Paragraph Writing

Cleft Sentences

Grammar, activities and key here.

Types of Criminals

Beware of these!

Día Escolar de la Paz y la No Violencia

On the occasion of the celebration of the Day of Peace and Non-Violence, we invite you to send us your messages, reflections, songs,... related to living together in harmony, without conflicts that separate us.

Asociación de Alumnos y Amigos de la Escuela de Idiomas de Cartagena

What your accent really makes people think about you

Interesting article on how people see us according to the way we pronounce. [From The Telegraph]

This is what your accent really makes people think about you. Read the comments as well!

C2 Improve your vocabulary

To watch little by little...

Blue Schools

Our EOI is carrying out a collaborative project within the framework of the Blue Schools network, together with two African schools: in Lagos (Nigeria) and in Labourdonnais (Mauritius). This project would seek to inform and raise awareness among students and the community of the environmental problems in a specific area of their local coast. Logically, we have chosen our Mar Menor.

The project consists of two parts. The first would be the celebration of a "Blue Week" in our EOI, possibly during the first or second week of March. We would carry out different information and awareness activities: one or more talks and a guided tour of the mural at Calle Gisbert are being considered. We would love your participation, collaboration, and ideas.

Our School would like to repeat the Mar Menor photo exhibition we had a few years ago. You can send snaps to blueschool2025@gmail.com with the subject MAR MENOR, and write: a phrase in the language you study describing the photo, full name and year in the message. You can give the physical photo to your teacher with the same data instead.

The second part of the project would be aimed mainly at French and English students (languages with which Mauritius and Nigeria will participate respectively) but could also include students of other languages speaking in Spanish. It would consist of one or more videos/presentations showing these coastal areas to the other schools, explaining the existing environmental problems and possible solutions. Further information will be provided soon, as everything is still in process.

Thank you very much for your collaboration. We look foward to your participation in this project.
 
Coordinator: Ana Fúster

Dairy Products

Dairy Milk Products Names in English with Pictures 

Yummy, yummy!

Not for Vegans!

Startling

 

News in English EL PAÍS

Trump returns to the White House

Dear readers,

The countdown is over: on Monday, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. On his first day in office, the Republican leader declared a national emergency on the southern border, ended birthright citizenship and withdrew the U.S. from the WHO and Paris climate agreement. In total, Trump signed 41 executive orders, which experts say challenge the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

But it wasn't just this flurry of activity that made headlines. Melania Trump's inauguration outfit also raised eyebrows — specifically her wide-brimmed hat. The look quickly went viral, sparking broader discussion about what geopolitical message it may have been sending.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the ceasefire agreement has facilitated the entry of essential aid. The cessation of fighting has also allowed Gazans like Mohamed al-Najjar to return home. In his case, however, all he found was rubble.

In other news, we spoke with neuroscientist Rafael Yuste about his work creating devices that can modify the human mind, talked with Jeremy Irons about his love for villains, and explored why no one in the U.S. appears to know who Robbie Williams is.

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

You can also read:

• Migrants trapped on the Mexican border: ‘I don’t know what will become of us’
• The documentary on America’s gun obsession
• Patric Gagne, psychologist: ‘Antisocial personality traits are mistaken for strength, and people are drawn to leaders they perceive as strong’
• Mysterious song from outer space discovered
• Hughes wildfire rages in northern Los Angeles County, forcing evacuation of 31,000 people
• Johann Hari, journalist: ‘It’s so ingrained in our culture that obesity is a sin’
• My therapist is a bot: The rise of AI in mental health treatment
• Study highlights dangers AI poses to mental health of children and adolescents
• TikTok, the company that changed internet culture

C2 Speaking: Monologue & Interaction PREPARATION

Examples of phrases using C2 grammar in a suggested monologue about GM Foods. [From eoimalaga.com]

C2 Speaking MONOLOGUE Sample

C2 Speaking INTERACTION Tutorial & Language Functions Bank

C1 Speaking: Monologue and Interaction PREPARATION

Monologue: Samples and Grammar

Interaction: Samples and Language Function Bank

From: inglesmalaga.com

Oral Exam: useful phrases for interaction

 

Look at these and check here as well!

Much more about Expressing Opinion

Lucy's English Vocabulary Masterclass

Take her Free Vocabulary Level Test

Oral Exam: useful phrases for your monologue

Check here.

How to Be a Better Communicator (Online Talk)

Excellent communication skills are often cited as being the #1 skill required by employers, but what exactly makes for an expert communicator? In this workshop, we’ll explore this question and give you some ideas on how you can become a better communicator in English. Bringing the world to the classroom and the classroom to life ELTNGL.COM 

• With Catherine Hollings
• Next Tuesday 28th January at 6 pm
• Find the link to attend the webinar on your Aula Virtual

C1 Vocabulary Revision

Check how many words / phrases you can remember from previous modules:

New Year, New Words, New You: Make The Most Of New Vocab!

