I Want You To Speak English

Last month I met up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in forever to have lunch. Having both read and written about how to be an effective and charismatic conversationalist, I followed the old dictum of listening more than talking and asking the other person engaging questions about themselves. This is supposed to charm your conversation partner. I guess it worked because my friend talked about himself for an hour straight and didn’t ask me a single question. When we’ve talked about the  ins and outs of making good conversation  before, someone inevitably asks, “But what if both people keep trading questions back and forth?” Well, that’s a pretty good problem to have, but I’ve yet to see it happen. Instead, most folks seem to struggle with asking any questions at all and have a very difficult time relinquishing the floor. In a time where a lot of the old social supports people relied upon have disappeared, people have become starved for attention. They bring this hunger to their...

Asking people to wait   Reminding people to do things

TED is a series of informative, educational, inspiring and sometimes jaw-dropping talks that present ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’. Ted has attracted many of the world’s most important thinkers such as Larry Page, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Ken Robinson, and a few winners of the Nobel Prize. There is an emphasis on informing, educating and opening people’s eyes to new ideas, making them perfect for the classroom. Students love these talks and really appreciate it when you take the time to make a lesson out of them. Teenagers, being the ‘YouTube generation’, also find them highly engaging and motivating. They come with transcriptions in most common languages, allowing students to read what they have listened to in English or their native tongue. This post will list 10 TED talks I have found work particularly well in the classroom. I will also outline how students could use TED to improve their English at home and how teachers can use them in class. How Learners Can Use TED at Ho...

Amplía tu repertorio de expresiones comunes inglesas para dominar el idioma británico, todas son expresiones del día a día que puedes oir en lugares como Londres o Manchester. Más de 200 expresiones en inglés y su traducción para que no te quedes sin saber qué decir  In for a penny in for a pound - De perdidos al río (UK) In for  a dime in for a dollar  – De perdidos al río (US) In the altogether - En pelotas Indeed - Ya lo creo Inside out - Del revés Is cutting edge - Es el último grito/moda Is giving him hell - Le hace la vida imposible Is water under the bridge - Es agua pasada (cuando se hacen las paces por ejemplo) It gives me the goosebumps/It gives me creep - Me pone la piel de gallina (Hacemos un inciso, si bien es cierto que vienen a decir lo mismo, la connotación de ambas es distinta, es decir. “It gives me the goosebumps” se dice cuando algo te pone la piel de gallina en el buen sentido de la frase “This song gives me the goosebumps”, por el otro lado la f...