USEFUL RESOURCES

Hello everyone,

These days I've been searching for resources for our virtual class. Sometimes I come across things I post on Google Classroom related to your lessons and sometimes I find more general things that I think you might find useful. 

I'll just post a couple of them which I will add to the PADLET wall you will find on the side bar on the right of the blog. This can serve as a reminder for you to use the useful links there too.

I'm aware many of you have less time than they used to at the moment, but others have more spare time than usual. So just in case you find it useful. Those of you who don't have time now, can always explore it whenever you want in the future. So here are some useful links:

The following are great resources for improving your writing skills and learning vocabulary:

This one is a great site to improve your reading and listening skills.
They are classified according to level and you can both read and listen to the texts before completing the multiple choice tests that are proposed. 

I hope you find them useful.

Take lots of care and stay safe

WRITING AN EMAIL - VIDEO LESSON - B2.1

Dear students,

Working on your assignment? Here's an informative video to help you complete it.

If you found the video lesson useful, check OXFORD ONLINE ENGLISH YouTube Channel for more useful videos.

Hope you find it useful!

FILM REVIEW

Dear students,

Are you working on your book review? If so, check Cristina Cabal's blogpost for further tips on how to write one. If you have already written yours, it will still be a good idea to have a look at this excellent blog. You will find something useful in it for sure.

Enjoy your reading and your Easter Holiday! 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAIL - AVANZADO 2

Here's a link to a useful website where you will be able to find the sample transactional letter we saw in class, as well as writing samples for FCE tasks with detailed guidelines. Some of the sample tasks might be similar to the ones in the EOI certificate exam so I think it's worth taking a look. I hope it really helps!

ENGLISH EXAM HELP

WRITING ASSIGNMENT - AVANZADO 2

WEBSITE REVIEW

Write a review of a website following the teacher’s guidelines (ask for a handout).

You must choose a useful website for learners of English as a foreign language 

Explore its content to explain how it can be used to learn English and give your opinion about it.

Length: 150 words

Deadline: November 3rd

*Remember not to use the links on this blog to find a website for your review, try to find different ones.

I will post about your most interesting suggestions during the year.

MORE WRITING SAMPLES

Dear students.

On this link, you will find more writing samples with tips.

I hope you find it useful

WRITING TASKS SAMPLES

Dear students,

Here's a link which I hope you will find very useful. Although it is aimed at students preparing the Cambridge First Certificate of English (CEFR B2), you might find some useful information there too.

I recommend visiting the Writing Section, where you will find lots of sample tasks and answers, useful tips to perform better at certificate exams and to avoid common mistakes.

I hope it helps!

PS. Here's a sample letter similar to the task you were asked to complete:

Dear Mr Graham, I am writing to enquire about your language courses in the summer. My name is Antonio Sánchez and I am a university student studying to become a translator. I would like to know whether your school offers courses specifically for university level students as I would like to study techniques for essay writing in English. Could you also tell me how many hours of lessons there are per week? With regards to accommodation, do you only provide homestay-style lodgings or are there any other possible alternatives? I feel I would prefer to stay in shared accommodation with self-catering facilities. Finally, I was wondering if any extra-curricular activities such as lectures or excursions are offered at your school. If so, are these included in the price, or at an additional cost? I would be grateful for any information you can give me and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, Antonio Sánchez

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

WRITING AN EMAIL: MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

Write an email to a friend of yours who has invited you to a concert. Explain why you can’t go to the concert and suggest a different time and place to meet.

Length: 120 words

Deadline: February 21^st  

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Write an email telling a friend about a recent event that went wrong. Choose one of the situations below:

- At a party or special event.

- On holiday

- At work or college.

Length: 150 words

Deadline: January 13^th

TEXT SPEAK

Still puzzled by text speak? Here's an interesting website to help you decipher your English-speaking friends' messages. It will also help you writing your own text messages in English.

transL8it! is a free, user-friendly translation engine for SMS text message lingo, acronyms and emoticons. With the click of a button, you can take texting lingo and transL8it! to plain English text or visa-versa to SMS lingo!


BFN :)

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Dear students,
I'm posting instructions for the first writing assignment of the year: A web post.

Write a web post about the best time to visit your country for a forum on a travel website.

Reply to the following post:

John Brown: My wife and I would like to go on holiday to Spain next year, to Madrid. When is the best time to go?

Length: 120 words

Deadline: November 11^th