Useful Links

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard that describes a learner's level of English using a scale from 1 (A1: Beginner's) to 6 (C2: Proficient). Learners of English from all around the world can use the tables of scale points to determine their level of proficiency in English.

We use IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols to represent pronunciation of words in our blogposts.

Here are a few example:

t as in tea /tiː/
tʃ as in chain /tʃeɪn/
dʒ as in jam /dʒæm/
θ as in thin /θɪn/
ð as in this /ðɪs/
j as in yes /jes/
ɑː & ə as in father /ˈfɑːðə(r)/
aʊ as in now /naʊ/

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Here's a list of the abbreviations we commonly use in our blogposts:

n. = noun (Also: count/noncount n.)
v. = verb (Also: tr./intr. v. = transitive/intransitive verb)
adj. = adjective
adv. = adverb
prep. = preposition
phr. v. = phrasal verb
common colloc. = common collocation (words commonly used together)
(in)fml = (in)formal

The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists (Prentice Hall 2000) has put together a list of 1000 most common English words ranked by frequency order. Students need to learn to recognize these words instantly and to spell them correctly. Want to take a look? Here's the link.

"The Longman Communication 3000 represents the core of the English language and shows students of English which words are the most important for them to learn and study in order to communicate effectively in both speech and writing." (from Longman dictionary 3000)

Looking for a list of most, perhaps all, the prepositional phrases in English? Click here for a comprehensive list

Click here for an alphabetical list of some of the most common collocations in the English language.