COMPLAINING: IN FORMAL LETTERS AND SPEAKING

Writing good formal letters can be easy if you have the necessary basic information!
Letters of complaint are probably more difficult because you often need to express feelings of disappointment and even anger in a polite and sensible way. So, here is some useful vocabulary
and an exercise.
When  you need to complain verbally, politeness is as important! Here is some interesting vocabulary.
And last but not least, a funny video including16 Ridiculous Tourist Complaints that are too funny!

THE POWER OF STORY TELLING

Telling stories is fun and a great way of connecting to other people!

Here is a video with interesting considerations and great advice on this subjet:  

Don't miss it, I can't recommend it too highly!

LOTS OF GREAT TRANSLATION EXERCISES!

Translating sentences is a good way of practicing structures and comparing languages!
If you want to improve your translation skills, you are lucky: there are useful online websites which provide lots of exercises!

For example:
                           1.exercisesonline.com, where you'll find practice according to your level

                           2.lawebdelinglés offers good grammar explanations for each level and great              translation practice of the different grammar points. 

  

                  

SUMMARY WRITING :)

Capturing the essence of a text requires practice: we should focus on the basic information and express it in a fluent and comprehensible way. 
Here's a web that can help you a lot in improving:  caribexams, it provides lots of exercises with sample answers!

STANDARD VS NON-STANDARD ENGLISH

Another interesting linguistic issue is the value of standar and non-standard varieties of English.

Here is an interesting speech by Professor David Crystal on the subject. Don't miss it!

ENGLISH AND WORLD ENGLISHES

In this interesting video, professor David Crystal talks about the evolution variation and adaptation of English and by extention of any language. Don't miss it!

JACQUES DERRIDA EXPLAINS WHAT DECONSTRUCTION IS.

In modern Critical and Literary Theory, the work of  Jacques Derrida shed light on interesting aspects such as the relationship between language, thought and even ethics. Here's a good summary of one of his most famous assertions: There is nothing outside the text.

And in the video below, we'll see how Derrida himselfs defines Deconstruction: