SINGING – MUSIC VOCABULARY

Posted on February 17, 2012 by admin

Could you imagine a world without music? Music is what we breathe every day, what we use when we need a refuge. It keeps us alive. Some people dedicate their whole lives to this art; others just enjoy listening to this strong form of magic. But the fact is that music is everybody’s possession, it is the universal language of mankind. I could not imagine a world without music, I like it, I can feel it and I try to share all my moments with music.

I like listening to that moving song after a hard day of work or chatting with my friend with that new hit in the background. And I feel very grateful when I can use it to improve because, as you know, our favorite songs have a wide range of words and different structures. Therefore we can use music to improve our English skills.  If you really appreciate music, you will enjoy the following activity… learn by listening music!

RUSSIAN RED- I HATE YOU BUT I LOVE YOU

You were so high up on in the ____________

I just keep feeling like a little child

I ____________ you but I love you
I just can’t take how  ____________ you are
I hate to say this
But my eyes go ____________
I hate you but I love you
My ____________ sun becomes a healing sign
I have to tell you this
Cause my  ____________ goes wild

Oh you are so high, ____________  in the sky
Everytime I travel ____________
I think about you by my side
To any of those I cannot go by

I hate you but I ____________  you
I just can’t take how beautiful you are
I hate to ____________  this
But my eyes ____________ blind
I hate you but I love you
My favorite ____________ becomes a healing sign
I have to tell you this
Cause my heart goes ___________
Da da da, da da da

 

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC IS IT? (Genres of Music)

Rock music.

Pop music.

Hip hop music.

Heavy Metal music.

Indie music.

Punk music.

Rap music.

Classical music.

Jazz music.

Alternative music.

Country music.

Dance music.

Folk music.

Funk music.

Opera music.

Soul music.

-Don’t use THE when you are talking in general about kinds of music: I love classical music (NOT the classical music) 

-Use THE when you are talking about instruments: I play the violin, the guitar, etc.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? (Describing music)

  • This song is…

-Catchy = instantly appealing and memorable (You can’t get it out of your head)

-Moving = arousing strong emotion (it almost makes you want to cry)

-Monotonous = not interesting because of lack of change or variety (it almost sends me to sleep)

-Commercial = making or intended to make a profit. (it doesn’t have anything special)

-Upbeat and simple= an unaccented beat preceding an accented beat.

-Repetitive = containing or characterized by repetition.

-Sentimental = deriving from feeling of tenderness, sadness or nostalgia.

-Uplifting = a morally or spiritually uplifting influence.

-Bland=lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting.

  • This song has…

- Incomprehensible lyrics = not able to be understood (you cannot understand what it’s about)

-A very strong beat = a strong rhythm or rhythmic sound or movement. (The rhythm makes you want to harp your feet)

  • USEFUL SENTENCES:

I don´t know what it´s called but I recognize the tune. (The music sounds familiar)

I love singing along with this song. (When you listen it, you always start to sing)

There’s a song which really reminds me of you. (When you listen to the song, you remember that your father like it)

I like to study with this song on in the background. (You like to be listening to this song while you are doing other things)

I can’t get it out of my head! (You can’t stop singing the song!)

DO YOU LIKE IT?

POSITIVE:

-It’s amazing, just really, really good.

-It´s good.

-It´s a really inspiring song, really uplifting.

-It´s very easy to sing along to!

NEGATIVE:

-It´s not  really my kind of thing.

-I’m not that keen on that kind of stuff, to be honest.

-I’m not really in mood for that kind of thing.

-It didn’t really do anything for me.

-It left me cold.

-It´s just too much for my liking.

-It´s dreadful, absolutely awful.

-It sounds a bit (trendy/weird…) for me.

If you want to listen more sings of Russian Red, you can just click in the following links:

CIGARETTES

THE MEMORY IS CRUEL

MY LOVE IS GONE

Greetings from EUROSPEAK!!! (the best option if you are looking for a English course in England!!!)

