Iraqi Lions

Iraqi team presented extremely good during all the 90 minutes of the final game, they total deserved the Asia football championship. This is the fact for this time, however some of Asian teems achieved this name multi times, But why it is different this Time; firstly Japanese are happy because we revenge to their lost against their competition Saudi Arabia. Secondly Koreans want us be the first then thy will say yes we lost only against the championship, thirdly Saudi Arabian was surprise that their teem reach to the final and they hoped to continue to bring the cup to their capital for the forth Times, But after their lost they accept the fact quickly and they highly appreciate the Iraqi teem performance, they thanked god that the result was only one goal and Saudi continued "Iraqis are so sad people then let us submit one happy day by our losing "Moreover the winner in any case will be Arabian and from Gulf which will put all those countries under football sport light spot. At last USA & UK also happy because one of their colonies be the victor.
Congratulation to all Iraqis mothers,Iraqi heroes and warm kiss to all the faces smiled when the game fineshed,thanks to each hart felt happy by Iraqi result.

Summer Bloggin'

Some're blogging, some aren't (ha! ha!).

Well gang, the 'good' news is that this blog will stay open for July, August, September and October - till I start ieltscommunity22. That means that the onus is on YOU, the reader, to make an effort to communicate and make use of this channel of communication.

Yes, I know that you are all under pressure and the course and its tutor were very demanding, but, hey, this is reality! Let's see what you are made of!

Stand by for occasional up-dayes from me as to my summer holiday - who knows I might even get some comments and even a few posts from the silent majority.

The ball is most definitely in YOUR court!

Persevere, don't lose hope and believe in yourself!

Caio

Tony

Good bye

Dear Tony, Ahmad, and everybody else,

I would like to wish you all a good summer break and hopefully a good vacation with your beloved ones as we all need a good break.

I am leaving this weekend and will be back end of August. I will have another fight with IELTS in order to score 4 7s needed for my immigration paper. So Tony, please keep me on your list for IETLSCOMMUNITIES.

Best regards,

Maha

Tony the gentleman / Ahmed the scholar

We are happy that you will meet your family members , your friends and neighbors in UK. At the same time we will miss you a lot. Frankly this blog which you created is a lovely and beneficial communication channel, sometimes we are leaving a good TV program or steal several minutes from our families time just to follow the blog. It is our big warm home.
Please Tony, a small request, try to illuminate to your friends the spirit of Arabic and Islamic civilization.

A lot of Western people cried because of the Bulgarian nurses, it is good that they are happy now, as we, to liberate all nurses back home with their families. On the other hand, very few Westerners evaluate seriously the Libyan children's tragedy. Moreover the highly educated Americans leaders are discussing whether and when to withdraw from Iraq, regardless of the Iraqis' daily problems. Our oil barrels are more expensive than our children's tears or blood.

Finally, please tell every one that Andalusia is the Arabic and Islamic civilization imprint in Europe, while the new Iraq and Afghanistan are the Western civilization's legacy. Please check if the Europeans are still dreaming expecting thanks and flowers because they brought us democracy? I think not.

Ahmed Al-Qassab

Dear Ahmed

Your words above srike a chord in my heart! Like many fellow Brits, I have been overwhelmed by the warmth and kindness of our Arab hosts - I did even better, I married an Arab beauty from Baghdad and am proud to have joined East and West together with four stunning daughters.

Indeed, I will spread the message that the suffering of the Iraqi, Palestinian, North African and Afghan people goes on unabated. The critical point I want to make is not to let bitterness and cynicism cloud your eyes. So many people in my country opposed the war in Iraq or believed it was the right thing to do to oust Saddam; yet they are all appalled at what has happened and is happening in their 'name'. Please make a distinction between the people and the politicians. In Britain, a lot of the population are very well-informed and do not swallow the 'spin' and 'propaganda' spewed out by the likes of Blair and Bush . The former is history, so too will the latter be very soon. The current tragedy in Iraq and the growing one in Afghanistan will take years to sort out. Investment in providing security, health, amenities, jobs, education and a clean environment is what these war-ravaged countries need. Soldiers can never solve the mess politicians make for them.

In time we shall all meet, In Sha Allah, one day on the banks of the Tigris and toast the new Iraq! When that day comes, the pain and sacrifice of recent years will have proved worthwhile. All this, however, is no consolation for the current disastrous situation in Iraq.

