語学学習

Test Your Level of English ON-LINE!

Test Your Level of English ON-LINE!

Placement tests help check your level of English. Before you decide to start studying English, you need to know what your level of language competence is. For students enrolling in language courses, correct placement is crucial if they are to reap the most benefits from a course. Placement tests are an effective and efficient way to assess students’ language proficiency before they are enrolled into a course. A Placement Test is not a Pass or Fail test, but it does provide important information that allows a student to be placed in the appropriate level of English. We provide web-based tests developed by an Oxford-based team of English native-speaker teachers. These […]

Other ways to say “I don’t know”

Other ways to say “I don’t know”

Using different ways to say “I don’t know” will make your conversation far more interesting and natural.But don’t overuse this phrase, try first to figure out or find out the answer to the question, rather than give up and shrug your shoulders:)   Formal ways : I’m sorry, I don’t know I’ll double check that and let you know I’ll find out and let you know I’m probably not the best person to ask for that information That’s a really good question. I’ll check Let me look that up for you That’s not my area of expertise. I’ll ask… Informal ways (when talking to friends, colleagues, people we know): I’m […]

‘interested’ or ‘interesting’?

‘interested’ or ‘interesting’?

Should we say Interested or Interesting? English learners often are not sure whether to use the “-ing” ending or “-ed” ending for adjectives that express emotions. Some examples of these adjectives, derived from verbs, are: exciting/excited interesting/interested boring/bored amazing/amazed confusing/confused Here’s a general rule to help you remember the difference: When talking about yourself or your feelings, use the –ed ending. “I am interested in music.” When talking about others or something outside yourself, use the –ing ending. “That music is interesting.”

London Slang You Need to Know

London Slang You Need to Know

Do you live in London, or have you ever been there? These 10 common expressions you need to know to understand born and bread Londoners. 1. ”The Full Monty” this expression means the Full English Breakfast (sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, baked beans, potato cakes-hash browns,toasted bread and black pudding) 2. ‘”Mind the Gap” This famous expression is always used on trains and the London Underground (Tube). The “gap” refers to the space, between the trains and the platform.Make sure you take a big step when getting off the train or tube, otherwise you can really hurt yourself! 3. “Spend a penny” or “Loo” It means to go to the bathroom. […]

Modals of obligation and prohibition

Modals of obligation and prohibition

There are many rules in our lives, at work, at school, at home, in the public places, on the roads, etc., which have been established to ensure order and safety. We use modal verbs to express obligations and prohibitions, or lack of obligation. Modal verbs have the following grammatical structure: Subject + Modal Verb + Basic Verb Example:”I must go to bed early tonight”.   And this is how we express prohibition and lack of obligation: Be careful: there is a big difference in the meaning between ”mustn’t” and ”don’t have to”

10 tips on how to sound like a native English speaker

10 tips on how to sound like a native English speaker

Do you think that to have good English pronunciation you need to say every word per-fect-ly? Have you been told that you need to say each syllable in exactly the same way that it is written? There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, however there are some ways you can practise more effectively and improve your skills faster. Follow our 10 top tips, start improving your pronunciation today and take a step closer towards your goal of perfect English pronunciation.   Listen to yourself Record yourself, play it back and see how it sounds. Slow down! You don’t need to speak fast, just be clear Picture it… Imagine how each […]

Most common collocations with verbs DO and MAKE

Most common collocations with verbs DO and MAKE

The English verbs do and make are frequently confused, so pay attention to the expressions below. It is best to learn these expressions by heart. The best approach is to practise……and then practise again!   Cambridge online dictionary will make your learning easier. You can check here pronunciation, have example sentences, and even find translation to your native langugae, chosing your mother languge from the list https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ Time for a practice:) Watch the video every day and try to remember at least 5 collocations each day. Remember to revise before you learn new words. This method really works! If you’re not a member of our site yet, join us either […]

Different ways of talking about the future

Different ways of talking about the future

One very good way to prepare for your IELTS speaking is to practise different ways of talking about the future. This is because the examiner listens for the way you vary your grammar, not just if you make mistakes. This is a skill you need mostly in part 1 and 3 parts of the Speaking test.   In fact, there are loads of more ways of talking about the future. It’s not all about verbs and tenses, see these examples: 1)We often use verbs like ”would like”, “plan”, “want”, “mean”, “hope”, “expect” to talk about the future: What are you going to do next year? I’d like to go to […]