English Learning

CELPIP is an English test. CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) is Canada’s leading general English test for immigration and professional designation. CELPIP tests your English language proficiency. This means you need to prove your ability to function in everyday English situations. These situations include communicating with co-workers and bosses at work, interacting with friends, understanding the news and understanding and answering written materials.

CELPIP is:
Computer-Delivered: completed at one time
Single North American Accent: vocabulary from everyday situations
Quick Online Results: available online within 3-4 business days after the test

There are two types of tests:
(1) CELPIP – General Test
speaking, reading, listening and writing skills for permanent residence applications and professional designations
3-Hour Test
IRCC approved test for Permanent Residency applications

(2) CELPIP – General LS Test 
speaking and listening skills for citizenship applications and professional designation
1-Hour Test
IRCC approved test for Canadian citizenship applications

CELPIP is accepted by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for various permanent residency and immigration streams, as well as for professional certification for many organizations and industries.

For more details about CELPIP, be sure to follow the CELPIP website.

For inquiries, please contact us.

CELBAN is The Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses. It is a performance-based test that is an important English language proficiency exam for internationally educated nurses (IENs) recognized by Canadian nursing regulators. If your nursing studies are not recognized in Canada, then you will need to take a nursing program in Canada of where it is recognized by Canadian nursing regulators. The exam’s assessment tasks are based on authentic, routine communications in a nursing environment. CELBAN is both relevant and engaging. You must prove your English language proficiency as part of getting nursing licenses in Canada.
 
CELBAN is an online test. There are two parts: The CELBAN Speaking Test is a virtual interview and the CELBAN Listening, Reading and Writing Tests (Computer Based Test, CELBAN CBT).

There are four language-skill areas tested in CELBAN: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Test results include a proficiency report for regulators and a feedback report showing your linguistic strengths and weaknesses related to the productive skills (speaking and writing).

The minimum CELBAN scores required for registration are set by Canadian Nursing Regulators and are as follows:

• Listening: CLB 9
• Speaking: CLB 8
• Reading: CLB 8
• Writing: CLB 7

The virtual interview (Speaking Test) is delivered remotely over Zoom. The interview takes about 35 minutes to complete.

The CELBAN CBT (Computer-Based Test) is delivered through Prometric. You will be given the choice to complete it at a Prometric test site or through their remote assessment platform, ProProctor. The CBT is completed one time in 2.5 hours.

Prometric offers you the option to take the CELBAN CBT and Practice CELBAN Exam at test sites across Canada. A list of Prometric test sites and their status can be found at https://www.prometric.com/site-status.

CELBAN results refers to the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). The CLB is the national standard used to describe, measure and recognize adult English as a second language (ESL) ability in Canada. The CLB’s metrics show required communicative abilities, and are expressed as 12 benchmarks or reference points, within three stages of ability: basic, intermediate and advanced. You must be able to prove the you can communicate effectively in English in a nursing environment between high intermediate to advanced level/range. This means IENs need to prove in English how to perform with communication tasks in the CLB 6-10 range of proficiency.

If your nursing program was in the English language, then you do not need to take CELBAN as proof of English language proficiency. However, your nursing program must be recognized by Canadian nursing regulators.

Canadian Permanent Residency (PR) status and visas are not required in order to take CELBAN, but you must meet the personal identification requirements. On the test dates, you will be required to provide personal identification. It must be government-issued, non-expired identification that includes a photo. Acceptable forms of identification are limited to the following:

• Passport
• Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizenship Card
• Canadian Driver’s License
• Canadian Health Card
• Canadian Identification Card

CELBAN test results are valid for a period of three years from the date your test results report is issued.

You may take CELBAN as many times as you want. You must be sure that both components (CBT and Speaking) are complete before beginning another test.

There are free and paid material to practice and prepare for CELBAN. The ability to use English comfortably and accurately as a nurse in Canada is the best preparation to invest in. Test practice materials offer sufficient introduction to the test platforms and format, but it is recommended you take a course, hire a tutor or self-study with appropriate material to prepare for CELBAN. Preparation is necessary! Simply thinking you will be tested just to communicate in every day English will leave you with unsatisfactory results. You are being tested your English in a nursing environment! Good results take time and investment!

For information about CELBAN training courses from one of our CELBAN teachers, please contact us using this link.

Wow! Don’t be wonky when learning English! It is very important to learn English idioms! We use idioms every day! Check out some common idiom examples below.

