This week's topic was crime -- from burglary to homicide, trafficking to forgery, we discussed a wide range of crimes and all the vocabulary related to them. 

Listening:
Learners can check out a C1 level comprehension activity based on an interview with a crime novelist.

For original version listening, listen to an episode from podcast Criminal.

Reading:
Learners can try an activity about crime prevention or read an article about "microcrimes" from Breaking News English or about the "Most-Wanted."

For original version, try some fantastic journalism about true crime:

• True Crime by David Grann A postmodern murder mystery
• Crimetown USA by David Grann The city that fell in love with the mob
• The Ultimate Counterfeiter by David WolmanHe isn't a crook, he's an artist
  

Writing:
This week for writing, try writing an essay in the Cambridge format using the following guidelines:You have watched a documentary about what causes young people to start committing crimes. You have made the notes below.
Reasons why young people commit crimes

• lack of control by parents
• absence of opportunities in life
• influence of friends

Some opinions expressed in the documentary:

• ‘Without firm discipline from parents, some children are likely to get into trouble.
• ‘Ifs not surprising that young people who feel they have no chance of a good life turn to crime.
• ‘The bad influence of people they mix with can cause some young people to take up crime.’

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the reasons in your notes. You should explain which cause you think is the most important for young people committing crimes and provide reasons to support your opinion.

Best,
Kelly

 Hi everybody!  Welcome back after the holidays. I hope you all enjoyed the break! Don't forget that January is a great time to revisit your goals and get back to study routines.

This week we discussed one of my resolutions for this month after the excess of the holidays, to buy nothing new!

Listening:
Learners can check out a listening comprehension activity about Buy Nothing Day, usually "celebrated" in November as a contrast to Black Friday or about how Gift Economies Strengthen Communities.

For original version listening, listen to an episode from the Buy Nothing Pocdast.

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article from British Council about the Buy Nothing Movement with reading comprehension questions.

For original version, check out an article from the Guardian about Buy Nothing Groups around the world.

Writing
This week for writing, please write an essay about the Buy Nothing movement.  What are the motivations to participate? What are the challenges? Would you ever consider trying it?
Best,
Kelly

Merry Christmas everyone!  This was our last class before the holiday break.  Now is a great time to rest and enjoy the down time with your friends and family.

If you have time to work on your English, go through the past emails to catch up on past homework or check out my list of resources.

Happy Holidays! See you in 2023!

Don't forget that this week is our extra activity!  We will meet at Barrio Bar on Thursday at 20:30 for our holiday get together and Yankee Swap.  If you would like to participate, send me an email and I will send you more info!

This week we used the resource from The Guardian called You Be The Judge to talk about different domestic disputes.

Listening:
Learners can check out an activity about teenagers who argue. or about managing conflicts at work.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading about using a mediator in an office dispute.

For original version, try any of the articles from the Guardian series, You Be The Judge.You be the judge: should my husband stop removing the sink strainer? You be the judge: do I have to tell my girlfriend every detail about my friend’s stag do?  You be the judge: should my flatmate make coffee for both of us in the morning?
 
Writing:
This week for writing, please write about a domestic dispute that comes up in your household.  What is something that you argue about with your relatives or flatmates? Write out the case describing both sides of the dispute. Make a convincing argument for your side.
Best,
Kelly

This week, we turned to the topic of professional sports.  The current Qatar World Cup as brought up a lot of issues about the state of sports today.

Listening:
Learners can check out some listening comprehension activities about professional athletes: FCE listening, and Ann Brown.

For original version listening, check out a podcast episode, for instance Throughline's episode Qatar's World Cup or from NYT Qatar’s Big Bet on the World Cup.

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article from Voice of America English such as FIFA: ‘Most Important Project’ Is Not World Cup

For original version, check out any of the fascinating articles from the Qatar Beyond the Football series from the Guardian.

Reading:
This week for writing, please write an article about professional sports. Here are some possible prompts:

• Sports are part of the solution to the current mental health crisis.
  
• Can virtual reality substitute real training?
  
• Discuss the effective way of working out at home.
  
• Why do major sports events leave host countries suffering?
  
• Should male and female athletes be paid equally?
  
