER.

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Are you interested in entering your class´s project work in a Competition?

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Are you interested in entering your class´s project work in a Competition?

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These are the details of theOUP  time travel competition (with entry date up to 6 March 2020) - including the time capsule materials used in class in our first session

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Time travel back to the year 2000!
The Project Competition is back, and this year we're asking students to take a trip to the year 2000.

Back in 2000, students created time capsules for The Project Competition.

Inside the time capsules were posters explaining how they lived, what their hobbies were, and what things were most important to them.

This year we explored the hidden depths of Oxford University Press to uncover the time capsules for you to open!

Your time-travelling task
For The Project Competition 2020, we'd like you to work in a group (2 to 6 students) to create a poster that explains what your life is like in 2020. Open the time capsules and answer these three questions on your poster:

1. What has changed in the world?
2. What has stayed the same?
3. What three things are most important in your life today, and why?

Your poster can be hand-drawn, made on a computer, or use real photos. If you use real photos, your teacher should submit Parental Consent Forms for all students that appear in the photos.

Grand Prize

Runner-up Prize

Enter The Project Competition 2020! Opens: Monday 28th October 2019
Closes: Friday March 6th 2020

How to enter Who can enter?
Any teacher who teaches students age 10 - 17 can take part in The Project Competition.

1. Read the Terms and Conditions and Judging Criteria.

2. Divide your students into groups of 2-6, then share the time capsules from the year 2000 with them.

3. Ask each group to create a poster that answers the three questions above - they can either draw it, create it digitally, or even use photographs. Download our lesson plan for full details of how to complete the competition as a classroom task.

4. Fill out an online entry form for each group of students.

5. If the entry includes photographs of your students, ask their parents to complete a Parental Consent Form.

6. All entries must be received by 6th March 2020.

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Time travel back to the year 2000! The Project Competition is back, and this year we're asking students to take a trip to the year 2000. Back in 2000, students created time capsules for The Project Competition. Inside the time capsules were posters explaining how they lived, what their hobbies were, and what things were most important to them.

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examen EOI B2 nivel avanzado inglés - idiomium

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inglés de nivel avanzado de la EOI, que se corresponde con el nivel B2 del MCER.

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Lesson plan example from Freeed.com (see 'Useful links') on left

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Lesson plan example from Freeed.com (see 'Useful links') on left

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Here is a free lesson plan I could have used today if I had seen it in time, on the same topic of the coronavirus from a different angle!

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Hey teachers, With all of the buzz circling around the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, I decided it might be worthwhile to draw up a lesson plan...

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And another lesson plan, suitable for bacchilerato perhaps (B1-2)

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And another lesson plan, suitable for bacchilerato perhaps (B1-2)

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What do you think of these?

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Take Games for Humanity into the world

CARRY A RAINBOW AND PICK A CARD ANYWHERE FOR DEEPER CONVERSATION AND PLAYFUL ACTIVITIES

Where can you play?

GAME NIGHT - OUT WITH FRIENDS - ROAD TRIP VIDEO CALLS - TEXTABLES - FAR AWAY FRIENDS

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Use our cards to get to know your friends or yourself on a deeper level!

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Individual Cards Given Out Decks Sold Decks in the Wild Countries and Counting Learn more about how you can receive a rewards bundle worth $297!

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What's the origin of the phrase 'Pop your clogs'?

The euphemistic expression 'pop your clogs' originated in the UK in or around the 1970s. It has the feel of a phrase that is much older: even in the industrial north of the UK clogs have long since ceased to be a common type of footwear. It seems likely that whoever coined it did so with an ear for the archaic. Sadly, whoever that was didn't make it clear why the phrase was coined to mean 'die'.

There have been some speculations, as is always the case when the origin of an evocative sounding phrase is sought.

Theory number one is that 'pop' being referred to is a synonym of 'pawn', as is also theorised as the origin of ' pop goes the weasel'. 'Popping' has indeed been used to mean pawning since the early 18th century. However, the sense seems rather strained for pawning to be the origin though as, if someone dies, it would be someone else who pawned/popped the clogs so 'popping one's clogs' doesn't quite make sense.

Theory number two is that the 'pop' just meant 'die', as in 'pop off'. This has a little more going for it as 'pop' has existed in the language meaning 'die' for several centuries. It is found in Samuel Foote's comic play The Patron, 1764:

If lady Pepperpot should happen to pop off.

However, it may be that neither of the above is the source of the expression and that 'pop your clogs' may just be a nonsense phrase with no particular meaning, like 'hopping off the twig'. The late arrival of the phrase does suggest it being deliberately coined to sound old and meaningful.

What we do know is that the phrase is found in print from 1970 onward. It appeared in the Pick of Punch for that year:

He was forced to retire in 1933 after a disastrous Catholic/Protestant punch-up among the bugs. He's just popped his clogs.

