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Notes on IELTS and TOEFL preparation, Business English, and the real South Africa — written from the classroom, not a textbook.

English Writing

Linking Words: How to Connect Ideas and Build Clear Arguments

Learn how to choose linking words by the logical relationship between ideas, with clear examples for academic writing and IELTS.

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IELTS Speaking

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Stop Listing the Cue Card Points (Use Picture, Story, Feeling)

A practical IELTS Speaking Part 2 framework: use Picture, Story, and Feeling to build a natural two-minute answer.

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English Grammar

SVOMPT Word Order: A Simple Way to Build English Sentences

Use the SVOMPT pattern to build clear English sentences with subject, verb, object, manner, place, and time.

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English Grammar

Frequency Adverbs: How To Say How Often Something Happens

Learn where to put always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, and never in natural English sentences.

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IELTS Writing

Describing Trends in IELTS Writing Task 1: Word Order Matters

Improve IELTS Writing Task 1 accuracy by choosing the correct adjective or adverb pattern for describing trends.

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IELTS Writing

Describing Trends in IELTS Writing Task 1: Vocabulary and Prepositions

Build accurate IELTS Task 1 trend sentences with useful vocabulary and the right prepositions for data descriptions.

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Taiwan & EFL

Why Taiwan's English Education Has the Same Problem as Japan's

A teacher's view on why English education must value usable communication rather than certificates alone.

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