BEING A TEACHER....

BEING A TEACHER IS A DIFFICULT TASK NOWADAYS, SO I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THIS PIECE OF ADVICE BY BRUCE LEE:

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

by Bruce Lee

lunes, 20 de abril de 2026

Have you got enough on your plate?

 

 
I think my students have got enough on their plates (check the meaning of this expression in the section at the end of this post Learning English with...), but the problem is that they haven't started eating yet. With their teacher on medical leave they were supposed to be working following his directions, but...
 
 

So, look out before the sky is falling on you (another expression used in the section Learning English with...).
 
 
 


Learning English from the News:   'God's influencer': First millennial saint named  (BBC Learning English)  



 


 

 



New section in BBC Learning English... EASY ENGLISH CONVERSATIONS:    Where is the train station?  &   What are you doing?   


 




Quick English Lessons:   How to use ARRIVE with 'IN' & 'AT'  /  5 ways to build your vocabulary (BBC Learning English) 






 

  Here's my musical hint for today:    No more tears (Enough is enough) by Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 


 


Real Easy English:   Talking about BOOKS  (BBC Learning English)  


 

 

Here are some more activities for my students:

     


 



Real Easy English >>>   Talking about SUNSHINE  (BBC Learning English) 



 


Here are some activities for my students:

  

  • in 4º ESO... 

SOLUTIONS TO THE EXERCISES IN THE PREVIOUS POST:

1. Bread is made from flour.     2. Jane was offered a wonderful job. / A wonderful job was offered to Jane.

3. I have been sent a strange letter. / A strange letter has been sent to me.

4. The telephone was invented by Alexander Bell.     5. The guard dogs were being trained (by a woman).

6. Trivial Pursuit can be played by people of all ages.   7. Fresh eggs are sold in Vélez Benaudalla.

8. The books have been packed.      9. Letters are typed for my boss.

10. The town has been attacked by Israeli troops several times since the beginning of the war.

 


 

How to break your English comfort zone | Please watch this video...

 


 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



Learning English with Disney Pixar's  A BUG'S LIFE  

 

 

 

 



Tennis: two Spanish legends (Orantes 1 & Higueras 1) from Granada and a possible new Spanish top player (Rafa Jódar 1)

  

 

 


martes, 14 de abril de 2026

The clay season has just started... in Montecarlo!



 

Without Rafa Nadal on court, but with Number 1 Carlitos Álcaraz, the clay season in tennis started a few weeks ago and this is the moment for our Spanish tennis players. The first big tournament has been held in Montecarlo, but the winner this time has been the Italian Jannik Sinner.
 
 

 

Meanwhile, matters in the world still remain unsolved. Talks in Pakistan has not been very successful, war doesn't find an end, innocent people keep being killed and the economic crisis is becoming a reality. At least we have some good news from space mission Artemis II returning home safely from their trek around the Moon.
 
 



Learning English from the News:   'God's influencer': First millennial saint named  (BBC Learning English)  



 

 

 



New section in BBC Learning English... EASY ENGLISH CONVERSATIONS:    What is in your town?  &   What do you do every day?   

 


 





Quick English Lessons:   How to use ARRIVE with 'IN' & 'AT'  /  5 ways to build your vocabulary (BBC Learning English) 





 

  Here's my musical hint for today:    Missing you by John Waite. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 


 




 

Here are some more activities for my students:

     

 


 

 

Real Easy English >>>   Talking about CREATIVITY  (BBC Learning English) 



 

Here are some activities for my students:

  • in 1º ESO...  

