STUDYING ABROAD (2B1)

PHOTO PIXABAY

EVERY YEAR , ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CHOOSE TO TRAVEL TO ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR THEIR EDUCATION

WOULD YOU LIKE TO STUDY ABROAD?

WHY WOULD YOU STUDY ABROAD? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

WHICH ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY?

SPEAKING:WHICH STATEMENTS DO YOU AGREE WITH?

Studying abroad is just a holiday. It’s not really serious.

I want to study abroad. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

I’d like to study abroad, but, unfortunately, I can’t afford it.

I’d like to study abroad, but I’m too shy. I’m frightened…

I can’t study abroad because my responsibilities tie me down (family, job…)

I don’t want to study abroad because I’d lose my friends / boyfriend/ girlfriend…

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW (together with the Dublin worksheet)

IN THIS DOCUMENTARY LISA O’ CONNOR SAID:

“If I were a tourist in Dublin, I‘d definitely come here”

“Everybody told me I wouldn’t get a place here unless I got really good exam results”

“If I wasn’t a student, I‘d still come here”

WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONAL IS THIS?

FALLAS VOCABULARY (2B1)(CONVERSATION GAMBITS) (ALL LEVELS)

PHOTO: CARMEN GÓMEZ (PLANTÁ FALLA MUNICIPAL VALENCIA 2024)

SPEAKING PRACTICE

WHAT IS “LAS FALLAS”?

WHEN DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

WHERE DID THE TRADITION COME FROM?

WHAT’S THE BASIC VOCABULARY ABOUT “FALLAS” ?

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONUMENTS // STATUES?

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO VISITORS?

NOW YOU CAN READ THE ARTICLE BY PEARSON LONGMAN

FURTHER READING ABOUT “FALLAS” IN ENGLISH”

JUDGING BY APPEARANCE (2B1)

MONOLOGUE: APPEARANCES

• THE IMPORTANCE OF APPEARANCE NOWADAYS
• PEOPLE´S OBSESSION WITH LOOKING GOOD
• HIGHER CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB?
• JUDGING OTHERS BY THE WAY THEY LOOK
• YOUR OPINION ON PLASTIC SURGERY

DIALOGUE: APPEARANCES

Dialogue 1_APPEARANCES AND PERSONALITY

INTERACTIVE EXERCISES

RELATIONSHIPS & SOCIAL NETWORKS: ARE E-FRIENDS REAL FRIENDS? (ORAL SKILLS)

Pixabay photo

THERE´S NO DOUBT THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE CONDUCT OUR RELATIONSHIPS. WITH OUR TINY COMPUTERS IN OUR POCKETS NOW WE CAN CONNECT FASTER AND MORE EASILY THAN EVER BEFORE. HOWEVER, IS THIS FOR THE BETTER OR FOR THE WORSE?

DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

• Are you an active social networks user?
• How many social media accounts do you have?
• Which social network is your favourite?
• How often do you check your social media accounts? Are you a social media addict?

1. I check Facebook on my phone first thing in the morning when I wake up.
2. I take a picture of my meal and post it instantly on social media.
3. I ask my friends to check my photos on social media.
4. I check my social media accounts several times a day.
5. I take a break and stay away from social media.
6. When I hear something I like, I remember to post it as my status on Facebook.
7. I know the number of my friends and followers on social media.
8. I feel disappointed when my posts do not get many likes on Facebook.
9. I spend a long time on social media looking at what my friends have been up to in their lives.
10. I feel happy when I get lots of friend requests on Facebook.

(Original idea from  http://www.onestopenglish.com)

WATCH THIS  SHORT VIDEO. WHAT´S THE MESSAGE? 

DO YOU AGREE WITH THE FILM MESSAGE?

(ORIGINAL IDEA FROM http://film-english.com)

• Have you got a Facebook account? If so how, often do you check it? If not, why don’t you have one?
• What are the best and worst things about Facebook?
• Have you ever contacted or would you contact an old friend through Facebook?
• Do you share anything on the Internet? If so, what do you share?
• What’s the difference between a friend and a Facebook friend?
• Do you know anyone who’s regretting posting or sharing something on Facebook? What did they post or share?
• If you were a boss recruiting people for your company, would you check their Facebook accounts?
• Do you think Facebook is only for people who aren’t good at meeting people face to face?

A QUESTION OF MANNERS? (2B1)

B1 MONOLOGUES:   IS IT A QUESTION OF MANNERS?

Read the title of the topic and the suggestions.

Choose one or more ideas to include in your monologue.

You can add ideas of your own. Talk about the topic for 3 to 3:30 minutes.  

• Talking loudly on your phone in public places
• Texting when you´re having a meal in a restaurant
• Throwing rubbish in the street
• Drinking alcohol  (binge drinking) in the street
• Noise  pollution in towns and cities.

