Hi folks! It's been a while since I last posted here, but I wanted to tell you some big changes are afoot (soon to happen). If you've had classes with me recently, then you know I'm planning to launch some group-based speaking training. What has changed is that instead of doing it on myenglish.habit.net, I'm going to launch it here inside this community. And soon. Very soon....(September)! Quite a lot of you mentioned that speaking is your main problem, so instead of focussing only on listening, I thought, "Why not just give people what they want!?" As members already, you have the chance to influence the direction the training takes, including days, times, activities, etc. I'll ask for your opinions soon, but in the meantime, take a look at the About page if you're interested in learning more. Enjoy your summer for now! P.S. I've attached a mockup (maqueta) of a potential calendar for September.

🍔 Do you eat fast food? The USA is world-famous for its fast food, while the poor old UK suffers from a terrible reputation for its cuisine. In this Watch With English Teacher video, we'll see if the underdog (the UK) can compete with the masters of fast food – the USA. Rate your comprehension from 1 to 10. 1 = Is this even English? 👽 10 = I didn't even break a sweat. 😎

José Carlos and I managed to finish the episode we started last week ('Race Across The World'). He understood everything pretty well this week – would you agree, José Carlos? The only problem we had was with the teenager from Yorkshire, who had a very languid style of speaking. He was also a bit of an overgrown child, to be honest. And a complete wimp! Wimp (noun, informal) – a person who is seen as weak, timid, or lacking courage. Anyway, enough of my yakking... How many of these words and expressions do you know? 1. Wad of cash Definition: A thick bundle of paper money. Example: He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket to pay. 2. There’s a lot more riding on it Definition: A lot depends on the outcome. Example: This isn’t just a game — there’s a lot more riding on it. 3. Bed and board (noun phrase) Definition: Accommodation and meals provided together. Example: The job includes bed and board on the island. 4. To be in a pickle (idiom) Definition: To be in a difficult situation. Example: We’re in a pickle if the car doesn’t start. 5. Step up (phrasal verb) Definition: To take responsibility or make more effort. Example: Alex, you need to step up and lead the team. 6. To diss (verb, informal) Definition: To show disrespect towards someone or something. Example: Don’t diss the idea before hearing it properly. 7. I could do with sth/sb (expression) Definition: I would benefit from or like to have. Example: I could do with a coffee right now. 8. To lag behind Definition: To fall behind others in progress. Example: Some students began to lag behind in maths. 9. What do you reckon? Definition: What do you think? Example: What do you reckon — should we go for it? 10. We’re tight (adjective, informal) Definition: We don’t like spending money; stingy. Example: We’re tight, so we always look for discounts. 11. Square (adjective) Definition: Conventional or old-fashioned. Example: Sue was a little bit square compared to the others. 12. Sort something out (phrasal verb)

José Carlos joined me last night for another session of UK TV watching, which, conveniently for him, started right after his regular weekly class. On the telly tonight was a BBC show that José Carlos recognised from the Spanish version of the same format: Race Across The World. Five pairs of contestants compete to get from London to Singapore with a budget of £1,300 (about €1,500) and no mobile phones or access to the internet. In this episode they had to get to their first checkpoint in Delphi in Greece. With the subtitles José Carlos found everything quite easy to understand. The only difficult moments came when a father and son from Yorkshire spoke -- yep, that accent again! (I've created a special Yorkshire section in the classroom if you want to improve your comprehension of these accents). Here's the noteworthy vocabulary from the episode: 1) To hitchhike Definition: To travel by getting free lifts from passing drivers. Example: They hitchhiked across Spain during the summer. 2) Dosh Definition: Money (informal, British). Example: That new phone must have cost a lot of dosh. 3) Flag someone down Definition: To signal for a vehicle or person to stop by waving. Example: She flagged down a taxi in the rain. 4) Blow your budget Definition: To spend more money than you planned. Example: We blew our budget on the hotel and had to cut back on meals out. 5) Keep your cards close to your chest Definition: To keep your plans or intentions secret. Example: He’s keeping his cards close to his chest about the promotion. 6) Cushy Definition: Easy and comfortable, usually referring to a job. Example: She landed a cushy office job with great benefits. 7) Poorly (adj.) Definition: Slightly unwell (British informal). Example: I won’t come in today — I’m feeling a bit poorly. 8) Take a turn for the worse Definition: To suddenly become more ill or more serious. Example: His condition took a turn for the worse overnight. 9) Their tactic paid off Definition: Their strategy was successful.

Och, you'll have no problem understanding this one. The real question is, do you know all the vocabulary in the key vocab list?