Short topics in English. Topics in English

Good day, dear readers! You've probably come across the phrase English reading topics on the Internet more than once. And some people have a misunderstanding, how is this in English? From England or what?! And how to read them? This is the opinion of those for whom a top is a type of clothing - a short T-shirt. But in the language of the Internet and education, this concept has a completely different meaning. And what exactly we will find out today. Topics for reading in English

So, what does the phrase “English topic” mean for language learners? One of the translations from English of the word “ topic" is a noun " subject", that is, this is a topic for conversation or conversation: Let’s change the topic - Let’s change the topic. And the topics can be very diverse - from cooking to scientific, from everyday to erotic, from highly intellectual to ordinary “social” chatter.

Thus, we can decipher the phrase “Topic for reading in English” as a short story on a specific topic. Even at school, we come across similar texts when the teacher asks us to write an essay about our favorite holiday, sport, or ourselves in English. Today there are even special collections that contain topics on the English language with translations from a wide variety of areas of life and activity.

Why do you need ready-made topics?

Such texts are not very important for applicants, graduates and simply for those who study English. We can say with 100% confidence that in any English exams there will be an assignment to write an essay on a specific topic. And here pre-learned topics will help you a lot. You can also write your own essay based on one of the texts.
Topics in English with translation

For those who study the language, such ready-made texts will also bring a lot of benefits. Learning them as a beginner:

• Trains fast reading and translation skills
• Replenishes vocabulary
• Develops spelling vigilance
• Get to know the culture of English-speaking countries
• Learns how to structure a conversation competently
• Develops coherent speech skills
• Remembers the rules of syntax - sentence construction in English

In addition, the student gets the opportunity not only to remember a new word as a separate lexeme, but also to see its use in an example of a specific speech situation, that is, in a sentence. That is why many methods of teaching any foreign language include mandatory memorization of topics on a variety of topics, which not only broaden one’s horizons, but also significantly help in learning the language.

Topics in English with translation

English tops should not be too short or too long. In oral expressive reading, their duration should be from 5 to 10 minutes. Vocabulary should be simple, commonly used, without a large number of terms and other unclear words. You should be comfortable not only reading them, but also memorizing speech structures.

I present to your attention about 50 texts in English with translation (and somewhere with a dictionary) on the most popular topics:

Appearance (man, woman, child, appearance)
About myself (hobbies, family, me)
Holidays (Christmas, Easter, Birthday, Maslenitsa, Thanksgiving)
Travel (tourism, car travel)
Sports (my attitude towards sports, cycling, Olympic Games)
Cuisine Food (Russian, British and American cuisines)
Education (education in Moscow, higher education in the UK, brief history of Cambridge)
Russia (museums and libraries of Moscow, Russian Federation, Russia is the largest country in the world)
Profession (choice of profession, financial career, who works for whom)

In the article “How to call the seasons in English? » you will also find a topic on the topic “My favorite time of year”

You can use these topics both for complete memorization and as a support for writing your own essays. And for beginners learning a language, it will be simply useful to read 1-2 topics daily to develop visual memory and other skills.

What other topic would you like to see a topic on? Write about your wishes in the comments, and we will definitely fulfill your request. So, in accordance with your wishes, the list and thematic variety of tests will increase.

I wish you a spring mood and a sunny smile!

Thematic texts (topics) for those who study English at school (grades 5-6). These texts in English are intended to review covered topics and develop written and spoken language. Questions to texts can be used as a basis for dialogues. Words and expressions in the texts correspond to the vocabulary covered in these classes. A dictionary is connected to the site. To find out the translation of an unfamiliar word, you need to click on it 2 times. The texts are accompanied by lists of words for repetition on the topics listed below, as well as tasks on the topic “Personal Letter”.

Texts (topics):

Texts (topics) in English (grades 5-6)

Text 1. About Myself

My name is…. I am... years old.

I am in the…th form. We learn different subjects but my favorite subject is …

I live in…. I have a mother, a father, a sister and a brother. My family is friendly and loving.

I am tall (short). My hair is straight and long. I have big brown eyes.

I have got many friends. My best friend is…. We often spend time together. We like to….

