How to be conversation ready for your US student visa interview

During Part 3: Listening in PTE Academic, you will need to know pronunciation in order to understand what the speakers are saying.

Pronunciation

When completing PTE Academic, you will hear a variety of accents from both fluent English speakers and second language speakers, as you would in the real world. Don’t worry, the accents will be clear and regular users of English do not have trouble understanding them. To prepare you should choose texts from around the world and practice listening to a wide range of accents.

The recordings in PTE Academic use authentic examples of speech, so there will be connected speech present. Connected speech includes: assimilation, elision, twinning, catenation, linking vowel sounds, intrusive sounds, the schwa /ə/, weak forms, and contractions. These words are not used in English when you pronounce each word separately. They are only used in connected speech.

Assimilation

In connected speech in English, the sound at the end of a word can change to sound the same as the beginning of the first word.

Watch these videos from BBC Learning English to better understand assimilation:

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /t/ and /p/

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /d/ to /g/

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /s/

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /n/ followed by /p/

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /t/ and /j/

• Pronunciation: Assimilation of /d/ and /b/

Elision

Elision occurs when a sound is not pronounced at all by the speaker.

For example, we say pos card, but we write postcard.

This Pronunciation: The sound /s/ video shows how it works.

Twinning

When you finish a word with the same sound as the start of the next word, it’s called twinning.

Watch the video below to learn more:

• Pronunciation: The sound /s/

Catenation

Catenation is when one word ends in a consonant sound and the next one starts with a vowel and we say the two words as one.

The below video will help you learn more about catenation:

• Pronunciation: Consonant – vowel linking

Linking vowel sounds

When we speak, we use the /j/ (the first sound in yellow) and /w/ (the first sound in wet) to link words that end with a vowel to the next word that starts with a vowel.

For example, we would say he yordered, but we write he ordered and you say go won, but write go on.

To learn more about linking /j/ and linking /w/ you can view this video:

• Stop Saying… : Vowel to vowel linking

Intrusive sounds

When we speak, we add a /r/ (first sound in the word red) when the first word ends in some vowel sounds and the next word also starts with a vowel sound.

For example, we say sawrants but we write saw ants.

This video on intrusive sounds will help you understand better:

• Pronunciation: The intrusive /r/

The schwa /ə/

The most common vowel sound in English is the schwa /ə/. It is used in connected speech and is when you pronounce a vowel, which is not stressed in a word.

This video will better explain what it means and how it’s used:

• Pronunciation: Schwa

Weak forms

In addition to the above, the schwa /ə/ is used to pronounce the vowel in weak forms of grammar words in connected speech. It can be a little confusing so we recommend watching all of the below videos to learn more:

• Pronunciation: Elision of /t/

• Pronunciation: ‘Have to’

• Pronunciation: How to pronounce ‘have’ when it’s an auxiliary

Contractions

In connected speech, when we are not stressing the subject, verb, or not, we do not use the full form of the subject and verb with verbs be and have. These are contractions.

Contractions are also used with be, have and do in the negative, as well as some modal verbs in the negative.

For example:

• I am =>I’m

• You are =>you’re

• We have =>we’ve

• They have =>they’ve

• You are not => you aren’t

• They are not => they aren’t

• He/she/it is not =>he/she/it isn’t (you can also use he’s/she’s/it’s not)

We also use I’m not and we’re not and do not => don’t, did not => didn’t, cannot => can’t, will not => won’t, might not => mightn’t. They are used very often in connected spoken English so make sure to listen carefully to pick these up.

The below video will take you through this type of connected speech:

• How to Pronounce Contractions: American English Pronunciation

All of the above types of connected speech are important in the Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation question types.

As part of Part 3: Listening in your test, you will need to review your vocabulary and grammar skills, as well as learn cohesive devices and signal language. You can read more about these core English skills in part 3.

Many students dream of studying in Canada. The country has world-renowned teaching facilities and universities, an open immigration system, metropolitan cities, and scenic landscapes. Altogether, it’s a great choice for international students.  

Studying in Canada is not as expensive as studying in other countries, like the U.S. or U.K. However it is still a big investment. International students pay between $1,800-20,000 CAD per year to attend a Canadian university or college.  

But, what’s the cost of living in Canada? Canada is a big country and prices vary by region. Nevertheless, the EduCanada government website estimates the average cost of living for foreign students is about $12,000 CAD a year.  

In this guide, we outline how much students across Canada pay for things like rent, transportation, entertainment, and food – and look into some hidden costs that everyone should keep in mind. 

Here is our student guide on the cost of living in Canada: 

Accommodation costs by city  

When you’re studying in Canada, you can choose between living on-campus or off-campus. Living on-campus is a great opportunity to socialize with other students and make friends. Most institutions also give students on-campus the option to buy a meal plan. But, keep in mind that many universities and colleges prioritize first-year students for on-campus housing.  

You might also decide to rent an apartment or room off-campus instead. There are lots of housing options in neighborhoods close to universities and colleges – and these are often advertised specifically for students.  

To give you an idea about how much accommodation will cost, we take a look at some popular Canadian study destinations. Keep in mind, off-campus housing prices might fluctuate because of the pandemic. 

