Cambridge Reading Test – Cambridge Podcast Ep2

 

Cambridge Reading Test

Some ways you can improve your skills for the Cambridge reading test:

Reading as widely as possible
Read in areas that interest you (don’t make it a chore!)
Try graded readers
Try to set aside a certain time every day to read, make it a habit 
Find a balance between taking notes of new vocabulary, looking up words & getting into the flow of a book 
Read a book you’ve already read in your own language (or seen the film of, etc). 
Read a book in a series so

Cambridge Speaking Exam (Cambridge Exams EP 1)

What the examiner is looking for in the Cambridge speaking exam:

C1 

Grammatical Resource 

Lexical Resource 

Discourse Management 

Pronunciation 

Interactive Communication 

5 
• Maintains control of a wide range of grammatical forms. 
• Uses a wide range of appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics. 
• Produces extended stretches of language with ease and with very little hesitation. • Contributions are relevant, coherent and varied. 

• Uses a wide range of cohesive devices and discourse markers. 
• Is intelligible. • Phonological features are used effectively to convey and enhance meaning. 
• Interacts with ease,

Business English Podcast
Episode 4: Customer Service & Formal and Informal English

Formal and Informal English
Main ways of being formal:

Vocabulary
Grammar
Tone of voice

 

1: Formal and Informal English : Vocabulary

There’s a range. For example:

Slang
Informal
Neutral
Formal 
Very formal (often antiquated)

‘sup? / What’s the craic? / Story?
Hi / Hey 
Hello
Good afternoon
Good day

 

Formal words often sound like Latin (and so Spanish, French, etc)

 

Please proceed to gate 12 Go

What time would be convenient? Handy /Good 

At what time does it commence? Start

 

Phrasal verbs are almost always informal/neutral

Look into investigate

Make up invent

Do up renovate

Look over review

 

Formal vocabulary tends to be similar across different

Phone English
Business English Podcast Ep.3

Phone English podcast from Everest Language School. Listen to the podcast about phone English and check out the vocabulary below. There are lots more business English podcasts available here, and we will have one more episode next week. Remember, if you are in Dublin and want to improve your business English, we run express and intensive Business English courses in Dublin.

Basic Phone English:

To pick up the phone

To hang up the phone

To make / take a call

To give someone a shout / bell (informal)

Some additional vocabulary

Learn English With Everest Ep 6:
Job Interviews & Uses of Should 

 

Do your homework

 

Research the company and know something about the job you are going to job interviews for.

What does the company do? Who are their competitors? Where would your role fit?

This applies to a dress code too – don’t come to an interview for a bank in jeans and a t-shirt but don’t go to a restaurant job interview in a suit

People often say you should dress one level up

 

 

Know your CV

 

Make sure you can talk about

Your CV in English

Everest Podcast Ep 5 (Business Mini-Series Part I)
Making the Perfect CV in English

Business English part 1
10 tips: How to make the perfect CV in English

 

 

Don’t waffle

 

Your CV in English should be no more than 2 pages

Keep it punchy, succinct, to the point

Think about how many CVs an average employer might have in their pile of applications

For example, if you are applying for a job as a hotel receptionist, instead of writing:

“I met new guests when they arrived at the hotel and I checked them into their room”

You

Gerunds and Infinitives, and Swimming Vocabulary

Swimming Vocabulary

To get on board – Is everyone on board with this idea?

Definition: In agreement with; ready or willing to participate.

A jellyfish

To sting (sting-stung-stung)

A nettle (a type of stinging plant)

A reef (e.g. a coral reef)

Gerund or Infinitive?
Gerund (-ing):

I enjoy swimming
Do you feel like going out later?
I finished working at 6pm

Infinitive:

I want to go
I hope to see her next year
I decided to go for a swim

Gerund OR infinitive with no difference

I prefer swimming / to swim
I like to swim at the weekend / I like swimming at the weekend

Gerund OR infinitive with

Gradable and ungradable adjectives
Episode 3: Adjectives and music vocabulary

This week on Learn English with Everest I chatted to Rob about Irish music, going to live gigs, music festivals and lots more. So, in this episode you’ll learn lots of vocabulary to talk about music. The grammar point is connected with adjectives, specifically gradable and ungradable adjectives. Why do we say “very big”, but not “very huge”? “Absolutely amazing”, but not “very amazing”. Have a listen and find out!

 

There were lots of musicians mentioned this week:

Rob went to an Anderson Paak

Learn English With Everest #2: Easter, Art, Time Words: For During Since This episode focuses on the grammar of time words: For During Since. It features an interview with our teacher Derek Smith. There is lots of vocabulary about art, Easter and life in Dublin. Listen and enjoy and please remember to like, share and [...]

Everest Language School has a new podcast to help you to learn English!  Episode 1 - Uses of 'Get'  In Episode 1, Conor talks about the weather. Here is some vocabulary that he uses:  Mist Fog Gloomy Grey Overcast Drizzle Bucketing down Pissing rain Lashing rain Conor uses a lot of phrases with 'get'. Here [...]