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This speaker makes a lot of sense! As well as that, I love the way she organises her ideas and speaks with clarity and conviction. Comment with your thoughts.

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Google’s AI Search Just Exposed The Whole Sh*tshow

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This interesting video looks at alternatives to some of the largest digital platforms we all use. The bottom line is that if we want to break free from the American algorithms, we need to support and develop our own ecosystems. I'm going to look at using some of those mentioned here. Are you in? Leave a comment.

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The European Alternatives To YouTube, WhatsApp & Instagram

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They're talking about song writing, but I see it as life learning. Making mistakes teaches you what works and what doesn't. Never be afraid to try because you never know what you might achieve in the end!

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Why your best ideas usually start as bad ones | Think Like A Musician

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This interesting and topical article takes a deeper look at the options.

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Oil-based products are everywhere, from fertiliser to fashion. What are the alternatives?

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Substituting the petrochemicals that underpin everyday life is challenging, but there are ways to produce what we need without fossil fuels

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This short video examines how we can change the FOMO ( the fear of missing out) into JOMO and embrace the limits that make us human.

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Why you should embrace the joy of missing out

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By accepting and embracing the limits in our life, could we actually feel happier and more fulfilled?

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For those who love animation, legends and heroes. Even the comments on the video make interesting reading!

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War, love, and betrayal: The epic tale of the “Legend of the Condor Heroes” - Gladys Mac

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This interesting article identifies 5 skills that humans bring to the workplace, which AI cannot. Find out what they are.

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AI can’t replace these 5 skills, says LinkedIn CEO: ‘Young people’ need them now

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The future of work is being built right now, says LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. As AI takes on more tasks, he shares the skills that will keep you irreplaceable—and why young people should pay attention.

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Is music your thing? Listen to this TED talk and find out about where and how to hone your songwriting skills. Click on the "more" link below the video for links to the series and free resources!

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Do artists really write their own songs? | Think Like A Musician

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Can you identify AI generated images or video? Take a look at this interesting short video and find out what to look for.

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How to Tell What's Real and What's AI-Generated on Social Media

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Do you sometimes have problems recalling a word? Watch this to understand the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.

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This is what happens in your brain when you can’t recall a word - Cella Wright

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Do you have any paid subscriptions for music, video or other things? Watch this interesting video report. What's your opinion of the subscription model? Would you subscribe to the things Americans seem to have done?

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Listen to this beautiful expression of solidarity and hope towards the American population. Even in dark times, there is always hope!

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Watch this principal ballerina talking about how she dealt with losing her hearing. As you watch, identify her attitude to her problem and how that changed over time. What solution did she find for her problem? What message do you take away from this video?

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I'm a Ballerina at the NYC Ballet — and I’m Losing My Hearing

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Watch this interesting video that explains your touchscreen in an amusing and accessible way.

Have you ever tried to use a touchscreen with anything other than your finger? What was it, and did it work?

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British mathematician Hannah Fry digs into the science of touchscreens on mobile phones. Using a sausage, she explain how touchscreens work by detecting changes in the electric field, and how anything that can conduct electricity can interact with it.

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Explaining how a touchscreen works with a sausage

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British mathematician Hannah Fry digs into the science of touchscreens.

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This interesting article lays out the concerns over polyester and suggests some things we can do to use less of it.

This is a reading article and not a listening text.

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Nafeesah Attah is a self-proclaimed "OG fast fashion shopper."

Attah, a lawyer and social media influencer, would typically go after the best deal, not paying much attention to the quality. But her clothes were shrinking, fading and losing shape after a few washes. She decided she would start investing more money and time into curating a higher-quality wardrobe, even if it meant buying fewer clothes.

She began to read the fabric content labels before purchasing new clothes, she said. And she noticed something. So many of the clothes in her closet and offered by retailers where she shops were made out of fabric containing polyester.

"Once you know better, it's like your eyes are opened up to the fact that there's just so many poorly made clothes out there," she said.

She's one of many consumers on social media becoming curious about this synthetic textile that dominates the world of fashion. With the cost of living increasing, they have expressed their frustration at companies charging hundreds of dollars for garments containing polyester. They wonder if they're getting what they pay for, and the impact it could have on human health and the environment. But is polyester's mixed reputation justified?

Why is polyester so common?

Your eyes don't deceive you. The use of polyester has ballooned with time, according to Henry Navarro Delgado, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University's school of fashion.

It's partly because polyester can be quite useful, he said. It is a type of plastic made from petroleum compounds that are cooled and stretched into yarn, according to Michael Palladino, a fashion industry veteran and lecturer at Kingsborough Community College's business of fashion program in New York.

Polyester can give garments unique silhouettes, make them less prone to wrinkling and hold up well against wind and water.

The textile's weatherproofing properties led the military to begin using polyester during World War II, for things like windbreakers and camouflage covers for vehicles. After the war, manufacturers wanted to find ways for civilians to use it.

The rise of fast fashion, starting in the 1990s, has made polyester seemingly unavoidable, Navarro Delgado said.

"Fast fashion is a fire that can't be fed fast enough," Palladino said.

It's a symbiotic relationship between consumers and businesses. Navarro Delgado says consumers aren't as willing to care for their clothes as they once were. For example, wool typically has to be handwashed, while water may damage silk. They also want to be up on trends.

Retailers want to meet the demand for those trends and keep expenses low. Polyester is how both parties meet in the middle, since it's often easier to maintain, and cheaper to manufacture and buy.

"It's a shared responsibility," Navarro Delgado said.

Natural fibers, like cotton, can be resource-intensive. For example, it takes about 700 gallons of water to get one cotton T-shirt from the farm to the store. But unlike natural fibers, polyester is not biodegradable. Furthermore, the petroleum compounds used in the textile are made from fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases during production.

