As in many aspects in life, Second Language Acquisition is part of a process that may extend for several years. How funny and ludicrous it is to find language courses that offer what we would all like to hear, that we can master a new language in only 30 days!

Some of these course providers even go one step beyond and raise the ante by promising students to speak a language with native- like pronunciation in this span of time.

Simply put, this is a blunt lie. Even for people living abroad in a foreign country, it may take several years for them to master the new language, let alone sound like native speakers. All this in spite of being immersed in the best setting for language acquisition to take place. After all, they are surrounded by native speakers of the language for most part of the day, unless they simply stay at home all the time, of course. Every single contact they have with people forces them to interact in the target language in order to get their message across and understand their interlocutors. Every interaction revolves around truly communicative situations (i.e. no one in the street will come to you and ask you: “what are the rules to form the ‘imperfect subjunctive?’”

What is more, after a hard-day’s work with full interaction in the second language, they get home and plan to relax, turn on the TV and there it is again: the foreign language is right there waiting for you! There is no escaping from it! You can run but you can’t hide. It’s at home on the radio, TV or the Internet, when you talk to your neighbors or the mailman; it is on your radio when you go to work, it’s ever present at work, when you go to the market, to the bank, when you eat out etcetera, etcetera and etcetera. This is total and absolute immersion and even in this heaven for the person eager to acquire a second language it may take at least four years for a learner to master this language, and especially in adults, native-like pronunciation is very difficult to acquire.

It is obvious that it is not always feasible or practical for us to leave everything behind and pursue this quest for learning a second language. Does this mean that we are doomed not to ever learn another language? Could we in any way infer that there is no hope of ever mastering a second language? Of course NOT. There are some awesome language courses and programs out there which are based on sound pedagogical principles. However, we must be realistic and objective about our second language learning. Whenever we hear about “the ultimate language course that can gain us proficiency overnight” we should be absolutely skeptical. More often than not, these self-proclaimed “ultimate solutions” are nothing but well-designed marketing ploys aimed at getting as much money from students as possible, in the shortest possible time.

Not surprisingly, they cost an arm and a leg, not because they are good, just because they sell hope; they sell what we want to hear, the magic pill that could make our dreams come true effortlessly. Who wouldn’t like to achieve in one month what’s taken others a lifetime to obtain? I would! However, pragmatically speaking, that is utterly impossible! Being a rather sedentary person with some extra weight, I must admit that I would love to be in very good shape. Nevertheless, I must acknowledge the fact that even if I hired the best personal trainer in the world and went to the best gym in the universe and trained my very hardest and dieted along the way, all of this for a whole month with the supervision and guidance of the best in the field, and even if I quit everything to pursue this objective, the plain and simple fact will remain that I would still not be able to participate in the Olympics after just one month of this severe training.

It would be ridiculous both to expect this to happen and to offer this. After just one month, how could I compete or even train at the same level of world-class athletes who have devoted their entire lives to get ready for that moment? The mere idea of this is just nonsensical! Ironically enough, this is often what second language programs offer and people simply fall for them time and again. What is more, the ones who design these programs are by no means “experts in the field” but just ruthless cunning businessmen who want quick profits by selling sand castles no matter how much pain and frustration they will eventually cause.

My humble piece of advice to any serious second language learner or learner-to-be is to be cautious and skeptical whenever tempted by such appealing offers as the ones already mentioned. As in the fable “The tortoise and the hare,” remember that “slow and steady wins the race.”

Julio Foppoli is a teacher of English as a Second Language and a teacher of Spanish as a Second Language. He is the creator and owner of http://www.esaudio.net/Spanish/online_classes.html, an online educational website with a technological edge, specialized in the teaching of Spanish as second language via audio-conference to native speakers of English from all over the world.

The website offers free listening comprehension activities with Spanish from all of the Spanish speaking world.

Etymologically the vocabulary of the English
language is far from being homogenous. It
consists of two layers - the native stock of
words and the borrowed stock of words.
Numerically the borrowed stock of words is
considerably larger than the native stock of
words.

