B2 English Monday 8:15

We'll have in-person lessons Mondays at 8:15. Here is our topic for our next class and a brief reminder of some of the things we learned in class. Don't be shy! If you want to join one of my conversation classes, send a message to adriennehughes.english@gmail.com.

August to December 2025

20 October

Birgitta has asked if we can discuss this article about AI art. Both the language and concepts discussed in the article are fairly challenging. Don't worry about understanding everything. I'm sure we will have plenty to discuss in the lesson.

6 and 13 October - no lesson, holidays

29 September

We'll continue with Destination. Please finish up to page 147 before the lesson.

22 September

Let's talk about art. Can you watch this video from The National Gallery about Vincent Van Gogh. It's 30 minutes long so there is no need for you to watch it all. In class we'll talk about the art we like (or don't like) and what we know about famous artists.

15 September

We'll continue with Destination. Please do pages 144 - 145 before the lesson. Next week's video is quite long so you might want to watch some of it this week.

8 September

Can you read these health tips from Dr Michael Mosley. He was a doctor who frequently appeared on television in the UK. He died whilst on holiday in Greece in 2024, which you can read more about here or here. Should you have even more time, you could listen to this interview, recorded shortly before he died about what constitutes a good life.

1 September - we'll continue with Destination. Please finish up to page 140 before the lesson.

25 August - let's watch this video this week on food rationing in the war, pioneering scientists and modern diets.

18 August - First lesson back, we'll talk about our summer holidays and make a start on the next unit in Destination. Hopefully you've all got a novel to read over summer. If you need any ideas, check this post.

May to July 2025

7 July - Final lesson of term - we'll probably play games. If you want something to listen to this week, try one of the long reads from The Guardian about the magic of kitchen objects. You can listen to it here or read it here. It's rather long so don't worry if you don't listen to all of it.

30 June - Destination - let's finish working on reported speech. Please finish up to page 135 before the lesson. We'll then make a start on unit 22.

23 June - Time for something different this week. I discovered a great video about pop star, Dua Lipa, doing interviews with authors. Can you skim read the article in The Guardian where I came across the You Tube video and and then watch it here (if you don't have time for the whole video, the first five minutes will do).

16 June - Destination - reported speech. Please finish up to page 133 before the lesson.

11 June - we'll do the lesson on Wednesday this week instead of Monday. As there are just two of you this week, we'll keep the homework short. Let's talk about some controversial topics - oranges on pizza and women drivers. Read one or both of the two short articles.

2 June - Destination. Please finish review 10 before the lesson.

26 May - Let's talk about Eurovision. Please read this article before the lesson.

19 May - Destination. Please finish unit 20.

14 May - This week the lesson is on Wednesday instead at our usual time of 8:15am. Can you read this article about osteoporosis. It's quite long so don't worry if you don't manage to read it all. We'll talk about the risk factors of this condition and what people can do to reduce the risk.

5 May - Destination please finish pages 122 and 123 before the lesson.

21 and 28 April - no lesson

14 April - Something humorous this week and yet serious at the same time. You all know that I like to have rules in my house and I've found some kitchen rules that I might print out. Can you read this article by Emma Beddington and the accompanying comments .

7 April - Destination. Please read pages 118 - 119 and do the questions on page 120.

31 March - I thought we could watch a TED talk again. This one is about the power of introverts. It's almost 20 minutes long but don't worry if you don't manage to watch it all. Use the transcript if necessary.

24 March - Destination. Finish to page 117 before the lesson.

17 March - in this lesson we'll talk about the political and the psychological. Please read this article about whether it is better to remember or to forget. See if you can spot the second and third conditionals in the text.

10 March - Destination. Please have a quick look at page 112 and do the questions on page 113 before the lesson.

3 March - Before reading this week's article, I’d like you to take a few moments to reflect on what you consider to be the secret to living a fulfilling life. Then you can read the article to see if you agree with the author.

