by Sean Newman

Podcasts for Learning English

Why you should learn English with podcasts:

All podcasts, but especially podcasts for learning English , are a convenient and great way to help you improve your English. They are on-demand internet radio talks that you can download to your mobile phone or tablet. It is said that just 20 minutes per day of a listening to an English speaking podcast can have a positive impact on your learning English! You can listen to them lying in bed, on the train back home or just wandering around the city, and let’s face it, sometimes the idea of sitting down with a 300 page English book after a long day of classes isn’t always what you want to be doing! 

During your English classes here at Everest Language School you will spend a lot of time speaking, reading, listening and writing which of course is a really important part of learning English. However, you will find that out in the real world in any English speaking country you will come across lots of different accents and ‘slang’ words, and especially in Ireland people speak very fast and with many different accents, even in Dublin alone!

Podcasts for Learning English: Podcasts are a great way to improve your listening and understanding skills. This is possible whether it be an English Learning podcast or even just a regular podcast of a topic you might find interesting. Podcasts often have written transcripts (basically subtitles!) that go along with the speaking, so if you don’t understand a word or phrase that’s being spoken, you might be able to understand it in writing!

Podcasts also allow you to choose the subject that’s being spoken about, so you can learn English and also listen to a topic you are genuinely interested in.

You can also pick the level of English that’s suited to you, so if you are finding one podcast to easy or another too difficult, you can simply pick one that’s more suited to you and your level. You can also slow down podcasts to ½ the speed if you feel its too fast, or speed it up to x2 speed if you really want to challenge yourself.

Podcasts are generally free as well! Some have a small subscription fee, but even when they do they usually offer a one month free-trial, so you can decide if it’s worth parting with your money for.

You might find that listening to podcasts during your spare time will greatly improve your learning of English in the classroom!

Below you will find a list of some of what we think are the best podcasts to help you learn English, there are lots more that you can find on our school’s blog.

Podcasts for Learning English: Our favourites

The English we Speak – BBC Learning English

Like any language, English has plenty of terms and phrases that you won’t find in the dictionary! You may hear them out and about and not understand what someone is talking about! This podcast has a huge selection of 3 minute tutorials explaining in simple terms what these phrases mean! For example if somebody says ‘I’ll give them a taste of their own medicine’ this means to get revenge on somebody.

These podcasts are particularly suited to students with an intermediate level and you find them here at this link – The English We Speak – BBC Learning English

6 Minute Grammar

6 minute Grammar is another podcast produced by the BBC and is updated weekly. The clue is in the name, it’s a 6 minute podcast focusing on a key area of grammar! For many students grammar can often be the trickiest part of learning English. This podcast is great for giving you a short and simple explanation of a key area of grammar with examples of hows its used to!

Its suitable for all levels and you can find it at this link – 6 Minute Grammar

All Ears English

All Ears podcasts for learning English use conversational English focussing on vocabulary. Many of the topics are about the different difficulties people face when learning English and cultural challenges that can contribute to this. There are hundreds of podcasts, many of which also focus on American culture.

To check it out you can follow this link – All Ears English

VOA News Learn English

VOA Learn podcasts for learning English focus on current affairs and news around the world – from the World Cup to Politics! This podcast is great if you’re looking to listen to a news topic that interests you, they have sections on Arts and Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Music and many more. You can also choose the level of English you can listen to the newscast. You can even check your level of English as they have a free English assessment test as well as an ‘Everyday Grammar’ section to help you brush up your skills!

You probably listen to the news anyway so you might as well listen in English! – VOA News Learn English

Business English Pod

Business English Pod is a little different to the other podcasts as it purely focuses on business English. What this means is, it focuses on the English you would need if you were doing a job interview, speaking on the telephone at work, presentations and meetings at work. This podcast also gives you tips on how to write your CV. Business English Pod is great for students who have already got their General English to a good standard and are starting to look for employment in English speaking companies. Job interviews and new jobs can be a daunting experience even if you are a native speaker so why not check Business English pod out and give the native speaking candidates a run for their money at Business English Pod!

Splendid Speaking

Here at Everest Language School we do lots of IELTS Exam preparation courses. These podcasts are aimed at helping you prepare for IELTS Exam. The podcasts are conversational and the host Peter Travis interviews a different English learning student each time about how they did in different parts of the IELTS practice test. These podcasts are a great way to help prepare for your IELTS exam and get some first-hand advice from students who have already taken it!

