Guest Post: C1/C2 Collins Word of the Year 2024 by Suzy Ratcliff
It’s that time of the year again! No…. not the festive season, the time for Suzy Ratcliff’s ever-excellent lesson plan based on this year’s Word of the Year contest by Collins Dictionaries. The lesson...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #10: By the skin of one’s teeth
Today’s phrase is… To do something by the skin of your teeth. Introduce it to your students with some personalised examples from your own life: I passed my driving test by the skin of my teeth, one...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #9: Get out of hand
Today’s phrase is…. To get out of hand Introduce it to your students with some personalised examples: The party got a little bit out of hand after you left. His Miley Cyrus obsession has got a little...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #8: Not be cut out for…
Today’s phrase is…. To not be cut out for something OR To not be cut out to do something Introduce the expression to your students with a personalised example: After just 2 days working for an...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #7: Do wonders for
Today’s phrase is…. to do wonders for Introduce it to your students with a personalised example: “Getting away from the city for a couple of days did wonders for my mental health.” Show them some more...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #6: Spare a Thought for…
The phrase of the day today is… Spare a thought for someone. As we’re over a year into the horrific war in Ukraine, we should spare a thought for all of the people who have been killed, injured or...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #5: Contrary to Popular Belief, …
The phrase of the day today is…. “Contrary to popular belief,….” Introduce it to your students with some examples: “Contrary to popular belief, you can’t catch a cold just from being cold.” “Contrary...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #4: To Draw the Line at
Today’s phrase is…. “To draw the line at something” Introduce it to your students in a personalised example: “I like scary movies but I draw the line at the Saw films, they’re too gory for me.” Ask...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #3: Keep your options open
Today’s phrase is… “To keep one’s options open” Introduce it to your students in a personalised sentence, for example: “When I chose my A-Level subjects, I wanted to keep my options open so I picked...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #1: Strange as it may seem…
I’m trying to introduce some micro-learning to my proficiency class by starting a “phrase of the day” system. I’ll collect them in a Quizlet set so I can revisit them. The first one is: Strange as it...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #25: A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Today’s expression is… “A bitter pill to swallow…” Introduce it with some examples: Losing the cup final to a goal in the last minute was a bitter pill to swallow for the Tottenham fans. The terrible...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #22: All of a sudden…
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-brown-leather-jacket-using-binoculars-3811807/ Today’s phrase is… All of a sudden Introduce it with some examples: All of a sudden, the...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #21 – Go to waste…
Photo by Erik Mclean: https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-birthday-cake-on-brown-dried-grass-4077255/ Today’s phrase is…. go to waste Introduce it with some examples: When I go out for dinner I often...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #20: To be in one’s element
Photo by ELEVATE: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-sitting-on-dining-table-1267321/ Today’s phrase is… To be in one’s element Introduce it to your students with some examples: I had a...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #19: To be out of touch with
Today’s phrase is…. to be out of touch Introduce it with some examples: The politician’s response to that question just shows that he is completely out of touch with the ordinary person on the street....
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #17: Be nothing short of
Photo by James Wheeler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lake-and-mountain-417074/ Today’s phrase is…. Be nothing short of Introduce it with some examples: The view from the boat was nothing short of...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #16: To keep someone waiting
Today’s phrase is… To keep someone waiting Introduce the expression with some examples: The hotel staff kept us waiting for the best part of four hours before our room was ready. Keeping your date...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #15: Go halves on
Today’s phrase is…. to go halves on something Introduce it with an example: On a first date you should always go halves on the bill when it arrives. Do you agree? The expression means to split/divide...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #14: To bite off more than you can chew
Today’s phrase of the day is… To bite off more than you can chew Introduce it with some examples: When I took on that extra part-time job I bit off more than I could chew. The government bit off more...
View ArticleProficiency Phrase of the Day #12: To prey on your mind
“Worried bride” by spaceodissey is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Today’s phrase is… To prey on one’s mind Introduce it with some examples: The problem has been preying on my mind for over a week now. You...
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