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Как улучшить свой IELTS Speaking

September 29, 2018   Anglos   No comments

IELTS Speaking Tutor Online

Привет, в этой статье давай вкратце поговорим о том, как ты можешь улучшить свой IELTS Speaking. Если ты ищешь волшебную палочку, то мне придется разочаровать тебя: такого целебного снадобья не существует. По крайней мере, я лично за свои более чем 20 лет преподавания английского и подготовки людей к IELTS, TOEFL, SAT и другим тестам не встретил единого супер-способа улучшения навыков говорения на английском. Это при том, что я всегда ищу новые подходы, приемы и прочие фишки, которые реально работают. Так что говорить много тебе придется. Если, конечно, ты хочешь повысить свой балл на IELTS Speaking. Если особо не говорить, то твой балл, скорее всего, останется прежним.

Для того, чтобы что-то улучшить, желательно определить свой уровень на данный момент. Как это сделать в случае с IELTS Speaking? Если ты уже сдавал IELTS, тогда это очень просто. У тебя есть определенный балл за твой Speaking (к примеру, 6.5) – а ты хочешь получить минимум 7.0  В таком случае все очень просто: тебе нужно поднять свой балл на IELTS Speaking всего на 0.5 балла. А что делать, если ты еще IELTS не сдавал? Как же определить свой уровень навыков спикинга для теста? Здесь есть два пути. Первый: открываем YouTube, вводим фразу типа “IELTS Speaking” и смотрим много видео. Обычно в названии видео указывается, какой балл получил кандидат за свои старания. Помните, что зачастую этот балл в названии  завышен! читайте комментарии – там люди частенько удивляются “полученным” баллам, которые упоминаются в названии видео, и выдвигают свои варианты оценок. Хорошенько наслушавшись, постарайтесь вспомнить свой спикинг и сравнить услышанное со своим говорением на английском. К примеру, вы осознаете, что в основном ваш Speaking соответствует приблизительно баллу 5.0 во многих видео. Ну вот, вы и определились.

Второй вариант, более надежный: записываемся на уроки к опытному репетитору по подготовке к IELTS, и он/она определяет ваш предварительный балл за IELTS Speaking, предварительно пообщавшись с вами на английском и пройдя совместно пару заданий для спикинга. Этот вариант просто идеален (если, конечно, репетитор адекватный).

Итак, отправная точка у нас есть. К примеру, наш предварительный балл составляет 6.0, а нужно получить минимум 7.0 за IELTS Speaking. Как поднять свой балл на 1.0? Позвольте дать вам пару советов.

Вариант первый (логичный и нормальный): отрабатываем и улучшаем свой IELTS Speaking вместе с профессиональным репетитором. Это удобно и надежно. Особенно, если время позволяет. Если репетитор талантливый, то поднять спикинг на 1 балл можно за 1-2 месяца. Теоретически его можно поднять и за 1 неделю, так как многое в данном случае упирается в психологию: как именно говорить, какие вступительные фразы использовать, как держать руки во время интервью, как долго говорить, пока не остановят и т.д. В своей совокупности эти аспекты могут реально поднять твой балл на IELTS Speaking. К тому же, помни, что беседует с тобой именно ЧЕЛОВЕК, а не машина, и от того, понравишься ты ему или не очень, твой балл реально колеблется в пределах 0.5 плюс-минус. Естественно, если бы эти строки прочитал грейдер (интервьюер), он бы кричал и доказывал, что их натаскивают оценивать людей точно и объективно; и все же, я за эти годы многократно убеждался, как личное обаяние подымало балл за IELTS Speaking.

Вариант второй: работаем сами. Если ты возжелал трудиться самостоятельно, помни, что планку ты себе поставил высокую. Тебе по-любому нужен хотя бы собеседник. Где его взять? Можно познакомиться в соцсетях с иностранцем и просить его/ее иногда общаться с тобой по Скайпу или Вотсапу на английском. Один друг – мало общения на английском. Много друзей – много общения на английском. При этом помни, что главным условием есть следующее: ТЫ должен много говорить на английском, а твой собеседник слушать и периодически корректировать, а не наоборот: если друг слишком болтлив, то ты особо вообще не улучшишь свой IELTS Speaking, так как будешь слушать его/ее словесный поток. Разве что при этом ты немного улучшишь свой Listening для IELTS.

