ieltscommunity1

Good evening blog members and viewers!

The dust has settled after another long, bruising week battling the demon IELTS! By now you all know what you have let yourselves in for and what your respective strengths and weaknesses are. While not underestimating the enormity of the task ahead, I would urge you all to be positive and steadfast in your resolve to tackle IELTS head-on and give it your best shot.

There was no specific 'homework' as such this weekend. In your shoes I would be re-reading those notes I gave you, absorbing some of the tips and model answers from the course and test practice book, while listening to and reading as much authentic native speaker English as possible.

The Reading module alarms me - you ask me "What's the best way to deal with answering 40 questions of varied complexity on 3 sections in 60 minutes?" Besides "pray" what can you do?

• Do timed practice readings on IELTS type material.
• Get used to speed reading effectively under pressure.
• Study those questions extremely carefully - are you completely sure that you know what you are looking for in the text?
• Try to see how the question setter has re-worked the original text to see if have understood its meaning.
• Practice skimming through the passage to familiarise yourself with its content and argument, so that you can intensively read the key part of the text that will enable you to answer these tantalising questions.
• General Training readers for Sections 1 and 2: you have to deal with practical reading tasks that you will face in an English-speaking country - get those highlight pens working and be flexible in analysing the questions in detail after a quick glance through the given text(s). Make up time on these two sections 18 + 18 minutes to give yourselves enough time for the academic text in section 3.
• Transfer your answers to the answer paper carefully as you work through each section - don't throw away marks by answering True or False when it wants Yes or No. If you transfer hurriedly and answer the questions correctly but in the wrong order then who is to blame for a disastrous reading test?
• Concentrate, focus, marshal your vocabulary resources.
• DON'T PANIC - be logical and measured.

Ultimately, it is how you react and perform under intense pressure on one day in your life. Tomorrow is another day. Ask yourself -"was I really ready for IELTS?" "Had I studied consistently before the exam and invested time and effort in improving my core skills in English by reading a wide range of material: online web-based material, magazines, newspapers, novels?" IELTS practice reading tests are fine, but if you do not have that depth of vocabulary and sensitivity for the nuances of meaning, then you will struggle to perform to the level you need to score well in this very demanding part of the IELTS exam.

So, I wish you good night and courage for the ordeal(s) ahead - maybe some 'divine intervention' isn't such a bad thing after all!

I aim to plan, write and post a Task 2 essay from the "69 Arguments" sheet in a 20-25 minute spell at some stage over the weekend. I'll write it by hand within this 20-25 minute time frame and post you as to exactly how long the process took me.

OK campers, that's all from me for the time being.

Might see you on Thursday morning and then again I might not. The blog is yours 24/7 - so take that apple off the tree and eat it - it won't jump into your hand!

Good luck! Don't lose heart!

GOOD NIGHT

Tony

Hello bloggers!

I'm not sure what's happened but maybe some person is interfering with the blog.

All the posts seem to have disappeared or maybe it's my PC here at work.

Sorry about that, that's cyberspace for you!

Hope it's just a temporary hiccough.

All the posts are still on my archives, but not showing on the blog.

Strange, isn't it?

CU later

Tony

Hi bloggers

Ekaterina sent this essay intro this morning at 4.00 am - a very late owl! My edits are below:

It has been commonly considered that computer is the most progressive and useful technological invention of 20th century, which is widely applied in educational industry. Some people might hold the view that computers don’t facilitate and improve learning process and traditional teaching is the best approach to it. While others contend that computer-based learning soon will substitute conventional. I am of the opinion that integration of these both essential factors into each other is the way to make teaching more effective.

Tue Mar 29, 04:01:00 AM GST

It has been commonly considered that computers are the most progressive and useful technological invention of the 20th century in the field of education. Some people hold the view that computers do not facilitate and improve the learning process and traditional teaching is the best approach. While there are others who contend that computer-based learning will soon replace conventional teaching. I am of the opinion that the integration of these two essential factors is the way to make teaching more effective.

Tuesday 29 March 8.14am Tony's comments

HELLO this should allow comments

Tony

Sorry

Am trying to sort out the settings

This is a trial posting - it should allow comments

Tony

MMMMMMMM something odd here!

Your posting did not allow a comment.

Wonder why? before then you had an unauthorized comment - something to do with gmail?

