Learning Science
How the brain learns — and how to apply it to language and life.
The articles in this section are written and synthesised by AI from published research in the fields of learning science and linguistics.
The sources for each article are listed at the end of the piece — do read them, both for a fuller grounding and to satisfy yourself as to their reliability.
IELTS Listening: every question type and how to prepare for it
The recording plays exactly once. That single fact governs the whole paper, and every technique worth learning is a cons...
IELTS Speaking: all three parts and how to prepare
The three parts are not three difficulty levels of the same task. They test different things — and the answer length tha...
IELTS Writing: every task type in Task 1 and Task 2
Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. So the most consequential decision you make is not a good phrase — it is stopping...
IELTS Reading: all fourteen question types and how to prepare
Unlike Listening, Reading gives you no transfer time. Sixty minutes is everything you get, and that single fact shapes e...
HSK 3.0: every section of the new exam and how to prepare for it
The old HSK effectively tested two skills. HSK 3.0 tests five. Anyone preparing out of old habit is preparing for about...
HSK 2.0: the six-level exam, and how to prepare for each level
Six levels, with vocabulary roughly doubling at each: 150, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,500, 5,000. That curve, rather than any li...
TOCFL CAT: how the adaptive test works, and how to prepare for Bands A, B and C
The test adjusts its difficulty with every answer. The most commonly missed detail sits in the registration form: TOCFL...
20 self-check questions to answer before your next IELTS practice test
If you cannot answer these questions yet, ten more practice tests will only help you repeat the same mistakes faster.
Step by step to IELTS 8.5–9.0 for a primary school child
The goal is achievable and this piece keeps the 8.5–9.0 target intact. But one number forces the plan to change, and it...