English Gateway Newsletter #15

J is for joyful, U is for upbeat, N is for nuptial, E is for exciting and emotional too - that sums up the month of June. It’s also about fathers who definitely deserve to be celebrated! What’s June for you?

 

Site Updates (Member Content)

 

New Worksheets

 

Vacation Idioms (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Students guess the meanings of vacation-related idioms based on the way these are used in a conversation or situation.

 

Thirst Quenchers (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

As the weather is heating up, how do your students cool off? Talk about popular thirst quenchers and explore other ways of saying ‘drink’.

 

Related From the Archive: Father’s Day Worksheet

 

Dad-isms - Your Dad’s Favorite Lines (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Students discuss the real meaning of the lines so commonly used by fathers all over the world.

 

New lesson Plan

 

Interjections: ...Huh? (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Students practice a variety of interjections that express sudden emotions or strong feelings.

 

ESL Teacher Blog Updates

 

I Say, You Say - British and American Pronunciation Differences

10 Tips for Managing a Multi-Level ESL Class

 

ESL Student Blog Updates

 

A to Z Father's Day Adjectives

 

Nurse, Nursing, Nursery

Speaking of Royalty

Spring Fever - Do I Need to See a Doctor?

Earmuffs, Earplugs, Earphones

Dye Vs. Die

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes

Upon landing of Atlantis, a NASA shuttle that completed its 32d and final flight in May, Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of Space Operations, commented on the astronauts:

 

“My hat is off to the team. They make it look easy. I can tell you it wasn’t easy, and they deserve a lot of praise and congratulations for what they’ve done.”

What does ‘my hat is off’ mean?

This idiom is used to show admiration or respect for someone who has done something impressive. Variations of this idiom are ‘take my hat off to someone’ or ‘tip your hat off to someone’:

I take my hat off to the war veterans who risked their lives fighting for our freedom.

Happy Learning and Teaching,

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #14

Spring is here and so is our newsletter with the great resources to celebrate the season!

New Worksheets (Member Content)

 

April Fool’s Day ESL Worksheet: Practical Joke Devices (High-Intermediate)

 

Familiarize students with common North American practical joke devices. Whether they consider them amusing, silly or embarrassing, encourage to support their view.

 

Green Resolutions: Earth Day Phrasal Verbs (High-Intermediate)

 

Students include phrasal verbs in their resolutions to go greener.

 

Spring-Related Resources from the Archive

 

Environment Collocations
Describing Nature Collocations
Spring Cleaning - Get Your Place Spick and Span

 

Blog Updates

 

ESL Student Blog

 

Unusual Winter Olympic Sports - Curling

Economic or Economical?

Affix Para- in Paralympics and Other Related Words

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Teaching Irregular Verbs Lexical Approach Style

When a Day Has 23 Hours

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Recent Media Quotes

 

This is what WestJet (Canadian airline) CEO Sean Durfy has recently said after his surprise decision to quit the job:

“You run out of steam after a while. Especially at a company like WestJet. It is an amazing place, but the airline space and the airline sector is exhausting.”

What does ‘run out of steam’ mean?

If someone runs out of steam, they have no more energy or enthusiasm left.

He tried to chase the car on his bike but ran out of steam pedaling uphill.

Happy Learning and Teaching,
English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #13

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it’s also one of the busiest and most special on the calendar. From the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to Chinese New Year and to Valentine’s Day, there’s certainly no shortage of events and celebrations to look forward to.

 

Membership Content Additions

 

Valentines’s Day Lesson Plan:

 

Happily Ever After (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Students summarize popular fairytales and talk about the reasons people keep reading and watching their childhood favorites over and over again.

 

New Worksheets:

 

Olympic Dominoes (ESL Intermediate)

 

Practice Olympic collocations to celebrate the 2010 Olympic Winter Games that kick off on February 12.

 

Comfort Foods (ESL Intermediate)

 

Not only is food essential, it’s also a source of comfort. Familiarize your students with popular North American comfort foods, often consumed to satisfy psychological needs of being stressed, anxious, frustrated etc. or as a reminder  of happy childhood moments.

 

Collocations With ‘Give’ (ESL Intermediate)

 

This high-frequency verb (‘give’) collocates with a large number of words. The worksheet practices the most common combinations with less obvious meanings of ‘give’.

 

Recent Blog Updates

 

Teacher Blog

 

Collocations and “Find Someone Who...” in the Olympic Spirit

Collocations As Carriers of Culture in ESL Classrooms

 

Student Blog

 

Hear Vs. Listen

Weather-Related Small Talk

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes From Movies

 

This quote comes from Avatar, the new movie directed by James Cameron, that has made history by setting a worldwide box-office record.

This is what Jake Sully, a Marine infantryman, says to the Tree of Souls:

 

“I may just be talking to a tree, but if you can hear me I need to give you a heads up”. What does ‘give a heads-up’ mean?

 

If someone gives somebody a heads-up, s/he gives a warning message or an advance notice of a situation that will require attention.

 

Going over the sample interview questions will give you a heads up on what to expect at your real interview.

 

Happy learning and teaching,
 
English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #12

There are many wonderful reasons to celebrate and recognize the last month of the year. We thank everyone who has helped us grow and improve throughout this marvelous year and send our best wishes for a festive and jolly holiday season!

 

Site Update:

 

Join English Gateway workshop "From Intermediate to Advanced - Taking Vocabulary Skills to the Next Level" at TESL Ontario Conference in Toronto, Ontario, December 10-12, 2009!

 

Membership Content Additions:

 

New Worksheet: Describing Clothes Collocations (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Students learn to describe articles of clothing based on style, length, pattern and other characteristics.

 

New Worksheet: Canadian-isms (ESL Low-Intermediate)

 

Students practice vocabulary peculiar to Canadian English.

 

New Lesson Plan: "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (ESL Intermediate)

 

This lesson is based on the poem by Clement Clarke Moore. Students talk about Christmas traditions and image of Santa Claus as perceived through the poem. Rhyming patterns of the poem are also explored.

More holiday-related worksheets:

Naughty or Nice? (Based on the song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") ESL Intermediate

Students learn about Santa Claus as personified in folklore and give examples of naughty or nice behaviour.

Personality and Gift Giving (ESL High-Intermediate)

Students think of gifts that match various personality traits.

Recent Blog Updates

 

Teacher Blog

 

Using Corpus in Advanced ESL Classes

What Are Language Chunks?

Follow Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay and Learn Canadian Geography

 

Student Blog

 

Raise vs. Rise

 

Idiomania: Idioms in the Language of Advertising

 

Apple has recently advertised their special shopping event as the following:

 

TGI Friday.

Especially this Friday.

 

What does TGI Friday mean?

 

This expression means Thank Goodness It’s Friday (also abbreviated TGIF). It’s used among people who are happy their workweek (Monday to Friday) is finished and weekend is coming up. For example:

 

What a tough week it has been, TGIF!

 

Happy learning and teaching,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #11

The school year is in full swing and there has been a lot of activity here at English Gateway. Whether a student or teacher of intermediate to advanced levels, we hope you find the best value vocabulary lessons, worksheets and lesson plans in our regularly updated resources.

Site Updates:

 

English Gateway has gone membership based. Downloading ESL worksheets, ESL lesson plans and ESL vocabulary lessons is now available for members only. Read more about our membership.

Limited Time Offer Until October 31st, 2009!

Use 25OFF coupon code to get a 25% discount on any type of membership purchase.

Join English Gateway workshops at 2009 SPEAQ Convention in Montreal, Quebec, November 12-14, 2009 or TESL Ontario Conference in Toronto, Ontario, December 10-12, 2009.

