miércoles, 28 de febrero de 2024

A letter of application

 Dear Sir / Madam // Miss Smith/ Mister Smith // To whom it may concern,

- I am writing to apply for the position of children’s football coach.

- I am currently the captain of my school team.

- In addition to my experience as captain, I have a young referee’s qualification.

- In my free time, I enjoy playing with young children (my brothers and cousins).

- I have also participated in summer camps with young children as a camp counsellor.

- I can supply a reference from my PE teacher on request. I would also be willing to do one coaching session with your football team so that you can see how I work.

- Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

- I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely,

Julio Abad

https://engxam.com/handbook/how-to-write-a-letter-of-application-fce-cae-cpe/

miércoles, 24 de enero de 2024

A job interview

Part 1: SMALL TALK / Tell me about yourself 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBtMwyQFXwA

Part 2: How did you know about us? / Why did you choose our company? / What are your strengths?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZQnhUYEPoY

Part 3: Tell us about difficulties you´ve faced at work / How would you react if you disagreed with your supervisor? / What is your greatest weakness?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xywXO-VHCg

Part 4: Where do you see yourself in five years? / Do you have any questions for me? / Some more small talk...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To4IJuHYt94

Part 5: Body language and non-verbal language: look confident (firm handshake) / sit upright and look alert/ be expressive but not too much / make eye to eye contact / be careful with your tone (rythm, volume, stops, the language you use) / smile but keep formal / do not make too many jokes (know your boundaries)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTdFPlXfFj4


CREATE A CONVERSATION BASED ON THESE MAIN TOPICS:


1 - Some starting small talk...

è The weather, how you got to the place (transportation)...

2 - Introducing yourself.

è Describe yourself in terms of studies, your career, hobbies...

3 - Where you found the info about the company.                 

 
è  Through an app  Indeed  Asking around  Asking people you know  Networking  Newspapers...

4 - Why you chose this company.

è Good working conditions  Good working schedule  Safe environment  Holidays  Proximity/ convenience  Security  Flexibility  Work culture...

5 - What your strengths are.

è Punctual  Honest  Responsible  Persistent  Patient  Organized  Kind  Good under pressure...

6 - Difficulties you´ve experienced at work.
è Impunctuality of coworkers  Bad relationship  Annoying behaviours  Pressure and impatient bosses, arrogance and difficult customers... 

7 - Your reaction towards disagreement at work.
è Move aside (keep distance)  Try to talk (not in public) and explain what (and how) you feel, do not react straight away and try to sleep on it...

8 - What your greatest weaknesses are and how you deal with them.
è Being a perfectionist  Being too organized /disorganized  Wanting to take charge of everything (not being able to delegate tasks or duties) 
 Being stubborn  Public speaking...

9 - Where you see yourself in five years.
è What are your goals for the future?  Being realistic: what you can achieve  How ambitious are you?  Be clear...

10 - What you want to know about the company / position / work environment.
è Ask about the expectations they have, the team you are going to work with  Say you would feel flattered if you were chosen  Maybe add some small talk about topics you have shared...

-        

lunes, 22 de enero de 2024

Revision for MIEA2

1.  What do you like? I like football.

2.  Why are you here? I am here because I have a lesson.

3.  Where is your friend? He is at home.

4.  When have you arrived? I have arrived at 8.30

5.  Which is your book? My book is this one.

6.  Who are you? I am Carlos.

7.  How did you come to school? I came by train.

8.  How much does this pen cost? It costs 50 cents.

9.  How many books do you have? I have many books.

     How many books have you got? I have got many books.

10. How long has she been here? She has been here a lot.

11. How far is Chiclayo from Madrid? Chiclayo is 9300 kilometres away from Madrid.

12. How often do you talk to your parents? I talk to them once a month.


Auxiliar verbs:

DO / DOES / DID  

HAVE / HAS / HAD 

BE: AM / IS / ARE / WAS / WERE

CAN / COULD

1. Do you like apples? Yes, I do / No, I don´t

2. Does the teacher speak? Yes, she/he does / No, he doesn´t

3. Have you got a pet? Yes, I have a cat / No, I haven´t.

4. Has your mum got a car? Yes, she has one/No, she hasn´t

5. Are you happy? Yes, I am / No, I´m not

6. Is it Monday today? Yes, it is /No, it isn´t

7. Can you swim? Yes, I can /No, I can´t

8. Can she go with me? Yes, she can / No, she can´t


DAILY ROUTINES:

- I wake up at 7 o´clock in the morning.

Yo (me) despierto a las 7 en punto de la mañana.

- I get up at half past seven.

Yo (me) levanto a las 7 y media.

- I have a shower.

Yo tomo una ducha.

- I check my mobile phone.

Yo compruebo mi móvil.

- I have breakfast.

Yo tomo el desayuno.

- I walk to school.

Yo camino al cole.

- I go to school.

Yo voy al cole.



