Recent Articles

For many people, exams are almost custom-designed to be unpleasant. You’re under heaps of pressure. You need to relax in order to focus on doing as well as you can. But being under pressure makes relaxing a challenge. Stress is making it hard to sleep, but sleeping well is vital if you’re going to succeed...

One of the enjoyable challenges you’ll face as you become increasingly familiar with English is reading some of the great works of literature written in this fascinating language. Having some understanding of some of the different literary devices an author, poet or playwright has used will help you gain a deeper appreciation of a work ...

Reading through job descriptions can start to feel like playing buzzword bingo. It can seem like every employer is looking for the same ideal employee, and often their requirements don’t seem all that realistic. They might want you to be motivated, passionate or enthusiastic, which is great if you’re a talent show contestant, but it ...

We are so used to living in a world of incredible engineering feats that sometimes we forget how much effort it took to get here. Whether it’s China building islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the construction of ever-taller skyscrapers in Dubai and Saudi Arabia that stretch nearly a kilometre into ...

How many times have you watched the news, or picked up a newspaper, and automatically accepted that what’s being reported is completely impartial, and therefore the truth? If this sounds like you, it’s time to start developing your critical thinking skills. The truth is that newspapers and the news channels have their own agenda, and […]

It may seem unfair, but much of the time what you say doesn’t matter nearly so much as how you say it. Think about a really good speech by a politician or motivational speaker. While they’re talking, everything sounds great – it’s compelling, it makes sense, you’re nodding in agreement, you’re standing up to cheer.

The classic novels on this list are my (non-exhaustive) selection of ‘must-read’ books for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of English literature. What counts as English literature spans over a thousand years, but you’ll find most of the great classics that well-educated people are often expected to have read – what’s known...

One aspect of English you possibly haven’t thought about yet is how to communicate appropriately in formal written situations, such as letters. This is a skill you’ll almost certainly need if you’re in the process of applying to UK schools or universities...

If you’re learning English in order to better your job prospects, the chances are that at some point you’re going to need to understand and employ a more specialised vocabulary. Working in a business environment will expose you to a raft of new words that don’t tend to be covered by standard English as a...