Meals

Breakfast is the first meal of the day.
Brunch is a mixture between breakfast and lunch and is for those who eat at around 11 a.m.
Lunch is the midday meal.
Dinner can be eaten either at around midday or in the evening.
Tea has several meanings in Britain. It may be a cup of tea with a biscuit or cake at any time of the day. If it is a cooked meal it can be eaten at around 5 or 6 p.m.
Supper is a light meal eaten in the evening at around 5 or 6 p.m. It can also refer to a late evening snack eaten just before bedtime.
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Improve your Pronunciation and Vocabulary with Speaking English Podcast

Speaking English Podcast

If you’d like to improve your pronunciation and solve multiple questions related to your vocabulary and English grammar, you then need to add Speaking English Podcast to your list of websites to visit.

In this online resource there are hundreds of videos (videocasts) about a great variety of topics among which you’ll find something of interest to you.

From all the available categories, the ones that have caught our attention most are related to:
  • Aspirated vs. partially voiced: Jam vs. Gem.
  • Homographs: Bare vs. Bear.
  • Homophones: Muscle vs. Mussel.
  • Unvoiced vs. Voiced: Lamb vs. Lamp.
  • Voiceless vs. Voiced: Safe vs. Save.
They show important details and differences within the words that we normally don’t tend to take into account. Moreover, it’s quite difficult to find teaching materials related to this topic so it’s appreciated when someone explains it.

Don’t forget to visit Speaking English Podcast
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Sports

Our bodies become stronger or faster by being physically active. Doing sports keeps us fit and healthy.

Individual sports appeal to people who want a sense of independence and can practice whenever they like. These sports attract people who work better alone and wish to compete against themselves.

Team sports encourage a community spirit and social skills such as teamwork and leadership. An athlete trains with others and measures their performance against their teammates. Teammates encourage one another to achieve their best.

Extreme sports are for those who seek adventure and an adrenaline rush.

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Shapes

Shapes are mostly used in mathematics but are also used in English to describe the shape of objects and buildings (the Pentagon in the USA, the Pyramids in Egypt). e.g. It’s a square/rectangular/triangular shaped building.

Objects with many sides get their names from Greek numbers e.g. Pentagon (five), hexagon (six), octagon (eight)

Shapes are also used in certain expressions e.g. If something spirals out of control it means it is unmanageable.

Shape
Get into shape = get fit e.g. I’ve started going to the gym to get into shape.
In any shape or form = no matter what form something takes e.g. We accept money in any shape or form – paper, coins, cards etc.
In good shape = satisfactory or fit e.g. The furniture is in good shape so we won’t have a problem selling it.
In the shape of = in the form of e.g. I want my kitchen table to be in the shape of an oval.

Square
Be square
= dull e.g. Nobody wants to spend time with him as he’s square.
Go back to square one = return to the beginning e.g. The client doesn’t like the drawings so we have to go back to square one.
Square meal = sufficient e.g. We have three square meals a day and don’t eat snacks.
Fair and square = honest e.g. They won the competition, fair and square.

Circle
Go round in circles
= no progress e.g. I went round in circles trying to contact him but nobody knew where he was.
Square the circle = attempt the impossible e.g. They’re trying to square the circle and finish the project in two hours!
Vicious circle = a chain of problematic events e.g. We are caught up in a never ending vicious circle with our competitors.
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Student Profile - Sri Lanka




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All or nothing (binomials)

In English, binomials are two-word expressions joined by a conjunction e.g. and, or, but etc.

Back and forth / to and from /there and back (from one place to another) e.g. They sent us back and forth to various government departments for official stamps.

Down and out (without a home or money) e.g. Many factory workers have been down and out following the closure of the company.

First and foremost (most importantly) e.g. First and foremost, I would like to welcome our guests.

Give and take (compromise) e.g. In order for a marriage to be successful there has to be some give and take.

Give or take / more or less (approximately) e.g. It should be sorted out in two weeks, give or take.

Here and there (scattered around) e.g. There a few bakeries here and there in the city.

Last but not least (finally) e.g. Last but not least, we would like to thank you for your participation.

Law and order (police enforcement of law) e.g. Following the demonstrations, the police were called in to impose law and order.

Leaps and bounds (great improvement) e.g. Ever since she started private lessons, she has improved in leaps and bounds.

Neat and tidy (well-ordered) e.g. How important do you think it is to be neat and tidy?

Odds and ends (small, unimportant things) e.g. I’ve got some odds and ends to take care of this Sunday.

