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February Language Toolbox

Every month we publish a new Language Toolbox Exercise here on the blog. The exercise remains freely online for the whole month until it is replaced with the next month’s exercise. To access the archive of similar exercises you need to be a Course or Course Extra Member.

This month’s exercise is Speaking (Part 3).

Posted on February 05 2010 by Jenny Bedwell in Toolbox | Read More | Comments [0]

Choices: is Big Brother watching you?

In George Orwell’s classic book 1984, he predicted a society where everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities and the phrase Big Brother is watching you, is a constant reminder of this.
Nowadays, if you live in the UK you might probably feel Big Brother has arrived with the constant ever-vigilant CCTV (Close Circuit TV) watching you almost everywhere you go.
There are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain: more CCTV cameras in public spaces than any other country in the world and one for every 14 people. On average, an individual will appear on 300 CCTV cameras a day and those tapes are kept by many organisations for indefinite lengths of time.
Add to this facial recognition cameras and the introduction of the use of special listening devices which can be placed in lamp posts, street furniture and offices – the equipment can pick up aggressive tones on the basis of decibel level, pitch and speed at which words are spoken – and you soon realise that Britain is “sleepwalking into a surveillance society”, a warning that Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, gave in 2006.
Isn’t that enough? Apparently not as there was report this week that Police in the UK are planning to use unmanned spy drones, similar to those used in Afghanistan, for “routine” monitoring of antisocial motorists, protesters, agricultural thieves and fly-tippers, in a significant expansion of covert state surveillance.
The level of surveillance will grow even further in the next 10 years as new technology and techniques are being used to gather a growing amount of information about UK citizens.

Posted on January 25 2010 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [1]

Google - innovation, disruption and still making the world a better place

In just 12 years two people have revolutionised the world and how we search for information. 
Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University as students where they started to develope a search engine, the original name was ‘BackRub’, but in September,1998 they incorporated Google, a name that has now crept into the English language.
Why Google? Well, apparently it originated from a misspelling of the word “googol” the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
So, what is Google? The company’s stated aims are “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” and most people wouldn’t disagree with this as after a very short time (even for silicon valley), it now receives several hundred million queries a day, and to many it is the only source of information from train timetables, how to boil an egg to the best way to split the atom.
Is this a good thing?

Posted on January 12 2010 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [4]

January Language Toolbox

Every month we publish a new Language Toolbox Exercise here on the blog. The exercise remains freely online for the whole month until it is replaced with the next month’s exercise. To access the archive of similar exercises you need to be a Course or Course Extra Member.

This month’s exercise is Health Collocations.

Posted on January 11 2010 by Jenny Bedwell in Toolbox | Read More | Comments [0]

IELTS celebrates 20 years

In November, 2009 IELTS celebrated its 20th anniversary worldwide.
Since IELTS’ start in 1989 over six million candidates have taken the test, and it is now one of the most trusted and recognised language tests in the world. More than 6,000 educational institutions, government agencies and professional organisations recognize IELTS scores as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true to life ability to communicate in English.
In 2008, 1,200,000 tests were held in nearly 500 test centers in 126 countries. That’s one test every 30 seconds somewhere in the world. In China, the total number of candidates exceeded 260,000.
IELTS offers you the opportunity to take part in an international experience, to become a part of the wider world – let iPass help you.

Posted on January 09 2010 by Nigel Haines in IELTS News | Read More | Comments [0]

Looking back at 2009

Well 2010 is here, so it’s an opportunity for iPass to look back at 2009 and consider what kind of year it was.
Was it the best of years or the worst of years? Will it be remembered or forgotten?
Judge for yourself.
Have a look at iPass’s choice of memorable events and people for 2009 that made up the year.
From Barack Obama to Susan Boyle, the global economic recession to Swine flu - what’s your choice?
Let us know.

Posted on January 02 2010 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [12]

Choices – The Beatles: we love you, yeah, yeah, yeah?

So, it’s a bit more than twenty years ago that Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play.
Which band? The Beatles of course!
On an auspicious day to many – 09/09/09 – the entire Beatles catalogue of records was reissued; remastered and digitalised.
Does this really matter to you if you are a teenager or in your early twenties today?

Posted on December 30 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [3]

December Language Toolbox

Since February we have started publishing a monthly Language Toolbox Exercise here on the blog. The exercise remains freely online for the whole month until it is replaced with the following month’s exercise. Older exercises can be found in the Key Member section. Find out more about Key Membership.

This month’s exercise is about Enriching your Vocabulary.

