Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Delicious!!!

Test your Listening Skills (By Lucy)

These are dictation-style tests using real, natural English. This is the kind of English you’ll hear in day-to-day life (and yes, it’s a bit messier than textbook examples).

Your task is simple:

Listen to the clip and   Write exactly what you hear

No need to stress about punctuation. The focus is on understanding the words, not writing an essay. Though you will need to use apostrophes, those are important!

Take both tests below:
General English Listening Test
TAKE THE TEST!

Business English Listening Test
TAKE THE TEST!

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

What Does the Word “Summer” Mean? (from Dictionary.com)

Summer is the season for basking in the warm sun and rejoicing in the freedom of vacation. Summer officially starts in late June ...

Latin terms (with explanations and examples)

Things to Ponder 1

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

Monday, 30 June 2025

What Generation are you?

Boomers

Gen X

Millenial

Gen Z

Gen alpha

Do you agree with what they say about your generation Why? Why not?

News in English EL PAÍS

"My friends, we have done it"

Dear readers,

Few people had been expecting the upset victory of Zohran Mamdani over Andrew M. Cuomo in the primary to become the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. An atypical candidate, his message of change has electrified many voters.

Our interviewees this week include Dire Straits musician Mark Knopfler, a Spanish mathematician who may be about to solve one of humanity's biggest conundrums, a public health expert who reveals the four products that cause a third of all global deaths, and the British Lady who danced with the Queen of England and meditated with Gandhi.

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

You can also read:

Friday, 27 June 2025

Daily Use Idioms

Bodily Noises

Not everything's gonna be formal and academic language ...!

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Monday, 23 June 2025

Summer is here!

Dear students

As we left behind the exam period, I encourage you to indulge in topics that genuinely captivate your interest. It's an ideal opportunity to revive your interest for the English language by engaging with content that resonates with you.

You might consider allocating time to listen to thought-provoking TED Talks or BBC podcasts, which can provide a wealth of knowledge and stimulate engaging discussions. Alternatively, you could channel your creativity into writing reviews of books, TV series, restaurants, or concerts that have left a lasting impression on you.

Revisiting previous posts on pronunciation, grammar or practising shadowing exercises using texts from your textbooks can also be a valuable way to hone your linguistic skills. Moreover, organizing an English Hour with classmates or friends can be a delightful way to maintain momentum, whether you choose to debate current events, share personal anecdotes, or discuss future plans.

If you've been meaning to start reading a book that's been recommended to you, now is the perfect time to embark on that literary journey. Or you might read national, international or local news. The key takeaway is to ensure that your engagement with the language remains consistent, leveraging your interests and hobbies to fuel your reading, viewing, and listening habits.

In the event that you require some extra inspiration, I will resume to provide ideas and suggestions in the remaining days of June and throughout July.

Happy beginning of summer for you all!

News in English EL PAÍS

The voice of opposition to Trump


Dear readers,

In the wake of mass ICE raids in L.A. and the deployment of the military by the Trump administration, California governor Gavin Newsom is emerging as one of the strongest voices within the Democratic Party in his public opposition to the U.S. president.

On the global stage, Israel's decision to carry out direct attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure crosses a red line that threatens to exacerbate the upward spiral in prices, affecting Israel’s traditional partners in the West.

Amid all the turmoil, the public’s view of the elites is rapidly deteriorating due to their growing wealth and influence. And the rebellion against institutions linked to these elites isn’t unique to the United States.

This week we also interviewed cultural journalist Gilbert Cruz, head of The New York Times literary supplement; looked at scientific evidence for what is known as "terminal lucidity" and analyzed the (almost) spotless career of Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney.

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

You can also read: