B1 class 13/01/2016

After a short break with idioms, yesterday we started the lesson again with a new one: like a broken record; you will have to wait until tomorrow to read the post with the meaning of this idiom.

After that we checked the homework, exercises 8 and 9 from page 31. In exercise 9 students asked each other the questions about a friend from the past.

Then we had a look at hte vocabulary from exercise 1 on page 32: adjectives to describe personality. The most confusing ones were reliable, stubborn, determined and mean. With this vocabulary students had to describe a member of their family, a very good friend and friend they didn't like that much, giving examples of why they would describe these people like that.

And finally we saw the explanation for the past perfect: an action that happened before another action in the past. When I arrived home, my sister had washed the dishes, which means I don't have to do it because she did it before I arrived.

For homework students must do exercises 7 and 9 from page 33, and from page 114, 4B, they must take notes about the ideas mentioned.

Note: next Monday I won't be able to go to class but another teacher will do the lesson for me.

B1 class 11/01/2016

First class of the year after the Christmas holidays and we started unit 4; this first section of the unit is about music and we saw some collocations related to music: see someone play live, release a new single, do an encore, go onstage... 

With this vocabulary students shared their experiences with concerts, the last concert, the best, the worst... The idea was to practise this vocabulary using past tenses.

Then we had a look at the two texts on page 30, one written by Nikki Williams who attended a concert by Lady Gaga and the other by Danny Breen who told his experience DJing at a club. We checked the questions on exercise 4 out loud asking each other the questions.

And finally we had a look at the use of the past simple and past continuous:

- Past simple: for single completed actions in the past, repeated actions or habits in the past, states in the past.

- Past continuous: for actions in progress at a point of time in the past, to tell the background events of a story, for actions in progress in terrupted by a shorter action (in past simple)

And also the comparison between Used to and past simple: you can use both for habits and repeated actions in the past and for states in the past.

For homework students must do exercises 8 and 9 from page 31. 

Idioms

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Idiom of the day:

A necessary evil.

Something that you do not like but which you know must exist ot happen.

Exams are a necessary evil, they are the best way to make people learn!

B1 class 21/12/2015

Merry Christmas everybody!

Last day of the course before the Christmas holidays. We started the lesson with the idiom of the day: a necessary evil. An example of this could be exams, and that's why for homework students must write an essay discussing the importance of exams.

Then we corrected the exams discussing the solutions and we concluded the class wishing everybody Merry Christmas!!

B1 class 16/12/2015

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Good evening dear students!! We've finally had the first exam today and remember that it only counts 10% of the overall mark so do not worry too much if you think you'll get a poor result.

What's the importance of examinations? Some people think that exams make students study and therefore, they can prove they are learning. Other people believe that exams are not effective and usually demotivate students.

What do you think? Please share your opinions about the importance of exams in the comments section below.

Composition 3: The best way so as to know continents of the world ? Arturo

Most people spend time in order to travel around the world. People enjoy going on trips around unknown places.

On the one hand, some people use guide books in their journeys. They believe that using a guide book they can choose the most interesting places to visit. Furthermore, they watch different points of view in Internet blogs. Guide books include the landmarks of different places. Therefore, guide books is are a tool to go abroad.

On the other hand, some people don't prefer using guide books. They enjoy discovering unknown places. In addittion to this, in some guide books the info is not up to date. However, you need a map of the city so as not to get lost in big cities.

From my point of view, I prefer travelling with the guide books but I like medium level guide books. Besides, I enjoy visiting a lot of places without missing fun.

B1 class 14/12/2015

Monday was the last day before the exam and we spent most of the class solving doubts about how the exam was going to be and which things students should pay more attention to.

We also checked the homework, which was quite a lot. First of all the rewriting exercise; this is a complicated type of exercise but with some practice students shouldn't have big problems doing it.

Then we checked the letter with the missing words that had to be filled in with the words from the box. This exercise was more complicated because there were too many gaps.

Finally we checked the exercise about derivation on page 27: how to form adjectives from nouns and nouns from adjectives.

See you all next Wednesday in the exam.

Improve your skills: Listening

Watch and listen to the interview with Tony Wheeler, co-founder of the Lonely Planet travel guide books. Choose the best option that finishes each statement.

Rewriting II

Loading Rewriting Units 1-3 extra practice

Idioms

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Idiom of the day:

While the cat's away, 
the mice will play.

This idiom is frequently used in the context of work or class. It means that when there is no one in authority present (the cat: the boss or the teacher), people (mice: employees or students) do whatever they want, usually not related to what they are supposed to do (work or study).