"What English qualifications can my teenager get?"

Many parents often wonder if their children's English level is up to scratch or, in fact, better than average. Some ask after official qualifications that can be beneficial for their future career or current education. I understand the struggle but we need to remember that just because a lot of people have a B2 or a C1 doesn't mean it's a piece of cake (easy).

So, what's the answer? The British Council have come up with a fantastic solution to this timely question: APTIS (para jovenes):-

https://www.britishcouncil.es/examenes/aptis/teens ----> Some information about the test

As you can see it's a level test which is very similar to an official Cambridge exam. It's the best way for you and your teens to verify their English level as well as getting a taste of what an official English exam is like.

For this exam we would need to revise suitable vocabulary topics like:-

• social networks (ICT)
• homework and studies (education)
• events (suited to their age; parties, fairs, outdoor events, etc.)
• school sports (hobbies and their leisure time)

This test is computer based and the results will be ready within a week of the test (compared to four to five weeks for an official exam).

Here are some sample grammar questions from the test:-

1. Written grammar 

He ______ me that the machine was broken. 

 told 

 spoke 

 said 

My boss says that I ______ to finish the report by Friday. 

 must 

 have 

 should 

My new computer works _____ faster than my old one. 

 many 

 more 

 much 

I have worked for this company _____ I left university. 

 since 

 after 

 from 

Here is a link to the candidate guide with a lot more information about the test:-

https://www.britishcouncil.es/sites/default/files/aptis_candidate_guide_jan18.pdf

To sum up, the beauty of this test is that you are not only tested for one level but tested to verify your level so your result can be anything from A1 to C.

Resolutions... Will they stick?

I'm sure all of you have made some resolutions for the new year, right? In my case I've taken up swimming, after a long time without any sport in my life (if you know me, you know it was for a good reason), so back to sport I am. So far, so good, I'm feeling great but will it last?

That's the point, what do we have to do to make sustainable changes? What are the keys?

Matt Cutts has some tips about how to stick to your new routine:-

https://eslvideo.com/quiz.php?id=33718

Can you answer these questions about his tips?


1. He says he felt like he was "stuck in a rut," so he decided to ____________________.
 go to McDonalds
 try something new for thirty days

2. He says it's a pretty simple idea. Just think about something you've always wanted _____________ and try it for thirty days.
 to add to your life
 to watch someone do

3. He learned a couple things, one, time became more memorable, and two, ________________.
 he took a picture everyday for a month
 his self-confidence grew

4. He figured out that if he really wanted something badly enough _______________.
 he could do it for thirty days
 he could write a book

5. He wrote a book in a month. He says ___________________.
 the book is awful
 it was an awful experience

6. He learned that when he tried something for thirty days, he could keep doing it if _________________.
 it was something small
 it was a big, crazy challenge

7. He says we should think about something we've always wanted to try, and ______________.
 guarantee that the next thirty days will pass, whether we like it or not
 give it a shot

Back to school and back to English class = Back to basics and why not? :)

After the rainstorms last week we are finally back to normal and most people are back to work / school and English class, which normally means back to basics, in other words you're going to start with the present simple again. So seeing as that's the case, why not make it entertaining.

Let's have a quick look at the Present Simple:-

USES:

- Facts
e.g. People speak Spanish in Spain. OR The sky isn't green.

- Routines and habits
e.g. I work from Monday to Friday. OR I usually go swimming twice a week.

- Timetables (present and future)
e.g. My next class starts at 10.45 OR He doesn't finish work until 20.00.

CONJUGATION:

+ 
I work
You work
He / She / It works
You work
We work
They work

- 
I don't work
You don't work
He/She/it doesn't work
You don't work
We don't work
They don't work

?
Do I work?
Do you work?
Does he/she/it work?
Do you work?
Do we work?
Do they work?

TIME EXPRESSIONS FOR THE PRESENT SIMPLE:-

• Frequency Adverbs:-

ALWAYS

USUALLY / NORMALLY / FREQUENTLY

OFTEN

SOMETIMES

HARDLY EVER

SELDOM

NEVER

• Frequency Expressions

Once / Twice / Three times a day / week / month / year.

Every day / week / month / year.

From time to time.

Once in a blue moon.

