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

That's English! - Module 7 - lesson 1: Our planet (B1.2)

Introduction
This unit is focused on improving your vocabulary in order to be more accurate when you describe a place, especially about geographical features. Let's start with this vocabulary and here you can find some exercises to do:

• an easy exercise to stat with: click here
• a list of exercises: click here

General Questions

Work with your partner and answer these questions. Give as many details as possible:

• Where were you born? What was it like?
• Describe the best place you've ver been to. Be precise and descriptive.
• Tell us an anecdote that happened to you or a friend of yours while staying abroad or in another city.
• Do you prefer to live in the countryside or in a city? Why?
• To get relaxed do you go to the country or to the seaside? Why? 
• Describe the most beautiful landscape you've ever seen.
• What city in the world is your favourite? Why?

Activity 1

To start with here are you a listening exercise about Canada. Pay attention the way they describe the country and the use of adjectives. Do the exercise here

Activity 2

Work with your partner(s) and describe a place you've visited and say why you like it. Try to be as precise as possible and use the vocaburay you've learnt about geographical features. Don't forget to use adjectives to express your emotions in your description such as:

amazing - spectacular - gorgeous - lively - incredible - breath-taking - vast - peculiar - outstanding -unspoilt - unique - impressive - awesome - astonishing - bustling

This is a good example of a description of  a well-known place: Paris. To do the listening comprenhension, click here and then use it as a model for your own descriptions.

If you want to know more adjectives related to nature, there is an exercise to help you: click here

Activity 3

This listening exercise is very easy but it's a good exemple to see what you could do to describe your own country. First, do this exercise (click here) and now try to expalin to your mate(s) the geographical features and climate of Spain/your country or a place you know well.

Activity 4

In your textbook, in page 9 exercise 6 you are asked to describe the place you grew up. Besides, tell us how much or little that place has changed. When your mate is working, make questions to get more details and make the conversation more lively. Use questions such as:

• Where is it exactly and how long did you stay there?
• Have you ever come back there? If so, what feelings did you have? If not, why not?
• What kind of memories do you have related to that place? What did you like most and least about your birth place?

Activity 5

Work with your partner(s) to explain the main differences between the north and the south of Spain, or between the coast and the plateau in our country. Then we'll share your opinion aloud.

Activity 6

According to what you've read on your textbook, choose what place of the world you'd like to visit and what place you couldn't go to or you wouldn't stand going to. Give reasons for your choice.

Here you are an example. If you want to know more about Australia, go to this video.

Hope these  activities have been useful. See you in class next\ week!

B2.1 - Environment

To see the vocabulary, here are some links to help you:

• This one is in English and the translation into Spanish: click here
• These others are more examples of lists of words connected to the topic: here or here
• This link has other pages with different topics related to environment: here
• If you prefer images, here are some videos about the topic: here (very visual), here (a typical class) or here

These videos also give you an idea about how much we should take care of our planet:

• This about plastic: click here
• Mother Nature: click here
• About global warming: click here

NA1 - Lesson 4A: Eco-guilt

In this lesson we will work with future perfect and future continuous. Here you are the links I showed you in class to review this grammar point:

• the video with the explanation
• exercise 1    exercise 2   exercise 3

Vocabulary about environmental problems: click here

In class we have seen the form TO BE LIKELY TO+infinitive; here you are an explanation about how to use it: click here.  In the BBC Learning English website you have this comment:
 

it's likely that + clause Likely is quite often used with it as a preparatory subject: It's unlikely that this afternoon's session will last very long. It should be over by five o' clock. It's more than likely that I shall see Chris in Cambridge. I am almost certain to bump into him, in fact. be likely to + infinitive As an alternative, we can use the be unlikely to + infinitive construction with a normal subject, but probable cannot be used in this way: This afternoon's session is unlikely to last very long. I'm unlikely to be back late from the meeting. Are you likely to be staying in when you get back? It is this realisation of likely that is used in your example, Reinhard: The authorities are likely to be hard pressed to respond to the disaster. Note that if we wanted to use probably as an alternative in these examples, it would need to re-phrase them as follows: This afternoon's session will probably finish quite early. I shall probably be back quite early from the meeting. Will you probably stay in when you get back? The authorities will probably be hard pressed to respond to the disaster.

Another way of explaining the problem with LIKELY and PROBABLY using translation:

• Likely = posible o probalbe. It's an adjective and it's followed by TO+INF as you can see in these examples:  It's likely to rain  I'll be likely to go to your party   She was likely to arrive on time
• problably = probablemente. It's an adverb and it's used with future: I'll probalbly go to your party; however, the chance of going seems to be more remote or more unlikely
• bound = "destinado a", "tied to" and many other meanings. I'm bound to go to your party. It's a bit informal and it means that the action is going to happen for sure.

Here I found another way of explaining the difference among similar terms, taken from this link:

Maybe: you use this word when you are not sure. It could be a "yes" or it could be a "no," and you are not certain.
For example: 
- "Are you going to Janet's party tonight?"
- "Maybe, I haven't decided yet."

Possibly: It's like saying "maybe."
For example: "Renovation will take two weeks, possibly longer."

Likely: something that is likely sounds logical and has very good chances of being true.
For example: "Spain has 117 points, and Italy has 42 points. It is likely that Spain will win."

Probably: this one is pretty much like "likely." They basically have the same meaning, but a different usage.

"Likely" is an adjective, and "probably" is an adverb. 
You would say: "It is likely that Spain will win" and "Spain will probably win."