REVISION EXERCISES        

Exercise on the MODALS: CAN , MUST & SHOULD    

 

SOLUTIONS TO THE EXERCISES IN THE PREVIOUS POST:

1. Do we study English at school.   We don't study German at school.

2. Is Tom Cruise American? He isn't from Brazil.

3. Does James like playing football? He doesn't like English at all. 

4. Has my mother got a big car? She hasn't got a motorbike.

5. Are we studying English? We aren't studying German.

6. Do trains go faster than motorbikes? Trains don't go faster than a Ferrari.

7. Have we got a new French teacher? We haven't got a new English teacher.

8. Does Albert have cereals for breakfast? He doesn't have any tea.

9. Are you listening to the radio? I'm not  watching TV.

10. Do they read Sinbad? They don't read Braveheart.


27.  1. Where does Mrs Wagner work?  2. Does George like fast cars?  3. What is the girl eating?   4. What does your wife usually have for breakfast?


28. My proposal:  My mother is working in hospital, my father is driving to Granada and my little brother is still sleeping.

This afternoon my mother is going to buy a new folder for me, my father is going to order some pizza for dinner and my little brother is going to play with his toys.


29.  1. Penny played the guitar a lot when she  was young.  2. Last summer we took lots of photos.  3. We watched a very interesting  programme last night.  4. William Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.


301. Beethoven didn't write drama; he wrote music.   2. We didn't see fire; we only saw some smoke.    3. Greek philosopher Socrates didn't live in Rome; he lived in Athens.



 

 

Possible answers:  Do exercise 2 on page 95.

a. Did they catch the criminal? Why were they chasing the criminal? What happened when the earthquake began?

b. What did the criminal steal?   How fast could the criminal run?

c. Why did the criminal fall? Was he hurt?

d. What time did the criminal enter the house? How much did he steal from the house?

e. How much did the computers and mobile phones cost?  Why did he steal their jewellery?

f. When did the witness call the police?  Was the witness nervous or afraid? 

 

 

  • in 4º ESO... Exercises on the PASSIVE VOICE:

PASSIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE. Rewrite these sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE:

1. Bakers make bread from flour.

2. They offered Jane a wonderful job.

3. Somebody has sent me a strange letter.

4. Alexander Bell invented the telephone.

5. A woman was training the guard dogs.

6. People of all ages can play Trivial Pursuit.

7. People sell fresh eggs in Vélez Benaudalla.

8. She has packed the books.

9. Someone types letters for my boss.

10. Israeli troops have attacked the town several times since the beginning of the war.

 

 

How to Remember English Vocabulary Permanently | Please watch this video...

 


 


 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



Learning English with Disney's  HOPPERS  

 

 

 

 



Tennis:  Álcaraz vs Bublik  - vs Vacherot & Sinner vs Zverev in the semi-finals  - and this time Sinner was the winner in Montecarlo 2026




 

jueves, 9 de abril de 2026

Are you addicted to...?


 


 

Are you addicted to anything? Remember that all addictions are harmful for your mental health because you cannot stop doing them whenever you want.
 

There are many things we may like, even love doing, but we must always bear in mind that they are always under control. And this control belongs to you and if you decide to stop, you can stop without affecting your anxiety, your mental health.



Learning English from the News:   US Court: YouTube and Meta built addictive platforms  (BBC Learning English)  


 

Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people, jury finds (The Guardian)

Campaigners welcome Meta and YouTube's defeat in landmark social media addiction trial (BBC News)

US: Meta, YouTube on trial over kids' social media addiction (DW News)

 


 

Social media, TikTok, YouTube... can be addictive for many teenagers and they literally waste hours and hours on them when there are so many things in life to carry out: sport, face-to-face relationships, books, homework, studying...

 

 

 

BREAKING NEWS ABOUT YOUR B1 EXAMS IN ENGLISH... 

Remember that after Easter the time will come for you to register at the Language School in Motril for your B1 exams as a freelance student!!!  I believe you can do everything on line.

 

Here's the link:   https://eoimotril.org/modalidad-libre/ 

 

These are the dates for the exams in Malaga, which should be the same for Motril language school. Relevant information  for candidates & registration forms. 

 

You can do everything online (  Guía del candidato  y modelos de pruebas anteriores )




New section in BBC Learning English... EASY ENGLISH CONVERSATIONS:    Where are you from?  