As for your intro:

Computers have become a beneficial tool for teachers as well as students to facilitate a more effective and meaningful learning process. In this essay, I would like to analyse this state of affairs and explain why I feel that computers are a boon to the educational world.

How's that?

Tony Von Beale

Hi there!

Yasmeen's post had an unauthorized comment, so I deleted the post and have changed the settings to only "blog members" only being allowed to comment.

UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE SEEM ONLY TO KEEN TO MESS UP A WORTHY ENTERPRISE SUCH AS OURS.

Dunno why that became capitals - there must be a meaning!

Here's Yasmeen's post again!

Those who cant log on to Weblog
Hello everyone,I was just trying to log Mahra in the weblogger, but its not working at all. Since there is no link which is 'Create an account'. The only option given is to creat a new blog, which we dont want to do.I was talking to Mohammed right now trying to fix this problem, but it seems we dont have any option unfortunately. So we thought that we'll give our username and passwords to those who have not been able to join the weblog. It will save everyone the time and effort.But please those who do use our usernames, please put your names in the beginning or in the title so we know who it is from, otherwise it will create too much confusion for everyone else.Those who are facing this problem, please let us know. We'll give you our usernames.Thanks.

Here's hoping for genuine comments!

Many, many thanks for your unstinting help Yasmeen and that lovely smile that brightens up the class!

CU in 3 hours' time

Tony Le Beale

Morning bloggers!

The time settings have been corrected from my re-setting (the power of being an administrator!)

We've had 3 essay introductions, 13 to be posted.

EKATERINA, I will re-invite you this afternoon, email me at beale@eim.ae just to make sure I've got the right email. If you send me your email this morning, I'll try to re-invite you before I trek home at 2.00pm.

Keep going, don't lose heart, practise, practise, practise, read, read, read, listen, listen, listen, write, write, write, speak, speak, speak and so on! :-)

BFN

Tony

Oops there I go again - why did it post me five times?

Have you taken on board the task I posed?

I'd like an introduction - a knock out three sentence intro for that essay I made up on computers and learning.

CU later

BFN (any clues as to what this means?)

Tony

You can have the correct time by

change settings when logged into blogspot.com

choose formatting

select time zone

scroll down to UTC+4.00 Asia/Dubai

Click save settings

Click Republish blog

Simple as A B C

BFN

Tony

Hi folks, posted this last night, maybe you missed it.

No excuses now though!!

Rock on!

Tony

Sunday 9.17am

Writing Task to be posted by ALL members

Write folks, let's have some communal writing by everyone!

Imagine a task 2 esssay based on Monday's debate. Write me an introduction with your thesis and an eye-catching topic sentence.

Everyone posts. Everyone comments, OK?

Essay title:

Some researchers believe that computers do not necessarily aid learning. While they are useful, conventional teaching is more effective. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

I JUST want the introduction!!! That'll tell me all about the rest of the essay.


Anyone who doesn't post gets reported to Mr Williams, the Director of Studies at the British Council.

Good night!

Sweet dreams!!

Blog on bloggers. You have nothing to fear except fear!

Tony

# posted by Tony Beale @ 11:09 AM 2 comments

Hello bloggers!!!

Mohammed has set a fine example by putting his work on display for public scrutiny.

Come on guys, it's a wonderful way to learn!

CU soon

Tony

Hello bloggers!!!

Mohammed has set a fine example by putting his work on display for public scrutiny.

Come on guys, it's a wonderful way to learn!

CU soon

Tony

Dear ...........,

I would like to draw your attention TO some problems WHICH MEAN THAT, UNFORTUNATELY I will not be able to start my new job with you as A TV script writer and presenter.

I have just recieved (SPELLING)your letter in which you have told me that I should be in Abu Dhabi in three days to start working on 30th March. But, REGRETABLY, I have not settled my situation here in Egypt yet.
As you know, I still work for Al-Ahram newspaper. However, I have resigned (WRONG TENSE)last week but our chief-in-editor has not approved my resignation as he is in (WRONG PREP) a business trip in the UK and he will be back in ten days. Furthermore, I have not issued (ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?)some required documents from 'The Administration of Immigration and Passports'. Hopefully, these documents will be ready by next week.
Therefor (SPELLING), I think I can start my new job after (ARABIC ENGLISH)15 days. I hope you accept my excuses (WORD CHOICE). I promise to do my best to solve all these problems at the time mentioned above.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

Mohamed Saeed
4.18PM Tony

I'm not sure this is the best way.I'll try to post this feedback.

