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January 20, 2019

IELTS Advice: learn by copying

Yesterday I wrote that your English teacher should take you just outside your comfort zone. Your teacher should also be your best source of language and the 'model' that you try to copy.

Don't be afraid to copy the way I write or the way your favourite English speaker speaks. Copying is the best way to learn a language; it's much more reliable than translating word by word using a dictionary.

Comments

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Hi , Simon.
Coping is really a good way to learn English. I've been copying both your essays and some model answers from IELTS Emamination Papers. Your essays no doubt deserve Band 9 scores. However, some model answers from the IELTS books are not as yours . I was wondering are they really writen by examiners ?

Posted by: Celia | January 21, 2019 at 00:14

I only copy some of the ideas, vocabulary and format from the lessons.Idea is easy to copy but vocabulary is difficult.Thanks.

Posted by: Pachu | January 21, 2019 at 01:39

Hi Simon,
I completely buy your idea of having a good English teacher. Are you providing online teaching service specifically for writing and speaking? I would really appreciate to have you my online IELTS teacher! Please respond ASAP as I will take IELTS exam on February the 14th.

Posted by: Vishaal | January 21, 2019 at 05:57

please help me with this structure:

I was wondering what is the best way to contact you.

I was wondering what the best is to contact you.

Posted by: Alice | January 21, 2019 at 05:57

Vishaal
These are for listening and pronunciation practice: the idea is to make you more aware of accent. Hopefully, in the long run, you will be more aware of what you yourself are producing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmxksDIL1cw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9hzEno0p8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WvIwkL8oLc

The underlying thesis is that one of the gangplanks to improved pronunciation is the ability to identify various English accents when listening. People I know who can do this also have very good quasi-English accents; in fact some of them pass as native speakers.

Posted by: Bogdan | January 21, 2019 at 07:41

Celia

If you mean Cambridge past examination papers, there are a few model answers marked Band 9, which are fine. However, many of the answers are marked with a lower band.

Always be aware that there are many different approaches to answering an IELTS Task 2 essay. However, in the exam you do not want to be dithering about which approach to use. You need go in with a plan, and method.

Posted by: Bogdan | January 21, 2019 at 07:52

Advance
Advancement
--
These two words are really tricky! Some say advancement has an abstract meaning. But, to me, they're still confusing!

advances/advancements in technology
Thanks to the new advances/advancements in technology

technological advancement
advances in technology

Posted by: Syd | January 21, 2019 at 08:22

Some people feel that courses can make anyone a teacher, while others feel an excellent teacher cannot be made by pursuing a course. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

People have different views about the role of educational programs in developing good educators. While some argue that certain courses could help individuals in acquiring teaching skills, I firmly believe that proficient teachers cannot be developed by such courses and individuals would require significant years of true teaching experience to become a subject matter expert.

On the one hand, some courses could certainly be essential in understanding theoretical teaching principles and concepts, and this might be the primary reason why some people think that any individual can become a teacher by reading books and attending lectures. For example, many online teaching courses, available on the website like Udemy, claim to make anyone competent in teaching a large group of people once they complete a particular course.

On the other hand, I undoubtedly believe that no one can attain mastery in teaching others just by pursuing a course. In other words, any person would require a real teaching experience of several years to gain excellence in teaching skills. By gaining practical experience only, they can understand the loopholes associated with teaching students having different intellectual levels. In a recent survey, for instance, renowned teachers of top management schools have revealed that they did not pursue any specialized course for learning how to teach others and built up teaching abilities by educating thousands of students in past 20 years and more.

In conclusion, although academic courses are essential in learning teaching fundamentals, I strongly favor the argument that they cannot make any person an excellent teacher and individuals would require to gain many years of real teaching knowledge to become an expert teacher.

Posted by: Vishaal | January 22, 2019 at 10:01

FROM SIMON:

Celia,

I don't like the 'examiner' essays in the cambridge books. This is because each essay seems to be written in a different style or using a different method. This lack of consistency makes it difficult for students to learn anything about how to write a good essay.

I use the same approach / method every time I write an essay, and I think this makes it easier for you to learn from me.

Posted by: Simon | January 23, 2019 at 10:30

Hi simon;

This blog is really great. I am wonderding, have you ever thought before to make a book only with these blog notes so-called "just notes by simon". İf not, why not:)).

Thanks for helping to us.

Posted by: onurlu-alp | January 28, 2019 at 08:36

Thanks onurlu-alp! Yes, I'll probably do that one day.

Posted by: Simon | January 30, 2019 at 16:50

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. It shows someone is doing something that is appreciated :)

Posted by: Catherine Mbinya | June 14, 2019 at 13:44

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