Happy 2021

QUIZZES Test Yourself With The Ultimate Word Of The Year Quiz!

The People’s Choice 2020 Word Of The Year: 2020 Was A $#@#%%$@!

For the past decade, we have handpicked a single word to describe each year; explore our past choices in this challenging quiz! Dictionary.com 

Take the quiz here.

Choose one... (or more)

Word of the Year Poll THE GUARDIAN

C1 Review: 6 Minute English - Human Emotions Mega Class! One Hour of New Vocabulary!

Improve your English vocabulary and speaking with this 'human emotions' 6 Minute English compilation from BBC Learning English! One hour of listening practice to help improve your English listening and learn LOTS of new vocabulary! There are 10 episodes and each contains authentic listening practice, fun quiz questions, analysis of new vocabulary and looks at how to use these words in real-life contexts!

The truth behind why zebras have stripes

Rudyard Kipling playfully wrote that zebras stripes were due to "the slippery-slidy shadows of the trees" falling on its body but are scientists getting closer to the truth?

You might also like:

• Why do we think cats are unfriendly?
• Why do sloths move so slowly?
• Do mosquitoes get drunk?

Language Quizzes (By Macmillan Dictionary)

Wide selection of quizzes – click on the links to complete the quiz! Or do the one related to Trending Words in 2020 directly to start with....

What Are All Of The Different Names For Santa Claus?

Names for Santa

Sorry politicians, but if you think you can cancel Christmas, you're sadly mistaken

Article by Judith Woods 15th Dec. The Telegraph

Food Podcast Completed Activity Sheet

Have a look at the suggested activity sheet filled in with words, expressions and notes from the Food poscast.

2 T's in a Pod: Food

Fill in this ACTIVITY SHEET while listening to the podcast!

In a minute I'll be posting my suggestions for the activity sheet, but do it yourself first and check it later! Remember you can use this activity sheet for any podcast you listen to!

C1 & C2 Nouns from Phrasal Verbs

Check the list of nouns from phrasal verbs

48 Palabras en Inglés que Podrías Pronunciar Incorrectamente

C1 Explaining Reasons

Have a look at this infosheet with examples of link words used in sentences to give reasons

Covid-19 Live updates in the US

 

U.S. Starts Vaccine Rollout as Shots Given in New York

C2 Miscellaneous Letter Samples

If you want some inspiration for the letter writing task or just would like to read other types of letters, have a look at Writing a Letter To The Editor - Sample & Examples (letters.org)

Ugly Sweater Week

Come to class in your most colourful Christmas sweater on 21, 22, 23 December. If you also want to take part in the contest, take a picture and send it to: victoriaeoict@gmail.com

Deadline: 17th December

Try these tips to get the prize:
Select ridiculous colours. The more they clash, the better.
Embellish. Over-embellish! Pom-poms, bells, felt, tinsel, or any other glittery, jingly items lying around the house.
Animal or cartoon characters with a holiday theme give sweaters a kitsch feel. Think reindeer, snowmen, mice, kittens or elves.

· Accessorize like a Kardashian! 

· Give it some 80s flair with shoulder pads. 
Electrify it! Put Rudolph to shame and go to the head of the team with bright, flashing lights! Make your sweaters serve as beacons of light so bright, Rudolph himself will someday be out of a job. 

Faraway Christmas (via ZOOM)

Would you like to know what a Kiwi summer Christmas is like? 

Join us for a zoom discussion with SUE LEES, a New Zealander who will wake up early to talk to you about how Christmas feels like in summer.
When? Monday, 14th December at 8pm. Zoom ID to be confirmed.

How about Christmas in Norway? 

Join us for a zoom discussion with WENCHE and HARVARD, two Norwegians who love Cartagena and who will zoom in from Oslo to tell you about Christmas traditions in their country and their passion for our town.
When? Monday, 21st December at 4.30 pm

Sustainable Christmas tree decorations

 
The school Christmas tree is arriving soon and this year we would like to have it decorated with your own crafts, made out of recycled materials. There will be a prize for the best one!

There is a link below with some crafts but you can create your own. Do it, enjoy the eco-friendly experience, take a picture and send it to victoriaeoict@gmail.com before December 15th. Then hang the ornament on the tree downstairs. https://www.architectureartdesigns.com/30-cute-recycled-diy-christmas-crafts

Make Someone Smile at Christmas

Even with the pandemic, we still need to be positive in everything we think and do. That's why we would like you to take part in this contest: use your creativity and try to make someone smile! There are several ways you can do it: 

- write a short story (no more than 150 words) 
- draw a cartoon/ caricature 
- upload a Tiktok video (no longer than one minute)

Christmas Activities at EOI Cartagena 2020

Play a part in making 

our Christmas brighter!!!

Key to last week's WORD FORMATION Practice sentences

Check here.

More interesting ways of saying ‘noisy’

I can’t hear myself think

Michael Rosen speaks after beating COVID-19

Have a look at this interesting post by Natalialzam about the poet Michael Rosen on her blog. Listen to the poem: These are the hands (at the end of the blog post).

Thanks once more Natalia.

What day is today? or What day is it today?

The other day in class we were discussing which was right ... and of course, why?

... In “What day is it today?” “today” is acting as an adverb. The answer is usually a day of the week not the date. 

The answer to this question would be: "Monday"
The more common "What day is it today?" is answered by "It is X today", where "it" is a pleonastic pronoun.