• Chess players deserve more recognition.
• The government should ban all types of animal sports.
• Can artistic sports be judged fairly?
• Many current sports organizations are corrupt and should be reformed.
• Why don’t good athletes always make good coaches?
• Why do more females need to participate in male-dominated sports?
• Should violent sports be banned?
• Sports can unite people more than politicians.
• Athletes should not retire at the peak of their careers.
• Practicing sports makes a person more proactive.
• Sporting activities boost confidence and self-esteem.

Best,
Kelly

November Week Five:

This week we explored the world of "How To..."  We talked about how to do things everyone knows how to do (how to fry an egg, how to tie your shoes), how to do things within our own personal areas of expertise (how to learn a language) or things no one really knows how to do (how to stop climate change, how to fix inflation).

Listening:
Learners can check out an activity from British Council about how to do a job interview, or how to rent a house.

For original version listening, I recommend the NPR series Life Kit, which includes podcasts and articles.  For example, listen to how to make a tough decision, or how to make friends as an adult.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading something about how to take care of Your digital footprint or an article at the C1 level entitled How to Be Happy

For original version, you can explore the website Wikihow, which as information about pretty much everything, from How to Learn New Things, How to Avoid Drama, or How to Avoid Jetlag.

Writing:
This week for writing, please write a HOW TO piece.  Choose something you feel you know clearly how to do and outline carefully the steps to follow.  You may want to give some context or pointers to make the most of the article!
Best,
Kelly

This week I am in a frenzy preparing my annual Thanskgiving feast, so it was a natural choice to talk about food for our conversation this week!

Specifically, we used a website called BudgetBytes to find ideas for cooking and eating on a budget.

Listening:
Learners can check out an activity in the style of the First Certificate about cooking courses to check your comprehension!

For original version listening, check out an episode from the fantastic podcast Gastropod, such as Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa or Inside the Food Lab with Kenji López-Alt

Reading:
Learners can try reading an article about traditional British baking or about the future of food and the onset of 3D food printing.

For original version, you can explore the resources of the website we used in class, BudgetBytes. Their starter guide has tons of info about how to meal plan and organize your pantry to save money in the kitchen.

Writing:
This week for writing, you have a few different options.  Firstly, you could write out a recipe!  Remember to use a wide range of verbs (for instance, instead of cut onions, perhaps use chop, dice, or slice).

Another option would be to write an essay about kitchen basics.  What do you think are the most important equipment and tools for a well-equipped kitchen?
Best,
Kelly

This week we applied our language to talking about fame, celebrities and the scandals that surround famous people.  Are you a fan of tabloids?

Listening:
Learners can check out an activity from British Council such as How do you become a K-pop star?  or Camila Cabello talks about Beyoncé.

For original version listening, check out some celebrity interviews in the late night format: Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show.

Reading:
Learners can try a FCE activity about a photographer who takes pictures of celebrities at the Heathrow Airport.

For original version, check out a humorous cartoon strip from the New Yorker about How Celebrities are Saving Water During the Drought.

Writing:
This week for writing, please write an article about a celebrity. It could be someone you admire or someone that drives you nuts.  Describe them and their contributions to society. Have they been involved in any scandals? Why are they relevant today?
Best,
Kelly

In hopes that the weather will start turning, we turned to talking about our favorite fall traditions and tastes.  In honor of my New England heritage, we talked about the county fair.

Listening:
Learners can check out an intermediate comprehension activity about going to the fair.

For original version listening, try a video from Youtube about the 12 Best New England Fall Festivals or Amusement Park from This American Life.

Reading:
Learners can check out a B2 gap reading about the events that lead to participating in a photography fair.

For original version, try from the Guardian  A girl wanted to keep the goat she raised for a county fair ..

Writing:
This week for writing, please write a text detailing a fair or festival that you are familiar with.  Use descriptive adjectives to convey the activities and atmosphere of your local fair.
Best,
Kelly

This week we discussed work and specifically the more current topic of the Great Resignation -- the phenomenon of people quitting their jobs in search for a better work life balance.  Do you this trend happening in Spain, too?

Listening:
Learners can try a listening comprehension activity of a talk from a careers fair with a nurse describing her job.

For original version listening, try a news segment from CNBC about how The Great Resignation is going global and how it is going to shake up the labor supply.

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity from British Council about Work Life Balance.

For original version, go read an opinion article from The Guardian called Turns Out the Great Resignation May Be Followed by the Great Regret.

Writing:
This week for writing, please write a piece about work.  You could consider describing what a typical day on the job is like for you, or how your vision of work life balance has changed since the pandemic.
Best,
Kelly