Every language has idioms.

The word “idiom” comes from the ancient Greek word “idioma,” meaning “peculiar phraseology.” Can you say “phraseology”?

An idiom is a phrase. A phrase is a group of words with one general meaning. The whole phrase together has a meaning. Each and every word in an idiom has its own meaning, which is not the meaning of the idiom as a group/whole.

The phrase “a piece of cake”, for example, is an idiom. Native English speakers and other fluent English speakers understand idioms very well. They use idioms every day! So, idioms are very useful! Regarding the idiom “piece of cake”, native English speakers understand that this idiom has nothing to do with a cake, but that something is easy/simple to do/achieve.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to learning idioms. There is no true structure for idioms. You need to use them a lot to understand them and make them part of your English skills.

Idioms are used to creatively communicate a message to someone else. It makes a message much more interesting (less boring). This helps to get someone to like you and your speaking skills, such as in an oral test, job interview, entering a country, applying to a university, etc….

In writing, idioms are used to connect with a reader to show how familiar you are with a message topic.

Why are idioms challenging for language learners? 

Because their meaning can’t be understood from the meanings of the individual words. It’s like giving someone a puzzle containing pieces that look like one thing, but the result is something very different. 

This is also true of people from different parts of the same country who speak the same language. 

Idioms are difficult and take time to learn. The best way to learn idioms is to become familiar with them, speak with native or fluent English speakers and have them explained.

Easy idiom examples:

• Under the weather = to not feel well
• Break a leg = to wish a person good luck
• Once in a blue moon = something that occurs or happens rarely
• The ball is in your court = you decide
• You can say that again = what you said was true
• Beat around the bush = to avoid saying something
• Hit the sack = to go to bed
• Kick the bucket = to die or pass away
• By the skin of your teeth = to barely make it or succeed
  

Please send us a message using our CONTACT page link if you have a question.

Be an English expert using the verb “DO” correctly! It is no secret that learning English (and becoming an English expert) is no easy feat! Many English learners have difficulty learning English. This is because one of the problems is that learners are not certain what are the most important topics to learn. Like all languages, grammar is important. The verb DO is one of the most important verbs to master in English. So, there is no excuse. Master the verb DO!
Click on the image below and follow the short and easy-to-understand YouTube video. This video, from SOS English Tutor, demonstrates the uses of the verb DO. The video focuses on the simple past and simple present verb tenses.
Of course, the verb DO is more complicated. However, this video is a good beginning to mastering the basic use of the verb DO. Like anything you learn, start and master the basics. Then explore more advanced scenarios that include exceptions and fixed (need to remember) expressions and phrases. This will help you be an English expert using the verb DO correctly!
Please send us a message using our CONTACT page link if you have a question.

Learning English online helps to prepare for IELTS. IELTS is a test that is accepted by many different types of schools around the world. Many universities in Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, Ireland, and New Zealand accept it, as well as many different professional organizations.

IELTS tests your English skills needed in the real world for work, school, immigration and studies. It is a standardized test of English language proficiency for people who don’t speak English very well. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English. IELTS is one of the original English tests. It was created in the 1980s to allow people to learn how English is used.

In the 1980s, the number of test takers was low, so the test was redesigned. The International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP), now known as IDP: IELTS Australia, joined Cambridge English Language Assessment and the British Council to form the international IELTS partnership. This partnership renamed the test: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

The IELTS test went live in 1989. Test takers took two non-specialized modules, Listening and Speaking, and two specialized modules, Reading and Writing. The number of test takers increased in the 1990s with 210 test centres around the world.

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) was revised in 1995 with three main changes. First, the writing test was revised to make it more difficult. Second, the listening test was revised to make it more difficult. And third, the range of items was widened to make the test more representative of real life.

The modules that used to be called “Reading and Writing” have been combined into one module called “Academic Reading and Writing.” This change avoided confusing people about how good their reading and writing abilities are. The General Training Reading and Writing modules are now the same as the Academic Reading and Writing modules, and they have been updated to match the new assessment criteria.

The General modules are mostly for test takers who want to immigrate to another country or for work. The Academic modules are for test takers wanting to study in college or university with proven English skills.

There is no minimum score needed to pass the test, as long as your score falls within the ranges set by the institution you took the test at. Your score will be reported to you on a Test Report Form. Your score is valid for 2 years. If you have taken the test more than two years ago, your score may not be considered valid, unless you can prove that you have worked to maintain your English.