A new year means new opportunities. No, we don’t mean going to the gym with you for a week. It is a perfect time to learn cool new words! (From Dictionary.com) 

Improve your Vocabulary

Suggest, Recommend, Propose REVISION

Inversion in Conditionals

44 Idioms about FOOD

 Choose your favourites to use!

Missed Trump's speech?

Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Here are five takeaways. 

From BBC

100 Food Words (By Lucy)

See the pdf. document here. [Really interesting!]

And keep practising here.

Blue Monday

Blue Monday is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) that is considered the most depressing day of the year. 

The term originated as a marketing campaign by UK travel companies to incentivize people to travel abroad.

${\displaystyle \frac{[W+(D-d)]\times T^Q}{M\times N_a}}$

where W = weather, D = debt, d = monthly salary, T = time since Christmas, Q = time since the failure of new year's resolutions, 

M = low motivational levels, and Na = the feeling of a need to take action. 

[From Wikipedia]

Key to Modal Verbs Test

Check your answers here.

KEY to 10 Health Beliefs ...

Check your answers HERE.

News in English EL PAÍS

Gaza ceasefire, a ray of hope after 15 months of war

Dear readers,

All eyes are on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Thursday announced that he would not submit the agreement in principle for a ceasefire in Gaza until the negotiators in Doha resolve last-minute discrepancies. Despite this setback, the deal represents the most hopeful step toward a possible end to a war that has claimed more than 46,700 lives in Gaza.

In other news, we continued to follow the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, which have scorched nearly 40,000 acres and damaged or destroyed at least 11,000 structures — including numerous homes on the city's iconic Sunset Boulevard.

We also spoke with Nicholas Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic, interviewed the Palestinian filmmakers behind From Ground Zero, which has been shortlisted for an Oscar, and traveled to Myanmar to meet with the young soldiers who left their lives behind to find against the country's military junta.

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

You can also read:

• Greenland, the frozen island Trump has set his sights on
• The quest to sustain the global spell of Harry Potter
• The world’s most breathtaking abandoned sites: From Pakistan’s Bibi Jawindi to Italy’s Palazzo Athena
• What are the limits in the fight against obesity? Ozempic owner disappoints the market
• Who’s been invited to Donald Trump’s inauguration?
• Study suggests processed red meat, such as sausages, could increase risk of dementia
• Why 90% of cars sold in Norway are electric: VAT exemptions, free tolls and taxes on combustion vehicles

Facts and Tips for your Orals

The Skill of Speaking

A good speaker can:

• Produce the particular English speech sounds and sound patterns, both in isolation and in combination
• Use appropriate words and intonation patterns
• Use appropriate words and structures to express intended meaning
• Recall words and structures quickly
• Organize his thoughts and ideas in logical sentences
• Adjust his speech according to his audience, situation and subject matter

From englishgrammarsoft.com 

1. Trust yourself. What you are saying is right. You prepared the topic carefully and chose phrases and structures seen in the textbook and in class which are the usual ones to talk about that specific issue. So, you should not be afraid of using them. It is not the first time you are talking about this. You have heard and spoken on this topic before.
2. You have revised the vocabulary sheets and words in context you found in the readings you have been doing throughout the year. You have chosen the necessary specific vocabulary dealing with the proposed topic. The moment you hear about it, a large number of words and phrases related to this field come to your mind.
3. You can pronounce intelligibly. Your classmates, language assistant and teacher understand you perfectly well, even though you mispronounce a few words. You try to avoid those words you are not sure to pronounce correctly. You participate in class whenever speaking is required and are not afraid of making mistakes (they are necessary to learn).
4. You have rehearsed at home and in class. You usually speak in front of your classmates, language assistant and teacher; your speech flows. You know how to deal with the time you have to do your speech/interaction. You have structured ideas and times and know your plan will work out well.

C1 Modal Verbs Test

Do this revision test. Answers on Monday

The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs

Read the whole document, do the activities and the vocabulary part. (KEY on Monday)

Diseases Vocabulary

Check spelling and pronunciation of words such as: 

Diabetes /daɪ.əˈbiː.tiːz/         Asthma /ˈæs.mə/ 

Earache /ˈɪə.reɪk/                 Nausea /ˈnɔː.si.ə/ 

Diarrhoea /ˌdaɪ.əˈriːə/          Pneumonia /njuːˈməʊ.ni.ə/

Dementia /dɪˈmen.ʃə/

Advanced Listening Practice with Lucy

 Pdf document here.

Verb + Preposition List (Revision)

You can check it in pdf format here.

Highlight the difficult ones for you and make sentences with them.

