Valanglia

Thursday, 10 August 2017

HOLIDAYS: MORE VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS YOU CAN USE

HOLIDAYS

Types of holidays

When you are on holiday...

You can go:

Abroad

To the seaside

To the mountains

To the country

Camping

On a walking holiday

On a sightseeing holiday

On a package holiday

Transport, Accessories

You can go:

by car, by ferry, by train, by bus, or you can fly

You need useful accessories:

Suntan

Beach umbrella

Passport

Traveller’s cheques,currency

Your luggage

A camera

A map

A phrasebook

Activities

You can:

Put your feet up

Do some sunbathing

Get sunburnt

Try the local food

Go out at night

Dive

You can do:

Sailing

Windsurfing

Waterskiing

Scuba diving

Rock-climbing

Rafting

Snorkelling

Kayaking

Horse-riding

Pony-trekking

Other extended vocabulary and expressions on holidays:

all-in package/package holiday: a holiday where you purchase the travel and accommodation together
breathtaking view: an extremely beautiful view
charter-flight: a cheaper form of flying than a scheduled flight
check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your luggage
departure lounge: where you wait for your flight to be called
far-off destination: somewhere a long way away
to get away from it all: to take a holiday to escape a busy or stressful lifestyle
guided tour: an organised group shown around a place of interest by an expert
holiday brochure: a glossy publication with details of holiday packages
holiday destination: where you go for a holiday
holiday of a lifetime: a special holiday that you are unlikely to repeat
holiday resort: a place where lots of people go for a holiday
hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists
local crafts: objects produced locally
long weekend: an extended weekend holiday including Friday or Monday
out of season: outside of the main holiday period
picturesque village: very pretty village
passport control: the place where your passport is checked
places of interest: sites of interest to tourists
wildlife safari: a holiday, often in Africa, to observe wild animals
self-catering: a holiday where you supply your own food
short break: a short holiday
to go sightseeing: to look around the tourist sites
stunning landscape: extremely beautiful countryside
travel agent: a shop that specialises in booking holidays
tourist trap: somewhere where too many tourists go
youth hostel: a cheap form of accommodation

FUENTES: www.tolearnenglish.com / www.ieltsspeaking.co.uk

Thursday, 22 June 2017

ENGLISH SPEAKING LESSON - SUMMER VOCABULARY

A TRAVÉS DE: www.youtube.com/Let'sTalk

Sunday, 28 May 2017

THE ORIGIN OF JOB INTERVIEWS (COMEDY)

A TRAVÉS DE: www.youtube.com/BBC

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

A FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY: AN EXAMPLE WITH TOP TIPS AND PRACTICE

ENCONTRADO EN: learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO PRACTICE WITH ONLINE EXERCISES ON THIS EXAMPLE ABOVE:

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing-skills-practice/and-against-essay

WRITING A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

The different ways of complaining are:

• Face to face

• By phone

• By email

• By letter

Let’s first take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each before concluding which is the most effective.

Picture this scenario: you have bought a faulty item from a shop and you take it back to complain. You go directly to the shop assistant and tell them your problem. They say they cannot help you, which makes you angrier, to the point perhaps where you start insulting the poor shop assistant. RESULT: This will do you no favours, like getting any compensation, or even a refund. If you go directly to the first person you see within the organisation you are complaining about, you may be wasting your time as they may be powerless to take any action or provide you with a solution. So the important lesson to be learnt is to make sure firstly that you are speaking to the relevant person, the one who has the authority to make decisions.

Perhaps you don’t have time to actually go and see the relevant authority in person so you decide to make a phone call. The problem with complaining by phone is that you may be passed around from department to department, making you more and more angry until you finally give up. Either that or the phone is hung up on you, which leaves you fuming even more. Furthermore, any contact can be denied.

The same applies to emails too, which can additionally be deleted, or even manipulated.

This leaves us with the traditional letter. When we first make a complaint the usual response is a request to write a letter: “Can you put that down in writing please?”

The advantages of writing a letter of complaint are that:

• Written records are still very important, e.g. in legal matters as opposed to a fax or email.

• You have complete control over what is being said, and you can present evidence.

• You can be prepared, and plan your letter carefully.

• You are able to keep copies of anything sent in writing.

• You have time to reflect and/or consult as opposed to complaining on the spot.

So here are some useful points to consider when writing your letter:

• State what went wrong exactly. You need to provide concrete evidence, with documentation, for example a receipt, where possible. Make sure you keep copies of all correspondence, including relevant documentation. You also need to state where, when, who was involved, what was said or done. Photographic or video evidence boosts your case.

• What do you expect from your complaint? If you are complaining about a situation at work, focus on taking action to improve situations rather than spending your time complaining.

• State a time limit for when you expect a reply.

• Be assertive, and stay calm.

• Make sure you address the complaint to the relevant person.

This will be more likely to ensure that you will achieve a satisfactory outcome from your complaint. Good luck!