Text 2. My Family and Me

My family is large. There are 6 of us: father, mother, my sister, two brothers and me. My family is friendly and loving.

My father’s name is…. He is clever and kind. He is a doctor by profession.

My mother’s name is…. She is busy and loving. She doesn't work. She is a housewife.

My elder sister’s name is… She is a very beautiful girl. Her hobby is singing.
My younger brother’s name is… He is very active. He likes sport.

My hobby is drawing. I like to draw in my free time. Also I like reading books. My favorite writer is...

At the weekends all the members of our family spend time together. We go for a walk, visit museums, go to the cinema or to the theatre.

I love my family very much.

Text 3. My Friends

I have got a close friend. His name is... My friend is in the same form as me. He studies well. He is a good pupil and a good friend. He often helps me to do homework.

I like to spend time with my friend. We go for a walk, talk about music and go to the cinema together.

I have got another friend…. (his/her name). She is a nice girl. Her favorite subject is English. She spends a lot of time on it and knows it very well. Also she is fond of music. She can play the piano very well.

I like my friend very much and think that we are true friends.

Text 4. My Place

• neither...nor - neither...nor...
• It's a pity! - It's a pity!

I live in a flat. It is neither big nor small. It is on the fifth floor. Our flat has two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall.

Our living room is big. It is light because it has a large window. To the left of the window there is a piano. To the right of the window there is an old wardrobe. In the middle of the room there is a big round table. We often gather together at this table and play table games. On the walls there are beautiful paintings of modern artists.

I have my own room. It is small. It hasn’t got much furniture but it is very cozy. It is a pity that there is no balcony in my room.

Our kitchen is big and comfortable. We have a big refrigerator and a microwave oven. We usually have breakfast and supper in the kitchen.

Text 5. My School

I live in Russia. In my country the school year starts in September. It has four or three terms.

I go to school No. 2009. This year I am in the 5th form. I have 5 or 6 lessons a day. The lessons start at half past 8. My favorite lesson is Art. I like drawing and our teacher is very kind. She always gives us good marks. I have many other subjects in my timetable too.

I have lunch at half past 10. I have dinner at school, too. I don't go home after dinner. I stay at school and have fun with my friends. I sometimes do my homework at school, too.

I like school, but I don’t like lessons. The school year finishes in May. We have summer holidays in June, July and August. I love summer!

Text 6. My Birthday

I have my birthday on the … of … (month). I like my birthday because I get a lot of presents.

Last year I got a … This year I hope my parents will give me … as a birthday present.

I usually have a birthday party at home and we have a big meal. All my family gather around a big table. There is a birthday cake with candles on it. All my relatives say “Happy birthday” to me.

Next day I invite my friends and organize games and quizes, sing songs and play jokes. We usually have fun.

I enjoy my birthday party very much.

Text 7. My Day

I usually get up at 7 o’clock on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the weekends I get up late because I don’t have to go to school (work).
After that I go to the bathroom and wash my face. Next I make my bed and dress.
I have breakfast at half past 7. I usually have a glass of juice and a sandwich.
I leave home at 8 o'clock. My school is near my house and it takes me 5 minutes to get there. I usually have 6 lessons at school. For example, today I have English, Russian, Science, Maths, History and Art.
I come home at 2 o’clock and have dinner. Then I have a little rest and start doing my homework.
In the evening I have supper and then watch TV or play computer games.
I go to bed at 10 o’clock.

Text 8. How I help about the house

• take turns- take turns
• don't mind- raise no objection
  

I live with my parents and I have to help about the house. Every Sunday I do my room. I dust the furniture and vacuum the carpet. I water the flowers once a week.
I help my mother to lay the table. I wash the dishes after dinner. We take turns with my brother.
Sometimes I help my mother make cakes and pies. I rarely go shopping only when my mother asks me. I buy bread and fruit.
I understand that I must help my parents because they work hard. And I don't mind doing it.

Text 9. My Hobby

Hobby is what people like to do in their free time. We choose a hobby to our tastes. Hobby makes our life interesting. Sometimes it helps us to choose our future profession.
I have got a hobby too. My hobby is …… When I have free time, I always … (describe your hobby)
Also I like to make toys in my free time. I like reading books, too. My favorite writer is...
If your hobby is cooking, you can say how you make cakes and pies.

