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 […]

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Before Harry Potter and the big-screen adaptations of Lord of The Rings, there was another fantasy world, a world in a wardrobe. Level: medium •  Category: reading; listening; vocabulary  • • • • • • • • • • • • If you have children who are also learning English, why not read a book […]

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 […]

Myths debunked!

Did Paul McCartney die in 1966? Was Walt Disney cryogenically frozen? Should you think twice before performing Macbeth? Level: higher •  Category: listening  • • • • • • • • • • • • On the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Paul’s out of step with the others and he’s not wearing any […]

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 […]

IELTS course with free crocodiles

What’s the difference between the pronouns, «which», «that» and «who», and what do they have to do with crocodiles? Level: higher •  Category: exams, listening, grammar  • • • • • • • • • • • • IELTS is a great choice for an exam that prepares you for life at a university in […]

How we really say «have»

Contraction is a key part of speaking English with natural pronunciation. But does it matter if you contract? Level: higher •  Category: pronunciation, speaking  • • • • • • • • • • • • Spanish speakers like to speak with clear vowel sounds because that’s how Spanish works. If I try to persuade […]

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 […]