 

New Worksheet:

 

The Scary Sounds of Halloween (ESL Intermediate)

 

Name the sounds typically associated with Halloween. Describe sounds of a haunted house traditionally visited on Halloween.

 

New Lesson Plans:

 

Leaving a Voicemail Message (ESL Intermediate)

 

Discuss what makes a good and not so good voicemail message. Edit sample messages and create your own.

 

Subway Announcements (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Help your students feel less frustrated the next time they hear an inaudible announcement on the subway. Go over common scripts and scenarios encountered on public transit premises.

 

Traffic Report (ESL Advanced)

 

Check your students’ comprehension of a typical traffic report. Focus on collocations, synonyms and words that function as different parts of speech. (Names of streets and intersections in this report come from the city of Toronto, Canada - a special treat for Canadian teachers).

 

Super-Duper - Talking About Fashion, based on the song "Putting on the Ritz"  (ESL Advanced)

 

Discuss the fashion trends of the Western culture in the 20th century. Introduce vocabulary related to fashion and name well-known American fashion icons.

 

Recent Blog Updates

 

Teacher Blog

 

Fall Foliage Lexical Activities
A or An - Phonetics Over Spelling

 

Student Blog

 

Thanksgiving Traditions - Wishing Upon A Wishbone
Custom or Customs?

 

Idiomania: Idioms in the Language of Advertising

 

Macintosh (or Mac), a popular Apple computer, has recently been advertised as the following:

 

It has the best operating system and then some.

 

What does ‘and then some’ means?

 

This expression means “considerably more in addition”.

 

For example:

 

The store offers dozens of ice-cream flavors and then some.
That trip was my lifelong dream and then some!

Happy learning and teaching,

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #10

What are you up to this summer? Whether you look forward to a well-deserved vacation, long-awaited graduation party or just a rewarding gardening season, we hope you enjoy the season to its fullest!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises:

 

Wedding Idioms

 

June is the most popular wedding month. Can you describe a wedding you’ve been to using these idioms?

 

Rooms in the House

 

Name typical rooms of a house in your part of the world.

 

Father's Day Worksheet:

 

Dad-isms - Your Dad’s Favorite Lines

 

No matter what language you speak, the fathers all over the world typically say the same lines to their children. Discuss the examples and add you own as you take part in a conversation game.

 

ESL Student Blog

 

Preposition ‘by’ vs. ‘with’
'Onto' vs. 'On To'

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Pronouncing -ed Endings in the Simple Past Tense
Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs - How to Tell Apart

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

 

In one of his recent interview Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, America’s largest online retailer, has said:

 

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful. 

 

If information spreads by word of mouth, it passes from one person to another (rather than comes from other sources, e.g.: TV, radio, newspapers)

 

Neil is a very skillful plumber. Most of his work comes by word of mouth - his satisfied customers recommend his services to their friends and family.

 

We found this place through word of mouth. They make the best burgers in town!

 

Best summer wishes,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #9

Click here to see the web version of the newsletter

 

With bright sunshine and warmth one minute and cold rain the next, April is a truly mixed bag of weather. Yet, as the trees are starting to bud and the first daffodils are in flower, we can’t be wrong that the spring has finally sprung!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises:

Crime has always received an extensive coverage by the media. Are you familiar with crime-related expressions?

 

Eating and Cooking Eggs

 

Discuss popular North American egg dishes and talk about your favorite. How are eggs prepared in your ethnic cuisine?

 

New Lesson Plan:

 

At the Medical Lab - Going for a Blood Test (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Blood tests are a necessity for many. Prepare your students for possible scenarios taking place at a medical lab.

 

New Worksheet:

 

Spring Cleaning - Get Your Place Spick and Span (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

As the weather warms up, it’s time to get down to some serious cleaning. Talk about this seasonal ritual as you introduce the new vocabulary. Students then create their spring cleaning plan for a room assigned by a teacher.

Egg Dishes - What’s Your Favorite?

