DivergentEye

English Language Learning Tips - Listening Test Skills

2013-05-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some great tips for your listening test from Cambridge English Language Assessment:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cambridgeenglishtv?feature=watch

Which tip did you find most useful?

Cambridge English Examinations

2013-05-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

The IELTS test is just one of the tests from Cambridge English Language Assessment (formerly known as University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations) in which you may be interested.

Cambridge English Language Assessment is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge.

"Cambridge English Language Assessment offers the world’s most valuable range of qualifications for learners and teachers of English. Over 4 million people take our exams each year in more than 130 countries. Over 13,000 universities, employers, government ministries and other organisations around the world recognise Cambridge English qualifications as proof of English language ability."

Their website is http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/ .

You can follow Cambridge English Language Assessment here:

https://www.facebook.com/CambridgeEnglish?

twitter.com/CambridgeEng

youtube.com/CambridgeEnglishTV

More information about Cambridge English Exams and Qualifications can be found at http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-qualifications/

Learn about the world while improving your English: United Nations Radio

2013-05-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a great resource for improving your English skills as you learn about the world:

http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/

"UN Radio has a daily 10 minute programme, with a news bulletin and two features, which is uploaded onto our website and iTunes at around 1800 GMT on Monday to Friday. We also have three regional magazine programmes; UN and Africa, UN calling Asia and Women as well as Caribbean News Report individual stories specifically for the Caribbean region. The programmes are all 10 minutes long and can be downloaded as stand-alone programmes for rebroadcast.

Is there a fee to use UN Radio material?
No, we never charge for our content; it is always free.

How can I access the content?
All our content is accessible online. It can be downloaded free of charge after registering."

Listening daily to good models of English is very important to the development of your spoken language. It's also essential to keep up to date with world affairs in order to be able to hold a discussion in the IELTS Speaking test and support your views in the Writing test, Part 2 (essay).

Top Five Free English Language Learning Websites

2013-05-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Trying to bring your English language skills to the next level? Check out the top five free websites recommended by OpenLanguage:

"Top 5 - English Language Learning Websites

There are thousands of free English resources online; some can be extremely valuable tools but it can be difficult to sort through all of the material out there to find the gems. The resources we have listed below will help you improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing."

Go to http://blog.openlanguage.com/2013/05/27/top-5-english-language-learning-websites/

***Note: the link to the VOA (Voice of America) website seems to be broken. It should be http://learningenglish.voanews.com/ .
.

First "IELTS Official" Ask the Experts Live Chat on Facebook

2013-05-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

IELTS Official on Facebook is holding their first ever ‘Ask the Experts’ live chat session on 07 June at 13.30-14.30 BST.

You have the rare chance to ask IELTS experts your questions about the General Training Writing task.

Find out the time of the session where you are: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

You'll need to find and like "IELTS Official" on Facebook to join: https://www.facebook.com/IELTSOfficial

Free series of IELTS preparation lessons from GoodAtESL (Youtube)

2013-05-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Check out this very useful free series of IELTS preparation lessons from GoodAtESL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZPLzhKNBw0&list=UUWNN4WInIfOczqIl5uQyq7Q

Learn English/Prepare for IELTS with experienced teacher online with Skype

2013-05-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my web page, for anyone interested in learning English or preparing for IELTS with me online with Skype:

http://www.englishteachinglive.com/index.html

Need help with spelling?

2013-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

How's your English spelling?

Check http://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/spelling/ielts/ielts.htm if you could use some help!

New Facebook Page for IELTS Preparation

2013-05-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

You can find the new IELTS_Live page on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IELTS_Live/459147834166466

Click "like" to follow the page and opt to receive notifications if you would like updates to appear in your Facebook newsfeed.

How to Learn a Language or Succeed in IELTS ~ the ultimate top tip

2013-05-11T05:18:00.002-07:00

You'll find no better advice than this on how to learn a language or succeed in IELTS.

"How to Get There" by Australia's Michael Leunig

Of course, it's great advice for life in general, too :).

Virtual Job Interview in English

2013-05-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just the thought of a job interview will cause a rush of adrenaline in many people. Interviews are even more stressful if you're not using your first language. We can overcome stress and build confidence through preparation and practice.

