LET'S TALK ABOUT CLOTHES!

QUESTIONS TO PROMOTE INTERACTION:

1. Do you like shopping for new clothes?

2. How often do you go shopping for clothes?

3. How much money do you spend on new clothes a year?

4. Is it possible to get addicted to buying clothes?

5. Do you wear fashionable  clothes only?

6. Do you read fashion magazines?

7. Do you watch fashion programs on TV?

8. Is it important to be fashionable?

9. What is your favourite  colour of clothes?

10.   What kind of clothes do you usually wear?

11.   Where do you usually buy clothes?

12.   Do you buy second-hand clothes? Why/why not?

13.   Do you buy clothes on the Internet? Why/why not?

14.   Do you often buy branded clothes? Why/why not?

15.   How many pairs of shoes do you have?

16.   (if you are a woman) Do you often wear high heel shoes? (if you are a man) Do you like when women wear high heel shoes?

17.   How often does the fashion change?

18.   Does the fashion come back over again?

19.   Do you think that clothes reflect personality?

20.   Is there any dress code  in your job? Do you like it?

21.   What do you think about wearing uniforms at school?

22.   Do you wear jewellery ?

23.   Do you have tattoos?

24.   Is it acceptable  in your country to have a lot of tattoos and earrings?

25.   Do you wear glasses ?

26.   Do you wear contact lenses ?

27.   What traditional clothes do people wear in your country?

28.   What pieces of clothing do you consider provocative?

TALKING ABOUT CLOTHES AND FASHION IN A SPEAKING TEST

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: Do you enjoy buying clothes?
Pedro: I used to … yes … like most young people I was a bit of a slave to fashion and I’d always have to buy that must-have shirt or pair of shoes … I’m not so bothered now though … I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing something old fashioned but I’m not as bothered as I used to be about what I wear …

Examiner: What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Marco: I prefer casual clothes actually … I hate getting dressed up for special occasions … personally I think it’s possible to look good in a pair of jeans … but that’s my opinion … I don’t think my wife would call me a fashion icon that’s for sure …

Examiner: Are there many clothes shops where you live?
Sylvia: Yes … there are lots in my town … apart from the big chain stores we’ve got a couple of really nice shops that sell vintage clothes … old clothes but in a classic style that never really go out of fashion … I love going there …

Part 2-style task

Describe someone you know who dresses well. You should say

• who they are
• how you know them
• what kind of clothes they wear

and say why you like the way they dress.

Tomoko:  I’d like to talk about one of my teachers … Miss Evans … she teaches us English in the school I go to … we always look forward to seeing what she’s going to wear when our lessons start … she’s always very well dressed and takes a lot of pride in her appearance … it’s not that she dresses in very smart clothes … she doesn’t come to school dressed to kill or anything like that … but what she wears really suits her … and she has a great sense of style as well … we often ask her where she gets some of her clothes and most of the time they’re just off the peg … and she says she’s not interested in designer labels or anything like that … she doesn’t seem too concerned about keeping up with the latest fashion … she just wears clothes that are timeless… yes … Miss Evans is the person I think looks great in the clothes she wears …

Part 3-style questions

Examiner: What factors do you think affect the clothes we choose to wear?
Maki: It depends … where we are or where we’re going is a big factor … if you are going out to a club or party you’re going to dress for the occasion … and then there are those who think it’s important to look like they’re on trend … they’ll want to wear the latest fashions … there are lots of factors really …

Examiner: What kind of things determine what is in fashion and what we should be wearing?
Martin: I suppose the big fashion houses and fashion shows must have an effect but the clothes you see on the catwalk don’t always reflect what normal people wear … so I suppose it will be things like what singers are wearing in videos or models are wearing in magazines … that kind of thing …

Examiner: Is it possible to look good without spending lots of money on clothes?
Corinna: I’m sure it is … yes … I suppose it’s about having an eye for what looks good … knowing how to mix and match different items of clothing that go well together … I think you can pick up great bargains in charity shops … sometimes for youngsters even hand-me-downs can look good …

Definitions

• to be on trend: to be very fashionable
• casual clothes: not formal
• classic style: a simple, traditional style that is always fashionable
• designer label: a well-known company that makes (often expensive) clothing
• dressed to kill: wearing clothes that attract admirers
• to dress for the occasion: to wear clothes suitable for a particular event
• fashionable: in fashion
• fashion house: a company that sells (usually expensive) new styles in clothes
• fashion icon: a person who is famous for their sense of fashion
• fashion show: an event where modals show off the latest in fashion designs
• to get dressed up: to put on nice clothes, often to go out somewhere special
• to go out of fashion: to not be in fashion any more
• hand-me-downs: clothes that are passed down from older brothers or sisters to their younger siblings
• to have an eye for (fashion): to be a good judge of
• to have a sense of style: the ability to wear clothes that look stylish
• the height of fashion: very fashionable
• to keep up with the latest fashion: to wear the latest fashions
• to look good in: to wear something that suits you
• to mix and match: to wear different styles or items of clothing that aren’t part of a set outfit
• must-have: something that is highly fashionable and therefore in demand
• off the peg: clothing that is ready made
• old fashioned: not in fashion any more
• on the catwalk: the stage that modals walk along to show off the latest fashions
• a slave to fashion: someone who always feel the need to wear the latest fashions
• smart clothes: the kind of clothes worn for a formal event
• to suit someone: to look good on someone
• to take pride in one’s appearance: to pay attention to how one looks
• timeless: something that doesn’t go out of fashion
• vintage clothes: clothes from an earlier period
• well-dressed: to be dressed attractively