The rise of wellness influencers who denounce the plastic-derived fabric has made buying polyester seem like a moral failing, said Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist and assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University. But sometimes, that's just what people can afford.

"Let's say you're buying a top for $12 in New York City. You've got a budget and that's what your budget will stand, so you buy it," Palladino said.

How does polyester affect the environment?

Though polyester has been around for a while, in many cases, manufacturers have begun using polyester for items natural fibers would be better suited for. For example, polyester is often found in summer clothes, even though the material traps heat, Navarro Delgado said.

"When you don't have access to a product that is effectively designed for its purpose, then you don't use it. You discard it," he said.

As a result, mounds of abandoned clothing are showing up on coastlines in countries like Ghana, India and Chile, Palladino said. Ghana, for example, has a large market for upcycling clothes. But many of the clothes it receives from the U.S. are of increasingly lower quality, so some purchasers dump them in lagoons and landfills, which end up in the oceans, Palladino said.

"We don't see it here but it shows up somewhere else," he said. "It's almost like reverse colonialism. We're now giving back what we don't want."

Even the polyester clothes people keep can leach microplastics into the environment when they're washed, said Aron Stubbins, a professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern University.

"That flows away and has to be treated and hopefully gets taken out ... but not always," he said. Microplastics can then end up in local water supplies, he said.

Polyester can be recycled into other clothes. But even recycled materials end up in landfills. Polyester can also take decades, and even centuries, to break down. Still, it doesn't go away, but disintegrates into smaller pieces, known as microplastics, some of which are invisible to the naked eye, Palladino said.

"When you get closer, it's the sweater you didn't want, it's the pants you didn't want," he said.

There are studies acknowledging and identifying the excessive amount of microplastics lingering in the environment. But there aren't many studies that draw conclusions about how all this microplastic is affecting our health and the health of our planet, Stubbins said.

"For lots of that research, we're kind of at the point of understanding just where the plastics are, and then once we understand where they are, trying to figure out what impact they're having," he said.

Still, brands and manufacturers have started responding. In a 2024 annual report, Adidas said it had set a goal in 2017 to use recycled polyester 100% of the time "wherever technically possible by the end of 2024" because it had a "lower environmental impact" than "virgin" polyester. The company noted that it had achieved 99% of the goal.

On its website, Patagonia said it wanted to stop using virgin polyester by the end of 2025 due to its "high environmental cost." The company told NPR about 94% of the polyester it currently uses is recycled.

How does polyester affect our health?

We are exposed to plastics through our clothing, air and water, Stubbins said.

Some claims online say exposure to polyester can cause cancer and infertility. However, it has not been proven that polyester causes infertility in humans, Marino said.

Manufacturers may add various types of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," to polyester, to help it repel water, grease and dirt. PFAS have been linked to cancer, but Marino thinks most people are unlikely to get cancer by being exposed to the plastics in polyester, whether through clothing, air or water.

"Unless you are living near a landfill, or dealing with large quantities of polyester ... you are not going to encounter a dose of those compounds that is likely to cause significant health concerns," Marino said.

Marino said there's a lot we don't know about polyester's effects on humans. But at the very least, it can trigger skin irritation, he said.

In California, Proposition 65 requires businesses to put labels on products that could contaminate water sources with chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive harm. As a result, the labels may appear on garments at national retailers.

"It's a well-intentioned thing that they do, but the Proposition 65 sometimes does not accurately reflect the risks associated with these things," Marino said.

Stubbins acknowledges this, and says ideally, businesses would be required to list the amount of the chemicals in clothing with the label to improve risk assessment. But on the other hand, the warnings are a valuable consumer tool, as they give consumers a level of transparency they may not get otherwise, he says.

"I would trust those labels, and sometimes they're the only indication to use that there is some concern around a product," he said.

What to keep in mind when shopping for clothes

All polyester is not created equal.

Cheaper polyester items are often made without quality control, and in countries with lax manufacturing regulations, Navarro Delgado said. One style of clothing could be made in several different countries, making consistency hard to achieve, he said.

Buying higher-end goods could help some, as luxury companies often have a representative at warehouses doing quality checks. But "for somebody who is not trained, it is very hard to know" the quality of polyester you're getting, Navarro Delgado said.

Palladino recommends reading books about textiles and going to fashion exhibits at museums. You can also ask yourself specific questions when you're buying clothes: What do you want to use the garment for? What happens to it after it's disposed of? How much did the people who made it get paid?

And if you're concerned about keeping polyester out of landfills, it's valuable to learn to mend your clothes instead of replacing them, Navarro Delgado said.

"The general population, we have lost a lot of touch with craft," he said.

But some people are doing their part to get it back.

"I'm always the person touching the clothing and removing it from the hanger, and then lifting it up and checking that fabric in composition to see what it's actually made of," Attah, the influencer, said.

Attah still buys polyester clothing, but only if she really loves it, and typically if it is no more than about 50% of an item's composition. But more often, she's opting for natural fibers. Palladino says his students are doing the same.

"It might have cost you a little more, but you're going to have it longer," Palladino said. "You're going to cherish it, and I think that's the word people have to start thinking about."

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Polyester clothing has been causing a stir online. But how valid are the concerns?

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There has been a lot of conversation on social media about the downsides of polyester. But are those downsides as bad as they're believed to be? Are there upsides?

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It's not too late to take a look at a few things that went well in the last Year. Which is your favorite story?

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Seven Good News Stories You Missed This Year

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It wasn’t all doom and gloom in 2025. There were positive developments globally science and climate, in particular.

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An interesting look at Sam Altman's promises

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An interesting look at Sam Altman's promises

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A critical look at the promises of Sam Altman and OpenAI. Does it make you reconsider your opinion of AI and the possibilities it seems to offer?