Hey posting is much better, now that my new PC is working!!!

I'd probably give this a band 6.0

What do others think?

COMMENTS / CORRECTIONS please!

Write folks, let's have some communal writing by everyone!

Imagine a task 2 esssay based on Monday's debate. Write me an introduction with your thesis and an eye-catching topic sentence.

Everyone posts. Everyone comments, OK?

Essay title:

Some researchers believe that computers do not necessarily aid learning. While they are useful, conventional teaching is more effective. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

I JUST want the introduction!!! That'll tell me all about the rest of the essay.


Anyone who doesn't post gets reported to Mr Williams, the Director of Studies at the British Council.

Good night!

Sweet dreams!!

Blog on bloggers. You have nothing to fear except fear!

Tony

Drats, just lost my posting, so here goes again!

I hope you are all well and enjoy the weekend (when it comes, even for Engineer Ehab - but I think he enjoys working 7 days a week). :-)

It's lovely to have Wednesday evenings free, isn't it?

Take a deep breath, stand back and think about what you have learned and all the tips / advice that has been flowing. Above all, practise, practise,practise, practise,practise, practise,practise, practise your English and NOT just IELTS testing material.

Zeena is here and sends you all this message:

"Good luck everyone! Believe in yourselves! You can do it! My dad might seem horrible and grumpy at times, but he's really a big softie inside!!"

So I'm blogging out and will comment on any postings over the next few days.

Stand by next week for some tasks to be completed on the blog.

Have a great weekend - that's an order - yellow card otherwise!

Tony and Zeena

5.58pm, Wednesday (The "day of Woden' a pagan Norse God)

Well my little IELTSers, it seems that when the going gets tough, the tough don't get going ...

What's wrong? Is IELTS getting to you? Sorry I can't give you the magic pill to make IELTS easy. It's hard work and gonna get harder, so be warned.

I expect you to follow up units in the coursebook "Insight into IELTS' under your own steam - that is, outside of class. We don't have the luxury of a semester lead-in to the IELTS while you do a pre-sessional course in an English-speaking country - alas! I expect you to be resourceful and conscientious in your self study. Just coming to class and sitting on the bus is not enough. You must know where you are going and what it takes to get there!

Make the most of your English language resources - your limitations in grammar and vocabulary will be cruelly exposed in the reading and writing modules - let alone the range of expressions in the listening. Even your speaking lacks spontaneity and flair, although I am very impressed with ANYONE doing such a demanding exam as IELTS in their second or third language. 30 odd years ago my French and German were superb and I could use these languages fluently even though I had never travelled outside the UK nor met a Frenchman or a German. Even now I can 'hold my own' very capably in these tongues (go on, try me!).

So, I might be a little late or slightly disorganised tonight as Princess Zeena is playing in a musical recital at her school and i HAVE to attend, or else the the consequences are very, very serious.

Well then, have a look at that KT article from the "Observer" newspaper - maybe one side can argue it's rubbish, while the others say it's true and to be taken seriously?

Either way, I'll be there and plan to give you a FULL SCALE Task 2 writing test from 9.05 to 09.45pm - so be warned!

I have a lot to get through with you this evening. I expect a lot from my students (ask my daughters! Zeena's three big sisters are stunningly beautiful, intelligent and unique!) Do I expect too much?

Reactions please!

Tony the torturer

4.28pm

OK folks, it's getting serious now!

SIX things I did NOT like about your task 2 writing and do not want to see repeated:

1. etc NO WAY! write . . . "and so on".

2. eg NO WAY! write "for example"

3. like (as conjunction / adverb) NO WAY ! write "such as"

4. too much NO WAY! write " a lot" / "a lot of"

5. ANY contractions are NOT acceptable to me in a formal essay, letter or report. I do NOT want to see "don't". I will NOT accept "won't". I am gunning for people who cannot see that using short forms looks TERRIBLE and causes mistakes and confusion.

6. Your punctuation is atrocious! Your sentences are too long. You forget Capital letters and there has been an outbreak of "commatitis"!! See Dr Wael for an explanation and a brilliant essay on the relationship between technology and traditional cultures.

So you have been warned!! Please, please, please, please do not just look at your "mark". ANALYSE your mistakes. Learn from them. It will benefit you in the long run!