В общем, стараемся разговаривать с языконосителями. Если пока их нет в наличии, общаемся с самым приятным собеседником в мире – с самим собой! Можно поступить следующим образом: включаем YouTube с вышеупомянутыми видео об IELTS Speaking (типа примеры реальных интервью, хотя в 99% случаев это инсценировка), слушаем вопрос, затем слушаем ответ, останавливаем запись и сами отвечаем на поставленный вопрос. Так, потихоньку, видео за видео, мы тренируемся отвечать на вопросы на IELTS Speaking.

Здесь есть один важный нюанс: если просто отвечать на вопросы, особо не напрягаясь, то результат будет нарастать ооооочень долго и нудно. Нам нужен определенный вызов, эдакий челлиндж (challenge), который будет нас стимулировать к развитию. При этом вызов должен быть одолимым, а не заоблачным, иначе неминуемо наступит разочарование, а оно нам и в помине не нужно. А давай записывать себя на диктофон!

Ой, скажешь ты, началось… Конечно, началось – ты же сам решил без репетитора пыжиться, ну так будь добр, старайся, однако! Если не напрягаться вообще, то твой уровень спикинга для IELTSа будет повышаться годами. Так что, потихонечку, напрягаемся и развиваемся. Берем свой великий и лунноликий Айфон или Самсунг или другой мега-гаджет и записываем свои ответы на телефон. Да, я тебя понимаю, ужасно. Да, позор джунглей и полный завал. Помни: мы относимся ко всему с тобой с юмором и философски, и это придает нам великую силу. Записала себя раз, записал два … – потихоньку ты будешь слышать улучшения. К примеру, если ты не сотрешь в ужасе свои первые перлы, то через пару месяцев ты однозначно почувствуешь прогресс!

Короче, давай повторим для лучшего усвоения: записываем свои ответы на диктофон и раз в две-три недели недели оцениваем успехи.

Раз мы работаем самостоятельно, то челлинджики (вызовы) мы себе будем ставить сами. Это должно быть что-то легко измеримое и легко преодолимое. Возьмем, к примеру, скорость твоей речи на английском. Давай поставим себе новый челлиндж: говорить на 30% быстрее. IELTS Speaking ну просто обожает скорость. Помни: за высокую скорость своего щебетания на IELTS Speaking тебе простятся мелкие ошибки, я в этом сотни раз убеждался. Для спикинга на Айелтсе скорость – это 80% твоего успеха. Ну это и есть логично, в принципе: чем быстрее ты стрекочешь, тем, по идее, ты меньше подбираешь слова, и они из тебя просто изливаются журчащими ручьями. Так что работай над скоростью. Ты сам в состоянии услышать, быстрее ты говоришь или медленее, для этого не нужен репетитор.

Еще один вызов: стараемся говорить больше. IELTS Speaking любит объем. Помни: намного лучше ответить много на два вопроса, чем по чуть-чуть на пять. Экзаменатор тебя все равно остановит, так что не переживай, что будешь казаться слишком болтливой. Особенно это применимо ко второй и третьей частям спикинга – говори как можно больше. Время разговора ты легко можешь замерить с помощью таймера.

Можно устроить себе челлиндж насчет количества редких слов или идиом в твоем ответе. Их можно легко посчитать. Поставь себе за цель употребить 20 редких слов в своем спикинге. Когда достигнешь, подними планку до 30 и более. Я имею в виду, 30 новых слов во всем спикинге, а не в одном предложении!:))

Позволь повториться: талантливого репетитора английского ничто не заменит. Хороший коуч поможет тебе подниматься в своем английском выше и выше (при твоем старании, разумеется) и получить высокий балл на IELTS Speaking и не только. Ну уж если ты по какой-то причине надумал сам потеть, используй на здоровье пару приемов, которые я тебе обрисовал.

Напоследок глянь мое видео на эту же тему:

Красивого тебе английского и успеха на IELTS!

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The one and only way to enjoy English literature

September 25, 2018   Anglos   No comments

English literature in the original

Hi, my dear reader, today I want to share with you one idea that pops to my mind from time to time, and to be more specific, how we can embrace the beauty of the English literature. By the English literature I mean literary works executed in English (not their translations).

Sometimes I read opinions of literary critics who critique works by English writers. The critics vary in their attitudes and assessments, but the problem is, they are not English-speaking people! I mean, they read literary works in translation! So, let us think for an instant, whether is it possible to conceive a novel by Conan Doyle, if you study it through the translation into Russian? In my opinion, it is impossible.

When you say something like “I enjoy Mark Twain” while reading him in translation, you should realise that you get pleasure not so much from Mark Twain’s genius as from the talent of the translator. Really, how can you know what Twain has written if you are reading entirely different structures, vocabulary, approaches of another language? Thus, instead of saying how we like Walter Scott, we better say that we admire the translation of Scott by some translator.

