English Without End

When you come to think of it, Segovia is just round the corner and well worth a visit, anyway. Hay Festival Segovia full programme  (19-22 September). We interview Nikesh Shukla | Hay Festival Segovia Hay Festival 2017: NeilGaiman and Stephen Fry - Myth Makers Toni Morrison talks to Peter Florence ABOUT HAY FESTIVAL In 1987, in Hay-on-Wye, a small town on the border between England and Wales that houses 1,500 people and is home to two dozen bookstores, two local residents, Peter Florence (current director) and his father Norman, decided to hold a festival literary. Since then, Hay has grown to become one of the most important ideas festivals in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year. The Hay Festival, which has a presence in Europe and Latin America, is chaired by the actor and writer Stephen Fry and its board of directors is headed by Caroline Michel. Thanks to its director Sheila Cremaschi, over the last ...

Breakfasters divided again with relaunch of Marmite extra old  (The Guardian) Marmite meanings Marmite maker: it was right to increase prices after Brexit vote

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm

"It was a bright cold day in April," goes the first line of 1984, "and the clocks were striking thirteen" George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four opening sentence. Another 35 years have elapsed since then, and Nineteen Eighty-Four remains the book we turn to when truth is mutilated, when language is distorted, when power is abused, when we want to know how bad things can get. Nothing but the truth: the legacy of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four   (The Guardian)

https://thetruesize.com/ Mercator misconceptions: Clever map shows the true size of countries The most popular map of the world is highly misleading Maps have 'north' at the top, but it could've been different The Atlas of Prejudice

On the lookout for a non-mainstream film in English? This is the film I saw yesterday at Renoir Princesa (V.O.S.) which is an adaptation from the book The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe by French writer, Romain Puértolas .  The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (original title) is a colourful, feel-good movie, the perfect fit for those who want to practise English with little stress. A delightful crowdpleaser!

Are you only days away from taking a B2/C1 English test? These links, tips and resources might help you make the most of your last-minute revision time: Last-minute resources and tips for C1 English tests

Down below are some podcasts you might like to listen to while you enjoy your jog in the park or your leisurely stroll down Calle Mayor on your way to your favourite place to savour a nice cup of café con leche. Take your pick: one or two are rather exam focused, but the others pivot around English in a more or less light-hearted way. Hope you enjoy them! (tip from C1 evening teacher, Martín) The English We Speak Better At English Luke's English Podcast Splendid Speaking Podomatic VOA Learning English Podcast More Podcasts

On Friday, you asked me why all English teachers love Jane Austen. Why, indeed? " … the peculiar brilliance of Austen lies partly in what she focuses on, and what she ignores." (Times Insider). It’s no wonder. She’s among the most revered authors writing in English. Her novels take a critical and often humorous look at life in the late 1700s. The tales of life, and love, are filled with irony, and a sense of realism about the era and the characters she wrote about. Besides, her work remains relevant. As the Jane Austen Society claims, "[Austen] is very pertinent even today". https://www.digitalausten.org/node/50 Jane Austen in modern-day India. What do you make of it? Surprisingly delicious! This is Gurinder Chadha's all-singing, all-dancing new Bollywood-Austen spin. She is an English film director of Kenyan Asian origin. She is best known for the films Bend it like Beckham (2002) in which we can see a very young Keira Knighley a...

Here you have a list of novels in English from different English-speaking countries  (mostly UK and US, though). Take your pick and see you tomorrow! Weird and offbeat: The Libreria Acqua Alta Bookstore in Venice

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The Unamuno Author Series Festival at Desperate Literature To whet your appetite, one of my favourite poems: A Short Analysis of William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ William Blake Documentary William Blake's radicalism   (The British Library) And one of his most famous poems: London by William Blake

Mum's the word (idiom) Mother's Day Spain: First Sunday of May, i.e. TODAY. Happy Mother's Day!!! Mother's Day UK : Fourth Sunday in Lent Mother's Day US : Second Sunday of May (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as well) Why does Mothering Sunday’s date change every year and differ in other countries? Mother's Day: Dates around the word 15 Fun Things to Do With Mom That Aren’t Mother’s Day Brunch "If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?" and other favourite mum's sayings we've all heard and... used! Recommended TV series about motherhood:  Better Things (HBO) An actress raises her three daughters while juggling the pressures of working in Hollywood and being a single parent. On my to-watch list but I've been told it's absolutely brilliant. Better Things Season 3 Trailer Gilmore Girls (Netflix) A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething s...

