Who’s up for a 100-day challenge?
We are starting one on 13 January. 📆
Read about my previous writing challenge and pm or comment “I’m in” to join the next one. You can join with any activity, not necessarily writing. 🖊🎨🧘‍♀️
http://iraluts.blogspot.com/2019/01/what-i-learned-from-my-100-day-writing.html

I am thrilled to announce a guest post by Olesya Komarova in which she shares her experience of travelling in Great Britain on a tight budget. 🇬🇧
If you want to travel in the UK but don’t think you can afford it, read the post. You will want to go there even more, but you might reconsider being able to afford it.🍭
#UK #GreatBritain
http://iraluts.blogspot.com/2019/01/cracking-britain-part-1.html

Find out the reasons for my exam-taking madness in my latest post.🍭
#IELTS #TOEFL #CPE #C2Proficiency
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2019/01/why-i-have-taken-international-english.html

I'm back to blogging! 🎉🎉🎉
Last year, I read a book called "Storytelling with data: a data visualization guide for business professionals,” which is a book for people whose job is to visualize information in the form of line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, and tables, so basically #IELTS Writing Task 1 tasks but for real life situations. 📚
In this post, I am talking about an untraditional but hopefully useful approach to IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. 📊
#ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1 #ieltswritingtaskone
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2020/02/storytelling-with-ielts-writing-task-1.html

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-ielts-or-c2-proficiency-dilemma.html

In this post, I am outlining the main differences between IELTS and C2 Proficiency and commenting on what seemed easy or difficult to me personally. If you know the differences, jump straight to the "Takeaway" part and read my recommendations only. 📗

I hope this post helps if you are facing this dilemma. 🐃

#ielts #cpe #c2proficiency #proficiency #ieltspreparation #cpepreparation #takeielts #exampreparation #c2 #ielts9 #cpea #englishexams

My new post "Can you write about your language learning routine?" is inspired by my student Nina. 🌷

I lead a ridiculously minimalist language learning lifestyle though. All I do is mindfully create a lot of input and output. And that’s it. No life hacks. No apps. No magic. But a lot of effort day in and day out.

What are your language learning routines? What are some things you do to improve your English day in and day out?❓
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2020/04/can-you-write-about-your-language.html

On this dark December day, I suddenly I remembered I have a Telegram channel! 😃

And I have a wonderful, highly useful post for IELTS test takers: "How To Tame Your IELTS Pie Charts" with two denoscriptions of the same pie charts. 📊

#ielts9 #ielts #ieltspreparation #ieltswritingtaskone #ieltswritingtask1 #ieltswriting

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-tame-your-ielts-pie-charts.html

🐈🐕 It's raining cats and dogs. 🐈🐕

A few years ago, I attended a seminar for teachers conducted by a British person who told us that "rain cats and dogs" is an old-fashioned idiom that nobody uses. I've heard the exact same story from other colleagues, so it's not uncommon to see this idiom categorized as "native speakers don't speak like that." This was what I also believed for many years. And why wouldn't I? It was said to me by, omg, a native speaker! 🐈

A few days ago, I was watching a documentary "Lost Cities" when I heard this idiom. Apparently, it rains cats and dogs in the Colombian jungle. Flabbergasted, I posted it on Instagram. To my surprise, I got quite a few messages saying that people have actually heard this idiom from native speakers in natural speech. 🐕

But the point of this post is not the idiom. The point is when native speakers tell you "we don't really speak like this," don't rush to treat it as the ultimate truth. Take into account the person's nationality, age, social status, educational background, interests etc. A middle-aged British university professor will have a different English from an American teenager. It's normal. When a native speaker tells you "we don't speak like this," treat it as "middle-aged British university professors" [etc] don't speak like this. And don't forget the context. The same person might speak differently to their friends and to their colleagues, in public and in private. 🐈

All these differences are completely normal and exist in our native language too. So before you beat yourself up "Oh no, I said something awful. Native speakers don't speak like that," just take into account the factors mentioned above and do some research. Is it perhaps that some native speakers don't say that, but some do? 🐕

The documentary I watched was American. Most people who messaged me said they heard "rain cats and dogs" in American English.

The British teacher who conducted that seminar suggested "It's coming down in stair rods" as a more common alternative. Beautiful though it might be, I haven't heard this idiom since. Have you?❓

Have you heard "It's raining cats and dogs" used in natural speech? Have you ever heard any expressions used by native speakers naturally that you thought were in the category "native speakers don't speak like this"?❓

⛄️ I am beyond thrilled to announce my plans for 2021! ⛄️

❄️ Creative Writing Club
- a one-month project for people who want to unleash their creativity and have fun writing in English (PS: this project is free);

❄️ Getting Started as an IELTS Teacher
- a series of 4 workshops for aspiring IELTS teachers;

❄️ IELTS Writing [Academic]
- a 7-8 month course for people who want to work on their IELTS writing thoroughly and meticulously;

❄️ C2 Proficiency Writing
- a 8-9 month course for people who want to work on their writing for the C2 Proficiency exam thoroughly and meticulously;

❄️ Write for Real: Blogging in English
- a 6-class project for people who want to find their voice and communicate their message effectively;

❄️ House of Cards
- a course based on this TV show, focused on speaking + lexis, and geared towards exam prep.