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Watch this interesting video to understand a particularly Italian economic phenomenon from an American point of view. What makes them so radical? How do you feel after watching the video?

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Italy's Radical Solution to Extreme Inequality

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This is an interesting podcast consisting of conversations teens around the world have had with important internet figures. It contains a lot of information you probably don't know and a wide range of accents. Each episode takes only about ten minutes. Don't miss it!

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Listen to the latest episodes of World Wise Web on BBC Audio

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With personal anecdotes, sharp systems thinking, and a call for collective responsibility, this talk asks: If AI is the teacher, what is the lesson? Charlie Gedeon is a university instructor, entrepreneur, and interaction designer. He studies how technology changes how we think and learn, and how systems shape behaviour. His work focuses on reimagining digital tools and learning experiences to support critical thinking, rather than replace it.

Share your opinion in the comments. How do you think AI should be used in education? How do you use AI to help you study or do homework? How good are your critical thinking skills?

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Is AI making us dumber? Maybe. | Charlie Gedeon | TEDxSherbrooke Street West

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Great article with descriptive vocabulary. Well worth reading!

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A Venetian masterpiece in Slovenia

Moments after stepping off the bus, I wanted to text my friend: "What have I done to you, why did you tell me to come here?" As I weaved my way through coach-party day trippers, my initial suspicions dissipated. I came to swim, but Piran offered so much more. Venetian squares provided a delicately ornate backdrop, while cobbled passageways housed bustling seafood restaurants, serving the day's catch. The majestic Adriatic was made manageable by concrete diving platforms, fit for all ages. Naša Pekarna stocked delightfully crisp and filling böreks, and the bar/cafe Pri Starcu - owned by Patrik Ipavec, a former Slovenia international footballer - married warm hospitality with ice-cold beer and delicious early evening refreshments.
Alex

Vintage rock'n'roll, pop and soul in Berlin

A real discovery can be found in Neukölln, Berlin, if you love 1950s rock'n'roll, 1960s pop and classic soul music. A night out in Soul Cat, a 50s and 60s music bar, is a lot of fun and looks fabulous. There is a DJ who spins only vinyl records, and chairs and tables are moved to leave room for everyone to get up and dance. The bar stays open late and sometimes they have live bands. A great night out.
Richard Watkins

Lemkos culture in a Polish spa town

I crossed from Slovakia to the Polish spa town Krynica-Zdrój by bus in mid-May, too late for skiers and too early for tourists. My son arrived and we walked to the top of the ski run and then ascended a giant spiral wooden viewing platform (the Slotwiny lookout tower) that gave magnificent views over fresh green pastures and woodland stretching far into the distance. In these Beskid mountains live Lemkos - a Carpathian upland people persecuted before the last war and dispersed afterwards. We found rustic wooden benches covered in animal skins, enthusiastic folk music and robust cuisine at the excellent Karczma Łemkowska restaurant. A whole museum is devoted to prolific Lemko "naive" artist Nikifor, and the verdant central spa centre has several mineral and medicinal waters on tap - try Zuber or Słotwinka. It was a refreshing change of scene and palate, and a cultural education.
Martin

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Guardian Travel readers' tips
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage

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Brilliant beaches in Sardinia

My daughter booked our holiday this year in San Teodoro. I'd never heard of it. The town has three wonderful white sand beaches, and its vibrant centre was thronged every night with generations of locals eating and socialising. The world famous (and rammed) Costa Smeralda is an hour's drive north, but San Teodoro offered a more authentic experience at a quarter of the price. Our hotel, the genteel Hotel L'Esagono, led directly to the beach and had a chic but friendly atmosphere.
Ciaran Kearney

A classic mountain railway in France

The Swallows' Line ( La Ligne des Hirondelles) is a little-known rural railway of the SNCF (French railways) tucked away in the Jura mountains, close to the Swiss border. It makes for a great day trip from Besançon, but may soon become a thing of the past, as the line from Dole (where the old town is worth a wander) to Saint-Claude (famous for hiking routes, diamonds and artisan pipe-making) is threatened with closure. The viaducts around Morez are photographic gems. Go before it's too late.
Martin

A Baltic battleground in Finland

The Åland islands, in the Baltic, are part of Finland but culturally Swedish. The capital, Mariehamn, has a good maritime museum and some nice restaurants and it's quite easy to get there thanks to ferries from Sweden, mainland Finland and Estonia. I found the countryside really attractive, with rocky inlets, woods and farms. At Bomarsund the ruling Russians set out rather half-heartedly to build a huge naval base in the first half of the 19th century. It was destroyed by the British and the French at the start of the Crimean war in 1854 during a naval action in which the first Victoria Cross was awarded - to a 20-year-old Irishman called Charles Davis Lucas. It's free to explore the fort ruins but there's a charge to enter the visitor centre.
Martin Lunnon

The only way is Essex

In July, we walked for five hours along an English coastline without seeing a soul or passing any habitation. Where were we? Essex. The Dengie peninsula is a secret world with expansive views, seals bobbing off shore, and clouds of butterflies serenaded by piping oystercatchers. The King Charles III England Coast Path meanders along the salt marsh flanking the Crouch estuary, where the skeletons of stricken vessels lie submerged. Start at 7th-century St Peter-on-the-Wall, one of the oldest churches in England, and walk into pretty Burnham-on-Crouch with its quirky houseboats, friendly pubs, museums and vineyards.
Cathy Robinson