In fact native words comprise only 30% of
the total number of words in the English
vocabulary but the native words form the bulk
of the most frequent words actually used in
speech and writing. Besides, the native words
have a wider range of lexical and grammatical
valency, they are highly polysemantic and
productive in forming word clusters and set
expressions.

Borrowed words or
loanwords are words taken from another
language and modified according to the patterns
of the receiving language.

In many cases a borrowed word especially one
borrowed long ago is practically
indistinguishable from a native word without a
thorough etymological analysis. The number of
the borrowings in the vocabulary of the
language and the role played by them is
determined by the historical development of the
nation speaking the language.

The most effective way of borrowing is
direct borrowing from another language as the
result of the contacts with other nations.
Though, a word may be also borrowed indirectly
not from the source language but through
another language.

When analyzing borrowed words one should
distinguish between two terms - source of
borrowing and origin of
borrowing. The first term is applied to
the language from which the word was
immediately borrowed and the second - to the
language to which the word may be ultimately
traced. The closer the two interacting
languages are in structure the easier it is for
words of one language to penetrate into the
other.

There are different approaches to
classifying the borrowed stock of words.

The borrowed stock of words may be
classified according to the nature of the
borrowing itself as borrowing proper, loans
translation and semantic
loans.

Loan translation or calque
is a phrase borrowed from another language by
literal word-for-word translation.

Semantic loan is the borrowing of
the meaning for a word already existing in the
English language.

Latin loans are classified into the
subgroups.

1. Early Latin loans. Those are the
   words which came into English language through
   the languages of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. The
   tribes had been in contact with Roman
   civilization and had adopted many Latin words
   denoting objects belonging to that civilization
   long before the invasion of the Angles, Saxons
   and Judes into Britain (e.g., cup, kitchen,
   mill, wine, port).
2. Later Latin borrowings. To this
   group belong the words which penetrated into
   English language in the sixth and seventh
   centuries, when the English people were
   converted to Christianity (e.g., priest,
   bishop, nun, and candle).
3. The third period of the Latin
   borrowings includes words which came into
   English due to two historical events: the
   Norman Conquest and the Renaissance. Some came
   to English language through French but some
   were borrowed directly from Latin (e.g., major,
   minor, intelligent, permanent).
4. The latest layer of Latin words.
   The words of this period are mainly abstract
   and scientific words (e.g., nylon, molecular,
   vaccine, phenomenon, and vacuum).

The tendency of the English language to
borrow extensively can be traced during the
centuries. Thus, one can confidently claim that
borrowing is one of the most productive sources
of enrichment of the English vocabulary.

Linda Correli is a staff writer of http://www.customresearchpapers.us/ and an author of the popular online tutorial for students “What Teachers Want: Master the Art of Essay Writing in 10 Days”, available at http://www.go2essay.com/.

“I want to learn Chinese but just give me the basics!”

That’s what this Chinese pronunciation guide is all about. It’s all that you need to know about the pinyin system of Chinese pronunciation to get by.

The 80% that’s important. (Spend 20% of time to learn the 80% that’s important.)

Continued from Part 1, learn Chinese pronunciation, the 4 tones…

1. Consonants

There are 24 consonants in pinyin which are pronounced a lot like in English.

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, ng, h, j, q, x, zh, ch, sh, r, z, c, s, y, w

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Consonants

b as in boy
p as in pine
m as in mother
f as in food
d as in dig
t as in talk
n as in none
l as in loud
g as in good
k as in kid
ng as in song
h as in hot
j as in jeep
q like “ch” in cheat
x like a sound between the “s” in see and the “sh” in she
zh like “dg” in sludge
ch as in children
sh as in shake
r as in raw
z like “ds” in words
c like “ts” in eats
s as in son
y as in Yao Ming
w as in we

2. Vowels

There are 6 simple vowels.

a, o, e, i, u, ü

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Vowels

- a as in mama
- o as in drop
- e as in
- I as in sit
- U as in look
- ü like the u in the French rue

3. Vowel Combinations

In Chinese pronunciation, basic vowels can form vowel combinations with each other or with a nasal consonant.