One great piece of news: I watched the match vs Korea and was thrilled, truly ecstatic, to see your brave lads go through to the Asian Cup Final - 'elf mabrook'!

I fly to England, In Sha Allah, tomorrow and will try to bring some glorious Gulf sunshine to my rainsodden, dispirited country men and women!

Bye for now

Hang on in there!

Tony

Stand up and be counted!

Blogmember says:

• no excuses
• no absentees
• no latecomers
• no collaboration

Tonight your 'Taskmaster' Tony will be giving you full-scale IELTS Reading, Listening and Writing Tests (in that order). He will mark all your papers and base your certificate on this performance. So, bring:

1. INSIGHT into IELTS coursebook
2. Pencils, erasers and highlight pens
3. Cotton buds for cleaning your ears (Omar)
4. Kleenex for drying your tears (especially after the Listening...)

You have been warned! It is 'do or die'!

Do not expect any further posts from Tony, he's already more than halfway to seeing his family and friends in England...

Blogmember is disappointed that you failed as a class to contribute to this weblog and that no one from ieltscommunity21 showed the leadership qualities needed to 'drive' a weblog. It has been, it is and it will be your loss! The experienced, battle-hardened former students appear to have washed their hands of you - thanks Ahmed, Maha and Firas for your interest!

The caravan is ready to move on, with or without you!

What happen

Dear all,

where is every body? is there something wrong with my computer or every one is interesting with football games?
now there are four teams reach the semifinal,Two from east Asia while the others from west Asia.
who will win the cup this time.
Is there any chance for Iraq among titleholders of the championship for several times?I think it is good result that Iraqi teem achieved this level while Iraq is bleeding daily. God please IRAQ.
I do not want to offset to the tragedy part of Iraq history, but next time I will tell you some thing interesting about our repeated history.
good luck to all teems.

Yasser essay

Hi Yasser,

I am Maha from IELTSCOMMUNITY 19. I read your essay and tried to understand your points and felt that you did not put your spirit in this essay, allow me to say that you were very passive and you did not give clearly your opinion.

As per Tony's advice and since worked with me when I did my IELTS test (I got Band 7 for writing), I think you should always weigh the positive and the negative sides of every subject and favour something, and show it to the one who reads your essay.

From the introduction till the end, you were talking about the scientists and research but did not say by experience for instance in your country if they set rules against working children or that is something very common. I would say that every country should set clear rules against working children, they should ban this bad habits and they should monitor companies, mills and working fields to ensure that there are no children under the age of 15 years working without getting proper schooling and have good environment to grow and ensure good future.

I may try and write this essay myself and publish it enabling yourself, Tony everybody else to discuss further this important subject.

Hope i wrote something helpful.

Regards,

Maha Hanna

Just have a look

Greeting to all

Sorry guys I couldn’t make it to class yesterday because some times the wind dose not blow the way you want. Anyway I am posting to day some thing you may think it is boring but I think it is worth thinking of seriously. The world is concerned about our growth in population, sources of energy and the climate changes. They are all related and have negative affects at each others. There will be a bad result come out of it and we have to think in solutions real fast. Some say that our demands in using energy are going to grow up to 50% in the year 2030, where it should go down the same percentage instead because of the population growth. The need of fuel is growing and the resources are decreasing by time. There are many countries that uses nuclear as an alternative source of power but this source have its downside and its still way far to be used now. Some other resources can be used like wind, sun and water to generate electricity but they are considered unreliable for many rezones. I don’t know where I stand in this matter because everybody talks about these thinks and nothing is changing. People still use the same energy they use before until something cheaper comes and it’s hard to change within one generation.



This link is my bloog :
http://peace2uae.blogspot.com/


SM

(NOT just) for Mr. Tony (only) + Tony's surgical re-write

Please see below how I have cut Yasser's essay by 50% and added a fictitious personal 'experience'. It has retained the spirit of his 'for and against' approach, but made a firmer, more decisive conclusion.

What do you so silent readers have to say?

Former students: you are administrators now and can EDIT posts. It would be wonderful if you commented upon and edited Yasser's essay on the pros and cons of children doing paid work. It was the first task 2 essay for Academic IELTS candidates that I gave you. The title was:

In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility.

What are your opinions on this?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

I shall try to respond to Yasser's super initiative in posting this essay, well done Yasser!

Tony
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Working of Children Benefits & limitations

One of the most challenging problems of today’s society in many countries is children working either wages paid or not paid, also difference of the communities’ opinions who are supporting or discouraging that behavior. I would like to analyze to different teams.