 

 

 

Posted in Learn English, Listening, Vocabulary | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

WHY EUROSPEAK?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

Today we are not going to try to make you study English, we promise you, we only want to explain why Eurospeak should be your choice if you want to learn English in Reading or if you just want to experience a foreign country.

First, we would like you to see the following video. We have made it with the help of our current students and our teachers (again…thank you!)

“Eurospeak is an accredited international College. The school is located in town of Reading in UK just 30 minutes by train from Central London”, which is what you can read on the website and on the blog. But, why should you study in Eurospeak?

The spirit and success of a school depends on the team of tutors who are there to teach, guide and help their students. At Eurospeak we have the task of creating a professional, friendly and efficient atmosphere where all the English language tutors can teach their classes and where the students improve their knowledge in the best possible way.

At Eurospeak, great care is always taken to point a student’s career in the right direction. It is not only to teach grammar or vocabulary, according to Julia Alexander Gordon, one of our teachers; it is more than just that. Our students learn how to study, remember different words and manage on their own. And, it is really satisfying to help them to achieve their goals.

Learning a language is always a complicated task and the hardest part is the beginning. Therefore, we will be always available to help you.

Now you know, if you want to do an English course in England, Eurospeak is the right choice!

 

Posted in Eurospeak UK | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

WHAT KIND OF ENGLISH STUDENT YOU ARE?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by admin

Many language learners are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type (MBTI), an instrument widely used to help people discover the way they tend to take information, make decisions and relate to people. Would you like to know what kind of English learner you are? In only three steps you will have this information!

subir imagenes

Because if know yourself better, it will be easier to achieve all your future goals!

A. Answer the following questions:

1. Do you prefer: a) Group classes or b) One teacher-One student classes?

2. Do you prefer: a) Oral tests or b) Written tests?

3. Do you prefer: a) Practical application or b) Dealing with concepts?

4. Do you prefer: a) Being given an example fist or b) Being given the rule first?

5. Do you prefer: a) Social interaction or b) Working by yourself?

6. Do you prefer: a) Being given the rule plus its many variations or b) Being given lots of examples so that you can deduce the rule for yourself?

7. Do you prefer: a) Memorizing lots of facts and details or b) Just grasping the general concepts?

8. Do you prefer: a) The real and concrete or b) Meaning, symbols and abstractions?

9. Do you prefer: a) Observing details/facts or b) Having flashes of intuition?

10. With new material, do you prefer: a) Going step-by-step (according to the textbook or manual) or b) Finding you own way?

11. Do you tend to be a) Generally more sceptical or b) Generally more trusting?

12. Do you a) More value determination or b) More value harmony between people?

13. Do you a) More objective or b) More subjective?

14. Do you prize more highly a) logical order or b) warmth in friendships?

15. When coming to a decision, do you more a) Use objective and impersonal criteria or b) Weigh human values and motives (my own and others)?

16. Do you a) Work in a steady, orderly way or b) Work in a flexible, more impulsive way?

17. Do you prefer a) Working on clearly laid out tasks or b) Working on discovery-type tasks?

18. When completing a task, is it important to you a) To finish it on time or b) To remain open to further detail?

19. Do you prefer a) Formal, structured tasks or b) Informal, problem-solving tasks?

20. Are you a) a more goal-oriented type of person or b) a more open-ended, play –it-by-ear type of person?

B) What kind of student you are?

Extroversion vs. Introversion

Check your answers in questions 1-5:

- The more “a” answers you checked, the more extrovert you are.

-The more “b” answers you checked, the more introvert you are.

Sensing vs. Intuition

Check your answers in questions 6-10:

-The more “a” answers you checked, the more sensing (concrete-sequential) you are.

-The more “b” answers you checked, the more intuitive you are.

Thinking vs. Feeling

Check your answer in questions 11-15:

-The more “a” answers you checked, the more thinking you are.

-The more “b” answers you checked, the more feeling you are.

