Artículos escritos por profesores particulares de Inglés nativos

Hi there! I couldn't think of a better topic than London for my first post. Have you ever been to the capital of England? If not, you really should and I am going to give you 5 arguments to catch a plane and spend a few days (or more!) there. 1. Practice your English! London is indeed such a good city for improving your English skills although you will find many people from Spain or South America. However, if you come across with a local you wil...

What is the difference between these two sentences? 1.       I stopped talking to my friend 2.       I stopped to talk to my friend Maybe you think they mean the same, but that is a big mistake. You are saying two completely different thing and other people will understand the wrong thing if you use these two forms incorrectly. The use of the gerund (talking) and the infinitive (to talk...

This article will help you with FCE, CAE, IELTS and TOEFL. When you write an essay, you must always remember to write a conclusion. To some students, writing a conclusion seems unnecessary. Maybe in your culture this is not necessary, but you need to add a brief conclusion, just one or two sentences, effectively repeating your opinion. In this way, you are telling the reader goodbye, reminding them of your thinking. In fact, this is the easiest ...

Fields and forests are green. Some people have green eyes or wear green clothes. My favourite colour is green. But when is green not green? Let’s look at some idioms with green. 1.       Green with envy / the green-eyed monster I am sure that at times you go green with envy when the green-eyed monster makes an appearance. What does that mean? In this context, the colour green is a synonym for envy. So, if you go gre...

American or British English? This is an outdated debate based on a false dichotomy. Professor Jenkins employs the term “World Englishes” to refer to all the varieties of English that we can find in the world. Thus, this binary opposition between American and British English responds to the power of hegemonic, dominant ideologies. This false dichotomy promotes both a monocentric view of English based on American or British norms and also the inte...

In the use of the English language, idioms can be very useful but, sometimes, also difficult to understand. An idiom is an expression in a specific language that doesn't have a literal meaning but a peculiar signification that is popularly known. Therefore, idioms can't be understood word by word, by the separate meaning of its words; instead, idioms are understood by the context and through an immersion in the culture. There are many idioms in ...

Dear Student of English, I thought it would be useful to share a few experiences from a teacher's point of view.  But I promise not to scare you with that dreaded word again.“GRAMMAR”. Even thinking the word can give you a chill, I know! It seems like some difficult, abstract thing that sits outside of the fun English you want to learn. In your head English is fun because it allows you to communicate, but grammar is difficult.  It must...

Do you feel like you are struggling to improve your English? Do you understand a lot, but find it difficult to communicate properly? This is why it is important to practice your speaking skills regularly. Though this can be difficult at first, it will improve your level overall. I work as an English Language Assistant in a secondary school and have seen first - hand how speaking practice can boost students confidence when it comes to communicati...

This is how TOEFL scores compare IELTS and CEFR levels: Today, I will look at the TOEFL, the American English exam many USA universities require to offer you a place. Unlike UK exams, TOEFL is ONLY done online. You get a score from 0 to 120. Typically, you need 80 points to have a B2 level or 6.5 IELTS. But most universities will require 95 points or above. Top universities may require 105 or above. These scores are hard to get in the TOEFL exa...

This is how IELTS scores compare to the CEFR levels: But which exam is right for you? Today, I will look at the IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, developed by Cambridge in response to the American TOEFL (I will cover TOEFL in the next article). Unlike the traditional Cambridge Exams (First, Advanced, Proficiency), you do not get "pass" or "fail". Instead, you get a grade from 1 to 9, reflecting your level. Whether the le...

You may already be familiar with the European language levels (CEFR): But which exam is right for you? Today, I will look at the Proficiency exam of Cambridge, level C2, the highest level you can achieve as a non-native English speaker. Great objective to have, uh? This is above what even the strictest employers and highest-ranking universities will require. You may need this certificate to be a certified translator or just because you are grea...

You may already be familiar with the European language levels (CEFR): But which exam is right for you? Today, I will look at the Advanced Certificate of Cambridge, level C1. This is what stricter employers and higher-ranking universities will require. What are the pros and cons? Pros: Internationally recognised by stricter employers and higher-ranking universities (including for Master degrees) Highly regarded and C1 level (Cambridge quality) ...

You may already be familiar with the European language levels (CEFR): But which exam is right for you? Today, I will look at the First Certicate of Cambridge, level B2. This is what many employers and universities will require as a minimum. What are the pros and cons? Pros: Internationally recognised by employers and universities Highly regarded (Cambridge quality) Tests all 5 skills: use of English, reading, writing, listening, speaking In th...

What's up students! How you doing? En primer lugar, me presento: me llamo Irene y tengo 24 años. Soy de una pequeña ciudad de España llamada Cuenca y me dedico a enseñar y transmitir mi forma de ver el inglés. Ahora que ya me conoces un poco más, vamos al grano... ¿quieres aprender inglés? ¿llevas toda la vida estudiando inglés en el colegio, instituto, etc. pero no consigues tener una conversación normal en inglés? ¿te da miedo o vergüenza habl...