2Ts in a Pod at Innovate ELT

Posted on April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 by Tim Warre

2Ts in a Pod is coming to Innovate ELT at Oxford House in Barcelona on May 11th & 12th and you can join us there at a discounted price using the offer code ‘2TSINAPOD20’ when you buy your ticket from the link below:

https://ielt18.innovateevents.com/

We’ll be doing the rounds interviewing speakers and attendees. Take a look at the lineup, who are you most excited to see?

Campaigns

Fundraising: Mental Health Friendly

Posted on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 by Tim Warre

A quick post to promote a really good cause; Shay Coyne is fundraising in order to set up a support group to help people with mental health problems access services such as English classes. Shay explains below, follow the link at the bottom to make a donation:

Mental Health Friendly

My Background:

I studied psychology as a double major, specialising in clinical psychology. I then changed careers and became passionate about education, gaining my Trinity CertTESOL, and MA in applied linguistics.

With my psychology background I became very interested in those students who were SEN but still marginalised from society. The majority are unable to attend a language academy or the EOI because their illness leaves them with memory challenges, behaviour challenges, for example one student freaks out when we do something new, I have to really break it down for them to feel confident in their learning. These students are a challenge to teach but they are my favourite group. I teach them voluntary in Gràcia every Thursday morning.

If anyone could make a donation, that would be amazing. If anyone could share the project with their contacts, that would be a great help.

The Project:

After 3 years working from home as a private English teacher, I am taking the next step to be more professional. I’m currently in the process of creating my own start-up business and have found a place for my work office to rent. Thanks to the location of this office, I would reduce travel time, which means I would have more free time for my end goal: I work as a volunteer for Salut Mental Catalunya, teaching English to people with mental health disorders in Barcelona, and from September I would like to open a new group in my city of Sabadell so that people with mental health problems have a space that is inclusive and allows them to access services, like English classes, to have the same opportunities to make use of these services. Any donation would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s 1€. I feel that this start-up will allow me to be part of more volunteer projects, and I’d love for you to help me if you can. Click on the link to find out more about the Mental Health Friendly project. If you are a teacher and would be interested in volunteering, send me a message and I can put you in contact with the person responsible for this project.

https://gogetfunding.com/shay-educational-consultant/

2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes

2 Ts in a Pod: Episode 5 – Pet Hates

Posted on April 4, 2018April 4, 2018 by Tim Warre

The fifth episode of our new podcast for B2+ English students and teachers alike is now live! In this episode we’re talking about our pet hates or things that really annoy us. Go to our SoundCloud page and download the teacher’s notes below:

Teacher’s notes EP5 Pet Hates

2Ts in a Pod – Teacher’s Notes Episode 5: Pet Hates

Running Order

Intro convo 00:00-7:40
Vox pop – Nicole – 07:46-09:55
Vox pops – Abbi – 10:00-12:30
Be like you – Berenece – 12:45 – 16:38
5 Ways to say – 16:50 – 21:00
Knock knock jokes 21:13 – 25:49

Additional Materials

5 Ways to Say

Pet hates/Annoying things

People get on my nerves when they walk down the street really slowly. (annoys me)
People who sit on the outside seat on the bus when the inside seat is free drive me insane/drive me up the wall! (annoys me)
Annoying people get on my tits. (annoys me *informal/rude*)
Inconsiderate people really piss me off. (annoys me *informal/rude*)
My pet hate/bugbear is inconsiderate people. (a thing that annoys me specifically)

Making polite requests

Would you mind turning the volume down? (remember to use …ing!)
I wish you wouldn’t leave your socks on the floor. (use wish + would to express annoyance)
I’d rather you didn’t smoke in here. (use past simple when changing subject)

Discussion Questions

What’s your pet hate/bugbear?
What things really get on your nerves when you’re on public transport?
What things really get on your nerves at work?
What things really get on your nerves at home?
What things really drive you up the wall in the street?
What things do you wish your parents/partner/kids/siblings wouldn’t do?
Role-play: one person is smoking on the metro, the other wants them to stop.
Role-play: Parent and teenager arguing about the things each one does that annoys the other.

2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes

2 Ts in a Pod: Episode 4 – Scams!

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Tim Warre

Image credit: Mark Wilding

Episode 4 of the podcast is now live on our Soundcloud page! Click the link below to listen, you can also download the teacher’s notes.

Teacher’s notes EP 4 Scams

SoundCloud Page

On this episode we were talking about crimes like pick pocketing and mugging as well as other types of scam. We interviewed several people about their experiences being the victims of crime in Barcelona and other parts of the world. Hope you enjoy the show!

2Ts in a Pod – Teacher’s Notes Episode 4: Scams

Running Order

00:00 – 03:14 – Intro chat
03:14 – 06:56 – Tim’s pickpocketing story
06:56 – 09:20 – Vox-pop with Vicky: Scams in Barcelona vs in Argentina
09:20 – 13:48 – Katy’s mugging story
13:48 – 17:06 – Five ways to say: Crime/scam expressions
17:06 – 20:54 – Vox-pop with Beranice: Barcelona robbery story
21:00 – 26:52 – I wanna be like you with Vicky
26:52 – 29:00 – Vox-pop with Lisa: Scam stories
29:00 – end – Thanks, credits, comment

Additional Materials

Five Ways to Say…

I totally fell for the scam. (I believed it, I was tricked)
I was taken in by the con man. (he convinced/tricked me)
This sandwich cost me €8! What a rip-off! (overpriced/too expensive)
I got ripped off by the mechanic when I took my car in for a service.
I felt like a right idiot/plonker/tit after they stole my bag. (feel stupid)

Discussion Questions

Have you ever been pickpocketed? Or even mugged?
- What happened?
What advice would you give someone to help them avoid something similar happening to them?
Can you think of any other types of scam? Email scams? Phone scams? etc.
What do you think the punishment for these crimes should be?
Have you ever been ripped off when you bought something?
- Where were you?
- What did you buy?
When was the last time you felt like a right idiot/plonker/tit?

2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes

2 Ts in a Pod: Episode 3 – Food Glorious Food! Teacher’s notes

Posted on April 2, 2018June 8, 2018 by Tim Warre

Image credit: Mark Wilding

Sorry for the delay but the teacher’s notes for episode 3 are now ready! Click the link below to download them:

Teacher’s notes Ep3 Food

We talked about food, glorious food! We interviewed Nicole Hooks and Abbi Nelliug about US Southern soul food and traditional Dominican food respectively. Nicole speaks about her southern food pop-up supper club Sarah Juliette’s Southern Kitchen. Click the link below to find out more, she’s got events coming up in the next few weeks. Also, check out the recipe for the delicious gumbo that we taste on the show.

https://www.facebook.com/SarahJuliettesSouthernKitchen/ – Check out Nicole’s page
https://goo.gl/EGJ1U7 – Gumbo recipe