Hello everyone! I’ve been in Singapore this week meeting up with Mensa Singapore and also attending Singapore’s most prominent technology event, ATxSingapore.
With Cerventus and Johann from MalaysiaWith Mensa Singapore (we went to Korea together!)
It’s been a wonderful time of learning and experiencing, and needless to say, it’s been a busy time, but this week, it’s also been a pleasure to welcome a few of you into the group class that I’ve been conducting; I’ll speak more about that later, and look forward to welcoming more of you soon!
Anyway, here are two free narrative essays for you today, reflecting as always a deep emphasis on what is needed for you to succeed according to Cambridge’s criteria for excellence, which I hope you’ll find is very much aligned with the process of creating an engaging and entertaining story and which I hope you’ll remember to look at as you practice.
The first essay is provided on a free access basis to every single one of you, and to read the second one, you’ll need to have a free or premium site membership; do sign up, and enjoy the benefits!
Premium membership provides you with full access to essay samples published on the site. To sign up for premium, click here!
If you’d like to purchase our extremely well-reviewed book of essay samples (encompassing 2021 and 2022 narrative and descriptive essays), feel free to pick up your copy here 🙂
Meanwhile, enjoy the essays!
Prompt: Write a story which involves a mistake in the sending or receiving of a message.
Essay:
Amidst the cacophony of the bustling train station, Clara clutched her telegram with a fervor that turned her knuckles white. Time slipped like sand through fingers as the weight of the ink-laden paper bore into her soul. An unforeseen error in the telegram she sent to her brother, Anthony, during the Great War had summoned him to this very platform, moments away from embarking on his final mission.
Fleetingly, Clara recalled the hours spent crafting her message, each word imbued with love, comfort, and hope. A rogue tear traced its way down her pale cheek as she pondered the cruel twist of fate that a typographical mistake could wield such a devastating consequence.
Through the throngs of soot-stained travelers, a familiar silhouette took form. An ethereal beam of light seemed to crown Anthony’s war-weary head as they locked eyes. Embracing, the world around them momentarily faded into oblivion. His coarse uniform stood in stark contrast to the warmth of his presence.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “Your message, it brought me back.”
Clara’s heart throbbed painfully against her ribcage, each beat a plea for time to halt. The shrill whistle of the departing train gnawed at the air, and as they parted, she pressed a small envelope into his hand. “My heart goes with you,” she murmured.
Months later, a letter arrived, clad in military regalia. Her hands shook as she read the words of her brother’s comrade: “He spoke of you every night, and your letters were his sanctuary.”
As she clutched the envelope Anthony never opened, Clara realized the profundity of her unintended message. It had summoned him back to the tender embrace of love, if only for a fleeting moment.
Days turned to weeks and weeks to months, as Clara felt a part of her soul cleaved with her brother’s absence. In her room, the air heavy with dust and memories, she penned letters, one after the other, like laying bricks in the walls of a house she would never live in. They remained sealed, addresses blank; these were letters she could never send.
In the tapestry of her heart, each thread was woven with echoes of their last goodbye, and how an error, a mere butterfly, had sent ripples through their lives.
As the first snow of winter settled upon the graves of the soldiers, Clara stood before Anthony’s grave. She finally felt that the weight she had been carrying for months had lessened, as if the snow was taking some of it upon itself.
In her hand was the last letter she would ever write to him. She buried it there, with him, and whispered to the wind, “Wherever you are, find peace, for in your heart, I found mine.”
Comment:
The content (W1) is engaging and has depth, portraying the emotional journey of Clara. The additional details such as “letters she could never send” add layers to her character.
The structure (W2) is secure and well-balanced, with the addition of Clara’s life after receiving the military letter and her final act, providing a complete arc.
Precise vocabulary (W3) is used, such as “the tapestry of her heart”, evoking imagery. The register (W4) is consistent with a historical and emotional tone. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are accurate (W5).
To improve, the essay could delve into the moment of the error to enhance suspense. The phrase “the air heavy with dust and memories” could have included more sensory details.
A book such as “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr could be an invaluable resource for the writer. The novel’s use of intricate imagery, rich character development, and its ability to weave emotions through the tapestry of war could be especially beneficial. Emulating Doerr’s writing, the writer can further imbue the narrative with textured descriptions that breathe life into each scene.
Mark awarded for content and structure = 15/16 Mark awarded for style and accuracy = 23/24 Total marks awarded = 38/40
If you are reading this, you’ve probably started the journey of exploring English proficiency examinations.