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'Pop your clogs' - the meaning and origin of this phrase

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The euphemistic expression 'pop your clogs' originated in the UK in or around the 1970s. It has the feel of a phrase that is much older: even in the industrial north of the UK clogs have long since ceased to be a common type of footwear.

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What's the origin of the phrase 'Bite the dust'?

Given the many B-feature cowboy movies in which the bad guys, or occasionally the pesky redskins, would 'bite the dust', we might expect this to be of American origin. It isn't though. The same notion is expressed in the earlier phrase 'lick the dust', from the Bible, where there are several uses of it, including Psalms 72 ( King James Version), 1611:

"They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust."

The earliest citation of the 'bite the dust' version is from 1750 by the Scottish author Tobias Smollett , in his Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane:

"We made two of them bite the dust, and the others betake themselves to flight."

Homer's epic poem The Iliad was written in around 700 BC. That was in Greek of course. It was translated into English in the 19th century by Samuel Butler and his version contains a reference to 'bite the dust' in these lines:

"Grant that my sword may pierce the shirt of Hector about his heart, and that full many of his comrades may bite the dust as they fall dying round him."

Whether that can be counted as an 8th century BC origin for 'bite the dust' is open to question and some would say that it was Butler's use of the phrase rather than Homer's.

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'Bite the dust' - the meaning and origin of this phrase

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Given the many B-feature cowboy movies in which the bad guys, or occasionally the pesky redskins, would 'bite the dust', we might expect this to be of American origin. It isn't though.

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How much do you use idioms and phrases in English? Does it come easily to you? Does it seem natural? For example - do you swear in English?

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How much do you use idioms and phrases in English? Does it come easily to you? Does it seem natural? For example - do you swear in English?

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1. Handout

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Expand your English session 3 - 20.02.20

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1. Handout

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1. Handout

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2. All the materials are in this column above, or in the useful links column to the left

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2. All the materials are in this column above, or in the useful links column to the left

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1. Handout

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From Carmen (Amor): This is my little piece of writing. 

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From Carmen (Amor): This is my little piece of writing. 

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When the police knocked on the door that night, 99-year-old Annie was overjoyed. She had always dreamt of spending Christmas Eve with her son and daughter, both police officers working in a different town. But they were always working at that time of the year. So she got used to spending Chritmas time at the retirement home. She knew they were popping in for a while . She just couldn´t believe it. And there they were , as gorgeous as she could remember, with their uniforms, in their cars with all the lights on, just to visit her. And the big surprise was that they were taking her home.

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A 99 year-old lady

She was alone, she didn't see anyone for a week and she was watching her favourite TV program "I've got a talent". She loves that program more than any other, she finds it hilarious. When she opens the door, she was laughing and laughing.
The 2 policemen were really surprise and really serious. They told her. "Good evening Ms Smith" - She couldn't stop laughing. The 2 policemen were getting annoyed. "Ms Smith, neighbour called us because the music from your house is very loud and its disturbing them" She was still laughing and overjoyed, she couldn't even say a word. The 2 policemen couldn't believe it. There was a 99 year-old lady laughing at them at mid-night. They tried to tell her again that she had to turn down the music or they will have to arrest her, but the situation was so unbelievable that they nearly started laughing as well. How she could be listening music at mid-night...she was so old...
Finally Ms Smith stopped laughing and told them. " Its my favourite program  and it's only once a week! I can't hear it if I don't turn up the volume to the maximum!"

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1. Handout

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2. Story materials

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The jackal and the crow chant, pics, stor summary, script

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Scottish Elevator With Voice Recognition (with subtitles)

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Exercises to practise (based on the Cambridge FCE but identical)

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Exercises to practise (based on the Cambridge FCE but identical)

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B2 First de Cambridge, pero valen para practicar cualquier examen de B2 porque el nivel es el mismo.

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1. MONOLOGUE

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Trucos para aprobar el speaking de la ESCUELA OFICIAL DE IDIOMAS. MONÓLOGO

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2. DIALOGUE

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Trucos para aprobar el speaking. Diálogo

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Please note: this is LONGER than necessary - you are only asked to talk for 3-4 minutes in the exam

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B2 EOI monologue example, Healthy Eating

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Checklist: what you need to pass the monologue

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Checklist: what you need to pass the monologue

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- Begin at 2.07 in this video

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The final 5-item Checklist to prepare your Monologue de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas

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Vocabulario para exámenes monólogos Escuela Oficial de Idiomas B2

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How to structure your monologue

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La mediación lingüística en la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas

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exam eamples

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"No existe alumno en España que no me haya contado lo mucho que ha estudiado gramática inglesa y vocabulario inglés toda su vida, pero que a la hora de hablar en inglés se BLOQUEA. En este libro encontrarás las claves definitivas para aprobar con nota el Speaking de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas"

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B2 ejemplos mediación descargar - Welcome to English!