We have a lot of work to do. Some mebers of the class are not pulling their weight or helping themselves.

As Shakespeare said, "I have to be cruel, to be kind."

Regards from your demanding, but best-intentioned

Tony

Tuesday, still-no-siesta , 4.39 pm

Hello campers!

Just a quick hello to say welcome to the second week and our permanent home in room 8!!! Just go up the stairs from Reception, turn right at the top and we are the second door on the left!

Hope your seatbelts are ready!! CU in just over two hours' time!

Tony

Just saying hello and sorry to people having problems with joining the team.

We aren't getting many posts (except for Yasmeen , bless her!). I hope you've been accessing this site anyway.

I'll ask my IT 'guru' - the Council's Director of Studies, Peter Williams, on how to overcome these technical teething troubles.

I'm getting a new PC over the weekend and hope to be on Broadband next week - the Information Superhighway beckons!

So over to you, my fellow bloggers as I have to spend some quality time with my little princess, Zeena and my wonderful wife, Aida, over the next few days.

I'll try my best to answer any queries / problems. I'm working on a handout to help you with speaking strategies and expressions to use in the Interview.

I will be looking at ieltsmagic.blogspot and will comment on any postings / work posted and so on between now and Saturday.

Whatever you do, relax and have fun with family and friends.

Next week we'll be in Room 8 (other side - first floor) and we'll start motoring.

Put your seatbelts on and enjoy the ride!

Take care

Tony

3.47pm, Wednesday 16 march

Hello bloggers!

I only have 8 members on my team - Rana you accepted but I can't see your name on the list, can you try again, please?

No news from Moh'd Attaullah; Masoud, Mahra, Haleemuddin, Mohammed Saad and Raed - why? Yellow cards to everyone!

Logical puzzle for tonight:

A man comes home from work. He's outside his front door. He hears his wife shout "George, don't shoot!" He hears two shots and rushes in to find his wife DEAD on the floor.
There are three people in the room - a doctor, an engineer and a teacher. IMMEDIATELY he says to the teacher, "You killed my wife!"

He's right.

It was the teacher.

HOW did the husband know?


I want you to K.I.S.S. for your IELTS writing, but I would like you to K.I.L.L. for your IELTS speaking.

Solutions most welcome . . .

To the yellow carded - email me at beale@eim.ae and we can try to sort out your problem, unless YOU are the problem!

Keep on truckin'

Tony

Tuesday 2.20pm

Hello again!

Thanks for accepting my blog invitation. This is the first time I've tried this method and I really need your support. Sorry I goofed on a couple of email addresses - wasn't really paying attention, DOH!

Please remember this blog is for YOU - I'd love to get some interaction going amongst the grouup and develop a sense of common purpose in defeating the demon IELTS. So, how about some COMMENTS or POSTINGS from you guys? You have to be a team member to post on the "IELTSCOMMUNITY 1" blog that we have set up.

TASK # 1

Dear bloggers, please inform the rest of the team on what IELTS related websites you have found to be useful. Has anyone visited www.bbc.co.uk domestic radio? What about the Austalian broadcaster www.abc.co.au ? Your comments / postings are most, most welcome.

BFN (meaning ?)

Tony

Tony again!

I have entered your email addreses and invited you to join my blogging team? Have you checked your emails?

How do you feel about the IELTS challenge? Try to see it in a positive way and do NOT let negative ideas prevail! Whatever other people have said, YOU are taking this test and your destiny is in your hands!

Good luck!

Any comments / reactions??

See you tonight!

Tony

ieltscommunity1

Hello my new class!!

I haven't met you yet, but I'm sure we'll get to know each other well.

I hope we can use this blog to exchange ideas and for you to interact with me, and more importantly, with each other outside the classroom.

I've organised my notes and am ready to 'rock and roll' on Saturday!

How important is English in your day-to-day life here in Abu Dhabi? IELTS expects more than just an academic relationship with English. How well do you understand English? Do you read a lot? Do you enjoy using English?

Are you prepared to stand up and talk before the rest of the class on IELTS type subjects? Should we have mini-debates? With the pressure of the IELTS 36 hour programme, Speaking can take a back seat, unfortunately.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your weekend and that the course will be informative, effective and fun!

Bye for now

Tony

Hello I've just started this weblog and hope it will be fun and interesting