Text 10. My Pet

Remember the expression: I have a hamster as a pet. - I have a pet, a hamster.

I keep a hamster as a pet. - I keep a hamster at home.

Hello there! I would like to tell you about my pet. It is a hamster and her name is Sue.

Sue is about one year old. She is very funny. She has soft skin and bright black eyes. Sue is very lively and likes to run around a wheel in her cage.

I keep her cage in the hall because she makes noise at night. But in the daytime I let her run about the flat and play with her.

Sue eats vegetables and I feed her every day. I clean her cage every week. I like to take care of my pet.

I hope that one day my parents will buy me one more pet. I would like to get a rabbit on my birthday.

These texts need to be supplemented and be able to tell. There is no need to memorize texts. Below you will find list of questions for texts, which you need to be able to answer.

Assignments and questions for texts in English (grades 5-6)

Text 1. About Myself

1. Complete the text.

My name is _______. I am ________years old. I live in _______.

I have a ______ family. There are 6 of ______: my parents, my grandparents, my sister and me.

As for my appearance, you can see yourself. I am _______. I have ______hair and ______ eyes.

I like _______and always go to the ______ in my free time.

1. Introduce yourself.
2. What are you?
3. How old are you?
4. Is your hair long or short?
5. What are eyes like?
6. Can you describe yourself?
7. Where do you live?
8. Have you any friends?

Text 2. My Family and Me.

1. Complete text 1.

There are………….of us in my family. We are a close family. We are sociable and…

My mother is a ………………… My mother is loving and ……….

My father is a ……………………… My father is strong and …………..

As for me, I think I am ……………………… I would like to be more ……..

I have (not) got……. My elder brother is active and …….
My little sister is pretty but……….

I love my family……

2. Answer the questions to the text.

• main characteristic - main character trait

1. How would you describe your family?
2. What do your parents do?
3. What are your parents’ main characteristics?
4. What are your main characteristics?
5. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
6. How old are they?
7. What are they like?
8. What do you like doing together?

2. Complete text 2 with the words: close, sociable, get on, hobby, card, typical, intelligent, naughty, humour.

SAMPLE LETTER on the topic “My Family”

Dear Ann,
Thank you for your letter. You asked me to write about my family.

Well, our family is a _____ Russian family: a father, a mother, two children (my little sister and me) and a cat. We are a _____ family and _____ well with each other.

My mum is a teacher at school. She is _____. Her ______ is painting. My dad is a computer _________. He is _________. He has a good sense of __________. My little sister Ann is funny and sometimes ____________.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,
Polina

Text 3. My Friends.

1. Complete the text.

I have a _____ friend. Her name is….. . She is a ______ girl . She has got ______ brown hair and ______ blue eyes. She is slim and ______. She is crazy about collecting dolls. She is very proud of her big _________.

We meet every day because we are in the same form. We talk during the ______and often _____ time together after school.

She is a good student and sometimes help me with my _______.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Have you got many friends?
2. Who is your best friend?
3. When did you make friends?
4. What does your friend look like?
5. Why do you like him (her)?
6. What do you have in common?
7. Do you share ideas?
8. How often do you phone each other?
9. How do you like to spend your time together?
10. What does your friend like doing?

Text 4. My Place.

1. Complete the text.

My family lives on the _______ floor in a big house. Our flat is ______. We have two bedrooms, a _______, a _________, a ________ and a toilet.

The biggest room in our flat is the _______. It is a _____ room with a big table in the center. In the _____ there is a cozy sofa. Just on the opposite wall there is a large flat screen.

When we are at home, we often _____ in the room and spend time playing games or watching TV.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Do you live in a flat or in a house?
2. Is it big or small?
3. How many rooms has it?
4. What is there in the living-room?
5. What is there in the kitchen?
6. Do you have your own room?

Text 5. My School.

1. Complete the text.

My name is ____ I am ____. I am in the______ at school number _____.

I _____ a lot of subjects this year. I study Maths, History, Russian, English, Science, _______. I like _______. I don't like _________.