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https://videos.files.wordpress.com/mdg4jTiC/clases-online-especc3adficas-para-eoi_hd.mp4 Escríbenos y reserva tu clase de prueba GRATIS Youtube Facebook-f Instagram Modelo 1 Modelo 2 Modelo 3 Modelo 4 Modelo 5 Modelo 6 Modelo 7 La mediación oral para la prueba de certificación de inglés B2 es una prueba bastante nueva y de momento las Escuelas Oficales no han publicado demasiados modelos.

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Register - formal/informal

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diferencias entre inglés formal e inglés informal – idiomium

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Online resources and materials for EOI B2 exams

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Mediation - examples of tasks oral and written: plus evaluation rubric

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Mediation - examples of tasks oral and written: plus evaluation rubric

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Resources for English teachers | Cambridge English

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Find a wide range of free Cambridge English resources to develop your teaching, including lesson plans, sample papers, handbooks and teacher guides.

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examenglish.com

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Grammar explanation and practice test at B2 level

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In English grammar, a stative verb is a verb used primarily to describe a state of being (I am) or situation (I have). It's how something is, feels, or appears. These verbs don't show physical action (I run) or processes (It prints). Stative verbs can describe a mental or emotional state of being (I doubt) as well as a physical state ( Kilroy was here). The situations illustrated by "state" verbs are unchanging while they last and can continue for a long or indefinite time period.
Key Takeaways: Stative Verbs

Stative verbs are not action or dynamic verbs.

Stative verbs describe how something is or seems or a mental process.

Revise them out of your writing to increase imagery and details in a passage.

Common examples include be, have, like, seem, prefer, understand, belong, doubt, hate,and know, such as in the saying, "We are what we believe we are." These types of words are also known as being verbs (especially in the case of be, am, is, are, was, and were), or static verbs. Contrast them with dynamic verbs, which show action.

Four types of stative verbs include: senses, emotion, being, and possession. There's no one "right" way to classify them, of course, and some words can fit in multiple categories, depending on the context of their usage. Geoffrey Leach and colleagues group the four types this way:

"(a) Perception and sensation (e.g. see, hear, smell, hurt, taste)...
(b) Cognition, emotion, attitude (e.g. think, feel, forget, long, remember)...
(c) Having and being (e.g. be, have, have to, cost, require)...
(d) Stance (e.g. sit, stand, lie, live, face)"

(Geoffrey Leech, Marianne Hundt, Christian Mair, and Nicholas Smith, "Change in Contemporary English: A Grammatical Study." Cambridge University Press, 2012)

Senses and perception verbs include data coming into your five senses:

Emotion and thought verbs include:

Possession verbs include:

Verbs that describe states of being include:

Some writing advice will tell you never to use "to be" verbs, but sometimes they're unavoidable. Of course, if you can revise a paragraph that has a bunch of lifeless verbs into one where there's more action, that's typically the way to go, as it makes your writing more dynamic and sensory for the reader.

For example, look at the sentence, "His room was a mess." This description could mean a lot of things to different people, such as a neat freak vs. a clutter bug. But if you revise to include sensory imagery and more description, you'll have a much fuller experience for the reader and less ambiguity. Revised description: "Piles of dirty clothes rose from the floor, books and papers covered the desk, and trash overflowed the wastebasket."

Though stative verbs can be in the present, past, or future tenses, they're not usually in motion. That is, stative verbs usually don't occur in the progressive form (an -ing verb form paired with a helper, such as in are trying; you wouldn't say, for example, "I am having a pencil.")

Of course, our malleable English language is made up of exceptions to the rules. Susan J. Behrens, in "Grammar: A Pocket Guide," notes, "[T]here is some advertising that plays with stative verbs. The McDonald's slogan I'm loving it uses a stative verb in the present progressive form" (Routledge, 2010). These types of usages are becoming more common, denoting conditions that are temporary, such as in, You're looking awesome tonight.

Some argue that you can't use them in the imperative mood (the command form, such as in the sentence Come with me), but there are plenty of exceptions here, too, because even though the contexts where you use them in this way would be pretty narrow, they still exist. You could give someone an item and say, "Have it." You could plead with someone, "Love me," or make a person bristle by forcefully imploring, "Understand this..."

English also has plenty of gray areas, where a word isn't always only in one or the other category-sometimes words are stative and sometimes active. As with so many things in English, it depends on context.

Sylvia Chalker and Tom McArthur explained, "It is generally more useful to talk of stative and dynamic meaning and usage [rather than types alone]...Some verbs belong to both categories but with distinct meanings, as with have in She has red hair [stative] and She is having dinner [active]" ("The Oxford Companion to the English Language." Oxford University Press, 1992).

Another example could be with the word feel. Someone can feel sad (a state of being), and a person can also physically feel a texture (an action). They can also tell others to check it out as well: Feel how soft!

