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Have you seen the changes in ЕГЭ 2022?!

The teachers all around Russia have to develop new strategies for the writing part and come up with new generic vocabulary to describe graphs and tables!

The good news is we got you covered!🤠

🏻Here's a set of worksheets to help you describe all kinds of graphs!🏻

Don't thank us, just save it on your wall so that you don't lose it))

🤪 ЕГЭ 2022 - UPDATE or DOWN-DATE?🤪

By Paul Newson

It's that time of year again when I get millions of messages regarding the English on your state exam papers as well as people asking for my opinion regarding the new format. And for 2022, it's the writing. So, I shall be objectively harsh

A complete IELTS rip-off
Obviously, the top brass throwing these exams together got bored copying FCE and decided to diversify by copying the writing part of the IELTS paper where graphs and stats are described. That doesn't bother me so much if IELTS has inspired exam authors.

🇬🇧 The English
I have copied and highlighted some areas with arrows where the English needs to be changed.

🏻 Green arrow: when saying "The results of THE opinion polls." Which opinion polls? There is data below but where are the opinion polls? As we are not defining any opinion polls, no THE.

🏻 Yellow arrow: You can't say: report 2-3 main features. It doesn't collocate. As a transitive verb we report the news, report a theft, report a crime (to the police). If we are talking about telling somebody about something especially with stats, we report ON something. But we wouldn't even say this. And what does the word 'features' refer to here? It's too vague. What features are you supposed to select? Genre types? percentages? How many columns on the table there are? It's UN-English totally. I can't even improve the statement because I have no idea what it refers to.

🏻 Blue arrow: the whole structure "Outline a problem that can arise with reading and suggest the way of solving it" Fuu all the way through! It reads unnaturally artificial. What does 'with reading' mean? Does this include ADHD, dyslexia? What? Better: WHEN reading (as it's a shortened version for when reading a book rather than 'with reading' which is extremely vague in meaning). Articles again: suggest A way of solving; any way of solving. There isn't just ONE way as you are supposed to 'suggest' which may entail some speculation. Mind you, it is Russian state exams so there probably is only one acceptable way.

🏻 Red arrow: two problems here, again. Draw a conclusion is inappropriate here as it means to make a judgment from something. We use it like: "Is it possible to draw conclusions from this evidence? / It would be unwise to draw conclusions so soon; we need more time." The point of this statement here is to finish the essay. Better: CONCLUDE BY giving. I could say "What conclusions can be drawn from the statistics in the table?" 2nd problem "the importance of reading in human life." Again, the typical mistake of using the word human... as opposed to aliens who like to read or what? Maybe hedgehogs? No native would ever use this. We don't need human as it's obvious we are the ones reading. Natural and correct "on the importance of reading in everyday life." Done.

🤔 What do I think of the task?
Well, it is a mess in my humble opinion. By having several statements to fulfill many of which don't seem to be intrinsically linked: talking about the project, describing stats, problems with reading, the importance of reading; this means that coherence will be pretty low except for high-end students. Very little creativity will be injected into this because of the rigid structure. On the other hand, I can understand that because examiners have something concrete to mark against. Cambridge exams are extremely vague with regard to the assessment criteria. So there is a balance between a rigid marking system and sacrificing the authenticity and range of English. A tough call.

🏻But one thing can change: A message to exam authors

🏻 There is no shame in getting the accuracy of the English in these tests verified by highly experienced and qualified natives to avoid any further embarrassment because you are supposed to be the cream of the crop! 🏻

🇬🇧 My Top 5 Phrasal Verbs 🇬🇧

Would you agree that mastering phrasal verbs is one of the biggest challenges you will face as an English learner? However, using them in your speech will surely help you sound more natural. Let’s go over some of my favourite phrasal verbs and do a bit of practise at the end.

🏻 End up (=result in)
- You'll end up dead if you keep smoking.
- We'll end up late if we don't leave now

🏻 Keep on (=continue)
- Why do you keep on moaning at me?
- I keep on burning the dinner.

🏻 Put up with (=tolerate)
- I can't put up with this noise!

🏻 Give up (=quit)
- I need to give up smoking and drinking.
- I don't know the answer. I give up!

🏻 Look up (=check)
- If you don't know the meaning of the word, look it up in a dictionary.