I like school because I like to ________my friends during the breaks.

But I don’t like to get _____marks.

3. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What school do you study at?
2. What form are you in?
3. What lessons / subjects do you like?
4. What lessons / subjects don’t you like?
5. How many subjects do you have? What are they?
6. What subjects do you have in your timetable (on Monday)?
7. What do you do at your English lessons?
8. What subject would you like to study?
9. Do you like breaks?
10. Some schoolchildren don’t like school. Do you think why?

Text 6. My Birthday.

1. Complete the text.

My Last Birthday Party

Last year my sisters arranged a birthday party for me.

When I was out, they got _________for the party. They _________the house and _______ pizza. They decorate my room with the balloons. They _______on their best clothes and looked ________.

When I rang the doorbell, the music started playing. I came into the room and saw a big _________ on the table. _______ 13 candles on it.

My sisters sang to me, “Happy birthday to you.” Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, ……Happy birthday to you. »

I was very……

How to Arrange a School Party

I am _____________to have a school party next week.

First of all, I will arrange date and time and write ____________ (invitations).

Then I will think who can help me to organize the party. I think I will ask my friend Ilya to bring CDs. He will be responsible for ___________. I am _______ to ask my friend Slava to ________a guitar. He can play the guitar very __________. I will ask Anya to ________food.

And I will ask Sveta to make a____________. So, the girls will be ______________ for the meal.

Also I am ______ to buy small presents for my friends because we will have quizes and contests at the party.

I hope the party will be _____________.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. How old are you now?
2. When is your birthday?
3. Do you like birthday parties?
4. How do you celebrate your birthday?
5. Whom do you invite to your birthday party?
6. You like to get presents, don’t you?
7. What kind of presents do you like to get best of all?

Text 7. My Day (My Working Day / My Day Out)

1. Complete the text.

My school day begins early.

I get up at 7 o’clock, _______my face and dress. Then I ______ my bed and go to the _______to have my breakfast.

I leave home for school at 8 o’clock. On the way to school I often _____ my friends and we go the school ______.

I ______home at 3 o’clock.

I have dinner and after that______ because I am often _____. When I have little homework, I can go to _______ or_______.

In the evening I usually ______ or______.

I ________to bed at 10 p.m.

2.1. Answer the questions to the text “My working Day”.

1. When do you get up on your working days?
2. It is difficult for you to get up early, isn’t it?
3. Do you usually make your bed?
4. What do you usually have for breakfast?
5. When do you leave home for school?
6. Where is your school?
7. How long does it take you to get to your school on foot?
8. When do you come home?
9. What do you do after that?
10. What do you like to do in the evenings?
11. When do you go to bed?

2.2. Answer the questions to the text “My Day Out”

1. Do you like weekends? Why?
2. What time do you get up?
3. What do you do in the morning/ in the afternoon/ in the evening?
4. Do you like to watch TV?
5. Do you go to the park?
6. Do you go swimming?
7. Do you meet your friends?
8. Who does shopping in your family?
9. Do you like shopping?

2.3 Write your story according to the outline below. Be sure to use words conveying a sequence of actions (SOON). They are highlighted in bold in the text.

My Usual Day

I usually get up at about ...

Then I...

Next I …

When I come home from school, I...

We usually eat dinner at about…

I help my mother with dinner. I….

After I do my homework, I like…

I always do…. before I go to bed.

Text 8. How I help about the house.

1. Complete the text.

My name is ____________. I live with parents.

I love my family and help my parents ________the house.

I always vacuum the ________. Sometimes I help my mother to _______the table. And I usually ________ up after meals. I often ______my room and __________the flowers.

But I never do the___________. I don't like it.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Do your friends help their parents?
2. Do you help your parents about the house?
3. Can you clean your room?
4. Do you water the flowers?
5. Do you wash the dishes?
6. Do you help to lay the table?
7. Do you vacuum the carpet?
8. Do you go to the shops and buy food?
9. What don’t you like to do?

Text 9. My Hobby.

1. Complete the text.

Our Hobbies

Different people like ____________ things. That's why we have ____________ hobbies.

