HAVE FUN WITH ENGLISH C1

We have all been there staring at a blank page or a computer screen ready to plan our next class unable to think about how to come up with an idea to wrap up a unit that is about to finish. I usually tend to finish most of them up with a range of activities that consolidate knowledge from previous lessons. So, now that I am ready to complete Module 2 with my C1.1 Blended English Course I have just decided to conclude with a couple of fun class games. Here is how they go! I will start by getting students to recap all the things we have studied in the Module : education expressions, attitudes to ageing, benefits of having children, life stages, idioms related to age, syllabic consonants, conditional sentences,... You name it! Students will be given a certain amount of time to work with the person sitting next to them to shout out as many items as they remember, trying to get the highest number. Do not forget to keep a record of each team´s answers on the board! As soon as winners are ...

Most language teachers and students know that the Common European Framework of Reference has mapped languages to different levels. Wherever we are in the globe, standard levels have been set so that language learning is based on what speakers can do at each particular stage. That is, we know exactly what each learner can do at each specific level, no matter what language they might be learning. How about that? At school this year, my students are meant to be able to accomplish a wide variety of complex tasks effectively as they are already facing the advanced level. However, how effective do they think they might be? Have they joined the right course? As C1 is divided into two different stages, what can they do at each one of them?  As it is customary at this time of the year, I have just come up with a quick test to find out whether they have enrolled in the right course. Off to a running start! Let us see how it goes!

 👋 Dear school community! Welcome back to a new school year at  EOI Pontevedra . I am so looking forward to welcoming you all back to our friendly school! Above all, our newcomers: our blended English course students! You deserve a special mention this year as you are going to take part in a new promising experience. A new academic year is here and I have been working hard to get everything ready to meet you all! This year will certainly be strikingly different. Even so, motivation and hard work will be basic and will definitely have a significant impact on class performance. Again, my main priority as a teacher will be striving for a class atmosphere that fosters self-reliance, self-confidence, and a love of learning. I know I have made up my mind on a highly ambitious goal but promise to fight tooth and nail to stick to it! I hope this new course suits your needs as C1 English learners. Let´s roll out the red carpet and set the new course in motion. Here is our first challe...

Most EOI students are now very well acquainted with this new part of the exam that has come to stay:  Mediation . However, it seems to me that some of them are still struggling with it in light of the results of the mid-term exams that took place at school a couple of weeks ago.  As mediation is everywhere and plays a crucial role in our daily lives, have a look at some great tips beautifully given by teacher Mónica Redondo that might help you understand what mediation is. I have tried this presentation below with my C1 students in class and it achieved immediate success. Mónica explains mediation beautifully and the sample texts also helped students make up a clear idea of the task. I hope it greases the wheels for them to enhance a deeper understanding of mediation!

Now that we are about to finish Unit 2 , I would like you all to have a look at the wonderful pieces of writing my C1 students have submitted regarding the environmental impact of the travel industry. The instructions for the task were crystal-clear this time: First, students had to open the link below and do the necessary thinking before they started the writing process: How to write a problem-solution essay Then, they were also asked to include at least:  2 of the environment collocations they have learned in Unit 2. 2 of the comment adverbs we had previously discussed in Unit 1. 2 of the degree adverbs we had also discussed in Unit 1. 2 of the linking expressions on one of the photocopies we had worked in class.  As for the result, judge for yourselves!

It is that time of the year again and I have been racking my brains for an idea to welcome my students on their first day at school. In a flash of sheer inspiration, I just came up with this activity after recalling a video published by @esBritish  in January last year.  The start of a new year might be the perfect opportunity to set new learning goals and help students become more conscious about their learning chances. Let's give it a try! I will kick off by presenting this slide  to play the video a couple of times and, fingers crossed🤞, it will hopefully spark some interesting discussion. Students will be able to complete the first two questions by getting ideas from the video and some more debate will also come up regarding the last question on the slide. If everything goes as planned, some interesting learning tips will turn up! Once students are in the mood, I won't let this great opportunity pass by! They will have to take on some strong long-term commitment to t...