Thursday, 14 March 2013

Making Headway

Dear Students and Fellow Teachers,

I am writing this post from my new place of residence - London. I have started doing a bit of supply teaching in local schools but looking for work is always a struggle. The other day I was given the link to a video that would be great for my CV if only I could embed it :)

This is a Headway advertisement made by the OUP team and featuring the lucky teachers who participated in the 2012 Oxford Teachers' Academy and in it you will find 'yours truly'.

Have you used this coursebook? I used it many years ago when I was a secondary school student and  have been using it ever since I started my teaching career. I find it has all the necessary ingredients but more importanly it is still fresh as it is regularly revised and revamped. What do you think?

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Valentine's Day Idioms

Dear Students

Because February is the month of love - here is a Valentine's day activity for Advanced Learners:

Match the idiom with the correct definition and then use them in the table bellow.







1. blind date


A. To not show any interest in the other person even though you may be interested
2. double date


B. To have a romantic relationship with another person when you are married
3. to go dutch

C. To innocently like someone

4. to break up

D. To accept someone's proposal of marriage

5. to go steady

E. To use a cliché without really meaning it, with the hopes of gaining someone's interest

6. to get engaged

F. A date arranged by a third party for two people who have not met
7. to be stood up

G. A date where two couples go out together

8. to have a crush on someone

H. To date only one person.
9. to get to know someone

I. A date where each person pays his or her own way

10. to feed someone a line

J. To tease another person with your body or by what you say
11. to play hard to get

K. To have your date fail to appear at the appointed time or even to call to cancel the date
12. to have an affair

L. To slowly get familiar with a person before getting into a serious relationship
13. to flirt
 M. To end a relationship




Use the idioms from the table above in these sentences (in the appropriate tense and form)

  1. “She hasn’t called me back all day, I thought she liked me”.
              “Don’t worry, I think she’s just ___________________________.
  1. I’ve always liked Joey...as I matter of fact I’ve had a  _________________ him since primary school.
  2. I don’t believe men should always pay for everything, it makes more sense to me to ___________.

  1. He must have had an accident…I don’t believe he would____________ by not showing up at all.

  1. First we got __________ each other, then we decided to go_______, and after a year we got_________.

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

My Visit to Oxford



What I Brought Back from Oxford


As the new academic year approaches, I can’t help thinking that every time I look at a course book, or my eager-to-learn students’ faces, a memory will pop up briefly in my head. This memory is bound to last for years but it only encompasses three short, sunny and spectacular days in Oxford. Ever since May this year, when I learned that I would be given the opportunity to attend an Oxford Teachers’ Academy seminar for winning a OUP competition, I had been dreaming about spending time in the centre of English Language Teaching, surrounded by fellow teachers from around the world.

Thursday, 26 July 2012

1st Prize from Oxford University Press



English File Competition


Your Blog author won 1st place in the competition for the most original speaking based lesson plan : English File Competition


The prize is a seminar at the Oxford Teachers' Academyentitled Teaching Adults, and a stay at   Keble College in Oxfordu from 25th to 27th July 2012.