Or even think can be in both categories, even though it doesn't seem like a very dynamic process. Compare the usage of I think that's really lousy with the famous scene in "Back to the Future" when Biff comes up to George in the cafe and commands him, "Think, McFly! Think," while knocking on his head.

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In English grammar, a stative verb is a verb used primarily to describe a state of being (I am) or situation (I have). It's how something is, feels, or appears. These verbs don't show physical action (I run) or processes (It prints).

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Remember the emails to José Maria Azabal (2020) and the links on Pearltrees

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The perfect insults you've never heard of - BBC Reel

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It can be hard to find the right word for someone who really pushes your buttons. At times like these, a historical dictionary can be your friend. Here are two labels that are at least five centuries old, but the individuals they describe are still instantly recognisable. Etymologist and broadcaster Susie Dent investigates.

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Aptis Practice for all skills, speaking, reading, listening,writing,grammar, and Vocabulary. Choose a skill and start practicing.

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B1 starts at 2m10s

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Aptis Speaking Practice 4

Overview Aptis Speaking Test

Ahora podéis podéis probar a hacer el Aptis Speaking Practice 4.

Important!!! Las respuestas de este Aptis Speaking Practice 4 son posibles respuestas para daros posibles ideas.

Debéis prestar atención a las expresiones que se usan y la estructura que se sigue en la respuesta (además del uso de conectores textuales).

Vuestras respuestas pueden ser totalmente diferentes, mientras contestéis lo que se os pregunta.

También, como expliqué en las otras partes prácticas del Aptis Speaking, debéis tener en cuenta que cuando hablamos hacemos bastantes pausas, dudamos, repetimos el principio o partes de las oraciones que estamos diciendo, volvemos al principio si la frase que hemos empezado no es correcta o hay otra manera mejor de decir algo.

Todo esto es parte siempre del Speaking, cuando cualquier persona hace un monólogo o habla con otra persona, por lo que no hay que preocuparse mucho si os sucede, es normal que esto pase. Lo importante es que contestemos a las preguntas y demos la información correctamente.

Además, en algunas preguntas se ofrecen 2 posibles respuestas, para que veáis claramente que se pueden responder cosas muy distintas. En algunas respuestas se usan estructuras y vocabulario un poco más avanzado (B2), para que haya de distintos niveles (para aquell@s que tengan un nivel más avanzado).

Aptis Speaking Part 1: Contestar 3 preguntas sencillas sobre información personal.

Please tell me about your town/village

"I live in Seville and I feel really comfortable living here. It's a big city with a lot of cars, polluted and noisy, but it has many beautiful places to go and spend your time. If you move to the city centre it is crowded with people and the traffic in the suburbs is awful. On the other hand, there are many parks and historical sites where you can relax and take a break."

What did you do yesterday?

"Yesterday I didn't do anything special. I got up early, about eight o'clock and I had breakfast. Then, I went to work to the clothes shop, from nine to half past one. It was boring, since there were few customers. After that I came back my home, I had a shower and had luch at half past two. I started studying at about four o'clock to half past eight. Finally, I had dinner and watched a comedy on TV. I went to bed at twelve o'clock."

Do you like dancing? Why?

Answer 1: "To be honest, I hate dancing. Since I was a child I have always tried to avoid dancing, from school theatres to celebratios such as weddings when I grow up. I feel awkward and embarrassed when I am forced to dance by one of my friends or relatives."

Answer 2: "I love dancing, whenever I listen to music I can't help moving my body up. I consider myself a good dancer and I specially like disco music and electronic I sometimes go with my friends to a disco, where I dance for hours. I feel free when I dance and I really enjoy the music."

Aptis Speaking Part 2: Describir una foto y contestar 2 preguntas relacionadas con su tema.

Describe the picture

"This picture shows a groop of five people having a meal. They are all sitting around a table. They seem to be chatting and they look friendly, too.

In the middle of the table there are some dishes, some glasses and a bowl full of fruits. They are having some vegetarian meal, since I can only see green colours in their dishes.

They are all wearing light formal shirts, Perhaps they are workmates and they are having lunch together after a long day of work."

Do you follow a healthy diet?

"Well, I think I follow both a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. I usually have lots of vegetables and fruit everyday, some meat adn fish. I rarely eat junk food like pizza or hamburguers. Also, I make my own meals and I never eat processed food."

What kind of food is good for a healthy diet?

"A good diet is based on a balanced diet, in which you can eat different food. I mean, you must eat vegetables and fruit, at least 6 or 7 pieces a day, but you can also have some meat, once or twice a week. Fish, especially white fish is very good for proteins in a healthy diet."

Aptis Speaking Part 3: Comparar 2 imágenes y responder a 2 preguntas relacionadas con el tema de ambas fotos.

Tell me what you see in the two pictures.

"Both pictures depict two different kinds of housing in different locations.