Check it out at Splendid Speaking!

British Council – Learn English

These podcasts for learning English are great if you’re looking for a podcast that does everything! It’s a one-for-all stop for Grammar, Vocabulary, Business English, IELTS and is suitable for students from Elementary to Intermediate Level. You can also interact with other users and give each other tips about what podcasts you found helpful.

Check it out at Learn English – British Council

IELTSPodcast by Ben Worthington

Learn English with Everest – Our very own podcast

Did you know that Everest has its own podcast. Over the last few years our Academic Director and teachers have created an excellent podcast that will really help you improve your English. There are lots of coversations and chats with English speakers from around Ireland so that you can get used to the different Irish and Dublin accents, there are episodes to help you learn professional English for work, and lots of episodes to help you prepare for the IELTS and Cambridge exams. We are really proud of these podcasts and have done lots of blog posts to accompany them so that you can follow along and learn all the new vocabulary. Check it out today and let us know what you think!

These are just a few of the many podcasts for learning English. Alternating the different podcasts on maybe a weekly or monthly basis is a good idea to ensure you’re getting a diverse learning experience.

The post Podcasts for Learning English in 2023- Everest Language School appeared first on Everest Language School.

Vocabulary about Music – English Language Podcast

In our fourth episode, we’ll be talking about music and how it makes us feel. There will be a story about music and memory, we’ll hear about some of the benefits of singing and we’ll listen to an article about how music affects the brain.

If you want to improve your English, you’ll find the scripts for each part of this episode here and don’t forget to check out the glossary (vocabulary about music) at the end for words and phrases you may not have encountered before.

Episode Four: Thank you for the music

Narrator: Ever wonder what it’s like for someone not to be moved by music? No foot-tapping to a good tune, or jumping along to the beat at a concert, or singing aloud in the car to your favourite song? Music has the power to transport us, and ignite something in us, it even can make the hairs on your arms stand on end. This episode is called Thank you for the music.

Story One:

I recently saw a story covered on BBC news  about an 80 year old called Paul Harvey. A former music teacher who now has dementia, he is an example of how musical ability can survive memory loss. 

Paul’s son gave his Dad a challenge: to compose a piece of music from just four notes. It had been an “old party trick” of his father’s and he would improvise a song. Although diagnosed with dementia, he has continued to be able to play piano pieces from memory and create new ones. The composition was filmed by his son, put up on twitter and it went viral. 

The brilliant performance was aired on Radio 4’s Broadcasting House for World Alzheimer’s Day, and this led to the BBC Philharmonic orchestra getting involved to orchestrate and play his piece. A great honour. Not only that but the song was released as a single,  and it sped to the top of the iTunes and Amazon charts with proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia. Not many 80 year olds can boast at having a top single. 

Music can help relieve depression, anxiety and other problems associated with dementia. Even those in the most severe stages of the disease, who can not speak or dress themselves, can still improvise music.  Needless to say, it is very moving to watch the clip and it reminds us of the healing power of music.

Story Two:

Narrator: People love to sing, whether you are a budding soprano, or tone deaf. In fact, there’s solid scientific evidence to prove that singing is, in fact, good for your body and your mind. 

Here are just some of the benefits of singing:

Singing is a natural antidepressant

Singing has been shown to be a joyful and uplifting experience. It generates a sense of positivity, happiness and enjoyment and helps distract people from any negative thoughts and feelings.

Singing lowers stress levels

Making music in any form is relaxing. Singing releases stored muscle tension and decreases the levels of a stress hormone in your bloodstream.

Singing stimulates the immune response

There’s evidence that singing boosts the immune system and helps fight off illnesses.

It may improve snoring

Regular singing may change the way you breathe, even when you’re not singing. Researchers found that significantly fewer choir members snored. This led them to recommend regular singing as a potential treatment for snoring.

And Improves lung function

Because singing involves deep breathing and the controlled use of muscles in the respiratory system, it may be beneficial for certain lung and breathing conditions.

Finally, it develops a sense of belonging and connection

When you sing together with others, you’re likely to feel the same kind of camaraderie and bonding that players on sports teams experience.

