Native Speakers of English talking about film and cinema
Native speakers of English talking in a real and relevant way. This normal discussion was not planned, we were just talking, so it is very different to the kind of…
R&R 32: American English Accent
An American English accent and British English together in real and relevant conversation. It is natural chat between two English teachers, made without any preparation. The vocabulary is real and…
English Pronunciation and intonation – Sentence stress
English pronunciation of individual words can be difficult because of the seemingly 'no rules' issue with English spelling. But this blog is not about pronouncing individual words, but about how…
Advanced English CAE Sample Answer: Speaking
You need to have a very high level of English to sit the CAE (Certificate of Advanced English) Exam. Here, I give a sample answer to a typical Speaking Test…
IELTS Speaking Sample Answer from a teacher – Pt 1 Interview
 Here is an IELTS Speaking Sample Answer from the first part of the IELTS test: "The interview". In Part 1, the examiner asks the candidate questions about him/herself, his/her…
Controversial topic: Margaret Thatcher – for and against
A controversial topic with vocabulary to match highlighted in bold. If you do not understand any of the language, please ask me about it in the comments section and I…
IELTS exam preparation advice from an English teacher
A few people have asked us about how to improve their vocabulary, writing and other skills for the IELTS exam. So, I’ve decided to share some advice I give all…
How to say numbers: Apple share price drop
You can hear how to say numbers in British English with the latest news about the share price of Apple. Â Click on the grey audio player to hear the…
R&R 29: British Comedy is not ‘Dinner for One’
Real & Relevant English conversation with native-speakers from London, UK. This is a natural conversation by English teachers about British comedy. Monty Python, Benny Hill, Mr Bean, The Office all…
English Vocabulary: Pregnant Kate
Always trying to improve your English vocabulary is what we try to do here on the SGI Blog and in this article you've got lots of different ways to say…