Opotopics Secondary

In this episode we explore in depth the linguistic mechanisms that English employs to express causal, consecutive and final relationships. We will examine the grammatical structures, connectors and discourse markers that allow speakers to establish logical links between ideas, as well as their communicative functions in different contexts.

This topic focuses on the expression of quantity, a topic that belongs to the broader field of functional grammar. Unlike purely formal approaches that describe grammatical structures in isolation, functional grammar examines how language is used to fulfil communicative purposes.

Why can “That’s great” mean the complete opposite? In this episode of OpoTopics, we explore how context creates meaning through the lens of pragmatics.

OpoTopics vuelve con su tercera temporada. En este episodio doy la bienvenida al profesorado que se va a preparar las oposiciones de inglés de secundaria y va a afrontar un curso de nuevos retos y objetivos. Descubre cómo será este curso, qué encontrarás en los episodios y cómo OpoTopics puede ayudarte a preparar las oposiciones de inglés.

In this topic we will analyse how language is learnt by understanding the differences between a second language and a foreign language and the most important trends in language instruction.

In this episode we will delve into the works of Romantic luminaries such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Jane Austen, whose verses and paragraphs illustrated nature's sublime beauty and the tumultuous landscape of the human heart.

In this episode we will have a look at the characteristics of English word formation, in particular, affixation, compounding and conversion.

In this episode we navigate through the heart of American history, from the fiery crucible of the War of Independence to the upsetting battlegrounds of the Civil War. This topic’s objective is to unravel the saga of a nation's transformation, from a cluster of British colonies to a fractured union shaking on the edge of collapse.

In this episode we travel back to the turbulent era of the Industrial Revolution through the work of Charles Dickens. It was a time when the very core of society was reshaped by the forces of innovation and change.

In this episode we delve into the heart of the Victorian Era, a time in Britain that spanned from 1837 to 1901 and marked one of the most transformative periods in British history. This period of time was named after Queen Victoria, who reigned over the United Kingdom during this moment. The era is characterized by significant social, political and economic changes that profoundly influenced liter...

In this episode we delve deep into the secrets behind the art of conveying meaning. We will set our sights on the ever-evolving world of linguistic studies, where modern trends have reshaped our understanding of communication.

In this topic we delve into the chronicles of linguistic history, where we will encounter the winds of change, propelling us towards the evolution of language teaching and the current trends.

In this episode we will navigate through the aftermath of the Norman Conquest in the English language.

In this episode we embark on an exploration of the relationship between literature and cinema , a dynamic duo that has not only shaped our cultural landscape but also ignited a global passion for storytelling.

Happy New Year teachers 💚

In this episode there will be an insight to the main elements that shape discourse. More particularly, this topic deals with discourse analysis, which is the study of how language is used in real-life contexts to convey meaning. It goes beyond analyzing individual words or sentences in isolation, as it examines the relationships between language, its users, and the social and situational context i...

In this episode we talk about educational systems in English-speaking countries. There will be a focus on the British and the American education systems.

In this episode we will be delving into the English phonological system. Particularly, into its 12 vowel sounds, its 8 diphthongs and 5 triphthongs. There will also be an analysis of how sound in produced and a comparison between English and Spanish vowel sounds.

In this episode we will see how to make the most of our English lessons, planning for classes that encourage students to use the language, as that will slowly build on their communicative competence.

In this episode we dive into a fundamental grammatical aspect of the English language: the passive voice. In order to understand what the passive voice is used for, we must give importance to the action rather than to the people involved in the action. But why does this shift in focus matter? And how does it shape the way we communicate?  

In this episode, we journey back to the early 20th century. A moment in history when the world had been shattered by WWI, and a generation of writers found themselves adrift in its aftermath. They were called The Lost Generation, a name that captured their disappointment with what the world had become, their restlessness, and their relentless search for meaning in a world that no longer made sense...

In this episode there will be an insight into textual analysis, focusing on what makes a simple bunch of sentences stick together to form a text and understanding the different strategies that can be used to analyse a cohesive sequence of sentences. 

In this episode we take a deep dive into the political structure of the United States, a nation built on revolutionary ideals, as it counts with a system crafted in the fires of independence and that has been continuously reshaped by historical events.

This episode travels back to a period of significant change. The years between the 1830s and the 1920s—a time when American literature transformed in response to a rapidly shifting society. There will be an analysis of two powerful literary movements: humourism and cosmopolitanism—each offering a lens through which authors dissected the world around them. And, at the heart of these movements stood...

Descriptive texts are more varied than you think. There are many types, such as technical descriptions, description of people and places, the description of emotions and the description of a process. The objective of this topic will therefore be to understand the structure and characteristics of descriptive texts so as to use them to engage people in the reading and understanding of our stories.