Wednesday 23 March 2016

EFL exam advice



Because Edinburgh Language Academy is a computerised test centre, I thought it might be useful to offer advice on which level tests are best for you. With the many different level tests available in the EFL marketplace that may be required by UKVI, UK and USA Universities or UK employers, it can be confusing to decide which one to take.

Below is a brief summary of the different English exams you can take that are recognised by most government agencies and academic institutions in English speaking countries as an indication of your English level and ability. Please click on the links to find more information.

We offer four of the exams in our own ELA Exams Centre , which is actually right here in our school. Students who prepare with us don't even need to leave the school to take the exams.

If you have ever studied the  Cambridge Suite of Exams in your own country, this path may be open to you. If you were to sit the CAE exam  and gain a pass at A or B, then you would never have to take any English level test again to prove that you have A'level standard English. Once you achieve a grade in a Cambridge exam  it has no expiry date. It should be noted though, that Cambridge exams are a qualification and a a certain amount of preparation is required in order to cover the content of these exams. You are expected not just to be able to communicate in English but also analyse the language itself.

Other exams which can be used as proof of your overall level of English, and for which you can sit an exam at the ELA Test centre, are: the TOEFL testthe Pearson PTE Academic or Trinity GESE or SEW. The first two are computer based tests. Both of them are taken on the computer and you do not meet an examiner. ELA is a Trinity Secore English Language Test approved centre. These tests can be used for UKVI applications for visas, leave to remain and citizenshipThe formats of these exams are very different and its advisable (though totally optional) to take a short preparation course before any of them. 

ELA also offers preparation courses for the IELTS exam, which is currently a written paper. This exam does require a certain amount of specialist preparation. 

At ELA we teach you necessary language content but also strategies for each task on any of these exam papers. We also teach you effective revision and exam room techniques. Classes start each Monday.

Tests fall on global exam dates throughout the year. To book a Cambridge or Trinity exam in Edinburgh with ELA please fill out the application form. For TOEFL and Pearson dates please check their respective websites by clicking here and here

                                                                             

Tuesday 15 March 2016

English courses in the UK - ELA students on a Full Day Trip to St Andrews

Edinburgh Castle


The One o’clock Gun is fired at 13:00 hours every day except Sunday – you can join the crowds to experience its roar.
The tradition began in 1861 to provide ships in the Firth of Forth with an audible time signal to accompany the visual signal of the time-ball dropping at the top of the Nelson Monument. This helped shipping set the maritime clocks needed to navigate the globe long before satellite navigation was available. You can hear the gun clearly from our classrooms at Edinburgh Language Academy.
You can hear daily news about Edinburgh Castle on Edinburgh Castle’s Blog

Questions true or false?
1) The gun is fired every Sunday at 1pm.
2) The gun used to be fired from Nelson’s Monument.
3) GPS wasn’t available in 1861.
4) You can’t hear the gun from our classrooms.

Pssst!……TEACHERS
What is being tested here?

Thursday 10 March 2016

The Art of Learning

Below is a link to an article that refers to some of the things that are at the core of our academic strategy at ELA. Students are regarded as a complex mixture of content knowledge/skills and psychological, emotional, and cultural factors. They are constantly encouraged to get involved and think about their own learning. While the end result is particularly important in the context of an exam preparation class, we also focus on the learning journey, and helping student develop skills to cope with the various challenges that they may come across when living and studying in an English speaking country. The academic manager together with the class teacher follow the students’ progress at a customized level to quickly identify student priorities and to offer targeted academic support. Short tutorials are used to boost motivation and resilience.