In particular, you might be thinking about the IGCSE English exams (or have taken them) already, and you may now be considering taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or a comparable English proficiency exam such as the TOEFL. These exams, widely recognized and respected, can open doors to further education and career opportunities.
That said, they serve different purposes and target different skills, and parents are often a little confused about the differences between them.
No worries, though – that’s why this post exists; in it, you’ll discover some of the differences between the IGCSE English exams and also the IELTS exam, and I hope that it will give you the understanding that you seek 🙂
Let’s dive in!
Firstly, let’s briefly introduce both exams.
First, let’s talk about the IGCSE English exams.
The IGCSE is an internationally recognized secondary school qualification, and it provides two primary English language (proficiency) exams – First Language English (0500), and English as a Second Language (0510).
First Language English is primarily designed for students who have English as their first language. It focuses on developing students’ ability to communicate clearly, accurately, and effectively in both speech and writing. Students are encouraged to use English in a variety of contexts and to a high level of sophistication, with a rich vocabulary and complex sentence structures. English as a Second Language, on the other hand, is designed to teach English to students who haven’t had extensive exposure to English in their prior schooling or home environments.
On the other hand, the IELTS examination is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers.
The IELTS exam comes in two versions: IELTS Academic, for those who want to study at a tertiary level in an English-speaking country, and IELTS General Training, for those who want to work or undertake training in an English-speaking country.
Let’s now talk about structure.
First language English requires students to complete assessments in reading and writing, and it asks them to complete exam papers that require them to analyze and deal with texts on a level that requires an appreciation for language and how to analyse and comprehend it.
Generally, the First Language English paper is broken down into two exam papers, one dedicated to reading comprehension and various other questions that come with it, and another paper dedicated to directed writing and narrative/descriptive writing; some students also do coursework, which also involves creating writing samples dedicated to creating higher order narrative or descriptive writing except without as much of a time constraint as what they would encounter with Paper 2.
IELTS, however, is broken down into four different subsections, each of which has their own exam – reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, there are two variants of the exam – the IELTS Academic for students who want to study in foreign countries as part of a student visa requirement or a conditional offer, and the IELTS General paper, for people who want to work overseas to fulfill their work visa requirements.
Let’s now talk about purpose.
The IGCSE English exams are assessments that demonstrate evidence of academic pursuit of the English language in a schooling environment with the aim of obtaining a secondary school qualification. They are assessments that allow teachers to develop teaching examples and experiences to allow their students to explore and understand the English language in different ways depending on the level that the subject is being taken at.
IELTS, however, is an internationally recognised English examination that is required both for entry to university is as well as to certain countries, forming part of the Visa requirement for students who want to work overseas (hence why you see that some students insist on getting writing scores for the IELTS that are above 6.5 – it is part of their visa requirement).
But do you need to take it though?
In this blog post, we will delve into the specifics of both the IGCSE First Language English and the IELTS examination, breaking down their structure, purpose, content, and the skills they aim to develop. We’ll also discuss their relevance and implications for you, helping you decide which one fits best with your future plans.
Let’s start talking about who needs to take the IELTS.
Generally speaking, you will need to take the IELTS if you are a resident of a non-English speaking country and you are seeking either employment or formal education within an English speaking country.
But Victor, you might say – I already took the first language English examinations!
Do I really need to take the IELTS? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is most likely a yes – many countries and jurisdictions do discriminate on the basis of where you originate from geographically (example: The UK Home Office designation of majority English speaking countries), which does mean that even if your English is significantly better than someone from an English speaking country, you will still have to take the IELTS in order to prove your capabilities.
In other words, if you are not from one of these countries…
…It’s likely that you’ll have to take the IELTS.
See:
The most dramatic illustration that I have seen of this is the case study of my friend Alicia’s conditional offer to enter Cambridge University to study law – Although she had taken FLE and even A Level English Literature, because she was from Malaysia, she was required to take the IELTS and to receive a score of 8.5 and above (essentially the same overall score as me – but it was a requirement!) in order to meet the terms of her conditional offer despite the fact that Cambridge specifies that it requires a minimum overall band of 7.5, clearly demonstrating that first of all your mileage will vary, and second of all that you may need IELTS even if you obtain A*’s in First Language English or otherwise.
…Unless you receive an exemption.
Another natural question arises:
Can you use an IGCSE English qualification or any national curriculum English exam in lieu of the IELTS?
