Online group speaking course
"Boost your ideas"
Fuel your mind,
find your voice!
- Do you want to increase your English speaking ability when discussing academic topics?
- Do you lack critical thinking skills to be able to evaluate your ideas and discuss both sides of an argument?
- Are you struggling to achieve the scores you need for the Writing and Speaking sections of international English exams like IELTS or Cambridge Advanced?
- Do you find it difficult to think of ideas on complex topics in both writing and speaking?
- Are you having problems developing your ideas well when you write essays?
- Are you worried about not being able to answer questions properly in the speaking test?
Join our 10-week online course designed to help you build confidence, enhance critical thinking, and excel in academic discussions. With expert guidance and a focus on real exam topics, you’ll transform your speaking and writing skills and unlock the scores you need to succeed.
"Boost your ideas"
next course - Tuesday 15th July to Thursday 7th August- 8 online group classes
- 90 minute sessions
- Two lessons per week
- 10 common topics from international English exams
- Expert tutors
- 6-10 students in a group
- Minimum English level B1+
Discuss common current affairs topics
Each session will focus on one common topic from international English exams e.g. the environment, social media, globalisation, and urbanisation. We will discuss advantages and disadvantages, causes and effects, how they have changed and predict how they may change in the future.
Learn more about current affairs
You will watch short videos and/or read short texts during or before the sessions to learn more about the topic
Improve your language for discussions
You will practice your vocabulary for giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, discussing cause and effect, speculating and predicting by using the phrases in the discussions so you can use them more easily in your daily speaking and in any English exams
Share ideas and opinions with others
By discussing topics with others, you will improve your ability to explain and justify your own ideas. You will also hear different sides of arguments. . Your classmates will come from different countries, cities and backgrounds, so you will understand different ways of looking at the topics
Get expert feedback
Your tutors will give you feedback on your speaking and your arguments to help you improve
Increase your confidence
Sharing your thoughts and ideas with others will make you feel more confident when you need to discuss them with your speaking examiner or write them in an essay
The next course runs twice a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1.30pm UTC
2pm Central European Time, 3pm Eastern European Time
8pm in China, Vietnam, Malaysia
To find the time in your country, go to Time Zone Converter
If this time is not suitable for you but you want to join the course, we will run the next course in the summer, twice a week from July to August. Let us know if you would like to join at that time and we will put you on the list.
Possible Topics and example questions
- Technology - will smart home devices make are lives better or put us in danger?
- Wildlife - are zoos the best places to protect endangered species?
- Education - should young people be forced to do volunteer work as part of their education?
- Languages - should endangered languages be protected?
- Environment - will new technology solve environmental problems?
- Work - should everyone have the option to work from home?
- Art - should artists be supported by their governments?
- Advertising - should there be more control over the products that are advertised and where the adverts are?
- Sport - what are the benefits and drawbacks of hosting major sporting events?
- Media - are celebrities entitled to privacy?
- Technology - should we invest in space travel?
- Tourism - how can we balance the benefits of tourism with the environmental impacts?
- Appearance - why is plastic surgery becoming more popular?
- Globalisation - what are the advantages and disadvantages of a globalised world?
- Urbanisation - what are the effects of this and how can we mitigate the problems?
- Wildlife conservation - why are animals endangered and how can we protect them?
- Education - should children be homeschooled?
- Crime - are prisons an appropriate form of punishment?
- Health - how can we combat obesity?
Your tutors - Kate and Kris
Hello there,
We are Kate and Kris and we are running the ‘Boost your ideas for English exams’ course
As former IELTS and Cambridge speaking examiners and experienced English teachers, we have spent many years preparing students for international English exams and for academic study in English. We have noticed that a major issue which stops students succeeding is lack of ideas and critical thinking skills
We have postgraduate diplomas in teaching English as a foreign language (Delta and Trinity DipTESOL) as well as PhDs from UK universities, so we understand how to help you express your ideas in speaking and writing better.
During our 17 years of experience teaching English to students from all over the world, we have designed a range of activities and techniques to use in speaking courses to develop your critical thinking skills in a fun way.
We are looking forward to meeting you and helping you get the scores you need in your English exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
We will use Zoom or Voov. Both are online meeting platforms, suitable for online group classes and both are free for you to use.
The maximum group size is 10 students, so you can speak to different people but there is a chance for everyone to speak a lot.
We will use the breakout rooms on Zoom/Voov, so you will work in pairs and small groups to discuss the topics. We will also give feedback and get general ideas in the main group
If you cannot attend a session, please let us know. As each session is on a different topic, it is ok to miss one. Try to attend them though, as it will help you improve
This course is aimed at students taking all English exams, so we will not do specific exam practice. The questions we discuss are common from all exams though. If you want practice for an exam, please contact us for our IELTS speaking courses or the IELTS speaking Coaching Programme.
This course is for students who have at least a strong intermediate level of English - B1+/IELTS 5.5. If you are not sure of your level, we can do a level test with you.
Of course! This course will help you practise and improve your speaking. You do not need to be preparing for an exam to join in.
Boost your ideas
Tuesday 14th July to Thursday 7th August- 8 online group classes
- 90 minute sessions
- Twice a week
- 10 common topics from international English exams
- Expert tutors
- 6-10 students in a group
- Minimum English level B1+