ENGLISH TODAY

A blog about the English language, English learning tips, life and events in London and Link School.
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Everyone is welcome, not only our students.

Events and Learning English through Socialising.

General English vs Conversation Classes

Posted on 29 December 2018 in English Courses at Link School, Learn English Advice

What is the difference between general English and conversation classes?

Find our which one is better for you: general English or conversational English course.

General English vs conversation classes the difference explained. Chess horses black and white.

General English vs conversation classes

One of the most common questions asked by our students registering for English courses is the one about the difference between general English courses and English conversation classes.

The short answer is: general English classes cover reading, writing, listening and speaking as well as grammar and vocabulary. Conversation classes focus on speaking and listening skills in everyday communication.

General English vs English conversation classes

In addition to general English and exam preparation courses, Link School of English offers regular English conversation classes. All of our courses help students improve their speaking through a range of communicative activities. However, conversation classes place the most emphasis on speaking and offer a unique experience for learners of English. They are usually built around a specific theme or topic which students discuss in pairs or as a group. This may sound like something you have done at an English class before. What are the main differences?

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How to make the most of your part time English course

Posted on 5 September 2018 in English Courses at Link School, English language tips, Learn English Advice

Tips from a teacher on how to make the most of your part time English course

Have you signed up for an evening or weekend English course and want to know how to maximase your learning?

When you’ve made a commitment you certainly want to make ensure you make maximum progress in English. Here are some tips from an English language teacher on how to make the most of a part time English course.

Attend all lessons

My top tip for making the most of your part-time English course is simple: Attend all the lessons. It may be tempting to skip a lesson if you’re tired or if you have a lot on, but keep in mind that your course may only last for two or three months, while resting and socialising will always be possible later. It may also be tempting to miss a lesson if you are already familiar with the grammar or topic vocabulary that is coming up. But this is not a good reason to skip, because grammar and vocabulary are only part of what learning a language involves. The rest is skill-building. That is, most of what you do on an English course will involve improving your skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

How to make the most of your part time English course. Do more computer screen display.

Make friends with your class mates

Another good reason to turn up is that doing so makes it more likely that you will to get to know your classmates – which is another very effective way to get the most out of your course. Striking up an acquaintance with fellow learners may allow you to create a support system for learning English, not only helping each other to complete the course but also continuing to practice your English outside the classroom.

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English Language Learning in 3 Easy Ways

Posted on 10 March 2018 in Improve English speaking, Learn English Advice, Real English practice

3 easy ways of English language learning

Here are three easy ways to learn English and make your English language learning pleasant and effortless

Unless you aspire to be the world’s best polyglot and do the activity merely for the enjoyment of it, English language learning can sometimes be a daunting task. Most English learners will attend group or private English classes, some may self-study. No matter the way of study, all of them will want to practise English speaking in a real life context. If you would like to find out how to do this, keep on reading.

1. Learning English with Love

The reasons for learning English are varied. Many movies have added storylines centred on this and language learning. If you are a fan of seventies comedy and language learning then it is quite possible you’ve encountered Mind your Language. A show, which helped bring credibility to language learning.
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How to Read in English more Quickly

Posted on 28 October 2016 in Learn English Advice, Link School of English

How to read in English Easily

Find out how to read in English quickly and about benefits of reading in English

Student reading in English at language school in London. Find out how to read in English more quickly.

Read in English easily

All of us read something every day, whether it’s for work or study, finding information for your everyday life or just reading for pleasure. At our English language school we very often hear from students that they would like to start reading books in English but they find it challenging. Here are some tips on how to get started with reading in English, make it easy and enjoyable. But let’s start from the benefits of reading in English, some of them you may find surprising.
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How to Use the Present Perfect

Posted on 21 September 2016 in English language tips, Improve English grammar, Learn English Advice, Link School of English

All you need to know about the Present Perfect

Do you find the Present Perfect confusing? Still making mistakes? Read this article.

