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Archive for the 'Common Questions' Category

Writing a Good CV

Published on July 31, 2009 in Common Questions. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Our students often ask us for help with their CVs. And in fact, with the recession bringing so much competition to the job market, especially for new graduates, writing a good CV is a must. With some sectors reporting over 400 applications for job, you really need to stand out from the crowd to stand any chance of success. Writing a good CV will land you an interview and hopefully a job. Present any employer with a bad or generalised CV and you condemn it to the shredder! In this tougher world we find ourselves in today, it’s  so important to remember these wise words: “the person who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do the job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get hired”.

A CV’s job is to get you an interview, not to tell your life story. And there’s no better way to stand out from the crowd than tailoring your CV for the job you’re applying to. Does your CV match any of the tell-tale signs of a generalised CV?

  • Written with no aim or target. More of a “hello world, enjoy my story?”
  • First page lacks imapct, CV writing layout is poor, hard to read and too many pages.
  • Written as a chronological document, starting with your address and detailing every education achievement obtained and past positions held.
  • You send the same, or closely the same, CV to every job you apply to.
  • Makes no use of terminology or busswords associated with the position you are applying to.

If this reminds you of your CV, then I recommend this CV writing guide which is full of CV writing tips and advice, CV writing layout help and some useful examples too.

02 610 3939

How to Look for Student Part-Time Jobs!

Published on June 10, 2009 in Common Questions. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Some of you may find it is quite hard to start looking for part-time jobs when you are international students. I completely understand how you guys feel. Five years ago, I was here to start my post Graduate degree at university in London. I made it and I am about to tell you guys how to find your part-time jobs as you are an international student. It is not easy but you I hope it helps.

Unless your family is very wealthy, most international students expect to work whilst they are studying in the UK. As we have known that the living costs here are very expensive. Part-time jobs are commons among international students. However, Rule is rule—never work more than 20 hours per week. The home office is very strict about it and it is not good if you want to acheive what you come to do ( study) in the UK.

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20 things you need to know about the IELTS test

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 13 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

The international English language testIELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. The whole purpose of the IELTS examination is to measure your ability to communicate in English. You be will tested across the four major disciplines of listening, reading, writing and speaking. If you plan to study or work in an English speaking country it is more than likely you will be need have passed the IELTS test. We’ve brought together 20 of the most common questions about the IELTS examination.

1.    What can I take to the IELTS test?

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So is pronunciation important then?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Simply, yes it is important. It is the second most important aspect of learning a foreign language, after vocabulary. Words are important but people need to be able to understand what you are saying. You need to be able to communicate clearly so pronunciation is important.

Having said that, it is important to point out that there is no real write or wrong English pronunciation. Consider the difference is sound between English in America and English in the UK. And of course there are regional dialects too. In fact, even just within London you will find different accents and pronunciations of words. So, don’t let pronunciation stress you out too much. There are people who will try to tell you what they think is correct pronunciation, most notably those who think British English pronunciation is the ‘right way’.

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How can I learn enough English words?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 0 Comments

Vocabulary is the single most important aspect of learning any language. It’s no use knowing how to construct complex grammatical sentences if you don’t know enough words to demonstrate your knowledge. Our article how to study English 7 tips and ideas has a great suggestion on how to increase your vocabulary:

5.  Start a vocab book
It’s great that you’re learning all these new words but you will of course forget some. So it’s a great idea to start writing down new words you discover in a notebook for yourself. You may like to order it in alphabetical order, include the word’s definition and perhaps write a few examples of how to use the word. This technique, whilst it may seem time consuming, is a really fantastic way to quickly improve your language skills. And eventually, you will have a huge, useful resource that you didn’t have to pay a penny for!

As you start learning new words you should make sure that you use them. This is how you remember the new words you come across. You can even show off your new words in English class and to your friends! It’s great if you keep a notepad with you, then whenever you hear a new word during the day you can make a quick note of it. Then you can go home and do some work learning the new words you picked up.

Should I study English grammar?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

Many people may try and tell you that you don’t need to concentrate too much on grammar. After all, you learnt a language well enough when you were growing up didn’t you? I definitely didn’t use any grammar books when I was 2! However, the point is you’ve grown up now. You’re used to communicating using the rules of your own language, your own grammar, or lack of it in some languages. Also, your brain has changed; a baby’s brain is like a sponge and soaks everything up. Now you’ve grown up and been to too many parties to remember, your brain is not what is used to be.

So you just need to study smarter. I’m of the opinion that grammar is an important building block of language, especially English. If you lay the right foundations you will make much quicker progress in the future. Not only does a grasp of the grammatical rules help you to speak and write better, but it also helps you to learn.

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Should I study at a big or small school?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 0 Comments

This is really does come down to personal choice and as you would expect, each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages aren’t really the right term – it’s just that the size of the school does dictate the type of teaching and contact you will experience.

Big schools do have some obvious advantages, the primary one being that they have more of the important stuff: more courses, more teachers who specialise in different areas, more potential friends for you to make, more facilities…..the list could go on and I’m sure you get the general idea. The reason is obvious: the bigger the school, the more money it has, the more resources it can buy for you to use. It is important to remember that these items aren’t related to the quality of teaching or approachability of the teachers, which are important factors too. You should be cautious of some big schools as the above is not always true. Many big schools like to use the fact they are big to discount their course tuition fees not investing in resources.

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Should I learn English in England?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 0 Comments

You don’t have to, but it is a very good idea too, for obvious reasons. If you study in your own country, you will miss out on so many opportunities to practice your English. Outside the classroom you’re likely to talk to friends and family in your own language. More to the point, you won’t have any opportunity to practice your English passively, through reading advertisements in English or listening to English radio, for example. We’ve covered this subject quite well on this blog so have a look at some of our articles for more advice. Finding a good school is very important. In a country such as England, with great tradition and reputation of academic excellence, there are many great English schools for you to choose from.

How long will it take to learn English?

Published on July 23, 2008 in Common Questions. 0 Comments

Again, this a tricky question to answer and is most commonly answered with ‘it depends’. There are many different factors that influence how long it will take you to learn English. Things that can influence how long it takes to learn English include:

  • What level you currently are
  • What level you want to achieve
  • Are you a natural learner?
  • How motivated are you?
  • Will you study an intensive programme?
  • How much time do you spend practicing English?

The above factors aside, the average student studying English can go from Low to Upper Intermediate in around three months. This example would be based on studying for 21 hours per week.

However, quicker progress could be achieved should you be sufficiently motivated. If you were to study on an intensive programme, you could go from Elementary to Advanced in around 6 months.

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