I am fond of___________________________ (3 sentences about myself).

My friend Nastya likes __________. She is crazy about ____________ (3 sentences about your friend)

I think hobbies make our life ______________.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What hobbies do you know?
2. Do you play any musical instrument?
3. What is your hobby?
4. Do you think your hobby may help you in the future?
5. What do you want to be?

Text 10. My Pet.

1. Complete the text.

The animals we keep at home are our_____. They can be dogs, _______, ________,
________ or _______.

People are fond of pets. They like to watch them and treat them as real members of the family. Dogs and cats are our _________pets.

I have got _____pets. In my house _________three cats, a dog, two hamsters and a parrot. I love them all and I am very _________ when I play with them. I _______care of them, too. My mum helps me to ________ them. When I grow up, I want to _______a vet and take ________of animals.

2. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Have you got a pet?
2. What pet is it?
3. What is your pet like?
4. How do you take care of your pet?
5. Would you like to have one more pet?

To write the article, we used developments for various textbooks, as well as a manual by T.Yu. Zhurin “English language. 55 oral topics in English for schoolchildren grades 5-11" (partially revised and expanded)

TOPICS IN ENGLISH are short texts on a specific topic. Here you will find original English topics on a number of topics.

Why do you need English topics? Working with topics is a very useful activity, since, mainly, a topic is always tailored to a specific topic, i.e. is full of relevant vocabulary that you can write down and learn for your own further use. Educators love to get students to work with topics, often encouraging them to create their own topic texts.

On this page, the publication of topics on the English language is open, the collection of which will be regularly updated. Here you can find a ready-made topic, learn it by heart, or use it as a basis for composing your own statement.

Topic About Myself

Topic for those who need to learn how to talk about themselves, their character traits, interests and life in general.

Topic My Family

This topic will help you learn how to talk about your family members: describe their age, hobbies, personality traits.

Topic Home

Learn to talk about your home: characteristics of the house, description of the interior, actions around the house - this and much more in this topic.

Topic My Working Day

Topic about a personal working day. What time does the working day start, how does it go, what do you have to do during the working day - all the necessary aspects are covered in this topic.

Topic My Day Off

My Day Off is a topic that talks about ways to spend your free time (staying at home, meeting friends, visiting theaters, etc.). If you need to learn how to talk about how you spend your weekends, then this topic will be of great help to you.

Topic My Household Chores

This topic is dedicated to doing household chores. You will learn to describe your daily household activities: sweeping the floor, washing and ironing clothes, tidying up the room and much more in this topic in English.

Topic My School

Topic for those who need to make a message about their school in English. You will learn phrases to describe the appearance of a building and its interior decoration. You will learn to talk about school subjects and schedules, as well as frequently performed activities at school.

Topic My Favorite Subjects at School

Do you need to talk about your favorite subjects and explain why you like them? No problem! In this topic you will find a detailed description of school subjects and arguments in their favor.

Topic Professions and Careers

Choosing a profession and future career is a difficult choice. If you want to learn how to talk about this topic in English, then use this topic. This topic is filled with both general phrases and vocabulary that you can use to describe specific professions.

Topic Friends and Friendship

Learn to describe people, in particular your boyfriend or girlfriend. Appearance, character traits, habits and hobbies - all this is in this topic.

Topic Trips an Journeys

The topic is dedicated to trips and travel. Learn to talk about the delights of travel, ways to travel, the advantages of different modes of transport and other things.

Topic Shops and Shopping

Being able to communicate on a shopping topic seems very important, since every day we are faced with the need to buy something. In our topic you will find useful vocabulary on the topic of visiting stores and purchasing goods.

Topic Seasons of the Year and the Weather

We learn to talk about the weather: we describe weather phenomena, characterize the climate, express our personal attitude to the weather. The topic is full of weather-related vocabulary and is useful for everyone learning English.

Top Hollidays

Our life would be much boring and uninteresting if it were not for the holidays. You are invited to get acquainted with the topic, which describes the most popular holidays that are celebrated by people all over the world.

Topic Sport

Learn to talk about sports: the benefits of playing sports, the advantages of various sports, sports competitions and much more are covered in this topic.