Here's a link to an interactive, virtual job interview in English to help you practise answering some common job interview questions:

http://daily-english-activities.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/virtual-job-interview.html

Good luck!

Interactive Map of North American English Dialects Based on Pronunciation

2013-05-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is really fascinating!

http://laughingsquid.com/interactive-map-of-north-american-english-dialects/

"In his free time, linguist Rick Aschmann collected a treasure trove of information on the English dialects of North America on his website, North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns. The centerpiece of the site is a hugely detailed interactive dialect map of North America. The map is linked to a huge collection of audio samples of local dialects."

10 foods to boost your brainpower before a test

2013-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

My mother, a nurse, always prepared healthy meals for the family and also believed that specific foods could help improve brain performance. She would feed my brother and me steak or fish the night before our exams started. She called these "brain food". Both are high protein foods; good for strength and stamina.

Do you believe that eating certain foods before an important test or other mental challenge can increase your brainpower? Which foods are they?

Here are ten suggestions from the BBC:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/wellbeing/features/boost-brainpower/1/

Are any of the ten foods on the list the same as the foods you would recommend?

Good luck with all your tests and challenges!

IELTS Academic Writing Course from the British Council

2013-04-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Excellent!

Check out the British Council's IELTS Academic Writing Course:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-exams-ielts-academic-1-a.htm

English Verb Machine

2013-04-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Make any English tense or verb form using just four buttons.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/word-games/verb-machine

Have a try!

Which is your preferred learning style?

2013-04-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

It may be more than one, or you may use all of these styles in different situations.

Which style or styles do you prefer when learning language?

Understanding the IELTS Speaking Test

2013-03-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a very good short article about the IELTS Speaking test: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/evaluating-speaking-ielts-speaking-test
.

The article is intended for teachers of English but it's not too difficult for learners of English to understand. I recommend reading it if you're preparing to take the IELTS test.

Have fun practising spoken English with videos

2013-03-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a reminder about a very useful website for practising your spoken English.

In particular, the activities on this site will help you produce the distinctive rhythms, stress and intonation patterns of English that native speakers use. These special features of English pronunciation are essential if you wish to do more than just communicate at a basic level in English. You'll also find that understanding these features better will help in improving your listening skills.

Go to http://www.englishcentral.com/videos#!/index and look around.

I think you'll agree that practising with the videos is both entertaining and helpful.

Practise your English with other learners

2013-03-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

My students often tell me that they lack opportunities to speak English with others.

I understand this difficulty but let's not ignore the many opportunities modern technology provides. It's now extremely easy to meet other interesting and intelligent people online who also wish to spend time practising English.

(By the way, don't think that only practice with native English speakers matters. Research has shown that interaction with other learners is a very important step in the development of proficiency in a second language.)

If you'd like me to connect you with other learners, send an email to teacher@englishteachinglive.com .

____

Groups you can join:

ESIP

“This group aims to improve your English Speaking Skill, by talking on Skype every night at 23:00 Japanese time (Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +9 hours).

Whenever you want to speak English, or improve your English skills, you can join us.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/386014941444680/

____

I'd be happy to share information about other groups for English learners. Just drop me a message if you'd like to recommend one.

Useful Resources for Improving Pronunciation

2013-03-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

There are many excellent free resources online for help with pronunciation. Here are some you may like to try:

http://www.learnerstv.com/Free-Language-Video-lectures-ltv200-Page1.htm (series of 15 videos on sounds, stress patterns and intonation)

http://www.englishcentral.com/videos#!/index (choose a video, listen, record yourself speaking and get feedback; useful, detailed description at http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2009/10/08/english-central-bringing-voice-and-output-to-learning-english/ )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/ (the sounds of English and important features of pronunciation, with quizzes)

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html (the sounds of American English)

http://www.howjsay.com/ (online English talking dictionary of pronunciation)

http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/pronunciation/phonemic-chart-and-app/interactive-phonemic-chart/(interactive chart of English sounds)

Your comments and suggestions are welcomed, as always.