In “What day is today?” “today” is acting as a predicate nominative that completes a linking verb and renames the noun “day.” 

The answer is usually “Today is…” our anniversary, Independence Day, Friday.

Yes, It is Monday today / Today is Monday

What is your choice for the 2020 WORD OF THE YEAR?

Word of the Year

Does it ring a bell? Don't miss the video!

plus: 15 New English Words You Need(ed) for 2020

C1 & C2 Word Families / Prefixes and Suffixes + Practice

This is a list dealing with Word Formation. You can also check on Prefixes and Suffixes (more detailed, many more words). A shorter version is available on Word Families from Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary.

Practice sentences (Key next week)

C1 Language tip of the week: possibility | Macmillan

Language tip of the week: possibility | Macmillan

C1 English Vocabulary: The 100 Most Common Electronic Devices

Yes, I know you know most of them... but there are still some new to you. 

Write them down and make up sentences with the new voc!

Article on The Guardian about Mar Menor

Can Spain fix its worst ecological disaster by making a lagoon a legal person?

Murcia residents hope to protect the polluted Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, with a change in legal status

C2 Fancy a Chess Masterclass by a World Champion?

 

1. Watch the video
2. Choose, at the end of it, 3 or more promos (1.30 min. each approx.) that the tutors use to present their courses.
3. Choose the course you would like to do.
4. On Wednesday 2nd Nov. you will have to play the promotional video in class and explain to your classmates:
- Why you chose it.
- Was it new for you?
- What do (did) you know about the tutor?
- Why the course /video you chose is so interesting for you.
To be done in 3-5 mins.

THANKS DANI FOR YOUR IDEA

C2 Collocations for Work (2)

Permanent, temporary, fulfilling and dead-end jobs

Podcasts C1-C2 English (by NATALIALZAM)

Podcasts to improve your English

C1 Council of Europe and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) involves opportunities as well as risks; human rights should be strengthened by AI, not undermined. This Recommendation on AI and human rights provides guidance on the way in which the negative impact of AI systems on human rights can be prevented or mitigated, focusing on 10 key areas of action.

Unboxing Artificial Intelligence: 10 steps to protect human rights

250 Descriptive words

 

Idioms used for speaking about time

At the crack of dawn

More interesting ways of saying ‘quiet’

You could hear a pin drop

Other ways to say "A lot"

There are dozens of ways to express a high quantity of something different from "a lot". Revise them and do use them in formal writing or speech (according to their degree of formality). Click here --> A LOT

Punctuation Activity

Do this activity to check your punctuation skills!
KEY

The Lion Sleeps Tonight / A Capella Cover

C2 The ‘Four C's

The ‘Four Cs’ 

First Steps into the 4 C's

Connected Speech in English: Vowel + Vowel

Sex & Kissing Vocabulary

Idioms connected with secrets

Between you, me and the gatepost...

American Election Vocabulary

Disappearing /t/ and /d/

The Best Everyday Listening Practice

Click on Latest Sky News Headlines

Watch SkyNews Live

C2 Travel News

Telegraph Travel News

2T's in a Pod

Halloween 

C2 US Elections 2020 Vocabulary (BBC Learning English)

This is our main area to help you understand the language used in the US Elections. There will be an A-Z of US Election vocabulary that covers the key election vocabulary.

If you are interested in American English or the US Elections 2020, just click here.

On Monday 2nd Nov. (together with a bit about Halloween, see Aula Virtual, we'll be chatting with Wesley about the US (and Spain) politics and politicians. Get your questions (and explanations) ready for 11.30!

Idioms and phrases in newspapers

Soft spots and big guns

Word of the Day QUIZZ

Show off your capacious vocabulary...

C1 100+ Ways to Say What you are Feeling

Murcia Today

Spanish Government approves new state of emergency and curfew

The Headless Horseman / Bass Singer Cover

C2 Five Reasons Why You Should Book a Trip to Asturias

Asturias Natural Paradise The Telegraph

Dramatic scenery: Asturias boasts craggy mountains and wild beaches

C1 Nine Habits of Highly Emotionally Intelligent People

9 Habits of Highly Emotionally Intelligent People

Ways of Looking

You can also have a LOOK at: Instead of Look

Ways of walking

Everyone should do some exercise... shall we amble, saunter, wander, ramble, mooch, meander, stride, dash, dart, scamper, sprint, jog, scurry, skip, lope, rush, hop, trip, hike, trek, paddle, wade ...?

The six-month positivity plan to get you through a winter lockdown

Read The Telegraph article here.

Which plan suits you best? Why?

C2 Bring 3 holiday snaps!!! for next Monday

For next Monday 26th you will have to bring 2 or 3 photos (from different holidays) to describe them to the rest of the class (1 min. each).

If you email them to me before, we'll see them on the class screen! (not compulsory)

C2 An Intermediate Guide to Writing in English for University Study

Free MOOC on Future Learn: Intermediate Academic English

C2 Proficiency Speaking Test

Practise and Learn 20 New Words

Anything below 50% for C1 and 70% for C2 needs revising!

C1 Last Thursday's Activity Done

Negative Personality Adjectives Activity

One Woman 17 British Accents

Listen and try to distinguish British accents...

The importance of where stress falls in pronunciatin

 /kʃ / become /g'ʒ/ because of change of stress:

Check too: exact, exam, except, exhibition, exit, exhausted, exhilaration, extra ... and classify them:

/ks/ -->

/gz/ -->