https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QAEhrTfFls

A highly controversial cover and a highly controversial podcast. Where do you stand on magazine covers featuring morbidly obese women? What about men?

🌻 Mayonnaise reflections: how to write a winning story 🌻

My Creative Writing Contest "Mayonnaise" is over. As a contest judge, I've put together some tips, big and small, that can make your story more or less likely to win.

1️⃣ Punctuation: too much of it or lack thereof

Punctuation is readability. Excessive punctuation, especially unusual punctuation, like: {} <...> `, makes your story less readable. No punctuation, on the other hand, makes the reader read the sentence several times, which works against you in a contest.

2️⃣ Paragraphs

No one wants to read a huge wall of text. Ever. So seeing one huge paragraphless text reduces your chances immediately. Break your text into paragraphs. But not too many - many tiny paragraphs break the flow of the text.

3️⃣ Idioms for the sake of idioms

They stick out like a sore thumb. You don't want the reader to think, "OK, this author has just studied the book 'Vocabulary in Use' and needs an outlet." But creative writing is not an outlet for vocabulary. It's an outlet for your thoughts and feelings. Don't use your story as an exercise for your course book. The readers don't appreciate that.

4️⃣ Form

If you use an unexpected form, it definitely attracts attention the minute the reader sees your story. That said, form is not everything. There still has to be a story. So make sure form works to support your it, not substitute it.

5️⃣ Predictable ending

No one wants something so unpredictable that it is no longer logical or believable, but a surprise ending will make your story memorable.

6️⃣ Let their be a message

It's a good idea to make sure your story has a message, a lesson, a dilemma, a controversy, a big moral question. Leave your reader thinking, doubting, smiling, frowning, agreeing, disagreeing. Leave them engaged.

Big things, like the language and the plot, matter a lot. Small things, like punctuation or paragraphing, matter too. Finally, when you truly you enjoyed writing your story, the reader feels it. So pay attention to the big and the small, but, more importantly, love your story. And this is how you win a contest.🌻

Do you think these are universal and will work for all contests, not just mine? Do you have other tips? ❓

My Creative Writing Contest "Mayonnaise" has come to its inevitable end, which is good because I can finally share the amazing stories by the amazing winners! The prompt for the contest was simple: Write a story that ends with the word "Mayonnaise."

I am beyond thrilled to present one of the winners Elizaveta Zanozina and share her story "Hypnotized." See her interpretation of the prompt and enjoy her story!
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/07/hypnotized-by-elizaveta-zanozina.html

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/07/to-hell-with-mayonnaise-by-evgenia.html
My Creative Writing Contest "Mayonnaise" has come to its inevitable end, which is good because I can finally share the amazing stories by the amazing winners! The prompt for the contest was simple: Write a story that ends with the word "Mayonnaise."

I am beyond thrilled to present another winner. Meet Evgenia Karabatova and her story "To hell with Mayonnaise." See her interpretation of the prompt and enjoy her story! 🦋

Another winning story... told as a poem! Meet Vera Novikova and her "Etude."
Enjoy (and don't forget to change your password)! 🌷
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/07/etude-by-vera-novikova-mayonnaise.html

I am beyond thrilled to present the last winning story. The story is wonderfully weird and mildly absurd, which was what helped the author win. Don't be afraid to be weird and enjoy the story! 🦋
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/07/how-to-fail-ielts-exam-by-natalia.html

Can you make a finger-licking dinner dish out of cauliflower or broccoli? My student Olga Mei can and is sharing her secret recipe with all of us. 🍲

Olga wrote this post in my "Write for Real: Blogging in English" course. I love it because it's a perfect combination of practical and personal: it's a real recipe told through the lens of Olga's sweet personality.

The recipe is very simple (and vegetarian!). Embrace your inner Jamie Oliver and give it a shot! 🍲

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-finger-licking-dinner-dish-no-unicorn.html

If you are an English teacher, do you need a niche? Why? Personally, I love working in a niche (or niches, actually). ❤️

So last Saturday, I conducted a joint webinar with Natalya Skachkova about carving out a niche as a teacher. We shared our experience and insights on:
- How to find your niche
- How to promote yourself in it
- How not to get bored doing the same stuff
- The benefits of working in a niche

This is my first ever recorded webinar, so if you missed it, you can buy the recording!

The webinar is perfect for young, aspiring teachers and for experienced teachers looking to go freelance or build an audience in a particular field.

Length: 1.5 hours
Price: 700 rub

Message me to purchase. 💌

See some comments on my instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTVDxg9spLK/

One of the most common mistakes I have to correct in writing classes. 📝

Look at these sentences and think to yourself if they are correct.
1. Universities give theoretical knowledge, therefore graduates suffer from a lack of real work experience.
2. Young people want to look older, thus they copy adults’ behavior.
3. This research needs to be done urgently, however, it requires a vast amount of money.