Judging vs. Perceiving

Check your answer in questions 16-20

-The more “a” answer you checked, the more judging you are.

-The more “b” answer you checked, the more perceiving you are.

C) What does it mean?

Extroverts: the extroverted learner learns more effectively through concrete experiences, contacts with the outside world, and relationships with others. They value group interaction and classwork done together with other students. They are willing to take conversational risks, but are dependent on outside stimulation and interaction.

Introvert: the introverted learner learns more effectively in individual, independent situations that are more involved with ideas and concepts. Their strengths are their ability to concentrate on the task in hand as well as their self-sufficiency; however, they need to process ideas before speaking, which sometimes lead to avoiding linguistic risk-taking in conversation.

Sensing: the sensing learner learns more effectively from reports of observable facts; prefers physical, sense-based input. Their great assets are their willingness to work hard in a systematic way, and their attention to details; however, their progress will be affected negatively if there is a lack of clear sequence, goals or structure in the language or language course.

Intuitive types: the intuitive learner learns more effectively from flashes of insight, using their imagination, and grasping the general concepts rather than all the details. Their strengths are their ability to guess from the context and structuring their own training. However, they can be hindered by inaccuracy and missing important details.

Thinking types: the thinking learner learns more effectively from impersonal circumstances and logical consequences. Their strengths are in their ability to analyze and their self-discipline. However, they can suffer from performance anxiety because their self-esteem is attached to achievement.

Feeling types: the feeling learner learns more effectively from personalized circumstances and social values. They have the advantage of their strong desire to bond with the teacher, resulting in good relations which lead to high self-esteem. However, they can become discouraged if not appreciated and disrupted by lack of interpersonal harmony.

Judging types: the judging learner learns more effectively by reflection, analysis and processes that involve closure. They have the advantage of systematically working through a task, and wanting to get the job done. However, they suffer from rigidity and intolerance of ambiguity.

Perceiving types: the perceiving learner learns more effectively through negotiation, feeling, and inductive processes that postpone closure. Their strong points are their openness, flexibility and adaptability to change and new experiences. However, they may suffer from laziness and inconsistency over the long term.

Greetings from EUROSPEAK!!! (Where you can learn English!!!)

 

Posted in Learn English, Reading | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

ENGLISH PROVERBS

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

Nowadays some expressions and words are less and less used. Some of them used to be said by our grandparents or even our ancestors. English proverbs are a good example of this reality; they are sort pithy sayings that usually give people advice or state a general truth. For that reason they are usually full of popular wisdom. Do you really want to live without using them?

Photobucket

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A word is enough to the wise.

All cats are grey in the dark.

All roads lead to Rome.

All that glitters is not gold.

Barking dogs never bite.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Common sense is the least common of senses.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

The early bird catches the worm.

Hunt with cats and you catch only rats.

It never rains, but it pours.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

It’s never too late to learn.

Better late than never.

Appearances are deceptive.

Actions speak louder than words.

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

Are you ready to use these expressions in your daily conversation? You do not have to think that they are difficult; you must just try to use them! Because the more you say, the faster you will learn them. Maybe they are a bit old-fashioned, but you English Will have all our popular wisdom!

Come on! And remember… When there’s a Will, there’s a way. (WE CAN DO IT!!!)

Greetings from EUROSPEAK!!! (where you can learn English!!!)

 

Posted in Learn English, Vocabulary | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

GRAMMAR RULES: COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

Posted on January 18, 2012 by admin

When we are studying English we usually think of how difficult it is. That is because, although we spend most of our spare time studying, we don’t notice any improvements. But we hardly ever think of the positive side, not everything is hard in this language…

If someone asks me what the easiest thing in English is, I will not hesitate. In my opinion, the easiest thing is the English grammar. You will probably wondering if I am a crazy person. But, in fact, English grammar is straightforward, logical and, the most important thing, easy to learn.

Photobucket

Therefore, you should not feel scared of this subject. You only need to pay attention to our advice. We are going to explain you the main grammar rules in a simple way. Firstly, we are going to study comparatives and superlatives. Are you ready?
Take a deep breath, relax, and read carefully. Soon you will be a grammar expert!