 








Learning English Grammar (a / an / the / zero article):   The great outdoors  (BBC Learning English) 





 

  Here's my musical hint for today:    Addicted to love by Tina Turner. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 





Real Easy English:   Talking about BOOKS  (BBC Learning English)  


 

 

Here are some more activities for my students:

     

 

Learning English from the News: Space mission breaks records >>>   Artemis II takes humans further from Earth than ever before  (BBC Learning English) 


 

Here are some activities for my students:

  • in 1º ESO...  

REVISION EXERCISES        

Exercise on the MODALS: CAN , MUST & SHOULD    

 

SOLUTIONS TO THE EXERCISES IN THE PREVIOUS POST:

1. Do we study English at school?   We don't study German at school.

2. Is Tom Cruise American? He isn't from Brazil.

3. Does James like playing football? He doesn't like English at all. 

4. Has my mother got a big car? She hasn't got a motorbike.

5. Are we studying English? We aren't studying German.

6. Do trains go faster than motorbikes? Trains don't go faster than a Ferrari.

7. Have we got a new French teacher? We haven't got a new English teacher.

8. Does Albert have cereals for breakfast? He doesn't have any tea.

9. Are you listening to the radio? I'm not  watching TV.

10. Do they read Sinbad? They don't read Braveheart.


27.  1. Where does Mrs Wagner work?  2. Does George like fast cars?  3. What is the girl eating?   4. What does your wife usually have for breakfast?


28. My proposal:  My mother is working in hospital, my father is driving to Granada and my little brother is still sleeping.

This afternoon my mother is going to buy a new folder for me, my father is going to order some pizza for dinner and my little brother is going to play with his toys.


29.  1. Penny played the guitar a lot when she  was young.  2. Last summer we took lots of photos.  3. We watched a very interesting  programme last night.  4. William Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.


301. Beethoven didn't write drama; he wrote music.   2. We didn't see fire; we only saw some smoke.    3. Greek philosopher Socrates didn't live in Rome; he lived in Athens.



 

  • in 2º ESO... Do exercise 2 on page 95.

 

Possible answers:  

a. Did they catch the criminal? Why were they chasing the criminal? What happened when the earthquake began?

b. What did the criminal steal?   How fast could the criminal run?

c. Why did the criminal fall? Was he hurt?

d. What time did the criminal enter the house? How much did he steal from the house?

e. How much did the computers and mobile phones cost?  Why did he steal their jewellery?

f. When did the witness call the police?  Was the witness nervous or afraid? 

 

 

 

Solutions to the Reported Speech exercises in the previous post:

D.  1. My friends suggested having a picnic.  2. The little boy asked for another biscuit.

3. Her boyfriend asked her to drive.    4. The student offered to open the window.

5. My father asked me to bring him the newspaper.                         


60. 1. He said he was out then.   2. He said he would be home by nine.    

3. Mary said her young brother wanted to be a football player.   

4. My mother asked who had been using her typewriter.   

5. His wife asked/warned us not to do anything dangerous.  

6. The guide asked the tourists if they wanted to see the cathedral.   7. Albert to Nick to close the door.

8. The teacher asked the student to take those dictionaries to the English Department.


61. Arthur asked her what the matter was and told her not to cry. Finally he asked her if she wanted to borrow his handckerchief.

Mary apologised for being so boring / said she was sorry to be so boring, but she hadn't seen Bruce for the whole weekend  and asked him if he had seen him.

Arthur answered he had.

Then Mary asked him where he had seen him.

And Arthur said he had seen him at the dentist's the previous Thursday.

Mary said he hadn't come for her on Thursday, but that there had to be quite a simple explanation.

 



 

 

Do you forget words when you speak English | Please watch this video...

 


 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"



Learning English with movies  Pirates of the Caribbean  

 

 

 

 



Vintage tennis:  Pioline vs Masur  - US Open 1993


 

Carlos Álcaraz at Montecarlo (vs Etcheverry)  

 
 

 

Football Classics: SPAIN ✦ Road to Glory  in Euro 2008