Now we have seen an overview of the present simple let's put it into practise with some comprehension, watch this video with Mr Bean and try to answer the questions:-

https://www.eslvideo.com/quiz.php?id=32905

1. Mr. Bean ____________ a picture of the stewardess.
 take
 takes
 does not take

2. Mr. Bean ___________ his first class pass to passengers.
 show
 shows
 does not show

3. Mr. Bean ____________ his shoes.
 takes off
 take off
 doesn't take off

4. The man next to him _____________________ Mr. Bean's feet.
 smells
 doesn't smells
 doesn't smell

5. The man _____________ having his picture taken.
 does not like
 do not like
 does not likes

6. Mr. Bean ______________ to wake up the man in front of her.
 try
 tries
 do not try

7. The man _______________ happy about his flight.
 isn't
 are
 does not be

8. Mr. Bean _______________ a gun.
 has
 do not have
 does not have

9. The officers ____________ he __________ have a gun.
 thinks, does
 think, do
 think, does

10. The officers _____________ him.
 chase
 chases
 don't chase

11. The officer ______________ him if he takes medicine.
 asks
 ask
 doesn't ask

12. Mr. Bean says he _____________ medicine.
 isn't take
 don't take
 doesn't take

Now let's play a game! Write three sentences in present simple about yourself in the comments below (two of them should be true and the other one should be a lie). The others should guess which one is a lie.

Have fun and welcome back to the routine!

How to manage conference calls in English

Conference calls can be complicated to manage in a foreign language like English but there are plenty of tactics you can use to make it easier.

Here are some phrases that could come in handy to be assertive and participate:-

HOW TO START A CONFERENCE CALL

• I would like to welcome everyone here today.
• Thanks for attending.
• Could you all state your names, clearly, before speaking, please?
• Please indicate which office / department / project / site you represent.
• I would like to start by giving you an overview of + noun

HOW TO INTERRUPT DURING A CONFERENCE CALL

• Sorry, would you mind if I asked a brief question?
• Just to clarify, are you saying that / do you mean that....?
• Would you mind if I jumped in there, please?
• I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but...
• So sorry to interrupt but before we move on*, I’d like to add my thoughts on this topic. (*Note: to move on means to start doing or discussing something new.)
• May I add something quickly?

HOW TO CLARIFY SOMETHING

• I didn't get that sorry, would you mind saying it again please?
• Could you speak up a bit please?
• Could you explain that in layman's terms (non technical language) please?
• Would you mind going through/over that again please?
• I didn't catch what you said, do you mean.....?

OTHER USEFUL PHRASES

• Can you leave it with me? / Leave it with me and I'll get back to you ASAP.
• I think that may have been a misunderstanding. / I think you may have misunderstood me sorry.
• I'll look into it and let you know.

Now let's try and put some of that into practice by listening to an extract from a conference call (featuring several different English accents) and do some related activities below:-

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/conference-calls-0

Spam... a nightmare or in this case something memorable?!

Let's talk about spam. Something we all get on a regular basis or rather on a daily basis. More often than not spammers want to sell you something but sometimes spammers want to scam you.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles/scam

It's something that wastes our valuable time and annoys us at best. However, what if someone gives these scammers/spammers a dose of their own medicine.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles/give-sb-a-dose-taste-of-their-own-medicine?q=give+sb+a+dose%2Ftaste+of+their+own+medicine

Namely, I have found a TED speaker who does precisely this. Enjoy!:-

https://www.ted.com/talks/james_veitch_this_is_what_happens_when_you_reply_to_spam_email#t-567797

Now you've watched the video, try to answer the quiz:-

1. What kind of spam email, or junk mail did James receive?

 a.) A misleading message from someone you know whose email account has been hacked.
 b.) A counterfeit message that looks reliable that attempts to trick you into supplying your personal information.
 c.) An unsolicited commercial email message sent in bulk.

2. Does James believe he will receive gold?

 a.) Yes
 b.) No

3. How much gold does James want Solomon to ship to him?

 a.) 25 kilograms
 b.) 50 kgs
 c.) a metric ton

4. What will Soloman spend his commission on?

 a.) hummus
 b.) real estate

5. For how long did James email back and forth with Solomon?

 a.) a few days
 b.) a few weeks

6.) What is James doing?

 a.) He's having fun, playing the scammers at their own game
 b.) He's having fun and saving people money

You can check your answers on the video quiz page.

Feel free to leave your comments about your experience with spam / junk mail / scammers below!