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Studying Strategies

Studying Strategies

Practice English Outside Lessons

Jane Birkenhead, July 24 2024

If you’re taking TOEFL or IELTS lessons with a teacher, then you'll know that you're making a big financial  commitment as well as investing a lot of your time. This is good. It means you're serious about achieving your goals! However, if you want to succeed, then you MUST practice English outside lessons. There is only so much that a language...

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Studying Strategies

12 Quick Exercises to Kickstart TOEFL Studying

Jane Birkenhead, January 9 2023

You might be finding it hard to start studying again if you’ve taken a break over the past few weeks. I have gathered 12 quick exercises that have worked for hundreds of students and will definitely help you to get back into studying. None of these exercises use specific TOEFL resources. They are designed to build your language proficiency using...

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Studying Strategies

Break your Big Goal into Smaller Steps

Jane Birkenhead, August 31 2022

If you’ve been studying for TOEFL or IELTS for a while, and you don’t think you’re making progress, it’s understandable to feel frustrated and confused. Instead of carrying on as usual and practicing past questions over and over again, my advice is: Take a step back and consider your overall goal. Break it down into smaller steps. Then work on...

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Studying Strategies

Use Study Resources for Different Things

Jane Birkenhead, August 25 2022

It's so easy to become bored when you're studying especially when you've been using the same study materials for a while. A great way to keep motivated  is to use study resources for different things. This is something I love recommending because there are hundreds of different things you can

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Studying Strategies

Practice Effectively for TOEFL

Jane Birkenhead, June 3 2022

If your TOEFL scores are stuck...If you've done all the TPO questions...If you're worried about missing your deadline......then this post is for you. Let’s talk about how to PRACTICE EFFECTIVELY for TOEFL. I think everyone agrees that it’s important to practice for TOEFL. But HOW you practice is really important too. TOEFL is a skills based exam. Y...

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Studying Strategies

Take a break if you're studying for TOEFL. It will help.

Jane Birkenhead, June 17 2020

Do you wonder if you are studying enough for TOEFL? Or, do you struggle to fit studying for TOEFL around your work and family commitments, and get frustrated because you always run out of time? If so, this post is for you! I’m going to explain why it’s important to take breaks from studying, and why studying less is sometimes a very good idea.

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Studying Strategies

TOEFL study schedules: how to be flexible and productive

Jane Birkenhead, October 2 2019

Let’s focus on some TOEFL studying strategies. Where I live, the start of the new academic year happens at the same time as the start of autumn. Somehow, setting new goals and making plans goes really nicely with the colder weather. It’s a time to get cosy inside with tea and blankets and books. So, let’s talk about study schedules!

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Studying Strategies

How to Make the Best use of your Study Time

Jane Birkenhead, April 16 2019

I know that many of you are trying to fit TOEFL studying in around work and family life and I know exactly how hard that is. Before I became a language teacher, I was an accountant. I worked long hours during the day and then I had to study for my accountancy exams in the evenings. I did this for many years.

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Studying Strategies

Study Effectively for TOEFL using Deliberate Practice

Jane Birkenhead, February 5 2019

When you learn new skills, like improving your English for the TOEFL exam, it’s important to practice. I think most people know this! To get a high score in the TOEFL exam (100+ or S26 and W24), you need to practice a lot to improve and get really good. Some students, however, believe that the quantity of practice time is more important than the qu...

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Studying Strategies

Studying for TOEFL? Here are 5 strategies for better studying

Jane Birkenhead, December 6 2018

There are no short cuts to TOEFL success. The TOEFL exam is hard and you are required to demonstrate many different skills in a short period of time. You have to be able to multi-task and to think quickly. There are however, many ways you can help yourself to study better. Here are some ideas.

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