Posted on December 03 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Toolbox | Read More | Comments [0]

November Language Toolbox

Since February we have started publishing a monthly Language Toolbox Exercise here on the blog. The exercise remains freely online for the whole month until it is replaced with the following month’s exercise. Older exercises can be found in the Key Member section. Find out more about Key Membership.

This month’s exercise is about Articles.

Posted on October 29 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Toolbox | Read More | Comments [1]

iPass Press Release October 2009

iPass is an online provider of self-access IELTS practice material. IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System and is taken in two formats; Academic and General Training. iPass specialises in Academic IELTS and is therefore aimed at international students who are preparing for the exam as an entrance requirement for higher education in an English speaking university or equivalent institution.

iPass was founded in February 2008 and has since attracted a membership of over 6000 students worldwide. Up until now it has only offered self-study material in the form of online interactive exercises with automatic feedback, but this month it launches its first online course which provides the same professional level of material but with the added bonus of full tutorial support from an IELTS specialist.

Posted on October 16 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in iPass News | Read More | Comments [1]

New Blog Competition! Win €50!

Our new Autumn competition is all about your favourite quotations. If you have a particular quote, famous or otherwise, that you like to remember or recite, then please share it with us. My own personal favourite comes from the C19th English playwright, Oscar Wilde, who wrote in Lady Windermere’s Fan, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

We are looking for the most witty and wise quotation, which can be in any language, but please note that an English translation must be supplied in order to be eligible for the competition. The iPass Team will judge all the entries after the closing date - 30th November 2009 - and the winner will receive €50! Runners up will receive a copy of the Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations and an iPass Key membership.

Posted on October 07 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in iPass News | Read More | Comments [17]

October Language Toolbox

Since February we have started publishing a monthly Language Toolbox Exercise here on the blog. The exercise remains freely online for the whole month until it is replaced with the following month’s exercise. Older exercises can be found in the Key Member section. Find out more about Key Membership.

This month’s exercise is about Linkers: Adding Information and Ideas.

Posted on September 26 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Toolbox | Read More | Comments [0]

NEW iPass IELTS preparation course begins!

Our brand new online IELTS preparation course is now being piloted with 7 volunteer iPass members, all of whom are planning to take the real exam in the near future. You can read more about the course by visiting our course info page.

The trial course will run until the end of September and following the success of the trial we hope to run the first proper course in October. If you would like to enrol on the October course you can email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to put your name on the waiting list. Please note that numbers are limited but if you are too late for the October course, you will automatically be put on the priority list for November.

Initially, we will only be running one course per month but this may change in the future depending on demand.

The overall aim of the course is to give candidates an awareness of the level that is required in order to get a high score (6 or above) in IELTS in terms of grammar and vocabulary and to guide them towards that goal through a series of language exercises and practice tests. There is also an online tutor providing continuous input, immediate feedback and full support throughout the course, which includes frequent chat sessions and Skype interviews.

Course members also gain complete access to ALL the practice material that is currently available on the iPass website. This provides candidates with sufficient supplementary material in addition to the course lessons.

There are 15 lessons in total, which include a complete practice test in all 4 modules of the IELTS exam: speaking; listening; reading; writing. For more information please visit our course content page.

Be the first to sign up and receive a 10% discount! (Offer ends 30 September)

Best wishes,

The iPass Team

Posted on September 10 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in iPass News | Read More | Comments [2]

A meatier read this summer!

My choice of holiday novels this summer was a far cry from the standard light-hearted page-turners that would usually satisfy my leisurely reading by the pool. In fact, the two books I chose for my recent camping trip to the Pyrenees, both sharing themes of wartime despair, human tragedy and unmentionable cruelty, could not have been more different. However, with just enough measure of comedy, hope and human spirit combined with an equal dose of masterful storytelling I found these novels to be utterly mesmerizing and completely unputdownable!

Posted on August 28 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Literature | Read More | Comments [0]

Choices – to be or not to be, that is the question

For any actor there is probably only one part to aspire to in their theatrical career. To play Hamlet can define you as an actor and ensure your legacy is forever talked and written about for generations to come.
Of course, it helps if you are famous to start with! Recently I saw Jude Law on stage in London in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy and was impressed.
So, did his portrayal of this Prince of Denmark mark a change in his theatrical fortunes? The character of Hamlet is difficult and complex; full of contradictions. How real is his madness? Is he consumed by grief at the death of his father? Does he really love Ophelia?

Posted on July 31 2009 by Nigel Haines in Literature | Read More | Comments [2]

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