The picture above shows a small wooden cottage in the middle of a forest, since it is surrounded by high tress. There is a small hall with chairs and I can also see a solar panel behind the house.

On the other hand, in the picture below I can see some blocks of flats in the corner of an a street or an avenue in a city. There is a road at the bottom of the picture and there is an only car on the right left bottom. I can also see some wires hanging on next to the blocks, So they may be used for trams.

I believe that the location in the first picture in the forest is much quieter than living in a flat in a big city. In the second picture, the location seems to be more crowded and noisier."

What kind of people live in these two places?

"Well, it is hard to say. There are some people who were born and were raised in a large urban area and they have no other option than living there They must get used to the terrible traffic, noise and pollution. Some people prefer city life because it offers much more possiblities to find a job, entertaining and social relations.

On the other hand, people who choose to live in rural areas prefer solitude and quietness, away form overpopulated cities. They love enjoying nature and they can afford to live without many of the commodities of urban life."

Which of these two places is better to live in?

"In my view, living in the countryside is a better place to live in since you can get away from the hassles of daily living, you can take a walk and just immerse yourself in your surroundings. The air is fresher, it's great to re-energise.

You can also enjoy the environment and it can help you to prevent many illnesses which are caused by stressful and polluted cities. I believe people will live longer in the countryside than in a urban area."

Aptis Speaking Part 4: Discurso de 2 minutos. Contestar 3 preguntas sobre un tema relacionado con la imagen.

Tell me about your favourite piece of clothing

"My favourite piece of clothing is my black dress. When I saw it and tried it on I loved it. It's my favourite piece of clothing because I can wear it with many things and also because it's my favourite colour. I bought the dress from Zara a month ago. It's a maxi dress and I have worn the dress many times since then."

How do you feel when you wear it?

"When I wear this dress I feel very happy and comfortable. I think it suits me since it is casual, and it can adapt to many different circunstances, just like me. "

Why do people dress in different styles?

"People dress differently because everyone has a different taste. Some people like bright colours and some like dark colours. Some people like comfortable clothes and some people like more formal clothes.

There are people who choose the clothes which best represent their personality or their attitude towards life, whereas there are other people who just are fashion victims, buying new fashion trends compulsively.

Besides, some people are forced to wear formal clothes because of their jobs. When talking about business the clothes you are wearing are very valuable and wearing a suit and a jacket is much trustworthy."

And remember ...

Publicada el: 4 abril, 2020, por: ArroyoCala

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Aptis Speaking Practice 4 - Aptis Test - Aptis Online

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Ahora podéis podéis probar a hacer el Aptis Speaking Practice 4. Important!!! Las respuestas de este Aptis Speaking Practice 4 son posibles respuestas para daros posibles ideas. Debéis prestar atención a las expresiones que se usan y la estructura que se sigue en la respuesta (además del uso de conectores textuales).

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Aptis Online - Prepárate para el examen Aptis

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Aquí encontrarás toda la información necesaria para prepararte para el examen APTIS de British Council. Una forma fácil y económica para certificar tu nivel de inglés.
Las páginas de APTIS Online están organizadas según los distintos componentes de examen APTIS : las 4 destrezas lingüisticas (Language Skills)- Reading, Speaking, Writing, Listening-, como el conocimiento léxico (vocabulario) y gramatical - Grammar and Vocabulary Test (Core Test). En cada una de las páginas hay un análisis y explicación de las diferentes tareas que se deben realizar en cada parte. También encontrarás vídeos explicativos y actividades para practicar y estar preparado en el examen. Echa un vistazo a la descripción de todas las partes que componen el APTIS de British Council. Además, algunas recomendaciones sencillas y consejos útiles para sacar la máxima puntuación en cada una de las tareas.
Let's begin...

Si quieres conocer los contenidos gramaticales correspondientes a cada nivel, de A1 a B2 y practicarlos online ...

Para aquellos que quieran conocer el vocabulario y los temas que pueden aparecer en el examen Aptis, además de explicación del Aptis Vocabulary Test y algunas preguntas ...

Si necesitas conocer las partes que componen el Aptis Reading Test, con resúmenes y ejemplos de las preguntas del examen ...

Para una información detallada del Aptis Writing Test, además de resúmenes y ejemplos de esta parte del examen ...

Y ahora el temido Aptis Speaking Test. Si quieres saber cómo son las 4 tareas que componen esta parte del examen, además de ejemplos, posibles respuestas y más información ...

Para saber qué tipos de preguntas aparecen en el Aptis Listening Test, los distintos niveles de dificultad de estas preguntas y ejercicios online para practicar ...

Si tienes dudas acerca de la puntuación y los distintos niveles del examen Aptis, visita ¿Qué es APTIS? Información general sobre el examen. También información detallada de la puntuación y el nivel que obtienes en cada parte del examen.

Además ...