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Vowel Combinations

- ai like eye
- an sounds like “ah” with an emphatic “n” at the end (NOT like “an” in can)
- ang sounds like “ah” with a soft “ng” (NOT like “ang” in hang)
- ao is like “ao” in Tao
- ei is like “ay” in bay
- en is like “u” in sun
- eng is like “ung” in sung
- er like “ur” in purse
- ia is like ya
- iang is like young
- ie is like yeah
- iu is like the “ou” in you
- ian like yen
- iao is like “eow” in meow
- in as in “in” in gin
- ing as in “ing” in sing
- iong is like pinyin “yong”
- ong is like “ong” in kong
- ou is like “ow” in low
- ua is like “ua” in guava
- uan like one
- uang like “oo” + ang
- ui is like way
- un is like “wou” in would and ending in “n” sound (woon)
- uo sounds like “wo” as in wall
- uai is like why
- ua is like “wa”
- üan like yuan and written without two dots
- üe is like “yue” (“we” in “wet”)

Want to learn Chinese for pleasure and profit in less time? Like to creatively enhance your life with Chinese characters and symbols? Liow Kah Joon is your guide. Sign up for his free Chinese Symbols ezine at Living Chinese Symbols

It is your choice whether to listen or not listen to someone talking. You listen when needed and wanted to, but do other people see you as a good listener? Listening skills are essential for good relationships and are also a critical skill in many professions, especially the helping professions. Whether you’re maintaining a happy marriage relationship, counseling someone with problems, or coaching members of your team for business success, good listening skills lead others to feel more comfortable. They will have more confidence in you and hold you in higher esteem.

You may not realize how important your body language is, when others view you. It is even more important that your words. So, what says ‘good listener’ and inspires in others who speak to you the confidence that you really are listening? Your body language, of course! Even if you really are listening to every word, you won’t be seen as a good listener unless you have the right body language.

A poor listener has many of these traits -leans away or even turns away slightly, arms folded, maybe a bit of impatient toe tapping, and frequently looking elsewhere. Or, if someone starts to read then you know for sure they’re not listening! And of course if your body language suggests you don’t want to listen, the other person will feel less comfortable talking with you and will be less likely to confide in you. This is a good recipe for creating distance and miscommunication in a relationship.

A good listener shows five characteristics that can be remembered through the acronym “SOLER”.

S - Square-on
Face the other person square on. If you’re turned away, you won’t give the impression that you want to listen.

O - Open-posture
Folded legs, and particularly folded arms can be subconscious signals that you really don’t want to hear what the other person has to say.

L - Lean-towards
Lean slightly towards the other person. This indicates an interest in what they’re saying. Leaning away from a person tends to indicate disinterest.

E - Eye-contact
Maintain normal eye contact with the other person. If you keep your eyes down, or keep looking away, you can give the impression that you’re not a comfortable or willing listener.

R - Relax
Don’t be too formal or stiff. A relaxed posture suggests that you’re comfortable in the role of listener, and ready to hear everything the other person has to say.

Start practicing your listening body language and SOLER now, and you will see the improvement of your interpersonal skill and relationships both on and off your job.

George Williams maintains many translator websites, including English For French, English To Latin ,and English To Spanish.

Professor Colin MacCabe of the University of Exter School of English says that to truly know a language, you must know something of the literature of a language.

Literature is intellectually stimulating because a book allows a reader to imagine worlds they are not familiar with. This is done through the use of descriptive language. In order to understand, the reader will create their vision of what the writer is saying. In this sense, the reader becomes a performer or an actor in a communicative event.

