Você vai se matricular num curso de mestrado ou doutorado e precisa de um certificado de proficiencia de inglês. Qual será? TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo? Existe um exame que é o queridinho de muitos alunos em todo o Brasil: o TEAP – elaborado pela TESE Prime – presente no contexto acadêmico brasileiro desde 2001 a empresa desenvolve e administra exames de proficiência em idiomas. O exame TEAP (Test of English for Academic Purposes) é hoje o exame mais aceito por programas de Pós-Graduação e de Residência das principais universidades e instituições brasileiras. https://www.tesepri ..read more

Everybody thinks that the reading part of any test will be the easiest one – the answers are there right in front of your eyes, right? Not that quickly, Roz. Here are some tips that will make your sailing through your test more smoothly: Tip # 1: Beware of the modifier – let me simplify it by saying that a modifier is any advective or adverb modifying a noun or a verb respectively. It can be more complex than that, but just pay attention to words like “often” or “only” – which will totally change the way you’d answer that question. Extreme modifiers: all, always, never, only (in TOEFL most of ..read more

Last week a new prospective student contacted me because he needs to take the TOEFL exam in order to apply for a Master’s Program at a local university in Brazil – in Brazil, I said – where he will most likely only have to read in English and maybe (I said maybe) write in that language. In other words, he needs English only for Academic purposes. But, the University still requires the candidate to invest US$ 220 for the test plus a reasonable amount in R$ to prepare for it if he wants to get a good score. Remember TOEFL does not have a failing score – but if it’s too low you may not qualify to ..read more

Many clients and students have been enquiring about the Duolingo English Test and if it’s a reliable exam. Yes, it is accepted by a growing number of institutions and it is increasingly regarded as a good English Proficiency Verification Tool. Duolingo’s English Test is primarily used to verify a non-native English speaker’s language proficiency for academic institutions. It is a standardized proficiency test (whatever proficiency means to you, but generally speaking – you’re at a comfortable and fluent level when using English – you’re competent or skillful enough to function in that languag ..read more

Hoje de manhã, uma amiga me perguntou: “Bom dia, Uma pessoa me perguntou e eu não soube responder. Vc saberia? Destas opções qual vc acha que seria mais recomendável eu estudar e prestar um exame de proficiência em inglês?  Cambridge Exam PET CEFR B1 IELTS 4,0 TOEFL IBT 57 TOEFL ITP 542-“ Antes de mais nada: É importante verificar quais exames são aceitos pelas instituições ou empregadores que a pessoa está interessado antes de se preparar e prestar o exame. Considerando as opções apresentadas, eu recomendaria que você estudasse para o Cambridge Exam PET ou para o CEFR B1. Ambos são ..read more

And now we have reached our 4th month of the pandemic and half-arsed quarantine by a significant portion of the population in Brazil. Now state orders to wear masks in public places punishable with R$ 500 fines (another half-arsed measure that can’t be enforced by the government). Still surviving, students hanging in there, but the calls by prospective students have dwindled down. WhatsApp is not dinging with new contacts nor the telephone ringing as often as I’d like. But last week I was contacted by “Argentino” who was referred to me by a couple of friends (“muy amigos“). Argentino wants to ..read more

Last night as I was sleeping… “Last night as I was sleeping I had a dream so fair…” – wait a minute, those are the words to a New Jerusalem hymn… but seriously, last night I dreamed that I was a teacher/ coordinator (already promoting myself) at a large language center in São Paulo. The school was having problems in particular with a student, Joelson (I asked his name in the dream) who had finished the last stage and in order to receive his course completion certificate he would have to take an exam. The problem was that although Joelson had reached an advanced English level he got very nervou ..read more

I guess the question “does technology belong in the classroom?” has been amply discussed and satisfactorily answered with a resounding YES! (kept some reservations). Both teachers and students have already grasped the idea that they can use technology as a learning tool. Not just the cool new thing. So why have publishers been so resistant and slow to adopting e-textbooks? Yesterday a student of mine called my attention again to the outdated status of English coursebooks – which in my humble opinion are the most advanced in terms of volume of sales and global reach. Eduardo has finished h ..read more

A student of mine, who is very keen on learning and has a strong motivation and passion for reading and encountering new vocabulary, has started his own glossary. Here are some tips that might be useful to any language learner. PURPOSE: why create a glossary if you can go online or use even a paper dictionary? A glossary will provide a one-stop place for students to go to in order to check and review new vocabulary. Moreover, it’s more meaningful – the student has created HIS or HER own glossary. It will also allow access of information in the future. WHAT TO INCLUDE: you can divide your ..read more

Every new year comes with many resolutions: “This year I’ll go on a diet and lose 20 pounds.” “This year I’ll stop smoking” “This year I’ll get a boyfriend/girlfriend/ pet” “This year I’ll learn (…. – fill in the blanks)”. But the problem with making resolutions is that they don’t tend to stick. They slip away and melt as if under the tropical sun. But if you follow these steps (not in any necessary order and at least some of them) you will make progress and then you will feel you can continue to learn English (or any other language for that matter) Watch movies and TV in your target language ..read more