AAugust has been a busy one. Here is what we have been up to.
Where We’ve Been
The online faith high school we started working with in the summer now has enough students to apply for accreditation. That is a big step for them and we are pleased to have been involved from the start.
They are also going to be a guest on the podcast. With an Expert is coming back for a new season, and the story of a school going from nothing to accreditation is a good one to open with. I will let you know when the episode is out.
Website News
Four posts this month. Most of them ended up being about the same thing: who is judging your English, and how well they do it.
The post that did best pointed out that the UK has never asked newcomers for a higher level of English, and its language schools have never taught less of it to adults. Work visa applicants now need B2 and the settlement requirement is going up as well. At the same time, English UK’s figures for the first quarter of 2026 show adult student weeks down 10% on last year. The people who need more English have fewer places to learn it in the UK, so the teaching has moved online or back to their home countries. That one got 383 impressions and 21 comments.
The most commented on post was about test scores.
Another post asked whether you would rather face a human or an AI in a speaking test.
The last one was practical. The UK settlement English requirement goes up to B2 in March 2027, but the same guidance has a route that only needs A2. It applies to a partner, parent or dependent child over 18 with 15 continuous years in the UK; they need 75 guided learning hours with a qualified teacher in the year before they apply, and a letter from that teacher saying more study will not get them further. I run a 75-hour course built for exactly this, so if you have found yourself in this position or advise long-residence family applicants, get in touch.
Twitter/X
The usual mix of articles for vocabulary. This month: overtourism in Europe, which covers rents, cruise ships and short-term rentals, so it is useful for housing questions as well as tourism ones; Artemis II and whether space exploration is worth the money; two pieces on money with words such as discretionary spending, financial literacy, volatile, consolidate and utilization; the return of cursive handwriting in 27 US states; loneliness, now being called an epidemic affecting one in six people; a BBC Science Focus piece showing we each speak 338 fewer words a day than in 2005, useful if you are asked whether you prefer texting or talking; and the psychology of know-it-alls, for the next time you have to describe someone who annoys you.
Blog
Three new posts. Two of them cover the same topic from different angles: a General Training Task 1 informal letter telling a friend you are moving abroad after retirement, and a Writing Task 2 essay on why people relocate when they retire. Doing both back to back is a good way to see how the same ideas get used differently in a letter and an essay.
The third is the August edition of The Latest IELTS News. The main story this month is that IELTS is now accepted by more than 13,500 organisations.
Where Our Students Come From
This month I worked mainly with students in Taiwan; Hong Kong; and mainland China.
Student Spotlight
Francesca: 6.5 in Writing for Canada
This month’s spotlight goes to Francesca, who needed 6.5 in Academic Writing for Canada.
She had taken the test three times and scored between 5.5 and 6.0 in Writing each time. She was also short on time, so there was no room for a long course. We did six writing corrections, I made sure I was available whenever she needed me, and she got her 6.5 less than two weeks later.
Here is what Francesca said:
“I tried the IELTS exam three times before meeting Andy, and my score in writing was always between 5.5 and 6.0. With only six writing corrections, he helped me to score 6.5 in writing. I was short on time, and he has been 100% available for me. My score increased by half a band in less than two weeks with Andy’s help. I highly recommend him for a high score. His advice is fundamental!”
Well done Francesca, and good luck in Canada.
When Can You Book An IELTS Lesson?
Lessons are running Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:30 pm London time.
Using our online booking system, you can pick a time that fits around your own schedule.
Please get in touch early rather than late. It takes time to master new skills, and contacting us a few days before your exam is leaving it too late. We are also in high demand, and the schedule can fill up weeks in advance.
That’s All For August!
Thanks for reading. If any of this month’s stories sounded like your situation, you know where to find me.