App for intermediate and advanced

Here is another fantastic APP for your mobile phone. Level: medium • higher Category: reading; listening; vocabulary; pronunciation  • • • • • • • • • • • • TED Talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity, with subtitles in 100+ languages. Ideas free to stream and […]

14 accents in 90 seconds!

There are lots accents in the British Isles. So what’s the difference between them? Level: basic • medium • higher •  Category: pronunciation, listening  • • • • • • • • • all levels  • • • • • • • • • The video above takes you through 14 accents of the British Isles in just 90 seconds! It’s […]

2-screen laptop!

 Are you kidding me? A laptop with two screens? So does that mean I can watch the football at the same time as writing these posts? Level: higher •  Category: listening  • • • • • • • • • • • • Unboxing videos have taken YouTube by storm and can notch up […]

Toy Story 4

This film is so hotly anticipated that 44 million people have watched the trailer! There’s a new star in «Forky» – a homemade toy – and Woody is tempted by a new life. Opens, June 21st! Level: higher •  Category: listening  • • • • • • • • • • • • «Everyone, Bonnie […]

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 […]

Hey Joe!

Who’s the greatest guitarist of all time? It’s Jimi Hendrix, isn’t it? Listen to his music, follow the lyrics and learn about the man. Level: medium •  Category: listening; reading; pronunciation  • • • • • • • • • • • • If English isn’t your first language, you probably know lots of music […]

Daily Rituals – How Artists Work

Real-life 5-part conversation about the book «Daily Rituals» by Mason Currey complete with transcript and language highlights. Level: higher •  Category: listening, reading, vocabluary  • • • • • • • • • • • • Listening to genuine conversations can be a more difficult task than listening to something that’s scripted. In real life, […]

The Real History of GoT

Everyone’s talking about Game of Thrones again! But where did they get the ideas for this world of bloodthirsty, warmongering, backstabbing kings and queens? Level: higher •  Category: reading; listening  • • • • • • • • • • • • If you’ve been following even a little of the Game of Thrones saga, […]

Seeing double!

Does English really have two ways of saying everything? In short, yes. But don’t blame us, blame the French! Level: higher •  Category: vocabulary; listening  • • • • • • • • • • • • Picking up new words and idioms isn’t always straightforward. I’m not sure I follow you! Acquiring new vocabulary […]