What You Say in English!

In this final episode of the third season of What You Say in English, I had the privilege of engaging in a thought-provoking conversation with Laura Patsko, a language and communication specialist with a focus on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). We delved into complex concepts such as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Inclusive Education. Laura's insights into these topics were enlightening, and it was fascinating to explore their implications in the English Language Teaching (ELT) industry. We discussed the importance of inclusivity in lesson planning, the role of identity in language learning, and the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on the ELT world. Laura's expertise and passion for these subjects were evident throughout our conversation, and I found myself learning so much from her. This episode is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in language, communication, and the evolving role of English in the world. It's an educational and insightful conversation that I believe you won't want to miss. Remember to check out the episode description for links to further reading on the topics we discussed. This is the last episode of this third season of What You Say in English. I'll be taking a break for the month of August, but I'll keep active on TikTok. I hope to start the fourth season halfway through September. RESOURCES:Laura's suggested sites

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Bodrova, co-founder of the innovative EdTech startup, Amazy. We explored her journey from a language-loving student to an entrepreneur, and how her passion for teaching and belief in the power of community led to the creation of Amazy. This platform is truly revolutionizing language learning, empowering educators to become more independent, visible, and financially successful. We discussed how Amazy allows teachers to share and monetize their content, creating a source of passive income. Plus, its AI-powered features are a game-changer, helping teachers create lesson plans in a fraction of the usual time. For those of you intrigued by our conversation and eager to learn more about Amazy, I'll be creating a short video tutorial on my TikTok channel explaining how it works. And, thanks to Kate's generosity, I'll be giving away 5 full-year business licenses for Amazy to 5 of my most committed followers. So, stay tuned for that! This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of language education and the transformative power of technology in teaching. Don't miss it!

In this episode of What You Say in English, I had the pleasure of hosting Rachel Tsateri, an inspiring figure in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT). We delved into various aspects of Rachel's work, including her passion for teaching pronunciation for listening purposes and her insights on teacher and trainer talk. We also touched on the topic of nativespeakerism, a subject very dear to me and one that Rachel, along with other figures in the field, has been actively challenging. This episode was a journey of insights and reflections, and I hope it provides listeners with valuable perspectives to consider in their own practice of teaching English.

People mentioned in the podcast:

In this episode, I'm diving into the intricacies of the IELTS speaking test with my dear friend and former student, Romelia. After recently passing her C1 Advanced exam from Cambridge, Romelia reached out to me for a one-to-one speaking assessment. We decided to opt for an IELTS speaking test, which I believe fits her needs perfectly. You'll get to listen to Romelia's entire speaking test, after which I'll provide my professional assessment based on the IELTS speaking criteria. Romelia has a knack for using some fantastic expressions, and I'm sure you'll find them quite useful for your own English speaking skills. Join me in this insightful journey of language learning!

In this episode of "What You Say in English," I explore the fascinating world of plurilingualism and its impact on language assessment. I delve into the definition of plurilingualism, its growing recognition in language learning, and how it challenges the traditional monolingual approach.

Throughout the episode, I discuss how language testing bodies like Cambridge Assessment English are incorporating plurilingualism into their assessments. We explore innovative approaches such as cross-linguistic mediation and bilingual assessments that aim to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of individuals' linguistic repertoires.

I also address the challenges involved, particularly in enhancing teacher assessment literacy and addressing concerns about fairness and feasibility. By raising awareness and sharing best practices, we can foster a more inclusive approach to assessing plurilingual abilities.

Join me as we navigate this evolving landscape and uncover the opportunities and challenges that plurilingualism brings to language assessment. Together, let's embrace the transformative power of recognizing and valuing the complex linguistic repertoires of multilingual individuals.

Until next time, happy language learning!

Today's episode brings you two amazing candidates: Kamar and Sahar. They did an incredible job in this C2 Proficiency mock speaking and I can't wait for you to listen to them. As usual, this episode comes packed with advice, so take your notepad and start jotting down all the tips I have for them. Remember you can also download the visuals I used for this mock. This episode is almost 1.30 hours but I think it's absolutely worth it.

In this episode of 'What You Say in English,' I delved into the reading papers of the B2 First for Schools, C1 Advanced, and C2 Proficiency Cambridge exams. We explored the challenges learners and teachers face at each level and discussed effective strategies for developing reading skills.

Throughout the episode, I shared activities and strategies for each part of the reading papers, focusing on key areas such as skimming, scanning, and vocabulary comprehension. I emphasized the importance of practicing with diverse texts and provided insights into the assessment process for each level.

To further support your exam preparation, I recommended accessing the official Cambridge English guides for teachers and learners. These guides provide comprehensive information and classroom activities for developing reading skills at the B2, C1, and C2 levels.

Additionally, I announced that I will be offering one-off workshops on different parts of the Cambridge exams during the summer. Stay tuned to my TikTok channel for updates and details about these workshops.