Toronto  

At the University of Toronto, on-campus housing for eight months ranges from about $6500- $20,500 CAD, depending on the room and meal-plan. A one-bedroom apartment in Toronto costs about $2,100 CAD/month on average.  

Vancouver 

At the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, a room and meal-plan will cost you between $10,700-$13,850 CAD for two terms. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs $2,050 CAD/month on average.  

Montreal 

At McGill University in Montreal, a single room for 1st-year undergraduate students costs between about $9,700-$12,700 CAD/academic year, without a meal plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs 1,300 CAD/month on average. 

Halifax 

At Dalhousie University in Halifax, a single room costs between $8,130-$9,450 CAD/academic year with a meal plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,400 CAD/month on average.  

Waterloo 

At the University of Waterloo, a single room in a traditional-style dorm costs between about $6,700-$7,000 CAD for the fall and winter term, not including a mandatory meal-plan. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,500 CAD/month on average.  

Food costs  

If you don’t have a meal plan and live off-campus, you must include grocery shopping in your budget. Of course, food prices are different across the country and depend on where you decide to shop.  

Let’s take a quick look at how much essential items may cost in Canada’s largest city, Toronto:  

• Milk (about $3 CAD)

• Rice, 1kg (about $3.50 CAD)

• Apples, 1kg (about $4 CAD)

• Red meat, 1kg (about $16 CAD)

• 12 eggs (about $3.50 CAD)

According to the City of Toronto’s Nutritious Food Basket Calculator, a male aged 19-30 must spend a minimum of $65.50/week to buy healthy food. A female the same age living in Toronto must spend about $51 CAD/week to buy healthy food.  

Transportation costs in Canada 

How much is the average cost of transportation in Canada? Many international students rely on public transportation to get around. And oftentimes, transport costs are included in tuition fees – giving you unlimited access to the city’s whole transportation system.  

But in some cities – like Toronto and Montreal – you can buy your own pass at a reduced fare. In Montreal, a student pass costs $53 CAD/month. In Toronto, which is a much more expensive city, a pass costs $128 CAD/month.  

Outside of larger cities, it can also be useful to have a car, especially if you are used to driving at home. But, keep in mind this can cost a lot extra. To get an idea of how much it costs to drive a car in Canada, check out this driving costs calculator by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).  

Entertainment costs 

Canada offers many cultural and outdoor activities for you to enjoy. You can find world-class music festivals, skiing and snowboarding, and giant sporting events like basketball, hockey, and baseball games.  

Of course, you will also still get to enjoy many things you did at home. Here are a few things you might like to do in Canada, along with how much each costs:  

• Visit a renowned museum (many offer free evenings, and entrance for young people or students) 

• Meet a friend for coffee ($1.76 CAD at coffee chain Tim Hortons) 

• Rent skates and go ice-skating outdoors (about $10 CAD)

• Watch a movie in theaters (about $15 CAD)

• Eat dinner at a casual restaurant (about $15-25 CAD)

Insurance costs 

Canada has a publicly-funded health system. However, each province and territory administers its own healthcare. Whether or not you can receive publicly-funded medical coverage will depend on where you are in Canada.  

If you don’t qualify for public healthcare, your institution might require you to enroll in a specific insurance plan or find your own private coverage. You should check with your institutions about exactly what coverage you need to study safety in Canada.  

Hidden costs 

Lots of hidden costs arise when studying abroad, and there are a few things students in Canada should keep in mind.  

For one, it is expensive to own a cellphone in Canada. In fact, cell phone bills in Canada are among the highest in the world. Canadians pay $101 CAD/month, on average, for a cellphone plan.  

You will also need to buy warm winter clothing – including a jacket, boots, socks, gloves, hat, and scarf. You can expect to pay about $300-$400 CAD for these items brand new. However, thrift stores might also carry winter clothing for much cheaper.  

Finally, you shouldn’t forget about Canadian sales taxes. Taxes in Canada are higher than many places in the world and range from about 12%-15%.

You may have heard that London is one of the most expensive places in the world to live in, but fortunately, London, and by extension, England, does not equate to the whole of the UK. In fact, many UK towns and cities are very liveable when compared to other cities across the globe.  

There is quite a bit to look at when considering the cost of living in the UK. Apart from tuition fees, there’s also the cost of rent, transport, and even entertainment – because if you’re living in the UK, there’s no way you should miss out on everything that this great country has to offer- from the food to the culture.  

Let’s look at some aspects of the UK cost of living, so you can best adjust your budget and prepare yourself for a new life abroad. 

Calculating living costs in The UK 

When looking at the cost of living in the UK, it’s best to use an online currency calculator to convert your currency to the British pound – that will give you a better idea of the true cost of living in relation to your country. 

Here’s a rough guide to the currency conversions we have used in this article, dated March 27th, 2020:

• AU$1,000 = £500

• US$1,000 = £805

• €1000 = £895

Once you have a better understanding of the conversion rate, you can better interpret how much rent, utilities and other everyday costs will affect your budget.  

A weekly UK budget 

There are so many factors that contribute to the UK cost of living that it’s impossible to give you a set cost for each week. But a recommended starting point for a budget for a single student in the UK, per week, averages out to about £300. Let’s see how we got to this number (please note these costs are an average from across UK metropolitan cities, outside of the city center).