Academic English Cafe

To Primark or not?

Having watched Primark-On the Rack last night on Panorama, I am feeling really guilty about shopping from there. Nevertheless, I believe that child labour and sweatshops are probably an issue with other retailers as well- not only Primark! So what must we as shoppers do when fair trade prices are very expensive and unaffordable?

Add comment June 24, 2008

New link to an IELTS website

Get free ipass membership and study for your IELTS exam at IELTS at iPass.uk.net.

Add comment May 16, 2008

Can you touch type?

I can’t!!! Whilst I was in class today with my IELTS class, watching them type away very quickly without having to look at the keyboard at all impressed me, but at the same time made me feel embarrassed. I have always wanted to go on a course and learn how to touch type properly but time is always an issue and there is always something more important or urgent to do. Then tonight I came across this website, which teaches you to touch type. I had a quick go at a couple of the easy exercises just now, which were very useful, and my favourite bit is that it is totally FREE. I will continue to use this website- typeonline but let’s see if I improve and whether my students notice any difference in my typing.

Add comment April 22, 2008

Get rid of powerpoint?

Power point is widely used in business presentations and lectures at universities and although a very straightforward software to use by all, it is not always used effectively by all. How many times have you sat in a presentation and felt like falling asleep or confused whilst looking at the powerpoint display?? Here is a video clip of how NOT to use powerpoint which I found hilarious.

Thanks to Anne Bartlett-Bragg for finding this.

Add comment April 20, 2008

One of the biggest stories in the news nowadays with the most common academic words replaced by gaps. Don’t cheat and look at the Times- have a go first and post your answers here.

UK house prices are forecast to fall by 15 per cent over the next two years that would push 10 per cent of Britain’s homeowners into _________________ equity, signalling a return to the housing crash of the early 1990s. _________________ at Morgan Stanley, the US ______________________ bank, _____________________ that house prices will fall by 10 per cent this year and 5 per cent next year, forcing 1.2 million borrowers into _________________ equity, which means a person’s home is worth less than their mortgage. The bank also paints an even gloomier ______________________, suggesting that if house prices fell by 25 per cent over the next two years, more than 2 million %97 or a quarter of all borrowers %97 would be _______________________. Morgan Stanley’s _____________________ said: “Our base case is for a 15 per cent fall in nominal prices over two years… our bear case looks for a 25 per cent _____________________ over two years.” However, the bank warned that its calculations on how many people would face _________________ equity could actually be too low. “Note that these figures will ____________________ understate the magnitude of ________________ equity as we have _____________________ lending in 2008.. and ___________________ future lending,” it said. Recent Government figures showed that property prices fell by 1.6 per cent in February. The ________________ rate of house price growth slowed to 6.7 per cent, the lowest rate in 19 months, down from 8 per cent in January, figures from the Department of ________________________ and Local Government showed. A record number of surveyors have also reported house price falls. Nearly 79 per cent more surveyors said prices fell rather than increased in March %97 the highest ____________________ since the Royal _____________________ of Chartered Surveyors started its poll in 1978. The ___________________ note was co-authored by Professor David Miles who a non-executive board member of the ____________________ Services ____________________. Several years ago he carried out a Treasury-backed report on longer-term fixed-rate lending in the UK. In the early 1990s, house prices fell by 10.6 per cent over a prolonged ________________, leaving owners sitting on houses they were unable to sell without the risk of losing large _____________ of money.

Add comment April 17, 2008

Get a BA (2 for 1) at Tesco

The supermarket chain is to offer its own qualification in retail management, including the arts of display design, special offers and efficient shelf stacking. Teenagers may soon be able to study vocational courses to A-level standard at McDonald’s, a scheme announced in January, before going to Tesco for their degree.

What do you think about this new development? Read the article and in particular look at the comments made by the readers who seem to feel strongly about this issue. You might want to state your view on the topic as well.

Add comment April 13, 2008

‘Clearer’ student access demanded

After our discussion in class today about admission into universities, I thought you might want to read this article. The government, rightly so, appear to be demanding higher standards from universites in regards to their admissions policies and about time.

Add comment April 8, 2008

Listening to stories

New link! On ‘listening downloads- stories’ you can listen to the files online, or download them onto your PC and put them on your MP3 player, then see if you’ve understood by reading the scripts. Free, free , free practice.

Add comment April 3, 2008

If penguins could fly?

4 comments April 1, 2008

How do you connect or link to your friends’ blogs?

BLOGLINES- To start off create an account (takes a couple of minutes) and add it to your favourites. When you see a blog or a website such as the BBC news or your mate’s blog that you want to subscribe to, then you go to bloglines from your favourites and save it in your feeds. Everytime new information is added to that blog or website, you are informed through bloglines. UPDATES ARE AT YOUR FEET!

Add comment March 28, 2008

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