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MEDIATION: A SURVIVAL GUIDE

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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 M贸nica 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. M贸nica 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!

A PROBLEM SOLUTION ESSAY: THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

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!

HOW TO KICK-START YOUR LANGUAGE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

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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馃, 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...

UNIT 1 COMPLETION: A LETTER OF APPLICATION

 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. 馃槬 To kick off writing inspiration, students go home and prepare a ...

PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL FIGURES SHARE

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Hi everyone! We have been working hard in class on how to dress for success. Students have been gathering ideas about the most distinctive personality figures that successful leaders share. Collecting their answers using mentimeter.com has really come in handy. Answers having been submitted, we had the opportunity of spotting some mistakes and discussing a few synonyms in class. Good job, guys!  These are some of the things that came out during the lesson:  the right spelling is " tenacious " Notice that persevering  or persistent  are also equivalents for perseverant Communicative is the right adjective for "communicate"  An  all-rounder  is the best option for someone of great versatility or wide-ranging skills . Students tend to confuse that with well-rounded , an adjective that we use for someone that shows a wide range of experience in different areas . Mentimeter can be a great vocabulary booster, don't you agree?

C1 ENGLISH STUDENS WANTED!

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!

C1 SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLISTS: ARE YOU PERFECTLY AT EASE WITH THE LANGUAGE?

As most language learners and teachers know, all our languages are mapped to CEFR ( Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ) levels, which means that wherever we are in the world, we have standard levels in common for learning a new language.  CEFR levels are based on CAN-DOs that describe what speakers can do at a particular stage of their learning process. So, we know exactly what we can undertake at each specific level, whichever language we might be learning. Isn't that cool?  At C1 , you are supposed to be able to accomplish a wide variety of complex tasks effectively. Yet, how effective do you think you are? Have you enrolled in the right course? What exactly can you do at this stage of your learning? Let's find out! 

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