'That's the trouble with public office,' he'd said. 'Everyone will have a pop, even those who have nothing to do with the situation and know even less. All they see is the final decision. That's what they question. What they don't see is the hours of work that go on behind the scenes, the toing and froing between the planners and the developers, the public consultations, the discussions in the chamber. It can take us weeks to reach the right decision and it can get quite heated. But that's because the decisions we're making are important. They affect people's lives. We have to get it right. But of course, Joe Public doesn't know any of that. They just read the final outcome in the paper and automatically assume there's been something dodgy going on. We just have to rise above it all and keep our mouths shut. It's never easy.'
English at Home with Nina
It's easy; it's free; it's fun; and it's effective.
Tuesday 15 October 2024
Book 11 An Unwanted Inheritance by Imogen Clark
Tuesday 8 October 2024
8 C2 Topic 1 Language & Communication
Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible. (Carl Gustav Jung)
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Reading | |
Speaking | |
Vocabulary | Collocations |
Writing |
Monday 7 October 2024
7 C1 2 Topic 1 Language & Communication
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein)
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Sunday 6 October 2024
6 C1 1 Topic 1 language & Communication
Language is like wine on the lips. (Virginia Woolfe)
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Saturday 5 October 2024
5 NI B2 2 Topic 1 Knowing Me Knowing You
Know yourself to improve yourself. (Auguste Comte).
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Friday 4 October 2024
4 NI B2 1 Topic 1 Language & Communication
The art of communication is the language of leadership. (James Humes).
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Thursday 3 October 2024
3 NI B1 Topic 1 Language & Communication
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. (Ludwig Wittgenstein).
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Wednesday 2 October 2024
2 NB 2 Back to Routine
The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine. (Mike Murdock)
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Tuesday 1 October 2024
NB 1 Topic 1 Introductions
If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. (Jack Lemmon)
Grammar | |
Language Function | |
Listening | Introducing a friend : audio |
Reading | Family members |
Speaking | |
Vocabulary | |
Writing |
Monday 16 September 2024
Book 10 2024 Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Though she couldn't quite put it into words, she resented having been thrust into a world where such perfect little beings could be treated as worthless. She knew she had been living in that world all along, but she resented having been forced awake. Forced to recognise it.
Friday 16 August 2024
Book 9 The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas
No victim, said Mila, should blame themselves.
Monday 15 July 2024
Book 8 2024 No 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer
The war showed the men what we could do, and then they returned from foreign fields and we were relegated back to the kitchen, but now that Pandora's box has been opened, not everything will fit back inside.
Saturday 15 June 2024
Book 7 2024 The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
An angry man was dominant. An angry woman, on the other hand, must have lost her grip on sanity.
Wednesday 15 May 2024
Book 6 2024 The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall
'Is it alright to bring the dog in?' asks Ally, tentatively. Her face is small, pale, worried.
'I prefer dogs to some people.' Saffron grins brightening at the sight of the little red-furred mongrel. 'Does he want a biscuit?'
For our sixth book of the year I recommend The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall. This is a really engaging mystery story with characters and a plot that are so intriguing you could read the book in two sittings, which is exactly what I did! Here is the worksheet.
Wednesday 8 May 2024
8 NA C2 Topic 12 Free Time & the Summer
Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun. (Randy Pausch)
Grammar | |
Language Function | |
Listening | |
Reading | |
Speaking | |
Vocabulary | Great expectations |
Writing |