speaking b2

PART 1
I'm speaking English for my own satisfaction / my job / in order to improve my employment prospects.
If you want to go ahead these days, you need to have a good command of English
I always loved (the sea).
I'd love to visit places untouched by man.
However, there's no place like home.
That's a big question!
I want to be a useful member of society.
I'm keen on ...
I'm an avid (traveler, zapalony) ... 
I haven't given it much thought until now.

PART 2
What strikes me about the first picture is the fact that...
This picture reminds me of...
Judging from the photograph, the children...
The man appears to be...
From what we can see here, he must...
There are many similarities...
Both picture depict...
Both picture are quite similar in that they show...
When you give it a closer look it reveals...

The first picture ... whereas the other picture ...
Another important difference is...
Picture ... doesn't show ... as clearly as ...
Picture ... attempts to ... but I think picture ... does this more effectively...
All pictures are interesting, but ... gives a stronger idea of...

It's difficult to tell from a photograph but this picture could have been taken in ...
I might be wrong, but I'd say that this picture ...
I would imagine/guess that this picture comes from ...

Picture ... is by far the best to show because ...
To me, picture ... is essential for this kind of publication.

I'm surprised there is no picture showing...
A picture of ... would get the message across more effectively.
The cover would be so much better if we had a picture of ...
So let's look at the alternatives ...

The name for this escapes me at present, but it's for/it's like ...
The name for it is on the tip of my tongue ...
PART 3
Up to the problem in question ...
The main problem centres around ...

It's my belief ...
For my part ...
As I see it ...
As I was saying ...
I forgot to mention ...
I'm of the opinion that ...
To my mind ...
To my way of thinking ...
I am convinced that ...
I am inclined to believe that ...

Don't get me wrong but shouldn't we ... ?
Judging by ... they must be ...
... is a separate issue.
Moving on to ...
Taking everything into account ...

I couldn't agree more.
I agree up to a point.
I think I see what you mean, but ...
I'm in two minds about it. / I'm ambivalent about ...
I don't see eye to eye with you here ...
That's true in a way, I suppose, but ...
I don't feel convinced ...
That's one way of looking at it. On the other hand ...

Can you take a clear stand on that matter?
It brings to the question / idea / problem of ...

Perhaps we should put ... first? What do you think?
A strong point in favour of ... is that ...
What do you think should go next?
Are you happy with this order then?
Do you go along with that?

PART 4
Just following from what X was saying, I also feel ...
While generally agreeing with X, I must say that ...
Adding to what X has just said, I think ...
I can sympathise with what X said but ...
One thing X didn't mention is ...
Surprising, as it may seem, I don't support X's view on ...
Perhaps it should be also emphasized that ... / it should be pointed out that ...

Crime and law

Any level you are in, crime and law is a compulsory topic; remember that the word crime is a false friend. In English, if you commit a crime, it does not necessarily imply that you have killed someone.

Enlarge your vocabulary here and then practice it with this quiz and this exercise  and this multiple choice.

My favourite sport

What's your favourite sport? Listen to some people here twice and complete this chart:

SPEAKER	NUMBER	STATEMENT
1. Adrienne (USA)		a. This speaker loves watching ice-hockey.
2. Mark (England)		b. This person likes watching a sport, but they have never practised it.
3. Lisa (Canada)		c. This speaker loves soccer.They used to watch a match every weekend.
4. Peter (Sweden)		d. Their favourite sport is swimming.  They do it for fun and exercise.
5. Skip (USA)		e. They  hate sports.
6. Phil (England)		f. This person likes ball sports.

 Check answers and transcripts here. You can also find them and more activities in the source: http://www.elllo.org

Super Size Me Open: An American sterotype?

Super Size Me Open: An American sterotype?

Super Size Me










After watching the first five minutes of Super size me, do this fill in the gaps exercise.

1. America is the _________________ nation in the world.
2. More than _______ % of adults in the US are obese.
3. The two main causes for deaths in America are ___________ and ______________.
4. McDonald’s is spread over the world and feeds more than __________ million people worldwide a day.
5. McDonald’s accounts for _______ % of the fast food market in the US.
6. In the US you can find McDonald’s everywhere: ______________, ___________________, ______________________

 Discuss the following questions. Support your opinion and make notes.

1. Are  Spanish people heavier than they used to be? Why or why not?
2. Our kids are said to be among  the most obese in the European Union. Do you agree with this idea? what measures should be taken to avoid this problem?
3. What influence does McDonald’s have in Spain? Is it very popular? Does it influence our diet?
4. In America some people are suing fast food restaurants. Where does personal responsibility start and corporate responsibility stop?
5. The title of the film is Super Size Me. What does it refer to?
6. What will the specific topic of the film be?
7. Are the eating habits of Spaniards changing? In what way?
8. Is fast food going to influence our eating habits the same way as it has many Americans?

Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars