Are you preparing for the B2 First, or C1 Advanced Cambridge exams? One crucial aspect of the speaking paper that you can’t afford to overlook is your long turn in the Speaking Part 2 of each of the above-mentioned Cambridge exams. In the B1 Preliminary, we start simple, describing one photograph. In the B2 First, … Read more
How to Avoid Awkward Silences and Keep the Talk Going Mastering the Art of Engaging Conversations in Cambridge Exams Scenarios and Everyday Situations Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where the silence becomes so uncomfortable that you desperately search for something to say? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s at a social get-together, … Read more
Getting ready to start your B2 English course? Fantastic! Before you take this exciting and challenging step, let’s go back and review the grammar basics you’ve learned at the B1 level (Cambridge Preliminary). These are like the building blocks for your English skills. Just like a skilled architect ensures a strong base for a magnificent … Read more
Useful, comfortable, difficult, important, memorable, sad, interesting, different, effective, sad, stressful, easy, careful, nervous, healthy, popular, worried! Do these adjectives ring a bell? In Cambridge exams like B2 First and C1 Advanced, talking about feelings, attitudes and opinions is part of the territory, namely in Part 2 of the Speaking paper. Here are some exam … Read more
Updates to Speaking Exams There has been a minor change that has been introduced to the beginning of some Speaking exams. Starting from this year, 2023, the introductory section of the exam has been slightly modified in some cases. To be specific, the questions ‘Where do you come from?‘, ‘Where are you from?‘, and ‘Who … Read more
Compare and contrast, answer and explain! Are you thinking big to thrive in the Cambridge B2 First Speaking exam? Find out how to successfully perform in the Speaking Part 2 task. Let’s recap what we know about its timing, structure and main focus. B2 First Speaking Part 2 at a glance Timing A 1-minute ‘long … Read more
We’ve recently had our monthly B1 Preliminary (PET) assessment. My English learners have shown good control of the language structures, great listening and reading comprehension skills. Bravo! There’s been something not fully up to scratch, though. This made me wonder whether there is something I can do to help B1 (PET) candidates avoid the well-known … Read more
What a coincidental train of events! A month or so ago, promising to investigate more on a linguistic matter, I was looking up an adverb and the various ways it is used in English. Rather than searching for it straight on Cambridge Dictionary, as I normally do, I simply typed, as key words, the word … Read more
For the Cambridge candidates, doing well in the B2 First Speaking paper is not rocket science. This means that you can easily get Grade C in the B2 First exam. On the Cambridge English scale, Grade C weighs between 160 and 170 marks. Imagine getting Grade B or A! What a difference this would make … Read more
To build questions in English, learners don’t need a supernatural power. There is a well-established structure, and this structure must almost always be followed. As easy as pie! Still, for our young learners, like Flyers, this turns to be one of the hardest things, even more challenging than learning the irregular verbs. Asking questions correctly … Read more