Jan 8 2021
I’m Getting On That Plane

This episode is about students who want to take the Duolingo exam to obtain a Canadian student visa. The clock is ticking, time seems to be shooting ahead, and you don’t want to be left behind. A virtual finish line separates students who made it to Canada and those who didn’t. 

Yes, I’m talking specifically about emigrating to Canada. Unfortunately, the COVID situation has created delays with families impatiently waiting for this situation to change.

True that a cure is in sight and there is the hope of some resolve. Families are now turning towards a new trend, and it’s called Duolingo. 

There are advantages with taking this exam, especially with the concept of time. This test can be taken from the comfort of your own home. Universities in Canada will recognise this exam in terms of obtaining a student visa. 

Is this test right for me?

It’s a great question if you are not very good with traditional exams such as IELTS and during times of uncertainty can’t guarantee test dates, this could be the answer.

Listening, reading, speaking, and writing are still used as the criteria to measure your abilities. Nevertheless, unlike the traditional format of sections, questions can follow no particular order prompting you to respond quickly.

The test itself is approximately an hour long. Preparation for this exam will require you to learn and apply grammar, so don’t be fooled. A study plan is still needed, and the grading system is scored between 10 – 160. Some of the more prestigious programmes may demand a higher score; this will usually be above 120. 

Duolingo vs IELTS

75 – 80 = 5

85 – 90 = 5.5

95 – 100 = 6

105 -110 = 6.5

115 – 120 = 7

125 -130 =7.5

130 – 140 = 8 

145 – 150 = 8.5

Do not get carried away, Duolingo as a concept is not considered a qualification to find employment, only consider your grade to a University requirement as a visa condition.

What does the test include, and how can One2one help?

You will need to type a statement that you hear.

We ensure that dictation is available to you both in class and specially designed Podcasts.

Completing missing letters from text.

Vocabulary building and providing you with paragraphs will prompt you to practice spelling, but we also focus on spelling essential vocabulary in class as part of your training.

Listen to audio recorded words and select the real words from fictitious ones. 

We focus on most exams critical vocabulary used in most exams to ensure that you can understand regularly featured terminology.

Reviewing words in text format to decipher false words from real words.

Building vocabulary is the only way to understand how to complete this task successfully.

Describing a Photo

We have been helping people describe photos for exam formats since 2011 and show you how to develop this skill.

Recording yourself saying a written sentence.

Some of our homework involves you sending us audios based on this task. 

Verbally answering a recorded sentence.

This is the closest you will get to speak to a person in the exam; we will train you to develop this skill.

Responding in writing to a written question using 50 words.

Usually, you are asked to provide an opinion based on comparing advantages and disadvantages.

Talk between 1 to 3 minutes.

Used as a measure of intonation, speed of speech, grammar theory, you will be given a topic to talk about. We ensure that speaking is featured in every class.

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Jan 7 2021
Duolingo Dictation

The Duolingo exam format is quite diverse; there is a section which has a focus on dictation. Although it’s a computer-based exam, there is a section where you will have to demonstrate your ability to type sentences. This section shows that you know how To apply capitalisation, spelling accuracy and punctuation such as commas and full stops. Over time, you will develop speed, which will prove beneficial as you will be more accurate with practice. If your end goal is to obtain a student visa, the education body needs to know that you can take notes and apply this skill.

Listen carefully and write down exactly what you hear. 

Answers:

1. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I think that I will go for a walk.

2. I found the museum extremely interesting.

3. The fridge was empty, so I decided to go food shopping.

4. I had a conversation with an old friend yesterday.

5. I prefer shopping online as it’s usually cheaper than shopping in a physical store.

6. I decided to eat out today because I didn’t feel like cooking.

7. I decided to buy a laptop because I wanted portability and the ability to move from one location to another.

8. I have known David for over six years; I met him at work.

9. There are so many different types of jobs that people can do in my town.

10. Jenny decided to move to Australia last year because her University allowed her to take a year out.

Good luck and remember that practice is key to passing this exam.

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Jan 5 2021
A Few Questions

All English exams are designed to challenge the theory by forcing you to apply grammar using cleverly designed questions. This exam is no exception. Although it’s a new form of exam, it’s setting the trend as people move between countries.

The exam itself will not help you to find employment. However, it is recognised to obtain a study visa. Most people consider this to be a faster route towards their goal.

One of the features of this exam is that share the ability to compare and contrast. Below are just a few different ways in which you can do this:

On the other hand,… but on the other ………
In sharp contrast ……….
To look at this from another perspective …
Then again…
Looking at this from a different perspective…
A different point of view would be …

In this Podcast, a few recently featured topics could prove useful if you are preparing to take this test. Indeed, students often think that because there is an ability to take it at home combined with the multiple-choice features, it could be considered a much softer option. Sadly isn’t the case, and you will still be required to show grammatical awareness within the format.

Please share and like to help other students.

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Jan 1 2021
Interview

Get the job!

We all have one thing in common – we all need to find employment.

This course is designed for students who are either looking to change employment or find work—a popular course for people who plan to emigrate to another English speaking country and need to make a professional impression.

There are 3 main components:

1 – The CV design in all worldwide recognised formats.

Your CV is professionally designed by a language instructor who has 5 + years of experience as a recruitment consultant, working in the heart of Central London. With this in mind, attention-grabbing design is something that is the main focal point. We don’t use templates, and we design our own.

2 – Creating a covering letter to work alongside your CV.

Have a more standardised and refined tool to accompany your CV when applying for a position.

