Welcome to my world!

Dear IELTSers

The blog has moved on. The new weblog 'kicks off' on Saturday, but has already come into existence. I have invited Dr Rashid & Dr Kamal to join us. Anyone else who wants to get on the bus is MOST welcome. Just make a comment below and I'll email you an invitation to the new weblog:

http://www.ieltsworld.blogspot.com/

JOIN THE FUN!

Best regards

Tony & his team

That was the blog that was

Ah well

I wasn't expecting very much and so it proved. Only four students came last night to finish off the course - the serious ones.

We'll keep the weblog going until I start a new one for the 3 June course that I will be starting (oh dear, just before the FIFA World Cup!)

As you can see, football has been taking up a fair bit of my attention recently. I've been ready to respond to IELTS queries and postings, but nothing has materialised from the I-drive weblog (I doubt that anything of note will come up in the next few days.)

So I'll leave you now, the lack of comments / posts / initiative are a bit sad, but there you go.

The chief recommendations last night were for:

• four week Pre-IELTS courses (3 x 3 hour lessons per week)
• grammar mistakes to be corrected (on an IELTS preparation course?)
• taking General English courses in the future to build up vocab / skills
• learning 10 key words every lesson
• building up a core Vocabulary - having a list of important words

Have we forgotten anything?

How about getting that orange Macmillan dictionary:

"Macmillan ESSENTIAL Dictionary" (International Student Edition)

ISBN: 140501427X + website www.macmillandictionary.com

Go and ask the Al Mutanabbi Bookshop why they don't have it in stock - speak to Mubarek in the Medinat Zayed Al Mutanabbi Bookshop (behind HSBC Bank) on: (02) 634 0319. If they don't have it, then COMPLAIN!

That's all from me, I'll leave you alone now!

Bye

Tony

It was interesting doing the Pre-IELTS course . . . Good luck everyone!

Proud to be a 'Watfordawi'

Feel free to read my report on the wonderful Watford victory.

If you need an English football team to follow, then join me at WATFORD.

Follow this link:

http://www.bsad.org/victory/leeds/tony.html


You'll love it!

Tony

Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!

Hello folks!

Yes, my team, the 'Golden Boys' - WATFORD, won their epic match yesterday. They crushed Leeds 3 - 0. Sure, they had some luck but they played with:

• passion
• skill
• determination
• planning
• no fear

It was magic, sensational, awesome, stupendous, marvellous - take your pick from any superlative.

My daughter Dana was there in Cardiff. She has her final exams next week for her degree in Medicine from Imperial College, London, BUT she had to go and support her team. It has given her revising and morale a massive boost.

So, what has this to do with IELTS? Hello? Doesn't :

passion
skill
determination
planning
no fear

have anything to do with beating IELTS?

Anyway watch out for the yellow and red of WATFORD in the English Premiership season next season, think of me and see what sheer hard work can achieve when harnessed to skill and self belief. It can move mountains!

See you very, very soon in Room 1

Any comments / reactions?

An ecstatic Tony, whose team played like tigers [grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!]

When Saturday comes

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I thought so!

All that "We have no time" and "At the weekend, teacher!"... It's all just words isn't it?

No posts, no comments, no fresh contributors = no input / no effort.

So, why should I bother? Let's just go to class and do lots of practice tests (badly) and complain about how difficult IELTS is!

It's your loss, ieltsdrive weblog and please, please don't say you'll contact me after the course when you will be preparing for the IELTS, because you know and I know that this won't happen. I'll be here, In Sha Allah, at the British Council and you'll be busy, busy in your own worlds.

It's been a hectic, fun weekend for me and the family. The football was very emotional and well done Barcelona for prevailing on the night - they held their nerve, will you when the 'crunch' comes?

Over and out.

Surprise me with a comment or a reaction to show any sign of intelligent life out there!

Tony the Tiger

There's only one Rashid Saleem ... One Rashid Saleem.. There's only one Rashid Saleem...

Hello campers!

The title of this post echoes a football chant when we sing about the star player or manager. I feel like that about a student (Dr Rashid Saleem) who took the IELTS course in July 2005 and had the magnamimity to open his mind and adapt his learning style to the constraints that IELTS placed on him.

Many students come and go. Few stay on in my consciousness as strongly as Dr Rashid. Despite all the demands of his professional work and family commitments; he joins blog after blog to impart knowledge and encourage the faint-hearted to pursue their dreams. Thank you, sir!

