Big Business video series (B2/C1)

 Big Business video series

This is a very interesting series of videos about different topics related to the world of big business. They will surely be useful for students of AF, but might be found engaging for students of other degrees as well. 

Start here and watch a video about "What is a Multinational?" to expand your knowledge about what these companies are. The video is under 10 minutes and includes a transcript if you wish to follow it. I would recommend just watching the video first, and then listen again while reading the text.

Find the complete 5-episodes series here

Real Easy English: A2 Listening and watching

 Real Easy English: A2 Listening and watching 

Real Easy English features authentic conversations in easy English to help you learn the language. BBC Learning English presenters talk about a new topic each week and explain words to help you learn. This series is meant for A2 learners, and the most recent episodes include a video, too.

The transcript for each episode is found below the video, so you can choose: 

a) watch the video, focus just on your listening skills

b) listen to the conversation and follow the transcript

Just below the video, there is a section with some vocabulary and a worksheet for you to do (if you wish).

My recommendation would be to watch the video first, paying close attention to the speakers: how the different words are pronounced, their body language, etc. After, you can listen again while reading the transcript if you feel you have missed out on a lot of content.

You can start with this one, in which the hosts talk about visiting places.

Enjoy!

French podcast

 Bonjour! 

Easy French is a very easy-listening podcast in French that covers a wide range of interesting topics. They speak very slowly and clearly, and episodes are around 20 minutes long. 

Have a go at Episode 143: Les amis, la famille qu’on choisit ?

 

Reading the news in levels

NEWS IN LEVELS: WORLD NEWS FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH

News in Levels is a wonderful site where you can read very brief articles on different topics. What makes it special is that you can choose the level of difficulty: 1 is the easiest and 3 the hardest. 

It even offers the possibility of listening to the chosen article while you read it (scroll down once you have clicked on the article you want to read).

Try this one for example, about how music festivals have become less popular in recent years.

Remember that this is not authentic material, that is, it has been written for students of English. This useful resource is meant to help you reach a point in which you can read material that has been written by, and aimed at, native speakers.

Present Perfect

 Watch the video and check out the links to revise the Present Perfect tense.

Click here to download the explanation in PDF

Exercises: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-exercise-4.html

Past Simple and Past Continuous

 Check out the video and the exercises to go over these tenses.

PAST SIMPLE

Click here for a PDF version of the explanation

Exercises: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-exercise-7.html

Please make sure that you know how to form irregular verbs!

PAST CONTINUOUS

Remember that the past continuous is formed by using:

               subject +  the verb 'to be' in the past simple + main verb -ing form + rest

        

                                                    I was listening to music

                                                    You were talking to Sarah

                                                    He was playing baseball

                                                    We were studying English

                                                    You were reading the news

                                                    They were writing an essay

Click here to download the explanation in PDF

Exercises: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-continuous-exercise-3.html

Present Simple and Present Continuous

 Watch the video and check out the following links to do some exercises on the Present Simple and Present Continuous

PRESENT SIMPLE:

Click here to download the explanation as a PDF

Exercises: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/simple-present-exercises.html

PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

Click here to download the explanation as a PDF

Exercises: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-continuous-exercise-5.html

Grammar Review Grado Superior

 Here's the list of specific grammatical contents that a student is expected to master by the end of 2nd year of Bachillerato (high school) in Madrid. 

Although grammar is not dealt with in class in depth, you need to make sure that you are familiar with them, as grammar is essential for communicating proficiently in the workplace.

If you need extra practice, check the blog for specific exercises.

1. Verb Tenses and Their Uses

• Present Simple and Present Continuous: for routines, general facts, and actions in progress.

• Past Simple and Past Continuous: for completed past actions and actions in progress at a specific past time.

• Present Perfect: to talk about past experiences with relevance to the present.

• Past Perfect: to express actions that happened before another action in the past.

• Future forms: using "will", "be going to", "present continuous", and "future continuous" for predictions, plans, and decisions.

• Conditional Sentences: Types I, II, and III for hypothetical situations and consequences.

2. Modal Verbs

3. Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

4. Passive Voice

5. Relative Clauses

• Using relative pronouns: who, which, that, whose, where, when to add additional information to sentences.

6. Phrasal Verbs 

7. Linking Words: Cause, Effect, and Purpose

• Using connectors like because, so, therefore, in order to, so that to show logical relationships between ideas.

8. Comparatives and Superlatives

9. "Wish" and "If only" Constructions

• Expressing wishes or unreal/hypothetical situations in the present or past.

10. Word Formation

• Using prefixes and suffixes to form antonyms, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.