Summer is here!

Dear students

As we are  leaving behind the exam period, well, only one left, 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.
A current topic we would not like to deal wth, will be looked into tomorrow to start with.
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!

Fun

Sorry for this, but I find them really funny!  

Vocabulary for Travel

Vocabulary

for

Travel  

EL PAÍS (News in English)

Specter of unrest in Colombia

Dear readers,

The countdown for the Colombia election has been underway for a few weeks. On June 21, depending on who wins, people are preparing a response in the streets. From a Bogotá prison, one of those jailed for the social uprising of 2021 reaffirmed to EL PAÍS a message that has been circulating for days: “If the right wins power, the people will take to the streets.”

Meanwhile, the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration policy on the World Cup continues to spark controversy. The debate has even reached the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.

In other news, we covered the story of the jailed banker in Brazil whose secrets — and his willingness to disclose them in exchange for a deal — are making the elites nervous.

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

You can also read:

• Wealthy Latin Americans pack their bags for Madrid’s most exclusive neighborhood
• Could Ozempic reduce violent crime? ‘It weakens the leap from impulse to action’
• Javier Bardem, first Spaniard to make his mark in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame: ‘Even in difficult times, people want to keep being part of the film community’
• Cannabis increases the risk of psychotic episodes, but legalization does not always have the same consequences
• Who will win the World Cup? Here are our predictions

Most Interesting Facts

Had I Known ...

C1 & C2 June Exams REMINDER

Written Exam days in June:

C2: Mon. 22nd classroom 1 at 16.30

🤞Good Luck!!! 🤞

Vocabulary for C2

Silent "T's" in British English (By Lucy)

Personality Traits

🤞Good Luck!!! 🤞

Chunks for Fluency

Exception

Suffixes in English – Definition, Types, and Examples

 Learn more about Suffixes HERE and Do the Quiz at the end of the document!

Vocabulary for Sports

Vocabulary

for

Sports

· Extra advanced football vocabulary

· Activity

 

Tables

Is there any of these you've never been sitting at?
 

Advice for C1 Oral Exam

This is in response to one of my students’ email asking for advice about the oral exam.

I also recommend having a look at the assessment tables used for both Oral Expression (Monologue & Interaction) and Oral Mediation. They are extremely useful tools to help you understand exactly what you are being assessed on.

7 Grammar Mistakes Advanced Students Make

Find it in pdf. format HERE.

EL PAÍS (News in English)

The World Cup coach with the hardest mission of all

Dear readers,

As the World Cup finally kicks off, politics occupies an increasingly oppressive sphere in the United States, and the national team cannot escape it. After two decades of disappointment, the host team of the biggest World Cup in history faces the dual challenge of winning over a tense country and competing successfully on a historically unfavorable stage. Leading the operation is Mauricio Pochettino, arguably the national team coach with the most complex mission of all. We spoke with him about how he sees it all.

Also this week we looked at Pope Leo XIV, who was in Spain for a week-long visit during which he made a point of defending immigrants even as anti-immigrant sentiment appears on the rise in many places. Robert Prevost has gone from being an enigma, someone who seemed timid, to becoming a revelation in just two months. What is this pope thinking, and why has he been so disconcerting?

We also examined Bolivia's failed economic system based on natural gas reserves that were not quite as large as advertised, talked to the head of the Metropolitan opera about his efforts to raise much-needed funds, and analyzed why magical thinking appears to be on the rise everywhere.

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

You can also read:

• How the far right stirs up protests against immigration in Britain
• Andrew Stanton, director of ‘Toy Story 5’: Children should play at imagining, rather than have a screen explain the world to them
• ‘Enshittification’ reaches social media: ‘For Zuckerberg and Musk, your ‘friends’ are a burden. They just want you to see ads’
• Zapatero, a decade on the edge in Venezuela
• Violence erupts against immigrants in Belfast following attempted beheading: ‘Burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice’

Tech & Internet Idioms

Smart English

School Phrasals

Soccer Slang Quiz: Do You Know the Words Behind the Game? (By Dictionary.com)

Think you know soccer? Test your knowledge of popular soccer slang used by fans, players, and commentators around the world. From match-day commentary to locker-room lingo, see how well you know the inside language of the game.

Admisión Nuevos alumnos EOI Cartagena 26-27

Lie vs Lay

Improve your Adverbs!

Punctuation Reminder

C2 Spanish Political & Corruption Terminology

While this blog usually focuses on broader language topics and everyday vocabulary, it only very occasionally ventures into the specialized world of political discourse. For that reason, the terms gathered here represent a glimpse into a more formal and often complex register of Spanish—one shaped by institutional language, legal nuances, and current affairs. Whether you’re reading the news, following debates, or simply expanding your linguistic range, this brief guide aims to clarify some of the expressions that, although not commonly featured here, can be essential for understanding contemporary discussions in Spanish-speaking contexts.

Children’s vocabulary shrinking as reading loses out to screen time KEY

Find the answers to the activities HERE.

Article on May 4th