"All the World's a Stage" by William Shakespeare

CHRISTMAS words and traditions | English lesson

What is London like at Christmas? | English Listening Practice

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/word-on-the-street/christmas/christmas-scene-2

NOTA - All I Want For Christmas Is You (Video)

Gap fill writing activity

DICKENS
ATTITUDE to Victorian society

• He criticized the injustices of his society
• He advocated social reforms
• He wasn't revolutionary
• He wasn't in favour of radical changes to the structure of Victorian society
• He never questioned the basic values of his time
• He shared the contemporary view that the secret of happiness was to be found in hard work and family life

THE VICTORIAN NOVEL

Watch Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

Oliver Twist Story | Bedtime Stories for kids | My Pingu Tv

Oliver Twist Story | Bedtime Stories for kids | My Pingu Tv


summary

Key words
Orphanage
Workhouse
Draw lots
Gold Locket
Gruel
Undertaker
Thieves
Pickpockets
Handkerchief
Wallet
Burglary
To burglar
Half-brother
Hang
Squander money

FIVE WEBSITE to improve listening, speaking, reading and writing  skills

https://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/

https://it.talkenglish.com/

https://listenaminute.com/

https://www.eslfast.com/

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/

http://www.elllo.org/index.htm

10 good excuses for not doing homework

Group work

In groups of four, students were asked to find ten ’good , weird, creative excuses’ for not doing homework (the grammar focus was on could  and had to)

What did they do last weekend?

Use the following irregular verbs to talk about your last weekend

woke up

got up

leave  

ate

drank

went

sang

swam

had

came back

rode

did

put on

slept

took off

met

wore

bought

made

sent

felt

spent

How to write a review

A review is written for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website.

The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like. 

Description and explanation are key functions for this task, and a review will normally include a recommendation to the reader.

Hints

• It is a good idea to give your review an interesting title.
• In the first paragraph, say what you are reviewing and try to get the reader's interest.
• Give your opinion of what you are reviewing linked to the question in the second paragraph. Remember a review is not just a list of facts - it's largely your opinion.
• Give more details of what your are reviewing linked to the questions in the input in one or two more paragraphs, but only focus on those you've been asked to develop.
• Summarise your view, using different words from the introduction, and include a recommendation.
• Remember.

• Use a personal or more neutral style, according to the target reader.
• It is important that you show a range of structures in the language of opinion, description and recommendation.
• Add vivid language to add interest.

Useful language for a review

What I liked

• What I liked most was …..
• The thing I liked most was ….
• I was pleasantly surprised by …..
• If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked

• What I disliked most was …..
• I was disappointed by/with ……

Reviews of books

• main character
• is set in
• Fiction: science fiction / thriller / fantasy / mystery / historical / romance ...
• Non-fiction: cook book / travel book / textbook / manual / coffee-table book ...
• atmosphere / plot
• author
• written by
• chapter
• factual
• unbelievable
• bestseller
• ending

Reviews of concerts

• artist / band / musician / (bass/lead/rhythm) guitarist / (backing/lead) singer / drummer / soloist / trio / orchestra
• auditorium / hall / venue / lyrics / (catchy) tune / score / gig

Reviews of exhibitions

• painting / sculpture / handicrafts
• gallery / catalogue / display

Reviews of films

• lead role
• star role
• star
• star actor/actress
• starring
• secondary role
• He plays a …….
• written by ….
• cast / director / producer
• is set in …..
• based on a true story …..
• believable
• true to life
• not very believable
• far-fetched
• (As for fiction books +): animation / adaptation / comedy
• Costumes / design / photography / script / special effects / soundtrack
• ending

Reviews of TV programmes

• Chat shows / current affairs programme / debate / documentary / series / soap opera/ sitcom (situation comedy)
• Host / presenter

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc

• location
• service
• setting
• attractive / disappointing setting
• owned by
• run by
• head chef (restaurant)
• waiters (restaurant)
• staff …….
• staff at reception …….(hotel)
• hotel facilities ….
• reasonable prices …..
• good/excellent/poor value for money …..
• (a bit/somehow) expensive
• overpriced
• not worth the money
• always fully booked
• book in advance

Criticism

• The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me.
• The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible
• The characters are appealing and true to life
• The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish

Recommendations

• Judging from this CD / show ...
• Overall, if you like ..., you'll love / you should ...
• Although some of ... he/she/it's still a great...
• You really must/should buy/see/read/visit ...
• I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at ...

Easy English - Daily Activities

English - Daily routine (A1-A2 - with subtitles)

The Victorian compromise

THE VICTORIAN COMPROMISE


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

 A tale of two cities
CHARLES DICKENS

slides The Victorian Age

My last holiday

Some more questions

1. What did you do during the day?
2. What did you do at nights?
3. Did you enjoy it?
4. Where did you stay?
5. How much money did you spend on your last holiday?
6. Did you have any bad experiences in your last holiday?
7. Did you make new friends on your last holiday?
8. What was the weather like?
9. Where would you like to go next?
10. Would you recommend that place that you visited? why or why not?

Words and expressions

  

go on/make an excursion

half-day/full-day/weekend excursion

eat out

stay on 

pack bags

book accomodation

a must-see

to sunbathe

to get suntan

to go sightseeing

Asking for and giving directions

Asking for and giving directions



https://quizlet.com/203954145/esl-directions-flash-cards/

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-10/3285228.html

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/directions/exercises?02

http://users.skynet.be/fa598346/leshoekje/ICT-oef%20ENG2/traffic_signs_voc.htm

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/elementary-a2-listening/giving-directions

https://agendaweb.org/vocabulary/directions.html

Perfect - Ed Sheeran (Lyrics)

Imperative Lyrics

Learn English through Story: Halloween history with subtitles

Two popular forms of entertainment in the Elizabethan age

Two popular forms of entertainment in the Elizabethan age

BEARBAITING 

COCKFIGHTING 

The masque

ROMEO and JULIET

ACT 1 SCENE 5

RELIGIOUS METAPHORS (suggesting the idea of a kind of spiritual love)

Pilgrims
Holy Pilgrims
Saints
Sin
Prayer
Holy Shrine
Faith
Devotion

What kind of love do they convey?
What ideas do they suggest?

