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Imagine, for a moment, taking a cooking class in a language you didn’t know - it could be Japanese, Greek, Russian. It would be challenging, right? But after a while, by following actions and examples, you would begin to understand certain things. Even... Read More
Exams are nerve-wracking. Between going to class, studying at home and worrying about the results, it’s easy to forget the little things that could make or break your exam day success. So, Whether you are preparing for the , , or even the , check out ... Read More
Learning a second language, for many people, is one of the best decisions they ever make. Travel, work, culture, education, personal development - there are lots of reasons why you might decide to become a student again. But, as with any new personal cha... Read More
Speech shadowing is an advanced language learning technique. The idea is simple: you listen to someone speaking and you repeat what they say in real time, with as little delay as possible. If you’re preparing for the (formerly CPE), this is an importa... Read More
Our children learn English at school from a young age - with some even starting basic language classes from as early as 3 years old. While classroom work is a great way to introduce them to the language, it’s also very important that they continue to pr... Read More
When was the last time you painted the town red or saw a flying pig? We wouldn’t be surprised if you are scratching your head in confusion right now. English is full of funny, colourful and often quite difficult expressions. Not only are they fun to... Read More
Teenagers today are definitely part of the smartphone generation and many parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend looking at screens. There is some good news, however. Recent research shows that is the top language for inte... Read More
Are you taking an IELTS exam soon? Feeling nervous about the writing paper? Read this article for some top tips and useful language to help you with Part 1 of the writing paper. Exam Requirements Both the Academic and General English writing pap... Read More
Love them or hate them, at some point we all have to give a business presentation. Occasionally we have to deliver them to small teams of people and other times we have to stand on a stage and look out at a huge audience. Understandably, many people get ... Read More
A lot of students think English is easy to learn - that is until they encounter phrasal verbs! We are sure you have heard lots of these verbs by now, because they are everywhere. But what are they exactly? Phrasal verbs are multi-word verb phrases that, ... Read More
Have you heard of these fascinating British Easter traditions? Great Britain is an ancient island, full of superstition and tradition. When Easter comes around visitors to the UK are often surprised by some of the strange events, parades and practices th... Read More
Your is coming to an end and exam day is fast approaching. It’s about time to make sure you are prepared for what many find the most difficult part - the speaking paper! Knowing what to expect in this part of the exam is a great way to feel more confi... Read More
Have you ever wondered where English words come from? There are a whopping 171,476 words in the . From aardvark to zyzzyva, words come in all shapes and sizes. In this post we’ll explore some of the mechanisms through which words are born and we’ll ... Read More
Students take language certifications like the Cambridge B2 First qualification for lots of different reasons. You might do it to motivate yourself to improve your language abilities, to prove your level of English to an employer, or even to achieve an am... Read More
Foreign accent and understanding When you meet someone new, what’s the first thing you notice? Is it how they look? How they speak? A person’s accent holds a lot of information and it tells a story about where they come from, where they grew up, an... Read More
Are you a ski-fanatic that spends all week dreaming about white-capped peaks, fluffy snow and hearty mountain food? this doesn’t just have to be a dream! If you are thinking about going with family and friends, check out our essential ski voc... Read More
Quizlet, Duolingo, Busuu...there are lots of apps on the market nowadays to help you learn and improve your English. But with so many options, it can be a little overwhelming knowing where to start and what features each app offers you. is an easy-to-us... Read More
Is English really that difficult? English is a Germanic language, which means it has lots of similarities with German and Dutch. However, you might be surprised to learn that many English words actually come from Latin. That’s good news for Span... Read More
If you’ve been studying English for a long time, you’ve probably tried lots of different ways of learning the language at home. Our students are always looking for new ways to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills - and one of ... Read More
Learning another language as an adult can be frustrating. We’re problem-solvers. We look for patterns in language and try to formulate rules. Unfortunately, there’s not always much logic to be found in English. In his book , linguist David Crystal ex... Read More
Every year is the same. We promise ourselves to eat more healthily, exercise more and save money. It all seems very easy, at least for a week or two. But as January draws to an end, the gyms start to empty and the bars get busy again it’s easy to forget... Read More
Languages are constantly on the move and English is no exception! As technology, culture and politics evolve, we’re faced with the challenge of trying to find new words to describe all these changes. So, every few months, dictionaries like the have to ... Read More
All countries are proud of their quirky traditions and this is no more evident than . In South Africa they eat deep-fried caterpillars, in Germany they hide pickles in the Christmas tree and in Norway they put away the brooms in case they are stolen by w... Read More
You’ve heard about the four skills: reading, writing, and . Some might be more important to you than others. Although they’re normally tested separately, the four skills are actually interconnected. Reading power So, even if reading English... Read More
Business is all about communication. Whether it’s colleagues, clients or suppliers, we spend a big chunk of our working lives interacting with other people. There are powerful, new tools out there - like , and - that can help us collaborate on project... Read More
Why are phrasal verbs so frustrating? It’s like they’ve been sent from the devil to destroy the morale of English language students everywhere. I mean, how can changing one little preposition or adverb affect the meaning of a verb so drastically? No ... Read More
Exams are terrifying! The big day is here and after all that studying and hard work, it’s finally time to show what you have learned. If you do well, you will receive that certificate you need for work or university - it could even change your life. C... Read More
Speaking in a foreign language is hard work. Language learners have to think about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary - and many people know the pain of reading out loud in class very well indeed! But speaking is only half the battle. Listening and un... Read More
Have you ever thought about dropping everything to go travelling around the world? Today, more and more people are quitting their jobs and travelling abroad to start new lives. In fact, from 2011 - 2014, the number of Spanish workers moving from Spain t... Read More
It’s October and you’ve just signed up for an English course. Maybe you want to pass an official exam. Maybe you need to use English at work. Or maybe you just want to travel the world and have meaningful conversations with the people you meet. Whatev... Read More