That said, I think you understand that the only way to appreciate the power and the beauty of the English literature is to read it in the original, period! So, if you know that your level of English is a bit too low to float on the lines of written word in English, it is high time now to develop your English. Maybe the progress will not be so rapid as you desire, and still once you commence improving, you are sure to feel the difference. In a while you will be able to fully comprehend the power of the English literature.

Some psychologists and linguists say that the pleasure from the rhythmic English word can be compared to that received from listening to wonderful music or observing great paintings. I experience this delight often and highly recommend you to try. You will like it.

Be yours easy fluent English!

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The beauty of “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded” by Samuel Richardson

September 22, 2018   Anglos   No comments
Pamela by Samuel Richardson

I: Mr B. Finds Pamela Writing 1743-4 Joseph Highmore 1692-1780 Purchased 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03573

Hi, friends, in this post I just want to share my amazement elicited by the epistolary novel “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded” by ingenius Samuel Richardson. Probably you have never stumbled upon “Pamela” nor heard much of Richardson himself, so let me draw a brief outline of the writer and his literary legacy.

Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) was a great English writer, deemed by many the first eminent English novelist. What is interesting about his style is that his most famous novels, namely “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded”, “Clarissa, Or the History of a Young Lady”, and “The History of Sir Charles Grandison” are purely epistolary, being written entirely in the form of letters or sometimes diaries. I am truly charmed by Richrdson’s literary prowess. You float on the waves of his lines which abound in elaborately selected words. The paragraphs create the atmosphere of the sumptuousness of style, of that rich leisurely narration which cannot fail to lure the reader.

To me personally, Richardson’s creations possess an inimitable charm of intrinsic rhythm. It is wide in its foot and subtle in its diction, and yet once you catch the rhythm you are going to resonate with the flow of his prose for the rest of the pages.

“Pamela” consists of two volumes, the first one being in the form of letters by Pamela to her parents and their responses; the second volume presents Pamela’s diary since she was kidnapped by her future husband, Mr. B, and was unable to send letters. Pamela was a girl of fifteen years old and of rare beauty combined with an extreme sense of virtue and purity for which she would be ready to sacrifice her young life. Mr. B was her landowner and master after the death of his mother, and he gradually became so obssessed with Pamela’s attractions that he completely lost his mind and sanity in his attempts to seduce her and later to rape her.

Pamela Fainting by Highmore

Finally he kidnapped Pamela and continued his attempts in another estate till once she had a serious fit as a result of his forceful abuse and was seeming dead. Mr. B deeply repented his conduct and offered Pamela an equitable marriage. Pamela, after considerable hesitation agreed. The second volume of the novel is mostly dealing with the entrance of Pamela into the upper gentle society and the subsequent challenges. Still, with all her incredible sincerity and softness of disposition, she fitted harmoniously into the new world.

Here I commend to your attention the first lines of the novel hoping that you will enjoy the style and rhythm of it:

DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

I have great trouble, and some comfort, to acquaint you with. The trouble is, that my good lady died of the illness I mentioned to you, and left us all much grieved for the loss of her; for she was a dear good lady, and kind to all us her servants. Much I feared, that as I was taken by her ladyship to wait upon her person, I should be quite destitute again, and forced to return to you and my poor mother, who have enough to do to maintain yourselves; and, as my lady’s goodness had put me to write and cast accounts, and made me a little expert at my needle, and otherwise qualified above my degree, it was not every family that could have found a place that your poor Pamela was fit for: but God, whose graciousness to us we have so often experienced at a pinch, put it into my good lady’s heart, on her death-bed, just an hour before she expired, to recommend to my young master all her servants, one by one; and when it came to my turn to be recommended, (for I was sobbing and crying at her pillow) she could only say, My dear son!—and so broke off a little; and then recovering—Remember my poor Pamela—And these were some of her last words! O how my eyes run—Don’t wonder to see the paper so blotted.

I hope you hear this music sounding; Richardson was able to emulate the thoughts and feelings of a young lady so masterfully that one, I think, would not be able to say that the letter was authored by a male if he did not know it prior to reading.

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson

Being none of a literary critic, I lack the vocabulary to describe the merits of “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded”. I merely recommend that you start reading the book and fall in love with it; “Pamela” will wrap you with warmth and tenderness for many an evening creating the atmosphere of soft and deep English prose flowing through you and charging you with grateful enthusiasm and appreciation of Samuel Richardson’s literary genius.

To read “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded”, just follow the links provivded in this post.

All your kind comments to this brief article are highly welcome and appreciated.