Purity of their love
Special relationship
Undercurrents of danger
Seious tone
Italy- centre of the Catholic church
Religious imagery fits with the social and historical context
A kind of love associated with purity and passion of the divine
High quality of their love. It's not just physical attraction


PHYSICAL LOVE

Blushing
lips
tender kiss
You do wrong your hand
Tender kiss
Give me my sin again
You kiss by the book

Romeo and Juliet are moved spiritually, as well as physically, their love is pure, passionate, spiritual, but it is also chaotic, destructive, bringing death to friends, family and to themselves.

Here a list of questions related to love

ESL QUESTIONS LOVE

Telling the time in English

Prompts for speaking and writing

An extraordinary  website giving interesting, involving  prompts helping students speak and write in English
http://englishbookgeorgia.com/blogebg/over-1000-writing-prompts-for-students/

How to Write Articles for the FCE

How to Write an Article

·         Focus on the purpose of an article. Remember that  an article must entertain the reader and, almost always, it must  recommend “the things” we are talking about.

·         Language: In general, an article is more informal than an essay, although it will depend on where it is supposed to be published (an international magazine, a teenage magazine, a college magazine, an online blog, a newspaper, etc.). However, the most common case is that we must write a text in an informal or colloquial style. For this reason, our tone must be relaxed, making use of contractions, phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions. Besides, it is recommended to use rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to engage the reader. You should also address the reader directly in the second person (you, your)

·         Structure: Articles must always have a title. If possible, this must be catchy and witty so as to engage the reader. Then, each paragraph must address a single idea, to which you must add the introduction and the conclusion, where you are usually expected to make a recommendation. It is also a good idea to end your article with a rhetorical question, especially if it is going to be an online article where people could (in theory) leave a comment.

·         Giving your opinion: An article is almost exclusively about giving your opinion, so feel free to do so throught the whole piece of writing. As you are normally asked to write about something you like or enjoy, opinions are expected to be generally positive. You can speak in the first person as much as you like. 

       Useful Expressions to Write an Article

      If you want to know how to write an article, it is very important to have a repository of useful expressions ready to use. So here are some which can come in handy:

• Rhetorical questions:
• Have you ever…?
• Do you ever wonder…?
• What do you think about…?
• Are you a… like me?
• Are you one of those people who…?
• What would you say if I told you that…?

• Introducing new ideas:
• Firstly,
• First,
• In the first place,
• To begin with,
• The coolest thing about
• What attracts me most
• One thing to consider is
• Another consideration is
• Secondly,
• As for
• As to
• Also,
• As regards
• In addition,
• In addition to that,
• Moreover,

• Concluding the article:
• In conclusion,
• On the whole,
• To sum up,
• To conclude,
• All in all,
• … you will not regret it!

• Prompt 1:

  "Write an article for your school newspaper discussing the impact of social media on young people today."
• Prompt 2:

  "Your school is planning to introduce a new school uniform. Write an article for the school magazine discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this policy."
• Prompt 3:

  "Write an article for a local magazine about the benefits of learning a new language."

https://learning.cambridgeinternational.org/classroom/pluginfile.php/218996/mod_label/intro/Writing_an_article.pdf

Should We Ban Dangerous Sports?

[I – The Introduction: Hook & Issue]

Every weekend, people do extreme sports like skydiving and jumping from high cliffs. But should governments ban these dangerous activities?

[B – Body Paragraph 1: Arguments Against]

On one hand, many people say yes, they should be banned. These dangerous sports cost a lot of money when things go wrong. Rescue teams and hospitals have to help injured people, and taxpayers pay the bill. For them, safety is more important than fun.

[B – Body Paragraph 2: Arguments For]

On the other hand, banning these sports takes away our freedom. People naturally want to test their limits and have adventures. Also, extreme sports bring money to local businesses and tourism.

[C – The Conclusion: Final Solution]

In conclusion, a total ban is a bad idea. Instead, governments should make strict safety rules and require proper training. We must keep people safe, but we should not stop them from following their passions.

Article Writing Prompt: Food, Filters, and the Mind

The Context

Today, teenagers are constantly exposed to curated images of "ideal" bodies, extreme fitness challenges, and strict "clean eating" trends on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While some argue this encourages healthy habits, psychologists warn that it often fuels unhealthy obsessions, anxiety, and eating disorders among young people.

The Task

Write an article for your school magazine (about 200–250 words) addressing the following question:

Are social media and modern diet culture destroying our relationship with food and our bodies?

Guiding Questions to Help You Plan (using the T-I-B-C structure):

• Title: Create a catchy title that grabs the reader’s attention.

• Introduction (The Hook): Start with a striking fact or a question about how much time people spend looking at fitness or food trends online.

• Body Paragraph 1 (The Pressure): Discuss how social media algorithms push unrealistic body standards or toxic "wellness" trends.

• Body Paragraph 2 (The Solution / Counter-perspective): What can we do to change this? How can schools, friends, or individuals promote a healthier, more balanced mindset?

• Conclusion: End with a strong final thought or a call to action for your peers.

Useful Vocabulary Bank for Students:

• Body image

• Unrealistic standards

• Obsession / Compulsion

• Toxic wellness culture

• Mental well-being

• Self-acceptance

• Social media algorithms