1. Comparatives: use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects. The formation of the comparative depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.

-If the adjective has two or less syllables: ADJECTIVE –ER, THAN…

EXAMPLES: I am taller than Beth.

Jonh runs faster than Mark.

To form the comparative, we add –er to the end of the adjective and remember that comparatives are often followed by than.

-If the adjective has more than two syllables: MORE + ADJECTIVE, THAN…

EXAMPLES: New York is more exciting than Seattle.

My book is more interesting than yours.

For adjectives with 2 syllables and higher (3, 4 syllables etc), we use more.

EXERCISES:

Comparatives 1

Comparatives 2

Comparatives 3

Comparatives 4

2. Comparison of adjectives with “AS…AS”: We use as…as to say that something or someone is like something or someone else, or that one situation is like another:

The structure of this expression is: AS + ADJECTIVE/ADVERB + AS

EXAMPLES: My brother is as tall as my dad.

I’m as old as you are.

EXERCISES:

Comparison of adjectives 1

Comparison of adjectives 2

3. Superlatives: We use a superlative adjective to describe the extreme quality of one thing in a group of things. As with comparative adjectives, there are two ways to form a superlative adjective:

-If the adjective has two or less syllables: THE + ADJETIVE-EST

EXAMPLES: I’m the tallest in my English class.

John is the fastest.

-If the adjective has more than two syllables: THE + MOST ADJETIVE

EXAMPLES: New York is the most exciting city in United States.

This book is the most interesting book that I´d never read.

EXERCISES:

Superlatives 1

Superlatives 2

Superlatives 3

If you want to know more about the formation of comparative and superlative adjectives, you just click in the following link:

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

4. Double comparatives for cause and effect: “THE + comparative, THE + comparative”

I think the best way to learn how to use the double comparatives is to focus on the meaning:

“The more you study, the more you learn” (the meaning is that if you study hard, you will probably learn more than if you don’t usually study)

Cause= to study   Effect= to learn

EXAMPLES: The sooner you do it, the easier it’ll be.

The colder is it, the more clothes you need to wear.

EXERCISES:

The…the+comparatives 1

The…the+comparatives 2

The…the+comparatives 3

5. Differences between AS/LIKE: most English students do not really know when they should use “like” and when “as”. We are going to explain the differences with some examples:

LIKE:

-The structure of the sentence is usually:   VERB + LIKE + PRONOUN

He speaks like a native speaker.

She looks like a supermodel.

AS:

-The structure of the sentence is usually:     AS + SUBJECT + VERB

Nobody sings as she does.

They went to the party as they were.

It is very common in American English to use LIKE instead of AS. However, it is generally considered informal to use it in this way.

We play football like champions do. (Like instead of as!)

-We also use AS to say what role/function of a person/thing is.

He started work as a carpenter.

She used the tapestry as a decoration in her living room.

-Finally, we can use AS IF to make comparisons as well. However, it has a few distinct characteristics to its use:

The verb after AS IF is always in the past subjunctive, no matter what tense the sentence is:

He looks as if he knew the answer.

If the verb BE directly follows AS IF, we use were for all personal pronouns.

She walks as if she were a supermodel.

LIKE vs AS

Be careful, in similar sentences that use LIKE and AS, the meanings of each sentence are very different. For example:

As your boss, I must warn you to be careful (I am your boss)

Like your boss, I must warn you to be careful (I am not your boss, but he/she and I have similar attitudes)

EXPRESSIONS

-We always use AS with the verb to dress up: “She went to the party dressed up as Cleopatra.”

-We always use LIKE instead of SUCH AS: “The twentieth century produced a number of female political leaders, like Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher.”

EXERCISES

Differences between as and like 1

Differences between as and like 2

Differences between as and like 3

We hope that now you can use easier the comparative and superlative forms to compare and contrast different objects in English. The secret… practise and practise! And, as you know, we can do it!