Love you, my dear readers!

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Rhythm in prose – how to make your writing sing and vibrate

September 18, 2018   Anglos   No comments

rhythm in prose for creative writing and tests

Hi, dear friends, in this short article let me briefly outline the concept of rhythm in writing, specifically in prose, whether it be creative writing or formal one for IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GMAT and other tests. I understand that you probably have not ever pondered over the notion of rhythm in prose; we are all aware of it in verse, and yet rhythm is one of intrinsic inherent features of any kind of a written word.

To begin, let me warn you that the creativity of your literary endeavour may be evinced in the environment of freedom and non-dependence upon any academic constrains which are an essential element of English tests. That said, in IELTS writing you will be punished for the nfoldment of your creative genius; the graders are themselves benevolent, and still they are trained to assess your writing in accordance with exact prescribed rules – and reaaly, how could it be otherwise? Imagine millions of applicants writing for the tests every year, each boasting his singular talent and revealing his potential in his own way – how you can check and evaluate their writings then? Sure, there must be set rigid criteria for formal writing which will allow applicants to steer their course within the corridor of prescribed limitations.

Thus, firstly and foremostly, we will discuss now rhythm in prose for creative writing, and still, please remember that you can utilise the power or diction, melody and rhythm in your formal writing and surely add some points to your score.

So, let us look at the excerpt from Jule Verne’s “Around the world in eighty days” in the immaculate translation by Jacqueline Rogers – these are the first two paragraphs of the first chapter:

 

Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens, the house in which Sheridan died in 1814. He was one of the most noticeable members of the Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about whom little was known, except that he was a polished man of the world. People said that he resembled Byron—at least that his head was Byronic; but he was a bearded, tranquil Byron, who might live on a thousand years without growing old.

Certainly an Englishman, it was more doubtful whether Phileas Fogg was a Londoner. He was never seen on ‘Change, nor at the Bank, nor in the counting-rooms of the ‘City”; no ships ever came into London docks of which he was the owner; he had no public employment; he had never been entered at any of the Inns of Court, either at the Temple, or Lincoln’s Inn, or Gray’s Inn; nor had his voice ever resounded in the Court of Chancery, or in the Exchequer, or the Queen’s Bench, or the Ecclesiastical Courts. He certainly was not a manufacturer; nor was he a merchant or a gentleman farmer. His name was strange to the scientific and learned societies, and he never was known to take part in the sage deliberations of the Royal Institution or the London Institution, the Artisan’s Association, or the Institution of Arts and Sciences. He belonged, in fact, to none of the numerous societies which swarm in the English capital, from the Harmonic to that of the Entomologists, founded mainly for the purpose of abolishing pernicious insects.

Now, read this passage to yourself, either in a low voice, or completely to yourself. You will feel the beat. It is not that every second or third syllable bears a stress upon itself; in this case the scale of rhythm is broader, richer; you feel an invisible metronome ticking at regular inervals, these intervals being sumptuous, substantial, broad rather than narrow. So, to feel the rhythm of such prose, we can read the passage several times, each time immersing ourselves still deeper into the tranquil liquid of the genuine language.

I should admit that maybe for some of you this sensation of rhythm will not emerge at once in so tangible a form. I just want to remind you that rhythm exists in prose as well, and perhars it is evem more subtle, more exquisite and gentle than in verse, for verse is so common to us for its beat that it takes little effort on the part of the reader to grasp it; prose, conversely, veils its meter into intricate and quiete flow of sentences.

We all differ in our perception of prose rhythm. Some readers dote upon Earnest Hemingway of James Joyce; I personally love Artur Conan Doyle, Samuel Richardson and Jule Verne (the latter in translation, of course, so we should speak about the genius of the translator in this case).

What is your favourite pulsation? It can be any style and any author. I beg you to deliberate yourself from the mass-orientation shaped by critics. Whatever it is you are enjoying, it is completely yours for the simple reason that it resonates with your inner being; it vibrates in harmony with your personal radiation. Thus, you can feel the rhythm in any book of prose. Once you discover the pulse, you will search for it for the rest of your life. Some people say that the pleasure of rhythmical reading is one of the highest aesthetic indulgencies in our life. You simply feel the music in the text, whether it is a classical composition that is sounding in your mind, or some jazz or modern vibes – truly it is limitless.

