EU topics

Who’s who in the EU? – SCHULZ

Quite often, EU institutions and EU terms are hidden behind names, abbreviations or even word plays. So, if you do not know the key personalities of the EU (Schulz, Tusk, Juncker, Mogherini, etc.) and the main concepts under discussion, you can hardly guess, what is actually meant by a newspaper...

EU&NEWS – Brexit will shock world economy, warns G20

A potential British exit from the European Union would be a “shock” that ranks among rising downside risks and vulnerabilities for the world economy, G20 finance ministers said Saturday (27 February) after a meeting in China. While reading the article by Euractiv, find synonyms for the terms and expressions marked...

Who’s who in the EU? – JUNCKER

Quite often, EU institutions and EU terms are hidden behind names, abbreviations or even word plays. So, if you do not know the key personalities of the EU (Tusk, Juncker, Mogherini, etc.) and the main concepts under discussion, you can hardly guess, what is actually meant by a newspaper headline....

Tusk – EU&Headlines – Guess!

Quite often, EU institutions and EU terms are hidden behind names, abbreviations or even word plays. So, if you do not know the key personalities of the EU and the main concepts under discussion, you can hardly guess, what is actually meant by a newspaper headline. Look at the headline...

EU&News – Europe on the v……………. of collapse? Interview with Soros

In an interview with the New York Review of Books, billionaire financier George Soros has warned that the European Union is on the "v............................... of collapse" over the migrant crisis, which has seen more than a million migrants and refugees arrive in the region in 2015. Read the article by...

Who said it? Star Wars & EU Political Discourse Quiz

Politicians seem to talk alike on the big screen and in real life. Here are some key expressions that you may often hear in political discourse in the news.   committee a ​group of ​people ​chosen to ​represent a ​larger ​organization Examples: the school development committee, Committee of the Regions...

Who is the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief?

Who is the EU's foreign policy chief? Do you know? In this short video you can learn about the EU's top diplomat and her job. It comes with a quick, interactive listening quiz to help you get the main ideas. INTERACTIVE QUIZ Practice listening for key information (gist) about the...

EU&Abbreviations

While reading the news or working with EU texts you often may come across abbreviations of English or French (!) origin. EPSO, IATE, DG and COREPER are all terms that may occur not only in EU texts but also in other contexts related to the EU.  Our Quiz below helps...

Follow the Headlines DaybyDay – EU Brexit

On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky, unique, creative,...

EU in 2016: Reports of death exaggerated?

The EU is struggling with problems never experienced before, at least not in this measure. Some analysts and politicans have even been predicting its death. Is the situation that bad? And what to expect from this year? Read the article by Andrew Rettman at euobserver to know more about the...

CEFR – Plurilingualism explained – Now I know

Plurilingualism or Multilingualism? Do these two terms refer to one single concept or to two different ones? Well, the answer is not so evident! If you look at the definition developed by the Council of Europe's CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), you will find that the Council...

News&English – Angela Merkel’s Year of Living Dangerously

In 2015, Angela Merkel evolved from Germany’s measured voice of reason into Europe’s voice of compassion. Loved and loathed (=hated), the German chancellor heads towards a tumultuous (=busy) 2016. Read the article by Matthew Karnitschnig in POLITICO along with some key terms explained in red and further expressions marked in...

Follow the Headlines DaybyDay

ROUND #12 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

Follow the Headlines DaybyDay

ROUND #11 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

Mea Culpa – Paris attacks show flawed use of Schengen rules?

A ‘mea culpa’ emerged from the emergency meeting on security matters on Friday (20 November), as EU member states acknowledged they did not use all the tools at their disposal to address the terrorist threats. Read the EurActiv.com article by Jorge Valero along with some key expressions to know. Questions for You:...

Eurotariff – Roaming prices to be cancelled?

Did you forget to switch off the automatic updates on your smartphone? You don't need to worry about accidentally running up a huge bill: unless you agree differently with your operator, the cost of your data roaming is automatically capped. Moreover, roaming charges will cease to exist in the EU...

Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in graphics

Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in graphics How many people are coming? Where do they come from? What is the plan for their resettlement? And will it work? A number of questions that  have been raised by politicians, decision-makers or anybody living in Europe - or elsewhere. Check out...

Leaving EU would be a ‘disaster’, British universities warn

Leaving EU would be a 'disaster', British universities warn What are the impacts of a potential UK exit from the European Union? How will the economy, industry, agriculture, or even education be affected? Below, you will find one view from the world of academics,  as published in an article of...

Follow the Headlines DaybyDay

ROUND #9 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

EURO QUIZ

EU Lobbying in Numbers

PM, MP or MEP? Quiz on Top Jobs in EU and National Contexts

2iN1 News & English – Big rise in German attacks on migrant homes in 2015

Big rise in German attacks on migrant homes in 2015 More people on the move than ever before.... For weeks, the migrant crisis has dominated the headlines across Europe. Follow us for UPDATES EVERY DAY and extend your vocabulary at the same time! Start now by filling in the missing...

