Stay informed with the latest updates from CIE Oxford — practical articles, student learning highlights and language tips designed to support English learners in Oxford.
Stuck at B1? CIE Oxford explains why English progress slows at intermediate level and five practical ways to get moving towards B2 again.
Downloadable activity programmes for the coming months, giving you a clear view of what’s happening beyond the classroom. Download PDF
Freeze when you speak English? Here is what happens in your head when the word disappears, and three short daily exercises that stop it.
Fluent but stuck at 6.0 in IELTS Speaking? Learn the five habits that cap your band and how to give the examiner more.
Struggle to understand native English speakers? Learn how connected speech works and train your ear with practical techniques from CIE Oxford’s teachers.
Confused by British small talk? Decode “you alright?”, “not bad” and “not ideal”, and learn the polite padding that makes your English land as intended.
The CEFR level for an Intermediate student is B1 and for an Upper Intermediate student B2. The commonly cited estimate is about 200 guided learning hours to climb one CEFR level. It is a useful number, and like most useful numbers it hides almost everything that matters: that the hours are not equal, that the
If grammar is the skeleton of a language, pronunciation is its voice—and intonation is the melody that brings it to life. Without it, speech can sound flat, robotic, or even confusing. With it, even simple sentences can carry emotion, intention, and nuance. For learners of English studying at CIE Oxford, mastering intonation is often the
Somewhere along the journey of learning English, a quiet but persistent idea often takes root: the idea of perfect English. It shimmers in the distance like a mirage—flawless grammar, native-like pronunciation, effortless fluency. For many learners, at CIE Oxford and elsewhere, it becomes both a goal and a burden.