Using literature versus a communicative textbook changes the learning approach from learning how to say into learning how to mean (grammar vs. creative thinking). Conversation-based programs tend to focus on ‘formulas’ used in contextual situations so there is little allowance for independent thought and adaptation of language. On the other hand, literature-based programs focus on personal interpretation of the language so students begin to experiment with the language. This experimentation can be especially helpful to the students for use in different subjects such as science.

Per Carter and Long, the 3 main approaches to using Literature in a language classroom are:

1. Cultural model

• Based on the notion that literature is the expression of:

• Socio-cultural attitudes.
• Aspirations of individual societies.
• Mythic and universal values.

• Text is regarded as finished product.
• Associated with teacher-centered approach

2. Language model

• Literature is taught for the promotion of:

• Vocabulary
• Structure
• Language manipulation

• Puts students in touch with the subtle and varied creative uses of language.
• Emphasizes language observation.
• Student-centered methodology.

3. Personal growth model

• Concerned more with student’s:

• Maturity as individuals
• Progress as individuals through reading

• ‘Literature for life’ approach
• Promotes individual evaluation and judgment.
• Learner-centered approach.

When adding literature into the classroom remember to choose some good books that students can relate to. Visual books are very helpful to help spark interest in children. For older students, you can incorporate questions into the reading process that require thought and expression from the students. In addtion, set aside specific times for reading. Don’t worry if students don’t respond well when you begin because they will start to enjoy it more (and therefore interact more) as they relate to the stories and experiences shared.

There is a wealth of resources available to teachers to help integrate literature into the curriculum. Some good online literature resources are:
London School of Journalism- English Literature Resources
The Children’s Literature Web Guide
Literature.org - The online literature library
English Literature on the Web
The Literature Network
Bibliomania
Literature Learning Ladders
BBC Arts and Books
U.S. Library of Congress
Click here to view an online presentation about Literature in an ESL classroom

Dear ESL Student,

The American money system is logical and very easy to use. It is based on the dollar ($1.00), on which all cash and coins are dependent. There are 100 cents in a dollar. Coins are parts of one dollar, for example: a quarter ($0.25) is 1/4 of a dollar, a dime ($0.10) is 1/10th of a dollar, and so forth. Paper bills are multiples of a dollar: for example, a $5 bill. US Paper Currency The twenty, ten, five, and one are the most frequently used bills.

When speaking about money, $1 is referred to as “a one”, “a dollar”, “a dollarbill”, or “a buck”; $5 is “a five”, “five dollars”, “a five dollar bill”, or “five bucks”; etc. Another way to refer to money is to call it “cash.” One popular slang term for money is “cheddar.” The five, ten, twenty, fifty and hundred dollar bills have recently been changed in order to provide more security features. Both the new and old versions are currently used. The one dollar bill is not being changed as it is not considered as likely to be counterfeited. Also in use but not as frequently seen are the $2, $50 and $100 bills. The two dollar bill is rare - people often collect, rather than spend, them. $50 and $100 bills are not widely used and many places may not accept them for small purchases. You probably won’t ever see any larger-value denominations such as $1,000, $500, $5,000, and $10,000. People not familiar with these bills should probably not accept them, because counterfeit, or fake, currency does happen, especially in the higher and more unfamiliar denominations. Store employees may not like the use of very large bills to pay for very small items. For example, try not to use a $50 to pay for a 25¢ pack of candy! It would be better to pay with a smaller denomination or some coins. If you don’t have anything smaller, it is polite to let the store worker know. US Coins The most widely used coins are the quarter, dime, nickel, and penny.

Each type of coin has a specific size and design, usually with the image of a president or other famous American person on the front. Quarters have been made with different pictures on their back sides, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the USA, and honoring each state. Coins that are rarely used include the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, and the Kennedy half-dollar, also known as the 50-cent piece. Canadian coins are seen in the northern United States and are also available in dimes, quarters, nickels, and pennies. However, not all stores and restaurants accept them; commonly, the closer you are to Canada, the more accepted they are. Canadian coins may be accepted as equal in value to US coins, but the exchange rate usually places a higher value on the US versions, so be careful not to accept too many.

