Christmas Vocabulary Guide

Earlier in 2017 we brought you tips on learning vocabulary. Now, to help you enjoy/survive Christmas, we present ELA-Edinburgh's top Christmas vocabulary.

Re-gift

Have you ever received a Christmas present you didn't enjoy? Did you think about giving that same present to somebody else? This is re-gifting and, for many people, it is not socially acceptable.

Hogmanay /hɒɡməneɪ/

Don't come to Scotland without knowing about Hogmanay. It's our name for December 31st and all the celebrations that go with it. We take Hogmanay take very seriously. The rest of the UK goes back to work on January 2nd but not in Scotland. We need an extra day to recover.


Stocking Stuffers

In the UK, most children receive a stocking full of relatively small presents. Stocking stuffer has become a synonym for small, inexpensive presents that can fit into the stocking. But remember, even stocking stuffers can't be re-gifted!

Scrooge

Scrooge is one of the most famous characters from Charles Dickens, the author that had such a huge influence on British Christmas traditions. It's such a powerful character that to be called 'a scrooge' is a big insult. Scrooges are mean, miserable and don't enjoy Christmas.


Togetherness

The opposite of scrooge in many ways. Togetherness is the feeling of community and family that many people in the UK feel around Christmas. For lots of British people, it's a time when being together with friends and family is especially important.

Happy Christmas from all the team at ELA-Edinburgh!

The Schwa

Following on from our pronunciation guide, we bring you the most common sound in English: the schwa. The only sound in English with its own name, you will find the schwa in many, many words.

What is it?

The schwa is an unstressed vowel sound. This means that if a vowel is not stressed, it is probably pronounced as a schwa sound. You can listen to the schwa here.

Can you show me an example?

Say the word 'vegetable'  to yourself. And again. This is one of the most mispronounced words in English because learners want to pronounce every vowel. However in 'vegetable' the second 'e' and the 'a' are schwas, the only vowel that is fully pronounced is the first 'e'.

Why is this important?

Remember that, unlike many languages, English doesn't respect its vowel sounds. English speakers are lazy! We reduce, or just leave out, a lot of vowel sounds. This is why the schwa is so important. If you don't respect the schwa, you will mispronounce many words and your English will not sound as natural as it could!

Supporting Equal Opportunities in English Language Teaching

In the English as a Foreign Language education sector, the most common cause for concern, is the 

unfair policy towards non-native speakers as English language teachers.

In English language teaching, many would probably agree, that there are great advantages to employing both native and non-native English speakers; both bring strengths to the classroom. Native speakers are normally great sources of vocabulary, whilst non-native teachers often have a stronger grasp of grammar, than a newly qualified native speaker. 

Ultimately, these pros and cons cancel each other out, and all we are left with is the individual qualities and characteristics of the teachers. This is what can truly make a difference a students learning experience, what really matters is the connection they developed with a teacher; one who exudes a genuine interest and passion for their work, over the source of their English skills. 

On reaching this conclusion, a school might find conflict with clients or parents who have strong views on what is best for them, and their children. From personal experience at private language schools, it has been the clients who were most resistant to non-native teachers, as there is an assumption in many countries that native is best. 

Perhaps, when put in this position, it is the duty of the school to remain in support of their non-native colleagues and it is the prerogative of an organisation to employ those they deem most suitable for the job. After-all, there is an implied and automatic trust on behalf of the client, in the school's judgement to employ the best and most appropriate teaching staff. 

For schools seeking accreditation, priorities are unfailingly awarded to qualifications over the origin of a teachers mother tongue, by accreditors or government bodies. 

At our Academy, we uphold equal opportunities among our teaching staff and are lucky to have a supportive mix of native and non-native teachers, which adds balance and value to our team. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and this is something we will continue to promote through our place in the industry. 

ELA-Edinburgh is a supporter of TEFL Equity Advocates. Set up in 2014 to speak out for equal professional opportunities in ELT. The organisation campaigns to encourage schools and organisations to establish supportive and fair employment policies. 

Learn more - TEFL Equity Advocates 

info@elacademy.co.uk +44 (0)131 226 6182 

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Increase your reading speed with a top-down approach

Time is your enemy in an exam.  The  Cambridge ESOL and IELTS reading papers both require candidates to complete many lengthy tasks in a severely limited time-period.  How can we make the most of our precious time?

A top-down approach is one technique that can be used to increase your ability to gist-read (reading for general understanding) as it allows you to make use of your pre-existing knowledge of a topic. 

