HAVE YOU SEEN MY MUMMY?
As a connoisseur of all things spooky, it’s not much of a surprise that my favourite lesson is Gothic Legends, where we go over some of the most popular horror stories and characters in English literature.
ACCENTS
Students sometimes ask me whether it is better to speak English with a British or an American accent. The answer is, of course, both, or neither. Why not an Australian, a South African or a Jamaican accent?
THE CHRISTMAS I WAS ON TV
For several years the eagerly awaited Christmas TV commercials from some of the UK’s biggest retailers have kick-started the festive season all across the country.
HAPPY MIKE
The older I get the more I think about the past, especially my childhood. I think of all the people I met, who for varying reasons, left their mark on me during those early years. I’d like to share just a few.
LITERATURE V READING
Ask any teenage student at a secondary school in Spain if they like literature and the reaction will probably be one of complete disinterest or just totally negative.
THE SPOOKIEST TIME OF THE YEAR
As I sit here typing away, I can hear the wind howling outside my window and I’m reminded that Halloween is around the corner.
EBOOK? NO THANKS
As I get older and the memory starts to fade, I’ve noticed there are certain things I still remember as clearly now as the day they happened, and many of them have one thing in common. They were firsts.
A LEGAL ALIEN
One question I am often asked is whether I miss England. People are often surprised to learn that I have lived more of my life outside the UK than in it!
HURLING
There is hardly a child in Ireland that hasn’t tried his or her hand at hurling at some time or other.
BACK TO SCHOOL
September, love it or hate it, is always a special time of year for students and teachers alike.
THOSE LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER
Like many language teachers, my first class back after the summer holidays was getting my students to talk about what they did over the summer.
MARMITE – LOVE IT OR HATE IT
Marmite is a sticky brown spread used on sandwiches, toast or crackers, across the English speaking world. It is part of British heritage and it helped the nation survive two world wars.