I’m thrilled to announce the details of our next challenge. 

It’s called “The News Challenge”, and will help you improve your English, learn new vocabulary and write more confidently…with the news.

Here’s how it’ll work:

• The challenge will start on Monday 22nd April and last until Sunday May 12th (20 days in total).
• Every two days you will receive a real news story (from one of 10 well-known English-language publications).
• Along with the news story, you will receive a video lesson where we will discuss 10 different pieces of vocabulary/expressions in the news article.
• These vocabulary expressions will be a mixture of B2, C1 and even some C2 level, as well as some unusual phrasal verbs and colloquial expressions.
• Your task (the fun bit!) is to write a short piece of text using 5 of the 10 expressions. You choose which ones you’d like to practise! 
• You’ll receive immediate feedback from our in-house AI-English tutor, Da Vinci.
• This will continue every two days, for a total of 20 days.
• At the end of the challenge, you’ll have worked with 10 real news stories in English, and learned 100 new words and expressions!
• What’s more, you’ll also have learned how to learn English with the news.

We’ll use stories from publications such as the BBC, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post. 

We’ll be covering stories like the eclipse, British mums preparing for the apocalypse, the Maltese language, gangs in Haiti, and more.

It has been a lot of fun to make, and I’m sure it will be even more fun to do.

👉 Here’s the link to sign up

Please note, if you are not currently a member, a Pro membership of Leonardo English is required to take part.

Who will enjoy this challenge?

• You want to learn new vocabulary
• You want to be accountable to others
• You want to learn as part of a community
• You want to learn how to read the news in English
• You want to have a reason to spend time using English every day
• You want to connect with others from different countries and cultures

What are the dates of the challenge?

• Registration for the challenge is open now and closes at midnight on Sunday, 21st April
• The challenge starts on Monday 22nd April and continues until Sunday, 12th May

Who can take part in this challenge?

• Participation is included for free for all Pro members of Leonardo English (or anyone who became a member before 1st March 2023)

I’m not on the “Pro” membership. Where can I get it?

• If you are not a member of Leonardo English, you can become a Pro member here

Note: if you became a member before March 2023, you are automatically entitled to take part for free.

Why should I do this?

Getting into good habits is hard, and doing something over a continuous period with a group of people is one of the best ways to get into the habit of something.

Sharing a journey with other people is incredibly motivational, and by doing this challenge with a group you will have a far better chance of success.

It will also be a lot of fun, you will learn a lot, and your confidence, writing skills and use of language will improve.

How long do I need to spend doing this?

We would recommend a minimum of 30 minutes every two days. 

It has been designed specifically so that you can take part in this challenge while continuing your normal busy life.

Of course, the more you engage with the news stories, as well as other people’s work, the longer it will take but the more value you will get from it.

What’s Da Vinci?

Da Vinci is our AI-powered English tutor. It will read every piece of writing submitted and provide you with detailed feedback and corrections. All within an average of 2 minutes :)

I'm shy and would rather not share in public

I understand - people don't generally like sharing their work, especially with strangers. But it can be incredibly motivational, and everyone will be going through the same process.

The sharing is the magic. It's also not completely 'in public' - only other members of the challenge will see it.

And if you really don’t want to write anything, you can follow the video lessons without writing anything.

OK, I’m ready. How do I register?

You can register for the challenge here.

Please note, Pro membership is required to be approved.

I have another question

Please email challenges@leonardoenglish.com