The English Learning Center -TELC

10 Guiding Philosophies for Life: Insights from Great Minds

Throughout history, philosophers have shaped the way we understand life, ethics, and personal growth. From ancient China to modern France, their wisdom continues to inspire people from all walks of life. We have picked 10 guiding principles from some of the world’s most famous philosophers. Their thoughts, drawn from different eras and cultures, are a timeless reminder of the value of perseverance, creativity, and the pursuit of knowledge.

1. Confucius
China (551-479 B.C.)
Focus: Ethics, Political Philosophy
Guiding Principle: Success is a work in progress. Keep moving toward your dream no matter how long it takes.
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."

2. Plato
Greece (c. 428-348 B.C.)
Focus: Metaphysics, Epistemology
Guiding Principle: Be kind and charitable to others, and you'll inspire strength within your own endeavors.
"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others."

3. Aristotle
Greece (384-322 B.C.)
Focus: Virtue Ethics, Logic
Guiding Principle: Don’t give up; continue to work hard and strive for greatness until you excel.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

4. Al-Farabi
Arabia (c. 872-950)
Focus: Political Philosophy, Logic
Guiding Principle: Seek knowledge continuously, for it will bring both wisdom and peace.
"A perfect man is he who is complete in knowledge, ethics, and good actions."

5. Dante Alighieri
Italy (1265-1321)
Focus: Christian Philosophy, Poetry
Guiding Principle: Pursue any creative passions, no matter how trivial they feel; they might spark success.
"From a little spark may burst a flame."

6. Blaise Pascal
France (1623-1662)
Focus: Theology, Epistemology
Guiding Principle: Sometimes, you have to let logic go and follow your heart to realize your creative potential.
"We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart."

7. John Locke
England (1632-1704)
Focus: Empiricism, Political Philosophy
Guiding Principle: Strive to be better by continuing to educate yourself and try new approaches to achieving your goals.
"The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it."

8. Immanuel Kant
Germany (1724-1804)
Focus: Epistemology, Metaphysics
Guiding Principle: If you're a painter, keep painting. If you're a singer, practice singing. Better your talent through experiences and practice.
"It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience."

9. Leo Tolstoy
Russia (1828-1910)
Focus: Moral Philosophy, Pacifism
Guiding Principle: True happiness is found in living for others and being selfless in your pursuits.
"The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity."

10. Simone de Beauvoir
France (1908-1986)
Focus: Existentialism, Feminism
Guiding Principle: Put in the time, effort, and commitment to get to your desired level of achievement.
"One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius."

Each of these philosophers offers a unique perspective on life and success, shaped by their culture and experiences. Their guiding principles are an invitation to reflect on our actions, decisions, and goals. Which of these principles resonates with you the most?

IELTS Speaking Test : 10 tips from experts

You might be nervous about taking your IELTS Speaking test, but with these 10 tips from our IELTS Experts, and plenty of practice, you will be well on your way to building your confidence and getting the IELTS band score you need.
For both IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer, the face-to-face Speaking test is made up of three parts. By understanding what happens in these three parts of the Speaking test, you will be better prepared.

Part 1
In Part 1, you will have a 4 to 5 minute conversation with an IELTS examiner about yourself. Topics might include:
Work
Family
Home life
Personal interests

Part 2
In Part 2 of the Speaking test, you will be given a card with a topic. You will be given one minute to take notes on the topic and will be given a pencil and paper to prepare your response, you will then speak on the topic for two minutes.

Part 3
In Part 3, you will have a conversation with the IELTS examiner around the topic given in part 2, discussing it in more detail. Part 3 should take approximately 4 to 5 minutes to complete.

Tip 1: Don't memorise answers
Don't memorise answers, especially in Part 1. Memorised language doesn't give the examiner an accurate measure of your English-language skills. The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorised your answers and this may influence your final band score.

Tip 2: Don't use big and unfamiliar words
You may want to impress the examiner with big and complex words in your Speaking test. But to be safe, avoid using words you are not familiar with. There is a higher chance of making mistakes by either mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context. Mistakes can affect your final band score.
Use a range of vocabulary that you know which is relevant to the topic being discussed. Look at the topics in Tip 10, making vocabulary lists or mind maps to help you learn more words and phrases connected to these topic areas.

Tip 3: Use a range of grammatical structures
When IELTS examiners assess your speaking skills, they mark you against the following assessment criteria:
Fluency and coherence
Lexical resource
Grammatical range and accuracy
Pronunciation
Try and use a range of grammatical structures using complex and simple sentences to express what you want to say. Know your own errors and practice speaking to friends in English, or record yourself to see if you can spot errors. If you hear an error, make sure to correct yourself. You are assessed on your ability to use different grammatical structures accurately, so it's important to practise speaking about the past, the present and the future using correct tenses.

Tip 4: Don't worry about your accent
With a face-to-face Speaking test, the IELTS examiner understands a wide range of accents so will be able to understand what you say, unlike an AI machine. If you can communicate well, then there is nothing to worry about. But do be aware of sounds that you have difficulty with and make sure to use stress and intonation as English is a stress-timed language. Practice with friends and they will tell you if they can't understand what you are saying.

Tip 5: Pause to think
There is no harm in taking a brief pause to think about what to say. We all do it to process questions. You can use phrases to give you time to think during the Speaking test - phrases such as:
That's an interesting question
I have never thought about that, but...
Let me see
That's a good point
That's a difficult question, but I'll try and answer it
Well, some people say that is the case, however I think...
Let me think about that for a minute

Tip 6: Avoid using fillers
Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. We generally use fillers when we don't know what to say, however, this shows the examiner that you can't access the appropriate language or ideas so it's important to avoid them and to use the phrases we gave you in Tip 5.
Avoid the following fillers:
Like
You know
Umm...
Ahh...
Ehh...
Well
Yeah...

Tip 7: Extend your answers
Try and answer the examiner's questions in full. Extend your answers and don't wait for the examiner to prompt you with a question. When your answers are short, this shows the examiner that you cannot talk in detail about a topic. If the examiner says 'Why?', they are prompting you to give a reason for your answer and to extend more fully.

Tip 8: Smiling helps pronunciation
Smiling can help calm your nerves which in turn helps your pronunciation. Make sure to enunciate clearly, opening your mouth wide enough so that sounds come out clearly. When we smile, our mouth is bigger and the tone of our voice is more friendly. Using clear enunciation and tone will show the examiner that you can use a range of pronunciation features.

Tip 9: Don't speak in a monotone
Sometimes when we speak, we produce a flat sound, a monotone, with little variation. This makes it more difficult to express what you say and makes it more difficult for the listener to identify what parts of your message are important. Putting emphasis on certain words and pausing at sections in your speech can make your conversation with the IELTS examiner more engaging. When we emphasise certain words it makes it easier to compare and contrast ideas by stressing key words. It also increases the flow of conversation, so remember:
Don't speak in a monotone
Vary the stress and intonation to add emphasis
Use your hands to gesture and help the rhythm of the conversation

Tip 10 - Practice common IELTS topics
Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test requires you to speak on a given topic for about 2 minutes. Practice common IELTS topics with friends, family or colleagues to improve and to learn vocabulary associated with each topic.
Common topics you can practice for the Speaking test include:
Tourism and travel
Education
Transport
Environment
Family life
Sport and recreation
Crime and punishment
The internet
Advertising and retail

Learn this idiom:
Do you know— ?
✅ An idiom is a group of words that, when used together, have a meaning that can’t be figured out just by looking at the individual words.