Topic My Favorite Writers

The topic is dedicated to your favorite English-speaking (English and American) and Russian writers - Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Great Britain topic

This topic contains brief general geographical and sociocultural information about the UK.

Each of us has ever had the task of telling about ourselves in writing or orally. This could be when applying for a job, when meeting new people, when filling out an application, taking an exam, or simply it was the topic of your school essay.

It is important to immediately determine how deep and extensive your story about yourself should be. Of course, it all depends on the situation. If you are preparing for an interview, then the story should be clear, concise, and businesslike. You should focus on your education, work experience, your business qualities, and in general, your advantages and prospects as an employee. If your story is aimed at new acquaintances, then most likely you will mainly talk about your interests, hobbies, habits, character, etc. In your school essay, you will definitely have to talk about your family and friends and plans for the future . Situations in which you need to talk about yourself can be very different.

Making a plan for a story about yourself “About myself”

If you are faced with the task of talking about yourself in English, then ready-made phrase templates will come to your aid, adding to which you will get a full-fledged essay. First, you need to determine for yourself what exactly you want to talk about and draw up a clear plan for the story. I suggest you learn a “universal” self-narration plan that will work for almost any situation. You can decide for yourself which points in your essay will be covered in more detail and which not. For each item, you will be offered template phrases with translations, which you will need to supplement with information about yourself.

The outline of our story will be as follows:

1. Introduction and general information about myself
2. Place of residence (The place where I live)
3. Information about family
4. Education
5. Place of work (My job)
6. My hobbies, talents and interests
7. Character traits
8. Plans for the future Template phrases are the main assistants when writing a story about yourself

Writing a story “About myself”

As an introduction, if the situation allows it, you can say the following phrase:

• It’s hard to speak about myself as only people surrounding me can see me objectively - It’s very difficult to talk about yourself, because they can only perceive me objectively from the outside

• Let me introduce myself - Let me introduce myself
• Let me tell you a few words about myself - Let me tell you a little about myself

First of all, state your name:

• My name is Valentin - My name is Valentin

If your loved ones call you differently, you can add the following words:

• But my friends call me Vel - But friends usually call me Val
• But people usually call me Valea - But they usually call me Valya
• But you can call me Vel - But you can call me Val

You can indicate the origin of your name or something interesting about it:

• It is a Latin name - This is a Latin name
• I was named after my grandmother - I was named after my grandmother
• My name is quite unusual and I like it - My name is quite unusual and I like it

After this you can specify your age:

• I am 25 years old - I am 25 years old
• I was born in 1988 - I was born in 1988
• I will be 30 in three months - I will turn 30 in three months
• I will be 20 next Octomber - I will turn 20 next October

• I am from Saint Petersburg - I am from St. Petersburg
• I come from France, I live in Paris - I am from France, I live in Paris
• I used to live in Saint Petersburg, but now I live in Moscow - I used to live in Saint Petersburg, and now I live in Moscow.
• I was born in London and I have lived there all my life - I was born in London and live there all my life
• I was born in Balta. It is a small town near Odessa. When I was 16 I moved to Saint Petersburg with my family - I was born in Balta. This is a small town near Odessa. When I was 16, I moved to St. Petersburg with my family

If your interlocutor is interested, you can devote a couple of sentences to your city, its location and attractions. In America, when meeting a new person, this point is simply mandatory. For some reason this is very important for Americans. A person may be born, for example, in the state of Illinois and move to another state in early childhood, but when meeting you, he will certainly mention that he is from the state of Illinois.

• My home town is very big, one million people live there - My hometown is very big, a million people live there
• It is located in the south of the country - It is located in the south of the country
• My home city is the center of light industry - My hometown is the center of light industry
• My home town is famous for its theater - My home town is famous for its theater

If you are writing an essay about yourself in English, then you must definitely mention your family:

• I come from a large/ small family - I am from a large/ small family
• All members of my family are helpful and friendly - All members of my family are friendly
• There are five of us in the family - There are five of us in the family
• We get on well with each other - We get along well with each other
• I have a father a mother and two younger brother/ sister - I have a father, a mother and two younger brothers/sisters

If necessary, provide general facts about each family member. Talk about how old they are, what they do, their education, where they live, etc. But don’t get too carried away. The whole story is still about you, and not about your family members.