También puedes visitar Aptis Online en Facebook, Youtube y en Pinterest, donde encontrarás más información sobre el examen, con resúmenes y videos de todas los componentes del examen para practicar.

Suscríbete en nuestra web y recibe las últimas novedades del examen Aptis y de Aptis Online.

También tendrás acceso a todas las partes protegidas con contraseña con explicaciones, resúmenes y ejercicios online.

Además, recibirás de regalo un examen completo con respuestas para descargar y realizar en casa, con las últimas modificaciones del examen Aptis.

¡Es totalmente gratuíto!

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Examen Aptis de British Council - Aptis Online - Explicación y Práctica

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Las páginas de APTIS Online están organizadas según los distintos componentes de examen APTIS : las 4 destrezas lingüisticas (Language Skills)- Reading, Speaking, Writing, Listening-, como el conocimiento léxico (vocabulario) y gramatical - Grammar and Vocabulary Test (Core Test). En cada una de las páginas hay un análisis y explicación de las diferentes tareas que se deben realizar en cada parte.

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Are you a learner at B1 (intermediate) or B2 (upper intermediate) English level?

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British Council - Grammar Reference exercises

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British Council - Grammar Reference exercises

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British Council - Listening skills practice

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British Council - Listening skills practice

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Listening practice to help you understand the main points of clear, standard speech about everyday or job-related topics. Situations include phone calls, meetings and interviews.

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British Council - Reading skills practice

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British Council - Reading skills practice

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Here you can find activities to practise your reading skills. Reading will help you to improve your understanding of the language and build your vocabulary.

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British Council - Writing Skills practice

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British Council - Writing Skills practice

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Here you can find activities to practise your writing skills. You can improve your writing by understanding model texts and how they're structured.

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British Council - Speaking skills practice

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British Council - Speaking skills practice

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Familiarise yourself with the Aptis test format, explore the different components and get preparation tips.

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Instructions:

You are given a piece of text with eight spaces.

You are also given a set of words for each space which you need to change to create the correct word for each space.

Type the correct word in the space given, and you can only type one word per space.

Once all the questions have been answered, click on the check button.

Correct answers will appear in green, incorrect answers in red.

Your mark will be given as a percentage.

The pass mark for this exercise is 60% or over, and you need to be able to do this exercise in the exam in about 10 minutes.
(A timer is given here to help.)

Example:
His family is not very .... HAPPY.......... HAPPINESS

Rome

Rome is one of the most (1) cities in the world. It proudly boasts ancient history dating back more than two and a half thousand years, (2) architecture, museums, culture, and cuisine. That's why it isn't hard to see why this city is so (3) popular with tourists from all over the world. It is also quite a big city as it has the fourth biggest (4) in the European Union. For this reason, many tourists find themselves returning again and again to see what they weren't able to see the first time. While Roman (5) claims the city was founded around 753 BC, the site has actually been inhabited by humans for much longer. This makes Rome one of the oldest (6) occupied locations in Europe. It has been a kingdom, a republic, an empire, and then a republic again. It even houses the tiny (7) country state of the Vatican City within its walls, This only serves to add to its not (8) cultural importance and diversity.

The Tribune

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FCE B2 READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 3 EXERCISE 1 free practice test, free exercise, Cambridge English: First Certificate - englishaula.com

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Cambridge English exams online preparation, free practise test, exercises and video lessons. All levels: Young Learners: Starters (Pre A1), Young Learners: Movers (A1), Young Learners: Flyers (A2, Cambridge English: Key (KET - A2), Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET - B1), Cambridge English: First (FCE - B2), Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE - C1), Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE - C2).

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¿Qué temas y vocabulario hay que saber para realizar el APTIS Test?

Aquí tenéis una tabla resumen de los temas (topics) que pueden aparecer en el examen APTIS de British Council. Los distintos temas y vocabulario APTIS están organizados por niveles del MCER de A1 a B2.

Dependiendo del nivel de cada candidato/a, se deberían tener conocimientos básicos de cada uno de los temas. Esto incluiría palabras simples, collocations y algunas expresiones de uso común.

Estos temas son los que pueden aparecer en la parte de Vocabulary Test, aunque son también necesarios para realizar las otras partes del examen. Las diferentes tareas de cada parte del examen Aptis requieren conocer al menos un poco de vocabulario de cada uno de estos temas. Todos puede que no aparezcan, pero tenemos que estar preparados por si acaso.

Fuente: British Council Equals Core Inventory

Temas Aptis General

Además, he realizado una tabla en la que se resumen de un modo más concreto, los temas que se incluyen en el examen APTIS General, que van del nivel A1 a B2 del MCER.

Fuente: List of TOPICS aptis_general_technical_manual_v-1.0

En mi página de Facebook podéis encontrar recursos útiles para estudiar y practicar estos temas, con resúmenes y listas de vocabulario para utilizar en las partes del examen Aptis.