They are not. Why not? Read the post to find out. 📝

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/09/comma-splice-must-read-for-thus-and.html

Updated my old post about the most common cases of comma use. Just six rules instead of tens of pages. A must-read for exam students. 📚

“Punctuation is the Cinderella of the writing classroom,” is a quote by Andrew Thomas, IELTS Principal Examiner, whose #IELTS training course I once attended. It means that punctuation is undeservedly neglected or ignored in EFL writing classes. Hopefully, this post remedies this injustice. 📚
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-common-comma-rules-and.html

I am thrilled to share an article written by my C2 Proficiency student Ekaterina Glukhova. 📝

I am thrilled not because she wrote an excellent exam answer, but because her article reads like a real article you might find in a real magazine. Ekaterina writes about her homestay experience in Brighton. Have you been to the UK? What was your accommodation like? Have you ever stayed at unusual accommodation? 🇬🇧
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/why-homestay-c2-proficiency-article.html

Coherence and cohesion ...

Cohesion has been discussed ad nauseum - everyone and their mother knows and uses (or abuses) it. But coherence is more elusive. So how do you notice lack of coherence in your writing? More importantly, how do you fix it if it's not there? I have a very simple and practical solution. 💡

PS: The post also answers the question that you might have on your mind right now, "What the hell is the difference between coherence and cohesion?"

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/enough-has-been-said-about-cohesion.html

I want to share a piercing piece written by Timur Khamzin in my Creative Writing Club. Plain and honest, this story pierces my heart every time I read it. ❤️❤️❤️
https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/fixing-starts-with-tap.html

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/why-did-you-become-vegetarian-most.html
Tired of answering. The next time someone asks, they are in for a nice read. 🐷🐮🐑

In this post, I am sharing an activity you can use with Outcomes Advanced p.105-107 (and with many other text books if you adapt it). The activity is aimed at practicing similes. Your students will first work with my story and then write their own. 📝

What I love about this activity is, of course, that it involves creative writing, but also that it is effortless for the teacher - no need to spend three hours on a lengthy worksheet. Well, granted, I spent some time on writing the story, but you don’t have to. Feel free to use it (and I will be grateful if you cite me as the source too). 💙

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/similes-and-outcomes-outcomes-advanced.html

Some people think that in #IELTS essays there is the "right" opinion, that is either the opinion the test makers have in mind (which you are supposed to somehow divine) or the socially accepted opinion that sounds righteous (e.g. we need to prevent climate change). This is not true. Any opinion works as long as it's argued well.

I want to share an essay that argues a very counterintuitive point of view - that too much time and resources are spent on protecting wild animals. The essay is written by my student Nastya. "You came up with very convincing arguments on the point of view I didn’t want to be convinced in," was my comment on the essay. She probably doesn't even support this point of view herself, but this is irrelevant. All that matters is it's a very logical essay that would get a very high score.

https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/too-much-spent-on-animals.html

Did you know that Outcomes has writing pages at the end of the book? I bet you didn't. Or if you did, I bet you didn't do them. This course is meant to address this injustice. Being based on pages 150-165 of Outcomes Advanced, this unique course includes even more writing tasks, both for exams and real life.

The course syllabus

📝 Module 1: Real life (4 classes)

File 5 + CV, cover letter
File 7 + applying for scholarships

📝 Module 2: CAE (6 classes)

File 8 + register and style
File 3 + CAE review
File 6 + introduction to CPE article

📝 Module 3: IELTS (6 classes)

File 1 + a real IELTS line graph
File 4 + sequencing language and a real IELTS process task
File 2 + paragraph anatomy, how to build an argument

Course duration: 16 classes, with classes meeting once a week
Class duration: 90 minutes

Writing: one piece a week, every week
Feedback: personalized, detailed feedback on every piece

Schedule
📅 Group 1: Monday 19:00-20:30
📅 Group 2: Friday 12:00-13:30

Price: 5,400 rub a month (4 classes)

This course is for level C1 and can be taken regardless of you your experience with the Outcomes course book. Message me to sign up and get a placement essay. 💌

Please note I won't be teaching the course myself, but I've invited a top-notch professional and I will be supervising. ‼️

https://vk.com/market-47977221?w=product-47977221_5043592%2Fquery

My brand new writing course "Writing through Reading" - a writing course based on academic articles and geared towards IELTS essays.

📝 What will we do?
- read and discuss articles from New Scientist or the like;
- work with lexis and sentence structures;
- work on cohesion, coherence, paraphrasing and all the things you need for a successful IELTS essay;
- After all that, you'll write an essay in the IELTS format based on the article.

📝 Who is the course perfect for?
- people who have taken IELTS and want to keep working on their academic writing skills;
- people who want to write focusing on the skill more than on the format;
- people who are considering taking IELTS in distant future.

