The Importance of Training for Cambridge Exams

A question that we are asked on a regular basis is ‘How does this exam reflect my level of English?’.
It is a very fair question, and, unfortunately, the answer is that it actually might not.

Whether it is for university, work, or just for the personal challenge, the Cambridge exams often represent the pinnacle of difficulty in English language development.
They are not easy to achieve and bring with them a sense of satisfaction unobtainable in any other area of language development.

But does it reflect your level of English? Not necessarily…

Passing an exam is somewhat different to achieving the language to enable you to order dinner at a restaurant.  Most language development occurs to improve communicative ability, not impress an examiner.  Unfortunately, that is not what is needed to pass the Cambridge exams.

The exam is divided into the four skills – Speaking, Reading (and Use of English), Writing and Listening. Each skill will test your ability to use/understand various areas within each skill but they follow a very specific structure.

The reading paper will test your understanding of general information and ask you complete multiple choice questions – along with completing a text by inserting multiple paragraphs.
The writing paper will ask you to write two pieces of text – typically one will be a report and the second one will be a choice. The listening paper, much like the reading paper, will ask you to analyse spoken texts and to fill in empty spaces. All of which aren’t really skills we utilise in our daily use of English, therefore, in order to pass these exams, specialist training is a must.


This does not mean that it is impossible to achieve a high standard of English without doing an exam, but it does mean that it is remarkably difficult to achieve a certificate of fair representation of your English level without first studying the nuances of the exam.

Glossary

pinnacle – the most successful point; the culmination.

nuances - a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

---Sign up for the Cambridge English Exams at ELA-Edinburgh.

Whether it is Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency or Business Certificate, preparing for a Cambridge English exam does not need to be an arduous task.

At ELA-Edinburgh we will provide you with the training and support required to achieve your desired score.

Trinity CertTESOL - Your Gateway to the World

Challenging, engaging, fun, intensive, inspiring, rewarding, enlightening, fast-paced and multi-faceted!!
These are just some of the adjectives volunteered by our trainees.

Do they make it sound appealing?
Do you want to travel?
Are you looking for an international English language teaching qualification?
Can you cope with an intensive four week course?
If you answered YES to all the above, then the CertTESOL is for you.

Our next course runs from 8th October until 2nd November 2018 and there are still a few places left.

Participants enrol on our CertTESOL courses for different reasons:

• some are looking to launch a career in language teaching 
• some want to work while on their gap year
• some already have teaching experience but need a qualification
• others just want a career change

Whatever your reason, the Trinity CertTESOL can help. It’s one of the main qualifications in English language teaching and recognised world-wide by schools, governments, NGOs as well as multi-nationals. Doing our ELA/Trinity course means you can move into the next phase of your career with confidence or move abroad knowing you’ll work for a reputable school.

What we offer:

• 6 hours of assessed teaching practice
• the opportunity to profile a learner by interviewing him/her, analyse their language and subsequently give a 1-2-1 lesson
• experience in creating and producing your own materials
• a competitive price: currently it’s £925 at ELA-Edinburgh

Course Content:
The CertTESOL is made up of 5 units and involves 130 timetabled hours, ten of which you will spend observing qualified teachers and teaching volunteer students from many different countries. You need to pass all five assignments to be awarded the qualification, but our experienced and highly qualified trainers will support you every step of the way.

At ELA-Edinburgh your day will normally be:
09:00-12:15-methodology and language input sessions with your trainers
12:15-13:00 Lunch
13:00-18:00 Lesson planning, teaching and observations.

Nearly everyone who has done a CertTESOL course remembers it as an intense but extremely rewarding 4 weeks. Reading between the lines: expect a great experience but be prepared to put in a lot of hard work!

Non-native teachers
We have many non-native speakers on our course, but they need to do a pre-course interview with the Course Director, before being accepted on to the course. Trinity trainees need IELTS 7.0 in all skills, or equivalent, to participate, but it’s the CD who has the final say.

If you feel your level of English may fall short of this, don’t worry. ELA has purposefully designed intensive courses to prepare you for the CertTESOL.

Remember, as you’ll be participating in an educational course you might qualify for the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically designed for lifelong learning.

If you still haven’t made up you mind, have a glance at some of our earlier blogs for ideas of great places to jet off to when you’ve finished your course at ELA-Edinburgh.

Thinking about moving to Edinburgh

So, you are thinking about studying in Edinburgh? Good choice! Edinburgh is one of the most captivating cities in Europe, with students and professionals alike travelling here with the intention of staying for a few months but wind up staying here for a few years. ‘Multi-cultural’ is a word that is used to describe a lot of different places, but Edinburgh? 

Edinburgh wrote the book on ‘multi-culturalism’.

If you are thinking about relocating either permanently or temporarily, then here are ten things that you should be aware of before you arrive.