So what are you waiting for, stick on your favourite song, and sing it loud and proud!

Story Three:

Intro: 

Everyone loves music right? Wrong. For roughly 3 to 5 percent of the world’s population, listening to a song is halfway between boring and distracting. This is a phenomena called musical anhedonia. Although these people may be capable of experiencing pleasure in other ways, they don’t enjoy music. 

Story: 

Research shows that the vast majority of people who enjoy music show an increase in heart rate or skin conductance—where a person’s skin temporarily becomes a conductor of electricity in response to something they find stimulating. Musical anhedonics, however, show no such physical change to music. 

Recently, an experiment at the University of Barcelona identified people who didn’t listen to music as a hobby, and then tested them with numerous different pieces of music. One of the pieces included John Williams heartfelt score to Schindler’s List and the other, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Those affected showed no changes during the music, however they were able to identify what they thought they should be feeling. 

A recent study took those findings a step further by studying responses in the brain to music and found that the listening and reward parts of the brain simply didn’t interact in response to music for anhedonics. 

Still seem strange to you? Well, the findings have helped musical anhedonics within their social circles. They now have scientific proof that music really does nothing for them, and can get their well meaning family and friends to stop sending them songs! 

Vocabulary about Music

This glossary accompanies Episode 4 of the podcast series and will provide vocabulary about music you heard or read which may be new or unfamiliar to you.

Introduction

• Moved – affected in an emotional way
• Foot-tapping – moving your foot in time to music – this can also be a compound adjective to mean that music is lively and upbeat
• make the hairs on your arms stand on end – shocks or frightens you (literally makes hair on your body stand up straight

Story One

• top of the charts – very popular, number one or thereabouts in the list of popular songs
• moving – an adjective to mean that something causes a strong emotional response

Story Two

• • budding – beginning or starting but appearing to show signs of being talented
  • tone deaf – not able to hear differences in musical sounds – used colloquially to mean that some can’t sing or isn’t musical
  • stick on – a phrasal verb to mean the same as put on or play (on a device or player)

Story Three

• • took those findings a step further – to develop or progress something
  • does nothing for them – doesn’t affect them in any way
  • pieces of music – an individual song or composition (remember music is usually uncountable)

Find lots more resources and podcasts to help you improve your English in our podcast.

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General Tips for the IELTS Listening Exam

Stay focused while you’re listening and then carefully transfer your answers to the answer sheet. 

Use the time when examples are being played to read ahead through the questions – if you’re familiar with the exam you know the format, you don’t need to listen to the long example at the very beginning

You have 30 second at the end of each section to read over answers but this could be better spent looking at the next section

Practice the full exam, at home, lots of times.

The IELTS is very particular about answers. If you spell a word wrong, it’s wrong. If it asks for one word, and you write two, it’s wrong. Accuracy is crucial. However, you have time at the end to transfer your answers, so worry about spelling at that point, not while you’re listening.

The sample questions we look at are taken from the IELTS website here

IELTS Listening Tips : Section 1 

Look at the question sheet we are discussing here

A conversation, two people, usually booking or organising something

Lots of names, numbers, dates

Learn the alphabet! Especially A, E, and I.

Rob’s handy tip works really well for a lot of students – e-mail, iPhone. You can’t go wrong!

Before you listen, think about what type of answer you need (noun, verb, number, etc). Can you predict any answers?

IELTS Listening Tips : Section 2 

One speaker often giving a talk (but not a lecture, that’s section 4), welcoming a group to an area, a guided tour, etc

It’s harder than section 1 because it’s not a conversation.

You may have to complete sentences, give short answers, match sections, or label a plan/map/diagram (this one can be difficult – you need to look carefully at the picture, and orient yourself)

IELTS Listening Tips : Section 3

Several speakers, some type of academic discussion, usually between a professor or tutor and two students, discussing a project, getting feedback, etc

Be careful who says what and what exactly you’re being asked

There are lots of synonyms and distractor words in this section

Similar format to section 1 but harder answers, more complex vocab and constructions

Like all the parts of the IELTS exam, synonyms are important, because they show you understand the meaning, you’re not just picking out words you don’t understand. And so building your vocabulary is a huge part of this too. 

