Studying English Doesn't Have To Be Hard. Read These 10 Tips

The best way to learn the English language is to study it in an English-speaking country. The UK is one of the world’s most popular destinations for learning English language.  The British Council has produced brochures to help you plan your trip to the UK and settle in on arrival, which can be found on the English Agenda website.

Study English in UK: General Background

You can improve your English by studying at a British Council accredited school/college of English. These are inspected regularly to ensure they meet high standards related to teaching, premises and accommodation.  There is a range of schools and courses which can help you make the right choice when it comes to study English in London. If you would like to find a preparation course in your area, you can contact one of the authorised exam centres in the UK.

At Eynsford College, we provide everything that is necessary to successfully learn English. We offer a wide range of courses, both to improve your General English and Business English at a fast rate. Our wide range of resources, which include course books, grammar and vocabulary books, practice tests, videos and games, and also our highly-qualified and experienced teachers, will help you learn English faster and easier.

Besides learning English, we offer our students a Social Programme which includes visits to museums, galleries, cathedrals/churches, markets, parks (e.g. British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Westminster Abbey, National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, Camden Market).

Tips for learning English in an easy way

1. Take part in role-play situations in the classroom!

The topics include shopping, traveling, buying food in a supermarket, clothes shopping. This will improve your ability to communicate fluently and accurately in different situations.

2. Use a variety of resources

(books, google images, Youtube clips, songs). In addition, there are three British Council websites (LearnEnglish, LearnEnglishTeens and LearnEnglishKids)  with numerous high-quality and fun resources which will help you improve your English language.

3. Improve your creativity by getting involved in various creative projects!

You will be asked to create various posters related to different topics such as charities, music, sports. This will also help you improve your teamwork skills.

4. Learn grammar through various methods

(grammar videos, useful grammar websites, grammar textbooks, using grammar in conversation). Learn how and when to use different tenses and learn the three forms of the irregular verbs. Try not to translate into English from your own language.

5. Learn different strategies such as Skimming, Scanning and Reading for detail

To help you improve your reading skill. Try to read in English different newspapers, magazines, articles and books.

6. Improve your listening for general understanding and details!

Listening is made easier through audio books, radio podcasts, Youtube clips and short documentaries. A good website which can be used to improve your listening is BBC study English.

7. Improve your pronunciation!

Learn various pronunciation features such as word stress, sentence stress, and intonation, and practise them when speaking with other people. Do not worry about your accent!

8. Familiarise yourself with different writing genres:

Descriptive Writing (descriptive essays, character sketches, comparisons), expository writing (essays, reports, summaries), narrative writing (short stories), persuasive writing (persuasive letters and essays, reviews), emails.

9. Practice the vocabulary you have learned in the classroom!

It is advisable to keep a notebook of the new words you have learned, have vocabulary lists, and more importantly, use it both in the classroom and outside the classroom. Talk to your classmates in English as much as possible, and also get a pen-friend or use different forums! Try to learn by heart some important expressions and use them as often as you can.

10. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes!

This is a great way which can help you improve your accuracy in English. You can be corrected only if you make mistakes. Try to go over your mistakes, and choose three that you want to focus on.
All these tips will help you improve your English language in an easier and faster way. Start putting them into practice as soon as possible.

Study English: All these tips will help you improve your English language in an easier and faster way. Start putting them into practice as soon as possible.

Apply These 7 Secret Techniques To Improve IELTS Exam Preparation

   

IELTS exam preparation: General background
IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) assesses candidates’ language ability to communicate for work, study or life in an English-speaking country. This test is required around the world by universities, employers and immigration departments.

To get more information about the IELTS test and IELTS band scores, visit the official IELTS website.

How to improve IELTS exam preparation?

There are different techniques which can be used when preparing for the IELTS test. We are going to focus on 7 important techniques:

1. Find out about the structure of the test.

   This is important because you need to know what to expect. Ask yourself questions like:

• What are the sections of the test? You have to carefully at the content of each part of the IELTS test.
• What is their order?
• How much time is allowed for each section?
• How many questions are there? What types of questions?
• How many words do I have to write?
• How long do I have to speak? Should I give short or long answers?

