STEP

Inspiring 20 minutes!
David Whyle at his amazing talk describing how the path we walk, the destination and what we observe are intimately connected.

A lyrical bridge between past, present and future With his signature charm and searching insight, David Whyte meditates on the frontiers of the past, present and future, sharing two poems inspired by his niece's hike along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Balloons Over Atacama & STEP Provide English classes in San Pedro de Atacama

In August 2016 Eastern Safaris, the team behind Balloons over Bagan in Myanmar, launched an exciting new product in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. For the very first time “Balloons over Atacama” offered visitors a unique and exciting journey flying over the desert landscapes in a hot air balloon.

One of the main concerns of the owners and pilots of Balloons Over Atacama is their Social Responsibility and they have always been culturally aware of the needs of the local communities and individuals where they fly.

With that in mind, at the end of 2016 they reached out to STEP to offer an English Program to the community and people living in San Pedro who wanted to learn or improve their English level. Our program has already served 100 participants, including adults and children from the Coyo Community, staff members for Balloons Over Atacama and local students who view English as a key competency in their skill sets.

Just recently our Academic Director visited the classes and worked extensively with our teacher, Adrian. They were not only able to determine new ways on how to improve the program, but also had the chance to enjoy the beauty of San Pedro de Atacama

We are aware of the fact that test preparation can be a stressful process. Here’s a good video that can help you with practical tips.

(Source: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2017 BBC)

BBC Learning English: Exams Skills, BBC Learning English - BBC Dealing with stress

Modal verbs are usually a support to the main verb. The most frequent ones are:

Let’s look at some examples:
Traveling tips for bikers in Santiago
Santiago can be a wonderful place to ride your bike. Here are some pieces of advice you should take into consideration to make the most out of your experience.
You must wear a helmet.
You have to check the road conditions.
You should be careful when there’s a lot of traffic.
It is advisable to carry a dog stick in case you find some street dogs.
You should worry about pedestrians who tend to be distracted.
It is a good idea to avoid dangerous areas.
You should not use headphones when riding your bike!

CONTRAST

Many times, the meaning of vocabulary words in a test setting can be understood because they contrast with another word in the sentence. The key words to show contrast are:




although - but - despite - even though - however - in contrast - in spite of - instead - yet - on the other hand - on the contrary - or - still - unlike - nevertheless


Example: Tsunamis are unlike wind-generated waves, which many of us may have observed on our coastline, in that they are considered as shallow-water waves, with long periods and wave lengths.

Tsunamis are understood to be “shallow-water waves” because they in contrast to “wind
generated waves.”

Dear students:
We will post vocabulary, grammar tips, and information for TOEFL Ibt and IELTS daily to help you prepare you for the tests. We invite you to follow our Facebook and participate actively.

STEP Team

One of our students is promoting her book tonight. Congratulations Valentina!