Automotive perfection in Romania

An "unbroken grey ribbon of automotive perfection" was former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's description of the Transfăgărășan Highway. Romania's second-highest paved mountain road (after the Transalpina) is inaccessible in winter and only opened five days before our journey in early June. Constant turns are required to conquer the steep southern section of the Carpathian mountains, but these provide excellent views, and we were able to reach the still snowy Bâlea Lake by car instead of cable car. Our journey may have been less exhilarating than Jeremy's in his Aston Martin, but at least we took in the sights along the way including, to my great delight, five brown bears at the roadside.
Helen Jackson

Mansions and cats on an island near Istanbul

As the sun lowered in the soft July sky, two friends and I took a cheap ferry from Istanbul to the island of Büyükada. Cutting across the Sea of Marmara, urban combustion was replaced by an oceanic calm. Upon arrival, we walked in awe along mansion-lined, car-free streets, regularly stalling our meanderings to stroke one of the island's many cats, and to gaze across the sea, back through the haze towards the distant city of 16 million people. On the ferry back at night, in high spirits, we plotted future expeditions to return to this most incredible of islands.
Will Brown

Winning tip: medieval manuscripts in France

Our Interrail trip took us to the French Alsatian town of Colmar - a history-packed, medieval, half-timbered melange of French and German culture, food and wine. Hidden in the town, behind the 14th-century Dominican church is the Dominican library. It's free to visit and breathtaking. There are thousands of magnificent books, of which the 1,200 illuminated manuscripts are the highlight. Glorious 16th-century maps and translations of letters from Christopher Columbus are set alongside 13th-century books of psalms, Bibles and musical scores. Some documents date to the 8th century. Many are sumptuously decorated by hand in gold and brilliant ultramarine. It's wonderful.
Wendy Holden

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'We walked in awe, gazing across the sea': readers' favourite travel discoveries of 2025

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From Essex to Istanbul, and from a soul music bar to a dramatic mountain pass, our tipsters share their personal travel highlights of the year

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This is a fascinating look at the culture behind one of the world's first indigenous American restaurants. How does it compare to Piedmontese food culture? Are we in danger of losing our connection to the land and to our food?

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How to Eat with Awareness and Purpose (w/ Sean Sherman) | How to Be a Better Human | TED

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Visit the Word Bank every week day to broaden and check your vocabulary skills. It only takes a few minutes!

Do the quizzes. If you get an answer wrong, make a note of that word, phrase or collocation in your vocabulary notes. Study them and try to use them as much as possible in your speaking and writing. Notice them in audio texts too.

This is an excellent website and you should explore the rest of the pages for CAE.

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Try today’s word bank quiz to help with the CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced) exam

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A daily phrasal verb collocation and word formation quiz to help students with the CAE Use of English Part 3 task

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This is a website with a wide range of books, articles, opinions and songs specifically for ESL students. There are no exercises, but there is a written text for every item. Have fun!

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esl english - adult literacy - listening

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ESL English Language Learning - Adult Literacy - Listening & Reading - Audiobooks - Stories

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ESL English - Adult Literacy - Listening, Reading, Audiobooks, Short Stories, Songs, PET exam

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Have you ever replied to spam mail? Watch this amusing talk to see what James Veitch, a British comedian, does.

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This Is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email | James Veitch | TED

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An interesting article about a young person's experience. Just the kind of article you need to read!

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Experience: I was the youngest person to ski alone to the south pole

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I was 21 when I broke the record. On the hardest day I was up to my knees in snow. That tested my resilience

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This excellent website has a wide range of short video and audio resources. The format makes it a great resource for improving both your listening skills and vocabulary in general. Try it out and give your evaluation in the comments.

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Improve English Listening - Listen in English

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Boost your English listening skills with graded ESL lessons from TV, movies, academic sources, and more. Suitable for learners at all levels. Start improving today at Listen in English!

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Feeling adventurous? Check out this article for amazing low cost hotels. Where would you like to spend a night?

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Eight of the world’s most extraordinary tiny hotel rooms

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From upcycled sewer pipes to spheres suspended in the sky, capsule hotels have been reinvented for a new generation of travellers.

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Read about this interesting discovery. You can also listen to the article.

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A cell pulls off one of the ‘Holy Grails’ of biotechnology

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A new part of an ocean plant cell has been discovered that might revolutionize farming one day. The structure can take nitrogen and convert it into the ingredient that helps all organisms grow.

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Listen to this fascinating podcast showcasing the lives and struggles of young people throughout history.

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BBC Audio | History’s Heroes | History’s Youngest Heroes | Nelson Mandela and the Defiance Campaign

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A young activist attempts to overthrow apartheid in South Africa.

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See the carnival through the eyes of the world in this National Geographic article. Great vocabulary for description!

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Carnevale di Ivrea, Europe’s most underrated ‘food fight,’ isn’t for the weak

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Carnevale di Ivrea, in a charming Italian village in the Alps, is a beloved, booze-fueled ode to a medieval heroine—even if some revelers walk away with bloody noses.

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Brilliant examples of precise, concise writing that makes you want to rush out and buy the book. I find the first one fascinating! Which would you choose?

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Nonfiction With Gorgeous and Immersive Prose

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Looking for nonfiction with luscious prose? Here are three excellent and immersive reads.

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How are a carnation, a song and a revolution in Portugal linked? Watch this short video to find out.

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The song that ended Europe’s longest running fascist regime

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Fifty years ago, on April 25, 1974, a Eurovision song gave the signal for a military coup.

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A small selection of short reviews from the Guardian newspaper. Some great vocabulary here, and maybe a book to interest you?

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A bookshop becomes a sanctuary in a post-apocalyptic romance, a connection is forged through food – and a codebreaker learns the language of big beasts

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This is a short BBC video on the topic. What do you think? Can trauma change our genes?

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Epigenetics: Can we change our genes? - BBC World Service

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Feed your brain and expand your English in four minutes ( or a little more). Watch interesting video clips and browse the pages for short reads as well. Enjoy!

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation podcast about screen time in small children.