Practical use The quarter is one of the most useful coins. If you are a student, be sure to save these! They can be used in almost any coin-operated machine: clothes washers & dryers, arcade games, pay phones, and vending machines dispensing food, drinks, stamps, tickets, newspapers, etc. Quarters and nickels can usually be used in pay phones and vending machines. Many vending machines will take small bills, such as ones, fives, and tens, but the change you get back will all be in coins. Often there will be a dollar changer near coin-operated machines which dispenses quarters in exchange for small bills. One word of caution: vending machines do not take dollar coins, half-dollars, pennies, or Canadian coins. Credit or charge cards are being used more and more, even for buying small things. Many Americans don’t like to carry much cash, and the cards are easy and safe to use. They are accepted almost everywhere, but not at all fast food restaurants! Traveler’s checks are a good idea for visitors also. You won’t have to carry large amounts of money in your pocket or purse, and the checks can be replaced if they get lost or stolen.

Much Continued ESL Success,

The creator of ESL Free Lesson

The “ESL Free Lesson” website is an incredible resource for ESL students from all over the world . This report is only one of 7 tips that you can get Free at eslfreelesson.com. To get your other 6 fantastic ESL tips and your “Free bonus Ebook” to help you to earn more money enroll now at:

www.eslfreelesson.com

On a recent tour through Mexico and Central America, I realized that I had forgotten many things for my journey. For some reason I made it out of my house without my toothbrush and toothpaste, but fortunately I was able to replace them as soon as I realized my mistake. I also forgot film for my camera but was able to purchase some once I got to Mexico as well. Far worse than forgetting those things, however, was the realization that I had forgotten my Spanish dictionary that I had received and practiced with just for this trip.

My best friend gave me the Spanish dictionary a few months before I headed out on my trip because she remembered what a difficult time I had in high school Spanish class. She assumed rightly that my Spanish skills were even more poor fifteen years after my last Spanish class. She handed me the Spanish dictionary and wisely advised me to practice the basic words and phrases found in the front of the dictionary every day until I left on my trip. I’ve never been good at following any advice that included the phrase “every day,” so naturally I only picked up my Spanish dictionary a few times before I headed out on my journey.

Many people warned me that having a Spanish dictionary would be one of the best tools for me as I traveled alone throughout several Spanish speaking and foreign countries. I certainly believed the warnings of friends and family, but I had no real idea until I landed in Mexico how true their warnings had been. I was like a lost puppy or a child without her mother. I couldn’t talk with locals or even begin to make out the words on signs or billboards.

I made it through the three week tour, but not without much stress and too many miscommunications. I learned quickly that gestures and pointing can go a long way when no words can be communicated. I made it to every city on my itinerary, so I did not miss out on anything in that sense, but I realized quite quickly that forgetting my Spanish dictionary made me miss out on what would have perhaps been the biggest blessing of the trip. Without a tool to help me communicate with the locals, I missed out on a lot of potentially amazing conversations and on getting to know the ins and outs of Spanish cultures from locals.

I will always regret forgetting my Spanish dictionary when I went on that trip, and not just because I couldn’t get around with ease. I’ll regret it even more because of the lovely Spanish people that I didn’t have the privilege of conversing with during my journey.

Belina Storrey is committed to never leaving on a trip to Mexico without her Spanish dictionary again. She is even more committed to helping other people learn to travel well. See more at www.spanishdictionaryhub.info

More and more software programs, electronic devices, and websites devoted to foreign languages are being developed daily. Why all the excitement? Why would YOU want to learn a foreign language?

Job Advancement - Get the Competitive Edge

Many large corporations and government agencies have positions requiring a second language. In a country like Canada, which is officially bilingual, someone who knows both French and English will have better employment prospects.