Firstly, I’ll talk about audience who is against the totally subject, some people looking adversely for working of children depending on many reasons I’ll display in this session. There are two types of children, one of them who studying in schools and working after finishing their classes. Those students are not doing well because they haven’t enough time to review their tasks and lessons, even though they are losing the opportunities of playing sports and intellectual exercises and games, which are very important for them to help to grow, improve their skills of personality and confidence,
And that what the scientists studies and researches mentioned and recommended for the early stage of the childhood life.
Another type of students who never joint to school and working in a job or craft in a shop, grocery, carpentry and farms, which mainly due to the bad financial position for their families and some time this, refers to social believes, traditions and cultures.
These families irrespective of helps and supports of their local and international governments; they refuse to send the children to learn and progress.
Very important thing I want to mention, if the children work in their free time by their choice with consent of their families supposing they don’t have financial problems, the children will have a wealth they consider when they are comparing with daily petty cash expenses, which make them searching for many ways to expense them maybe it will be bad things, harm for them and dangerous, such as eating some kinds of chocolates more than ten pieces in one day which really offer their life for dangerous and some times to death , another example they buy some kinds of weapons from sharp knife to guns.

Secondly, I’ll speak about the team who encouraging working of the children with some types of paid works, they thinks its valuable and make the children more expert when they deal with customers and variety of people from different cultures and different socials levels. Moreover the people who are satisfied with this opinion, suggest that pupils should join to any job or craft to make their minds opened to the world and, they could plan their future and what they want to be when the child become man and what the carrier he likes more and the possibilities of achievement of his dreams. And this will shift the child from world of imagining to the world of reality and prepare the child when he becomes man to be responsible for him self, family and subordinates. Also the work of children will give them the trust by them selves and self esteem which a lot of people still try to achieve.

In conclusion, I think there are many advantages & disadvantages of working of children that I advice all families and parents taking care of them when they decide to let their children joining in some kind of paid work, especially in the summer holidays. [536 words]

Tony's re-write:

One of the most challenging problems in today’s world is children working either paid or not paid. Opinions differ as to this practice. In this essay I propose to look at both sides of the argument.

In the first place, there are those children who study and go to school. As I see it, this impacts on their performance at school and involvement in the full range of school activities during these formative years. Whereas, there are those children who drop out of school to work full-time to support their families. In my country, Jordan, you see such young people employed in craft work, agriculture and retail outlets. These children miss out on schooling and can never compensate for this disadvantage. Being involved in the work place can expose children to harmful influences and physical and moral danger.

From the opposing point of view, it is argued that children benefit from work experience and helps them adjust to participating in the adult world. It could lead to careers in the future and open children’s horizons accordingly. Such paid work teaches the child to assume responsibility and develop their confidence and self esteem. When I was growing up in Jordan I benefited from helping my uncle in his factory during summer holidays.

In conclusion, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages regarding children doing paid work. However I caution parents to research thoroughly any part-time jobs that they let their children do during school holidays or throughout the academic year.

[249 words]

Comments are most welcome!!!

Seize the weekend!

Dear students, current and former,

Greetings from your 'captain' as I have been titled by previous blogs.

You must use these four days to re-charge your batteries and connect with your loved ones. At the same time, at the back of your mind, you KNOW that you should be:

• organising your folder and handouts into 10 categories
• joining the weblog
• contributing to the weblog
• starting your vital VOCABULARY lists
• studying those READING handouts I gave you
• looking at global reading skills from Insight into IELTS Units 1, 2 and 3
• sorting out 'problems' with Task 1 writing (especially the Academics)
• checking out websites - the Hong Poly one at http://www.elc.polyu.edu.hk/ielts is GREAT for all FOUR skills!
• looking at old weblogs especially http://www.ieltsdream.blogspot.com/ -the best weblog of the past two years
• watching Brazil play Argentina or the UAE against Japan - even Iraq vs Australia [yep, football is one of my passions, OK then, so what are YOU passionate about]?

These three weeks are so intense, I know you are under pressure (join the club!) but it is a wonderful chance to make real progress in meeting your IELTS needs and giving your overall English language skills a boost.

Former students, a question: "Indeed, did the IELTS prep course 'wash back' into your English performance at work / studies apart from the needs of the actual exam?" What I am getting at, is that this focus on using correct, complex English appropriately gave you confidence in that you have the knowledge and the power to communicate successfully in your speaking and writing as well as to understand more effectively what you read and listen to - didn't it?

