About this blog and explanation of terms

This blog aims to help candidates for the English Language Proficiency Examination (LPE) at the United Nations.


You must work in the United Nations system to qualify to take this exam or have come through our classes.

It is held annually in September

Recipe for success in the LPE in a few easy steps


Here is the recipe for success!!

1 For formal multiple choice practice of reading and listening skills:  - BARRON'S - Practice Exercises for the TOEFL - with six audio CDs - 6th edition / Pamela J. Sharpe

2 For regular fun reading of a newspaper style, take out a 6 month subscription to The Week
http://www.theweek.co.uk/ 

3 For light romantic fiction, read books by Susan Lewis, Tony Parsons (NOT Stories we could tell but others are all good), Mary Higgins-Clark for example.  No dictionary!
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/tony-parsons/ 
http://www.susanlewis.com/ 
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/mary-higgins-clark/ 

For crime, thrillers or mystery novels, go to amazon.co.uk and search 'crime, thrillers or mystery' to find one you like, then order it from your favourite site

4 Many students like graded readers (top level) with CDs to listen to in the car, or audio books 
http://penguinreaders.com/
 
5 Regularly practise writing on topics timing yourself and then check with the microsoft grammar and spell checker or give your essay to a native speaker friend to comment on or correct in exchange for a coffee!  For topics, see the page with lists on this site.

6 Go to the cinema every week to see a film in English.   Or get out a DVD every week.  And watch BBC or CNN news every night.