The next point of our plan concerns education. It will most likely be mandatory in any case. If you are still in school, but you can use the following phrases:

• I go to school. I am in the ninth form - I go to school. I'm in ninth grade
• I am good at German and Math - I do well in German and mathematics
• My favorite subjects are Spanish and Literature - My favorite subjects are Spanish language and literature

If you have already graduated from school and are a student, then the following phrases are for you:

• I finished school in 2010 - I graduated from school in 2010
• I am a student of London University of the Arts - I am a student at the London University of the Arts
• I am a first-year/ second-year student - I am a first/second year student
• I am in my first/second/third year - I am in my first/second/third year
• My major is Psychology/ I major in Psychology - My specialty is psychology

If you have already completed higher education:

• I graduated from University in 2014 - I graduated from the university in 2014
• I graduated with honors - I graduated with honors
• I majored in Philology - My specialty is philology
• I was trained as a lawyer - I was educated as a lawyer
• At University I studied many subjects - At the university I studied many subjects

If you work, be sure to devote a couple of sentences to your profession:

• I am /I work as a teacher - I work as a teacher
• In future I want to be a lawyer - In the future I want to become a lawyer
• I work for (the name of the company) - I work in (company name)
• I am looking for a job at the moment - I’m currently looking for a job
• I am unemployed at the moment - I am currently unemployed

Dedicate several sentences to your hobbies, interests, and talents. To do this, use the following phrases:

• As for my interests, I am fond of music - as for my interests, I am fond of music
• I am keen on sport - I am keen on sports
• I can play tennis very well - I can play tennis well
• I am interested in history - I am interested in history
• When I have some free time I go to the gym - When I have free time, I go to the gym
• In my free time I usually read books - In my free time I usually read books
• I devote much time to learning foreign languages ​​- I devote a lot of time to learning foreign languages

When telling a story about yourself in English, you must describe your character. You can name your advantages and disadvantages. You can also name the qualities that you value in people, or vice versa - you do not accept.

• People who know me well, say that I am a reliable person - People who know me well say that I am a reliable person
• My best qualities are patience and creativity - My best qualities are patience and creativity
• I am a communicative person and I have a lot of friends - I am a sociable person and I have a lot of friends
• Sometimes I can be lazy - Sometimes I can be lazy
• I like to associate with polite and intelligent people - I like to communicate with well-mannered and intelligent people
• I appreciate sincerity and trust - I appreciate sincerity and honesty
• I hate when people lie and betray - I hate when people lie or betray
• Those who are unreliable irritate me - Unreliable people annoy me

To describe your character, you may need the following adjectives:

active - active
communicative - sociable
creative - creative
reliable - reliable
self-confident - self-confident
friendly - friendly
sociable - sociable
absent-minded - absent-minded
calm - calm
lazy - lazy

You can complete your story about yourself with a couple of sentences about your plans for the future or simply about your dreams:

• In future I want to be a doctor - In the future I want to become a doctor
• I want to become a famous person - In the future I want to become famous
• My dream is to travel around the world - My dream is to travel around the world
• I dream of having a big house - I dream of a big house

When telling a story about yourself in English (about myself), it is very important to move smoothly from one point to another. You should end up with a beautiful, coherent essay, and not just a list of phrases. Use connective sentences:

• My family is very important for me - My family is very important to me
• What about my character, I am a polite person - As for my character, I am a polite person
• Now I would like to tell you about my interests - Now I would like to tell you about my interests

Now you have a “framework” of a story about yourself (About Yourself) in English. Depending on the situation, you must adjust and supplement it yourself. The main thing is that your story sounds interesting and competent.

English speaking club

A conversation club is fundamentally different from English language courses. The main characteristics of the English speaking club are as follows:

The goal of the English speaking club is to develop primarily Speaking skills and, to a lesser extent, Listening skills. Reading and Writing skills are completely ignored at English speaking club meetings, as is explanation of the phonetic, grammatical and lexical rules of the English language.