Para aquellos/as que quieran empezar a aprender algo de vocabulario, recomiendo que os descarguéis la lista de vocabulario para preparar el examen PET (B1) de Cambridge. La segunda parte de esta lista viene organizados por temas, la mayoría son los mismos que los de las tablas anteriores.

Algunos recursos online ...

En internet también hay numerosas páginas para aprender y practicar vocabulario. Normalmente se suelen organizar por los mismos temas mencionados antes. Buscad aquellas que más se adapten al nivel que queréis conseguir. Aquí os dejo unas cuantas que pueden seros útiles:

British Council Learn Vocabulary. Vocabulario por temas y actividades para practicar (este es el que recomiendo, ya que es más relacionado con el Examen Aptis).

English Club Vocabulary. Muy completo y viene por temas, viene todo en English.

Mansión del Inglés: Vocabulary. Con listas de vocabulario por temas, en English and Spanish, con pronunciación y ejercicios para practicar.

Saber Inglés. Vocabulario por temas en Spanish and English.

GlobalCampus: 180 Useful Synonyms Words List - IELTS Vocabulary. Una lista muy completa de palabras y sus sinónimos. Muy útil para aprender vocabulario en general, y especialmente para la Task 1 del Aptis Vocabulary Test.

También ...

Algunas listas de Synonyms para preparar la Part 1 del Aptis Vocabulary Test ...

Puedes aprender y practicar algunos Phrasal Verbs, con una lista de verbos más comunes, explicación y ejercicios online para practicar en Aptis Grammar and Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs.

Además, una explicación detallada de Collocations, correspondientes al nivel B2, con varias listas para estudiar y actividades para practicar. Entra en Aptis Vocabulary: Collocations.

También puedes practicar con los ejercicios online para preparar el Aptis Vocabulary, donde se incluyen varias preguntas de las 5 partes en ...

Para aprender y practicar con algunos Conectores Textuales, muy útiles para todas las partes del Aptis Test, visita Aptis Grammar and Vocabulary: Connectives.

Algunas listas por temas de vocabulario de nivel B2 para preparar el Examen Aptis (se irán añadiendo más vocabulario por temas):
Aptis Vocabulary: Clothes Wordlist and Examples (B2) Aptis Vocabulary: Jobs and Work Wordlist and Examples (B2) Aptis Vocabulary: Describing People Wordlist and Examples (B2) Aptis Vocabulary: Expressing Feelings with Synonyms (A2-C1)
Some more practice ...

Podéis encontrar algunos de los temas explicados anteriormente en este video para practicar el Aptis Vocabulary Tes t ...

En nuestro Canal de Youtube Aptis Online tenéis más videos como éste para practicar el vobulario, así como los otros componentes del examen Aptis,

Protegido: Aptis Vocabulary Test - Practice 3 - Test Online

Este contenido está protegido por contraseña.

Aptis Vocabulary Test - Practice 2 - Test Online

Aptis Vocabulary Test - Practice 2 Antes de comenzar el Aptis Vocabulary Practice 2, si [...]

Aptis Vocabulary: Collocations. Explicación y Práctica

Aptis Vocabulary: Collocations. Explicación y Práctica ¿Qué son las Collocation? Las Collocations son parejas o [...]

Aptis Grammar and Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs para preparar el examen Aptis Phrasal Verbs y el examen Aptis Para aprobar [...]

Publicada el: 4 junio, 2018, por: ArroyoCala

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Temas y Vocabulario para preparar el examen APTIS - Aptis Online

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Temas y vocabulario del examen Aptis que pueden aparecer en las distintas partes, organizados según los niveles del MCER.

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Mixed levels, all ESL

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We're living in a digital era; at a time when everything from ordering groceries to learning new skills is highly accessible and convenient. This is especially true for language learning. Now you can improve your English with just a couple of taps - all you need is your phone, laptop or computer, and good internet connection.

Whether you're jogging or commuting, podcasts are a great way to get a better grasp of any foreign language. They're the perfect way to complement your language classes and pick up some new vocabulary during your commute or workout. To get you started, we've rounded up 11 of the best podcasts for English learners of all levels.

Elementary-level podcasts

_Learn English
_Let's start with Learn English - a fantastic podcast from the British Council. The episodes are discussion-based and cover everyday vocabulary and situations. What's more, "Learn English" offers a wealth of free support material. Not only can you download each episode's transcript, but you can also take short quizzes to test your recently acquired knowledge. It's the best way to retain all those new words and make lightning-fast progress.

_Voice of America
_Do you want to improve your English while listening to current and interesting topics? Then, Voice of America: Learning English is for you. This information service has different kinds of audio programs that are narrated at slower than normal English speed. What's more, each program caters to different interests. The "American Mosaic" program discusses pop culture in the United States - like the new movies, for example. Meanwhile, history buffs will enjoy "The Making of a Nation", which talks about U.S. history. And that's just the tip of the iceberg: additional programs focus on science and even grammar - so not only will you learn English, but you'll get super smart, too!