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Health experts say screen time in small children can have serious impacts - ABC listen

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As parents across the country rack their brains for ways to keep their kids entertained over the school holidays, doctors are warning some methods could have significant negative impacts.

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Where do you stand? Should there be limits on when, how and how long teenagers use their smartphones? Should there be an age limit for accessing social media?

Add your comments to the discussion.

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‘Each year you delay giving a phone is a big win’: child screen-time solutions from around the world

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From stringent legislation to grassroots action, Australia and Spain lead the way in tackling children’s use of mobile phones and tablets

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Interesting talk on citizen journalism and how it can be more easily verified. Groundbreaking!

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Yvette Alberdingk Thijm: The power of citizen video to create undeniable truths | TED Talk

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Could smartphones and cameras be our most powerful weapons for social justice? Through her organization Witness, Yvette Alberdingk Thijm is developing strategies and technologies to help activists use video to protect and defend human rights. She shares stories of the growing power of distant witnesses -- and a call to use the powerful tools at our disposal to capture incidents of injustice.

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A short interview focusing on the documentary made by this doctor. This is a very topical subject at the moment.

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Dr Chris van Tulleken on Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating - “It is not your fault. It is the food”

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Dr Chris van Tulleken asks, can we change our food environment for the better and improve our health

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An interesting look at a very relevant issue.

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‘It gets more and more confused’: can AI replace translators?

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A Dutch publisher has announced that it will use AI to translate some of its books – but those in the industry are worried about the consequences if this becomes the norm

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This interesting article compares companies and how they face or fail their " singularity moment". It is a relatively quick read.

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The Singularity Is Coming: Here’s What It Means For Business

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The singularity will bring about an era of unprecedented change and opportunity.

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10 ADVERBS TO LEVEL UP YOUR ENGLISH! C1 and C2 Vocabulary

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Watch Ben's video for more useful vocabulary.

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10 ADVERBS TO LEVEL UP YOUR ENGLISH! C1 and C2 Vocabulary

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Answer these questions which relate to the part 3 task above. If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

Do you think that individuals can do very much on their own to protect things like these? Why/Why not?

Do you think that children should be taught about conservation at school? Why/Why not?

Some people say that it’s better to spend money on preserving what we’ve got than on inventing new things. What’s your opinion?

Many young people feel that traditions are old-fashioned and not relevant to them. Do you agree with that view? Why/Why not?

Do you think governments should work together to protect the environment? Why/Why not?

Do you agree that in order to prepare for the future, we have to understand the past? Why/Why not?

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An interesting look at what scientists believe about how soon we will reach the Singularity. What do you think?

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Humanity May Achieve the Singularity Within the Next 12 Months, Scientists Suggest

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Predictions across the field range from a few months to a few decades, but experts agree—change is coming.

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 6 - choosing a career

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 6 - choosing a career

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Answer these questions which relate to the part 3 task above. If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

What’s the best way to find out what a job is really like?

Do you think the media often gives a false impression of how glamorous some jobs are? Why/Why not?

Do you think that some kinds of work are under-paid? Why/Why not?

Some people say there’s no point in getting a university qualification nowadays because it’s better to get training while you work. Do you agree?

How easy do you think it is to achieve a good work/life balance nowadays? Why?

Is it a good thing to be ambitious? Why/Why not?

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Speaking Part 4 Set 5 - Satisfaction factors

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Speaking Part 4 Set 5 - Satisfaction factors

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Answer these questions which relate to the part 3 task above. If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

How important is it to follow trends in fashion? Why?

Is it better to have a few close friends or a lot of acquaintances?

Do you think that people’s interests and priorities change as they get older? Why/Why not?

Some people say that having a high status is not the most important thing. What’s your opinion?

Is it possible to be too rich? Why?/Why not?

What kind of responsibilities do you think rich people have? Why?

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 4 - work and retirement

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 4 - work and retirement

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Answer these questions: If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

Which is more important in any job: qualifications, personality or practical experience?

What type of jobs should be most highly-valued and paid? Why?

Do you think it’s better to do one job all your life or change jobs frequently? Why?

Should there be a compulsory retirement age or should people be allowed to work as long as they like? Why/Why not?

Do you think that people can be taught to be good leaders in the workplace? Why/Why not?

Some people say that it doesn’t matter what job you do – the most important thing is to enjoy doing it. What do you think?

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 3 - technology

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 3 - technology

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Answer these questions: If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

What do you think is the most positive aspect of technology? Why?

Some people dislike using technology. Why do you think this is?

Do you think that life is generally easier now than it was in the past? Why/Why not?

Some people say that computers are the biggest time-saving device in modem life. What do you think?

The popularity of mobile phones means that people are always contactable. Is this a good thing?

What effect do you think social networking sites have had on relationships?

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 2 - Social values and expectations

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Speaking Parts 3 and 4 Set 2 - Social values and expectations

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Answer these questions: If you record your answers, do only 3 per recording. State the question before each answer.

Do you think that people have the right priorities in life nowadays? Why/Why not?

Some people say that certain jobs are overvalued and overpaid. What’s your opinion?

What part does the media play in people’s expectations of life nowadays?

Do you think that people’s expectations of what is achievable are too high nowadays? Why/Why not?

Do you think that life is easier now than it was in our grandparents’ day? Why/Why not?

Some people say that it’s only possible to be happy if you have a lot of money. What’s your opinion?

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Part 4 C1 Advanced Speaking

Answer these questions: If you record your answers, state each question first, and then your answer. Record only three answers at a time.

• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a holiday online?
• In your opinion is working for a travel company a good job for young people? Why/Why not?
• Some people say that going away on holiday is a waste of money. What’s your opinion?
• Why do you think some people prefer to travel independently while others prefer to travel in a group?
• How do you think people can benefit from travelling to other countries?
• In future, do you think people will travel more, or less? Why?