Travel

Travel to a foreign country can be exciting - and also very exasperating if you can’t understand the local speech. Many North Americans are somewhat egocentric in this regard, expecting to find English spoken no matter where they are. Although this is sometimes true in larger cities, don’t expect to find English-speakers in small communities.

Relatives

The world is a melting pot of cultures and languages. You probably have living relatives in other countries with whom you could communicate more effectively if you took the effort to learn at least a few words.

Genealogy Research

Some of your ancestors probably spoke a different language. If you plan to search old genealogical records, you will be more successful with at least a basic understanding of your ancestors’ language(s).

Understanding Your Own Language

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, ‘Wer fremde Sprachen nicht kennt, weiß nichts von seiner eigenen.’ or ‘Those who don’t know foreign languages know nothing of their own.’ Learning a foreign language will give you a much better understanding of English. Your knowledge of English grammar, vocabulary, verb tenses, and sentence construction will improve when you tackle another language.

Self-Actualization and Challenge

If you’ve already been everywhere and done everything - perhaps it’s time to tackle something new. What could be more challenging and rewarding than immersing yourself in another language?

Opera, Poetry, and Prose Appreciation

Artistic works written in a different language often cannot be fully appreciated when translated into English. This is especially obvious when listening to poetry. If poetry is translated into English with a preserved rhyming scheme, the meaning of the poetry is almost always altered. Being able to listen to the original language - with its subtle tones and nuances - will lend to a greater appreciation of the artist.

Culture Appreciation

One can only truly comprehend a foreign culture if the language is also understood. Exactly what is ‘Bratwurst’ or ‘Calvados’? And what about foreign films? Wouldn’t you like to be able to watch something with subtitles - and skip reading them?

Invigorate the Brain

Adults benefit from the brain stimulation produced by language training. Seniors who tackle a foreign language show improved brain function over a period of time. Students who learn foreign languages as children score better on academic tests. There is also evidence to suggest that they may be more creative and resourceful when faced with solving complex tasks.

Learning Teaches You How to Learn

The self discipline and study habits acquired through successful acquisition of a foreign language can be applied to many other aspects of your life.

Studying Abroad

What better way to learn about a country’s culture than to study there? This requires an excellent command of the local language.

Communicate With Someone Secretly in Public

Imagine chatting in public with a friend about something private, knowing that only your friend understands!

Make Online Penpals and Friends

The internet is transforming our world into an intimate global village where you can chat via e-mail, forums, live chat sessions, and audio/video feeds.

Impress a Date?

In closing - male or female - you will make points with your bilingual date by learning a few important words. If your date doesn’t speak a foreign language, he or she will be impressed by the enchanting allure of intimate expressions in one of the ‘romance’ languages.

So - what are you waiting for? Get learning!

Kathy Steinemann is a webmaster who writes for:

* 111 Travel Directory

* 1000 Tips 4 Trips

* A-Language-Guide

With the popularity of the Internet has come the opportunity to partake in a plethora of new services. Who would have imagined that you could, for example, learn the fundamentals of the Spanish language from an online course? All you need is an Internet connection and the desire to learn.

Providers of online Spanish language courses offer a number of programs from whhich to choose. Online language-course services not only offer fast-paced Spanish language lessons but many also try to make the learning experience a pleasurable endeavor.

Various exercises are offered to assist online students in becoming more familiar with the Spanish language. Some providers use the “natural language acquisition” method which closely resembles the way children in every culture learn their own language. With this approach, online students build the foundation, attitudes, habits, skills and learning strategies that will help them to learn quickly the Spanish language.

Online resources are available, like English/Spanish dictionaries, online translators and other learning tools, that may be downloaded from various sites free of charge.

For those who want a more traditional education, there are online Spanish courses administered by expert language tutors and self-paced independent study programs. Some Spanish courses conduct weekly online “meetings” using live voice chat to provide students with a real-time exchange of information and to help them learn proper pronunciation. Spanish courses found online include introductory and advanced level Spanish, business Spanish, health care Spanish, Spanish and Law, Spanish for Emergency Situations, and Spanish for teachers.

