Drinking Idioms

Drinking Idioms

Advanced English Suffixes

Advanced English Suffixes 

In Lieu Of

EL PAÍS (News in English)

Suggested articles:

• How migrants in the United States are spending Christmas: ‘There is no reason to celebrate’
• Living in a motorhome due to soaring housing prices
• ChatGPT fails the test: This is how it endangers the lives of minors
• Being trans or gay in a migrant detention center: ‘They call me faggot, queer, bitch’
• Indulgence, punishment and family dynamics: Maintaining a healthy relationship with food during the holiday season
• What are men searching for (and running from) when they go on a retreat?

Murcia Today

Spain decides Spanish is too hard, makes English official language
The government has decided to make English one of its co-official languages like Catalán and Gallego, after having recognised that Spanish is too difficult for foreigners to learn, in a move that will...

Mind the step! and Don't throw litter!

Murcia Today (News from here)

Longer waits growing frustration as confidence in Spain's public healthcare slips

A white Christmas for the Region of Murcia as snow blankets Sierra Espuña and Sierra del Carche

1.9-magnitude earthquake shakes Lorca awake on Christmas Day

        2025 Spain news: The year in review

23 Christmas traditions ranked (From The Washington Post)

23 Christmas traditions ranked

C1 TENSE Revision: Test-English

Advanced present simple and present continuous

Advanced past simple, past continuous & past perfect

Slang Test (By Lucy)

"I didn't want to go to work today, so I stayed home"? a Brit would say: "I bunked off work!"
​Or instead of "I don't have much money right now," they'd say: "I'm a bit hard up at the moment."

Take the test HERE

How to React to Bad Christmas Gifts

8 Gift Idioms

Gift Idioms

Christmas Idioms

When Luck is on your Side

Idioms to Learn

Festive words and their origins (By Pearson)

The festive season is coming, bringing with it certain words we only hear at this time of year. But have you ever wondered where these words come from or what they actually mean? 

Let’s have a look.

/k/ Pronunciation & Spelling

Make the Most of Christmas and Keep Your English Sharp

Keep Learning with Daily Posts—Even During the Holidays

Before anything else, a quick reminder: we will continue publishing new posts every single day, just as usual. So even during the Xmas break, you’ll always find something fresh to read, practise, and enjoy.

When on holiday, many of us try to find a little extra time in our day. This is the perfect moment to revisit the blog and make steady progress in our C1 and C2 English learning. Regular revision is key to maintaining the level, catching up with any content you may have missed, and strengthening those skills that still feel a bit weaker.

Remember that the blog is designed to make this easy. You can use the labels to explore posts by topic—grammar, vocabulary, writing, listening,  exam practice, pronunciation, idioms, and more. If you prefer something faster and more specific, simply type the exact point you want to revise into the “Search This Blog” bar. Whether it’s a phrasal verb, a collocation, a tricky structure, or an activity you enjoyed, you’ll find it instantly.

Take advantage of this quieter time of year to review, practise, and stay connected with the language. Little by little, consistent exposure will make a huge difference in your fluency and confidence.

Thank you for visiting the blog and for trusting it as part of your learning journey. Your dedication truly makes this space worthwhile.

Xmas Quiz 2024 EOI IGUALADA XMAS AROUND THE WORLD

Play this KAHOOT!

How many right answers did you get?

EL PAÍS (News in English)

Strangulation through oil

Dear readers,

What began three months ago as an ambitious anti-drug operation has mutated into a “total blockade” against sanctioned cargo ships attempting to enter or leave Venezuela. (...)

Back in the U.S., we spoke by phone with sick migrants being held at the Krome detention center in Florida. The conditions they described include a lack of medical attention for people with serious health issues and ill-treatment by guards. (...)

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS USA Edition.

You can also read:

• The new Democratic resistance against Trump
• The arguments for an anti-Trump revolution
• ‘We are dying’: Cuba sinks into a health crisis amid medicine shortages and misdiagnosis
• ‘Controlling AI is the challenge of our time’
• The life of a delivery driver in China: ‘Many people don’t know how an order can arrive at their home in just one day’
• Can cheese protect brain health? This is what the science says
• Six guidelines for keeping your brain young (and aging better)
• Not all insomnia is the same: Study identifies five subtypes and paves the way for personalized treatment
• Daytime, headphones, no booze involved: How a generation is saying ‘no’ to club parties

Murcia Today (News from here)

Murcia top winter spot for UK, German and Dutch travellers

Half of Murcia homes still face winter without heating

Murcia records its three warmest years since records began

Christmas gatherings could drive flu cases in Spain even higher warn experts

The story behind the image on Spain's Christmas lottery tickets this year

Doctors' strike put on hold after breakthrough talks with health ministry

International Migrants Day (Yesterday)

UNESCO

UN

European Paliament

Text to think about the topic

Written Mediation Activity

CONTEXT: You have an English-speaking friend who is writing an article about Spanish Education. She has come across this informative sheet and would like to know the meaning of some of the words that do not seem to be very clear in meaning for her: Docente, Baremo, Guardia, Muface, Nómina, Oposición and Sexenio.

TASK: Email your friend trying to explain to her the meanings of at least FIVE of these words, using about 125 words.

KEY HERE

Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 Mental health and experiences of violence

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) surveyed nearly 11,000 children aged 13–17 in England and Wales to hear directly about their experiences of violence. The findings are being shared across several reports, each exploring a different theme. This third report focuses on mental health and experiences of violence. 

Non-Gradable Adjectives

14 Motivating Synonyms for ...

 ... WORK. 

C2 Advanced Vocabulary (by Lucy)

Oxymoron (3)

December Mock exams Timetable for groups E & G

 C1 Tu. 16th: 

E Writing [16.00-17.30] & Listening [17.45- 18.30] --> (135')

G Writing [18.45-20.15] & Listening [20.15-21.00] --> (135')

       Thur. 18th: 

E Reading [16.00-17.30] & Writ. Mediation [17.45- 18.05] --> (110')

G Reading [19.00-20.30] & Writ. Mediation [20.35-20.55] --> (110')

C2 Wed. 17th: Writing [9:30-11:00] & Listening [11:15-12:00] --> (135')

       Mon. 22nd: Reading [9:30-11:00] & Writ. Mediation [11:15-11:35] --> (110')

EOI CT Christmas Program (with some changes)