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Google Podcasts is gone - and so is my faith in Google

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A well- written rant about the demise of Google Podcasts. Do you agree with the writer's assessment of the way Google works with its products?

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/

The podcast app is only the latest good Google thing to die. And if Google ever wants us to buy into its promises again, this has to stop.

Google Podcasts is dead. It has been dying for months, since Google announced last fall that it was killing its dedicated podcast app in order to focus all its podcasting efforts on YouTube Music. This is a bad idea and a big downgrade, and I'd be more mad if only I were more surprised.

The Podcasts app is just the latest product to go through a process I've come to call The Google Cycle. It always goes the same way: the company launches a new service with grandiose language about how this fits its mission of organizing and making accessible the world's information, quickly updates it with a couple of neat features, immediately seems to forget it exists, eventually launches a competitor out of some other part of the company, obviously begins to deprecate it and shift focus to the new competitor, and then, years later, finally shuts it down for real. The Google Graveyard is full of apps like Reader, Duo, Inbox, Allo, Wallet, and countless others that have been through The Google Cycle, and it feels just as bad every time.

Google says it's simply responding to the market and that YouTube is a much more popular place for people to find podcasts than Google Podcasts. There is certainly evidence to support that: in its shutdown notice in September, Google cited a statistic from Edison Research that said about 23 percent of podcast listeners in the US say YouTube is their primary podcast platform, compared to 4 percent for Google Podcasts.

What's most frustrating in this case, though, is that Google had an opportunity to do something genuinely great in podcasts. Podcast discovery is a problem, and so is finding information buried inside hours of audio. What Google should have done was find ways to actually connect its services. When you discover a podcast you love in YouTube Shorts, it should have offered you a one-tap way to subscribe to that podcast in Google Podcasts. It should have made transcripts searchable in Google so you can find the moments and insights you're looking for right in the audio.

Google had an opportunity to do something genuinely great in podcasts

Google could have owned that whole experience, helping turn a bunch of casual scrollers into listening obsessives - and maybe figured out how to monetize it for everyone. But that would involve the kind of cross-platform, coordinated work that you can't really expect from the company behind Google's Many Competing Messaging Apps and Convoluted Reminders Systems. Google has been working on podcasts in various shapes and forms since 2016 and has never even come close to putting all the pieces together.

There's a very simple, short-sighted logic at work in the move to YouTube Music. YouTube is a video platform; video ads make YouTube lots of money; Google Podcasts doesn't have video ads. So you can imagine the meeting where someone's like if we can get everyone to watch podcasts on YouTube, they'll watch more videos, and we can show more ads! Plus, YouTube Music is a subscription app, and nobody's going to pay $10 a month for a podcast app. There's a much straighter line from podcasts to money on YouTube than there is on YouTube Podcasts.

To Google, I say: that's your fault, and also I don't care. There are plenty of creators out there who would happily work in a YouTube-like advertising revenue system for audio, but Google never bothered to build one. Podcast apps are also not that expensive to maintain; some of the best ones are run by a single person. It's one thing to sunset a bad or unpopular app, but Google is killing a good and well-liked one because it's easier to show you its existing ad inventory somewhere else.

Even allowing for all the moneygrubbing, the main problem is that Google Podcasts is a drastically better podcast app than anything coming out of YouTube. The main YouTube app, forget it; you can't play things in the background unless you have Premium, which immediately makes it useless for podcasts, so I don't even have to complain about the confusing intermingling of audio podcasts, video podcasts, non-podcast videos, and everything else.

Within YouTube Music, podcast support has improved over the last six months or so, but the app still massively favors music. The app itself tells you everything you need to know: "Podcasts" is just a filter at the top, next to "Energize" and "Commute." My podcast queue is currently the 15th row of the homescreen on my app, right below "Trending community playlists" and "Forgotten favorites." That's all fine! It's called YouTube Music! It's a good music app, and that's enough. Music deserves its own real estate in the audio / video universe, and so do podcasts.

Music deserves its own real estate in the audio / video universe, and so do podcasts

One way to look at the Google Graveyard is as a bunch of products Google launched that didn't succeed and thus died. Another way to look at it is as a long history of Google's inability to make its products make sense. Google has muddled its way through a dozen messaging apps; built several competing VR and AR platforms; killed a bunch of well-liked brands trying to make the smart home happen; and so many more. In every case, there's a compelling reason for Google to get involved, to try and organize and make accessible some new corner of our technological lives. And over and over, Google has shown it just can't finish the job.

YouTube Music is the shiny new thing right now, but I wouldn't bet a dime that the app will even be around in five years. History says it won't. Luckily, there are plenty of good podcast apps out there, like Pocket Casts, Overcast, Antennapod, and even Apple Podcasts. I'd even half-heartedly recommend Spotify or Pandora, which at least aren't going away anytime soon. But if you're a Google Podcasts user, should you use YouTube Music for podcasts? No, you shouldn't. Because Google has made it clear over and over and over again that it can and will be distracted by shiny new things. The stuff you love will get worse, and it'll die. Get out of the Google Cycle wherever you can.

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Google Podcasts is gone - and so is my faith in Google

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Podcasts is the latest Google app to head to the Google Graveyard. There are good apps like Pocket Casts and Overcast, but YouTube Music isn't yet a real replacement.

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Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter ...

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If I should have a daughter ...
A powerful poetic performance. You have to hear it, see it and read it to appreciate it.

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Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter ...

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"If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she's gonna call me Point B ... " began spoken word poet Sarah Kay, in a talk that inspired two standing ovations at TED2011. She tells the story of her metamorphosis -- from a wide-eyed teenager soaking in verse at New York's Bowery Poetry Club to a teacher connecting kids with the power of self-expression through Project V.O.I.C.E.