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Spring Is in the Air and in the Classroom Too

 

Teaching Four Food Groups - Grains

 

Student Note-Taking - What It Can Tell a Teacher

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

 

Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, while preparing a feast featuring the best of British food for the G20 leaders, has recently said:

 

"I'm very, very proud of my country and its food traditions and I know that the guests at Downing Street will be in for a real treat."

 

If you’re in for something, you’re guaranteed to experience it very soon.

 

Examples:

 

If you thought you’ve tried all the possible ice-cream flavors, you’re in for a big surprise. This ice-cream parlor offers over 200 mouth-watering flavors!

 

"We’re in for some rain tonight", said the tour guide pointing at the dark heavy clouds.

 

Happy learning and teaching,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #8

The mounds of snow are getting smaller with each day and migratory birds are coming back. With warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours and..yes, lots of muddy puddles, the winter is gradually giving way to spring!

In this issue:

New Exercises:

City Streets Collocations

Describe the urban landscape of your city. Have there been any changes or additions to the look of your city, such as pedestrian scramble, traffic lights countdown timers or speed bumps?

Love Collocations

Use these word combinations to describe romantic love, love between parents and children, or people and pets. Think of examples from the movies, literature or your personal experiences that are related to the new phrases.

New Lesson Plans:

Shopping for Bed Linens (High-Intermediate)

Shopping for bed linens is yet another cultural difference. Students talk about the topic through reading, vocabulary building exercises and conversation questions.

Workplace Skills (High-Intermediate)

“What skills do you possess that make you a successful candidate for this position?” - is  the most frequently asked question at job interviews. Students read newspaper advertisements and create one of their own to highlight workplace transferable skills.

ESL Student Blog

In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb

Job, Occupation, Profession - What’s the Difference?

Flag Day

ESL Teacher Blog

Toronto Turns 175

Wake Up, Class!

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

While accepting the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the President of the United States, Barack Obama, American singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder said:

"What is truly exciting for me today is that we truly have lived to see a time and a space where America has a chance to again live up to the greatness that it deserves to be seen and known as, through the love and caring and the commitment of a president — as in our president, Barack Obama."

What does live up to mean?

When something (or someone) meets our requirements or expectations, we say it lives up to them.

Examples:

Emily, our real estate agent, has certainly lived up to our expectations when we met her in person. She was very informative and professional, and not pushy at all!

We booked a five-star hotel on our trip to Hawaii. The pool area was dirty, the food was mediocre and there were no English speaking channels to watch! The hotel just didn’t live up to its rating.

Happy March Break,

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #7

Whether for you these early February days are just the beginning of the new year or the first harbingers of spring, we hope you’re truly enjoying the season. We’re back into the swing of things with the new exciting materials!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises This Month:

 

School Collocations

 

Car Parts Collocations

 

Practice word partnerships in two new exercises added to the Day to Day section. Copy the words onto the index cards, arrange them in matching pairs or play a memory game for better retention.

 

New Worksheets This Month:

 

Chocolate Foods (High-Intermediate)

 

Bring an element of the North American culture  into your Valentine’s Day class. Talk about popular chocolate-based foods and engage your students in a follow-up discussion.

 

First Aid Kit - Are You Prepared? (Advanced)

 

Emergency situations are stressful - there is no time to look for unfamiliar words or ask questions. This worksheet is meant to raise awareness of the importance to have a first aid kit on hand at all times and familiarize students with its contents.

 

Ages and Stages (High-Intermediate)

 

Teach words, phrases and idioms related to age and aging. Remember to finish on a positive note (You’re as young as you feel!) if you teach older adults.

 

Blog Updates

 

ESL Student Blog

 

Icicle Watching, Anyone?

Inauguration Day - Key Words

Conscious or Conscientious?