As a comprehensive summary, I recommended accessing the official Cambridge English guides for teachers and learners, which provide in-depth information on developing reading skills for each level. You can find the guides at the following links:

In this episode, I explore the issue of confidence, or lack thereof, among English learners when speaking, especially with native speakers. I delve into the phenomenon of 'language anxiety' or 'communication apprehension,' and discuss how it can significantly affect the performance and progress of English language learners. I also touch on the issue of 'linguistic racism' or 'accent discrimination,' and how it contributes to language anxiety.

Throughout the episode, I provide practical tips and strategies to help learners gain confidence in their English-speaking ability. These include using positive self-talk, speaking louder and slower, speaking in full sentences, reading out loud, not worrying too much about making mistakes, and setting realistic goals. I also discuss ways to address linguistic racism and create a more inclusive environment for all English speakers.

Finally, I share some inspiring stories from English learners who have overcome their fears and achieved fluency. These stories serve as a reminder that with determination, perseverance, and the right strategies, anyone can become a confident English speaker.

Links I used in this episode:

In this episode, I delved into the importance of using both simple and complex grammatical structures for candidates taking the Cambridge English exams at B2 First and C1 Advanced levels. I shared detailed analyses of four candidates' performances and highlighted their strengths and areas for improvement, providing valuable insights into how a balanced approach to grammar can enhance communication.

Throughout the episode, I emphasized the need for consistent practice, learning from mistakes, focusing on coherence and cohesion, expanding vocabulary, and seeking feedback from others to improve one's grammatical competence. I wrapped up by offering practical tips to help listeners enhance their use of grammatical structures and achieve success in their English language endeavors.

Download the visuals and the audioscripts from here:

Do you remember Francesco Burgio? He was my guest in episode 10 of the first season of this show. We've still kept in touch and he's just sent me an incredible message from his new home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He's doing great, his family is happy and still feels proud of his Italian accent. Way to go Francesco! Remember, this podcast is also your home!

Also, the title of today's episode celebrates the international day of the English Language, a day full of activities around the world to boost comprehension and proficiency in this beautiful language. For that reason, I decided to share a story I wrote many moons ago called "Blend of Two Worlds" when I was still a teenager. I hope you like it.

And if you want to support the labor I do with this podcast, you can download it from here:

This is the first follower who did my IELTS Speaking test challenge. Of course there are more, but I've chosen this one as it's a great example of a candidate with a lot of potential to get a high band score. Check out my TikTok profile to do the same challenge, you can make a duet and tag me. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Because not everything is listening, reading or speaking. Writing also has a space in this podcast. Today, we’ll be looking at what makes a good review for Cambridge exams. I’m bringing three examples at three different levels: B2, C1 and C2. Also, I’m adding an extra review on the recent installment of Shazam! Fury of the Gods! Pay close attention to the vocabulary and expressions I’ve used and start building your own set. Download the 4 reviews below:

In today's episode of What You Say in English, we dive deep into part 4 of the listening exam for C1 and C2 students. This challenging task requires you to understand the gist of five short monologues and complete two parallel multiple-matching tasks. We break down the essential skills you'll need to develop, such as listening for gist, understanding context, and developing listening strategies. Additionally, we discuss tips and techniques to help you succeed in this demanding task. Finally, we provide a listening task for you to practice, ensuring that you apply the strategies and skills discussed in this episode. Tune in to boost your listening skills and get one step closer to acing the exam! All answers will be explained in the episode.

For this episode, I wanted to commemorate International Women's Day, which took place this last March, 8. I've created a Reading and Use of English part 5 exam task. So, I know how much you guys like to just "listen" to the show, but this time, I want you to practice a little for your upcoming exam. If you've already taken it, then use it as a way to learn new vocabulary. Make sure you download the task, the answers and explanations, as well as the accompanying video I created for you. 

In this episode, I explore the use of artificial intelligence-powered tools like ChatGPT3 for improving writing skills for Cambridge exams. ChatGPT3 can provide instant feedback on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, sentence structure, and organization, as well as generate prompts and provide suggestions for improvement. It's a valuable supplement to traditional writing instruction and can help students build confidence and motivation. The use of AI-powered tools has made language learning more accessible, effective, and engaging. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative and effective tools to emerge.

Episode 17 of "What You Say in English" explores the topic of silent letters in English. The episode explains that silent letters in English are a way of preserving the history of the language and are often relics of the pronunciation of words in their original languages. The episode also discusses why silent letters are important for both pronunciation and spelling, and how phonics can be helpful in teaching children and English learners about silent letters. By understanding silent letters, English learners can improve their fluency and accuracy in spoken and written English. We also discuss some words for each letter of alphabet that contains such silent letters.

This time I wanted to go back to analyzing other people's English. I've chosen Rosalia, the incredibly popular singer from Spain, to give people another role model they can follow. Despite some limitations, she's quite fluent. She showed great confidence and aplomb during this first interview in an American Late Night talk show. She had fun and let everybody know that she can handle herself just fine. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did when analyzing her English. 