Greetings from Eurospeak (where you can learn English!!!)

 

 

Posted in Grammar, Learn English | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

16 WAYS TO SAY “I LIKE IT”

Posted on January 11, 2012 by admin

Have you ever thought how many times you have said “I like it” or “I like you” in your life? You could probably spend days trying to remember moments.

Everybody has millions of memories related to these words. But the problem is that foreign English speakers are only able to say that! There are different ways of saying “I like it” in English. Therefore, if you want to improve your vocabulary, you just have to watch the following video “16 ways to say I LIKE IT”:

1. I’m really into it.

2. I’m keen on it.

3. I’m fond of it.

4. It appeals to me.

5. It goes down well (with people)

6. It’s to my linking.

7. I’m partial to it.

8. I’m crazy about it.

9. I’m mad about it.

10. I’m attached to it.

11. I’m passionate about it.

12. I have a passion for it.

13. I’ve grown to like it.

14. I’ve got a soft spot for her/him.

15. I fancy her.

16. I can’t get enough of it.

Greetings from EUROSPEAK, where you can learn English!!!

 

 

Posted in Learn English, Listening, Vocabulary | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE TOWN OF READING?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin

If you hear people talking about EUROSPEAK, the word Reading often crops up in their conversation. This, however, has nothing to do with improving their reading skills!  Reading is the name of the town where our English school is located, and, therefore, it is a place where a large number of students from all corners of the world come to improve their English. But how well do you know this town?

READING TOWN HALL

Here are six essential things you need to know:

1. Be careful with the name. It is pronounced  /ˈrɛdɪŋ/ and NOT /ri:dɪŋ/.

2. Where is Reading?  It is located in the “royal” county of Berkshire in the south of England. The town is 41 miles (66 km) west of central London (just 30 minutes by train!) and 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Oxford.

READING MAP

3. Reading is not as small as you think: More than 230,000 people live in the town. According to recent surveys, you can hear as many as 150 different languages in its streets. It is a colourful multicultural town.  It also has a very good university that attracts thousands of students.

4. Reading is a FUN place!!!  And not as stressful as London!  

You can:

Reading park

- Oracle centre which has an enormous variety of stores, cafes, and restaurants.

- Visit the famous Oracle centre which has an enormous variety of stores, cafes, and restaurants.

- Relax in the green parks near the ruins of the ancient abbey and on the banks of the River Thames that meanders through the town.

- Sample the varieties of English beer in the many pubs.

- Dance the night away in the many nightclubs.

- Stroll or jog along the banks of the River Thames or take a boat ride to the historic Mapledurham House.  Or try your hand at rowing, canoeing, tennis, golf or even cricket (!).  Many more sports and activities are available at the town´s numerous leisure centers.

5. The Reading Festival:   This is one of Britain´s most famous rock festivals which attracts the country´s best bands and tens of thousands of people, young and old, in late August.

6. Celebrities. Some famous people were born in Reading, for example, Kate Middleton, Kate Winslet and the comedian Ricky Gervais.  One of England´s greatest writers – Oscar Wilde – spent a period of his life in Reading “at her majesty´s pleasure” i.e.  He was imprisoned in the town jail where he wrote his famous poem “The Ballad of Reading Jail.”

Ricky Gervais

Kate Middlenton

Kate Winslet 

If you would like to know more about Reading, you can visit these websites:

IMAGES

INFORMATION

Greetings from EUROSPEAK!


Posted in Eurospeak UK, Reading Town | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

STEPS FOR SUCCESS: YOUR COVERING LETTER

Posted on January 9, 2012 by admin

Looking for a job can be a stressful and frustrating thing. Our CV and our covering letter always make this search more effective. But the main problem is that most English students find it difficult to write them.

Hire me

Sooner or later everybody has to struggle with these documents. But we need to remember that writing formal letter is wasier tan writing informal ones! You just need to pay attention to the following advice and examples and, of course, feel very positive. Because each one of us is unique, everyone can find a job! Therefore…come on!

