Splendid Expressions

What is Splendid Expressions?

Advanced students are always keen to get to grips with the everyday language used by native speakers of English to enable them to speak and express themselves more confidently.

But understanding and using correctly the expressions, idioms and metaphors that pepper the speech of native speakers can be quite a challenge.

Students preparing for a high level exam such as IELTS 7.00 or higher or Cambridge English C1 or C2 know they'll impress the examiner if they use a few well-chosen advanced expressions.

Or perhaps entering university or the world of work in an English-speaking country is the goal and there's a desire to 'fit in' as soon as possible, understanding and using the language of the locals.

The Internet is awash with great resources to help, but learners are often overwhelmed with the choice available and often lack the support to learn new vocabulary systematically.

That's why I've created 'Splendid Expressions', everyday expressions often used by native speakers.

Splendid Expressions is more than just a list of phrases (useful to a degree, but not enough to take a learner's English to the highest level.) It's a five-stage approach to help learn the key words, understand the meaning and, most of all, remember the expression so it can be recognised and/or used later.

Five Stage Approach?

You may be wondering what a five-stage approach consists of. Let's see.

Stage 1:

Many expressions have at least two key words: get either of the key words wrong and the expression doesn't work. In Stage 1, learners see the expression in context with one of the key words gapped. They choose the correct word from a list to complete the expression.

Stage 2:

Learners then get a second chance to practise the expression. This time the second key word in the expression is removed. The task is made a little harder by not offering a choice of words to select from.

Stage 3

To help learners appreciate the meaning of the expression they then try to identify a similar expression in their own language.

Stage 4:

Then comes the tough bit: using this new vocabulary. Splendid Expressions encourages the learner to personalise the expression to help them remember it more easily later.

Stage 5:

The final stage encourages learners to use any of the expressions during their daily life and to record this usage - a great opportunity for the teacher to get feedback in a later lesson.

The daily exercises all fit neatly into a photocopiable single-page document.

How is Splendid Expressions organised?

Splendid Expressions consists of 26 PDF files. Each file contains 5 photocopiable worksheets, for Day 1 to Day 5. Each day contains three idiomatic expressions based around a particular topic or theme. (Students are for more likely to learn vocabulary when it's presented in small chunks rather than them being overloaded with too many words or expressions).

How can I use Splendid Expressions in my lesson?

We're sure you'll find imaginative ways to incorporate the worksheets in your lesson but here are a few examples:

• as an additional activity to supplement a lesson on a particular theme or topic.
• as a filler activity at the end of a lesson. Don't forget to start the following lesson with a brief recap to see if students have managed to use any of the expressions.
• as a daily activity carried out in class or online through email/skype/zoom.

No need to print off everything at once - just one week at a time for Day 1 to Day 5. (Each PDF has 6 pages in total including answers and definitions.)

I'm a teacher. Can I photocopy and share these with my students?

Yes! As long as they are only shared with students registered with your school, college or university. In other words, please don't put them on your blog or website for anyone to download!

How much does Splendid Expressions cost?

Splendid Expressions cost just £25 in total! (Charged in US Dollars at the current exchange rate)