📌 In this episode of Kev's English Podcast (Ep. 34), I reveal the most common memorised phrases that are hurting your IELTS Writing Task 2 score — and what to say instead!

Whether you're aiming for Band 7 or higher, using vague, rehearsed phrases like "Since the dawn of time..." or "This essay will discuss..." can actually harm your chances. In this practical and honest coaching episode, I’ll guide you through natural, examiner-friendly alternatives that make your essay clear, direct, and band-score-worthy.

✅ What you’ll learn:

Why "In a nutshell" and "aforementioned" hurt your writing

Better ways to introduce and conclude your essay

Clear templates and sentence examples to boost coherence

Academic tone vs. spoken tone — when to use each

How examiners really read your essays

🎓 Whether you're preparing for IELTS Academic or General Training, this episode is packed with tips to help you write naturally and score higher.

🔗 Get the full transcript of this episode at: https://theenglishnative.com/episodes
🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more
📹 Watch the full video on my YouTube channel: The English Native

IELTS with Kev: Ideas, Language & Better Answers

KEP34: IELTS Writing Task 2: Say This, Not That! | Avoid These Common Mistake

En este episodio hablo un poco sobre las obras más importantes de la literatura española. In this episode I talk a bit about the most important works of Spanish literature (find more information about this podcast on minutopodcast.carrd.co)

Minuto Español

La literatura española (Spanish literature)

In this episode you will learn how to say telephone

HSK2

Made Chinese easy!

“I’d really like to participate in a drawing contest, which is organised by my university every year, and the first three prize winners actually go forward to a national drawing contest. I wasn’t so into drawing over the years, but I found that during all the covid lockdowns that it was a great way to pass the time, and really helped me from going stir crazy stuck at home every day during the numerous lockdowns we had.

 

I recently showed some of my friends a few of my sketches, which are mostly landscapes, and they were very complimentary, and suggested that I enter a competition, which gave me a boost of confidence. 

I imagine that the  competition would be pretty stiff for this contest, but i feel confident that i’ve really developed my skills enough over the past year or so, and with my friends and families encouragement have been able to get the nerve up to show off my drawing skills in public.

 

I guess the main reason i’d like to take part in this contest is that i’ve really grown to love drawing, and feel it would actually be a lot of fun to enter, as well as giving me a new challenge which i think i’m now ready for. Another reason is of course the chance of winning a nice prize, and maybe even having my drawing going forward to the national contest, which would really be amazing.

 

Thank you…. “

IELTS 85 Speaking

Describe a competition/contest you would like to take part in - IELTS speaking part 2

All American Podcast 

California Slang

¿Por qué Cartagena es la ciudad más emocionante de Sudamérica? Part 2

¿Por qué Colombia es un buen destino turístico?

базовая лексика на тему " что вы делали вчера?"

Русский язык А1

УРОК 6 что вы делали вчера?

Do must and have to mean the same thing? 🤔

Sometimes yes, sometimes no! In this episode, we dive into the subtle but important differences between these two forms of obligation. 

You’ll learn when they overlap, when they don’t, and why the negatives, must not and don’t have to
can completely change the meaning. 

Clear examples and everyday situations make this grammar point simple and memorable. Perfect for English learners who want to sound accurate and confident.

Go Steps English

Must vs Have To – Are They Really the Same?

Feeling burned out by language learning? 😓 You might be all Fire and no Water.

In Episode 105 of 111 Tips for Learning a Language, we dive into the healing power of the Water Element (Shuǐ, 水). Discover why forcing yourself to study is draining your core vitality (Jīng, 精) and how to learn in a way that actually RESTORES your energy.

We'll show you how to:
💧 Learn through "marination," not just memorization
🧘 Heal your body's energy systems by learning calmly
💪 Build unshakable willpower (Zhì, 志) without the struggle

Stop fighting the current. Start flowing with it.

Ready to learn from a deeper well?
Tap the link in our bio to listen to "The Deep Well: Learning Languages with the Power of the Water Element (Shuǐ, 水)" 🎧

Episode 105 explores how to harness the Water Element (Shuǐ, 水) from Chinese philosophy for transformative language learning. This episode reveals why passive immersion, rest, and deep listening are not signs of laziness, but essential practices for building intuition and fluency. Learn how this approach conserves your vital energy, heals your Kidney (Shèn, 肾) and Bladder (Pángguāng, 膀胱) systems, and strengthens your core willpower (Zhì, 志), protecting you from burnout and fear.