24 February - Destination. Please finish unit 17 (up to page 111) before the lesson.

10 & 17 February - no lesson

3 February - Another article from the 'New start at 60' series. This one is about fostering children. Please read it before next week's lesson.

27 January - Destination. Please do review 8 and finish to page 109.

20 January - Please read this post about to + 'ing forms. Can you also read this article about Australian beaches which includes quite a few 'ing words. Make sure you pay attention to the way they are being used.

Homework - 'ing exercise (see class notes)

13 January - Destination. Please finish unit 16 before class.

Homework - review 8, finish to page 109 and write 5 sentences including the 'RAISE' verbs - see class notes.

6 January - we'll talk about one of the podcasts you listened to. Can you also read this short article before the lesson.

August to December 2024

16 December - we'll play games as it is the last lesson of term. Can you listen to one of the following podcasts before the first lesson in January. Empire - episode 1.

The Rest is Politics - episode 336

You can also find the podcasts on Spotify, Apple and other podcast providers.

9 December - Destination. Please finish to page 99 before class. For homework, please finish unit 16.

2 December - Can you read this Q&A with comedian, Jack Dee. You probably won’t know him but he is fairly well-known in England for his dry (& depressing) sense of humour. One of his answers in the Q&A made me laugh out loud – I wonder if you can guess which one.

Should you have more time, you can read some of the other Q&As and/or think of your answers to the questions asked.

25 November - Destination - please finish page 93 and do exercises A and B on page 96 before the lesson.

For homework, please finish to page 99.

18 November - can you read this article about the mental anguish suffered by some victims of scams.

11 November - we'll work with Destination. Please do up to page 92 before the lesson.

For homework finish page 93 and start the passive. (See class notes)

4 November - I'd like you to read this article about living to 100. Before the lesson I would like you to read the article aloud, underlining any words that you find tricky to pronounce.

28 October - we'll continue with Destination and do some work on pronunciation. Make sure you have done pages 88 and 89 before the lesson.

For homework, please finish up to page 92 in the book.

21 October - Can you read this article about the ban on smoking in outdoor spaces. Before you look at the article try to guess which country was the first to enact such a ban.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

• discussed (not discussed about)

• blessing in disguise

• pronunciation – alliance, lithium, initiative, catastrophe

• headstrong

• stubborn streak

• streaking

• vocabulary – flavours, inhale, notes (not notices), influential, the coast

14 October - holidays, no lesson

7 October - holidays, no lesson

30 September - we'll continue with Destination. Make sure you've done page 87 before the lesson.

Another good lesson - well done! For homework I'd like you to do the following:

• finish pages 88 - 89

• Check 'ill health' in Skell

• Check the pronunciation of veins, uncomfortable and antibiotics in Youglish

23 September - Can you listen to this podcast about Supercommunicators. It's 2 hours long but you don't need to listen to all of it! It would be great if you could listen to the first 33 minutes.

Here's some of the things we discussed

• depends on (not of)

• I've known him for ....

• the difference between say and tell

• reading between the lines

• people do this all the time (not 'make')

16 September - We'll look at Destination - please finish page 82 and do page 85 before the lesson.

We had a good question looking at vocabulary associated with health and fitness. Here are some things we discussed:

• thin and slim

• ward and clinic

• prescription (not recipe)

• to spread butter and diseases (streichen und streuen)

• phrasal verbs

• verb patterns with try

Please do page 87 before the next lesson.

9 September - No lesson, Knabenschiessen

2 September - Can you read this article on the Kennedy men and their treatment of women before the lesson.

26 August - We'll look at Destination unit 13. Can you do page 82 before the lesson. We talked about modal verbs and semi modals such as ought to, have to and need to. You came across new vocabulary including, bear in mind (think about), numb and to be put off doing something (discouraged).

For homework I'd like you to finish page 82 and do page 85. Can you also read this blog post about past tenses.

19 August - it's the first week back after the summer holidays. Let's do something that isn't too long to start with. Can you read this article about dementia care in the Netherlands.