This article is for English language learners who want to understand the Present Perfect and improve their English grammar.

When to use the Present Perfect tense in English?

The Present Perfect is a tense linking the past and the present. We use it to talk about an action which happened in the past and we have the result of that action now, while talking about it.

Light bulb. Light bulb moment when you find out how use the Present Perfect English tense. All you need to know about Present Perfect. English Courses in London with Link School.

Learn about English Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense is one of the most confusing English grammar subjects for many learners. That’s because in many other languages there is no equivalents of this tense. Here are a couple of tips how to use the Present Perfect:

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British Sense of Humour

Posted on 27 July 2016 in British Culture, Real English practice

British Sense of Humour Explained

Article by Link School of English in London

Do you get English jokes and sense of humour? Do you find British humour odd or not funny at all?

I recently saw British humour described as an oxymoron… I beg to differ; just because something doesn’t fit the norm, is different, unique, or has a culture of it’s own doesn’t mean it isn’t valid or isn’t funny. However, to an ‘out-sider’ I can see why some might think this.

Understanding British sense of humour and jokes in conversation with the English

British Humour

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How to Make Fewer Mistakes in Spoken English

Posted on 17 June 2016 in English learning materials, Improve English speaking, Learn English Advice

Looking for Ways to Improve Spoken English and Make Less Mistakes?

How to Make Fewer Mistakes in Spoken English

Here is some advice from one of Link School of English teachers, a simple 3-step exercise which you can do on your own to speak better English.

Learning advice to improve English speaking skills

How to make less mistakes in spoken English

Making mistakes is inevitable when you are learning English. Moreover, it should be encouraged. I know it sounds like a strange thing to say, but it is true. If we don’t make mistakes, it is impossible to learn! But the issue is, unless you have an English teacher or a fluent English speaking friend with you at all times, it is almost impossible to realise that you’re making mistakes in English.

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English Abbreviations in Texting

Posted on 12 May 2016 in English language tips, Real English practice

English Abbreviations in Texting and SMS Language

Do you ever what abbreviations and icons in text messages mean?

Do you find text messaging in English challenging? Here is a short introduction to English abbreviations in texting by Link School of English. We hope you find it useful.

English Abbreviations in Texting and Messaging, hand tapping on a smartphone

Abbreviations in Texting in English

Everyone sends text messages these days. It’s cheaper, quicker and more focused than making a phone call. Everyone wants to save time and many of us try to use texting abbreviations. But it can be a nightmare to figure out what some people are trying to say, with their bad spelling and home-made messaging abbreviations. Luckily, some of the more intuitive or ingenious abbreviations became viral and spread to most corners of the English speaking world. It’s also interesting how SMS language is changing.
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What Type of English Learner are you?

Posted on 4 December 2015 in English learning materials, Learn English Advice, Link School of English

How do you learn English?

What type of English learner are you?

When you are in language class, do you find some exercises really easy? And some problems really, really hard? Don’t worry! Everybody has this problem. We all learn differently and so you will all learn English differently too. When you know what type of learner your are you can do the most of your study time.

Find out what type of learner you are

If you do this short quiz below you can find out what type of English learner you are:
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How to Improve Reading in English

Posted on 2 October 2015 in English exams preparation, Learn English Advice

How to Improve Reading in English

6 Tips and hints from an English teacher at Link School of English

There are various ways to improve your speed at reading in English, these ideas apply just as much to English native speakers as to English learners. You may find that you have imported some of your bad (or good) habits from your own language.

Tip 1: Don’t say the words in your head

When you are reading in English for speed, don’t say the words in your head or by moving your lips. This is called sub-vocalization. It can really slow you down and doesn’t look good either. Not everyone does this, but watch out for it in case you do it. If you do tend to do it, try to keep your mouth shut or chew some gum etc.
Try to see words as pictures, not something you need to say.
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