Espresso English
With simple, clear and practical lessons, Espresso English is a fun yet effective way to pick up a little bit of English every day, whenever it suits you. Each lesson is only 5 - 10 minutes long and designed to teach you a lot in a short space of time. You'll learn English grammar, vocabulary, phrases, idioms, and more in no time!

Intermediate-level podcasts

_6 Minute English
_With its 6 Minute English podcast, the BBC has managed to create a fun way to learn English. The episodes are based on everyday situations and feature a discussion between two people, Nick and Alice. The topics are so entertaining - addressing questions like "Are bears back to stay?" or "How much is your spouse worth?" - you'll forget you're learning English. Plus, each episode has a transcript and a vocabulary list with definitions.

_Podcasts in English
_ Podcasts in English is remarkable if only for its sheer variety. Indeed, the website offers a wealth of podcasts for every level. What's more, the episodes are quite short -normally under 5 minutes - perfect for those pressed for time. They also address entertaining topics, which include such gems as "10 remarkable facts about the world cup" to "planking," and there's a wide range of quality support material.

_Culips ESL Podcast
_This one has something for everyone with over 600 episodes covering every level. Culips ESL Podcast features seven brilliant series with topics such as "Chatterbox", aimed at helping you to get used to English conversations at normal speed as they interview someone with an interesting story to tell. While "Speak Easy" teaches you how to perfect your accent and speak in clear and comprehensible English. Culips also offer free, downloadable study guide samples!

Advanced-level podcasts

_The English We Speak
_In The English We Speak, the BBC focuses on idioms and expressions - one of the final steps in mastering the language. The podcast features a light conversation between two people who take up one fun and popular idiom every week. One of my favorite episodes focused on expressions like "eye candy" and "sweet tooth." And the best part? You'll hear idioms used in context, which is the best way to pick up new vocabulary and polish your English.

_Splendid Speaking
_Perfect your language learning by listening to Splendid Speaking's fascinating podcasts. Designed to support advanced learners with reasonably good English communication skills, each lesson features interviews and discussions with non-native English language speakers, who carry out short tasks or give presentations. The recordings then include expert feedback on their performance. It's a very instructive and helpful way to learn as you listen in and hear how other learners are grappling with the language, and then learn from their mistakes alongside them!

_All Ears English Podcast
_Lindsay and Michelle's approach to language learning is "Connection not perfection". They aim to help you relax, have fun, and learn real, natural American English in their All Ears English Podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners around the world. In their 10 - 15 minute lessons, the two cheerful and very motivating Americans discuss and share tips on how to use everyday English vocabulary and idioms, expressions, and phrasal verbs, and how to make small talk in American English. They also offer useful tips on American culture, customs and etiquette.

_Luke's English Podcast
_Fancy a laugh while you learn? Then look no further than Luke's English Podcast. Luke is a qualified English teacher from London with 18 years teaching experience. Oh, and he's a stand-up comedian! Luke's multi award-winning podcast offers an insightful learning resource, with over 600 audio episodes, transcripts, and videos, including a special series on phrasal verbs - all of which aim to make you laugh while you learn. Episodes cover topics such as "Quintessentially British Things", "British Comedy" and "British Music" - so you'll learn a lot about life in Britain too, including a solid introduction to good old British humor!

_This American Life
_ This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast, featuring compelling, funny and often very surprising stories with intriguing plots - little movies for radio, as they call them.

Each week they choose a different theme and curate stories based around it. The focus isn't specifically on English language learning here, instead This American Life offers a great opportunity for English learners to get used to different regional American accents, while listening to unusual and interesting real-life stories from around the country - you'll be hooked from the first story!

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Learn English with these 11 free podcasts ‹ GO Blog | EF GO Blog

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Podcasts are the perfect way to complement your English classes and pick up some new vocabulary during your commute or workout.

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see engoo.es/app/daily-news/article/5-extreme-sports-you-need-to-try

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1. Aptis speaking test Practice 4 (Aptis  online) Part 1, Part 2 completed 27.10.20

2. Homework: practise 45 second speaking tasks for fun!!! (it's a game) 27.10.20

3.
Record yourself speaking and try to improve your vocabulary and pronunciation. To prepare for speaking test, record yourself speaking as fluently as possible for a minute or two.
Try the following topics:
- introducing yourself;
- talking about your personal experiences & preferences;
- comparing two different things - perhaps two cities or two houses

When you listen to your recording the key things to note are:
- grammatical accuracy
- appropriacy of vocabulary
- effective pronunciation
- hesitation
- well-sequenced ideas properly linked together
(taken from: https://www.britishcouncil.org/exam/aptis/take-test/speaking-video)
Homework set: 25.11.20