Today's episode is dedicated to everyone who is preparing for the IELTS, Cambridge exam (or any other English proficiency exam) on their own. It's a difficult road to follow, but filled with learning opportunities. I will give you here some pointers on how to start, what to consider, where to look for materials and other important things. I start by telling you what the possibilities are and the types of tests available, the importance of simulating the exam conditions, how to understand your results and how to deal with feedback, to finish with how to find reliable source material and create an effective study plan.

The websites I mention in the episode are:

In today's episode, we're talking about the importance of active listening and note-taking for acing exams. Active listening is key for understanding the meaning behind the words and picking up on key information to take notes on. As for note-taking, it's important to find a technique that works best for you, like the Cornell Method, Outline Method, Mapping Method, Charting Method, Sentence Method, and Mind Map Method. Each one is suited for a different type of information and exam format. Remember to listen actively, take effective notes.

As my new wish for 2023, I want to thank all of my listeners for their support. I hope you've enjoyed my episodes and have found them helpful in your language learning journey.

In today's episode, I'm going to be talking about learning English and setting new year's resolutions. Whether you're just starting out on your language-learning journey, or you're looking for ways to boost your progress, this episode is for you.

I'll be discussing the importance of setting specific, achievable, and measurable goals when learning a new language, and sharing some ideas for language-related resolutions you might want to consider. I'll also be offering tips for sticking to those resolutions and sharing some resources that you can use to help you learn English.

These things rarely happen... That we get big news from Cambridge Assessment English. The organization is undergoing some major rebranding and redesign, not only about their corporate image, but with the way they will handle exams. They'll remove tasks, add other options to take the exams, and 'finally' embrace some new technology to offer new ways of going through the Cambridge experience, among other things. If you're preparing to take the exam any time between what is left of the year or next year, what I have to tell you about in this episode will definitely interest you.

Also, I've just opened a TikTok account where you can also follow me. So, drop by and say hi!

The previous episode had a great reception. So much so that I decided to extend on how to improve your fluency and intelligibility by working on your consonant clusters. The five sample sentences are:

• O n my first trip, I traveled the length and breadth of Sri Lanka.
• Scientists say that humans’ sixth sense can be explained.
• Last February, meteorologists measured the temperature in the forests in the Arctic circle.
• He asks exactly what we need to know about the nuclear program.
• She liked two different tasks: washing her clothes and resting in the summer months.

It's been some time since I haven't reacted to a celebrity's English. This time is Black Panther's Prince Namor, Tenoch Huerta. Personally, I don't know how long he's been learning English, but he behaved like a champion in this interview. You can listen to how he used natural fluency to overcome his lack of grammatical and phonological control. You too can deliver a successful interview for live TV without having to master English with the mastery of a C2 speaker. Tenoch is an excellent role model to follow.

This is yet another C2 Speaking mock with two great students: Francisco and Maria. They'll soon take their exams and wanted to do one last mock speaking with me before their big day. The questions and the visuals can be downloaded from here:

This idea of thinking of groups of words as one unit is nothing new, but it might help you think of different word categories (e.g., idioms, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases, binomials, among others) as having more things in common as you might have initially thought. They're Polywords.

I've prepared some activities that can help you understand polywords better:

This episode is devoted to explaining how students can ace the second part of the speaking test: The Long Turn. As I mention in the episode, you can prepare the way you wish to organize your discourse, but not what vocabulary or grammar you will use. You will listen to three students speaking about three sets of images. They all had time to prepare and even write down what they wanted to say. So, when preparing, this might be a good idea to get used to the structure of your answer. You'll see how it easy it becomes. That way, you'll only have to worry about the language output, accuracy and range of vocabulary and structure and not the organization.

I met Ethan back when I worked for International House Madrid. He's the sort of person you'd love to work with: knowledgeable, experienced, and, most importantly, quite approachable whenever you had doubts about your teaching. Nowadays, he keeps quite busy writing materials for exam preparation, Teacher Training courses and is also quite active in delivering presentations at many teaching conventions. Macmillan Publishers called him to write the Teachers Books for the newest edition of their successful series for Cambridge exams, Ready For, originally written by Amanda French and Roy Norris. Here, we talked about his work as an author and what he thinks of the exam preparation market in general.

This is the second part (and final) where I explain the remaining tenses of the whole "tense-aspect" system in English. Here you'll find the different uses of the perfect, progressive and perfect-progressive aspects. That would conclude the information about the "12 tenses" in English. These tenses are covered in the course of the different levels of the CEFR. Even at top levels, students need to fine tune their understanding of this system and appropriately use them in speaking and writing tasks.

Also, I finally bring information about the courses I'm planning for August. To save a spot and read all the preliminary information, go to the following websites: