ESL Progress: How bold are you?

September 2011 Welcome to EnglishClub ESL Progress Welcome to this edition of ESL Progress for learners and teachers of English. This month we have new pages about using italics and bold type in English writing. Check out our latest Listen To Weekly News and this month’s EnglishClub Site of the Month (which is based on current events). For teachers there are some useful new activities. And as always you can try our Quick Quiz from Word Up. Good luck! Josef Essberger, Founder EnglishClub Lessons Of The Month Italics In type or printed writing, italics are a sloping kind of writing. The characters slope to the right, as you see in the diagram below… Bold Type In type or printed writing, bold is a heavy kind of writing. The characters are thicker than normal, as you see in the diagram below… Quick Quiz The daughter of your uncle is a) your niece b) your cousin c) your nephew answer at end EnglishClub ESL Site Of The Month English Addicts is a self-study site for English learners based on current events from around the world. Choose from over 1500 lessons ranging from easy to difficult. Lessons include vocabulary, reading, listening, and typing tasks. There are also discussion questions and speaking tasks for teachers to use in class. Audio files are downloadable, and a wide variety of accents… News And Links Things you don’t want to miss… Listen to Weekly News Now you can listen to a selected news story every Tuesday. Each week we have a top international story, with audio, transcript, wordchecker and gapfill exercise. This week is about the last bullfight in Catalonia. Mobile Phones Dangerous? Some scientists now say that mobile phones are dangerous and may damage our brains or cause cancer. But not all scientists agree. What do you think? Pride and Prejudice – Audio Listen to this excerpt from Chapter 1 of the English classic "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. New pages for Teachers What Your Students Need To Know About BULATS Writing Part One How students can boost their score in the first part of the BULATS Writing exam. Planning And Paragraphing Activities Stimulating ways of quickly improving your students’ vital writing skills of planning and paragraphing. Answer To Quick Quiz b) your cousin This is a level 3 question and answer from Word Up, the world’s most popular board game for learners of English. 52 Sounds To Improve Your English Fast When you learn the 52 sounds of spoken English you learn to: speak English more clearly (so other people understand you!) understand what other people are saying to you Pronunciation Power teaches you the 52 sounds of English in a fun, interactive way. ISSN14751356 In This Issue Lessons Of The Month Quick Quiz Site Of The Month News And Links Answer To QQ © EnglishClub 2011 All Rights Reserved

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To slow to a trickle – Do you know what it means?

Jeremy: "I’m sad to say that donations to our charity have slowed to a trickle." Melinda: "Why is that?" Jeremy: "I think it’s because there have been so many recent disasters. Donators are supporting other funds instead now." to slow to a trickle Do you know what it means? to arrive from time to time in large amounts to gradually become a very small amount to stop suddenly

“ample” – Do you know this term?

Will: "Now everyone, there is no need to race through this test. You have one hour to complete it, and that should be ample time to answer all of the questions." ample Do you know what it means? more than enough nowhere near enough only just enough

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How To Use Google+

August 2011 Welcome to EnglishClub ESL Progress Welcome to this edition of ESL Progress for learners and teachers of English. This month we have a new page about Google+ and how you can use it. You’ll also find a lesson on the difference between the sounds /b/ and /p/. Check out our new Vocabulary Games and the latest EnglishClub Site of the Month (which gives you lots of help with vocabulary). Hear our latest audio news about the USA losing its AAA rating, as well as a completely new set of Zodiac pages. For teachers there are some useful new worksheets. And as always you can try our Quick Quiz. Good luck! Josef Essberger, Founder EnglishClub Lesson Of The Month Minimal Pairs /p/ and /b/ Below are lists of words that vary only by one having the sound /p/ and the other the sound /b/. You can use this to practise the sounds or as a list of words to be careful to pronounce properly. The main difference between /b/ and /p/ is that /b/ is a voiced sound, whereas /p/ is just produced by the puff of air. Also, /b/ is pronounced with less air released than /p/, and this can sometimes be a more useful distinction as it is difficult to feel the vocal cords vibrating when making the /b/ sound. Elementary B P bar Pa bay pay be P bear pair berry perry bet pet big pig blaze plays learn more… Quick Quiz "Do not mention my name" means a) don’t say it b) don’t forget it c) don’t recall it answer at end EnglishClub ESL Site of the Month Word Hippo is a simple vocabulary resource that can help you when you have a quick question. If you need to find a synonym of a word, simply type it into the field "What’s another word for…". Looking up a word in this way is similar to checking an online dictionary. If you want the antonym, choose "What’s the opposite of…". You can also find example sentences that use your word in context… News and Links Things you don’t want to miss… Listen to Weekly News Now you can listen to a selected news story every Tuesday. Each week we have a top international story, with audio, transcript, wordchecker and gapfill exercise. This week the USA loses its AAA credit rating. Listen To the Signs Of The Zodiac Text and audio for each sign of the zodiac – with personality adjectives and other vocabulary. New Vocabulary Games New free, online Crossword Puzzles and Gap-Fill (cloze) Games for you to practise your English vocabulary online. All with answers. How To Use Google+ Why use Google+? 1. convenient for gmail users 2. share content and thoughts with specific circles of people 3. try something new 4. have group video chats What is Google+? Google+ (spoken as Google Plus) is a social network (SN). Some people call it Google’s answer to Facebook… New pages for Teachers ESL Worksheets: Many new worksheets with answer sheets, all printable. This Week In History Archive: Now you can access the entire year so you can plan ahead for lessons based on This Week In History. Answer to Quick Quiz Word Up – the world’s most popular board game for English learners a) don’t say it This is a level 3 question and answer from Word Up, the world’s most popular board game for learners of English Get Word Up! ISSN14751356 In This Issue Video Contest Quick Quiz Site of the Month News and Links Answer to QQ © EnglishClub 2011 All Rights Reserved