SOME OTHER OLD MONOLOGUES FOR PRACTICE:

TO PRACTICE DIALOGUES 

THE “SHADOWING” TECHNIQUE (2B1)

I READ THIS INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT A TECHNIQUE CALLED “SHADOWING” THAT COULD HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING AND PRONUNCIATION. AFTER LISTENING TO YOUR BOOK PRESENTATIONS I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A GOOD TECHNIQUE TO TRY DURING THE READING OF YOUR 2nd BOOK (DEADLINE: EASTER 2024)

How to Improve your English Speaking by Shadowing! https://t.co/dbaTC7vLJX

— CARMEN GÓMEZ BENÍTEZ (@mcargobe) July 13, 2022

WHAT IS “SHADOWING”?

IT’S A LANGUAGE LEARNING TECHNIQUE WHERE YOU REPEAT AN AUDIO JUST AFTER YOU HEAR IT TRYING TO COPY IT AS CLOSELY AS YOU CAN BY SAYING IT BACK LOUD. . IT’S LIKE AN “ECHO” OR A “SHADOW” ….

HOW DO I USE IT?

1. FIND AN AUDIO AT YOUR LEVEL. It can be anything but I recommend your audiobooks(2nd reader)
2. READ THE SCRIPT FIRST (Make sure that you understand everything first (all the key vocabulary)
3. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO (mp3 recordings) Pay special attention to the rhythm, connected speech, pauses…)
4. SHADOW WITH THE TRANSCRIPT (pausing it at the end of each sentence) repeating what was said 3-5 times)
5. SHADOW WITHOUT THE TRANSCRIPT (OPTIONAL)
6. RECORD YOURSELF ON YOUR MOBILE AND COMPARE (by listening back to it)

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO IT?

REMEMBER TO SET SMALL AND REALISTIC GOALS: MAYBE 15 MINUTES EVERY DAY COULD BE TOO MUCH AT YOUR LEVEL. 2 MINUTES A DAY I (or 10-15 MINUTES TWICE A WEEK) CAN BE A GREAT GOAL TO START WITH IF YOU ARE CONSISTENT. YOU NEED TO BE CONSISTENT TO SEE RESULTS.

WHY DON’T YOU HAVE A GO AND SEE IF IT WORKS FOR YOU?

ON HOLIDAY (B1.1)

WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD  “HOLIDAY”, WHAT ENGLISH WORDS CROSS YOUR MIND?

HELP ME MAKE A LIST. (GO OVER  HOLIDAY VOCABULARY ON PAGE 238)

NOW HAVE A LOOK AT THE PHOTO BELOW TAKEN ON MY LAST SUMMER HOLIDAY

I´D LIKE YOU TO FIND OUT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE  ABOUT THIS MEMORABLE HOLIDAY, SO POST YOUR QUESTION

REMEMBER YOU CAN USE SOUNDCLOUD FOR THIS

• YOU JUST HAVE TO GRAB YOUR PHONE
• GO TO mentimeter.com
• ENTER THE CODE TO VOTE (your teacher will give you the code number)
• WRITE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR TEACHER´S HOLIDAY
• IT WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE BOARD IN A MATTER OF SECONDS

MONOLOGUES: FAMILY MATTERS (2B1)(OPTIONAL)

AS YOU HAVE A LONG WEEKEND AHEAD, IF YOU LIKE,  YOU CAN START REHEARSING YOUR MONOLOGUES WITH THE INFORMATION I GAVE YOU IN CLASS

Photo: pixabay

• Your family: immediate / extended, similarities / differences (physical appearance, personality etc…)
• Your position in the family
• Your family history
• Your favourite relative
• How families are changing

WATCH THIS VIDEO AS IT CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR MONOLOGUE

MODERN ICONS / IDOLS (2B1)

PHOTO: Pixabay

DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN? HE’S THE MAN WHO / THAT FOUNDED APPLE COMPUTERS AND CREATED THE IPHONE….. BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM?

STEVE JOBS (OPTIONAL MATERIAL)

steve-jobs-material-2b1Download

SOME ICONIC PEOPLE DIE AND NEW ONES COME UP….THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN READ IN THE NEWS TODAY….

Rising tennis star Carlos Alcaraz is first male Spaniard to win Miami Masters 1000 

Photo by THINK SPAIN NEWS

MONOLOGUE : IDOLS / ICONS

• The person you most admire ( artists, sportspeople, celebrities….), dead or alive. Why?.
• Do you read about famous people in glossy magazines or follow them on Instagram? What is your opinion about this phenomenon?
• Describe someone you really respect.
• What do you admire most about yourself?
• If you could go back in time, who would you like to meet?
• If you were famous and powerful, what would you do to make the world a better place?

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO SENTENCES?

STEVE JOBS IS THE MAN WHO/ THAT FOUNDED APPLE COMPUTERS

STEVE JOBS, WHO FOUNDED APPLE COMPUTERS, DIED IN 2011

(HAVE A LOOK IN YOUR BOOK ON PAGE 222)

WHEN IS TECHNOLOGY TOO MUCH? (2B1)

Free photo by rawpixel.com

• High-tech mobile phones: What do you use them for?
• MP4s or Ipods: Do you use them?
• Video games isolate children. Do you agree?
• SMARTPHONES : advantages and disadvantages
• Good & bad things about technological developments