C1 - Linking Words

There are plenty of pages with these kind of lists. This is just one example: click here. This person has another link which can be intresting for you: click here
As I said in class, these compilations are useful to fix those which are similar to your own language or the ones that are good to revise or improve your vocabulary on this topic.
Have a look from time to time to keep them in mind when you are in your oral performances.

That's English! - Module 8 - Unit 6: At Work

General questions are here. Go through them and disc uss with your partner about this topic:

• Do you like your job? What do you like most? And the least?
• Have you ever had a problem with your boss?  What was it like?  
• What would you like to change at work if you could?
• Do you remember your first day at work?  What was it like?
• When you started studying your degree you expected to find a job in that field. Were your expectations fulfilled or not? What happened?

Activity 1

Work with your partner and discuss what are the most relevant things to take into account when you start a job. Here you are some suggestions:

• job satisfaction/expectations
• earning a good salary
• possibilities for promotion
• personal satisfaction
• meeting people or/and new places

If you want to practise some listening skills go to this link talking about the best job in the world

Activity 2

This is a listening exercise about motivation. Do you think this is very important for work? In what way? Have you ever thought about this topic? What would you do to improve motivation at your work? Discuss this with your partner.

Activity 3

Have you ever had a problem at work? What was it like? How did you solve it? Discuss with your partner about this and then let's listen to this other podcast about complaining at work. Think about the suggestions of the HR manager and say your opinion.

Activity 4

If you want to go further with this topic about problems at work, here you have a video. It's quite easy so it's suitable for revision rather than for enlarging your vocabulary, although you have some new words to learn.

Activity 5

Imagine that a friend of yours is a workaholic. Discuss with your partner about his/her symptoms and possible solutions for this problem.

Grammar

There is an important grammar point in this lesson: reported speech. I guess you've seen it many times and there are many exercises to practise with it, as you can see below. Nevertheless, we'll try to work with it in conversation because it's something very common when you're speaking.

Work with your partner on these situations and try to use reported speech:

• Yesterday you phoned your best friend to tell her an argument with your partner.
• A friend of yours has told you a big problem she has. Now explain it to another mutual friend.
• You had a problem with your boss last week. Explain to your mate the conversation you had
• Last Monday you went to the doctor's. Tell your partner what you were asked and told
• Your mother called you yesterday to speak about a personal problem. Tell your siblings/friends what she told you and your answers

Exercises for Reported Speech

These are pages to work with this grammar point. Most are lists of exercises so you have plenty of them to practise.

• this is a list of exercises
• remember the importance of reported verbs: this is a list and there is an exercise at the end
• exercises with reporting verbs: exercise 1   exercise 2   
• an exercise with direct into indirect speech; click here
• another list of exercises and a link to a grammar explanation; click here
• this is a similar one but it has a list of common mistakes at the end; click here
• this is a video to do an exercise: click here
• This one is about reported speech in general: click here

Job interviews videos:

• This is a video with tips about questions and answers: click here
• There are many examples of job interviews; these are some: example 1    exemple 2

B2.1 - Expressing Purpose

This is the first link we saw in class: click here. Nevertheless, if you want further explanation, you may use this link: click here

Here you are some exercises to work with: exercise 1     exercise 2    exercise 3

This other exercise is to use it in your writing: click here

That's English! - Module 8 - Unit 4: Shopping

This is a very common topic and it must be adapted to your own level, that is, to speak about shopping but with an accurate vocabulary and structures. But let's start with the general questions, as usual:

• Do you enjoy shopping? How often do you buy food/clothes/electronic devices? Do you prefer going alone or with someone else?
• Have you ever bought something you didn't wear later on? What happened? Did you give it away? How did you feel in the end?
• Do you ever buy second hand clothes? If so, where from? If not, give reasons. Have you ever given your clothes to a charitable organization? Why?
• What kind of shopper are you? Do you search a lot or do you buy the first thing you find?
• Do you ever buy on the Internet? Why/why not? What was the last thing you bought and what was your experience like?

Activity 1

On p.40 exercise 2 you read two people talking about buying in a local shop or in a supermarket. Discuss with your partner what kind of shop you prefer and give reasons. Try to see 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of both places. What are your conclusions?

Activity 2

On p.42 exercise 7 you have some sentences about shopping habits. Having this in mind, ask your partner about their habits. Remember it's a conversation so make questions and answer them saying as many reasons as possible for your response.