It’s true that the IELTS is not cheap (MYR858 to register, the last time I checked), but as a resident of a non-English speaking country, In most cases, you should expect to take both the IGCSE English qualification that you have chosen to take (or SPM English/whatever your national English curriculum reflects) alongside the IELTS.
That said, it is possible to take First Language English rather than take the IELTS exam in order to enter a university (sometimes)… But note that such a scenario is the minority of all cases and would typically constitute a situation of a waiver of IELTS or comparable English proficiency exam rather than anything else.
This may be something that you should consider doing a little more if budget is a huge concern for you and taking one extra exam is likely to break the bank… But it is important to note that not all universities will accept the secondary school qualifications that you’ve chosen, and you would probably cover more ground if you were to take IELTS as well and therefore have more options at the end of the day.
It is possible for you to identify a list of universities that only require a sufficiently strong FLE grade, but personally I think that that’s a waste of time – as long as your mastery of the English language (which is the most important thing in the first place) is secure, you’ll have no problem taking the IELTS and obtaining a good grade, and the IELTS will serve as the exam that validates your English proficiency.
The natural next question is…
Can you simply take the IELTS rather than even take a secondary school qualification in the first place?
While I think that the answer to this question is a yes, particularly if the student is able to obtain a high score in the IELTS despite not having a secondary school qualification in English, success at IELTS requires a student to have a decent grasp and formative understanding of the English language, the development of which requires numerous years of experience and also exposure to good teachers.
A student who has received adequate preparation for this throughout the course of their secondary school career, which would naturally lead into the obtainment of a secondary school qualification such as the IGCSE or otherwise, would be much more likely to obtain a good IELTS score; correspondingly, while it is possible to develop the requisite mastery of English to do well in the IELTS without necessarily taking First Language English or English as a Second Language, it would be rare or otherwise unlikely for us to find a student who is able to do well at the IELTS who has not done any sort of secondary school English qualification, because that would mean that they had not learned in a structured learning environment.
It is not something that I recommend – getting formal training from a skilled instructor is important.
That said, those of you who are considering IELTS and IGCSE English may be wondering…
Which exam is more difficult?
It depends on what you’re comparing exactly.
I think that many people would say that First Language English is more difficult compared to the IELTS, because the first language English examination is an examination of analysis and critical thinking as well as writing that requires not only comprehension and basic sentence construction, but recruits much more sophisticated skills that require a student to develop a strong understanding and facility with language usage.
On the other hand, IELTS is an exam that aims to assess how well students can perform in everyday English language usage situations; accordingly, it requires students to demonstrate mastery of the English language across more modalities, although it does not require advanced language skills in order to do well in it.
IELTS merely requires the ability to speak, write, and think fluently and articulate one’s thoughts, demonstrating good comprehension along the way, and in that sense is more similar to English as a Second Language rather than to First Language English because of its focus on the mechanics of the English language rather than on using it for more cognitively demanding tasks such as analysis and evaluation, per the First Language English syllabus.
It’s crucial to note, though, that just because First Language English is of a high(er) level of difficulty relative to the IELTS, that does not mean that a student who is able to do well at FLE will automatically be able to do well at the IELTS – Because First Language English students do not need to practice listening or speaking, it’s still quite possible for a good FLE student to be caught off guard by the IELTS exam and therefore crucial to obtain specific practice for it.
Are there some other considerations that I should be aware of?
IELTS results are only valid for two years, while IGCSE results are valid for life.
This means that you generally have no reason to take the IELTS extremely early – most students who take IELTS for academic purposes do so either right after they obtain their conditional offers from university, or sometime during the year that they are taking A Levels, IB, or whatever pre-university qualification it is that they are working on.
At the same time, while there isn’t an immediate rush for you to do the IELTS, it is something that you’ll want to make sure that your child can do well on. With that in mind, you may be asking yourself…
“Can my child do well for FLE and for IELTS?“
At the end of the day, the most important factor that underpins whether a student will succeed in the First Language English or IELTS exams is their raw ability at using the language effectively – the extent of their grammaticality, the strength of their skills of analysis, their ability to comprehend written information, and otherwise; it is something that requires specific practice and training for, and it isn’t something that you’ll automatically be good at just because you’ve spent a certain number of years in school.
Still, at the end of the day, although a student’s abilities and practice for one of these exams is likely going to correlate with their performance in the other, it’s crucial to perform targeted practice for each exam because their curricula are markedly different and they assess different things.
