Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Teaching & Education

Describing Trends and Data in Graphs

Verbs and Adverbs for Trend Description

• Sales increased dramatically (Ventas aumentaron dramáticamente)
• Sales grew steadily (Ventas crecen constantemente)
• Sales rose sharply (Las ventas aumentaron drásticamente)
• Sales declined gradually (Ventas disminuyeron gradualmente)
• Sales fell gently (Ventas cayeron suavemente)
• Sales fluctuated (Ventas fluctuaron)

Adjectives and Nouns for Trend Description

• There was a dramatic increase in sales (Hubo un aumento dramático en las ventas)
• There was a steady growth (Hubo un crecimiento constante)
• There was a sharp rise (Hubo un fuerte aumento)
• There was a gradual decline (Se observó un descenso gradual)
• There was a slight fall (Hubo una pequeña caída)
• There was a fluctuation (Había

A. Meeting and Follow-Up

I'm writing to arrange a time for the meeting next week. We had arranged a meeting for tomorrow to discuss our business plans. Following conversations with our distributors, following a meeting of the ..., it has been decided to cut our training budget by... Due to the suggestions that our staff gave us, we have decided to promote this fact.

B. Requests and Apologies

I would be grateful if you could (give us a sample/ inform)-(send us details of your services). We would be pleased if you could inform us about how... I wonder if you could tell me what time... I apologize again for the changes, and I hope we can meet in the near future. If you are interested in working with us, please contact me at the above number to arrange... Continue reading "Essential Business English Phrases and Vocabulary" »

Professional Correspondence Templates

Letter of Apology

Salutation Options

• Dear Sir/Madam,
• Dear [Recipient's Name],

I cannot describe how sorry I am and how guilty I feel because of everything that has happened recently.

Explanation of Incident

When you came to my office, I was so upset due to a notice I received at the same moment.

Structure for Detailed Explanation:

1. First, [Detail 1]
2. Then, [Detail 2]
3. Finally, [Detail 3]

I hope you can understand everything that I have explained and that I am not in a good moment. I hope you will accept my apology and that our relationship remains the same way that it has until now.

Closing Options

• Yours faithfully,
• Best wishes,

Signature Options:

• Marc Jorge (Full Name - Formal)
• Marc (First Name - If connected/informal)

Formal

Understanding Key Ceremonial Speeches and Public Roles

Ceremonial speeches serve vital functions in public life, marking important transitions, celebrations, and acknowledgments. Below are definitions of essential speech types and related roles in public speaking.

Master of Ceremonies (MC)

An individual designated to set the mood of the program, introduce participants, and keep the program moving smoothly.

Speech of Welcome

A brief, formal ceremonial address that greets and expresses pleasure for the presence of a person or an organization.

Speech of Introduction

A brief ceremonial speech that establishes a supportive climate for the main speaker, highlights the speaker's credibility by familiarizing the audience with pertinent biographical information,... Continue reading "Essential Types of Ceremonial Speeches and Public Speaking Roles" »

English Conditional Clauses

A. Conditional Clauses.

1) Zero Conditional: Suggestions and Facts

a) Suggestions: If + Present tense, Imperative = si + Presente de Indicativo, Imperativo.

Examples: If your back hurts, go to the doctor.

b) Facts: (They are not real conditional clauses): If / When / Unless + Present tense, Present tense / modal = si / cuando / a menos que + Presente de Indicativo, Presente de Indicativo.

Examples:

• If / When you get tired while driving, you must stop to rest.
• When you see a massive stampede of animals, a true disaster is coming.
• You can’t get into the underground unless you’ve got a ticket.

2) First Conditional: Possible Future Situations

a) If + Present Simple, Future Simple / can = si + Presente de Indicativo, Futuro... Continue reading "Understanding English Conditional Clauses: Zero, First, Second, and Third" »

Murketing

Murketing is an advertising strategy that avoids direct sales of a product and focuses instead on vagaries such as marketing buzz, brand identity, and publicity.^[1][2]

Contents

• 1 Examples
• 2 Usage and etymology
• 3 References
• 4 External links

Examples

Well-known examples of murketing include the launch of Red Bull, which spent millions of dollars promoting stealth events and competitions that had little to do with their actual product.^[3]Pabst Blue Ribbon similarly attempted to cultivate an apathetic image by deliberately not trying to sell or brand their product, knowing that doing so would have alienated their brand-weary potential customers.^[3] The use of viral videos, often unattributed or only indirectly... Continue reading "Understanding Murketing: A Deceptive Marketing Strategy" »

Topic Vocabulary - 6: Environment

Carbon footprint | Eco-friendly | Environment | Fossil fuels | Global warming | Greenhouse gases | Landfill site | Recycle | Rubbish dump | Separate rubbish | Sustainable development | Waste disposal

Words in the text: Grow

grow (verb) | grow food - cultivar | grows very well - crecen bien | growing - número | grow up - madurar | growing boy | growing (problem) - que crece | growth | it's growing on me - te va gustando poco a poco

Describing Processes and Quantities

get (+adjective) - se esta poniendo | lack - falta de algo | lead to - llevar a | rise - global warming is rising | trend - popular

Topic Vocabulary - 7: Consumerism

advertise (verb) | advertiser (publicista) | advertising (publicidad) | ban | bombarded

4.4. Neoliberal Industrial Policy: From vertical policies to horizontal measures and Structural Reforms (labour market reform, services’ reform, etc) since the 1970s

We shall look first at what actually happened, and later we will talk about the alternative and possible Keynesian alternative. In the wake of a shrinking working class, there was an important change in industrial policy since the 1980s. It began in the late 1970s with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the UK and US. Curiously, it was social democrat parties in Europe who produced the change.

Then, in 1982 Latin American countries were facing the debt crisis, and they were forced to open their economies and apply neoliberal policies. It was the end of the Third World project

Structure of the CEFRL:

The CEFRL is divided into 9 chapters + 4 annexes.

What are the aims of the Portfolio?

• Encourage all citizens to learn foreign languages at any level and all along their lives.
• Improve language learning processes and develop self-assessment skills.
• Facilitate the exchange and movement of citizens in Europe.
• Facilitate a worldwide (and European) tool in order to recognize and measure any L2 level of expertise.
• Encourage and support communication among citizens from different nationalities (in Europe), learning of different cultures, customs, and traditions.

Levels of the Common European Framework:

• C2: Proficiency level
• C1: Advanced level
• B2: Upper Intermediate level
• B1: Pre-intermediate level
• A2: Elementary level
• A1: Beginner level

Name

I am deeply concerned about the escalating issue of animal extinction. It is alarming that more and more species are facing this threat. Animals are among the most precious parts of our world, and we are tragically losing them. This situation demands our urgent attention.

Giraffes: Endangered by Deforestation & Poaching

The giraffe is one such animal in critical danger of extinction. A significant factor is the massive deforestation of its habitats by human activities. However, the primary cause remains illegal hunting. Hunters target giraffes because their meat is considered highly valuable and commands a high price. It's difficult to comprehend such actions; instead of harming animals, we must intensify efforts to protect them.

Elephants