B2 FCE, Christmas

Christmas-themed B2 speaking

It has become somewhat of a tradition on this blog that for every bigger holiday you can count on a Cambridge-style themed speaking. Last year I prepared a speaking class for the B1 level. This time it's time to focus on FCE students and let them enjoy Christmas while practising English. If you have used… Continue reading Christmas-themed B2 speaking

B2 FCE

B2 – The bizarre world of perfume ads

Christmas time is already here, and what goes with it - the many perfume ads on TV. They stand out and have a different feeling from your typical Christmasy ads. They are often shot in the style of professional movies and more often than not, leave us questioning the meaning behind them. During one of… Continue reading B2 – The bizarre world of perfume ads

B1 PET

B1 – Our Home, Our World

The unthinkable has happened! On 12th September, I received a mysterious e-mail from someone from Preply, inviting me to be one of the course tutors. Obviously, I accepted! How could I not? I've been teaching Preply ready-made group lessons for about five months now, and it felt like the next natural step in my online… Continue reading B1 – Our Home, Our World

B1 PET

First lesson for B1 Cambridge exam preparation

Here we go again! Another academic year has already started (or is about to begin). If you have Cambridge PET exam preparation groups, I've got something just for you! Don't waste time and get your students working on their speaking skills from day one. This lesson plan uses the official Cambridge PET speaking exam to… Continue reading First lesson for B1 Cambridge exam preparation

B1 PET

B1 Listening – Women and Football

It doesn't matter where you are and who you're talking to, they can recognise Ronaldo or Lewandowski. Why has football become such an essential part of our lives? Why during a World Cup or any other Championship, does the whole world stop? It seems that anywhere we look we are surrounded by sports bars whose… Continue reading B1 Listening – Women and Football

Preply, Teaching Experience

Do online platforms promote ‘lazy’ teaching?

Nowadays, with the online teaching platforms springing up like mushrooms, anyone who speaks English can become an EFL teacher. Even though having a teaching certificate can give you leverage over other unqualified teachers, it doesn't mean that you can't be successful with it. For many, teaching online is a side hustle and an easy way… Continue reading Do online platforms promote ‘lazy’ teaching?

B2 FCE

Heatwave-themed – B2 Speaking

Summer classes and intensive courses can be improved by switching up the coursebook content and presenting students with some themed speaking tasks. As we are pushing through another week of unbearably high temperatures, I can't think of anything more topical than the heatwave and climate change. Intensive courses and exam preparation classes tend to be… Continue reading Heatwave-themed – B2 Speaking

B1 PET

Cambridge PET Writing Part 2: What Makes You Laugh?

Humour has changed a lot over the years. While people still enjoy a good joke, many now find entertainment in comedy shows, pranks, memes, and endless cat videos online. In this Cambridge PET writing article lesson, students practise B1 Preliminary Writing Part 2 by writing an article about what makes them laugh and who they… Continue reading Cambridge PET Writing Part 2: What Makes You Laugh?

B2 FCE

What makes you nostalgic? – B2 Listening Part 3

The other day, I posted a lesson plan based on a short scientific podcast The Healing Power of Nostalgia. I felt immediate motivation when I saw short extracts of speakers talking about what makes them nostalgic. It made me think of a typical FCE Listening Part 3 exam task, in which students listen to five… Continue reading What makes you nostalgic? – B2 Listening Part 3

B2 FCE

B2 – Let’s get nostalgic (podcast)

The older you get, the more you realise the emotional sadness and sense of longing for the past. You start appreciating all the summers you spent in your grandparents' countryside, running around carefree, worrying only about making it on time to watch your favourite TV show. This podcast-based class should make your B2 adult student… Continue reading B2 – Let’s get nostalgic (podcast)