IELTS Listening Tips : Section 4

An academic lecture

It is very long – you really need to pay attention

There are often long gaps between answers

Section 4 is not easy. But remember you can still get several questions wrong in part 4 and get a 7 or 7.5 on the exam, as long as you have got most of the other sections right. 

More Listening Practice

If you are looking for some more listening practice, you might let me recommend my other podcast. It’s called Words To That Effect and it’s not an English language podcast – it’s a show about popular culture, history, science, and fiction. If you’re interested, and you want to practice your English with a very different podcast, I’d love if you had a listen. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts or at wttepodcast.com.

Vocabulary

Flustered (adj.) – to be flustered is to be worried and agitated, a bit confused maybe. If you get flustered in the exam, maybe because you miss an answer, you need to try to keep calm and just move on to the next question.

Rob says that in the exam they might throw around a few answers before landing on one. That is, they’ll say lots of nearly correct possible answers, before making the true answer clear.

To scribble (sth) down or to (sth) jot down – to jot something down is to write it quickly and informally, maybe in shorthand (a form of writing where you use lots of abbreviations and acronyms). 

To scribble means to write or draw on a page, but in a messy or meaningless way. Young children scribble before they learn to draw, for example.

Prepare for your IELTS with us: IELTS preparation course in Dublin

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Learn more about the exam

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A few general IELTS speaking tips:

• Show the examiner what you can do and use every opportunity to talk – no monosyllabic answers!
• Part 1 is “easy” in content but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use complex grammar and vocabulary. 
• Ask the examiner to clarify or repeat if you’re not sure. These types of interactions also show your level of English, they don’t have to be a problem. Say something like “Sorry, could you repeat that”, rather than “eh?” or “what?”
• Record yourself on your phone and listen back to improve. You might cringe a little but you’ll get over it!

IELTS speaking tips for Part 1

Keager answered these sample questions:

Let’s talk about your home town or village. 

Let’s move on to talk about accommodation. 

Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

IELTS speaking tips for Part 2

Keager and I discussed this sample question:

Describe something you own which is very important to you. 

You should say: 

where you got it from 

how long you have had it 

what you use it for 

and explain why it is important to you

Part 2 is very different to Part 1. Use your one minute wisely (=intelligently) in part 2. You have lots of options:

• Make a spider diagram
• Write down key words
• Write a list or a flow chart of what you’re going to say
• Write one or two key sentences or phrases
• Do nothing, just think!

Read the prompt carefully for part 2, and know in advance how you are going to use the 1 minute of preparation. Do  whatever works for you. 

IELTS speaking tips for Part 3

Keager answered this question

Let’s talk about the role of advertising. Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Vocabulary

• To get over sth – to recover from something. If you get over an illness then you are well again. You can also get over something emotionally: “I lost my job and I was very upset but, in the end, I got over it”. 

• To cringe – to get very embarrassed when you think about something you’ve done.

• “A two storey, semi-detached house”
• • A storey (with an ‘e’) is another word for a floor – a two-storey house has an upstairs and a downstairs.
  • We divide houses by how they are attached to other houses:
    • A terraced house – lots of houses in a row, all attached to each other.
    • A semi-detached house – attached to a house on one side but not on the other
    • A detached house – not connected to any other houses. 

• To get bogged down – if you get bogged down you get confused and stuck on something. You can’t answer it but you can’t continue either. So, for example., if you have to answer 5 question and you get bogged down on number one, then you leave no time for numbers 2 to 5.

Prepare for your IELTS with us: IELTS preparation course in Dublin

Get more free IELTS resources

Learn more about the exam

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IELTS READING TIPS:

In this week’s podcast Conor and Rob discuss the the IELTS reading test. The give you lots of IELTS reading tips, strategies and techniques. As well as this they look at the trickiest reading question, the dreaded True, False, Not Given.

Enjoy and please let us know on Facebook or Instagram if you are enjoying the podcast 🙂

Skimming & Scanning

Skimming and scanning are skills you have to practice. It’s not a natural way, or a comfortable way to read a text. The IELTS is about very, very quickly processing information and finding answers. There’s no time to consider the text in any detail

Skimming is very quickly looking at a text to get a general idea of what it’s about

Scanning is very quickly looking through a text to find a specific piece of information

Other IELTS reading tips

Underline keys words in questions

Practice more generally by reading academic/scientific/current affairs magazines aimed at a general readership – e.g. New Scientist, National Geographic, The Economist, etc This is the style of reading you’ll get

Do lots of practice under exam conditions – one hour is very short. Time yourself, think about how long you will spend skimming, reading questions, scanning for answers. You have to be very strict with yourself.

