September 2016
BRITISH COUNCIL
STUDENT MAGAZINE
Doctor IELTS
Getting to know you
What we do
Study Tips
Meet our staff and classmates
find out more about our activities
www.britishcouncil.co
1st Edition
CONTENTS
Getting to know you - Teachers - Students - Office staff
Doctor IELTS the man with the answers
A WARM WELCOME FROM SEAN & ALEX
Joke of the month
Hello and welcome to the first ever edition of our British Council's Student Magazine!
Website of the month
English Interactive
Idiom of the month
Spanglish
Crossword competition
I have been lucky enough to teach some of you, but for those who don't know me, allow me to introduce myself: I'm Alex and I've been working at the British Council in Bogotá for a year now, and it is our pleasure to bring this first issue to you in collobaration with Sean, Kevin, Tom and Rhiannon. Anyway, that's enough about us! This edition is packed with a variety of things to help you improve your English and also to bring the staff and students at the British Council closer together. You'll find interviews with our teachers and office staff as well as some of our most loyal students. We have tried to include something for everyone; whether you are studying a General English course, preparing for IELTS or your child is one of our students, there'll be something for you. Finally, thanks for reading and please get in touch if you have any ideas or suggestions for future editions. We hope you enjoy term 4 and please say 'hi' if you see me around the British Council!
Best wishes, Alex and The Student Magazine Team
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British Council Student Magazine
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
INTERVIEW WITH
KATE
(TEACHER)
Where exactly are you from? I’m from a town called Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire. It’s famous for horse racing and a literature festival.
As well, I love talking to people so I like teaching a language because this lets more people communicate in the world.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What do you like the most about Colombia? It’s difficult to choose as there’s so much I like. If I had to choose, I’d say the variety of the nature. In my free time, I like going to the countryside and looking at the wildlife. In Colombia, you have everything – beautiful coasts, spectacular mountains and still untouched rainforest.
As I mentioned before, I like walking in the countryside and seeing nature. In the city, I like going to the cinema, reading, and going out for a few drinks with my friends at the weekend.
What do you miss about your home country? My friends and family. And cider.
What do you like about your job? Meeting new people all the time and learning about Colombia and the culture through them.
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DOCTOR IELTS Doctor IELTS is here to help you with your IELTS-related questions. Doctor IELTS has been diagnosing exam-related problems for several years but wishes their identity to remain anonymous.
I get nervous in interviews, especially in English. What can I do? Most IELTS candidates feel nervous before the speaking exam. The key to success is to practise regularly. Start by choosing a topic that may come up in the test, for example your job, your city, movies, sport, transport or education, and talk about it for around 2 minutes (you can even record yourself). Did you know enough language related to the topic?
Am I ready to do the IELTS exam? That depends on a number of things. First, what score do you need in the exam? Some people require IELTS to emigrate, others to study abroad, and some to graduate from university 4
here in Colombia, and the result you need varies from institution to institution. Secondly, how strong are your language skills? Do you have any weaknesses, for example listening or writing, that you need to work on? Remember that having a good level of English is important, but it is also essential to be familiar with the exam. The British Council offers IELTS preparation courses to ensure you know exactly how to tackle each section of the test. If not, take time to learn some interesting vocabulary and expressions, and try to use these when you’re speaking. The more you practise, the less nervous you’ll feel on exam day!
British Council Student Magazine
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM INTERVIEW WITH
MIREYA How long have you been working for the British Council? I’ve been here for around 18 months in total, working in exams and customer service.
What does your job involve? I mainly work with new students, welcoming them and providing information about our courses. I also administer placement tests, enter student data in our computer system, and sometimes process payments too. With the exams team, my main role is as an invigilator.
What’s the best thing about your work? I really enjoy interacting with people, and it’s nice to see how happy and enthusiastic our new students are when they register for a course for the first time.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? One thing I like doing is visiting new places with my husband and our relatives. I especially love spending time on the coast of Colombia!
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PROFILE
How much of your free time do you spend learning English? I spend quite a lot of time studying English outside of my normal classes. I love reading so I go to the British Council’s Book Club on Wednesdays. I used to go to Conversation Club too but now I’m too busy. At home I listen to English music and the radio. There’s a show on La Mega every Saturday morning in English that I like, and I also listen to 95.9 PLJ, a radio station based in New York. I access the stations via an app called ‘Simple Radio’.
How long have you been studying at the British Council? I’ve been studying here for two years – a long time! I started in Elementary 4 and now I’m in Upper-intermediate.
Name: Jenniffer Level: Upper-intermediate Profession: Business Manager Hobbies: Reading, swimming, Rumba classes. Teacher: Alex Cade
Good question. When I was a child I hated studying English so I gave up. But then, a few years later, when I was on holiday in New York with my brother, I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t speak English that I decided I would take it up again as a personal challenge. Now I learn for pleasure.
What do you enjoy about studying English? The main thing is the methodology. When I was at school we just studied grammar. Here the methodology is different – it’s communicative. We don’t just use the book all the time and we do a variety of activities in class. The people – both my classmates and my teachers – are kind and make you feel comfortable. At school, I didn’t feel that way.
“When I was a
What recommendations would you give to other students?
child I hated
The first one is that you should never give up. You should practise as much as possible outside of class and try the extra classes the British Council offers. My other advice is nerdy but it’s true – always come to class and always do your homework. I sound just like a teacher, don’t I?
studying English so I gave up... Now I learn for pleasure.”
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Why are you studying English?