I promise not to nag or harass you, ieltscommunity21 (i-21). I will invite those who have not joined the weblog for the FINAL time now. Thereafter I will disown such uncommitted potential bloggers. For the i-21seven who have joined the blog, let's hear from more than just Saif, Yasser, Vladimir, Omar and Faisal.

Bye for now

Have fun - that's an order!

Anton

The IELTS Czar

Thanks Mr. Tony

Greeting to all


I would like to thank Mr. Tony for the big effort that he is doing in making this class more a life. I don’t have lot to comment but I will try to post different subjects that I believe is worth looking at or thinking of. If anyone thinks that he need more assistance or shay to ask Tony about something in the class I may can help. You are more than welcome to ask me about anything because I have been through some of the things we are having in the class before. I will add some links for some of the writing that will help in giving you ideas in how to write.

This link is about the graph writing and some exercises:
http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/index.htm

This link for reading:
http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/reading/index.htm

SM

Goat sacrifice

Hi every body
I'm ready for the debate and preparing for the speaking test , actualy it is really tough ,becuase sometime there will no idea in your mind and you wait for a miracle to get thougt to speak about it ,so i wrote some key words which may help me in this big challenge.

see you today , i hope that Mr. Tony will be in a good mode tonight espacially when he gives us the band

Hot, isn't it?

Hello from Taweelah as well!

I am anxious to meet you all again tonight.
For Dabate and Writing Task 2.
It will be another busy night for us.

I wish you all a good day and do not forget your homework (;:",-_/...).
And, my colleague, if you spotted the spelling mistake three rows above, you're an 8 to me.


Vladimir

Get it together drama kings and queens!

Come on guys!

Only two students have joined the blog, neither has contributed.

The rest have been invited AGAIN!

It is interesting that former students (well, the active ones) like to join subsequent blogs - maybe it reminds them of what fun we had together during those 36 hours? Let me know, Firas, Ahmed, Maha, Khawla, Alek and Niketh!

My daughter, Doctor Dana Beale, arrives tonight from night duty in her UK hospital - yes, the Brits come here in July for guaranteed sunshine and that glorious heat! She'll be joining Nadine, her Zoologist sister out here on a visit, while Princess Zeena adores having two out of her three big sisters with her. Sheherazade is teaching Grade 5 in a UK primary school.

See, Saif, it doesn't have to be IELTS IELTS IELTS IELTS IELTS IELTS IELTS IELTS!!!!

BFN

Tony

Narrative

Good morning 'Captain',

Can you kindly confirm the receive of my narrative? if you have not, I can re-send it again.

Thanks and regards.

Yours sincerely,

Hello from the classroom!

Check those inboxes!

Phew! Those three hours sped by, didn't they?

Some first impressions:

• relax and keep an open mind
  
• accept, don't come up with negative reactions
• enjoy these sessions
• come prepared and fresh
• we can do a lot together, miracles don't happen just like that!

So, welcome to three hectic weeks ladies and gentlemen - busy for me as well!

I have invited you all to join this weblog.

NEW students: check your inboxes; accept my invitation; create a Google account; remember your password and then comment below or even better, create a post!

FORMER students: leave a comment below to join this latest blog or email me - you know the address!

That's all for the moment!

Seize this opportunity to maximise your benefit from this course - we can keep in touch over the weekend as well.

Regards

Tony

Welcome To The battle

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your munificent invitation to ieltsdrama weblog, wishing to all ieltscommunity 21 enough courage to contribute effectively in this weblog.
My first message to the new dreamers is: "Do not relax, be ready, you are in a battlefield not watching a romantic movie. You have to understand and follow your leader, Mr. Tony, to get the highest techniques to enable you to achieve success".


Best Regards

Let the drama unfold!

Dear blogmeisters!

We start another adventure with a three week 'white knuckle ride' at the British Council Abu Dhabi on the IELTS rollercoaster.

There will be tears, laughter and lots of IELTS information being imparted by me, and more importantly, by former students (now IELTS veterans) who want to help the latest blog.

The most successful help comes from within and we all hope this July IELTS preparation course helps you realise your IELTS ambitions.

Former students: please comment below to be invited. I shall personally invite the famous contributors later this evening.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

Tony

PS See how the June 2007 British Council IELTS preparation course weblog unfolded on:

www.ieltsfight.blogspot.com