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USEFUL ENGLISH PHRASES FOR WHEN YOU CAN'T DECIDE! (FCE, CAE, CPE exam vocabulary)

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Another useful video for speaking skills.

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USEFUL ENGLISH PHRASES FOR WHEN YOU CAN'T DECIDE! (FCE, CAE, CPE exam vocabulary)

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Benedict Cumberbatch reads one of Alexei Navalny's final letters

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Benedict Cumberbatch reads one of Alexei Navalny's last letters. Powerful!

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Benedict Cumberbatch reads one of Alexei Navalny's final letters

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Skip’s ESL BITS - English Language Learning - ESL Listening Stories, Songs, Audiobooks

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Listen to this interesting podcast and practice your listening at the same time

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Skip’s ESL BITS - English Language Learning - ESL Listening Stories, Songs, Audiobooks

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Spend 2 minutes. Discuss how governments can improve the life of their citizens. Then decide which aspect would be LEAST important to people in general.

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This is a fun, mind-blowing look at some complex scientific theories.

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Max Tobin brings his unique take to delve inside the multiverse. Could there be multiple versions of you existing in a parallel universe?

The multiverse is mind-boggling. Luckily, world-renowned physicist Max Tegmark is on hand to guide us through the weird and wonderful mysteries of what this all might mean - and why this is the leading theory of how the universe works.

Film by Dill Steele and Max Tobin

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Max Tobin and world-renowned physicist Max Tegmark guide us through four ways to understand the multiverse.

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Use this and other similar videos to extend and strengthen your grammar knowledge.

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10 Minute English Grammar: Uncountable and Countable Nouns

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Class Is In Session At These 5 Extraordinary Schools

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Great Big Story has a ton of short, interesting videos on a wide range of subjects. Check it out!

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Class Is In Session At These 5 Extraordinary Schools

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Sam Altman: there’s no “magic red button” to stop AI

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Extract from an interview about AI. Where do you think the future will take us?

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Sam Altman: there’s no “magic red button” to stop AI

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8 Wonderful ADVANCED IDIOMS - Cambridge English speaking exam preparation (FCE, CAE, CPE)

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Beef up your vocabulary with Ben's excellent videos. Highly recommended!

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8 Wonderful ADVANCED IDIOMS - Cambridge English speaking exam preparation (FCE, CAE, CPE)

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This website gives you the ability to check on the word families of 22 000 common words. You can use it to enhance your word formation skills.

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WORD FAMILY FRAMEWORK OF GENERAL ENGLISH

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Handbook : free grammar, exercises & tips | engxam.com

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Handbook : free grammar, exercises & tips | engxam.com

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C1 Advanced (CAE) handbook with free learning resources for English language exams (e.g Cambridge) divided into CEFR levels. Useful exam tips, articles, grammar and exercises.

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Find short videos with comprehension and discussion questions. Useful for short, focused listening.

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TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.

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An excellent website for speaking resources. Sign up for the free newsletter to get weekly resources.

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Welcome to Splendid Speaking!

Speaking Skills

Do you need to improve your English pronunciation? Interested in identifying your strengths and weaknesses? Want to practise grammar or vocabulary. Visit our skills section.
[Read more ...]

Exam Preparation

Splendid Speaking supports students preparing for a wide range of exams including Cambridge English B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), C2 Proficiency (CPE) and IELTS.
[Read more ...]

Podcasts

Check out our podcasts to help you develop your Speaking AND your Listening skills!
[Read more ...]

Speaking Courses

Splendid Speaking offers courses to support students preparing for a wide range of exams.
[Read more ...]

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Welcome to Splendid Speaking! Do you need to improve your English pronunciation? Interested in identifying your strengths and weaknesses? Want to practise grammar or vocabulary. Visit our skills section. [ Read more ...] Splendid Speaking supports students preparing for a wide range of exams including Cambridge English B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), C2 Proficiency (CPE) and IELTS.

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Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

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Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

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Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

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Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

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See a sample student Essay answer to a CAE (Cambridge English Advanced) questions with feedback

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Read the sample essay. Before you read the suggestions, think about what you would do to improve the essay. Make a note of useful language.

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See a sample student Essay answer to a CAE (Cambridge English Advanced) questions with feedback

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Sample answers to Flo-Joe’s CAE Essay tasks with a teacher’s feedback

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Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

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Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this resource in pairs to practise for this part of the exam.
Remember to discuss the first part for about two minutes.
Then discuss the extra question (at the top of the second page) and come to a decision in about 1 minute.

# data[].attributes.body
Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

# data[].attributes.body
Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

# data[].attributes.body
Use these pages to practice for part 2. Each resource has 2 pages (we will call them A and B). Choose a page first. Then choose 2 of the photos to compare. Speak for about 1 minute. Record yourself using the padlet recording option.
Remember to write your name and name the set you are speaking about.
Read the sample answer AFTER you have recorded yourself.

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Family and Friends

Record your answers to these Part 1 questions.

How important do you think family is? … (Why?)

How much time do you spend with your family and what do you enjoy doing with them?

What qualities does a close friend need to possess?

With whom would you discuss a difficult personal situation, a family member or a close friend? … (Why?)

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Art

What would you say your relationship with the arts is?

Which kind of art are you most interested in?  (Why?)

When was the last time you visited a museum, gallery or exhibition? What were your impressions on this visit?

Who is your favourite artist? … (Why?)

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Travel

Who do you prefer to travel with? .. (Why?)

Are you more fond of long or short distance travel?

What has been your most exciting travel experience thus far?

Name some things that you would never leave behind you when you travel.

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Sports

Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?

What qualities do you need to possess in order to do well in a team sport?

