HAVE FUN WITH ENGLISH C1

Writing about the environment is always a challenge regarding the world we live in. Have a look at my students' own tips to protect endangered places and care for the planet. Here is the result of the writing task they were given once they had finished unit 2. Give your students straightforward tips, clear instructions and a good sample and this is what you will get in return. Amazing, isn't it?

One important aspect of critical thinking is making general claims. This is something C1 students need to learn because they aim at a high level of language. These general claims need to be supported with specific examples or details. Look at the examples my two C1 groups have come up with in today's lesson. We have been discussing national stereotypes without encouraging prejudice but promoting my students' willingness to learn!

I just love it when my students work in teams and the resulting work is as amazing as the padlet board below. We have been discussing a huge mass tourism project a real estator is planning to develop on Granville Island, a tropical paradise in the Caribbean. Local authorities held a real meeting... in class and we performed different roles to try and reach an agreement on whether the whacking seaside resort should be developed, which also helped us revise modal verbs. Anyone asking for more!?

Hi guys! I'm really excited to present you with the first "exam-like" task my C1 students have been working on. As you all know from previous entries, they have been working hard. The process has been tedious and quite slow but it was really worth it. Having written a draft version first, they shared it on google drive for me to check and correct.Now you can all have a look at the result below. Isn't it great? My students can definitely write a formal letter of application!!

We have just finished Unit 1 in class and my students are getting ready for their first "exam-like" written assignment. I have asked them to do the task in two different steps. They have first written a draft version of an application letter that I marked on paper. My comments and suggestions (I tried hard not to make any corrections at all, even though it was tough at times!) were the starting point for them to write a final version on google drive.Sharing is caring! So I'm trying to teach my students to care for their mates by sharing most of their work with them. My main purpose is for them to learn a lot from each other! Having marked most of their letters, I have just noticed some major problems that I would like them to consider carefully. This presentation below, together with the links it provides, is targeted at enhancing mostly the coherence and cohesion of their texts by giving some sound tips on punctuation, paragraphing and register.  Let's see...

Hi everybody, now that we almost know the goals we are aiming at this year, here are my students' first attempts at a monologue. You will be able to find the task on Unit 1 and I have collected all the resulting monologues in the padlet presentation below. Judge by yourselves! I think that this is the perfect start to a C1 course! Thanks to every single one of my students for their dedication and effort! I would just like to ask them for one last favour: Will you listen to the monologues and rate them for me, please? Add your comments and suggestions to every single monologue in the presentation and let's improve together! Enjoy!!

The Council of Europe has written a document called CEFR, an abbreviation of "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment ". It  was created as a framework to describe abilities in any language. These abilities would range from knowing just some words to using the language almost perfectly. In this sense, the descriptors specify the progressive mastery that students make of each linguistic skill. Even though these specifications set out in the document might seem excessively broad, they have been translated into some 40 languages and are the common reference levels most teachers and linguistic experts use to design their syllabuses and examinations. Rather than use number of hours, modules or qualifications, the Common European descriptors tell us what learners can actually do with the language. To make it easier for my C1.2 students to understand what they can do in reading, listening, speaking and writing at this stage, w...

Most of today's class has been devoted to identify my students' needs and to determine the starting point of the learning process we are taking this year. The results will definitely enable me to design an accurate learning plan and will provide information to develop a successful learning programme. We have already set our learning goals... believe it or not your learning has already started! If you think you need extra practice on the initial assessment game, just click on the image!Thank you so much, Anabel, for sharing the activity! You won't need an account to play but if  you want to save your results, you'll have to sign in. See you all in class!

Entering a class and overcoming the sense of fear provoked by the rows of students sitting right in front of you might be a daunting task for those who find it tough to cope with interpersonal skills. However, the skill of self-confidence and conquering that fear can be practised and even learned. Listen to Joe Kowan telling about how he conquered it and prevented his hands from sweating, his voice from trembling and his brain from saying: RUN! If you enjoy the video, remember to follow Ted news on  Twitter  or like it on  Facebook  to keep up your English! You can also subscribe to the channel  here .

According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) there are six standardised levels that a learner can aim at when studying a foreing language. It describes C1 level as follows: " the ability to communicate with the emphasis on how well it is done, in terms of appropriacy, sensitivity and the capacity to deal with unfamiliar topics ".  Are you perfectly at ease with the language? Do you understand its subtleties and registers and do it without losing a hint of your motivation? If so, you have already achieved a high level of English ability to be used in both academic and professional contexts. If you don't... just don't panic! You have just enrolled the perfect course to meet the challenge and achieve the goal. You will not only gain certification for an advanced level test but also prove your high level of achievement in English.  Be prepared for academic or professional life! A new world of opportunities is coming up! Welcome...