Hey you, the shy, quiet,worried, nervous ones sitting at the back of the bus! Come forward and ask for directions!

Finally, on a football note, did you notice how Barcelona did NOT panic last night? They kept to their game plan, worked hard and fortune favoured the brave. It was their night and the world salutes a team of artists and football heroes.

My humble football team, Watford, play an enormously important match on Sunday 21 May and I hope with all my heart that luck is with them and an exciting adventure unfolds next season if they win a place in the Premiership.

Er, you see, there is life beyond IELTS... :)

Anybody out there?

Bye for now

Tony

ps Myself, my wife and Zeena will be watching the Abu Dhabi Choral Group perform the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance at the British School Al Khubairat this evening at 8pm - it should be a hoot! Why not come this evening or tomorrow at 6pm?

Message from Mansour

dear Mr tony,

hi sir how are you i hope you are fine. I have problem in the reading. last day I try but the big problem was the reading section 3. could we did anther one next week.

Where were you?

Oh dear!

I'm in the Learning Zone, five students are here studying and trying... There are five empty seats, why?

We did a timed Task 1 and Task 2 writing and talked about the Speaking test. We only have a week to go, time is racing.

I will be in touch over the weekend, but HELLO? This weblog is for you guys, not me!

Amer is going now, he's had enough, so is Mohamed - was it an adequate session? Mansour is posting a message.

Bye for now

Tony

No escape!

IELTSDRIVERS!

You have been tasked to find out the meanings of:

1. GCSE / IGCSE

2. GCE A-level

3. BA degree / BSc Degree

4 MA / MSc / MBA degree

5 PhD degree

6 The difference between an undergraduate and a postgraduate course

7 The capital cities of Northern Ireland and Wales

8 The difference between: Britain (n) / British (adj) / Briton (n)

9 The difference between Ireland, Great Britain and the UK

10 Why is Britain 'Great'?

And, what about Liverpool's performance, Stephen Gerrard especially?

Let's start doing and not coming to class just to sit like potatoes!

Tony (is getting impatient...)

GET BLOGGING!

Come on class, wake up!

Go to www.blogger.com

Sign in as yourself or BLOGMEMBER - remember the username / password?

We are IELTSCOMMUNITY11, blog number 27001952.

Go to CREATE NEW POST and bingo we're in business!

To comment on a post:

Click on the comments icon, write your comment, log in and publish!

NO EXCUSES! NO FREE BREAKFASTS/LUNCHES/DINNERS!

My network at work does not want to work properly (reminds me of the evening class...)

Go for it, class!

Tony as Blogmember

Happy Weekend

Hello IELTS drivers!

Good luck tomorrow and Saturday for Hazzaa!

Enjoy your weekend! The football match last night was fantastic, my team [WATFORD] made it to the Play-Off Final on 21 May - thanks for your co-operation!

I don't expect many of you to write in and post messages. I get the impression that you need direction so here goes for the six most useful websites that I have mentioned already:

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts

http://www.elc.polyu.edu.hk/ielts

http://www.ieltshelpnow.com

http://www.writefix.com

http://www.ieltsmagic.blogspot.com

http://www.ieltswords.blogspot.com

I hope you can follow these links and they will help you study over the weekend.

I'll re-send some of those invitations and hope to hear from you.

Best regards

Tony

ps We'll talk about how the course has gone, where you need to concentrate and how I see the next two weeks shaping up...

Check your inboxes!

I-drive weblog members

Please check your email inboxes for my invitation to join the weblog.

If I have made an error, I can re-invite you or you can use the BLOGMEMBER account.

Bye for now

Tony

Calling all bloggers!!!

Hello everyone!

Blogmember has landed again! We are a group of Pre-IELTS candidates who are mostly from the HCT. We are taking the General Training module and need Band 4.5! It is not as easy as it seems, we are all working and have family commitments. We need to work hard on our reading and writing - also our vocabulary is weak.

Successful previous IELTS candidates - can YOU help us?

We need to pass the IELTS to proceed with our studies at the HCT.

Time is short.

Tony expects a lot from us, HELP PLEASE!!!!

The Pre-IELTS class of May 2006 (aided by T.B.)

Another chapter opens...

Dear blog users

Welcome to the latest weblog! I hope www.ieltsdrive.blogspot.com really takes off and gets you to your destination!

Stand by for more news from your IELTS tutor

Tony