CV ( CURRICULUM VITAE)

In order to increase transparency and mobility of citizens, European countries develop EUROPASS in 2004. EUROPASS are different documents to make a person’s skills and qualifications clearly understood throughout Europe. For that reason, we think that you should do your CV in the Europass format, clicking in the following link you can unload the format and see several examples.

Europass

CLICK HERE TO ACESS EUROPASS

A COVERING LETTER

Lot of companies think a potential worker’s covering letter is more interesting than their CVs. You cannot forget that you need to be different to the other applicants, and the best tool is your covering letter. It will be the first impression they will have about you.

If you want to write a successful covering letter, you need to know:

-The letter should be written in formal style, buy it should be friendly as well! As you know, you cannot use contraction. (You’re You are)

-It should not be longer than one side of an A4 paper.

-It should have between 3-4 paragraphs (no more!!!)

-Different jobs require different approaches; you should update your letter for each application. You should avoid repeating everything you say in your CV (they will see this document too) Instead of that, you should prove you are the best candidate for the job.

-Check for mistakes: grammar, spelling, punctuation…

Now we are going to show you show the layout must be:

Covering letter

GREETING/ENDING: The greeting and the farewell should be different if you know the name of the person or not:

If you know the name:

“Dear Mr/Ms Smith”       “Your sincerely”

If you do not know the name:

“Dear sir/madam”           “Your faithfully”

PARAGRAPH 1: The first paragraph is the most important; we offer some sentences to express your ideas:

1. Explain the position you want to cover.

2. Indicates hoy you found the offer –

“I’m writing to response to your job advertisement…”

“I was very interested to read your advertisement for a…”

“Further your advertisement in …, I should like to apply for …”

“I am writing to enquire about any possible vacancies you may have at your…” (puedes usar ésta  si no has visto ningún anuncio antes de escribir la carta)

3. Indicates when you can start work (optional)-

“I’m looking for a placement within a … from …”

“I would ideally to work afternoon and evening to fit in with my studies”

4. Explain why you have applied for the job.

PARAGRAPH 2: In the second and third paragraph you should describe your knowledge, skills and experiences. This description should show that you are the ideal candidate for the job. You can use these sentences:

1. Describe why you are interested in this job –

“I first became interested in …  Since then …”

“…that confirmed my decision to aim for a career in this field”

2. Indicates the reasons why you are attracted to the company (and this will be a sign that you know them) –

“I prefer to work for a small friendly organisation”

“I’m particularly interested in a career with…, because of the high reputation of your..”

PARAGRAPH 3:

1. Explain your skills and how they can be an advantage within the company –

“As you can see from my CV, I have…”

“Through my degree course, I have been able to develop my interest in…”

“I have gained some experience in… and I have good … skills”

“I found my work at… particularly valuable in teaching me the importance of…”

“During my time as a student I have had a variety of part-time and vacations jobs, all of which have required me to work as…”

PARAGRAPH 4: You should indicate how the prospective employer can get in touch with you and when you are available for an interview.

1. When you will available-

“I would be grateful if you could consider me for any suitable position”

“I will be available for interview at any time …”

“I will be available for interview at any time, apart from…”

2. Hoe they can get in touch with you –

“I can be contacted on 0626978066 after 6.00pm every evening”

3. Do not forget to be grateful !

“I look forward to hearing from you shortly and enclose my CV for your consideration”

To make it more clear, we propose the following examples. In them, you can see some good covering letters.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/covering_letter_standard.pdf

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/covering_letter_speculative.pdf

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/covering_letter_international_student.pdf

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/covering_letter_disability.pdf

We hope now you can write your covering letter easily and feeling more confident. Finally, the last advice is: relax. Because the most important thing is that you enjoy this experience. So…

BE CONFIDENT

ENJOY YOUR LETTER

CHECK AND CHECK!!!

Greetings from EUROSPEAK, we are confident that in 2012 many more professional successes await you!