 

ESL Teacher Blog

Valentine’s Day Activities - Are Your Students Comfortable Talking About Love?
Turn Your Holiday Cards Into A great Teaching Resource

Come-Back-After-Holidays Icebreaker

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

 

In his inauguration speech Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, said:

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America”.

 

What do the phrases in bold mean?

 

Pick yourself up literally means to stand up after a fall. In the quote ‘pick ourselves up” is used figuratively, meaning that we have to try and recover after the economic fall that we ‘re experiencing these days.

Is the expression ‘pick himself up’ used literally or figuratively in the following examples?

 

a) The athlete picked himself up despite the strong pain in the knee and kept on running.
b) Peter has been an alcohol addict for years. He then picked himself up, quit drinking and found a decent job.

(a) literally (b) figuratively

 

Dust off is a phrasal verb. It means to use something (again) after it hasn’t been used for some time. I can refer to objects and human possessions, but also knowledge or skills. Here is an example:

 

As soon as the gas prices went up, I dusted off my old bike and rode it everyday to the university campus.

Lee wants to  take part in a homestay program in Osaka, Japan. She plans to dust off her Japanese to communicate with her host family better.

 

Happy Learning and Teaching,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #6

It’s hard to believe that the new calendar year is only weeks away! The most celebrated part of the year is upon us and we wish you lots of holiday cheer and many learning and teaching rewards!

In this issue:

 

New Exercises This Month:

 

These common day-to-day phrasal verbs will help you talk about two main human needs – food and sleep.

 

Food Phrasal Verbs

 

Sleep Phrasal Verbs

 

New Worksheets This Month:

 

Whether shopping for clothes or groceries, these phrasal verbs come in handy in any shopping related conversations.

 

Shopping Phrasal Verbs

 

Does personality play a role in choosing a gift? Students share their opinions as they define common personality traits.

 

Personality and Gift Giving

 

Set a festive mood in your class by listening to this popular tune and sharing a laugh about childhood memories associated with Santa Claus.

 

Naughty or Nice? (based on the song ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town)

 

Blog Updates

 

ESL Student Blog

 

A Note on Number Reading

 

Recognizable Idioms

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Naughty or Nice? Help Your Students Find Out As You Sing Along

 

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

Oprah Winfrey, a very popular talk show host on American TV, has candidly related to her current weight:

'When it comes to maintaining my health, I didn't just fall off the wagon. I let the wagon fall on me.'

 

What does ‘fall off the wagon’ mean?

If a person falls off the wagon, s/he fails to keep his/her promise not to do something.

 

Oprah talked about her ‘dieting’ wagon. She has gained weight because she didn’t follow her diet and quit her exercise routine.

 

This expression is often used to describe people who start drinking alcohol after a period they haven’t had any:

 

He fell off the wagon right after their divorce was finalized.

 

Do you know anyone who fell of the wagon and resumed smoking? How many times has this person tried to quit smoking?

 

We wish you to never fall off the wagon in the upcoming year!

 

Happy Holidays!

 

English Gateway Team

 

English Gateway Newsletter #5

The trees are nearly bare of their leaves and it won’t take long until the first snow covers the ground. November is here and most of us are busy finishing the end-of-the-year work and look forward to the holiday season and well-deserved time off!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises:

 

Do you like watching and/or reading thrillers? Going over newspaper headlines? You’re definitely to come across those word combinations.

 

Police Collocations

 

Tell about your sleep patterns using the idioms in this exercise.

 

Sleep Idioms

 

New Worksheets:

 

Divide the new idioms into positive and negative types and ask your students to describe people in their surroundings. Are they familiar with any of these types?

 

Types of People – Descriptive Collocations (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Incorporate this worksheet into a study unit on health issues or when noticeable seasonal changes take place (arrival of longer/shorter days, daylight saving time, winter ‘hibernation’).

 

Sleep Idioms (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

Blog Updates

 

ESL Student Blog

 

Are English Words Getting Shorter?