Now, I venture to recommend you not only to enjoy the beat in the written word, but also to benefit from its immense power while writing for the tests of English. Yep, I understand that in order to accomplish the goal of a rhythmical, smoothly flowing composition you need to have a high level of language mastery, and this prerequisite may discourage you a trifle. In this case, I sincerely state that you are unique in your writing regardless of your level; rhythm can add to your compositions always and everywhere, just pluck up the courage to endeavour. You are much more talented than you think, and truly a fuller comprehension of your own talent is going to enrich your writing. I am a non-native speaker myself, so I have the choice of either sitting and complaining about my origin or just take the bull by the horns and whip up a short article on this web-site. Undoubtedly, this text swarms with inconsistencies, as well as syntactical and semantical slips. So what of that? If I abstain from writing, I doom myself to keeping a low profile and by no means boosting my language skills. If you feel that inferiority, simply follow my example. Just sing to yourself the creation of yours while writing, and miracles will emerge.

Be yours brilliant English!

P.S. Should you need assistance in IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GMAT, ACT …  preparation, feel free to visit my web-site: www.onlinetutor.top and become my dear student))

 

 

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Why I love online English tutoring

August 26, 2018   Anglos   No comments

The benefits of online English learning for both the teacher and the student.

Online English tutoring

I am an English teacher. A professional one. Even an experienced one, I dare say.

Also, being a person capable of making generalizations from the accumulated data, I cannot help appreciating the epoch we ale living in – the age of computer technologies. Yes, indeed, we are bestowed with informational bounty, such a plentiful one which the ancient thinkers and scholars wouldn’t even have dared dream about. Just think about it: any shade of thought, any exquisite whim of enquiry – all this is abundantly met and covered by the Internet resources. One instance, and you are already aware of whatever you desire to cognise, from the intimate juicy details up to nuclear physics or esoterics – just click the button, and the miracle unfolds before you. I am sure, most of the younger generation fail to at least partially appreciate the informational paradise they have been born to. They just enjoy it involuntarily.

Teaching is deemed by many one of the most challenging pursuits in our life. Despite low remuneration levels worldwide, teachers and tutors mold young personalities into developed shapes of educated citizens. One cannot overestimate the importance of professional teaching, let alone effective instruction. To be a really helpful teacher, you should embrace the traits of a high-qualified specialist as well as some zips of a genius.

Thankfully, I find myself in a tutoring Eden today. Due to the Internet, I can filter and select the best, the superb, the brilliant materials for my dear students. I am as free as a bird in the sky of teaching methodology. Still, to make me even more overwhelmed with joy, God has given me a unique opportunity to teach online.

Online lessons – just think of it, try to conceive of the bliss we are rejoicing in! I can help anybody on the planet, whether in Australia or Russia, right now, right reclining in my favourite chair and sipping coffee. And the student, he is delighted also because he enwraps himself with the comfort of his own dwelling where every nook is whispering subtle chants of love to him. We are both free. We are both comfortable and confident. We both feel safe, focused on the lesson, and still feel all fibers of each other via the screen and speakers.

It is possible now to teach everything online, from organic chemistry to singing. As I specialise in English tutoring, it is but logical that I know a lot about teaching guys and training them for tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, SAT and others. When about 10 years ago I commenced tutoring people on Skype, I had some hesitations and doubts as to the effect of online tutoring. They faded away within the first month or so. The more I tutor students online, the more I dote on it. Online teaching is the new era of instruction and a paragon of effeciency for those who use it and explores its depths.

Imagine: you can find and start learning with your favourite tutor from all over the globe right now! You can easily exchange materials and assignments with him through messaging or screen sharing. You can be clad in your soft pajamas or be naked exposing only the upper part of your torso.))) You can half-lie on bed or stand erect in the centre of the room – every aspect can be tuned to boost the effeiciency of the lesson. You do not have to commute to the tutor through the whole city or expect him while he is making his way through traffic jams. You do not even have to tidy up your room – let the mess dominate, if it gives you pleasure.

The online English learning session can be conducted with or without video, each of the modes boasting its own merits. I have noticed that you focus on the teacher’s words even more than while regular face-to-face lessons simultaneously being free of the extranuous anxiety pertinent to stationary sessions when you sit next to each other.

Scheduling your online Skype lessons is also easy given that nobody has to travel back and forth. Sometimes we study at night. Once in a while we welcome each other in the early morning squeezing hot coffee cups in front of the camera.

So, online tutoring is a bliss. Believe it or not, I hold it as a gem for myself. Online English lessons, whether general training or TOEFL, IELTS, SAT preparation, turn teachers’ jobs into pleasure.

Be yours brilliant English!

Need online tutoring for TOEFL, IELTS, SAT or GMAT? – You are welcome! Just drop me a line at engvox@gmail.com or visit www.onlinetutor.top and fill out the form there. 

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