🇬🇧 A GOOD NATIVE TEACHER VS A BAD ONE 🇬🇧

🏻🏻🏻 How to tell the difference! 🏻🏻🏻

Hello ladies and gentlemen! I was asked this question by a group of students from my speaking club the other day. It aroused a discussion so I thought I'd share my views and experience with the general public 🏻 Here are some comparisons where you can tell if the native is a qualified/experienced teacher/linguist or not.🤓

A good native English teacher will teach vocabulary which is high in frequency found among several generic sources. This kind of teacher thinks outside the box a lot more and thus provides students with a reliable source of vocab. As students you can tell because what you're taught you're bound to come across such language regularly.
🆘 A questionable native will assert their own frames of lexical reference as what is widely spoken. That means: If I say it, then so does everyone else. Or if I saw it once on a TV show, then it's a high-frequency word. Such an approach is really misleading and can dishearten students when they're told by other natives: We never say that!

A good native teacher cannot know all the intricacies of the English language as it's vast and extremely complex especially when it comes to regional variations. Although our language in the English speaking world is 99% the same, the 1% of differences (mainly informal language / slang / culturally specific items) can throw us off balance. A good native teacher will say: I've never heard of it but it could be used somewhere else.
🆘 A questionable native teacher might assert their opinion by saying: I've never heard of that word so it doesn't exist so don't bother learning it. Always good to double check.

A professional native teacher can explain the ins and outs of their grammar pretty damn well supported by easy-to-learn examples. The same applies when it comes to vocab. At C1 and above there is a degree of: that collocation sounds right/wrong but at least a competent native can throw some weight behind the argument.
🆘 The questionable native will always say: yeah, it sounds fine/off, without being able to provide the slightest explanation. In language there is always a degree of feeling the language and accepting rules as they are but if you're paying students demand to know, you tell them and tell them well.

I noticed this a lot. A good competent native (or any teacher for that matter) will mark essays in detail (if there is anything to be corrected at all). They will provide feedback and suggestions on how to take your writing to the next level.
🆘 So, just by thinking that a native can mark your essay properly, well, they could if they bothered. Sure, they know the English and can give you all the authentic English possible. But if the feedback is minimum and you feel it's a half-arsed job, then it probably is. There is a way to check this: give a piece of writing to a native (or any teacher), stand there while they read it. if it takes less than a minute and they say: a couple of mistakes but generally it's fine... they basically don't want to be there reading your writing.

So why am I writing this post my dear friends? It PISSES me OFF when some natives I know charge 3000-4000 for a 45 minute lesson but provide services like I mentioned above. Carrying the language is one thing, being a professional empathic teacher is another...

🇬🇧 Learn the Present Perfect tense with [id290352757|Paul Newson] in 5 steps! 🇬🇧

How to use the Present Perfect tense correctly – video #1
How to use the Present Perfect tense correctly – video #2
Present Perfect or Past Simple
FOR or SINCE
Present Perfect & Present Simple + Conjunctions

BONUS: Recently VS Lately‍🇬🇧

I was recently asked about the difference between these two adverbs so I decided to help out. There is so much wrong and confusing crap all over the internet regarding these two words so took it upon myself to conduct some serious research and give you people the RIGHT answer ☝🏻

1) The MEANING of these words are basically the same = not long ago/at a recent time. Forums online talk about time in the past, longer time bla bla bla. It has nothing to do with that.

2) RECENTLY and LATELY can both be used in the Present Perfect and/or Continuous with the same meaning:
🏻 I've been working loads recently/lately!
🏻 I haven't seen Paul recently/lately. Is he still alive?
🏻 What have you been up to recently/lately?

3) But, RECENTLY can be used with the past but LATELY can't.
🏻 I've put on a lot of weight recently/lately! 🏻
🏻 I put on a lot of weight recently! 🏻
🏻 I put on a lot of weight lately! 🏻🤢
(Using RECENTLY with the Past is very common in everyday English although most students are taught to use it with the Present Perfect. There is literally no difference in meaning between the first two examples. It's your choice)

4) Word order can be different. RECENTLY and LATELY can come at the beginning and end of a sentence. But only RECENTLY can go before the main verb (but you will find quite a few sources online where LATELY can go before the main verb, too. But those examples are mainly found in AmE sources. Nevertheless, I question the skill of the writer using appropriate English as LATELY before the main verb does sound odd):
🏻 I've shot a lot of pigeons recently/lately! 🏻
🏻 Recently/Lately I've shot a lot of pigeons! 🏻
🏻 I've recently shot a lot of pigeons! 🏻
🏻 I've lately shot a lot of pigeons!