On and off /Now and then (occasionally) e.g. We don’t see them very often but they call us now and then.

Out and about (going out) e.g. He’s not at home. He’s out and about.

Part and parcel (part of) e.g. Being rebellious is part and parcel of being a teenager.

Peace and quiet (calm) e.g. We’re driving to the countryside to get some peace and quiet.

Pick and choose (a wide choice) e.g. There are many tools at the D.I.Y store. You can pick and choose what you like.

Safe and sound (unharmed) e.g. When my children are out, I can only sleep once I know they are safe and sound in their beds.

Sick and tired (fed up) e.g. I’m sick and tired of my job that’s why I’m looking for a new one.

Slowly but surely (gradually) e.g. The government is making improvements in the area, slowly but surely.

Sooner or later (someday) e.g. Sooner or later our planet will look like a giant rubbish bin.

Take it or leave it (accept or reject something) e.g. That’s out final offer, take it or leave it.

Up and down (in both directions) e.g. We went up and down the street looking for their house.

Wine and dine (entertain) e.g. We are wining and dining our clients from Kazakhstan this evening.
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VocaTube - Vocabulary about the Weather on YouTube

VocaTube

Today is a great day; we’re presenting a new post about the VocaTube series! :) Videos on this VocaTube are about how to describe the weather in English. You’ll be learning the meaning of sunny, cloudy or rainy. We also introduce much more vocabulary that you’ll find useful in many situations.

Videos are sorted according to the level s of difficulty (from the elementary to the advanced level) so if you know the basis, feel free to watch the more advanced videos.

Remember that vocabulary can only be improved with practice and listening through repetition. It’s difficult for everyone to understand from the beginning but you’ll notice that the more hours you listen, the better your understanding.

Describing the weather in English – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Learn how to ask and answer about the weather – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Main elements for the weather along with a final test – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

An entertaining video for children – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Catchy song for children so they can learn weather related vocabulary – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

English song for children, it shows the days of the week along with the weather – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Excellent video for children as they learn how to ask and answer about the weather – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Very good song about the weather – intermediate English



Link to the video on YouTube

Weather report at the news with Gerard Butler – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

Interesting video produced by the NASA that describes the weather – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

To finish with, two complementary links for this post:

News and videos about the weather from the CNN (advanced English)

Weather forecast for the UK and the World from the BBC (advanced English)
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Halloween - A Good Excuse to Learn English

Halloween

Last year we explained what Halloween (Hallowe’en) was and some curious facts about this festivity whose popularity is growing every year.

Today, we’d like to present some educational resources related to Halloween that will allow you to improve your level of English and learn something else about this date.

Let’s begin with related vocabulary like: bat, bones, broom, candy, cemetery, coffin, costume, creepy, frightening, ghost, goblin or haunted. You can see the complete list in Vocabulary - Halloween. If you don’t know the meaning of all the words, help yourself using a free online dictionary.

In the following link from English Page, you’ll find a lesson with vocabulary about Halloween along with the definition for every word. Moreover, they also offer a section with adjectives for Halloween.

In order to practice your knowledge about Halloween and its related vocabulary, you can do this test, this one about Little Monsters, or another one that includes adjectives for Halloween.

If you are a teacher looking for printables (in pdf format) with pages to colour, word searching and many more, don’t hesitate to visit MES-English where you’ll find loads of free printables.

After this intensive learning you can consider yourself as an expert in terms of Halloween and its related English vocabulary. Why don’t you test your knowledge with the Hangman game?
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Culture file (Tihar and Bhai Tika - Nepal)

Tihar is a five-day festival worshipping the Hindu Goddess of Fortune and Wealth (Goddess Laxmi) as well as different animals. During this time, great meals are cooked at home, kites are flown and homes and streets are decorated.

The Bhai Tika festival in Nepal is celebrated on the fifth and final day of the Festival of Light (Tihar) during the months of October and November and celebrates the bond between a sister and her brother. Bhai in Nepali means brother and Tika is the temporary mark of saffron and rice grains on a brother’s forehead which consists of five colours (red, green, blue, yellow and white) and protects him from evil. A sister prays for her brother's long life and draws a boundary (mandap) around him with oil using doob grass. A sister then gives her brother a shagun of fruit, sweets and gifts. She also sings and prays for her brother's longevity and prosperity. At the end of the ceremony, a brother blesses his sister and presents her with gifts or money.

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Expressteach in Nepal

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