Summer Holidays

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Dear Students,

Time has really flown! You have already finished 4th level and summer is just around the corner. I would like to say that it was a real pleasure to have such  smart groups of students like you.

You participated actively in class and you all contributed to the success of the course.  Thank you very much!!             I certainly had a wonderful time and learned a lot from you.  Challenging students like you make us teachers grow because you motivate us to do our best, so please keep in touch through our blog.

As I promised, I’m posting a list of recommended books you can find in the library. Remember  it is important to read during summer to keep up with your English . The 5th level is challenging and it will be a great help to you  if you come back from summer ready to go.

Recommended Books for Summer

Last but not least, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful site I’ve come across thanks to Joan Rubies’s blog. The site is called Lyrics Training and you can improve your English listening to music. These are the steps to follow :

1.- Go to : Lyrics training

2.- Sign up

3.- Choose the level

4.- Fill in the blanks

5.- Sing along and enjoy!

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!!
With love,

Anna xx

It’s worth keeping an eye on that blog

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awardHi everybody,

I’m delighted to tell you that our blog has been awarded with ‘Vale a pena ficar de olho nesse blog’ award by Ana Concejero, a teacher of English, author of  a fantastic blog. I would like to thank Ana for considering  our blog worth visiting. We are truly honoured!

Now it is our turn to choose ten blogs worth visiting. This  is my list.

1.- Mis clases (Ana Concejero’s blog)

2.- Nik’s Daily English Activities

3.- Isabel Pérez ESL site

4.- Bloggin’ Away

5.- Learning English with Mª Jesús

6.- Abel’s English Page

7.- Enjoy Learning English

8.- Virtual English

9.- English for you, Rosa’s Blog

10.- Think and Dream in English

Opinion Essay

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Opinion essay is a formal piece of essay writing which presents your point of view on a particular subject supported by reasons and examples.

A Successful Opinion Essay Consists of:

  • An introduction where the topic and your opinion are stated clearly.
  • A main body where viewpoints supported by reasons are presented in several paragraphs. This section has also the opposing viewpoint which is proved to be unconvincing.
  • A conclusion where the main points of the essay are summarized and your opinion is expressed in other words.

To know more about opinion essays, go to: http://www.writefix.com/argument/.

I’m sure that if you follow the tips you will greatly improve your writing skills.

Below you will find a list of topics. Choose one for your essay.

Argument Essay Topics

1. Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

2. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?

3. In Britain, when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who should be responsible for our old people? Give reasons.

4. TV: could you be without it? Discuss.

5. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people’s ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.

6. Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?

7. If children behave badly, should their parents accept responsibility and also be punished?

8. Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?

9. Should retirement be compulsory at 67 years of age?

10. Does having a drinking age of 18 contribute to binge drinking and alcohol abuse among young people?

Your amazing brain…

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Your brain has areas for different skills, and you can develop a range of talents.

You have areas for music and maths, language and physical ability and even an area for imagining things in three dimensions.

Tease your brain and find out what you’re good at.

Go to: Your amazing Brain… Before you start the tests you will be asked if you are male or female and to give your age.

When you have finished the test you can compare your results with those of all the other men and women who have taken the test.

brain1

Modal Verbs

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In lesson 4b you are going to learn how to use modal verbs to make deductions about the past. Carmen Torres, a teacher of English, has created an excellent ppt  which will help you revise modal verbs and learn how to use them in the past. Click on the following link to view the presentation.

MODAL VERBS

Yappr

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Another excellent site to practise your English.

Yappr is an online service that makes learning English fun and easy.  You can learn English by watching videos from native speakers about music, celebrities, news, American culture, and more. Videos include transcriptions, translations and a dictionary, so you can learn about the topics that interest you.

You only need to register to use the site. Enjoy!!

yappr