Adjective

Comparative

Superlative

1. Slow (lento)

Slower than (más lento que)

The slowest (el más lento)

2. Good (bueno)

Better than (mejor que)

The best (el mejor)

3. Bad (malo)

Worse than (peor que)

The worst (el peor)

4. Important (importante)

More important than

(más importante que)

The most important

(el más importante)


1. A turtle is slower than a rabbit.

    The snail is the slowest animal.

2. I am good. My brother is better than me. My mum is the best.


martes, 14 de noviembre de 2023

Present Simple and Present Continuous

- HabitsPresent simple: I drink water. She drinks coffee. We drink every morning.

- NowPresent Continuous: I am drinking water. She is drinking coffee. We are drinking.

I usually get home at ten oclock. (Adverb +Verb)

I am sometimes late. ( BE + Adverb)

She hardly ever plays chess. (Adverb +Verb)

He is often hungry at night. ( BE + Adverb)

We never smoke. (Adverb +Verb)

I am always happy. ( BE + Adverb)

We are learning verbs and adverbs.

We are doing exercises.

I sometimes make mistakes. 

The teacher always corrects me.

We are paying attention now.

Examples: 

We start our classes at half past eight.

My cat is probably sleeping at the moment.

Babies usually cry when they are hungry.

It´s not raining.

I normally walk to school.

They clean our class everyday.

My phone isn´t ringing.

What do you do in the evenings? I usually watch TV.

Where are you going this afternoon? I´m going to the gym.

We don´t eat pizza because we don´t like it. 

We aren´t eating pizza because it isn´t our favourite food.

He isn´t drinking coffee because it isn´t breakfast time.

I don´t go to the supermarket everyday. I never go to the supermarket.

At night my friend doesn´t call me, so I´m not talking with him.

My phone doesn´t work well because it isn´t new / it is old.

 She never goes to the beach because she prefers the mountains.

Charlotte usually helps in the kitchen, she is helping now.

Does Susie like this song? Yes, she likes this song.

The kids are playing in the garden.

My father is preparing breakfast now, he prepares breakfast everyday.

They don´t do their homework regularly.

I water the plants everyday / He waters the plants everyday.

Do you usually drink tea? Yes, I do / No, I don´t.

DAILY ROUTINES:

I wake up at 7 o´clock in the morning.

I relax for a while.

I check my mobile phone.

I get up.

I stretch and go to the toilet.

I have a shower 

I get dressed.

I have breakfast.

I make my bed and do the dishes.

I pack my things and I leave home.

Sometimes I lock the door.

I walk to the station and take the underground.


Comparatives and superlatives:

Adjective

Comparative

Superlative

Slow

Slower than

The slowest

Good

Better than

The best

Bad

Worse than

The worst

Lazy

Lazier than

The laziest

Enthusiastic

More enthusiastic than

The most enthusiastic

Big

Bigger than

The biggest

Heavy

Heavier than

The heaviest


Equal: as good as, as tall as, as important as...

Examples:

1. I am taller / shorter than my sister. I am (not) the tallest in my family. I am (not) as tall as my brother.

2. My mum´s hair is longer than mine. I´ve got the longest hair in my family. Dani´s hair is as long as Dylan´s.

3. My eyes are bigger than my cat´s. My sister hasn´t got the biggest eyes in my family. My eyes are as big as my brother´s.

4. I am friendly. Carlos is friendlier/more friendly than me. Honey is the friendliest person in class. Iván is as friendly as Carlos.


lunes, 30 de octubre de 2023

Interrogative particles

- What? - What are you doing? I am studying.

- Which? - Which is your book? This one is mine.

- Where? - Where do you live? I live in Madrid.

- When? - When is your birthday? It is in July.

- Why? - Why do you come to school? Because I study here and I want to learn.

- Who? - Who is your favourite singer? Julio Iglesias is my favourite singer.

- Whose? - Whose book is this? It is mine, it is my book.

- How? - How are you? I´m fine, thanks!!

- How much? - How much is it? It is 6 euros.

- How many? - How many friends have you got? I have got many friends!

- How often? - How often do you swim? I only swim in Summer.

        Every week / Never / Sometimes / Usually / From time to time / Always...

            Once a month / Twice a year / Three times a day...

- How long? - How long is the English lesson? It´s 55 minutes long.

- How far? - How far is your home from school? It is 3 kilometres away.

- How late? - How late were you today to school? I was 20 minutes late to school.

Learn:

https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/interrogative-pronouns/

Practice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_4AjSwTXdc

YES / NO questions (DO / HAVE / BE / CAN)

- Do you like pets? Yes, I do / No, I don´t

- Does your teacher speak English? Yes, he does / No, he doesn´t

- Did you go to Perú last Summer? Yes, I did / No, I didn´t

- Have you got a telephone? Yes, I have / No, I haven´t

- Has your father ever been to Portugal? Yes, he has / No, he hasn´t

- Had you drunk water before you went home? Yes, I had / no, I hadn´t

- Is your father at home? Yes, he is / No, he isn´t

- Am I boring? Yes, you are / No, you aren´t

- Are they listening to me? Yes, they are / No, they aren´t

- Was it raining this morning? Yes, it was / No, it wasn´t

- Were they in the park yesterday? Yes, they were / No, they weren´t

- Can you swim? Yes, I can / No, I can´t

- Can he come? Yes, he can / No, he can´t

- Could he get the train? Yes, he could / No, he couldn´t

miércoles, 4 de octubre de 2023

An interview:

Who would you like to interview?

peers, celebrities, someone you could hire for a post, someone with a different opinion, someone special, a leader, a survivor, a worker, someone with the job I like, a singer, a past hero...