Great Exercise to Improve Performance in Part 2, IELTS Speaking Test

2013-02-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a great exercise from the British Council to help improve your performance in Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test.

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/build-your-speaking-skills/reading-aloud-reading-personal-story-aloud

What happens in the IELTS Speaking test?

2013-02-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

The official IELTS website, http://www.ielts.org/ , has published recordings and transcripts of a sample IELTS speaking test at http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/test_sample/speaking_sample.aspx .

Checking the information on this page is highly recommended if you're planning to take the IELTS test.

Why Facebook Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself: Reading Practice with Questions

2013-02-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

We log in to Facebook hoping to experience happiness through friendship and support from our social networks. "But skimming through photos of friends’ life successes can trigger feelings of envy, misery and loneliness as well, according to researchers from two German universities.".

To find out more, read the article at

http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/24/why-facebook-makes-you-feel-bad-about-yourself/#ixzz2KcwqTqWp .

Then try to answer the comprehension questions below. You can check your answers with the suggested answers at the bottom of the page.

Questions:

1. How is Facebook supposed to make us feel?

2. According to the researchers, how many people felt bad after looking at Facebook?

3. What effect can looking at Facebook without posting have?

4. What results may feeling envious when looking at Facebook have?

5. What differences can be seen in the way men and women present themselves on Facebook?

6. What are the two most common causes of frustration with Facebook?

7. Overall, do the positive effects of using Facebook seem to outweigh the drawbacks?

Vocabulary:

to skim (v.) - to look through quickly or superficially

envy (n.) - to want something that another person has

misery (n.) - great unhappiness

lousy (adj.) - bad, terrible

to scan (v.) - to look over quickly, sometimes when searching for information

frequenter (n.) - a person who frequents a place (visits a place often)

to post content - to share information online

common (adj.) - usual, frequent

an observation (n.) - something you notice or observe

to portray (v.) - to present, to show

to supersede - to overcome, be stronger than

Suggested answers:

1. happy, warm, loved, supported and important

2. one in three

3. more likelihood of feeling dissatisfied

4. people may use the site less or leave the site

5. men - more likely to post self-promotional content; women - more likely to stress physical attractiveness and sociability

6. a. users comparing themselves socially to friends b. “lack of attention” from fewer comments, likes and general feedback compared to friends

7. yes

Valentine's Day: Short Video plus Quiz with Answers

2013-02-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is celebrated in different ways by different cultures.

Ready to learn about Valentine's Day around the world while testing your listening skills?

Watch the short video: Celebrating Valentine’s Day around the world (1.54 minutes) at http://www.examiner.com/article/celebrating-valentine-s-day-around-the-world .

Decide if the statements below are True (T) or False (F). Write down your answers.

Watch the video again, if needed.

Check with the Answer Key below.

True/False

1. On Valentine’s Day (February 14th), boys in Korea give candy.
2. In Denmark, it is traditional to send snowdrop flowers to your friends and lover on Valentine’s Day.
3. In China, visit the Temple of Matchmaker on Valentine’s Day.
4. In Spain, wives send beautiful bouquets of roses to their husbands.
5. Chocolate is the most popular Valentine’s gift in Japan.
6. In Australia, over 19 % of people aged between 18 and 24 celebrate Valentine’s Day.
7. The world’s first printed Valentine’s Day card is on display at the British Museum in London.

Answers:

1. F (only girls give candy on February 14th in Korea)
2. T
3. T
4. F (husbands send roses to their wives)
5. T
6. F (over 90%)
7. T

How many corerct answers did you have?

You can find out more about Valentine's Day by reading the article at:http://www.examiner.com/article/celebrating-valentine-s-day-around-the-world .

Excellent English Language Listening Resources from The Guardian

2013-02-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here's another link to add to your list of favourites for listening practice:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/audio

(If you're not familiar with "The Guardian", it's a very highly regarded UK news publication).

At http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/series/the-guardian-audio-edition you'll find the best of the Guardian's journalism in an easy to digest weekly podcast.

You'll also find podcasts on a range of interesting specialist topics from science, technology and books to music, football and more.

Have fun and expand your mind while improving your English!