Meetings of the English speaking club are not related to each other thematically, so the participant can skip them without affecting the entire course program.

1. There is no need to explain why the venue for an English speaking club should be comfortable for all participants. Let us only note that dim lighting can help create an atmosphere in an English speaking club that is conducive to pleasant communication. It distracts the attention of the English conversation club participants from the interior details and appearance of the interlocutors, which helps them concentrate directly on the discussion.

2. Does the conversation club have to be led by a native English speaker? On the one hand, people prefer conversation clubs with English-speaking presenters. On the other hand, differences in mentality can make it very difficult to create an interesting and relevant discussion. In addition, even in a large Russian city it is very difficult to find a certified linguist of Anglo-Saxon origin who is willing to lead your conversation club. Usually these are students or expats of non-core specialties from around the world, whose language level and teaching skills leave much to be desired. In our expert opinion, the best option is to invite a native English speaker to a conversation club meeting as a guest. In this case, he answers the host’s questions along with other participants in the English speaking club. Of course, like other participants in the English language club, he can ask or answer questions himself, but the initiative to conduct the meeting remains with the Russian-speaking participant.

3. As for the number of participants in an English speaking club, the “golden rule” should be adhered to: when more than 9 people gather, the general discussion inevitably breaks up into several groups. Thus, excluding the host, no more than 8 people should be present at a conversation club meeting at a time, and excluding the English-speaking guest, no more than 7.

4. Most English speaking clubs practice informing participants in advance about the topic of the upcoming meeting, but we strongly do not recommend this! Firstly, a conversation club meeting should simulate as much as possible the real situation of a spontaneous discussion with an English-speaking interlocutor. Secondly, complete unpreparedness forces the brain to work faster, “bringing to the surface deep layers” of knowledge, including from the subconscious. Thirdly, as our experience shows, a regular participant in a conversational English club may miss a meeting just because he was not prepared, or come but feel insecure.

5. We recommend starting the first meeting of the English speaking club, regardless of the level of the group, with the topic “Names”. Firstly, it will help you and the participants of the English speaking club remember their names faster. Secondly, this is the easiest of the conversational topics we offer, and accordingly, a discussion on it will inspire confidence in the participants and positively set them up for further visits to the English language club.

6. The main mistake that the presenters of English speaking clubs make, in our opinion, is that they ask a question to the whole group and wait for whoever wants to answer it. As a result of this practice, the same extroverts usually speak at the meeting, and some introverts leave the English speaking club without saying a word! Of course, this is completely unacceptable! To avoid this monstrous mistake, the leader of an English speaking club should ask the same question personally to each participant and, until everyone has expressed their opinion, not move on to the next question.

7. Encourage conversation club participants to begin their judgments with introductory expressions like "I think", "In my opinion", "From my point of view", as is customary in the English-speaking world.

8. It is not at all necessary, by all means, to go through all 18 questions of the conversation topic you have chosen at one meeting of the English language club. The English speaking club topics we offer are in no way intended to be any kind of academic syllabus. Rather, they play the role of a kind of “pusher” from which a discussion in English starts. Moreover, if after the first few questions the debate goes in a different direction, then the meeting of the English speaking club was successful! Always remember that the most important criterion for a successful English speaking club meeting is that all its participants find it interesting. If they wanted to discuss some other topic in English than the one you suggested, that's just great!

9. Do not allow English speaking club participants to take any notes during the meeting. Firstly, we repeat that the atmosphere of a club meeting should imitate as much as possible the situation of a conversation with an English-speaking interlocutor. Secondly, taking notes greatly detracts from the discussion in English. Actually, this is how the conversation club differs from English language courses.

10. As for phonetic, grammatical and lexical errors made by participants in the English speaking club, they should not be corrected directly during the discussion. Only if the same error is encountered by the same participant more than 2 times, it is necessary to delicately point it out to him at the end of the English speaking club meeting. If necessary, you can advise him to listen to something, read something, or do exercises on this topic.

11. Also, at the end of each meeting of the speaking club, it is advisable to remind its participants that in the breaks between classes they read books and watch films in English, as well as perform various exercises. If necessary, we can recommend the most useful resources for learning English.