 Welcome to ESL Progress
Dear EnglishClub.com Member!Welcome to this month's ESL Progress, your EnglishClub.com newsletter for ESL learners and teachers. This month you can test your comprehension skills with our reading test, and learn about the 7 Colours of the Rainbow. First names and surnames (family names) are the subject of our latest Talking Point. Test yourself too with Quick Quiz. As always there is the latest news, lesson plan, jobs and business opportunities for teachers and schools. And don't forget, you'll find many useful links and ideas in the Members Area to help you - whether you're learning or teaching English. Happy Progress!Josef Essberger, Founder EnglishClub.com |
| NEWS FOR ESL LEARNERS  Do you know the 7 Colours of the Rainbow?This updated page shows you the seven colours that make up the rainbow (the colourful arch that we sometimes see in the sky when the sun is shining and it is raining somewhere at the same time.) You'll find a few other colours here too. NB: BrE colour; AmE color See the 7 Colours of the Rainbow...Want to Find Pen Pals to Practise Your English?Find new friends and practise your English at SmallWorldFriends.com. It's a small world, as they say! NB: BrE practise (verb), practice (noun); AmE practice (verb/noun) Join SmallWorldFriends.com free... |
This Month's Lesson  Reading Test
This test evaluates how well you understand what you read in English. It is strictly called a Written Comprehension Test because it shows how well you comprehend what somebody writes. You have 15 minutes to do this test. You must stop after 15 minutes and press the "Your Score Is..." button. There are 20 questions. For each question, choose the answer which is closest in meaning to the original sentence. Example The following question is an example only. When you are sure that you understand what you have to do, press the "Start Test" button. 0. Linda has a white cat and a black cat. - She has one cat.
- Linda's cat is black and white.
- She has two cats.
- Linda likes brown cats.
The correct answer is 3. |
Latest Talking Point 
What's in a Name?
Popular Names in Britain Today
"What's in a name?", Shakespeare asked in his play Romeo and Juliet.
Well, the answer is: quite a lot, apparently! Choosing a name for a
child can be a lengthy, drawn out process, sometimes even causing the
parents or the family to fall out! Names come in and out of fashion. In
Britain girls' names such as Gertrude and Ethel have fallen out of
favour, as have boys' names such as Percival and Albert. Some names are
handed down through the generations, from father to son, from mother to
daughter. Others are chosen on a whim - because they sound nice, or
because one or both of the parents want to name the child after someone
famous they particularly like. So what are the most popular names in
Britain today?
Girls
Popular girls' names are often taken from flowers. Lily, Daisy and
Poppy are all names of flowers and they all feature in the top thirty
in the popularity stakes. Summer and Autumn are also firm favourites
though Spring and Winter are much less popular. Emily has been an
extremely popular name in recent years and was one of the top two most
popular girls' names for the first five years of this century. Jessica
and Grace are next, followed by Ruby. None of these are as popular as
Olivia, however, which only started appearing in the top five in 2005
and quickly jumped to the number one spot. How long it will stay there
is anyone's guess!
Boys
One of the most popular boys' names in Britain is a traditional one
- James. A name that harks back to the Bible and the Royal Family,
James is a name that has been in use for years and years. However, in
2006 it was pushed out of the top five to make way for Harry. Possibly
the popularity of Prince Charles' second son accounts for the rise in
popularity for this name, who can say? Other frequently-used boys names
are Oliver, Joshua and Thomas, which all appear in the top five. The
reigning champion, however, is Jack, which has been the most popular
boys' name in Britain for several years now.
Famous names
Giving your child the name of a famous celebrity is a trend that
has caught on in Britain. Cruz is a boy's name that has become much
more popular in recent years, perhaps due to the fact that David and
Victoria Beckham's youngest son is called Cruz. And it is possible that
Angelina Jolie's son Maddox is responsible for the rise in popularity
of that name: Maddox has risen nearly 90 places in the popularity
stakes. Jayden is a name that is catching on too, apparently because
Britney Spears called her youngest child Jayden. One of the fastest
rising names on the list is Keira, which went straight into the top 100
at number 51 and rose to 33 almost immediately - an impressive debut!
The fact that Keira Knightley stars in the box office hit "Pirates of
the Caribbean" may well have something to do with this! However, the
name of her co-star Orlando Bloom is not enjoying the same success.
-- Each month we have a new Talking Point and invite your views and opinions. Just follow the link below to say what you think. This month's Talking Point is: "Children should take both parents surnames."Say what you think... |
Quick Quiz 
"I give you my word" means
a) I trust you
b) I believe you
c) I promise you
See end of newsletter for answer
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NEWS FOR ESL TEACHERS
ESL JobAlertBe the first to know! The new ESL JobAlert at TEFL.net sends you instant notification of all new ESL Jobs posted at TEFL.net. Simply add your email address and you'll receive an email for each new ESL Job. You can unsubscribe easily at any time. Subscribe to ESL JobAlert... |
This Month's Lesson Plan  Talking Point: What's in a name?A fun worksheet on a universal theme - your name. This lesson includes vocabulary built from the base-word "name" as well as some common phrases and idioms connected with the topic. Fluency is practised through stimulating and personalised discussion questions such as: "What names did/will you choose for your children? Why do you like those names?" Download lesson plan...Each Talking Point worksheet is available for download as a PDF file that you can view in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Each worksheet can be easily printed and is freely photocopiable. |
Latest ESL Jobs  Find the latest job offers for English teachers posted by schools around the world. Also in the Job Centre: - Frequently Asked Questions about ESL jobs
- Tips on writing your resume when applying for an ESL job
- Resumes bank where you can post your resume for employers to read
- Schools can post ESL vacancies
ESL Jobs Centre... |
Schools For Sale  - Italy: Language School in Romagna
- Spain: Language School for Sale
- Spain: Profitable School in Valencia
- Spain: Language School in Mallorca
- France: Language School, Chamonix Mont-Blanc
- Spain: English Language School, Menorca
- Canada: English School and Testing Centre in BC
- Spain: Canarian Language School
- Thailand: Language School and TEFL Training Centre
- Portugal: Language School, Northern Portugal
- Italy: Language school, Northern of Italy
- Canada: ESL School, Toronto
See full details... |
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Answer to Quick Quiz
c) I promise you
This is a level 3 question and answer from Word Up, the ESL board game that's fun to play at home or at school. |
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