Some time, Sometime, Sometimes

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Presidential Elections Word Cloud and Language Learning

Let’s Play Scrabble

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Advertisements

 

What does the idiom ‘cloud nine’ in the following advertisement of Lufthansa (airline) mean?

 

A Business Class bed that feels like home. An Internet connection that feels like the office. An experience that feels like cloud nine. All for this one moment.

 

Cloud nine is a state of extreme happiness.

 

After living in a rental apartment for 10 years we finally bought a new house. We’re moving in next month and I'm on cloud nine!

 

What makes you be on cloud nine?

Happy Learning and Teaching,

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #4

Walk or drive through Canadian neighborhoods these days and you won’t miss them - pumpkins, spider webs and scarecrows are everywhere.  And with trees decked out in their brilliant fall colors, no wonder October is the most beautiful month of the year!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises This Month:

 

Corporate, medical, government, law or post offices surround us at ever turn. Can you describe an office that you've recently visited?

 

Office Collocations (Workplace English)

Find more office collocations in our workplace related lessons.

Canadians have just casted their ballots in the Federal Elections. Can you describe the election process in your country? Read this blog post about the structure of the Canadian government.

 

Elections Collocations (Day to Day English)

 

New Worksheets This Month:

 

Help your students brush up on idioms related to school days.

 

Higher Education Idioms (ESL High-Intermediate)

 

With Halloween around the corner, talk about the ways to describe the feeling of fear through the language of idioms.

 

Fear Idioms (ESL Advanced)

 

Blog Updates

 

ESL Student Blog

 

The Cutting Verbs
Describe Your Perfect Fall Leaf
Canadian Government in a Nutshell

 

ESL Teacher Blog

 

Using Subway Maps
Turning a Technical Problem into a Teachable Moment
Thanksgiving and Elections – Is there a Connection?

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

 

This is what Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc., said on hiring:

 

“Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview.”  

 

What does the bolded idiom mean?

 

A needle in a haystack is an object or person which is very difficult or nearly impossible to find

 

Consider this example:

 

Searching for the tourist gone missing in the vast area of the Amazon River rainforests was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

Have you ever been searching for a needle in a haystack?

 

Happy Learning and Teaching,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #3

September is here and most of us getting back to school, work or just back to our regular schedule after the lazy days of summer. This is a truly inspiring month when new people, opportunities and experiences await us at every corner!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises This Month:

 

Gone are the days of 20-pound dictionaries and pencils #2. Electronic dictionaries, lead pencils (or the ones with toys on the tips!), post-it notes and liquid paper are today’s must-have items for school and work.

 

School Supplies Collocations

 

No topic is more important to brush on when students get back to the school.

 

Fire Safety Collocations

 

New Worksheets This Month:

 

Through common word combinations and idioms, students are exposed to language and cultural norms and routines of today’s North American office in these workplace-related worksheets.

 

Office Collocations

 

Business Idioms

 

Blog Updates

 

Student Blog:

 

The Right Paper For Your Job
Accept, Expect or Except?

 

Teacher Blog:

 

Back to School Madness
First Day Mood

 

Idiomania: Idioms in Taglines

 

Tagline is a short phrase that summarizes the main idea of a product or service that is offered by a business. It comes along with the brand name and is used for advertising purposes.

 

Companies try to make their taglines more memorable to their customers by writing them in a funny or rhyming way, or …by using idiomatic language. Here is an example of an idiom used in the tagline of Hotels.com – an online business that provides information on accommodations:

 

Hotels.com. We know hotels inside and out.

 

If you know something inside and out, you know it very well.

 

Garry helped us to buy a house. He’s an experienced real estate agent who knows the market inside and out.

 

Patricia gave me a lot of useful advice on how to use Photoshop effectively. She really knows this program inside and out.

 

Is there a subject or topic you know inside and out?

Let us know - leave a comment.

Wishing you a very productive school year,

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #2 Updated

Please accept our sincere apologies for the newsletter #2 sent with broken links.