#7 Follow the Headlines DaybyDay

ROUND #7 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

#6 Follow the Headlines DAYbyDAY

ROUND #6 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

Follow the News #3 – Split over EU Refugee Quotas

This East-West split over EU refugee quotas will have long-lasting consequences More people on the move than ever before.... For weeks, the migrant crisis has dominated the headlines across Europe. Follow us for UPDATES EVERY DAY and extend your vocabulary at the same time! Start now by filling in the...

2 in 1 NEWS & ENGLISH – The European migrant crisis explained

As the migrant crisis is escalating in Europe, leaders of the EU must step up and find a way to solve the problem. This short yahoo video gives a good overview of the issue and a great opportunity for you to learn & revise powerful words to use in your...

Sick Abroad? No Need to Worry!

Sometimes there is just no getting around it: You get sick while you are abroad.... ThE GOOD NEWS IS: if you are insured in any EU country plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you can access state-provided healthcare in any of these countries under the same conditions as locals. You may...

Your passenger rights infringed? Check out what to do!

Denied boarding, cancellation or long delay? No need to worry! The EU has set minimum standards for compensation and assistance in the event of overbooking, cancellation or long delay. So, what should you do if you believe your passenger rights have been breached? Read the text below to find out...

French words in (EU) English QUIZ

Do YOU know your Passenger Rights?

Millions of holiday-makers travelling in the EU are protected by comprehensive passenger rights – whether travelling by air or rail, by ship or bus or even by coach. Research, however, shows that two-thirds of passengers are not aware of their rights. Be among the first ones to know more about...

#5 Follow the Headlines DAYbyDAY

ROUND #5 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

Eurozone reaches deal with Greece

   Euro zone clinches deal with Greece after all-night haggle   Clinches a deal? After all-night haggle? What do all these expressions mean? Scroll down to find out! Words to know are marked in red and interesting expressions are marked in green!   Expand your vocabulary by following the News...

#4 Follow the Headlines DAYbyDAY

 ROUND #4 On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky,...

Greeks vote ‘NO’

On Sunday, Greece held a referendum on the terms of a bailout package put forward by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the Internatonal Monetary Fund (IMF). Read the key messages of the article along with the explanations of some important and difficult terms. BBC article on Greece debt...

Applying for a registration certificate in the UK

If you are an EU citizen and you live and work in the UK, you can apply for a registration certificate to make your life easier when applying for benefits and services. Here is how to do it! To make it easier to navigate and understand the explanation, we compiled...

#1 Follow the Headlines DAYbyDAY

On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.  —David Ogilvy Indeed, headlines are arguably more important than the article itself… They need to be tricky, unique, creative,...

Get EU Funding for Your Project

This short video will give you an overview of EU funding opportunities. Scroll down for a short quiz and a vocabulary list! Source: EuroParlTV    

HARDTalk – EU opt-outs

How many European Unions do we have today? What are the implications of the different types of EU membership? Are EU opt-outs an option? Hard-hitting questions and sensitive topics that, this time, Guy Verhofstadt had to face. Watch the 5-minute video excerpt from BBC's HARDTalk and test your EU (English)...

The power of yes: why the wording of Britain’s EU referendum matters

Have you ever thought about the power of language in a referendum? The way the questions are phrased? Read the article below and find out how subtle changes in the wording of the questions may have the power to influence public opinion, and ultimately, affect the final result in a...

EU set for economic growth, but Greece to suffer (1) downturn

    Would you like to brush up your English for Business and Economics? Expand your vocabulary by reading the article along with the expressions highlighted in oragne and explained right after the text.   The European Commission published optimistic but cautious economic forecasts on Tuesday (5 May), (2) upgrading the bloc’s...

EU Cities – EU Seats

How young translators are helping knit European culture together

“Translating is art in itself. But it gets recognised only when you make mistakes. If you fail, everyone notices. If you do a great job, usually people don’t notice.” Do YOU agree with this statement? Find out more on the role of translation for less-spread languages in art and literature...

European Commission – Press release / Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Google on comparison shopping service

This activity is a great opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with legal English and EU documents. Take 20 minutes, read the text and learn the most important words by reading the excerpts and doing the quick quiz! If you want to read the entire document, click here! European Commission...

Green priorities for Europe – Interactive Quiz

QUIZ on EU Multilingualism

Harmony of Babel – Multilingualism in the EU

With 24 official languages (and counting), and over 60 indigenous regional or minority languages, the EU truly is a paradise for language enthusiasts! Many Europeans benefit from growing up speaking more than one language either because their country is officially multilingual (e.g., Belgium or Luxembourg) or for a number of...

European Citizens’ Initiative – QUIZ

Do you have an idea that you'd like to call the EU's attention to? Maybe about an issue concerning public health or the environment? The good news is: If you'd like to change the legislation of a particular matter close to your heart, you can. You just need to know...

EU grants and tenders – What’s the difference?

Are you in doubt when using terms and expressions related of EU funds and contracts? Click here to clear up your confusion! Featured image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Iceland backs out of EU membership talks

Iceland has finally decided to drop its bid to become a member of the EU. Watch the report to find out more about what motivated their decision. Download the handout here. Featured image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The European Digital Agenda

The European Digital Agenda Level: B1 and above. With the help of this short video, you will practice: NUMBERS PREPOSITIONS & VOCABULARY ACTIVE LISTENING EU TERMS Download the handout here Image courtesy of cooldesign at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

EU Abbreviations QUIZ