HAVE FUN WITH ENGLISH C1

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!

 Hi there, my closest followers know about my habit of wrapping up a whole unit by giving students the opportunity to showcase the content they have been working on in a final task. On a regular basis, I end up by setting up a writing assignment that takes us to our destination: UNIT COMPLETION . Luckily, I have also found out that this process encourages my students to reflect on their own writing skills and it also helps them get proactive and regulate their learning. For the process to be successful , I take these key steps below: In class, I ask students to read the task instructions carefully and brainstorm ideas for the content they would like to include in their letter/email. We usually play a couple of interactive games regarding useful phrases or collocations to be used in formal writing. This time I used this fill-in the gap activity. I am really sorry I can't remember the teacher who shared it with me. 😥 To kick off writing inspiration, students go home and prepare a ...

We have kicked off our C1 course outlining the most crucial skills a C1 student must master. We went on discussing whether students in the class were supposed to have those abilities . This having been proved, I encouraged students to take a final step: how about actually needing to apply for a legitimate place at this school? Would they genuinely be the right candidates for the position? Are they sure they meet the requirements? With that idea in mind, I posted an ad calling for the inspiring C1 students I have always dreamed of. I asked students in my class to apply for the position, stating the reasons why they were eligible to a seat in this exceptional C1 team.  I have collected all their application letters in the online magazine below. And guess what? I believe they are just the best candidates ever! Lucky me!

During our school lockdown, we have been expanding our knowledge on how to interpret statistics. As usual under the current circumstances, with the instructions in mind, we stayed safe at home carrying on with the hard work. It was about time for a new mediation task using a line graph on mass media consumption habits in the UK. We shared all our ideas on a google drive document and worked collaboratively to come up with our final versions. De-escalation-made written mediation activities. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Just a few days before our school was locked down, we had been working on how to write opinion essays. You can find all the info my students had at the very end of Unit 5 . With the instructions in mind, we had to stay safe at home the week after and many more weeks were to come. However, nothing has stopped my students from keeping hard work up. They carried on with the work, from the peace and quiet of their own houses. We shared all their essays on a google drive document and worked collaboratively to come up with their final versions. Using an infographic, as required in the C1 standardized exam, we started with a mediation activity that gave way to all the opinion essays. Here you can have a look at the samples. Quarantine-made opinion essays. Where there is a will, there is a way!

I hope you have all had a look at the mediation tasks on the food waste effect that I published a few days ago. They were the starting point for the proposal samples that are now coming up. Read them through and have a look at how to organize proposals in an effective way. Proposals always describe a situation (in this case, the situation is that the wholesaler company that you work for is wasting a lot of food) and try to persuade the reader to make the necessary changes to get over it (in this case, the main goal is to reduce food waste). As you can see in the samples below, you should use headings, and have an intro and a conclusion. I hope all these tasks help you out!

We have been working on strategies to come up with nice pieces of writing, mainly focusing on how to relay information from infographics. My C1 students have definitely been working hard to bring their compositions up to scratch. After also checking vocabulary on consumerism and shopping, here are their final summaries synthesizing the key aspects of the pie chart below. Measures to be taken to cut down on food waste is the next step. These summaries will be the starting point for the proposal pieces coming over! Stay tuned!

In the  mediation  tasks of the C1 exam, both oral and written, you might be asked to either give a short descriptive speech or write a short descriptive report based on visual information or data. This visual information will be most commonly presented as line and bar graphs , pie charts or tables . You will definitely be asked to describe and analyze the information provided by selecting and reporting its main features. In the presentation below, I will be focusing on some of the key factors to be considered when dealing with data analysis. First of all, you will learn how to look for the most obvious information to eventually find out what the numbers on a graph are referring to. Our final goal would be coming up with a structured piece of text on the data analysis, which you will also be able to find out by clicking on each of the graphs! Ready? Pull your socks up and go! This presentation is based on the writing activities in Unit 4 of New Language Lea...

This year my C.1 students have done a great job with their letters of interest. After working the tips, and the useful expressions, here are their sample answers. Provide your students with the input they need and you will come up with awesome pieces of work! Congratulations, everyone!

Unit 2 has been very fruitful. We have learned a lot of new vocabulary on environmental issues and focused on how to write a problem-solution essay. However challenging the task has proved to be, the results are amazing! Judge for yourselves! As usual, I have built up our composition collection for C1 students to use as a guide to revise and boost their writing skills! Thank you so much to all of them for their generosity when sharing their personal writing tasks!

My C1 students have been preparing earnestly to share their first writing with our online community! A cover letter. The tasks we did in class included learning useful expressions for cover letters, studying models and correcting their draft versions. Eventually, they shared their writings on google drive. I feel really proud of their work. No doubt more writings are about to make the scene, but far and away less challenging than the first one!

We have just had a great time in class. I always devote it to getting to know each other activities and a bit of grammar and vocabulary revision from previous years. At the end of the class, I asked my students to write some catchy headlines highlighting their opinion on the lesson. Read their own suggestions and let me know what you think! I assume this will definitely be a great starting point!

We are about to finish the course, which means that it is high time you worked hard and with motivation. I know that you are mostly worried about your speaking exam but I can definitely state that your writing task will also be a daunting one. That is why looking back and trying to gather all the writing skills  you need is crucial to successful writing. Have a look at all the proposals on traffic calming measures you have written yourselves. They are all great pieces of work. Nice samples of the strategies you can implement on your writing tasks! Good luck and keep hard work up!

In the unit we finished not long ago students practised how to write an article of opinion in English. Following an infographic and a sample task they have come up with nice pieces of work on news consumption nowadays.

At the end of unit 6 my students were assigned a report . After working on their draft versions and coming up with well-structured pieces of writing here comes a classic for every single unit. Our online magazine on the task. Hope you enjoy it: 

In unit 5 my students have worked hard on how to write the summary of an article. They have been learning to highlight important information after scanning a text and to use objective formal language. Have a look at the results and judge by yourselves. Am I showing off a little too much or do they deserve the praise?

Here are the final versions of the health proposals you wrote during the exam period. As the course moves forward, I keep getting fewer writings! I would like you not to give up the hard work. Continuous learning is key to success so keep it up! Do not lose your enthusiasm and go on loving what you are doing at school!

My students have done a new piece of collaborative writing. After the instructions, each group wrote a single paragraph based on information they got from a listening activity. Then, they mixed up to come up with a final version. Judge for yourselves! They already know how to write a proposal in English. Well-done!

This time my students have done a great job with their letters of interest. Have a look at the instructions, the useful expressions and the sample answers. Provide your students with the input they need and you will come up with awesome pieces of writing! Congratulations, everyone!

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?