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Intermediate

More words that are hard to pronounce in British and American English

Here are eight words you’ve told us you find hard to pronounce in English. Watch some English learners pronounce them and learn how we say them in British and American English. It’s a great way to improve pronunciation. You’ll learn how we say: foreigner, athlete, climb, indict, dangerous, extraordinary, analysis, to analyze, and lure. You’ll also get some practice with shifting words stress and tips on how to pronounce long words by backchaining. Click here

September 14, 2018 No Comments

Intermediate

B2 First Speaking Test (FCE) Speaking Part 2 – 3 steps to follow

This is our third video about the B2 first speaking test (formerly called the FCE speaking test) where we explain how to handle the picture questions. In FCE speaking part 2, the examiner gives each candidate two pictures and a question to discuss. We demonstrate how to structure your talk and also, how NOT to structure it! We show you three simple steps you can follow to help you keep talking and get a good

August 31, 2018 3 Comments

Intermediate

FCE Speaking Part 1 (B2 First Exam) + Practice questions

This is the second of four videos about the speaking test of the FCE exam (now called the B2 First exam). FCE speaking part 1 is a Q&A – a question and answer session with the examiner. To get a good mark, candidates need to avoid one word responses and extend their answers. In this video we show you some different ways you can make your answers longer to get a good mark, and we

August 24, 2018 1 Comment

Intermediate

The FCE (B2 First) Speaking Test – Things you need to know

This is the first of four videos about the B2 First speaking exam. (B2 First is often known by its former name, FCE or Cambridge First Certificate.) When we ask our students what makes them most nervous about the exam, they often say FCE speaking, so that’s what this series is all about. In this first video we provide an overview of the B2 First speaking exam, showing you how it works and the criteria

August 17, 2018 1 Comment

British and American grammar differences

Intermediate

The Present Perfect Tense in British and American English

There aren’t many British and American grammar differences but a notable one is how we use the present perfect and simple past. In this video we’re joined by Jennifer ESL of English with Jennifer and together we explore how we use the words just, yet and already on each side of the Atlantic. You’ll learn how to use the present perfect to talk about recent actions and give news and you’ll also learn about some

August 10, 2018 11 Comments

Intermediate

10 British words and phrases that Americans don’t use

Here are 10 British words and phrases that I rarely hear in the US, or if I do, they have rather different meanings. For example, my British ground floor is an American first floor, and my first floor becomes a second floor. Cheers is another one. It can also mean thank you and goodbye in the UK. And then there are words like shirty, plonker and taking the mickey. See 10 British words and phrases

August 3, 2018 11 Comments

Intermediate

Test your British slang and colloquial expressions

Do you know what boot and ground floor mean in British English and can you understand British slang and colloquial phrases like pants, cheers and knock up? Test yourself in this British quiz video. Watch two Brits talking with an American in a meeting and see if you can spot ten British expressions that cause confusion. Click here to watch more videos on British and American English. Click here to watch more vocabulary videos. To

July 27, 2018 No Comments

Intermediate

The British short vowel ‘ɒ’ & other English vowel sounds

There’s a short vowel that we use in British English that doesn’t occur in American. You’ll find it in words like ‘lot’, ‘rock’ and ‘bomb’. In this vowel pronunciation video, we compare it with two other vowel sounds that Americans commonly use instead. Working on English vowels is a great way to improve your accent. Whether you want to sound British or American, this video will help. Click here to see some more pronunciation videos.

July 20, 2018 2 Comments

Intermediate

How to use ‘There is’ and ‘It is’

‘There is’ and ‘it is’ are really common and useful phrases. In some languages, you can translate both these phrases with just one phrase, so they can be confusing. We show you how to use them in this video lesson and you’ll also learn how to use it and there as dummy subjects in lots of common English expressions. Click here to see more grammar videos. Click here to learn when to use an apostrophe

July 13, 2018 8 Comments

Intermediate

The R sound in British and American English

Learn how to pronounce the R sound in British and American English. Jay has a rhotic accent and Vicki has a non-rhotic accent. You’ll hear how that affects our pronunciation of R before consonants and at the end of words. We’ll help you recognize the pronunciation differences and also share some tips for making perfect R sounds in both British and American English. Click here for some more pronunciation lessons. Click here for more videos

July 6, 2018 7 Comments

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