2. Practise!

   There are various preparation activities which can be used.

• Buy IELTS self-study books and materials and look at the previous IELTS practice test papers. It will help you familiarize with the test format, and different types of tasks.
• Practise with the British Council's IELTS online preparation resources
• Take practice tests under timed conditions
• Download the new IELTS Prep Appand prepare for the test
• Register forRoad to IELTS, the online IELTS exam preparation course designed by the British Council, available free when you book your test with the British Council.
• Listen to different recordings which can be found online (e.g. BBC Learning English – 6 Minute English)
• Watch videos on Youtube, which show candidates doing the Speaking task (Part 1, 2 and 3)

3. Improve your vocabulary!

• Read in English as much as possible, use a dictionary to find the meaning of the unknown words
• Have a word list for each topic
• Learn synonyms and antonyms
• Learn as many collocations (words which go together) as you can (e.g. pass an exam, fail an exam)
• Engage in conversations

4. Improve your listening!

Underline the key words or the information before and after the gap.
Read the scripts! Scripts are the written texts of the audio you listen to. When practising listening, read the script either before or after you complete the task. You can take notes without scripts then compare them with the script, focusing on spelling and accuracy.

5. Improve your Writing!

Task 1: Write a good introduction, describe the trends/compare the most relevant information/ describe each stage in a process, and write a concluding statement.
Task 2: Make sure you have an introduction, supporting arguments with examples, and a conclusion. Write in paragraphs and avoid using contractions (e.g. don’t, can’t). Use formal linking words such as: moreover, in addition, furthermore, however, on the one hand, on the other hand.
You will lose marks for inappropriate or lack of punctuation, so try to improve this aspect as well.
Pay attention to the word limit! You have to write at least 150 words for the first task and 250 words for the second task.

6. Improve your Reading!

• Look at the title, headings and pictures
• Use strategies such as Skimming and Scanning first then read for details
• Underline the key words both in the text and questions
• Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand the questions
• Use different strategies when dealing with unknown words (e.g. read the words before and after the unknown word, try to think what part of speech it is)
• Check your answers, focusing on spelling

7. Improve your Speaking!

• Give short answers for the first task and extended answers for the third task
• For the second task, try to speak for 2 minutes
• Give personal examples or opinions
• Pay attention to word stress, sentence stress and intonation
• Stay calm!

Our IELTS course covers all four skills Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Take the IELTS course with us and you will build your self-confidence, and improve tremendously in a short period of time!

How to pursue an English Certificate?

English certificate: basic information about the English-language certificates

When you are applying for a study programme or want to live and work in an English-speaking country, an English certificate will be very useful.

The most often required English certificate include: the Cambridge suite (Preliminary English Test (PET), First Certificate in English (FCE), Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE), Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)), and The International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It is recommended to have a 12- week preparation course for each of these exams. You can prepare for taking your English certificate by attending an English language school where you will be taught in English so you will have the chance to improve your English skills. When you decide to take an exam, you can ask the language school to help you apply for it or you can do it online yourself. All exams can be either paper-based or computer-based.

Preliminary English Test (PET) is to prove that your English level is intermediate (B1),
First Certificate in English (FCE) shows that your English level is upper-intermediate (B2), and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is for those who want a proof that their English is at Advanced level (C1).

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the most popular English language tests and it is mostly required for those who want to study at university in the UK.

How does the exam process work?

• Look online for the exam you are interested in and when you find it select your preferred location/close test centre and date. You can also ask the language school to help you with this.
• Enter your personal details to register for the exam you have chosen.
• Pay for your exam.
• After registration, you will receive an email from the examination/test centre giving you the necessary information
• Take the exam/test

For the Cambridge FCE and CAE, Reading, Writing, Use of English and Listening are tested the same day whereas Speaking is tested on a different day. For the Cambridge PET and IELTS, Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking are tested on the same day.

The Certificate can be sent to your home, language school or any other institution. You can choose where to be sent on the day of your exam/test.

At Eynsford College, we will help you prepare for all the exams mentioned above and also register for an exam/test.