British Council Student Magazine
How long have you been studying at the British Council? I’ve been studying for around 6 years. I started in Junior B, and now I’m in an Adult Pre-Intermediate 4 class!
PROFILE
Why are you studying English? Because the language opens a lot of doors in terms of studying abroad; I might want to go to university in the UK or in the USA. My aim is study automotive engineering.
What do you enjoy about studying English? Everything! I’ve met new people and I always want to learn new languages. After English, I’d like to learn German or French.
How much of your free time do you spend learning English? I try to spend around 5 hours a week studying outside class. I like listening to music in English and reading some newspapers like the Wall Street Journal.
What recommendations would you give to other students? Read as much as you can, as this gives you lots of new vocabulary. Also, songs are a great resource for vocabulary and a fun way to study. Websites like lyricstraining.com are really good for this. There’s no substitute for knowing vocabulary!
British Council Student Magazine
Name: Andres Castañeda Level: Upper-intermediate Profession: Student Teacher: Sean Wilson
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MONTHLY MADNESS JOKE OF THE MONTH Teacher: You copied from Eduardo's exam paper, didn't you? Student: How do you know? Teacher: Eduardo's paper says "I don't know" and you have put "Me neither!”
IDIOM OF THE MONTH To cost an arm and a leg This means that something is very expensive. “Our honeymoon is Paris was amazing, but it cost us an arm and a leg.” “Have you seen Duncan’s new car? I bet it cost an arm and a leg!” Do you have a similar expression in your language?
SPANGLISH Many Spanish speakers use the verb "take" when talking about drinks and meals, for example: "I take a coffee every morning." or "I took lunch with my friends". These are incorrect. You should say "have", for example: "I have a coffee every morning." "I had lunch with my friends."
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British Council Student Magazine
ENGLISH AT HOME
Select the karaoke version of a song and sing in the comfort of your own home!
Website of the month
English Interactive
If you don’t have much time but you would like to practise your listening, spelling and pronunciation skills at once, why not try some online dictations here: www.englishclub.com/listening/dictation
Love English and music? Do you think you know all the lyrics to your favourite songs? Want to listen to Adele or Maroon 5 and learn some new vocabulary? Lyricstraining.com is a great website where you can listen to your favourite English songs and fill the gaps in the songs’ lyrics.
Here’s what you can do, in a few steps:
1. Choose the dictation you would like to listen to and just listen to it at normal speed, don’t write This website offers you the chance to select a level - beginner, intermediate, advanced or anything. expert - and off you go! The more correct words 2. Listen and write what you hear on a piece of you get, the more ‘hits’ you earn and the higher paper. your final score. To maximise the usefulness of 3. Listen again and check what you have written. this fun website, you could note down new vocabulary in your notebook and practise your 4. Type your sentence and check whether it’s pronunciation by selecting the karaoke version of correct. If you have made a mistake, you can the song and singing in the comfort of your own ask for a ‘hint’. home. 5. Once you have finished checking, listen again This might just be the most enjoyable way to and repeat what you hear, copying the practise English outside of the classroom! pronunciation. On the same website, you can also find listening practice activities, vocabulary games and grammar exercises. Enjoy!
BRITISH COUNCIL PUB QUIZ SO YOU THINK YOU’RE WISE
We invite you to join us at our next fun filled Pub Quiz. When: Saturday 24th of September 2016 Where: La Villa Bar, Cra. 14A # 83-56 Entry: 15,000 COP (which includes entry into the pub quiz, two drinks, the cost of the prize and money to a charity) Quiz teams: - Six people per team - Teams can include students, friends of students and teachers - You can invite up to 2 friends Please register by telephone 3259090 or at the front desk British Council Student Magazine
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TIPS FOR LEARNING Read a book One of the best ways to learn new vocabulary is reading. At the British council, we have a large library of books available graded to different levels and as a British Council student you are entitled to rent books free of charge. When choosing a book consider two main points. First of all, find a book that is at the correct level for you. The books in our library have corresponding levels so look for the level that fits best with your current English ability. Secondly, choose a story or topic that appeals to you. That way, you will not only have more fun but will also learn more.
Set up a class group chat Set up a group on social media or a chat site with other students in your class. You can use the group to talk about the previous lesson and review vocabulary or homework before coming to class. It also gives the opportunity to help and support each other. Try to make sure the users only communicate in English - the more you think and practise English in both writing and speaking the more you will improve. The chat group doesn’t just have to be about the class - you can also use it to discuss your interests, sports or the news.
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British Council Student Magazine
CROSSWORD COMPETITION!
...Fill in this crossword, and hand it in at reception for the chance to win a mystery prize*! ACROSS
DOWN
3 The front part of your body between your neck and stomach
1 Natural things like forests or mountains that you see
4 To sit or lie in the sun to relax and get darker skin
2 A line of people or vehicles that are waiting for something
7 Someone who sings or tells jokes etc. to amuse people
5 An adjective to describe an attractive man
10 The past tense of catch
6 Members of your family
12 A person who looks after children when their parents go out
8 Your dentist recommends using this object
13 Another name for a vacuum cleaner
9 Before cars, rich people travelled by horse and _______
15 A person who protects people at the swimming pool or beach
11 A recipient you use to eat soup or breakfast cereal
16 The crime of stealing money
12 When a car or machine stops working
17 An adjective that means very big
14 A small sea animal with a shell that you can eat
18 A woman who people admire because of her great actions 19 Very small insects that can live in people's hair
*Terms and conditions apply.
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Niza Montessori British School, Calle 128A # 72 - 59
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