❄️ Zoom talks:
- My experience of doing a Creative Writing course at an American University and how it defined my teaching style.
- Ideas are welcome!
(PS: my Zoom talks are free)

💌 Stay tuned and/or message me for details. 💌

Ever since I announced my writing courses, I got lots and lots of questions. Join my Zoom talk this Saturday and I will answer all of them. ⛄️

📅 Saturday, 16 January, 15:00 MSK

I am launching three #writing courses this semester:
- Write for real: blogging in English
- IELTS Academic Writing
- C2 Proficiency Writing

So I will talk about those, about my writing philosophy, and about my teaching style. 💃

💌 Message me to get the link to the Zoom meeting.

PS: There is a placement writing task for each course. If you already know you want to enroll, message me to get one now.

#c2proficiency #cpe #c1advanced #cae #ieltswriting

I am beyond thrilled to announce my short but epic course "Getting started as an #IELTS teacher." 💃

This mini-course for teachers consists of four parts:

🎵 Part 1. Choosing the best course book or course of action for different circumstances.

We will discuss what to take into account in order to choose the best preparation strategy for your IELTS student.

🎵 Part 2. Understanding the writing and speaking assessment criteria.

We will scrutinize the band denoscriptors and assess some speaking and writing answers by my IELTS students whose scores I know.

🎵 Part 3. Writing, the most misunderstood and underpracticed skill.

We will talk about
- why people get their lowest scores for writing;
- common problems in writing;
- how to teach IELTS writing.

🎵 Part 4. Speaking of Speaking.

We will talk about what to focus on and how to make sure you are really preparing, not just chatting.

💃 A little bit about IELTS and me:
- I've been preparing students for IELTS for about 10 years;
- I've taken IELTS Academic three times, getting 8.5, 8.5, and finally 9;
- I've attended two IELTS seminars by Andrew Thomas, IELTS Principal Examiner and one of the world's most renowned IELTS experts.
- I don't have any lifehacks, but I do have a profound understanding of the exam.

📌 Price: 4000 ₽ for the whole course or 1500 ₽ for one session.
📅 Dates: 23 Jan - 13 Feb
⏰ Time: 15:00-16:30 MSK

💌 Pm me to sign up.

Two writing courses starting next week!

📅 IELTS Writing
Main group: Tuesday 14:00 MSK
Possible option: Wednesday 12:00

📅 C2 Proficiency Writing
Main group: Wednesday 14:00 MSK
Possible option: Wednesday 10:00

Check the product section on VK or my IGTV stream on Instagram to find out more about these courses and my teaching style.

📝 IELTS Writing https://vk.com/market-47977221?w=product-47977221_369..
📝 C2 Proficiency Writing https://vk.com/market-47977221?w=product-47977221_369..
💃 https://www.instagram.com/ira.lutse.ielts/

💌 Message me to sign up or ask questions.

There are two types of writing. For lack of better words, I’ll call them "artificial" and "real." 📝📝

Artificial writing is what you write for exams. It’s artificial because you probably don’t care about the topic and only write because you have to. It's an annoying nuisance to get rid of on the way to the certificate. Your only reader is your teacher who doesn't care about the topic either and whose sole purpose for reading your answer is correcting your mistakes.

Real writing is writing for real readers. You write because you are itching to share your message, your passion, your experience. You might not know for sure who will read your piece, but whoever it is, they will be doing so out of their own free will.

These two types require two different approaches. When you write for exams, you have to write with the assessment criteria in mind. When you write for real readers, however, you have to write with your reader in mind - you need to keep them hooked and to make your writing enjoyable to read.

Most people in the ELT world only do the first type of writing in English. As a result, they acquire certain attitudes: the fancier, the better; I’ll just write whatever - the teacher will correct it anyway; who cares if my ideas are absurd, it’s just an exam essay, not my real thoughts.

These attitudes are very harmful for the second type of writing, the real one, the one I honestly see as superior.

When you write for real readers, they will stop reading if:
- your writing is too wordy or verbose;
- you are writing to show off your idioms not to communicate a message;
- you beat around the bush and don’t get to the point;
- you use fancy words but don’t give any real information;
- your piece is too formal, dry, and boring.

Writing for exams is a good stepping stone, but is limiting. Writing for real is challenging, but rewarding. Don’t I know it - I’ve been blogging in English for over five year. If you are ready to break free from the prison of artificial writing and to write for real, join my brand new writing course “Write for real: Blogging in English.” 💜

This course is about finding your voice and sharing your message in writing. To hell with exams - it’s time to write for real! 💜

What will you learn to do?
- hook your reader and keep them engaged
- communicate your idea effectively
- write concisely and precisely
- use stylistic devices
- try out different organizational patterns

What will you write?
Social media posts and stories, something like this https://vk.com/iralutse?w=wall-47977221_7735 or like this https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/writing/2020/applications/distrust-on-an-empty-road

Will you get feedback?
You bet! You will write one piece a week, which I scrutinize and comment on.