Posted in Eurospeak UK, Learn English, Vocabulary, Writting | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

LISTENING: WE CAN DO IT

Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin

Every English student has always an unresolved task: improving their listening skills. Of course, most students think they can not improve these skills because their ears do not work properly. But the problem is quite different; the main reason is only one: they have not practised enough.

It is vital to have a specific schedule in order to improving our oral comprehension. We are going to suggest to you some straightforward activities. If you do them, you willIMAGE notice improvements shortly. Because, as you know, to improve your listening skills can be a good New Year’s resolution…

1.  Enjoy watching movies (But… always in English!)

You can improve your oral comprehension watching an English film per week. If you do not feel confident enough, you can begin using English subtitles (even subtitles in your own language!) Little by little, your listening skills will improve and, soon, you will not need any subtitles.

2. With YOU TUBE.

You can see videos at the weekend. These videos can be about interesting celebrities. Besides, you can practise different accents with this exercise, such as:

- Emma Thompson (British accent) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAhdf5WieN

- Barack Obama (American accent): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbnplgnVG4s

- Freida Pinto (Indian accent): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03G2jeWFFH0

3.  Discover what is happening in the world!

Listening to the English news every day can help you to stretch your English skills. It is an easy exercise and you only need 10 minutes per day!!! Bellow, you can see some links to interesting news stories; all of them with English subtitles:

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/tae_insight_archive.shtml

-http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/

-http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/ (Solo temas sobre salud)

-http://en.englishyappr.com/welcome/HomePage.action

Moreover, you can see some websites that do not have subtitles. You must not worry if you do not understand everything. You only need to have a global idea about the news. Another interesting exercise could be to summarize what you have understood in two or three sentences.

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ (Br English)

-www.ccn.com (Us English)

-http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/ (Australian English)

-www.breakingnewsenglish.com

4.  Don’t waste your FREE time!

Your MP3 or MP4 can help to improve your English. You can listen to English programmes while you are doing your daily tasks (for example cleaning, having breakfast or walking to work/ school). There are different options:

Podcast: You can download radio programmes from different websites so you can listen to them in your MP4. It is free! (Such as, the show “Woman’s Hour” http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/whnews)

Radio: You must listen to the English radio every day.

Televisión: You must always watch the TV series and TV programmes in English.

5.  Listening to your music.

You can look for the lyrics of your favourite music. You can also enjoy singing along to the music!

We hope these exercises will be useful in order to improve your oral comprehension. We can do it!

Greeting from EUROSPEAK!

Posted in Eurospeak UK, Learn English, Learn English Mexico City, Listening | Tagged , | 31 Comments

An Olympic summer School

Posted on December 20, 2011 by admin

Only 221 days left until the Olympic torch is lit in London and you can already breathe the festive atmosphere and feel the sporting spirit that the Olympic Games will bring to the country. The British capital is getting ready. In Trafalgar Square there is a clock with the countdown of the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining until the big event. The shops are all selling souvenirs for the future visitors.

Olympic clock in Trafalgar Square

From the 27th of July to the 12th of August, London will be invaded by hundreds of tourists and prices for accommodation, food, and study fees will increase gradually. But who can resist living this international experience this summer in the UK? Our summer courses in Reading, only 60 km away from London, will bring the Olympic experience closer to you.

In Reading, besides its privileged location, during the summer you can do outdoor activities and enjoy the warm the temperatures. The sports fans will also have the possibility to practise their favourite sports, not only as the witnesses of the games.

Furthermore, the city of Reading offers a wide range of activities and in August there is one of the most popular music festivals in the UK, bringing to the town a multicultural and very diverse atmosphere.

Reading music festival

The advantages of studying in Reading next summer are countless. Its proximity to London makes it the ideal town to spend the next season. Learning and studying at Eurospeak can be an unforgettable experience, are you going to miss this opportunity?

Posted in Eurospeak UK, Reading Town | Tagged , | 13 Comments