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Do you know what it means: to be in the know?

Thomas: "I don’t think we need to worry much about competition from the store across the street. Anyone who’s in the know will avoid it and buy all their printer accessories here instead." to be in the know Do you know what it means? to be very intelligent to expect something bad to have information about something

to tie up a few loose ends – Business English Vokabular

Marion: "Have you all packed your notes for the meeting? Are we missing anything?" Nigel: "I’m sorry to keep you waiting, but I need to just tie up a few loose ends before we leave. I need 10 minutes – is that ok?" to tie up a few loose ends Do you know what it means? to finish doing several things to lock one’s cupboards to tie one’s shoelaces

Learning English Video Contest

July 2011 Welcome to the latest edition of ESL Progress for learners and teachers of English. This month you’ve got a chance to win a Flip Video Camera by entering our Learning English Video Contest. You’ll also find news about This Week In History and the latest EnglishClub Site of the Month (which gives you loads of videos for listening practice and more). Hear our latest audio news about the News Of The World newspaper. For teachers there are some useful new worksheets. And as always you can try our Quick Quiz. Good luck! Josef Essberger, Founder EnglishClub Win A Flip Video Camera FREE! Have you heard about EnglishClub’s Learning English Video Contest? Contest Details: Create a video about your best tip for learning English Upload your video to your MyEC page Use the tag LEVC2011 Deadline is 31 August 2011 The winners get a Flip Video Camera! Check out the Contest Rules and Details Quick Quiz Wine is made from a) grapes b) apples c) beetles answer at end EnglishClub ESL Site of the Month Are you good at life? Video Jug can help you learn English as well as thousands of other useful things. This massive collection of "how to" videos is divided into separate channels. You can watch videos on beauty, technology, dating, or any other subject you are interested in. The "how to" videos come with a transcript that you can print out or read as you listen and watch… News and Links Things you don’t want to miss… Listen to Weekly News Now you can listen to a selected news story every Tuesday. Each week we have a top international story, with audio, transcript, wordchecker and gapfill exercise. This week Rupert Murdoch’s in trouble as the News Of The World Shuts Down. This Week In History, now with quiz Our This Week In History pages just get better and better! Now complete with vocabulary explanations, image or video, and multiple-choice quiz. Children’s Stories: Listen Online Or Download Excellent listening practice, even for adults! You can listen online or download each story. And you can read the transcripts too. New pages for Teachers ESL Worksheets: Many new worksheets with answer sheets, all printable. This Week In History Archive: Now you can access the entire year so you can plan ahead for lessons based on This Week In History. Answer to Quick Quiz Word Up – the world’s most popular board game for English learners a) grapes This is a level 3 question and answer from Word Up, the world’s most popular board game for learners of English Get Word Up! ISSN14751356 In This Issue Video Contest Quick Quiz Site of the Month News and Links Answer to QQ © EnglishClub 2011 All Rights Reserved

EnglishClub.com | 23 King Street | Cambridge | CB1 1AS | United Kingdom

opaque – technical English

Robert: "When the building was designed, the architect imagined it having walls of opaque glass. The only thing that he wasn’t certain of was what colour the glass should be." opaque Do you know what it means? difficult to see through especially toughened very expensive

New TOEFL alternative: iTEP examination

TOEFL alternative: iTEP – International Test of English Proficiency

Do you know why more and more schools, companies, governments, and universities are using the iTEP exams for their English proficiency testing needs? Is it because of iTEP’s online administration and easy scheduling? Its rapid results turnaround time? Its affordability? Yes! iTEP offers all of these advantages that schools and global organizations value greatly.

As a reminder, iTEP – International Test of English Proficiency –is the comprehensive English assessment exam accepted by over 140 universities and colleges in the US, including recognition by the California State University Chancellor’s office. [See the full list of iTEP partner schools on its website: www.iTEPexam.com.] Here’s why you might like this convenient new test:

• At US $89, more students can afford iTEP.
• The exam can be scheduled with 3 days’ notice.
• Results are delivered within 5 business days.

What is a virtuous circle? (Business English vocabulary)

The Economist (12 February 2011) uses in an article about Africa’s natural resources the following expression: a virtuous circle. Do you know what it means? virtuous circle Do you know what it means? a group of responsible people a succession of coincidences one positive outcome leading in turn to many more