B1/B2: Structuring an essay
Writing a good essay or report is not difficult if you structure it properly. But it’s surprising how many people don’t follow these simple steps. Level: medium • Category: writing; vocabulary; exams • • • • • • • • • • • • Lots of what we write involves introducing the subject, presenting the […]
Inkblots on the mind
Do the Rorschach inkblots reveal anything about our minds or is it just a load of mumbo jumbo? Level: higher • Category: listening, reading, writing, discussion • • • • • • • • • • • • “The experiment is very simple, so simple that at first it provokes interest and head-shaking everywhere.” Hermann […]
Spell-check it!
Do you want to write more professionally? Are you making the kind of mistakes that you could easily correct yourself? Level: medium • Category: writing; grammar • • • • • • • • • • • • When I’m marking a student’s writing task or checking a friend’s important email, I’m often surprised that […]
Real Business Emails
Emailing in a second language can be demanding: how you approach your contacts can have a huge effect on how they feel about receiving your email and how they respond. Level: higher • Category: writing; vocabulary; reading • • • • • • • • • • • • The vast majority of business correspondence […]
Hear your own words!
Get help with your pronunciation from native speakers! And help them with theirs. Level: basic • Category: pronunciation; writing; listening • • • • • • • • • • • • The idea behind RhinoSpike is very clever. Write a word list, sentence or paragraph in English which you would like to hear pronounced […]
Before Banksy there was…
Dive into the world of Jean-Michel Basquiat through this TED Ed introduction to his life and art. Level: higher • Category: listening, reading, writing, discussion • • • • • • • • • • • • “I like kids’ work more than work by real artists any day.” Jean-Michel Basquiat was the first street […]
70 sentences for Academic Writing
Academic writing relies on a lot of set phrases but if you use the same ones again and again, your writing will sound repetitive. Wouldn’t it be useful to have a bank of phrases that you can rely on? Level: higher • Category: writing, vocabulary • • • • • • • • • • […]
Where are the Neanderthals?
Neanderthals had bigger brains than us! So what happened? Level: higher • Category: listening, reading, writing, discussion • • • • • • • • • • • • Have you ever wondered what happened to other kinds of humans? Yes, we’re just homo sapiens. But what about our good friends, homo neanderthalensis? It’s Okay […]
TED Ed – Can Animals Be Deceptive?
Fireflies, geckos, snakes… animals are liars! Level: basic • medium • higher • Category: listening, reading, writing, discussion • • • • • • • • • all levels • • • • • • • • • Find out about the mysteries of the animal kingdom in this video about how animals have evolved deceptive traits and behaviours. TED Ed […]
Write Better Emails
You don’t have to be a genius to write good emails in English. But you do have to get organised! Level: basic • Category: writing • • • • • • basic • • • • • • How do you start an email? How do you structure it? And how do you pronounce “@”? […]