From IELTS to University: Write the Debate! This summer I have had a fresh encounter with a perennial problem for international students entering university. It is a common issue which is often absent from the writing component of academic skills and pre-sessional courses. Also, the problem is one of …
Does anyone want a one-to-one pronunciation lesson via Zoom? I teach pronunciation by working on the correct mouth movements for the English sounds. In the lesson we’ll go through IELTS speaking tasks on different topics, and I’ll identify sounds you’re struggling with and show you how to fix them. The …
International students face many new challenges at university. One of the most significant is the variety of assessment forms: coursework essays, coursework reports, group presentations, individual presentations as well as final exams, both seen and unseen. Each of these assessment forms has a criteria which examines 3-6 areas such as …
One area where international students often struggle is academic theory and models. For example, in the first year of a business and management degree students are introduced to new models and theories almost every week. In these circumstances developing a basic understanding of each theory is a challenge, no matter …
Critical thinking is a standard feature of Western university assessment. It is referred to by lecturers from time to time but is rarely explained fully to students. Also, understanding critical thinking in relation to essay or report writing, as well as individual or group presentations, is fundamental to achieving the …
The verb ‘to iterate’ is one of my favourite in the English language. It describes a series of successive operations or cycles, with each one advancing an overall process another step towards a final objective. For example, a scientist may solve a research problem through a series of hypotheses and …
Using YouTube to support IELTS speaking study is a great idea. This blogpost offers advice for IELTS students keen to improve their speaking grade. The advice will focus on identifying phrases to use in IELTS Speaking Part 3. Topics in IELTS Speaking Part 3 So, in this part of the …
This blogpost will highlight three common types of essay writing mistakes made by East Asian students at academic IELTS writing level 4.5-5.5. Frequently, students from the same geographical regions make similar errors in their writing. There are numerous reasons for this, but some prominent ones are: The effect of the …
Academic journal articles are perhaps the most difficult pieces of text university students are required to read. They tend to feature the most challenging characteristics of academic text: their density of argument, frequent use of specialist research and references to other studies all combine to form significant barriers to understanding. …
Going to university is a challenging time for any young person, and the university years will almost certainly include some life-defining and character-forming experiences for every student. There are some students who have a very clear sense of how to navigate university life, and know exactly how to optimise their …