SOME IDIOMS CONNECTED TO THE TOPIC:

mutton dressed as lamb (level: advanced)
an older woman dresses in a way that is much more suitable for a younger girl
The actress was criticized by almost every fashion magazine, after she had put on an extremely short skirt at the opening night. The 60-year old woman looked like mutton dressed as lamb.

to fit like a glove (level: advanced)
to fit very well
Buy this blue T-shirt. It contains Lycra, so it will fit you like a glove.

to be in one’s birthday suit (level: advanced)
to be completely naked
He was arrested after he ran into the shop in his birthday suit, making all the customers feel very uncomfortable .

dressed to the nines/teeth (level: advanced)
dressed in stylish and expensive clothes
Everybody liked the elegant and stylish dress that she was wearing at the picnic. She was dressed to the nines, as usual.

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OTHER WAYS TO SAY "THANK YOU" AND HOW TO RESPOND

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GETTING A MANICURE

Here you have a complete list of useful words:

nail, nails - uña, uñas

nail art - arte de uñas

nail bed - matriz, raíz de la uña, lecho ungueal, cama de uña

nail brush - cepillo para las uñas

nail buffer - lima abrillantadora

nail buffing cream - crema pulidora (para uñas)

nail care - cuidado de las uñas

nail cleaner - limpiador de uñas

nail clipper - cortauñas

nail cream - crema para uñas

nail decoration - decoración de uñas, decorados de uñas, adornos de uñas

nail design - diseño de uñas

nail dryer - secador de uñas

nail edge - orilla o borde libre de la uña

nail esthetician - manicurista, técnica de uñas

nail extensions - extensiones de uñas

nail file - lima de uñas

nail fungus - hongos de las uñas

nail growth - crecimiento de uñas

nail lacquer - esmalte de uñas, laca de uñas

nail nipper - cortauñas

nail pencil - lapiz blanco para hacer las uñas a la francesa

nail polish - esmalte de uñas, laca de uñas, pintura de uñas, cuté, pintauñas, barniz de uñas

nail polish brush - pincel para las uñas

nail polish corrector - corrector de esmalte

nail polish remover - quitaesmalte, disolvente

nail primer - base de esmalte para uñas, base primaria

nail products - productos para uñas

nail varnish (British) = nail polish

nail salon - salón de manicura, salón de uñas

nail sculpture - esculpido de uñas

nail strengthener - fortalecedor de uñas

nail shaper - torno para uñas

nail shop - salón de uñas

nail technician - técnica de uñas, manicurista

nail technology - manicuría, tecnología de uñas

nail tip (the part that grows out) - punta, extremidad de la uña

nail tips - tips para uñas

nail treatment - tratamiento para uñas

natural - natural

natural nails - uñas naturales

neutral (tone) - neutro

nipper = clipper

You can watch a videotutorial with written instructions on youtube: 

Gel nail tutorial with Nail Tips

How to get glamorous vintage nails

You can listen and repeat sentences related to the subject here: (upper-intermediate level).



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RECURSOS GRATUITOS PARA APRENDER INGLÉS DESDE CASA!

Aquí tenéis una relación de recursos gratuitos para aprender inglés:

Learn English Online – Para principiantes. Hay 11 unidades prácticas, con textos, imágenes tareas y exámenes. 

VerbaLearn – Web para aprender vocabulario y expresiones. Incluye flashcards imprimibles, audio, video y juegos. 

MES English – Aunque la página está dirigida a docentes, podéis encontrar videos, juegos, imágenes y ejercicios que os ayudarán a practicar inglés. 

Word2Word – Un compendio de recursos: foros, chats, comunidades lingüísticas, etc. para practicar inglés. 

English as a Second Language – Para estudiantes de inglés de todos los niveles. Ejercicios de audio, lectura, gramática, vocabulario y conversación. 

Activities for ESL Students – Para los niveles básico e intermedio. Juegos, exámenes, y ejercicios para practicar vocabulario y gramática. También hay podcasts y video para practicar la comprensión auditiva.

ESL Monkeys – Lecciones, libros, foros, juegos, videos, etc. para aprender inglés. 

Dave’s ESL Cafe – Materiales educativos para profesores y estudiantes de inglés. 

iTalki – Más de 2000 recursos a vuestro alcance para aprender inglés.

Livemocha – Cursos gratuitos, consejos para mejorar la conversación en inglés y más de 2 millones de usuarios dispuestos a practicar! 

Randall’s ESLCyber Listening Lab – Para todos los niveles. Espacio para escuchar conversaciones cotidianas en inglés con diferentes voces, y ejercicios para practicar el vocabulario. 

ESLPod – Cada día un nuevo podcast para escuchar conversaciones cotidianas en inglés, ralentizadas para facilitar su comprensión.

Free Online Tools for English Language – Herramientas para practicar la lectura, el vocabulario, el uso de la lengua y la escritura en inglés. 

English, Baby! – Lecciones para aprender inglés general, pero también slang. 

Nonstop English – Tests para cada nivel. Cada semana un nuevo test para retarte a mejorar. 

Learning-English.ca – Consejos, recursos, juegos, y videos para aprender inglés a tu ritmo. 

EnglishPage.com – 3 lecciones semanales, una sala de lectura, un espacio para el audio y ejercicios interactivos para aprender inglés. 

Busuu – Cursos, lecciones y una comunidad lingüística con ganas de practicar idiomas.

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