Activity 3

On p. 47 you have a questionnaire about buying food. Comapare with your partner to see if you shop helathily and how you buy food. Try to use the vocabulary learnt in the previous page: 'used by' date, 'best before' date, 'display until', 'sell by', 'products have gone past the date on the labelling' and so on.

Activity 4

To practise with the order of adjectives, here you are some web pages:

• you can have an explanation about adjective order with two exercises at the end: click here
• this is another link with examples and an exercise: click here
• this is another link with explanation and an exercise
• have a look to these exercises: click here and here

Activity 5

Let's work with listening. We'll start with a simple one like this. This one is about the way of shopping but with strong accent. Then try this one with both exercises.
This is a listening comprehension about bargain shopping (a bit molre difficult): click here
Although this one is a bit difficult as well, it's about buying electronic gadgets: click here

This is another one about buying clothes.
If you want some more practice you have these exercises in elllo.org: click here

Although these exercises are quite easy they could be taken as models or samples of a typical conversation in a shop.

Learning English with Songs

Everybody likes music and singing or listening to songs. But this is also a really good way of learning English: by increasing vocabulary, improving  pronunciation, using typical expressions in context and so on.
We are preparing a top list of songs in the school to be uploaded into Spotify so you'll have some examples there. However, there are some links you may use to do exercises or to practise:

• https://www.esolcourses.com/topics/easy-song-quizzes.html (there are different levels)
• this link is only with filling the gaps exercises: click here
• this entry has a lot of information about links or web pages to learn English with songs
• watch this video to know how useful songs are for learning English: click here
• This is a list of songs I use in class:
• Don't Worry, Be Happy
• Someone Like You by Adele
• A Million Dreams by Pink
• When I was 7 years Old by Lukas Grahan
• If I Were a Boy by Beyonce
• Memory in Cats

You can add as many videos as you like; it's up to you what you choose but everything is useful.

That's English! - Module 8 - Unit 5: The Music Industry

This a really amusing topic and we'll stat with our general questions, as usual:

• What kind of music do you prefer? Why? Is there a kind of music you can't stand?
• When and where do you usually listen to music? Compare your answer with your partner and try to see if you agree or you don't.
• Do you play a musical instrument? If not, what instrument would you like to play and why?
• Would you say  that your musical tastes have changed a lot? In what way? 
• Can you play any intruments? If so, when did you start? How well do you play? Do you practise very often? If not why not? Would you like to play an instrument? Why?
• Have you ever been to a concert? When was it? What was it like? Explain your experience
• Do you give any money to buskers (musicos callejeros)? Give reasons for your answer.
• Should music be used for political purposes like protest songs? Give reasons for your answer and think of examples in your country or in other places.

Activity 1

Here have you a listening exercise about Reading Festival. You can have a look and revise the vocabulary and to get some ideas to discuss with your partner. Click here

Activity 2

Listen to this radio programme and do the listening exercise: click here. Then discuss with your mate if you think that radio is dead or it's still alive; if you usually listen to the radio or if you buy music.

Activity 3

If you want to listen to some more audios about music you might like to see this about music in New Orleans: click here

Activity 4

Discuss with your partner about these statements and say if you agree or not. Give reasons for your answers.

• Downloading music shouldn't be penalised; it should be free
• Music is just a matter of business and marketing not quality
• Learning how to play a musical instrument should be compulsory at schools
• Music and politics shouldn't be mixed

If you are interested in this topic here are you  an article or an audio (you can use it as you like) about music and politics in the USA. Click here

Activity 5

A wonderful way of learning English is by using songs in order to improve your vocabulary, grammar structures and pronunciation. If you like you may use this link with songs;

• https://www.esolcourses.com/topics/easy-song-quizzes.html (there are different levels)
• watch this video to know how useful songs are for learning English: click here
• This is a list of songs I use in class:
• Don't Worry, Be Happy
• Someone Like You by Adele
• A Million Dreams by Pink
• When I was 7 years Old by Lukas Grahan
• If I Were a Boy by Beyonce
• Memory in Cats

Grammar reference: Defining relative clauses
As you can guess they are used to identify people (WHO/THAT), things (WHICH/THAT), places (WHERE) and moments or specific times (WHEN). The relative THAT  is more used in spoken English and we don't need to use it when it's NOT the subject of the subordinate clause.
If you want to know a bit more about this topic go to this link but pay attention because WHOSE (the possessive relative) is included.
To work with the relative clauses go to these exercises:

• exercise 1       exercise 2        exercise 3 this is with defining and non-defining relatives

Phrasal Verbs

These verbs are also called verbs with particle. It's important to see if they are separable or not, like in the example:

• look this word up or  look it up
• look after the children or look after him

The ways we've studied this grammar issue are the following:

• focusing on the verb: get on, get back, get up, get away, get out, get off... You can find dictionaries or lists for these verbs
• paying attention to the particle: here is there a link to help you or this other link
• by topics, like phrasals related to relationships or work: go to this link to find exercises

The best way of learning all this is by using phrasals in context, that is, with exercises like these ones:

• exercise 1     exercise 2     exercise 3 (a list of exercises by particle or by verbs)

Remember you can find many more exrcises on the internet by introducing phrasal verbs exercises B1/B2

B2.1 and B1.2 (That's English!) - Filling the gaps exercises

Some students have asked me to have exercises of filling the gaps like the ones you'll find in the exam. I've tried to find some and this is what I've got:

• link with different levels
• open cloze exercises
• cloze tests at EOI Avila

Remember that this kind of exerciss are likely to be in the typical English exams of Cambridge, especially in the section Use of English. These are some examples:

• B2: click here
• B1 sample: click here

Hope to be useful!

Links for practising listening and pronunciation

There are some incredible blogs which are absolutely useful. Cristina's blog is one of them. She created this link for improving oral skills:

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/393497790119936001?buttonSource=viewLimits

Click on the icons of the image and you'll go to the links for practising.

That's English! - Module 8 - Unit 3: Green Issues

This is a very typical topic not only for speaking but also for other exercises such as listening and reading. Let's start with the general questions, as usual:

• Do you recycle a lot or do you do just what it's necessary? What do you do to try to be greener or more ecofriendly?
• What do you do to reduce water wasting in your house? what other things can be made to shorten the amount of water used at home?
• Do you think  your town is an eco-friendly place to live? Give reasons for your answer.
• Do you believe there is a climate change? Is it the same as global warming? Can we do anything to avoid it? Do you think it's possible to do anything yet or is it too late?
• What species in danger of extinction do you remember? Why are they necessary, if so?
• What policies do you know about sources of energy: solar panels, windmills, nuclear power stations, biomass, oil, electricity (renewable and non-renewable sources)?

Activity 1

Do you remember what the 3 R's stand for?  Just in case, they are for the 3 principal actions to save our planet: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Work with your partner and try to see how important these actions are for protecting our environment. Give examples.

Activity 2

This is an activity of listening. The task might be too simple for your level, but it's a good example of vocabulary and expressions connected to the environment. Once you've done the exercise go to the script to check the words used. Click here

Activity 3

A talk from TED about environmental issues; let's have a look and we'll discuss about what we've understood. Click here

Activity 4

Try to explain with your own words these terms connected to environmental issues; then say if they are important issues and why they are so relevant:

• deforestation and rainforest
• endangered species
• global warming and greenhouse effect
• climate change and ice caps melting/droughts/floods/heat waves
• carbon footprint/to be eco-friendly
• renewable energy source or non-renewable ones
• some specific vocabulary: dumps, dam or reservoir, debris, trash, garbage or rubbish, etc.

Activity 5 

To work with the vocabulary learnt in this unit, try to do this fill-in-the-gaps exercise: click here

Other exercises of listening connected to environment to practise:

• a pre-intermediate about climate change: click here
• different activities on this topic for teenagers: click here
• a listening from ESL: click here
• climate change: clik here  (taken from a blog - Cristina's blog - with many listening exercises)
• a list of videos about environmental issues: click here

C1- Tips for improving your speaking skills

Surfing on the internet I came across these videos I think they might help you to sound more natural.

• These are from Papateachme: this simple one and this more difficult one.
• This is a useful list from International House in Bristol: click here and choose the category you need. I'll leave it in Interesting links of this blog.

C1 - Instructions for the certificate exam

It's already been issued the instructions for the C1 exam in February so go to the link to read them. There are some changes compared to the previous year exams so have a look and pay attention to the new tests and the times in the oral tests: click here.
Remember you have the samples of this exam on interesting links and you might go to this link of EOI Guadalajara to see examples of Mediation: go here