That's all you need to know

🥇 GOOD LUCK GUYS 🥇

I know some of you have the FCE, CAE tomorrow and some have the CPE on other days... unless I'm confused because they're usually all on the same day. So here are my last minute tips for you, my top 10

When you step into that exam centre (don't forget your passport), you MUST put your hand on your heart and say "I've done the most I can given the circumstances!" This will rid you of the RUSSIAN DISEASE OF PERFECTIONISM (making a point here) and put you at ease thus you'll perform better. Some of you live alone with near to no commitments. Some of you have jobs and kids to look after. This is cognitive framing at its best, my friends.

Although it's tempting, DO NOT... I repeat, DO NOT talk to other students after competing parts of the exam discussing your answers. If you realise they're right you you slipped up, it'll put you in a bad frame of mind for the next part of the exam. Stand in a corner and go over in your head what you need to do next. Sod other people!

I hear very often that the audio during the listening isn't clear for many students. You will hear something like this "Before you open your papers, you may ask any questions now..." IF THE AUDIO QUALITY IS SHIT, SAY SOMETHING!!! Don't sit there and suffer! You paid, it's your right to have the exam conducted properly.

When doing the Use of English and Reading, TRANSFER YOUR ANSWERS AFTER EACH SECTION. Don't leave it till the very end when you transfer all your answers to the mark sheet. Many students have failed just because of this. The invigilators will rip those papers out of your hands when the time is up. Make sure your answer sheet is full.

Have a huge energy breakfast! Fill yourself up. Give your brain the energy it needs.

My students will know the following and why. Use of English and Reading in this order:
🏻 FCE/CPE Parts 1,2, 3, 4, 7, 6 5.
🏻 CAE Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 7, 5, 6

When doing the writing, PLAN PLAN and PLAN! But keep a careful eye on the clock. TIME MANAGEMENT is vital! When you get to 20 minutes (25 max) even if you haven't finished planning, STOP. Hand in two complete essays. CLOCK CLOCK CLOCK watch the bloody thing!

The Speaking Test. ALWAYS BE THE FIRST TO SPEAK when doing the FCE/CAE Part 3 and CPE Part 2. Especially to my CPE students, your partners won't know the tactic of paraphrasing the task. We know it helps relevance (your discourse management mark). Be confident, be the first. But remember to collaborate, don't dominate.

Have some food with you for the breaks. You might just have 10 maybe 15 minutes between parts. Drink loads and stuff your face. Brain needs energyyyyy!

The last one and best piece of advice. JUST DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR EXAM. Sounds weird? Not really. You did what you could. If you didn't do enough because deep down you know you were lazy, why punish yourself now? Don't give a shit about what your colleagues, friend and family think about you taking the FCE, CAE, CPE; you're doing it for yourself. English is your hobby, your passion, you love it. This isn't am exam, it's to show what you know and it's fun. If you fail, sod it, do it again. We all f*** up sometimes and there is nothing wrong with that. If people like to brag on VK "Ohhhhh I got at A at CAE or CPE!" I bet you they are very much unloved; probably virgins. Sod them! This exam is just for you. So, go there with your chin up, that can-do attitude and smile as you take on the challenge. It's normal to be nervous, but by being positive, you'll control your anxiety much more effectively and that my friends, is what will be your best weapon during your exam.

The best of luck

Paul Newson

#FCE #CAE #CPE #Cambridgeexams #PaulNewson #Newsonsplace #Exampreparation

🇬🇧 CAE + CPE PART 1 QUESTIONS 🇬🇧

Hi guys! For those of you preparing for these exams (especially my students), here are some extra Part 1 questions to help you to practice more. The first set are the typical ones that might appear in these exams. The second section has a set or mental questions you'll never be asked but I do to arouse your imagination, to get you feeling comfortable talking rubbish but relevant rubbish. This is how we build fluency (it's very psychological).

Your typical CPE Questions:
🏻 Where are you from?
🏻 What do you do for a living?
🏻 How long have you been learning English?
🏻 What do you like most about studying English?

🏻 You said you're from ... How interested are you in its history?
🏻 Do you prefer to hang out in large groups of keep yourself to yourself?
🏻 Do you prefer to eat out or cook at home?
🏻 What would you change about where you live?
🏻 What are common hobbies where you're from?
🏻 How do you deal with stress?
🏻 What type of holiday do you usually go for?
🏻 How would you describe your best friend?
🏻 Are you closer to your friends or family?
🏻 What kind of TV programs are you into?
🏻 What do you like about your current occupation?
🏻 What traits constitute a good boss?
🏻 What other part of your country could you imagine living in?
🏻 What would your dream holiday be like?
🏻 How much interest do you take in the news?
🏻 How do you stay abreast of current affairs?