Thank you

English Gateway Team

 

As we curiously watch the world’s best athletes compete in Beijing, let’s admire their willpower, perseverance and determination. Whether we strive to be better at sports, work or learning English, it sure takes a lot of hard work!

 

In this issue:

 

New Exercises This Month:

Are you familiar with the Olympic motto? What’s the most famous Olympic venue in Beijing?
Did the torch relay pass through your country?

Olympic Games Collocations

Workplace language is packed with idioms. 6 new idioms are practiced in this exercise.

Workplace Idioms

 

New Worksheets This Month:

Phrasal verbs have always been the Achilles heel for language learners. Use the teacher notes to get ideas on how to introduce/reinforce the concept of phrasal verbs that have more than one meaning.

Multiple Meanings Phrasal Verbs

Weather is a topic everyone can relate to. As your students advance through higher levels of learning English, draw their attention to vocabulary that describes the weather beyond the words ‘nice’ or ‘cold’.

Weather Collocations

 

Blog Updates

Are idioms and phrasal verbs the same?
Usage Note: Safe or Confident? Try out a short quiz at the end of the post.

Student Blog

Share your favorite Olympic memories or moments after brainstorming Olympics related vocabulary.

Teacher Blog

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

The 38-year-old American actress Uma Thurman feels good about her age as she talks about it in her recent interview:
“Being in my late 30s is fine with me. Maybe when 40 hits, the penny will drop and you just hate life. But so far, so good.”

What penny is she talking about?

If the penny dropped for you, you finally understood something that wasn’t obvious to you some time ago.

 

The comedian was really funny. At first I didn’t get his jokes, but then the penny dropped, and I burst into laughter.

 

When Natalie looked through the bus window, she didn’t recognize her surroundings – the streets were unfamiliar and strange. Finally the penny dropped, and she realized that she missed her stop.

 

so far, so good – things have gone well until now

 

She has won three out of five games. So far, so good!

 

“How is your trip going?” my mom asked me on the phone.

“So far, so good. It hasn’t rained even once and we’ve been able to see most of the city’s attractions”, I replied.

 

 

English Gateway Team

English Gateway Newsletter #1

What are you doing this summer? Whether gardening, visiting your family, relaxing at the beach or just eagerly anticipating the start of the Beijing Olympic Games, we at English Gateway hope you keep speaking English!

In this issue:

New Exercises This Month:

Tying the knot (getting married) this summer, anyone? Invited to a wedding?
Wedding Collocations

Canada turned 141 on the 1st of July, young or shabby? When does your country celebrate its birthday?

Canada Day Collocations

 

Are you an avid gardener? Any luck growing tomatoes this year?

Gardening Collocations 
 
New Worksheets This Month:

 

Trying to get your students to talk about weddings in their countries? These expressions will lay the foundation to discuss the topic:
Wedding Collocations

 

With the Games fast approaching, use these expressions to warm your students up towards the  action-packed days:
Sports Collocations

 

Blog Updates

Student Blog: Placing Stress in Noun-Verb Pairs in English

 

Teacher Blog: Do You Have a Favourite Student in Your Classroom?

Teacher Blog: End of the School Year Activity

Idiomania: Idioms in Quotes of Famous People

Lt. General Ann Dunwoody has recently become the first female four-star general in the history of the United States. This is what she said on her nomination:

“I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were.”

What did Lt. General Ann Dunwoody mean?

Glass ceiling is a barrier to the positions of top management jobs that women and minorities face when they try to advance their careers. This term has a discriminatory nature.

 

Examples:

Many women hit the glass ceiling in their middle management positions. Eventually, they decide to quit their jobs and start their own business.

It took her a decade to get through/break/crack/shatter the glass ceiling and become the CEO of the company.

Do you have a glass ceiling story to share? We’d love to listen!

 

Have a great summer,
English Gateway Team