What would you ask them?

- What message do you think people get from your work?

- Do you think that AI could replace human production?

- What was your experience like? What´s the outcome of your learning?

- What are the requirements to get to your post?

-What has been the most memorable moment in your career?

- Do you have any regrets from the time spent here?

- Would you change something in your life?

- What do you expect the society to be like in 2000 years?

- Do you think wars are necessary?

- Are you happy with what you have done?

- What do you think is the most inspiring thing about your job?

- What was your childhood like?

- How do you manage or work under stressful situations?

- Tell me something you think people don´t usually appreciate from your work.

- How do you justify your acts when people blame you?

- Describe yourself in three words!



What would you like to be asked?

- What are your expectations?

- What are your prospects for the future?

- Do you like working in teams?

- What are your personal projects?

- Why do you think you can fit in this place?

- What makes you different?

- If you saw someone stealing at work, what would you do?

- What is your priority in life?

- What could bother you at work?

- Why do you think you should be hired by our company?











miércoles, 20 de septiembre de 2023

Adjectives used to describe jobs and workers:

Challenging: that tests your ability or skill as it is difficult.

"This school year is challenging for us"

Stressful: full of tension.

"Having to study for the exams is sometimes stressful"

Rewarding: worthwhile, affording satisfaction.

"The end of the school day is very rewarding as we go home”

Demanding: that requires a big effort.

Getting up early is a demanding task”

Permanent: long lasting, lasting forever.

Tattoos are permanent”

Boring: dull, not amusing.

Long films can be very boring”

Helpful: useful, convenient, beneficial.

Having experience is helpful to find a good job”

Monotonous: lacking of variety, always following the same pattern.

Some lessons can be monotonous”

Underpaid: not well rewarded.

Cooks at McDonald´s are underpaid”

Well-paid: getting a good amount of money.

Football players are very well-paid”

Part-time: less than a full schedule. Not full-time.

I only work part-time for 20 hours”

Customer-facing: meeting the public.

Clerks have a customer-facing job”

Mind-numbing: extremely uninspiring.

I think working in an office is mind-numbing”

Time-consuming: that wastes a lot of your time.

Relationships are time-consuming”

Dead-end: without prospects.

“Cleaners usually think that they have a dead-end job”

Hardworking: someone who works a lot.

"He promoted because he is a hardworking person"

Honest: sincere and honorable.

"My dad is very honest with everything"

Rude: impolite, rough.

"Sometimes footballers are very rude to others"

Skilled: someone who shows ability.

"Surgeons are skilled doctors"

Accurate: precise, with no mistake.

"Soldiers need to be accurate"

Persistent: lasting for a long time.

"Lawyers must be persistent"

Shy: timid.

"Our new partner is very shy, he doesn´t talk much"

Enthusiastic: someone interested and involved.

"María is a very enthusiastic teacher"

Lazy: unwilling to work.

"I am very lazy in the morning"

Punctual: always on time.

"We are never punctual for class, we are always late"

Scruffy: untidy, wearing worn clothes.

"Painters usually wear scruffy clothes"

Qualified: having good knowledge of something.

"University students have to be qualified"

Slow: not any fast.

"We must work slow to do things well"

Trustworthy: reliable, deserving confidence.

"I leave her a copy of my keys because she is trustworthy"

Outgoing: friendly, sociable, responsive.

"My friend loves meeting new people, he is very outgoing"

Opposites:

Part-time / Full-time

Well-paid / Underpaid

Permanent / Temporary

Boring / Interesting (funny, exciting)

Demanding / Simple (Easy)

Stressful / Achievable (Peaceful, Comfortable)

Mind-numbing (Tiresome) / Engaging (Interesting, Involving)

Rewarding / Disappointing (Demoralizing)

Helpful / Useless (Ineffective)

hardworking / lazy

honest / dishonest

rude / polite

skilled / inexpert

accurate / inaccurate

enthusiastic / indifferent

punctual / late

qualified / unskilled

slow / fast

trustworthy / unreliable

Pairs:

I am interested in electricity, I think it is interesting.

He is tired of that tiring job.

This class is boring, so I´m bored.

Cinema is entertaining, I am always entertained when I watch a movie.


Find synonyms and opposites here:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus


Jobs and adjectives:

Well-paid: Policeman, Surgeon.

Boring: Accountant, Security guard.

Stressful: Waiter, doctor.

Rewarding: electrician, lawyer.

Customer-facing: clerk, janitor.

Demanding: Architect, truck-driver.

Monotonous: Cleaner, factory worker.

Interesting: Biologist, video-games tester.