Thursday 29 July 2021

Wednesday 28 July 2021

Monday 26 July 2021

Spanish News in English EL PAÍS

Dear readers,

While rising coronavirus cases in Spain, particularly among young people, continue to be of concern, there was good news this week about the country's vaccination campaign. The government target of 25 million people with full protection was met this week, while earlier the barrier of 50% of the population fully vaccinated was also broken.

Meanwhile, Spain's regions continued to ramp up restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, with territories such as Catalonia particularly suffering from high incidence rates.

And finally, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was in the United States this week, where he met with banking executives and fund managers, in a bid to calm concerns about housing and labor laws.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from the EL PAÍS English Edition.

Thanks for reading.
SIMON HUNTER Editor El País English Edition

Friday 23 July 2021

Compete for Linguistic Gold with these ...

 ... Olympics Words  

The Olympics, formally known as the Olympic Games, are an international athletic competition featuring multiple sporting events between athletes representing their country. They typically happen every four years. This year, the Summer Olympics are being held in the city of Tokyo, Japan, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee also officially recognizes two related sporting competitions run by other organizations: the Paralympics, which are held around the same time and feature competition between athletes with disabilities, and the Special Olympics, which feature competition between child and adult athletes with intellectual or physical disabilities. All three competitions feature some of the same events.

Join us as we explain how the shot got put in shot put, which boxing weight class is named after a chicken, which martial art’s name translates as “kick fist way,” and why there’s a horse in pommel horse but no horses in steeplechase or water polo. We’ll even discuss the discus! 

Trying to lose weight or get a flatter stomach in midlife? Here's everything you need to know

We’ve put your fitness queries to our experts, who have all the answers for keeping fit and healthy in middle age By Alice Barraclough 5 July 2021 • 12:32pm

Wednesday 21 July 2021

C1 Advanced Transforrmations

Do some practice with these transformations, though you won't find this type of activity in EOI exams.
Key at the end (Don't cheat!)

[Those of you at C2 can give it a try and see whether you can get 10 out of 10.]

Tuesday 20 July 2021

No es lo que decimos, es cómo lo decimos: la importancia de la entonación en otro idioma

Although I don't usually post articles in Spanish on the blog, I think this one is interesting enough to be read.

Monday 19 July 2021

Spanish News in English EL PAÍS

Dear readers,

As the summer season progresses, the news about the coronavirus in Spain is increasingly concerning. Infections are continuing to rise, in particular among young people, and this pressure is now starting to be felt in the country's hospitals.

Meanwhile, there was also a surprising ruling this week from the Constitutional Court, which decided that the state of alarm implemented last year at the outset of the pandemic was unconstitutional. This means that fines imposed by the police during the lockdown may have to be repaid to citizens.

And finally, EL PAÍS spoke to teachers who are supporters of the bilingual system in Spanish schools, moving on a debate that has sparked a great deal of interest among our readers on social media.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from the EL PAÍS English Edition.

Thanks for reading.

SIMON HUNTER Editor El País English Edition

Saturday 17 July 2021

Friday 16 July 2021

Monday 12 July 2021

Spanish News on EL PAÍS

Dear readers,

Protests erupted across Spain this week over the alleged homophobic killing of Samuel Luiz in Galicia. Four people have so far been arrested in connection with the murder of the 24-year-old nurse, who was brutally beaten to death by what police have called a "human pack."

In coronavirus news, cases continue to surge among young people, with the cumulative incidence rate for the 20-29 age group now at 911 cases per 100,000 inhabitants – three times the national average. The situation has prompted several regions to reintroduce measures aimed at curbing contagions.

Meanwhile in Spain, the Spanish Cabinet greenlighted a sweeping bill – popularly known as the "Only Yes Means Yes" law – to provide comprehensive protection and assistance to victims of sexual violence.

And finally, we looked at the story behind the Spanish hit song 'Macarena,' which shot to the US charts in 1996 and stayed there for 14 week.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from the EL PAÍS English Edition.

Thanks for reading.
MELISSA KITSON

C2 Exam Practice

Do the test (Key at the end).

Friday 9 July 2021

Experts predict Iraq-like weather for Spain in the near future

Heatwaves at currently unimaginable temperatures will increase throughout the Iberian peninsula in two projected scenarios by 2050, according to a recent study. Read the article on EL PAÍS

Wednesday 7 July 2021

Food from All Nationalities

Write down the food you like and the one you'd like to try! 

Monday 5 July 2021

Spanish News in English EL PAÍS

Dear readers,

The big news this week was the announcement that Spain will now require UK travelers to present a negative coronavirus test or proof of full vaccination due to concerns over the delta variant.

The changes come amid a surge in contagions among young people in Spain, with one outbreak linked to students returning from vacations in Mallorca leading to more than 1,000 cases.

In other news, the Spanish government has approved a draft bill that paves the way for gender self-identification. The document, which still needs to undergo review and secure parliamentary backing, has been described as "a giant leap for the rights of trans and LGBTI people.”

And finally, we looked at why young Spaniards are taking longer than other Europeans to leave home.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from the EL PAÍS English Edition.

Thanks for reading.
MELISSA KITSON

Thursday 1 July 2021

Tax words we don't understand

Tax season is universally loathed. To help make this process a little less dreadful, we've broken down some of the US tax lingo you're likely to encounter.