Course duration: 6 classes, with classes meeting weekly.
Price: 9,000 rub for the whole course.
Schedule: Monday 16:00-17:30.

Message me to sign up or ask questions. 💌

Most writing prompts in the C2 Proficiency writing test consist of three points. One problem I often see in students' answers is that the answer is three isolated pieces, rather than one complete whole. 🍎

In this book review I wrote for my C2 Proficiency Writing students, I was aiming to show how the answer can be connected on the level of the whole text. Can you notice how? Did I do a good job?❓

I'm reviewing "Grammar Nonsense and What To Do about It" by Hugh Dellar and Andrew Walkley, no less. Have you read it? Do you agree with me? 😜

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-c2-proficiency-book-review-grammar.html

In exam preparation, there is this eternal, invisible fight going on: students want templates and I don't want to give templates.

By templates, I mean ready-to-use structures and clichés for speaking and writing answers. Those sound so good, don't they? A list of phrases you can memorize and use without thinking that will guarantee a high score. If only international exams worked that way.

Sadly, examiners don't want templates. Templates are noticeable. They stick out like a sore thumb. They make a bad impression. They show lack of fluency and flexibility. They are a sign of poor language, not the other way round. At best, examiners will disregard them. At worst, they will mark your response as memorized. Having your language marked as "inappropriate, inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant, ineffective, unnatural, etc" will fall somewhere between those two extremes.

Some examples of templates that turn my stomach every time I hear them:

1️⃣ IELTS Speaking Part 2 : "There are many cities I have visited, but if I had to choose one to talk about, I would choose Barcelona."

Omg! Just start your talk "I am going to talk about Barcelona" and move on to describing the city because that's what I want to hear.

2️⃣ Writing: "Taking into account all written above, I am firmly convinced that ... ."

Please, pretty please, just write "I believe... " and elaborate on your belief.

Nothing beats good language and solid ideas. Don't scour the internet for templates, cliches, and magic phrases. Don't demand them from your teacher. Don't waste your time on something that won't really reap the benefit. Focus on the language and the ideas that are topic-specific. Nothing, absolutely nothing, beats those. 💜

I think it's a good idea to treat exams like any other human interaction. When you communicate in real life, do you want templates or ideas? 🟪

PS: Templates do save time and they can serve a useful function. What you can do is create your own unique one that will be in perfect harmony with everything you say and that will therefore not look like one. Someone else's templates will do more harm than good.

One of the assessment scales for C2 Proficiency writing has one mysterious word that always makes me and every test taker smile: "Text is organized impressively..." (Organisation band 5). Impressively - how is that?

In this post, I am sharing a Writing Task 1 essay I was impressed with and what I think is the key to that impressiveness. The essay was written by the amazing Yulia Dmitrieva. 🌹

What do you think is the key to impressiveness?❓

#proficiency #cpewriting #c2proficiency #c2proficiencywriting

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/02/if-this-is-not-impressive-i-dont-know.html

Many people see success in #writing as the following dichotomy:
🙁 I didn't write an essay. I'm a bad student. I will fail.
🙂 I wrote an essay. I'm a good student. I will succeed.

But writing an essay doesn't guarantee success. Writing an essay is only an opportunity to succeed, the proverbial first step on a thousand mile journey.

So, you've written, you've given yourself a chance to succeed. What's next?

Next you scrutinize, analyze, and memorize your teacher's feedback. You don't question it, you don't get hurt, you don't give up. Then you edit or rewrite your essay, taking into account all the recommendations you've carefully scrutinized, analyzed, and memorized. And then you write and rewrite again. And again. And again. Continue until you and/or your teacher are satisfied.

Embracing your feedback and rewriting your work are the steps that will keep you moving forward on your writing journey. Without them, you'll be treading water. Without them, every next piece you write will amount to giving yourself another opportunity but never seizing it.

I sometimes say that writing is a test of character - you have to have perseverance and a thick skin to succeed. 👣

Do you agree? Do you have a thick skin when it comes to writing? How often do you rewrite your essays after getting your teacher's feedback?❓

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/03/at-risk-of-incurring-curse-from.html
Have you ever tried learning three languages at the same time? Do you think it's doable?❓

At the risk of incurring the curse from polyglots and other magicians, Ekaterina Kachalova shares her experience in this amazing post written in my "Write for Real" course. I can relate. Can you? 🇺🇸🇬🇧 🇪🇸🇩🇪🇳🇱

What languages did you evict? In my case, Dutch left first. German followed. American English is now the main tenant, who allows British English to quietly exist nearby and doesn't give it the recognition it deserves.