All the courses online are administered by expert language tutors so you can be sure that you are learning correct Spanish. There are various Spanish learning resources offered to students in order to enhance further their knowledge of the language, including interactive drills on grammar, verbs, and vocabulary.

There are many benefits to learning Spanish online. You can study any time, from any location and most importantly at your own pace and you earn a certificate of completion that’s acknowledged by educational institutions.

Jeff Linaker has an interest in Travel & Holidays related topics. To access more information on learn spanish free or on learn spanish language, please click on the links.

While the IELTS Examination is carefully monitored by proctors, no one will tell you how to use the time you are allotted for each section of the test. Watch your watch, or the clock in the examination room, closely. The examiners time each portion of the test very strictly. It’s important that you monitor your own progress carefully, so you don’t leave portions of the test unfinished – or even unstarted!

The IELTS Listening test is more or less self-timing, in that the tape is played without pauses. Even so, making the wisest use of your time makes a difference.

- At the end of the Listening test, you are allowed 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. That’s more than enough time to accomplish that.

- So, instead of putting your answers directly onto the separate answer sheet, put them in the question booklet you are given. Not going back and forth between the booklet and the answer sheet can prevent you from getting lost, which is one of the worst things that can happen in IELTS Listening.

- If you are unsure of your answers, you can note your best guesses in the question booklet and make your final decision at the time you are transferring your answers to the answer sheet.

- The IELTS Reading test consists of three readings and about 13 questions about each, all of which have to be finished within 60 minutes. Monitoring yourself here is of critical importance. If you spend too much time on either of the first two readings, you may not have time to complete the third – and you will have lost one-third of the points toward your reading band score.

- So, even though the readings become slightly more difficult over the course, limit yourself to 20 minutes for each. Once you get into the rhythm of the test, you will start working faster, which will compensate for the increasing difficult of the readings.

- If you finish early, you can always go back and work on questions from earlier readings about which you are unsure. In contrast to our recommendation for the IELTS Listening test, we suggest that you write your answers on the answer sheet as you go along.

- You can always change them (the answer sheets are hand-corrected) later, and it saves time – and keeps you on schedule – to record your answers directly.

Timing yourself is perhaps most critical in the IELTS Writing tasks. The test is in two parts, Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2. You should write the Writing Task 1 report first, timing yourself strictly to a maximum of 20 minutes. Then you should write the Writing Task 2 essay in the remaining 40 minutes.

- It probably will not feel like enough time for either task. However, since the band score given your Writing Task 2 essay counts more heavily toward your overall Writing band score, you must make sure you give it at least 40 minutes. Most candidates find completing the essay in that amount of time difficult anyway.

- You probably will feel like you need more than 20 minutes to write a complete Writing Task 1 report, too. Just do the best you can in 20 minutes and then finish the report and move on to Writing Task 2.

- Remember: By writing concluding paragraphs to both writing tasks, beginning them with “In conclusion,…” and then repeating the information summary (in Writing Task 1) or the Thesis Statement (in Writing Task 2), you technically have completed the task.

- In the IELTS Speaking task, timing yourself is important only in the central section, called the Long Turn. In it, after one minute’s preparation (which the examiner will time), you are to speak, unassisted, on a topic for a minimum of one minute and, ideally, two minutes.

- If you feel you are running out of things to say on the topic but are unsure whether you have spoken for an entire minute, look at the clock or your watch to see. Make sure you reach the one-minute mark at least, or there will be a lowering of your band score.

- If you speak beyond the two-minute point, the examiner will give you some indication, probably a hand signal, that you should conclude your remarks in this section.

Svend Nelson is a university lecturer and Internet entrepreneur. He is director of UniRoute Limited, a Hong Kong based company with offices in Bangkok and London providing IELTS preparation and a free online application service to study abroad including courses like tourism management. Svend lived and worked in various countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia before settling in Thailand.