English in Madrid

Image generated by Chat GPT Today in class the expression echo chamber came up . It's a term that you can come across quite often nowadays. I asked Chat GPT for other expressions that may come in handy . 1. Echo Chamber - an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own. e.g. Social media algorithms often create echo chambers that limit exposure to diverse viewpoints. e.g. Living in an echo chamber can make people more resistant to opposing ideas. 2. Gaslighting - manipulating someone to question their reality. e.g. He was gaslighting her by denying events she clearly remembered. e.g. The politician was accused of gaslighting the public to cover up the scandal . 3. Virtue Signalling - demonstrating one's moral values to gain approval. e.g. Critics argued that the celebrity's tweet was mere virtue signalling. ¡e.g. There's a fine line between genuine advocacy and virtue signalling." 4. Cancel Cultur

Image created by Chat GPT Australia plans social media ban for under-16s Australia's government says it will introduce " world-leading " legislation to ban children under 16 from social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the " harm " social media was inflicting on Australian children. "This one is for the mums and dads... They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back ," he said. While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban would apply to young people already on social media. There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus would be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. Albanese said there would be no p

The following words all have the same vowel sound as u p / ʌ p/ : B u s /bʌs/ rhymes with pl u s /pl ʌ s/ but the -u in b u siness /ˈb ɪ znɪs/ has a different sound.  L o ve /l ʌ v/ rhymes with gl o ve /ɡl ʌ v/ and d o ve /d ʌ v/ (as in a pigeon), though the past of dive /daɪv/ can be dived /daɪvd/ or d o ve /d əʊ v/. S u n /s ʌ n/ and s o n /s ʌ n/ are homophones (different words but same pronunciation) and rhyme with r u n /r ʌ n/ and o ne / w ʌ n/. J ust  /dʒ ʌst / rhymes with m ust /mʌst/. J us tin /ʤ ʌs tɪn/ (the boy's name) is different to j uice  /dʒ uːs /. L u cky /ˈl ʌ ki/ does not rhyme with c oo kie /ˈk ʊ ki/. The - um in  u m brella / ʌm ˈbrɛlə/ rhymes with c ome /k ʌm / and th umb  /θ ʌm /. S ome   /s ʌm / and s um /s ʌm / are homophones. They rhyme with d umb /d ʌm / but not d ome /d əʊm /. Y oung  /j ʌŋ / rhymes with t ongue /t ʌŋ /, s ung  /s ʌŋ / (past participle of sing) and am ong /əˈm ʌŋ /. Done /dʌn/ rhymes with won /wʌn/ and gun /ɡʌn/ but not with gone

Image created by Chat GPT Columbus likely Spanish and Jewish, study suggests Famed explorer Christopher Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish , according to a new genetic study conducted by Spanish scientists that aimed to shed light on a centuries-old mystery. Scientists believe the explorer, whose expedition across the Atlantic in 1492 changed the course of world history, was probably born in western Europe, possibly in the city of Valencia. They think he concealed his Jewish identity, or converted to Catholicism, to escape religious persecution. The study of DNA contradicts the traditional theory, which many historians had questioned , that the explorer was an Italian from Genoa. Columbus led an expedition backed by Spain's Catholic Monarchs seeking to establish a new route to Asia - but instead he reached the Caribbean. His arrival there was the beginning of a period of European contact with the Americas, which would lead to conquest and settlement - and the deat

 Spain looks to immigrants to drive economy A group of Sub-Saharan African men are playing bingo in a conference room of a hotel near the northern Spanish city of León. They laugh and celebrate when their numbers are called out , but many of these asylum seekers have harrowing stories. Among them is Michael, who fled Ghana to escape a violent feud that saw his sister and father killed. After travelling by land to Morocco, he paid a trafficker who put him on an inflatable boat crammed with people which took him to the Canary Islands. “I was so happy, because I knew all my troubles, and the people trying to kill me, were behind me,” he says. “Because once you are in Spain you are safe.” In Ghana he worked as a petrol pump attendant and a storekeeper . He also started studying human resource management, which he hopes to be able to continue in Spain once he has settled . “Spain is one of the most respected countries in the world,” he says. “Being here is an opportunity for me.” Aro

  Here are week four's Word of the Day. Click on the tweets to respond to them and write some of your own example sentences. SPOIL #WOTD spoil (plan, fun) - estropear - The coast has been spoiled by development. - It will spoil your appetite. (children) - mimar - Grandparents like to spoil their grandchildren. (un)spoilt (adj) - He is a spoilt brat . (mocoso) - I love the unspoilt beaches. (prístino) pic.twitter.com/6MOidX4hZG — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 18, 2019 Answer any of these questions: Can you give examples of how a parent spoils a child? What is something that has been spoilt for you recently? How did you feel? Have you ever had an important event spoilt by bad weather? What happened? What do you think spoils a good friendship? Can too much money spoil someone's character? Why or why not? What do you think spoils a nice meal at a restaurant? In your opinion, what spoils a good vacation? Do you think people spoil their pets too much? Why or why not? ROUGH

Image generated by Chat GPT Spain’s 'pineapple -gate ' sparks hopes of romance and shop chaos A Spanish craze encouraging single people to seek partners in supermarkets by using a fruit-based code has caused some chaotic scenes and even led to the police being called to restore order . In recent days, many single Spaniards have been drawn to branches of supermarket chain Mercadona between 7pm-8pm by claims they can find romance at that time, particularly if they put a pineapple upside down in their shopping trolley . The phenomenon seems to have been driven in great part by the actor and humourist Vivy Lin, who posted a video on TikTok of her pushing a trolley around a Mercadona store talking about the supposed window. “The time to hook up in Mercadona is 7pm to 8pm,” she said. On its official TikTok account, the supermarket posted a pineapple with the caption: “The pineapple on the shelf of Mercadona waiting for you to get a date .” The pineapple manoeuvre is rep

Poorer people bear brunt of extreme heat in Europe, say Spanish researchers Madrid study finds people from below-average income groups more likely to die in heatwaves Scorching temperatures across Europe have killed tens of thousands of people in recent years. But as fatalities rise, researchers are finding that one group is disproportionately bearing the brunt of extreme heat: those living in poverty. “It’s common sense,” said Julio Díaz Jiménez, an investigative professor at Madrid’s Carlos III health institute. “A heatwave is not the same when you’re in a shared room with three other people and no air conditioning, as when you’re in a villa with access to a pool and air conditioning.” Díaz Jiménez is among a group of researchers who explored how extreme heat had affected 17 districts in Madrid. Their paper, published in 2020, found that heatwaves had an impact on  mortality in just three districts – those where household incomes were below average. They followed up with a sim

Image generated by Chat GPT Spanish actor's son jailed for gruesome murder The son of a renowned Spanish actor has been jailed for life after he killed and dismembered a man on the southern Thai island of Koh Phangan last year. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, the son of television star Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre, claimed he killed Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga in self-defence. He pleaded guilty to the murder in August 2023. At the time , Sancho, now 30, told Spanish news agency EFE he had been a " hostage " to Arrieta, who he said was obsessed with him. The case has generated a huge amount of interest in Spain, with scores of Spanish reporters flying to Thailand for the trial . Sancho was found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing a corpse , and destruction of property . A court on nearby island Koh Samui, where the case was heard, initially issued a death sentence for murder, but this was commuted to life imprisonment after taking into accou