Before you read a text on the products and services of La Mansión del Inglés, read the following comprehension questions.
 

Now read the text and answer the questions.
 

La Mansión del Inglés – Courses and Resources to improve your English So far in this series we have given you tips and advice on how to improve your reading, writing, speaking and listening. You can find this information in the following monthly newsletters: October 2014 – speaking, November 2014 – listening, December 2014 – reading, January 2015 – writing In future articles we’ll be looking in detail at different services, websites and online resources that you can use to improve your English, but to kick off this month let’s look at what La Mansión del Inglés can offer you to help you get your English to the next level. - Free online courses - Begin with our level test and start with the appropriate course for your level. We hope to have the first lessons of our advanced course online very soon. If you have any questions about the grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation etc while you’re doing our courses, you can ask us on Facebook. Resources at mansioningles.com Apart from our courses, there is a wide range of resources on our website. Here are just a few: • Free grammar reference • Vocabulary section • Ebooks to improve your reading • Listening exercises • Practice exercises Courses and resources on CD We offer complete courses and additional material on CD. Here is a list of our current selection: • La Mansión en CD • Mansión Auto audio courses • Mansion First for the Cambridge FCE exam • Mansion Business for business English • Mansion Travel for travellers • Mansion Listen – listening exercises at advanced level • Mansion Books – 200 ebooks on CD You can read detailed information about each CD, including prices, conditions of sale and special offer packs, on our product page. Downloadable material You can also download material from our website for a minimal fee. We have three audio courses at levels A1, A2 and B1, an extensive grammar in PDF format, a course for restaurants and catering and a full course for teachers who teach English conversation. Details and prices for these products can also be found on our products page. Social networks Join the conversation on our social networks and improve your English with our wonderful community of learners and teachers: • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Google+ • Pinterest Podcasts Improve your English and your listening skills with our free podcasts at inglespodcast.com: • Aprende Inglés with Reza y Craig • PassFCE • Mansion Interviews Monthly bulletin: cuadernodeingles.com International Press Read about world news in English on CNN, The Telegraph, The Guardian, the New York Times and many more at Todalaprensa Mobile apps for IOS and Windows Phone You can download our audio apps to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Windows Phone 7 mobile Download Ebooks to improve your reading (in English and Spanish) *Consulta un PDF con la información y resumen de 100 libros en inglés que puedes descargar en 1 único archivo.

Before you read a text, read the following comprehension questions.
 

Now read the text and answer the questions.
 

The 5 best Podcasts for you to improve your English Podcasts are becoming more and more popular. Especially since the American podcast series Serial broke records on iTunes as the fastest podcast to reach 5 million downloads. But how can podcasts help you improve your English? It may surprise you to know that there are many English language podcasts that are made specifically to help you improve your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and English language skills. The problem is, like most things on the internet, there are good ones and, well, not so good ones! Last week I gave a presentation on podcasting at the British Council in Valencia, and I asked 24 teachers to vote on their favourite educational English teaching podcasts from a list of 15 podcasts that I’d chosen. The 15 podcasts that I’d selected were all podcasts that I’d discovered during the last 6 years of being involved in podcasting for English teaching. So, now I have the results, and I’m going to share the 5 podcasts that received the most votes from the teachers. I asked the teachers to think about the following áreas when they voted: · The content of the podcast: What are the students learning? · Entertainment value: Is the podcast fun and entertaining to listen to? · Production quality: Is the audio clear? Does it sound professional? · Presentation: Is it well-planned and presented? · Usability: Would the teaches use it with their students, or encourage their students to listen to it in their free time? In reverse order of 5 to 1, here are the results and the British Council Teachers’ choice. These podcasts are also available on iTunes: 5. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips This American English podcast from Mignon Fogarty is for high level students (C1, C2), native speakers and English teachers. I think it was so popular in our survey because it taught our teachers a few grammar points that they didn’t know! If you like the English language, you’ll love this podcast. 4. Luke’s English Podcast Luke is a teacher and stand-up comedian whose podcast is suitable for intermediate level students (B1 and above). Luke talks about a variety of things on his podcast, from phrasal verbs to British culture, grammar and funny situations he finds himself in. His podcasts are interesting, fresh, educational and have won the Macmillan Dictionary award for several years running. 3. Real Deal English This is an American English podcast that introduces language with a dialogue which is then analysed for grammar, vocabulary and common expressions. The podcasts are free, but there is a paid option if you want more detailed lessons. 2. British Council Elementary Podcasts The British Council has a variety of English podcasts at several levels and for different interests. The Elementary podcasts (A2, B1) are presented in a series format and teach grammar and vocabulary in a British cultural context using dialogue. These podcast are an excellent self-study resource for lower level students. You can find all of the British Council podasts here. 1. Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig Now, I know what you’re thinking! Could it be that the teachers were biased towards our mansioningles podcast Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig? Possibly, but you will have to listen to all five podcasts on this list before you decide if you agree with them. You are the final judge! In this podcast, for B1 level students and above, we help you with grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and everyday expressions and situations in English. Please let me know your opinion on all of these podcasts, and if you find any others that you think might be useful to students in our community, please send us an email to: mansionteachers@yahoo.es or leave a voice message with your comments at inglespodcast.com *Consulta un PDF con la información y resumen de 100 libros en inglés que puedes descargar en 1 único archivo.