What happens next for Brexit: five scenarios   ( The Guardian ) Cultural references: The Cranberries The Troubles:  The Northern IrelandConflict 1968-1998 Gogglebox (tv show) features a number of families and groups of friends from different places around the UK who react to British television programmes from their own homes. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gogglebox

Here's the difference between an  OPINION / ARGUMENT essay and a DISCUSSION / DISCURSIVE essay : In the exam task you may be asked to give your opinion . In that case, your essay will state your view at the beginning, and support it in the rest of the essay by developing an argument that persuades the reader to agree with you. Nevertheless, try to offer a balanced view. On the other hand, if you are asked to "discuss" an issue , you should write about both sides of the matter or two points of view, without trying to convince the reader of anything. SAMPLE DISCUSSION ESSAY Pay special attention to the use of cohesive devices and paragraphing. When you scroll down, notice the summaries for each of the paragraphs provided in the comments.

Rise up to the challenge! Multiple choice reading:  The Sahara Film Festival Missing paragraphs:  Renovating the Lymm Water Tower Multiple choice cloze:  How to have perfect posture Multiple choice cloze:  Scotland Multiple choice cloze:  The Microscope

Literature map World literary atlas   PLACES, BOOKS AND AUTHORS: Discover what has been written about your favourite places. Participate posting new quotes Remember we've agreed on a field trip to two of my favourite bookshops in Madrid. We'll visit them on May 10th around 10 am but in case you'd like to take a gander... https://desperateliterature.com/ https://www.jandjbooksandcoffee.es/ As for today's lesson: https://www.bustle.com/p/what-kind-of-reader-are-you-what-your-reading-style-says-about-your-personality-66810

Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., Vice President of New Technology Discovery at  AgeX Therapeutics , discusses the “Methuselarity” — the point at which technology enables humans to live to more than 1,000 years of age.  Dr. de Grey believes this could happen within the coming decades and posits that some people born today may live to be 1,000 years of age.  He further states that people who are 30 years old today have a 50/50 chance to live to be 1,000 years old.  Ending aging  How to age gracefully

How do you say "elecciones anticipadas" in English? SNAP ELECTION All the words you need to know to understand Spain's general election Spain calls snap elections for April 28 Spanish elections: a 1985 law for 21st-century communications New poll predicts Socialist Party victory at Spanish elections El CIS da un cómodo triunfo al PSOE, quedobla al PP en escaños el 28-A The UK general election explained for non-Brits  – video Voting systems in the UK Theresa May calls for general election to secure Brexit mandate In the news: politics vocabulary Political vocabulary and expressions in English  (video) Quiz 1 Quiz 2 Quiz 3 Quiz 4 It’s still wide open, but what are the odds on the remaining Brexit scenarios? Brexit: How to get ready (lamoncloa.gob.es)

Today's joint activity with C2.1 level students.  Thank you for having us!

Writing Class: Review How good are you at the Writing paper? Do you have difficulty thinking of what to say? Do you pay enough attention to organisation? Do you often make silly grammar or spelling mistakes? Or do you think your writing is of a pretty high standard? Below you'll find authentic answers to some of the tasks that have appeared in Flo-Joe's Writing Class. Have a look and see how they compare to your own work.:  Writing Class - Makeovers   Words on your mind – rave review ( Macmillan blog) HOMEWORK. Writing a book review (ANSWERS) Exercise 2: 1. P 2. N 3. P 4. P 5. N 6. N 7. P 8. N 9. N 10. P 11. N 12. N Exercise 4: 1. heroine 2. childhood 3. internal 4. unfold 5. protagonists 6. cope 7. moved 8. appeal 9. indifferent 10. narration HOMEWORK. Writing a film review (ANSWERS) Exercise 2 a) A film I've enjoyed b) What made me want to see it c) It was directed d) it starts e) is set f) The problem is that g) play...