I prepare Young Learners, teenagers and adults for the following globally recognised exams: Cambridge English, IELTS and Trinity GESE (Speaking). I have also taught Linguaskill preparation courses, which share some overlapping features with Cambridge graded exams.
Cambridge English
I prepare prospective candidates for Cambridge graded exams across the full range of levels: A1 Movers (YLE) to C2 Proficiency. I have also helped less confident students to achieve success in these exams.
My students are provided expert guidance and tried-and-tested strategies so that they can tackle each type of exam task successfully.
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Here are some of my students' success stories:
- Agata, Bianca and Sonia from an annual group course passed A2 Key for Schools at Grade A in June 2023.
- Alessia, who was an example of less confident learners, passed B2 First in February 2023.
- Enrico passed C1 Advanced in June 2022 in his second attempt.
- Sabrina, who was an example of less confident learners, passed B1 Preliminary for Schools at Grade B in May 2022.
- Sara, who was an example of stronger learners, passed C2 Proficiency
with flying colours (i.e. Grade A) in November 2021. She and I had
worked intensively on her writing and speaking. Credits should also be
given to her previous teachers.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
IELTS is a standardised test for all language levels. I have prepared older teenagers and adults for both Academic and General Training tests. Most of my students were in the range of Bands 5.0 to 7.5 at the start of their course, but I was able to push their final scores up by at least half a band (0.5).
Test scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 9. The minimum overall band for undergraduate admissions is usually 6.0, which is equivalent to CEFR level B2. Some top universities, however, require prospective students to achieve 7.0 or 7.5.
I have presented IELTS Tips webinars to prospective candidates, in which I shared some key strategies for tackling different IELTS task types. (More details are available on the Workshops page.)
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Here are some of my students' success stories:
- Riccardo was aiming for Band 7 (overall) so that he can apply for postgraduate studies. After a 20-hour preparation course, he got Band 8 (overall) in June 2024.
- Leila was aiming for Band 4.5 (overall) to continue her undergraduate studies. After a 20-hour preparation course, she got Band 5 (overall) in her second attempt in September 2023.