What do you think about extreme sports?

What are the most popular sports in your country?

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Celebrities

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?

Who is your favourite celebrity? .. . (Why?)

What would you be willing to sacrifice in order to be famous?

Why do you think more and more young people nowadays long for fame and money?

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Sport and leisure

How often do you get around to working out?

What are the pros and cons of doing physical activity?

Have you ever had an amazing sporting experience?

Are there any times that you would rather relax to unwind from the stress of your routine than be active?

What has been your greatest sporting achievement?

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Success and failure

What would you consider to be your greatest achievement?

What is success? Define it.

Is money an essential part of success nowadays?

Can massive failures ever contribute towards a person’s success?

Have you ever failed miserably at something?

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Communication

How has the internet changed the way we communicate?

What negative effects has the internet had on our social lives?

Are you keen on talking on the phone? Why (not)?

When was the last time you sent a personal letter?

Which forms of communication will become obsolete?

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Health

How important is our diet in living a healthy life?

Would you ever consider having cosmetic surgery?

Do you visit the doctor as often as you should?

Are people aware of the dangers of cigarettes and alcohol?

What is the best way of preventing or dealing with drug addiction?

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See a sample student informal email answer to a CAE (Cambridge English Advanced) questions with feedback

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Read the sample essay. Before you read the suggestions, think about what you would do to improve the essay. Then read the suggestions and make a note of useful language.

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See a sample student informal email answer to a CAE (Cambridge English Advanced) questions with feedback

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Sample answers to Flo-Joe's CAE Essay tasks with a teacher's feedback

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Find a range of different videos to listen to and watch

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ESL lessons and quizzes for advanced English students

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The man who first discovered plastic in the ocean

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Watch a short video clip (about 3 minutes). Useful language on plastic pollution.

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In 1971, marine biologist Edward Carpenter made a shocking discovery, finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles off the east coast of America, in the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 50 years later he tells the story of how he had to fight hard to get the scientific world to take notice of his discovery.

Listen to more from Edward Carpenter on Witness History: History as told by the people who were there.
Correction 16th January 2023: The article originally included a picture of a Hawksbill Turtle swimming underwater while entangled in a plastic bag. However as this was a concept picture, and the bag was not present in the original photo, we have replaced this image.

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The man who first discovered plastic in the ocean

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In 1971, marine biologist Edward Carpenter made a shocking discovery, finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles off the east coast of America, in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 50 years later he tells the story of how he had to fight hard to get the scientific world to take notice of his discovery.

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These are useful video lessons to help you hone your writing in preparation for the exam. Highly recommended!

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Video lessons for the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) Paper 2 Writing

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Video tutorials for the CAE Writing paper looking at reports, essays, proposals and letters

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Necessity is the mother of invention, right? Well, not always. Steven Johnson shows us how some of the most transformative ideas and technologies, like the computer, didn't emerge out of necessity at all but instead from the strange delight of play.
What other modern technological advances originate from play?

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The playful wonderland behind great inventions | Steven Johnson

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A huge selection of short videos on a variety of subjects among which are historical figures and events, scientific discoveries and culturally important issues and events. All are below five minutes long. The perfect size for a quick practice session.

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BBC Reel will introduce you to a new idea, concept, place or person that will expand your mind, teach you something new or change how you see the world.

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Crime

Do you know anyone who has been a victim of crime?

Should any illegal substances such as marijuana be legalized?

What is the most serious crime one can commit?

What can we do to ensure that youngsters don’t get involved in criminal behaviour?

What is the most common crime in your region?

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Use the free practice exercises to train for the exam.

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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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BBC Learning English - BBC Learning English - Homepage

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Loads of resources for listening and focused vocabulary enhancement.

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BBC Learning English - BBC Learning English - Homepage

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40 Key Word Transformations Ex. | C1 Advanced (CAE) | engxam.com

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Try some of these Key Word Transformation exercises for extra practice.

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Article navigation:

40 Key Word Transformation: Exercises

C1 Advanced (CAE) Use of English Part 4: Tips & Strategy

The important thing in key word transformations is that you keep the meaning the same - EXACTLY the same. So it's important that you read through the first sentence and your second sentence to ensure you have kept the meaning the same.

1. Look at the key word. What type of word is it? What usually follows it, e.g. an infinitive, a preposition, or could it be part of a phrasal verb?

2. Think about the other words that need to change in the new word order, e.g. an adjective may become a noun or vice versa.

3. Your answer may include words or expressions not used in the first sentence, but these must express exactly the same idea.

4. Remember that contracted words count as two words, e.g. won't = will not.

Because of the scoring system, it's possible to get 50% in this section without getting any of the questions 100% correct. So it's worth answering every question! Even incomplete answers can get points
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40 Key Word Transformation: Exercises

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Use of English Part 4: Tips & Strategy

C1 Advanced (CAE) Use of English: Part 4 question type here is called key word transformation.

You have to complete the second sentence, using the key word.

Strategy

1. Read the sentence carefully and think about its exact meaning.

2. Check your tenses - if the first sentence is in the past tense, the second should be, too!

3. Contractions (e.g. haven't) count as two words.

4. Try to keep the same meaning - If the first sentence says 'Tom said...' then don't write 'He said...' in the second sentence. (Write 'Tom said'.)

5. Write between two and six words, including the word given.

Tips

Find things that are the same in both sentences and delete them. That helps you to focus on what you actually need to be transforming.

Make absolutely sure that the two sentences mean the same thing. For example, if the sentence to transform has names in it, the answer will have to have them too.

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40 Key Word Transformations Ex. | C1 Advanced (CAE) | engxam.com

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An essay is the first part of the writing and it is obligatory. The question always has a discursive focus. Discursive writing is a style used in academic writing and it requires the high level of language competence.