Tag: cae

The pros and cons of some jobs

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Jobs for StudentsImagine you are a careers adviser and you are talking to a group of students about getting work during their free time.

First, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of these jobs. Then decide which two jobs would be the best for students.

Here are some ideas to help you:

  1. Salary: Badly paid, well paid
  2. Role: Opportunity to practise foreign languages, develop new skills and abilities
  3. Type of job – skills and knowledge required: Low skilled work, technical job, strong communication skills, great interpersonal skills,
  4. Working Conditions: temporary contract, flexible working hours, unsociable working hours, no sick pay, great holiday allowance,
  5. Type of person required: Ability to work under pressure, adaptable, creative, a people person,  flexible, ability to work as part of team, ability to work independently, inventive, physically fit, strong emotional intelligence
  6. Additional: Challenging, boring, interesting, rewarding, educational, stressful, physically demanding, monotonous, wide variety of daily tasks

If you are interested in the topic of work, jobs and employment, why not check out the Work and Jobs section of this website.

I want a good job!

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Factors important in a job

I want a good job?

OK, but seriously, who wants to have a bad job?! So, with this in mind, what does it mean to have a good job?  Have you ever considered what makes a good job? Is it more than just the salary and the holiday allowance?
From this list of key factors, how would you rate their level of importance? You might want to consider:

  1. Which three aspects are the most important for you, and why?
  2. Whether your thoughts have changed from when you were younger?
  3. Whether you think they will change when you are older?

VOCABULARY CHALLENGE: Idioms: The law and crime

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crime vocabularyThe law, crime, punishment, criminal activity; how many words?!

Yes, it’s bonkers ( crazy/mental) how much vocabulary we have connected to this topic. So, how many of the words in the word cloud do you know?

Expressions and idioms:
And, there are lots of idioms and expression, oh yes! The following idioms all have their origin in criminal activity but they also have many uses in regular conversations to describe innocent situations.

It's a steal1: A steal
Definition: If something is a steal, it costs much less than it is really worth.
Example: I’ve just bought a flight to London. And, despite the fact that I’m not keen on being 35,000ft up in the sky in a tin can, it was a steal at €30.

2: Daylight robbery
Definition: This idiom is used to say that something is ridiculously expensive, especially when you have no choice but to pay.
Example: From my point of view the cost of electricity in Spain is daylight robbery.

3: To get away with murder
Definition: When you get away with murder, you are not punished for doing something bad.
action man kenExample: When I was a kid, I couldn’t stand dolls and I used to rip apart my dolls and then hunt out my sister’s dolls and rip their head off. Obviously, I had done something very, very bad and my sister was red with rage. However, my mother never punished me; so yes, I used to get away with murder.

Curiously, the only doll I kept was action man Ken. Yep, I wasn’t a girlie girl then and I’m not a girlie girl now.

Do you want to learn some more idioms? No problem, check out this video.

VOCABULARY CHALLENGE: The Law and Crime

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Remembering word patterns is very important if you want to improve your spoken and written accuracy. Personally speaking, the most effective way to do this is to read. However, to get you started here are a few word patterns to help you think like a police officer or a criminal.crime word patterns
crime word patterns 2
BurglaryFor example: on Saturday night, the local police arrested three youths for burglary. They were accused of breaking into a house and stealing a laptop, a digital radio, a mobile phone and a flat screen TV and  a cuddly toy. The three suspects claimed that they were not guilty of committing this crime. However, the police officer in charge said that although they might deny burglarising the house because they were caught on camera leaving the house with the stolen goods by a neighbour, they are bound to be found guilty of the crime in a court of law and will be charged with theft.

VOCABULARY CHALLENGE: Crime and Criminals

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The English language has a plethora of words to describe different crimes. In addition, we have different words to describe the criminal as well as the action. So, if you need to brush up on your crime vocabulary, here’s a little exercise to help you. Good luck! If you want more vocabulary connected to crime and law enforcement then check out the Downloads section.

Crimes and criminals
Crimes and criminals a

LISTENING: The House of the Future

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Living Tomorrow: The House of the Future- It’s a steal at 22 million Euros!
house of the futureDespite the fact that I’m not that into technology, I can’t stand wasting time so I really liked the fact that in this house I can order and pay for food from a kitchen smart board, I can immediately find out more information about what I’m eating and I can watch the news and check the weather forecast in an intelligent mirror while I’m brushing my teeth. However, on the other hand, all the cool and high-tech gadgets would just collect dust as I’d rather talk, touch, and smell people than get jiggy with a touch screen. Furthermore, 22 million Euros, are they pulling my leg? I could buy a small island for the same money.

Click here to check out this technology driven house. What are your feelings? Are you a techno-junkie? Or, are you more like me, a techno-avoider?