3 – The interview simulations.

Practice under the pressure of simulated interview questions. There are 2 styles: closed questions and behavioural style interview questions whereby you have to provide examples to support your answers.

Each class lasts for 55 minutes, and we use Skype to teach because it stores the chat which you can always refer to. Where possible we try and offer you a simulated environment where you are forced to apply theory in a realistic scenario.

Classes are individually prepared based around your strengths and weaknesses and are therefore unique to your situation.

Homework is provided at the end of each class.

Our calendar allows you to book your classes in your own time zone, click on the link below or go to the “book classes” page on our website! We offer one-off classes or packs, providing complete flexibility. Our language instructors are available 6 days a week at times to suit everyone.

BOOK NOW

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Dec 31 2020
Conversation Course

Get confident

The ability to interact is crucial to this course, and its focus is on voice tones that reflect how you sound. Learning about the way in which you sound to a native speaker can help you to build confidence. Since the course prepares you to communicate with native English speakers in a casual form, it is not suitable for exam preparation. Often we use phrasal verbs and idioms that create a more informal version of the English language. You will be shown how to use these structures to replace long sentence constructions where appropriate.

This is a challenging course covering many of the topics that affect society in general, such as pollution, technology, health & education. Learning how to express your opinion – these one2one specialist classes are ideal for students who need to maintain a level of English or want to know more about the type of English used outside of a working or exam environment.

Compare, contrast and learn new vocabulary – being corrected as you speak helps identify with weaknesses that can be turned into strengths.

Students who are interested in taking this course usually have a want and need to integrate into an English speaking community after emigrating. The content provided in this course, gives you the confidence to have a conversation with your children’s teachers, communicate with the local supermarket manager and ask for advice and help with medical professionals. We aim to help you improve your vocabulary alongside your confidence, making for easier integration.

Each class lasts for 55 minutes, and we use Skype to teach because it stores the chat which you can always refer to. Where possible we try and offer you a simulated environment where you are forced to apply theory in a realistic scenario.

Classes are individually prepared based around your strengths and weaknesses and are therefore unique to your situation.

Choose between course instructors offering you both a male and female perspective.

Homework is provided at the end of each class.

Our calendar allows you to book your classes in your own time zone, just click on the link below or go to the “book classes” page on our website! We offer one-off classes or packs, providing complete flexibility. Our language instructors are available 6 days a week at times to suit everyone.

BOOK NOW

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Dec 31 2020
English for Work

Formal English for use at work

This is a structured course designed to help students identify with a very formal version of the English language. More and more businesses want to create a uniformed way of using a business telephone, delivering presentations, sending emails, attending and making conference calls, and applying money, date and time structures. We work within the boundaries of this uniformity to offer you a uniquely designed course.

The students who take this course are professionals who want to ensure that their English level is at a standard that would be accepted by employers worldwide. Many would be either planning to move to another country or seeking either a promotion or creating opportunity.

Gain confidence and expand your vocabulary whilst working within simulated business tasks allowing you to apply the theory.

Materials are tailor-made to suit your current and expected working environments. If there is a specific focus on presentations, business introductions, meeting formats or anything specific, we will ensure that this course is modified to create maximum benefit and knowledge.

Each class lasts for 55 minutes, and we use Skype to teach because it stores the chat which you can always refer to. Where possible we try and offer you a simulated environment where you are forced to apply theory in a realistic scenario.

Classes are individually prepared based around your strengths and weaknesses and are therefore unique to your situation.

Choose between course instructors offering you both a male and female perspective.

Homework is provided at the end of each class.

Our calendar allows you to book your classes in your own time zone, just click on the link below or go to the “book classes” page on our website! We offer one-off classes or packs, providing complete flexibility. Our language instructors are available 6 days a week at times to suit everyone.

BUY
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Dec 31 2020
Exam Preparation

IELTS / DUOLINGO / TOEFL / CAMBRIDGE / CELPIP

Exam’s do not prepare us for the real world, but they provide a scaleable measure of achievement. Acting as an indicator to demonstrate the application of theory an employer can gauge your ability to send an email, have a meeting and sell a product or service but most importantly, the ability to interact with customers.

If you are professionally qualified and by this I mean an accountant, nurse, doctor or lawyer, to name a few, then having a higher score is mandatory. An organisation needs to know that an employer can not use the phrase “I am sorry, I didn’t understand”. The reality is that mistakes can cost a business money.

Unless you can pass an English exam with a decent score, finding employment becomes very challenging. That said, not every industry values a high score, so keep that in mind.

This course focuses on the strategy to pass an exam, which means that you will be shown a system that will help you identify with creating templates – you cannot memorise English for an exam, but you can develop a word phrase bank that can be applied. Every student learns differently, so it is far from a one size fits all attitude.

One2oneacademy helps you identify with a bespoke solution, so every student will be provided with a unique approach. This course has a one teacher to one student ratio, offering 10 years of hands-on experience we measure our success on the results.

Each class lasts for 55 minutes, and we use Skype to teach because it stores the chat which you can always refer to. Where possible we try and offer you a simulated environment where you are forced to apply theory in a realistic scenario.

Classes are individually prepared based around your strengths and weaknesses and are therefore unique to your situation.

Choose between course instructors offering you both a male and female perspective.

Homework is provided at the end of each class.

Our calendar allows you to book your classes in your own time zone, just click on the link below or go to the “book classes” page on our website! We offer one-off classes or packs, providing complete flexibility. Our language instructors are available 6 days a week at times to suit everyone.

BOOK NOW

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