Is there anything better than cooling off in the sea on a hot summer’s day?

Well, if you live in Barcelona you have lots of opportunities to do just that! Whether you go up the coast to a little beachside town or you brave the crowds on the city beach, you’ll be sure to catch a suntan and shake off all the stress of the week.

You’ve probably noticed it’s getting hotter in the city. Summer is officially here on the 21st of June – and we want to help you cooling offmake the most of it!

That’s why we’ve put together this list of our 10 favourite summer-themed English Idioms for you to practise while you’re on your break!

 

1. Beach bum

 

“Don’t be such a beach bum this year, there are so many other things we can do in the summer!”

A beach bum is a person who does nothing but spend time on the beach.

 

2. A ray of sunshine

 

“Sarah started work last week and she’s such a ray of sunshine. Everyone is so happy!”

When we use “a ray of sunshine” to describe a person, it means they are a nice, positive and friendly person.

 

3. Make hay while the sun shines

 

“There are so many tourists here! It’s time to open our restaurant and make hay while the sun shines!”

The expression means you should make money when the conditions are right. Hay is dried grass that horses and other animals eat.

 

4. Take a shine to someone

 

“My son has taken a shine to our new babysitter. All he does is talk about her!”

Taking a shine to someone means to like someone a lot.

 

5. Everything under the sun

 

“I never pack light. When we go on holiday, I pack everything under the sun!”

Everything under the sun literally means everything that exists on earth or in other words ‘a lot’!

 

6. A place in the sun

 

“I’m so pleased for Igor, after so many years working in the lab he’s finally found his place in the sun.”

This expression means to be in a strong or advantageous position.

 

7. A fairweather friend

 

“As soon as I lost my job Roberto stopped calling me. He’s such a fair-weather friend!”

A fair-weather friend is a person who is only there for you in the good times.

 

8. Bury your head in the sand

 

“This is a serious problem Brenda and we have to deal with it now. Don’t bury your head in the sand!”

If you bury your head in the sand, you ignore a problem and hope it will go away.

 

9. Bring sand to the beach

 

“You’ve brought your own ice cream to the ice cream festival? Come on Danny, don’t bring sand to the beach!”

Bringing sand to the beach means to do something unnecessary or redundant.

 

10. Travel on a shoestring

 

“I’ve been to 50 countries all over the world and met thousands of people – all on a shoestring!”

To travel on a shoestring means to travel very cheaply – or with hardly any money.

 

Is it time to take your English to the next level?

 

Our super-intensive English course offers you 100 hours of study over 4 weeks. Our aim is to help you progress much more quickly than you would normally.

In fact, such an intense course will really increase your chances of moving up one whole level in a month. Imagine that!

Our summer intensives are completely immersive. That means you only speak in English, think in English, and – who knows – you might even start dreaming in English!

We do know that you’ll have fun, meet new people, and – most importantly – you’ll enjoy our practical and dynamic content.

Our experienced and fully qualified teachers are real experts in helping you improve in all areas of English. They are especially focused on helping you develop practical communication skills and developing your confidence.

We guarantee our classes have a maximum of 8 students. This means you’ll get the individual attention you need to make real progress.

It’s time to take your ‘classroom English’ out into the real world this summer! Find out more on our Summer Super-intensive page.

Glossary for Language Learners

 

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

To cool off (pv): to do something to feel less hot.

To brave the crowds (exp): to go into an area with a lot of people.

To shake something off (pv): to try to stop feeling.

To make the most of something (exp): to use something to its full advantage.

Key

exp = expression

pv = phrasal verb

Improve your English this Summer with Oxford House Barcelona

Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check the English Summer Intensive courses we can offer you or contact us for more information.

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