Here is another chance to improve your English by getting involved and discussing a topic.
The following article is about how a British man who was impressed with the facilities for disabled people, on a recent trip to one of Spain’s biggest cities:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mik-scarlet/barcelona-travel_b_4058233.html

Little things like wheelchair access, bicycle routes and a fun atmosphere can make a city feel so much more open to everyone, and with Spain being a major tourist destination, with over 13 million British people visiting last year, these little things or little touches can make all the difference to someone’s experience.

Every week, we meet students here who have come from all over Spain and enjoy listening to their stories. We think that Spain is a wonderful and diverse landscape and country and we are interested in hearing about your opinions. What makes your city or town special for you? Is it the culture? The architecture? Or is it a peaceful place to relax?

When I’m not teaching here at Optima, I usually live in Bilbao.  What I like the most about living here is the food, whether it’s the pintxos on a Sunday morning or the seafood, which I love, because I am from the coast of Wales.

Please come and join in the discussion by writing your opinions in the comments below.when I eat out in a restaurant.

By Siôn
(An English Teacher at Optima)

The following article argues that Spain is in the wrong time zone, and that because the Spanish working day follows daylight hours, many workers are exhausted, or feel jet-lagged, because they wake-up earlier and go to bed later than they should.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/09/26/spaniards-are-less-productive-constantly-tired-because-spain-is-in-the-wrong-time-zone/

What do people think of this article?
Do you think that it should be changed? Would businesses want to adapt to the change?

In my personal opinion, in the past when I have worked in places following the traditional ‘businesses’ hours, I always preferred to have 45 minutes or an hour for lunch, so that I could get home early. But maybe, my opinion could be because I didn’t enjoy some jobs in the past, and now I have a job here at Optima Communication, that I enjoy a lot I don’t mind working longer hours.

By Siôn
(An English Teacher at Optima)

Last month one of Spain’s most famous local fiestas, took place. Not the one with bulls, the other one with tomatoes, La Tomatina. This year, for the first time, the organizers charged non-local residents to take part in the festival. Not a lot, just 10 Euros, which is the same as probably most discos and also it seems to be a lot more fun! Most of the buyers of the tickets where foreign such as from Australia, Japan, Britain and the USA.

This story was reported in the Telegraph

Obviously, Spain is going through some slightly difficult financial times, so it’s difficult to pay for these things, but do you think that this will be the first of many? Will people have to pay for other fiestas such as in Pamplona?

We’d love to hear peoples opinions

Wow, that’s a lot of tomatoes!

By Siôn
(An English Teacher at Optima)

In the following article it says that Spanish families are using their mobile phones more than the traditional camera to take holiday photos:

http://www.euroweeklynews.com/news/spain/item/115271-smart-smiles-more-families-using-phones-for-holiday-snaps

Now, that the cameras on phones are getting better and better, is there any need to have a traditional camera? Do you think that the traditional camera is dying?

My digital camera is 5 years old and I’ve only used it about once in the last 3 years, because my phone’s camera is usually sufficient for my needs.

I’d love to hear whether other people use the phone more than a camera.

by Siôn, An Optima Communication Teacher

If you listen to the average group of teenagers today in Britain, you’ll hear a lot of slang that originally comes from the USA, such as ‘dude’ which means ‘guy’ or ‘man’.

What slang words have you learnt on your travels or in everyday contact with native English speaking people? What’s your favourite? How important is using slang? And what’s the best way of learning it?

I really think the phrase ‘gobsmacked’ which means to be ‘lost for words’ or ‘completely surprised’, because it’s very amusingly descriptive, such as the word ‘gob’ is slang (originally from Australia) for ‘mouth’ and ‘smack’ is a verb meaning to hit with the palm, so gobsmacked is very descriptive meaning you literally can’t speak because you’ve been hit in the mouth.  “I’m gobsmacked! I can’t believe it!”

If anyone is unsure of what slang is: Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker’s language or dialect or have a different meaning. Such as ‘sweet!’ which is now often used by young people to mean ‘great’ or ‘fantastic’. So we must be careful in what situations we use it, using some of these words in a formal situation can give the wrong impression.

By Siôn