The course is geared towards IELTS but is good for essays in most tests.

💃 Level: IELTS 7.5-8, C1+
📅 Tuesday 14:00-15:30 msk
📅 Course duration: about 9 months

Homework: one week - reading, next week - writing
Feedback: personalized, detailed feedback on every piece

📝 Price: 6,000 rub a month (4 sessions). Feedback included.

Message me to sign up or ask questions. 💌

https://vk.com/iralutse?w=product-47977221_5061302%2Fquery

Speaking is the skill that goes rusty in a heartbeat. Speaking for exams is almost an independent skill of its own. Join this course to boost your both.

It’s perfect for you if:
✅ you are preparing for IELTS or Cambridge exams;
✅ you wish to use advanced lexis naturally in your speech;
✅ if you want to discuss exam-type topics;
✅ you need regular speaking practice with peers.

🤷‍♀️ What will we be doing?
It's easy-peasy: we'll discuss articles and videos, work with advanced lexis, and practice exam format speaking tasks.
Well, it's not so easy-easy: there will be homework and independent work as well. Good speaking skills come at a price.

🙎‍♀️ Your host is Irina Nosova:
- degree in teaching;
- 10 years of teaching experience;
- CELTA A (CES Edinburgh);
- DELTA M23 (IH London);
- CPE A;
- A member of Toastmasters (an old international public speaking club) for several years with numerous “Best Speaker of the Day” awards.

Irina says, "When it comes to oracy excellence, I believe it’s confidence that helps you use your full potential to impress the audience, and confidence comes from practice."

Join this course to practice until your tongue turns silver.

📅 Tuesday 14:00-15:30 MSK
📝 Price: 5,400 rub a month (4 sessions).

📝 Level: C1, C1+, IELTS 7-8.
But if your level is above or below, message me - we will start a new group.

💌 Message me to sign up or ask questions.
https://vk.com/iralutse?w=product-47977221_5076667%2Fquery

My unique, long-awaited, and extended writing course. 🎉

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
- write an effective noscript
- communicate your idea effectively
- write concisely and precisely
- use stylistic devices
- try out different organizational patterns
- write an effective ending
- format and punctuate

☃️ In short, the course if perfect for you if:
- you don't want to write for exams;
- you want to write to express yourself;
- you want to tell your true stories and share your real opinions;
- you want to write for real audiences.

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

Price: 6000 rub a month (4 sessions). Feedback included (one answer a week).
Course length: 3 months
Class length: 90 minutes

📅 Schedule 2022: Saturday morning/ early afternoon (precise time to me decided on together)
📅 Starting on 5 February.

‼️ Please note by "blogging" I mean writing only.

💌 Pm me to sign up or ask questions.

https://vk.com/market-47977221?w=product-47977221_3696542%2Fquery

Coherence and cohesion - my only solace these days. 💔

I haven't been in the mood for posting recently - somewhat speechless over recent events. But I do keep teaching as usual - both my students and I find that classes are a good distraction and often the only time we don't doomscroll. Talking about coherence and cohesion does the job particularly well - they are so wonderfully impartial, peaceful, and sane.

I want to share a glimpse of our latest Writing Incubator session about coherence and cohesion. Here is a paragraph I wrote and some examples of cohesive devices. 📝

Topic: Factors of success in international English examinations

"Another factor that many people consider to be important is luck. They say there is always a chance that the topic will be one they have not prepared or do not fully comprehend. This reasoning is justified to some degree as it might indeed happen that a student has mastered 19 topics out of 20 and got the only one they had not. However, I would argue that the likelihood of an unfortunate topic is only a factor if the preparation is not exhaustive, which is the responsibility of the test taker, not the exam or some higher power. I therefore believe luck - or the lack thereof - is an excuse rather than a valid justification for low performance."

Cohesive devices:
- the classical linkers "However" and "therefore" (nothing wrong with using the classics, but note the position of 'therefore' in the last sentence);
- pronouns: they (=people), this (this reasoning = the reasoning from the previous sentence);
- "another": implies there was one more factor in the previous part of the essay;
- "indeed": shows agreement with the previous sentence;
- "which": joins the likelihood and the responsibility;
- "thereof": a fancy way to avoid repeating "luck";
- lexical cohesion: words that are in the same lexical field: luck, chance, unfortunate, higher power;
- the repetition of the word "factor" - yes, repetitions can be a cohesive device!

I told the participants of the session "I am not afraid of repetitions"! I'm so brave, aren't I? In all seriousness, repetitions should be handled with care - only use them if you know for sure you are using them for cohesion, not because you can't think of other words.

See, coherence and cohesion are beautiful, simple, and clear - an island of sanity in today's world. ❤️

📅 PS: All classes run as usual. Our next workshop is on 13 March.
https://vk.com/market-47977221?w=product-47977221_4475973%2Fquery