Types of questions on the IELTS reading exam

• True / False / Not Given – be very careful with the “not given” answer
• Completing a table or a chart – look at the order information is presented in and work through logically
• Summary completion – be very careful – if it’s words from the text it has to be exact words from the text
• Matching Headings – there are always more headings than paragraphs. You need to quickly eliminate answers. This question involves a more general understanding of the text (it’s more about skimming than scanning) 
• Multiple choice – these can take longer as you have 4 often similar statements. You need to quickly rule out options

IELTS Sample Paper

To finish off, Rob and I took a section from an IELTS sample paper and thought about how we would answer it. This is a sample exam from the IELTS website and there’s a link on the podcast website so you can follow along if you like. 

First look – glance at the heading, the opening & closing sections, and skim quickly through paragraphs

Look at the questions – what do we need to find (underline key words)? What format are answers in? Any predictions about answers?

Back to the text – read quickly again while scanning for answers

Make sure your answers are in the format required (A,B,C, one word, two words and/or a number, etc)

We have lots more IELTS resources and IELTS courses in Dublin for you

Here is some more information about the exam

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Everest Podcast Ep 13 – IELTS Writing Tips

IELTS Writing Tips: In this week’s podcast our teachers discuss the exam and offer some IELTS writing tips and techniques. Below are some notes about the exam. You can listen to the podcast here, on Spotify or any podcast app.

The IELTS writing exam

1 hour in total

Two tasks (20 minutes & 40 minutes) but you need to leave time for planning & proofreading.

• Task 1 (150 words) – you get a graph, table, chart or diagram and you have to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. 

There are lots of different things you could get – data, describing the stages of a process, or how something works or an object or event. 

• Task 2 (250 words) – you have to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. So this is quite different, and involves your opinion, unlike task 1. 

What is the examiner looking for? 

1. Task achievement
   

   This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the response fulfils the requirements set out in the task

Academic Writing Task 1 is a writing task which has a defined input and a largely predictable output. It is basically an information-transfer task that relates narrowly to the factual content of an input diagram and not to speculative explanations that lie outside the given data. 

Task 2 requires test takers to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given prompt in the form of a question or statement. Ideas should be supported by evidence, and examples may be drawn from the test takers’ own experience

2. Coherence and cohesion
   

   This concerns overall clarity and fluency: how the response organises and links information, ideas and language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing, and the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices. 

3. Lexical resource
   

   This refers to the range of vocabulary used and its accuracy and appropriacy in terms of the specific task.

4. Grammatical range and accuracy
   

   This refers to the range and accurate use of grammar 

So your writing has to be well structured, it has to be logical, and it should always be easy to follow what you’re saying and understand your arguments. 

So, what are a few good general things to remember about the writing exam?

• Remember that it’s the Academic IELTS – it’s academic & (semi-)formal in tone

• Broadly speaking, task 1 is like something you’d see in the sciences (technical, impersonal, based on statistics and numbers, etc) and task 2 is like something from the humanities (personal, critical, discursive, argumentative, etc)

• There are broad topics which come up again and again (and which you can learn vocab for): technology, the environment, crime & social issues, global cultures, and so on.

IELTS Writing Tips for Task 1

You could be asked to write about lots of things:

Data, eg bar chart, pie chart, line graph, table

A process or a procedure

An object, event or series of events

When you’re talking about data you’re reporting how things have changed and moved:

• Watch out for prepositions (from 1996 to 1999; an increase of 10%, it increased by 10%)
• Learn how to use adj/noun or adv/verb combos: “increased dramatically” / “a dramatic increase”
• Use a wide range of vocab: steep incline, steady decrease, fluctuate, collapse, vary, stabilize, etc
• Be really careful with your word combinations – there was a rapid increase but the number increased rapidly –adj + noun ; verb + adverb

There was a slow decline in the population; or the population declined slowly

When you’re talking about a process or procedure, or something like a set of maps, remember:

• tenses are important (eg present perfect – a new post have has been built in the east of the town)
• Sequence words are key – first, then, next, following this
• You’ll often need to use passives – first, the liquid is heated to 200 degrees)

IELTS WRITING CORRECTION SERVICE – One of our teachers can correct your IELTS task 1.

IELTS Writing Tips for Task 2

Opinion: what is your opinion? / (to what extent) do you agree or disagree?

Two views and an opinion: Discuss both points of views and give your opinion

Advantage / Disadvantage: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages (and give your opinion)

Problem and solution: What are some of the problems/causes and solutions?

Always make a plan!

Sample Question for Task 2

“Some people think that the aim of a university education is to get a good job. 

Others believe there are wider benefits to a university education for both students and society. 

Discuss both views and give your opinion”

Vocabulary

conscientious – conscientious is another word for careful or meticulous, you make sure every detail is correct. 

This word, conscientious, is easily confused, especially since we have two other words in English – conscience and conscious 

conscience – which looks like con-science is the little voice in your head which tells you what’s right and wrong, your ethics or morality

conscious – means aware of something or alert, the opposite of unconscious – maybe you get hit on the head and you are unconscious. When you wake up you’re conscious

rich – you’re rich if you have lots of money, if you’re wealthy. However, something can be rich if it is full of something – a sound can be very rich, a colour can be rich, if it is vibrant and intense. Food can be rich if it’s very heavy – like cream for example. 

And your vocabulary can be rich – full of useful and varied words. 

IELTS WRITING CORRECTION SERVICE – One of our teachers can correct your IELTS task 2.

Prepare for the IELTS exam in Dublin

Get more information about the exam

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1. Cambridge Writing Tasks – Tips and Strategies

What are some good tips for improving your writing skills generally? 

• Practice as much as possible (writing tends to be least practiced skill)
• Find a reason to write (start a blog, send emails home, find a “pen pal” etc)
• Get someone to correct your writing – highlight, think about, learn from your mistakes
• Proofread
• Make sure spell and grammar check is on when typing – and pay attention to it!
• Use an app or other online tool – Grammarly for example to help you prepare for the Cambridge writing tasks

What are you being marked on in the Cambridge writing tasks?

Content – have you answered the question as asked?

Communicative Achievement – have you completed the task using the correct type of language 

Organisation – have you structured, signposted, laid out your writing properly?

Language – have you used a good range of grammar and vocabulary

What are some good tips for the Cambridge writing tasks?

• Think about who you are writing to and use an appropriate style of language – understand the difference between an argumentative article, a business report, and an email to friend

• Make a plan / outline of what you’re going to write – make sure you are answering the question exactly as asked – plan what will go where and possibly even where you’ll get particular language in

• Use a wide variety of language – in a high-level exam you need to demonstrate your level. Don’t play it safe, take a few risks with your language (especially in the Advanced)

• Make sure everything is clearly laid out, in terms of paragraphs, openings & closings, and task-appropriate. You HAVE to use lots of linking words and cohesive devices

• Keep the ideas simple – it’s not a test of your general knowledge or amazing arguments, it’s just about the English

• Save time at the end to proofread – know the mistakes your frequently make – eg third person ‘s’

2: Listening

Tips for improving your listening generally

Expose yourself to a wide variety of accents – TV, film, podcasts, local radio, etc

Cambridge (unlike IELTS) has two listens – practice listening to other things twice and see how much you understand (eg 3 mins of a podcast, radio report, etc)

Tips for the exam

Use your time wisely – underline key words, predict the type of answer you’re listening for (a number, a noun, etc), partially rule out unlikely answers.

Do practice tests and then listen back with the transcripts to see where you went wrong, where you could have improved.

There are ALWAYS distractor words. You are looking for synonyms, not exact words from the question

The Multiple Matching part (especially in the Advanced where you are answering two questions for each speaker) takes lots and LOTS of practice. 

Be prepared to change your answer when you listen a second time – you are listening to get the ones you missed AND confirm ones you’ve got already

A lot of the question involve you understanding how speakers feel about certain things so really learn the vocab and grammar around this (relieved, excited, confused, etc) and reporting verbs (admitted, denied, etc)

Vocabulary

Do something for the sake of it. To do something for the sake of it is to do something just because you want to but not for any good reason. So maybe you are at a meeting and someone asks a question just for the sake of it. Not because they need an answer, just because they like asking questions. 

To work writing it into your routine, to make it part of your schedule.

Proofreading is reading back over a piece of work when you’re finished, looking for any mistakes 

Take some risks, don’t play it safe

Within reason, meaning to do everything you can, but not if it’s something ridiculous. So, I’ll do everything I can do pass the Cambridge exam, within reason. You know, I won’t drink 30 cups of coffee and study for 72 hours with no sleep. That would probably be a bad idea. 

Before you put pen to paper [remember there are no articles or possessives in this expression – it’s not to put your pen or a pen to some paper, it’s to put pen to paper – to begin something]

To put yourself in the right frame of mind. To be in the right frame of mind is to be thinking the right way for a task. 

To eavesdrop is the word we use to deliberately listen to a conversation that is not meant for you – to eavesdrop on a conversation. 

A similar expression, but in a different situation is to overhear sth. This is to hear something by mistake. 

If you are outside someone’s door trying to hear the conversation inside, you are eavesdropping. If you walk past someone’s door and the people inside are speaking very loudly you might overhear them. An important difference. 

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Cambridge Use of English (Podcast)

Some tips for Cambridge Use of English and reading

Practicing your English outside the classroom:

Reading as much as you can and taking note of grammar

Listening to and breaking down grammar of favourite songs

Watching local TV rather than just your favourite shows online

Keeping a vocab notebook with language chunks and examples, not just individual words (e.g To be interested in sth / in doing sth” not just “interested = word in my language”

Write a blog, force yourself to write things to you keep thinking about grammar and vocab

Reading & Cambridge Use of English Paper

Adv – 1hr 30 Min, 4 x Use of English, 4 x Reading

First – 1hr 15 mins, 4 x Use of English, 3 x Reading

1 Multiple Choice Cloze

8 questions. 4 options for each

All about idioms and collocations

You can usually rule out one or two answers quite quickly. If you’re not sure take an educated guess.

You need to be constantly building your vocabulary to get better at this section

2 Open Cloze

It can be “any” word but it’s very restricted

The missing words are usually pronouns, prepositions, linking words, adverbs. They will much less commonly be verbs, nouns, adjectives

Collocations and short phrases (as soon as, in order to) important here too

Think about where in the sentence a word comes (eg at the beginning it might be “However”, but very unlikely to be “But”

3 Word Formation

This is all about word families – prefixes and suffixes, word types (noun, verb, etc)

Think about whether the word is positive or negative (eg does it need “un” or “dis”)

Think about the type of word (eg it might need “-ly” if it’s an adverb)

As with all the section, skim read the whole text quickly at the beginning , the context will help you out

4 Key Word Transformation

This is a “you know it or you don’t” section, unlike the other parts where you can either guess with multiple choice or at least take a stab. 

Don’t waste time if you don’t know. Move on and come back later if you have time. A good one to come back to at the very end if you’re missing any.

Remember you have to use the word exactly as given

Keep the tense, the person, etc the same. Don’t change things unnecessarily 

Phrasal verbs come up a lot here. So does the passive.

There will often be multiple changes, e.g using an idiom and changing something to the passive for example. 

Remember in Cambridge Use of English, as elsewhere, a contraction (don’t, we’ll) is TWO words.

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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 you already know the characters
• Try comics/graphic novels – you get pictures too!
• Practice skim reading (very important for the Cambridge Reading Test) as well as more in-depth reading

The structure of the reading section of Part 1: Reading and Use of English :

• Multiple Choice (the first part of both papers)

There are 6 questions. You have 4 options for each. 

There will be texts with opinions and ideas, as well as more factual texts

• Skim the text, read the questions (maybe underlining key words), go back to the text and pick out the answers
• Use a process of elimination. At least one will be a fairly obviously wrong answer
• Make sure there’s evidence in the text for the answer (not just something that you know or feel to be true anyway)
• Be careful with “distractor” words
• Make an educated guess if you’re not sure – don’t leave anything blank! 

• Cross Text Multiple Matching (only Advanced)

Four short texts and multiple-matching questions (e.g. “which of the writers has a different opinion about dogs?” “which writer shares A’s views about the cinema?”)