It’s crucial to develop a strategy of targeted practice for any exam, and the same is true whether you’re taking First Language English or IELTS, and it is important to be able to get a sense of the difficulty and your preparedness for the curricula through an independent perspective.
Consider dropping a message if you’d like to assess your child’s suitedness for the curricula, and I’ll look forward to chatting with you soon!
Developing English proficiency in children is a journey that begins early on and continues through their growing years. While teachers and tutors may play a role and the quality of instruction that a child receives is key, the development of English proficiency is something that begins very much at home through the strategies and actions of parents.
I’d like to caveat that a bit – all of you know that no matter how good of an environment you provide for a child, the child still needs to work hard and study in order to do well.
That said, while it’s true that success in any endeavor (including learning English well!) is always the fruit of individual endeavor and rests on a student’s willpower and talent, I’ve seen the transformative power of strategic guidance combined with supportive parenting in catalyzing and sustaining interest in English, which in turn leads to significantly better outcomes… Yet, I’ve also seen parents struggle because they thought that enrolling their children in a specific school alone would suffice for helping their child learn English well.
With that in mind, here are some strategies to help foster a love for English in your child and guide them towards mastery at home, so that they will have the best chance of developing the strong mastery of the language that you wish for them to have as they move forward in this world.
Here’s a strategy guide that I hope will help – read on!
1. Develop a Love for English from an Early Age
The foundation of every learning journey is interest. Of course, children differ in their interests and talent for language, but it’s key to have them develop the desire to learn.
Do start cultivating an appreciation for English early on if you value it, by not only cultivating an environment where your child has access to many books, but also a space where reading is both enjoyable and desirable – not only a means of learning and getting good exam results, but also as a way of life within your family.
This could mean reading picture books together, watching educational shows in English, or introducing games that incorporate English words and phrases. Make it interactive, engaging, and fun. This early exposure creates a foundation that will aid your child’s future learning efforts greatly.
2. Set a culture that facilitates success.
Parents are the leaders of families – no question about that. They set the tone for the entire family unit, and in turn develop the culture for the family.
Is there a conducive learning environment? Do your kids have the resources and guidance to succeed? Do they have the initiative to succeed?
By creating a culture that values success, facilitates it, and helps to cultivate it by creating the necessary conditions for that success, on the shoulders of your child’s interest and confidence, you will set yourself up for a future where your child does not simply pursue success by your own direction, but out of their own force of will.
3. Ensure Consistency in Practice
Consistent practice is key to mastering any language. Therefore, one way to maximize the probability that your child will excel in English is to make English learning part of your child’s daily routine.
Provide access to interesting and unique resources, and provide entertainment options that correspond to English language media. Facilitate the process of development forward by creating opportunities to associate onward development with enjoyment in various ways.
Encourage them to write a diary, read a chapter from a book, or engage in English conversations at home.
Keeping English learning consistent helps your child see it as a part of their life, rather than a chore; even if the progress only takes place in minute amounts every day, daily progress will yield infinitely greater results at the end of the day than bursts of energy directed towards exam preparation, allowing development of a child’s English language skills in a stress free and enjoyable way.
If your child is preparing for an examination like the IGCSE First Language English, familiarize them with the examination pattern and question styles early on.
Regular practice tests will help them understand the format, reduce exam-related anxiety, and improve their performance. The more you understand what is coming up ahead and what assessments will take place at each stage of your child’s life, the better you will be prepared to ensure that they will do well and to take the actions to ensure that they can do so while minimizing the chance that they will become overly stressed out while preparing for examinations on account of becoming overwhelmed and therefore unable to commit the necessary mental focus towards learning.
Learning occurs cumulatively and slowly – true knowledge is analogous in form to a tree and not to a photocopied sheet of paper; in the same way that a tree cannot absorb the water of an entire river, so too can a child not absorb all the knowledge, skills, and understanding that you wish for them to acquire in the course of frenzied weeks of studying.
Therefore, plan for consistency – it will yield deep benefits down the line.
4. Develop English language mastery and good learning habits yourself.
It may seem a little strange that I would ask you to develop English language mastery yourself as a parent, but it’s tremendously important if you’d like your child to learn English well.
As a parent, one is naturally the person that a child communicates with the very most relative to any other person, and especially at an early age, you may be the single most influential person in terms of the way that your children see and understand the world; therefore, if you are able to demonstrate that mastery yourself, it will magnify your child’s efforts to learn English as they will have a good role model at home to guide them and to converse with them.
