Here is a reference sheet to act as a little reminder to students taking the IELTS writing exam about the importance of collocations in academic English.
You may have noticed lately that I’ve posted some worksheets directly relating to a class or student I’ve been teaching. This is mostly so that students can access these wherever they are, and also for me to generate a bank of different materials which I can download and use anywhere.
Today here is a reference sheet of adjectives which go with some key nouns to use when describing graphs and trends.
Don’t forget that you are marked on your ability to use a variety of vocabulary – using your dictionary, check the ones you aren’t sure of, and you may find that these collocations are useful for widening your active ‘lexical resource.’
Get it here:
Or here:
99 top IELTS collocations
How I chose the words
I typed in the keywords on some online newspaper sites, as well as checking an online corpus.
Thanks !
By the way, do you know the Oxford Collocations Dictionary ? It’s an excellent work. Here’s the link http://www.oupe.es/es/ELT/Dictionaries/oxfordcollocationsdictionary/Paginas/oxfordcollocationsdictionary.aspx
Hi Francisco totally agree with you. Hard to believe this kind of thing wasn’t around say 10-15 years ago! Though this time I typed this up looking at how the newspapers use some of these words.
Btw I’ll probably transfer the posts which are more for my students to another area soon, as they don’t seem to get much of a broader reaction out there. Instead I hope I can write about topics which will generate more discussion and interest. Of course I still hope to post some worksheets which others may like too.
David
The first edition of the dictionary was published in 2002 (which I bought, now I have the second) and they said back then in the introduction to the dictionary that it had taken them many years to make it.
I hope your students don’t shy away from expressing their views and thoughts here !
And that CD-ROM for the collocations dictionary is also very good.
A few students have said that this Czech fear of making mistakes is one reason why they don’t leave comments and interact.
Another reason could be that this year I’m teaching individuals. Next year I’d like to have a few group classes happening, and I’m sure that this dynamic would be great for encouraging interaction.
I guess other bloggers also have the same issue to deal with (except Benny of Fi3M course, lol).
David
I also have the Oxford Collocations, but the first edition, I didn’t know that they already had a new version. I definitely need buy this new version, it looks even better 🙂
Hi David .I am Fatima from Iran ,I have MA degree in TEFL and working on thesis now .My plan is to emigrate from Iran to Australia ,so I am studying for IELTS too.Accidentally I found you website ,it seems to be useful ,I am really thankful .
Let me ask you some questions .How can I find teaching job in Australia?as you know I am not native speaker .does it hinder to find a job?
Do you know the boundary score for a MA holder in English ?and If you feel free let me be in touch with you and know about teacher conditions in Australia .
Best Regards
Fatima
Hi Fatima
Thanks for checking out my blog. I’m curious how you found it.
I can’t say a lot, as I’m based in Europe. I think the first step is to look at what kind of visa you would need to apply for, and that’s for the Australian Dept. of Immigration to look at http://www.immi.gov.au/Pages/Welcome.aspx
Generally-speaking, there are all kinds of visas that foreigners arrive on, and the one that you would apply for is the one that best matches your situation.
Some come to Australia on a study visa, which allows some work, and you need to show sufficient funds for this.
If you come for work reasons, often you need to be sponsored by an Australian company. If you can find an organisation in Australia that will support your application, then this is a way. However, it might be difficult to obtain such a visa if you’re applying for a classical teacher’s position, as this can be recruited locally (according to the law, visas are easier given to foreigners where there is a shortage in the local economy eg doctors, nurses, IT specialists).
Perhaps there is an Iranian cultural institute or university department that is looking for someone of your skills?
See if you can find a list of professions that Australia is looking for, perhaps you can come under this category..?
Alternatively, if there are lot of Iranian immigrants in Melbourne or Sydney, there might be a special programme to help them adapt to their new country, and this includes English training. See what you can find as you search online 🙂
Next, there are other visas which are given for humanitarian reasons.
Finally, other visas are business related or connected to investing in the country.
I’m not sure if I have helped you much, but the main thing is to go through the website and check out what you need to do in order to get a particular visa. Your high level of English should already be a big help, and if you know anyone already in Australia, they might have some advice.
Good luck!
David
Hi ,thank you for your answer and quick reply.well,you helped me a lot . Yes you are right, finding teaching position is difficult .At the moment ,I am working on my thesis .I doubt if I continue for PHD ,in fact ,I am rather tired of studying and prefer to work and live happily,so I am not sure, at least now,if I want to apply for PHD or not .I will search to find a job instead.Hey,I am going to cook course too,for two reasons ,1.I like to cook Persian foods and desserts 2.maybe it helps for immigration .I am sort of person who loves novelty ,creativity and happiness whether in teaching or cooking ! Thank you again for your useful info.If you have any question about my culture or anything ,ask me .
Best
Fatima
Hi Fatima
How come you prefer Australia? As I said, definitely check out all your options. I don’t know your situation, but if it’s something you want to do, it’s worth looking into.
This is the basic visa for working up to 4 years in the country: http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/Pages/457.aspx
However, you might be eligible under another type of visa, I can’t say. If it doesn’t work out for some reason, you could try another English speaking country, and then moving to Australia afterwards (eg from New Zealand) would be a lot easier.
Best wishes
David
Hi
I am really thankful for your kind advices.you asked me why Australia?well,I prefer an English spoken country (although people speak Aussie with special accent) ,beside,I like to immigrate to Europe but not sure about the situations, at least know that Australian government will accept skilled individuals . I read a lot about it ,culture,people and its multicultural atmosphere.I think it is better to hire a lawyer it is very common for immigration .They do know about current opportunities .
Now,my mind is busy with thesis.I am working on American English files series ,a text type analysis .I go to cook course to feel better as a hobby.
David,let me know where do you live ,in Australia?I read some comments ,and noticed some are from Czech .Are you from Czech too?and tell me how is teacher training goes as your job?
I am so happy to find you to share ideas.
Best Wishes
Fatima
Hi again David.I encountered new situation.I wonder if you remember or not,i wanted to move Australia for work,so I spoke with a lawyer ,unfortunately he told me I dont have chance to find job because I have no job insurance .In other word ,I worked as an English teacher but I hadn’t insurance from institutes.
He told me that the only way is to find TEFL scholarship .So ,I need your help.How can I find universities which support international students in PHD course?I know the cost of living is high ,is it possible to find scholarship?
Let me tell you that I won’t limit my chance to Australia.I want to find a place in Europe as well.
please help me if possible.I want to find fields like:TEFL,cultural studies,CDA,content analysis etc.
Thank you
Fatima
Hi Fatima
Websites like this one will give you better information, as I’m an Aussie citizen and don’t know the fine points of the law:
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/
Re: scholarships for international students, I went to the University of Melbourne and they have a page here:
http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/scholarships
Yes, Australia right now is very expensive, but if you can get a scholarship, this will help.
I hear that France is quite good in terms of providing affordable education for international students.
There is probably some more information in Persian or Arabic as well.
Good luck 🙂
David