Spooky Halloween

Do you like to get scared sometimes? Do you enjoy watching terror films?

If you do, have a look at the following links where you can find plenty of scary stories, videos and podcasts.

Scary Ghost Stories 

Spooky Videos and Podcasts

And if you're going to a Halloween party, perhaps you can use this idea for your nails.

Word of the week: Chilling

Tomorrow's Halloween, so this week's word is the adjective

chilling

which means frightening, usually because it's connected to something violent or cruel. 

Examples:

Paul told us a chilling story about a murderer. 

The film evokes chilling reminders of the war.

Pronunciation Patterns

English pronunciation is difficult, we already know that, and there are no rules, which makes things even more complicated. However, there are certain patterns we can follow when we don't know how to pronounce a word, as we saw the other day in class. Here you are the document which includes these patterns for you to download.

Pronunciation Patterns File

Moreover, on this blog you can find other interesting posts on pronunciation, such as one on the pronunciation of the -ed ending for the past, a post on silent consonants, a post on the difference between b & v, among others. You can see them all by clicking on the label "pronunciation". 

TV Show: Betrayal

A language is used for communication and consequently the most important thing is to understand and be understood. Foreign language students usually need to practise listening, a skill many people find difficult. However, all you need is a lot of practice! 

I strongly recommend watching TV shows in English without subtitles in advanced levels. When I say this in class, the next question is: which one? Well, that depends on your interests and likes. Since you can watch a TV show not only to learn English but also to be entertained, the most logical option is to choose one you really like. 

A new one I've recently discovered is Betrayal. Set in the amazing city of Chicago, it stars a beautiful photographer who begins an affair with a lawyer for a powerful family. Both unhappily married to other people and somehow involved in a murder trial on separate sides. You can watch the trailer below.

Word of the week: Deadlock

This week's word is

deadlock

which means a complete failure to reach an agreement or settle an argument.

Examples:
The strike has reached a deadlock. (noun)

Despite months of discussion the negotiations remained deadlocked. (adjective)

Podcast: People fear personality transplants

The other day we talked about personality types in class and we saw several interesting adjectives to describe personality such as thorough, outgoing, overbearing, steady, understanding, among others. 

Today we have a very interesting podcast on how some organ receivers are scared of changing their personality when they are given other people's organs. Listen to it and share your opinion.

People fear personality transplants

I believe there's no scientific evidence to back that and I'd be more than happy to receive any organ if I needed one. What's your opinion on this?

I want to take the chance to thank organ donors and their families!

Collection of Advanced Contents Unit 1

Hey Students!

On the blog you can find some posts related to topics we've seen so far in unit 1 in your book. Here's the list:

- A post on Job Interviews, which includes a reading with comprehension questions, and an article with the top ten interview tips. 

- A podcast on Youth Unemployment, together with an article.

- A vocabulary list on work.

- An article on Stepfamilies.  

So, plenty of practice for you! Enjoy!

Word of the week: I don't like the look of this

This week's expression is

I don't like the look of sth/sb

which means I feel a bit uneasy about something or somebody.

Example:

Do you know Tom's new friend, Jerry? I don't like the look of him at all. 

In Spanish we'll say something like 'me da mala espina' or 'no me gusta la pinta de eso'.

Podcast: Republicans and Obama in debt crisis talks

As you may have heard on the news, there has been a government shutdown in the US because the MPs were unable to do their job and set a budget for the next year. Do you want to know more about this topic? Listen to the following podcast:

Republicans and Obama in debt crisis talks

There's a lot of interesting advanced vocabulary on this piece of news, such as 'dire consequences', 'impasse', 'stalemate', 'looming debt', 'stagnation', 'wherewithal', among others.

You also have the written text to check your comprehension and exercises to practise.

Word of the week: Crackpot

This week's word is

crackpot

which means (noun referring to a person) a crazy or very strange person; (adjective for an idea) foolish.

Examples: 

Some crackpot called to tell us that the sky is falling in.

Tommy had a crackpot idea and all his stupid friends followed it.