C1 Vocab Revision

Check how many words / phrases you can remember from previous modules:

Look up the new ones in the dictionary and make true sentences for you with them.

KEY to Silent Letters

Silent Letter Day (or here) and Silent Letter Maze.

More about Silent Letters here.

C2 30 Writing Phrases

News in English EL PAÍS

"A hurricane of fire"

Dear readers,

As L.A. continued to grapple with several simultaneous fires, two of which are already the most destructive in the city's history, we sent reporters to Malibu and Pasadena to get first-hand testimony from residents there, many of whom have lost their homes.

This week we also covered unfolding events in Canada, where Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, and in Venezuela, where tension is at an all-time high ahead of the presidential inauguration on Friday, as not everyone is certain which president will be sworn in.

In other news, we looked at a study exploring the memory capabilities of non-neural cells, and explored why all the new super-wealthy jet-setters are heading for Madrid.

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

You can also read:

• Trump sentenced to unconditional discharge, making him first president to be a felon
• Trump’s expansionist threats herald a stormy relationship between the US and its allies
• Climate crisis breaks records in 2024: ‘The future is in our hands’
• Renée DiResta: ‘The problem is people who only want information that makes them feel happy’
• Why it’s a good idea to make New Year’s resolutions, even if most of them fail
• A visual tour of Chernobyl: A disaster of biblical proportions, now compounded by war

Silent Letter Day

Watch the video and make a list with the words containing the Silent Letters he mentions in his show. (KEY on Monday).

Then write ten more words containing Silent Letters.

Do this maze too! (KEY on Monday too)

Thanks for sharing, Isabel!

Cartagena Town hall Visit in English (Palacio Consistorial)

Dona Libros DANA

Recogida de material escolar para coles de Malawi y Madagascar

Puedes donar: 

Lápices, gomas, colores, estuches, libros en francés, babis, pelotas, ordenadores, tablets, mochilas, bolígrafos, sacapuntas, juegos.

Toda la info AQUÍ.

The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs

‘Eight hours’ sleep! And you must eat breakfast!’ Should we really be aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day, or drink two litres of water? 

By Joel Snape 4 January, 2023 © Guardian News and Media 2023 First published in The Guardian, 4/1/2023

Here are some widely held dietary and healthbased beliefs:

1. ‘Lifting weights will give you big muscles’
2. ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’
3. ‘You should walk 10,000 steps a day’
4. ‘You need eight hours of sleep’
5. ‘You should aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day’
6. ‘You need to drink two litres of water a day’
7. ‘A daily glass of wine is better than abstinence’
8. ‘Abdominal exercises will give you a six-pack’
9. ‘Dieting will slow your metabolism’
10. ‘Red meat is bad for you’

Be ready to talk about these issues next Tuesday with Tim in class. Try to find some evidence (medical scientific data) to support --or not-- some of the points mentioned. 

• Do you actually do any of the mentioned points? 
• How far do you agree with them?
• Can you think of any other health belief not mentioned here?

We'll be reading the answers the author of this article gives and what science says now about these statements in class! (You can read the article on the blog next Friday)

Formal Letter Writing

Review Formal Letter Writing on Tomeu's blog. Thanks for sharing!

C2 Contronyms (2)

If you want to inquire about Contronyms further, read this article. See more contronym words here.

EOI Murcia C1 Students' Samples

Read and listen to samples of Written Production and Co-production, and Spoken Production and Co-production in real exams. Check the three different assessments: A+, C and D.

News in English EL PAÍS

Terror strikes ahead of Trump's return

Dear readers,

Authorities are investigating possible links between the New Orleans truck attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in from of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, and exploring whether these acts have ties to terrorism. Both episodes come with less than three weeks to go before Trump's inauguration.

As the new year begins, we bring you an interview with an investment fund manager who discusses the opportunities available in small and mid-cap US stocks, and a list of tech trends to watch out for in 2025.

In recent days we also embarked on a journey to the frontiers of climate change, and spoke with scientists whose experiments with protocells leads them to assert that "there is no breath of divine life."

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

You can also read:

• Fridge sociology: Your icebox can reveal if you think like a rich person (and even, if you’re on your way to becoming one)
• From Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck to Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum: The celebrity breakups of 2024
• X, the new paradise for anorexia
• Stamp-sized microchip that imitates the human brain could speed up treatments for Alzheimer’s
• The pink elephant test: What your visual imagination predicts about your ability to control your thoughts
• The other side of Egypt: Much more than the pyramids
• Acapulco’s cliff divers: 90 years of challenges, rituals and shows

Stars of ELT examine 10 of the biggest “truths” in English language teaching … but how true are they?

Fact of Fiction? Read a long article written by authors who knew what they were writing about and check how right (or wrong) they were.

What to expect in 2025, and some reasons to be cheerful

Read this article by The Times and say which predictions were new to you.