Practice your listening skill.

There is an audio soap in the British Council website which is fantastic to practice your  listening skill. Have a look and be one of its fans.Click here to see the site, and don't forget to start the story from the beginning!

How to improve your communication skills by speaking better English!

Apart from learning grammar and do thousands of exercises, I want you to improve your oral skills. Here you have a video which can help you:

The transcription:

Step 1: Repeat conversations
Study mouth movements as people converse. Repeat what they say, preserving tone, volume, and rhythm. Utilizing media like television and films and listening to music or books on tape all offer a chance to absorb English.

Tip
News broadcasters must neutralize the emotions, so don't mistake their delivery for the way you might hear normal conversation.

Step 2: Familiarize yourself
Familiarize yourself with the dictionary to improve English communication skills, transcribing words, pronunciations, and definitions to improve. Speaking and reading aloud in English for a set amount of time each day strengthens your abilities.

Step 3: Listen, study, repeat
Ask friends to pronounce difficult words. Listen, study, and repeat with their help, especially focusing on the endings of words. Record your voice and critique your skills later.

Tip
Some websites offer daily, short English lessons sent to your email or your phone.

Step 4: Switch searches
Switch your search engine or mobile phone settings to English language. Find online chats where you have to respond quickly in English.

Step 5: Read a translation
Re-read a book from your past, but this time in an English translation. Concentrate on the dialogue, which is more similar to what you would speak than the narrative descriptions, which might not come up every day.

Tip
Some books and magazines may be too difficult at present. Don't be afraid to quit one and find an easier level text to learn from at first.

Step 6: Teach family
Teach English to your family. Passing knowledge to others is a proven way to permanently fix that same knowledge in your own brain.

Step 7: Label stuff
Label objects in your home by putting their names on sticky notes, which serve as visual reminders. Play a radio regularly to reinforce the English language, giving you a subliminal flow of words into your unconscious as you work.

Tip
Try listening to a talk radio news show. It will provide more English speaking than a music station.

Step 8: Maintain a diary
Keep a diary of a running conversation with yourself in English, using words associated with your daily experiences. They will eventually become habitual choices and part of your everyday interactions with others.

Did You Know?
In 2010, the more than 42,000 students in Pennsylvania who had limited English proficiency spoke 175 different languages.

Going to a Secondary School in England

If you want to complete your knowledge about English Secondary Schools, watch this video

What to do when you finish your Secondary Education? Read about it. Click on these links:

•  the sixth form
• vocational training

Desdobles 1º ESO: unit 2

Here you have some exercises to practice the topics in unit 2:
Check the theory.Click on this link

Verb have got:

Exercise one
Exercise two
Exercise three
Exercise four
Exercise five
Exercise six

 Family members:

Exercise one
Exercise two (a game)
Exercise three (the hangman)
Exercise four (quiz)

Months

Exercise one (the hangman)

Exercise two

Occupations

Before you start your the exercises learn some words. Click on this link

Exercise 1 (the hangman)

Exercise two (wordsearch)

Exercise three ( a quiz)

Exercise four (crossword. Medium)

Exercise five  (medium)

Ampliación 1º Bachillerato: Preferences

Unit 3

Here you have some notes on preferences which could help you to understand 

Preferences

1) WOULD LIKE

It is used as a polite way of saying “want”, especially in requests and offers.

a) would like+ noun. Ex. I would like some chocolate.

 b) would like+ to infinitive Ex. I would like to finish soon.

 c) would like+ noun object+pronoun+ to infinitive. Ex. I would like Peter to visit us.

It is the same construction as want, but would like is more educated.

2) WOULD PREFER

It is used to say what someone wants to do in a particular situation (not in general)

a) would prefer+ noun. Ex. I’d prefer a magazine.

b) would prefer +to infinitive. Ex She would prefer to stay.

c) would prefer+ to infinitive…rather than+ bare infinitive. Ex. I would prefer to stay rather than go.

3) PREFER TO DO or PREFER DOING.

Both are used to say what you prefer in general. Prefer to do is more usual

a) Prefer+noun/v. –ing + to + noun/v. –ing. Ex. I prefer coffee to tea. Or I prefer reading a book to watching TV.

b) Prefer + to+ infinitive. Ex. I prefer to stay at home tonight.

c) Prefer + to infinitive… rather than+ bare infinitive. Ex. I prefer to stay in rather than leave.

4) WOULD RATHER

This expression is followed by the infinitive without to and means “would prefer to”

a) With no change in subject, followed by bare infinitive. Ex. I’d rather sit and rest.

b) With change in subject, followed by a past tense with present or future meaning. 
                                     Ex. I’d rather you told me the plan.

            To talk about past actions the past perfect tense is used. 
                                     Ex. I’d rather you hadn’t done that.

Practical English Usage. Michael Swam. Oxford

2º Bachillerato Grammar Notes: to+ -ing

A note to complete your infinitives and gerunds explanation:

To + ing form

To  is really two different words:

1.      A sign of the infinitive.

2.      A preposition.

So, when to is a preposition and it is followed by a verb, we use the –ing form.

            Ex.       I’m looking forward to seeing you at Christmas.

                         Do you object to working on Sundays?

                         I’m no used to driving in London.

                         I prefer riding to walking.

 If you’re not sure whether to is a preposition or not, try putting a noun after it. If to cannot be followed by a noun, it is not a preposition and –ing is not used.

Common examples:

                        Look forward to + ing

                        Object to + ing

                        Be used to + ing

                        In addition to + ing

                        Be accustomed to + ing

From English Grammar in Use. Murphy. Cambridge