Weird ones to stretch your imagination and to feel comfy being stupidly imaginative (remember: you'll be more fluent!)
🏻 What one object would you take to a desert island?
🏻 Which animal deserves to be turned into shashlik?
🏻 If you could rob a shop, which one and why?
🏻 Who would win a fight: Po the Teletubby or Cheburashka?
🏻 Which one tasty delight could be made from Peppa Pig?
🏻 Why should we recycle less?
🏻 What does CPE stand for? (a clue: the first word is - Criminals)
🏻 What are the benefits of drinking 10 bottles of wine a day?
🏻 Why should every visitor to Russia shop in Magnet?
🏻 Why is Red Square not called Pink or Green Square?
🏻 Does the British Queen wash her own pants and socks?

Remember 1: Paraphrase the language from the questions if you can
Remember 2: ALWAYS give reasons for your answers
Remember 3: Don't give your answers in the form of a list (it means you're thinking too much and don't know what to say)
Remember 4: You can give a real answer, you can lie... the examiners don't care which. We just want relevance and damn good English.
Remember 5: Although the examiner will cut you off, 2 to 3 extended sentences is a good measurement.

🇬🇧 TIPS FOR PASSING CAE SPEAKING - PART 2 🇬🇧

We have made EIGHT of our own CAE Pt.2 tests with examiner instructions for all of you needing some more CAE speaking practice. 🤗 If you share this post, we will do the same for CAE Pt.3 as well as make a load for CPE To accompany our awesome material, have a read of some simple yet effective suggestions on how to obliterate the Pt.2 speaking!

You need a strong imagination:
The questions can be strange, but you need to speak and answer both questions. After all, you're not marked on "err emm eerrrr emmm!" However, the good news is that there is no right answer providing you answer the questions relevantly. So if one of the questions in part 2 is "how do they feel?" you are free to say what you want providing you support your opinion and simply answer... how they feel. You need an imagination plain and simple. If you can't think of something to say, make something up.

Discourse Markers:
It is a requirement in the mark scheme that the candidate uses discourse markers (the best book for this is Michael Swan Oxford Advanced Grammar Course). They help guide the flow of the monologue and make clean and crisp contrasts and comparisons. In the ONE minute for this, you probably won't use more than a couple but LESS IS MORE! Follow that principle. Don't go all orgasmic with discourse markers otherwise you'd sound mental... same in the writing.

Don't describe
Nothing grinds my gears more than students who go: In the first picture I can see some guy, wearing shoes, slightly bald. Oh, and there's an overcast sky, could be thunder... At CAE you waste valuable time describing what you see and you're not actually asked to do that. You have ONE minute. Get stuck right in and answer the questions from the moment you open your mouth. Remember: There is no right answer; just a relevant one.

Underrrrrrstand?

🇬🇧 Vocabulary: HOTEL 🇬🇧

Worksheets:
🏻 Hotel Issues: a role-play with 4 situations and useful expressions (B2)
🏻 London Hotels: reading & exercises to check understanding (B1-B2)
🏻 Travelling: a reading text on travelling, a role-play, a definition match, picture descriptions and a few discussion questions on the topic of travelling (B1-B2)
🏻 Bad Holiday: first students read a holiday advert and complete the text with adjectives. Then they are offered to read a letter of complaint and put the missing adjectives in the right form in spaces. Key included. (B1)
🏻 Vocabulary in Use (Travel & Accommodation): vocabulary explanation, exercises & answers (B2-C1)
🏻 Reading & Use of English (Travelling): exam task + answers (C1)

Videos:
7 Unusual Hotels That Are Not On Land Or Water
The best WORST hotel reviews - The Graham Norton Show
Inside The World’s Only 7-Star Hotel!

CPE A IN THE MAKING?

Hi my dear friends! Check this essay out. This is from [id360730855|Alexandra Rekhkaynen] who is doing my online CPE course and is approaching the end. Sasha has been a true example of a diligent student who writes and attends the speaking sessions regularly. Such a humble and sweet lady Sasha is! 🤗 Have a look at an essay she just produced. If the quality of the JPEG is a bit crappy, click on the PDF attachment. Once you've done that, read the rest of this message 🏻 and share your comments below...
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Sasha is in the 11th Class at school and is only 17!