Students often find this section very difficult

Read the texts first and try to keep as much of the info in your head as possible as you read the questions

Think about the overall tone of each short piece – is the writer positive or negative, optimistic, concerned, angry? 

Are there any standout ideas, strong opinions? Underline if necessary

• Gapped Text (Adv: Part 7; First: Part 6)

First – sentences have been removed (with one extra)

Advance – paragraphs have been removed (with one extra)

Read the text and the paragraphs to get a general idea of the topic

Think about how paragraphs/sentences link back in. They need to match grammatically as well as logically

Look at key words referring back or forward (previously, subsequently, this/that, pronouns, etc)

Think about synonyms which refer to something in the previous or next section

• Multiple Matching (last section of both papers)

You are quickly scanning and looking for specific information (e.g which of the texts /people /paragraphs mentions X?)

10 questions in total

Synonyms and rephrased sentences are very important here (including idioms and phrasal verbs)

E.g. which text mentions “investigating a problem” and the text might have “looking into the issue”

Again, be careful of distractor words. If the answer seems too obvious, it’s usually wrong.

Vocabulary for the Cambridge Reading Test

To get bogged down – if you are trying to solve a problem, and you try again and again and get really frustrated because you can’t get the answer, you get bogged down.

To skim read – to read just to get the surface meaning of a text, not in depth

To get the gist – to get the general idea of something

A half-way house – a mid-point between two things which is a good compromise

Against the clock – when you have a deadline or time pressure

To play to your strengths – to take advantage of something if you are good at it.

A jigsaw – a type of puzzle where the pieces fit together

Read more about the difference between the exams

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

Tips for the Cambridge speaking exam (Cambridge Advanced and First)

1. Extend your answers wherever possible. No monosyllabic answers and no silence! 

Who is your favourite artist? 

“Picasso” v “I’m a huge fan of modernist and cubist art and particularly Picasso”

Fill the time with “thinking” expressions:

Em, to be honest I’m not sure, I’m not that into art really, but if I had to chose one artist I’d maybe say Picasso

2. Even if the question is simple, the answer can use a range of grammatical features

What do you do?

I’m a teacher 

Well, I originally trained as an accountant but for the last few years I’ve been working as a teacher and have found it so interesting.

3. Use lots of comparison language (especially for part 2)

– Comparative adjectives

–  Words like: On one hand / While / Whereas / Despite / Even though / Although / However / Nevertheless 

– Opposites: big/small, old/young

– Don’t forget similarities: both pic A and B are / similar to / the same as

4. Make sure you can agree and disagree with a range of vocab for part 3

Yes, I see what you mean

I see your point but…

I don’t think I’d agree with you there

Yeah, that’s a good point

I’m not sure, wouldn’t you agree that…?

5. Learn keywords and good vocabulary, don’t rote learn full answers

You may get asked about your hometown. Just learn a good phrase like “rural village” and you might say “Well, I’m from a place most people have never heard of. It’s a small, rural village in the west of Ireland”. 

Not [robotically] I am from a small, rural village in the west of Ireland

6. Listen when the other candidate is speaking – in all the sections!

Don’t switch off and look bored, especially if you’re going to have to react afterwards (as in part 2)

Also, in Part 3 & 4, it is collaborative. Suggest that you move on to the next section. Ask each other questions, nod, interact, work together

What are your thought on this?

How do you feel about it?

I’m not sure about X. Would you agree?

…or maybe you feel differently / have a different opinion?

Other Vocabulary for the Cambridge Speaking Exam

To show off – to demonstrate that you’re good at something, to boast. 

to learn sth off / to learn something by heart

To hinder (Mistakes which hinder understanding)

A help or a hinderance (n.)

Grammar for the Cambridge Speaking Exam

Although / While / Whereas / Despite

Imagine you are comparing two photos. One is a supermarket, the other is a farmers’ market. You have to compare them

Although / While / Whereas most people like the convenience of a supermarket, I prefer shopping in markets. [contrast]

Although / While / Whereas farmers’ markets will often have organic food, they can be very expensive. [concession]

Despite being [they are] [the fact that they are] quite expensive, I think farmers’ markets still represent good value for money 

Despite + ing Despite of / In spite of

There is lots more information on the official Cambridge website.

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