FAQ

The most frequently asked questions about SGI

Twelve tips for IELTS success

If you have already started an IELTS preparation course or are thinking seriously about doing so, you will find these twelve tips will go a long way in ensuring you achieve your best possible IELTS score:

IELTS Listening module

1) At the beginning of the IELTS listening module, there is always an example which you should use to familiarise yourself with the sound, the speakers and the situation they are speaking in.
2) At the end of each section there is usually a pause in the recording. Use this pause to prepare yourself for the next set of questions.
3)At the end of the recording you have some time to transfer your answers to the Answer sheet. This is an opportunity for you to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar.

IELTS Reading module

4) As you read, don’t try to understand the precise meaning of every word or phrase, you just don’t have the time! At first you need to read for general meaning.
5) Sometimes tasks require you to use words from the text in the answer and at other times you are expected to use your own words. Check the instructions carefully!
6) Make sure you keep to the word limits that are stated. E.g Use no more than five words. Keep to this by avoiding unnecessary words in your answer.

IELTS Writing module

7) It is absolutely vital that you keep to the topic set. You must never try to prepare sections of text before the exam.
8) You should make sure that you write at least 150 words in Task 1 and at least 250 words in Task 2. If you write less you will lose marks. There is however no maximum number of words for either task.
9) When planning your essay make sure you allow time at the end to check your through your writing.

IELTS Speaking module

10) In the speaking module, don’t try to give a prepared speech, or talk about a different topic from the one you are asked to discuss. You will lose marks for this.
11) Don’t just answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the examiner’s questions, add more details to your answer. In each case, aim to explain at least one point, preferably two.
12) Remember that you are being tested on your ability to communicate effectively not on your general knowledge.

SGI English School in London offers a range of IELTS courses.

A Brief History of Business English Teaching

What methodologists and teachers consider differentiates Business English from General English has obvious implications on how Business English is taught, along with the dominant approaches in English language teaching at any given time. We can see this by taking a brief look at developments in Business English teaching.

In the late 1960s and 1970s it was felt that the difference between Business English and General English was mainly specialist vocabulary, and this was reflected in the coursebooks and materials of the time. These focused largely on texts with comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, and repetition drills. Business skills and application to real-life situations were not generally focused on.

A move towards greater skills training in a business context occurred in 1972 with the publication of the BBC coursebook and video English for Business, which incorporated greater emphasis on areas such as listening skills development, dialogue practice and role-plays, therefore accepting the need to develop students’ skills to deal with practical situations. This trend continued during the mid-1970s and 1980s, when Business English teaching followed the move in General English teaching towards a more functional syllabus. The focus was now on functional language and the teaching of formulaic phrases for recommending, agreeing, disagreeing etc. These were introduced in business contexts and practised in role-plays of common business situations such as making appointments, making introductions, business lunches etc.

From the late 1980s the focus shifted to working on business communication skills. This was largely due to the development of company training programmes in the late 1980s, which began to provide employees with opportunities to attend courses in presentation techniques, negotiating and effective meeting skills, among other things. This of course led to the publication of books and materials on business communication skills. This has profoundly influenced Business English teaching up to the present day in that the focus on Business communication skills forms a major component of most current Business English courses and coursebooks.

To conclude, and broadly-speaking, the focus on real-world communication, which is prevalent in much contemporary Business English teaching, fits in neatly with the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the predominant approach to English language teaching in the world for the past twenty years. In essence this is an approach to language teaching where the underlying key objective is to develop the learners’ ability to use language to communicate effectively. An important point related to CLT is that fluency and acceptable language is the primary goal. Language accuracy is judged in context.

The English School in London SGI provides a range of Business English courses.

SGI Christmas competition, win an English course in London with us!

It's the season of giving! At SGI we're having a Christmas competition and you can win a one-week English course with us in London!

All you have to do is visit the Christmas competition page and write an original sentence with the words described. All instructions there. Have fun and good luck!