Learn English Communication for Business, Academic and Social

06/02/2021

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22/12/2020

They say that teaching is rewarding. It certainly is, especially when you receive messages like these.
The messages were from one of my Chinese students who originally studied Biology. During her Biology undergraduate degree, she fell in love with literature and decided to change her career path. She took regular lessons with me and worked hard to achieve an IELTS score of 7.5, which was required to gain entrance for a translation and interpreting master's degree degree in the UK. Continuing to work hard for her goals we focussed on more creative writing. These messages are the result of her being accepted on a creative writing master's degree at a prestigious university in England. I feel really proud of her achievements.

19/09/2020

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19/09/2020

Stuck for the right word?
Want to expand your vocabulary?
Tired of using the same words?
This is a fantastic free website to help you find the right word or synomyn (similar word). Try it out - tell me what you think?

Power Thesaurus is a free, fast, comprehensive and easy-to-follow online thesaurus for writers.

31/08/2020

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07/08/2020

Are you an English learner hoping to get work in an English speaking country? Here are some top tips to help you prepare for an interview. This video contains tips for both:
- Face-to-face interviews
- Online interviews
Whatever your level - I'm sure you'll find them useful.

This video gives 9 top tips for job interview preparation for English Learners. If English is your second language these top tips can help you to succeed in ...

26/07/2020

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24/01/2020

LUNAR NEW YEAR / CHINESE NEW YEAR
In yesterday’s lesson my Chinese student told me about his upcoming New Year plans and provided me with these photos to help explain.

Photo 1 - It is traditional in China to decorate your home and businesses by hanging scrolls on the walls. These scrolls are often made of paper or cloth. In this case you can see that the characters are painted on the wall. The characters symbolise different messages such as good fortune, luck, good health or prosperity. Two to three characters could form one message and the whole scroll will have an overall message. Each year people replace the scrolls with new ones hosting different messages. Over the generations the art of calligraphy is being lost, so many people will buy scrolls from shops or have them painted by the elderly.

Photo 2 - This is a snack eaten in Fujian province on the last day of old year (today) and the first two days of the new year. It's a local snack, which doesn’t have a Madarin translation. In English it would translate as 'red sticky bun.’ The red outer layer is made from sticky rice. Inside people put what they like e.g. beans, meat or something sweet. Each bun is decorated with a good luck symbol.

Photo 3 - This is like a shrine in memory of ancestor. At around 4pm in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve wine will be placed on the table and the candles and incense sticks will be lit. The family will gather and while the most senior members of the family pray, the other members of the family will bow or kneel in memory of their ancestors. They will thank their ancestors for the blessing of this year and wish for good luck in the next. After they will have dinner.

The New Year celebrations is a family centred once. There are no particular standard or traditional meals. Families can eat what they want and will prepare a variety of different foods. Family members will bring foods, for example my student's family brought 2kg pork and a hen to their grandparent's house where they are all gathering. His uncle will most likely bring a couple of ducks. After dinner the family will just relax, but...
..At dawn, before it gets light around 6am: The parents will wake everyone up and to set off fireworks welcoming in the new year. They will of course eat more red sticky buns. Kung Hei Fat Tsoi - Happy New Year!

24/11/2019

A lovely message to receive on a Sunday afternoon. This is from my French student. She moved to Germany and needed English for the positions she was applying for there. I reviewed her CV and cover letters and prepared her for interviews. By correcting and improving her answers and simulating exams, she became relaxed and confident in her English speaking abilities and.....she got the job!