In recent years more and more people are taking the IELTS test with many of them under the age of eighteen. Nowadays, IELTS is available at over 1,200 test centres in more than 140 countries and territories.

IELTS is a test that helps people learn English better. It is made up of questions from different areas of language, and is a way to show how well a person knows English. Test takers may study on their own, purchase material, find material online, take a course or hire a tutor. Knowing about the test and how to prepare are very important as test takers must know the test format, type of questions and be efficient with use of time.

There is no such thing as Certified IELTS teachers/trainers. Most teacher/trainers are English or English as a Second Language teachers. Although there are programs to certify teachers to teach IELTS, these programs are short, free or low cost and usually just familiarize the teacher with IELTS. A teacher’s English teaching skills, along with a university diploma and experience are all a teacher needs. It is illegal for a current IELTS examiners to teach IELTS, although some do so illegally. If caught, there are consequences to the teacher, the school and the students.

Test takers must have good English skills to do well. Learning English online is one of many tools that could help you. For information about IELTS training courses from one of our IELTS teachers, please contact us using this link.

PREPARING FOR THE CANADA GOVERNMENT ENGLISH TEST WHEN APPLYING OR WORKING FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Do you know about the Canada Government English Test (The Government of Canada Second Language Evaluation in the federal public service) needed to apply, to be promoted or keep your job working for the Canadian government? Unfortunately, many do not. This test (there’s also a French test too) should be taken seriously. Many do not. It is not simply a chat, or a basic test for writing and reading skills. Your grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and how you organize your ideas will be thoroughly tested. You need to prepare. Even native speakers would find the test at least somewhat challenging without any preparation. Whether or not native speakers need to do the test depends on the job, the manager and if you live and work in an environment where you use your native language on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if you apply for your first job with the Canadian government, or you are a seasoned employee with many years of experience working for the Canadian government. It is not a “walk in the park” (something that is very easy to accomplish) by any “stretch of the imagination” (emphasize that something is not true, does not happen). Take it seriously to avoid disappointment!

So, how do I take the Canada Government English Test seriously? Well, I thought you’d never ask! Before sitting down and preparing the actual test material, you need guidance and direction. Sure, you can scour the Internet and search for information. It is not so easy to find everything, but it is possible if you have the time. It is free. Or, you may register with a school that prepares you for the test. Most schools prepare you in groups to save the school money. It is cheaper than private 1:1 lessons, but not the ideal method. Or, you may hire a private trainer/tutor/teacher/coach who will guide you and give you everything needed to best prepare you. This last option is the most expensive, but it is the ideal and quickest method.

What else will you need before starting to prepare for the test? Well, you need to know the following:

• the latest changes
• the format
• expectations of your English skills needed to achieve your objectives (the language requirements)
• your current English level (are you level A, B, C or Exempt) – you need to prove it!
• the meaning of levels A, B and C
• tips, tricks and strategies
• the important material needed for the test (don’t waste time on the unimportant stuff)
• the types of questions
• past questions and tests to practice with answers
• mock tests (just like the real test with similar questions and the same time limits)

As you can see, there are many other factors (other than just the test material) you should know about the Canada Government English Test. You wouldn’t jump into a lake (even if you know how to swim) without knowing other factors, such as the dangers in the water (i.e. fish, animals, rocks, water temperature, water cleanliness and water currents).

Whatever method you decide, it will take time and probably some money. Make sure you are prepared! Take it seriously! Others are competing with you trying to get ahead! Be sure to visit our shop page if you haven’t already.
Please send us a message using our CONTACT page link if you have a question.

French is hard to learn, like many languages. English is no different. English pronunciation does have its challenges, but not any more! With a little coaching and guidance, you can speak as well as native English speakers!

English learning online – English pronunciation – can you read this out loud? If you can, congratulations! Your English pronunciation is quite good. If you can’t, then you need help! Please send us a message using our CONTACT page link if you have a question.

Yes, eight of the most popular words used in English represent 33% of spoken and written words in the English language. But that’s not all! These 8 WORDS are also used in reading, spelling, comprehension and grammar. Have a look at the image below to learn what these 8 WORDS are, and how do these words rank from #1 to #8.

Do you know how to use these 8 WORDS?
Please send us a message using our CONTACT page link if you have a question.