Naturally, you may not be able to spend all your time with your children as you may have work commitments, but rest assured – the extent to which you personally can master the language will correlate with the extent to which your children will be good at the language, as they will model your behaviors, your thoughts, and your own personal inclination for learning.
While this is not strictly necessary, I encourage you to dedicate yourself personally towards a journey of personal self-improvement, which will benefit you greatly along the course of the journey and in turn minimize the friction that your children will face when they are trying to learn English.
5. Adapt Your Teaching Methods
Children have diverse learning styles, and what works for one may not work for another.
If you are teaching your child personally, use a combination of teaching techniques – visual aids, educational games, role-playing, etc.
If your child is struggling with a concept, be patient and approach it from different perspectives until they understand while doing your best to make sure that they are enjoying themselves in the learning process and will have the motivation to continue forward in the learning journey!
If you choose to engage a tutor or enroll your child in a school…
6. Create a supportive environment.
Children have different levels of abilities, and it’s crucial both to recognize that and also to facilitate the process of trying to speak and learn English, which means creating an environment where children dare to try rather than shy away from opportunities to improve themselves because they fear being judged.
Having quality resources is tremendously important, but over and above that is creating situations whereby your child is willing to try, to fail, and to try again and to throw themselves forward to be judged by the world, and in so doing develop the confidence to use English no matter where they are.
By creating a supportive environment for your child, you will create the circumstances that are necessary for your child to make mistakes (and therefore to learn from mistakes!) and to proceed on a pathway of upward improvement that is constant and unwavering, rather than fear discouragement and judgment on the basis of negative experiences, thereby maximizing the probability that your child will continue to push forward and progressively improve.
That said, English language mastery is a small part of the picture overall. This is why it is good to…
7. Connect Learning with Real-World Applications
Children tend to engage more when they see practical applications of what they are learning, and see a deeper underlying purpose to it.
If you want your child to get an A in English and you see a specific reason for it (perhaps it will help them to get jobs that they otherwise might not have secured? Scholarships? University admissions? Allow them to see the world in different and important ways?), do contextualize it and visualize the benefits for them in ways that their hearts can accept so that they will choose to excel in the language of their own volition and not because you have forced them to.
There are many ways in which you can accomplish the process of catalyzing interest through the usage of real-world applications and discussions, and it doesn’t always have to be a heavy discussion or something deeply linked to the future.
Some suggestions: Watch an English movie and discuss its plot, characters, or watch a news broadcast and discuss the day’s events, checking if your child understood what happened. By doing so, you’re showing your child the relevance of English in everyday life and will gain many opportunities to use the language with your children, thereby enhancing the likelihood that they will cultivate strong English language skills early on.
8. Provide activities that will help catalyze your child’s interest in English.
Debate and various other competitions and activities provide a wonderful outlet for children to learn how to speak and use English on a vastly more proficient level through extracurricular involvements that can improve their profiles while at the same time improving their exposure to people who speak English as a first language and thereby increasing the number of opportunities for them to interact with others in the language.
Assiduously seek out these activities and help to expose your child to them – not all of them will stick, but some may; when they do, do encourage your child to continue pursuing these things as a means of developing a strong interest and also as a means of developing commitment and discipline; this effort will no doubt yield great and compounding effects in the future.
9. Provide Constructive Feedback
Providing feedback is an important part of the learning process. When reviewing your child’s work, remember to maintain a balance between appreciating their efforts and pointing out areas for improvement, avoiding criticism that is harsh or damaging, while at the same time maintaining a clear view of your child’s capabilities (which in turn also requires a mastery of English so that you can evaluate this well).
Constructive feedback will not only guide their learning but also help build their confidence, and will help sustain their motivation for the long learning journey to come and the many fruits that will arrive with it.
10. Keep Evolving Your Approach
Children grow and evolve, and so should your teaching methods. Whether it’s incorporating more digital content, using more advanced literature, engaging a new teacher, or involving them in activities that may help to develop their proficiency in different areas, be prepared to adjust your teaching approach according to your child’s changing needs and interests through the stages of their life.
Conclusion
Guiding your child to mastery in English requires patience, consistency, and adaptability. By creating a supportive learning environment, providing consistent practice, and making learning engaging, you can help your child develop not only an excellent command over English but also a lifelong love for the language. Remember, the ultimate goal isn’t just to help them achieve good grades but to nurture them into confident, curious learners and effective communicators.