Doctors

Possibly the most important item on the list is healthcare. Scotland has famously free healthcare and registering with a GP (General Practitioner) is a straightforward process.  Once you arrive and you have your accommodation organised, just walk into any clinic and sign up.

Transport

Getting around Edinburgh is nice and simple. Our bus service is very reliable and our many taxi companies will help see you home whatever the hour.

If you are planning to leave the city to explore Scotland, then you should check the national rail service because you might be legible for a discount card.

Accommodation

Prices in Edinburgh vary by location but it is no secret that Edinburgh is an expensive city to live in.  As a general rule, the closer you are to the city centre, the more rent you can expect to pay. That being said, the areas surrounding Edinburgh are beautiful and the bus links are excellent.

There are options for traveling inside of Edinburgh aside from the busses, such as the many taxi companies and tram service.  If you wish to travel away from Edinburgh and explore the country, then, depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a discount rail card.

Eating Out

Edinburgh, as mentioned before, is a wonderfully multicultural environment and nowhere is it clearer than in its restaurants.  The variety of places to eat is simply staggering and they are not just restricted to the city centre. If you miss your country’s cuisine, Edinburgh may be able to provide you with the delicacies from your home in one the great variety of international supermarkets.

Of course, if you wish to experience traditional British food then perhaps a traditional pub is just the ticket!

Cultural Immersion

Edinburgh has a vast history which has been chronicled into its very buildings. From the narrow, winding streets of the ‘Old Town’ to the masterful creation that is the ‘New Town’, Edinburgh’s architecture is a delight.  Everywhere you turn you are reminded of a beautiful, but harsh, past that graced this city. 

Even Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Scotland’s greatest writers, once remarked:

There are no stars as lovely as Edinburgh street lamps.

So what do you need to do to get here? 

Well, if you are planning to study then you will probably need IELTS or TOEFL.  Or perhaps you are looking to settle here and become a British Citizen, if so then you will probably need to do SELT.  

At ELA-Edinburgh, we offer a number of courses that can help you achieve your goals of relocating to Scotland.  Our exam focussed courses will cover all of your university requirements and if you are intending to stay then we will be very happy to help. 

Glossary

Captivating – really beautiful

To wind up – to come to a destination that was not planned

To write the book on something – to be the first expert on something

Aside from – not including

Staggering – (adj) to describe something very positively

Just the ticket – used to describe something as perfect, often used for foo

Visit Scotland: Meet the People

What can we say about Scotland that hasn’t been said before?  We could talk about the majestic mountains in the north, or the vast archipelago in the south-west.  We could talk about the ‘Water of Life’ internationally known as ‘Whisky’, or maybe talk about the delicacies you could enjoy which range from the very healthy and fresh seafood to the remarkably body-damaging ‘deep-fried Mars Bar’. We could talk about the wealth of Celtic folklore that is still celebrated today in various sites across the country, and we could talk about our national sporting passions of football and rugby.

But we’re not going to talk about that.

We’re going to talk about the people.

Coming to Scotland, an English-speaking country with a variety of accents so vast that it’s mind-boggling, can be quite a daunting experience.  We have a beautiful land which we enjoy sharing with the world, but it’s really the people that makes Scotland what it is today.

Take Edinburgh, for example, our capital city, which is situated on the cold, south-eastern coast, far away from almost all of the dramatic scenery you’ll find on the numerous postcards and tea-towels. And yet it has so much charm that it has become a city which rivals Oxford and Cambridge for international students looking to find a temporary (and sometimes permanent) home. 

Why? The people.

In Scotland we say that the people from the west coast, such as Glasgow, are friendlier than those on the east coast.  There’s not really any truth to this saying but it is testament to the friendly rivalries that occur all across the country. Rivalries without any malicious intent whatsoever…unless, of course, there’s a football match on TV.

We are ‘people people’. An unusual expression, but one that sums us up what it means to be Scottish quite succinctly. We are welcoming, we are talkative, we are open and we are generous.  We have a history that we are proud of, and a history that shames us.  We are defined by our own sense of belonging to this land but our doors are always open for all to see. 

So why should you come here?  Aside from the obvious reasons, Scotland would love to have you.  As our famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, once said: ‘There are no foreign lands.  It is the traveller only who is foreign’.

We have courses at ELA-Edinburgh which will help you in your journey across Scotland.  

We can teach you about the culture and give you the language skills you need to converse with the people throughout your stay.  We can teach you history and the folklore of the beautiful city of Edinburgh and you can then leave the written version and experience first-hand how our culture is reflected in our people.

Glossary

Majestic – having or showing impressive beauty or scale

Archipelago – an extensive group of islands.

Mind-boggling – overwhelming; startling

Tea-towels – a cloth for drying washed crockery, cutlery, and glasses

Succinctly – in a brief and clearly expressed manner

Converse – to have a conversation with someone