Let’s look at a newspaper article.  Newspapers are wonderful sources of authentic content and should be read regularly to help increase vocabulary.  Before we even open the newspaper, we can make some assumptions about the story we are going to read:

·      *    it will have a clear headline

·       *   it will probably have a sub-heading

·       *  the opening paragraph will probably be an overview of what the story is going to be about

·        * there might be a picture it may be written entirely in the passive voice

Opening a newspaper, we may read a headline like:

Computer Firm’s Share Price Drops

As we read the headline, our mind is automatically associating the words we have previously absorbed on the subject.  It happens instantaneously.

Now that we have an idea of what the story could be about, we read the opening paragraph.  This should affirm our prediction and allow us to read the whole story relatively quickly as we combine the words on the page with the knowledge we have activated.

This means that if you have an idea where the story came from, it can help you predict something about the content.  This in turn allows you to train your mind into linking contexts with your own knowledge.

The message is clear and simple. Before you start reading, take a moment to make predictions about the text and allow your brain to start making connections. The time it saves you could be invaluable.

Contact us to see how we can help. 

info@elacademy.co.uk +44 (0)131 226 6182 

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IELTS Top Tips: Part 2

Following on from our IELTS Top Tips: Part 1 covering listening and reading, this week we bring you our guide to the productive sections of the exam: speaking and writing

Speaking

• Build a library

Collect your favourite phrasal verbs/idioms and make sure they can be used in a variety of contexts: e.g. describing likes and dislikes. Remember, you have a limited time to impress and it is vital you show off your knowledge

• Start your preparation early

Don’t leave speaking preparation till the end of the course. Start using your favourite expressions soon and try to use them every time you practise. The aim is for you to be able to produce a range of grammar and vocabulary that will impress the examiner and not seem forced.

• Use your voice

Don’t make the mistake of thinking pronunciation is only about vowel and consonant sounds. While accurate production is important you should also remember to change the speed and pitch of your voice to add emphasise, and enhance meaning.

Writing

• What’s true for speaking is true for writing

Like speaking, start your writing preparation early aiming to collect advanced grammar and vocabulary that you will be able to use in part 2. One possibility is to prepare a model for part 2 into which you can insert the details of your particular topic.

• Be practical in part 1

Remember that while part 2 is literary, part 1 is more scientific. You do not need beautiful vocabulary or a wide range of advanced structures to succeed here. Rather, ask yourself if a reader could recreate the graph/diagram/chart from your description. Focus on accuracy and detail.

• Tactics, tactics, tactics

You should be able to do well in writing as it is so tactical. Learn the rules and follow them. Pay close attention to the word count and most importantly: ANSWER THE QUESTION and resist the temptation to alter it to suit your interests or knowledge.

Contact us to see how we can help. 

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IELTS Top Tips: Part 1

We all know what an important exam IELTS is, and many of our students at ELA-Edinburgh come to us with a target score for entrance to a British university.

For all IELTS students, here are our top tips for every section of the exam!

This week we tackle the receptive skills: reading and listening

Reading

• Read the questions carefully

There are many different task types in the reading section so don’t assume you know what to do!

• Underline the words that gave you the answer

Always check your answers before transferring them to the answer sheet. When you do this, ask yourself why you chose that answer. Look at the words you underlined and check you agree.

• Only take information from the text

It’s tempting to allow outside knowledge to affect your answer but remember the only relevant information is that in the text.

Listening

• Focus at all time

Remember listening is active and requires 100% concentration. It is hard work but switching off will cost you valuable points.

• Predict

Use the time you get before the exercises well. It is vital, especially in gap fill exercises, that you guess what could be in the gap.

• Keep calm

The exam writers are not your friends. They know you’re nervous and likely to put the first viable answer you hear. If you know the answer is a number, it highly probable there will be two or three numbers designed to confuse you.

Check the blog next week for our tips on the productive skills: writing and speaking

Contact us to see how we can help. 

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Give Your CV a Little TLC

The transformation of English as the language of international business, in our global age, means effective communication has never been so essential.  

Studying a Business English course, for anyone wanting to keep up and take part in the modern world and workplace, can be a great advantage for personal growth and career opportunities. 

We’ve created a solution. 

Improve your language skills and showcase your achievement through our Business English course and BULATS exam at the end. Students can choose any number of weeks to study and can enroll on any Monday, choosing from full or part time hours. 

And, if you are unable to study consistently during the week, enroll on our evening and weekend courses to suit your schedule. 

The benefits of BULATS

• Exam is sat at the end of the course in school

• Results are given automatically in school

• Schedule the exam to suit you

• Prove your language expertise and skills - boosting your CV with a certificate 

With a decade in this industry, we understand that each customer has different needs and driving factors for wanting to improve their language skills. We are an experienced provider of tailored courses, to meet changing needs, contact us to find out how ELA-Edinburgh can help today. 

info@elacademy.co.uk  +44 (0)131 226 6182 

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