a good book might be the secret diary of adrian mole, its is based on a teenage boy in the midlands in uk who thinks he is intellectual so there is a good mix of high and low vocab, but it is also very entertaing and as it is in the format of a diary each page has 3 or four short patagraphs so you can use it for long reads or short sessions. no idea about a coach but maybe just meet up with someone o  here?

To watch films or tv in English with subtitles (or close caption) really helped me out. There are vocal technique videos in youtube regarding accent. Good luck!

Check out buusu.com they have lots of material apps etc..

Losing the accent iis difficult. The best way to record your voice and compare it with an example repeatedly until you get it right.

check the BBC too

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml for prononciation help etc...

Just passed same exam a month ago. Look very carefully through youtube materials for preparation (it was my main source for preparation and got better result than expected). And they say you won't really need much vocabulary as unknown words in the lectures will be explained always. Pronouncation can be slightly changed only in direct (face-to-face) contacts with native speakers who could correct you. Try to find some - there are many on glocals. 

and good luck. 

For pronunciation I recommend BBC Radio 4 and The World Service because they both deliberately maintain a high standard of English.  You can listen to both on-line.

For general vocabulary and usage I recommend reading The Economist and anything by George Orwell.  They both write clearly and to a high standard without resorting to unnecessary frills or jargon.

You should also consider coming to meetings of The Geneva International Book Club (next meeting is tomorrow) where you'll get reading recommendations and lively English language discussion.

Andy

I am at present actively coaching a francophone student for the IELTS examination to take place in Lyon on 6 July.

If you need direct help, please contact me privately and urgently, so that we may work together to achieve your goal.

Best regards

@ james c > meeting with someone is a good idea, though less preferred.

@ Juan Carlos F > I’m not really sure if watching youtube “vocal technique videos” is a good idea. I certainly don’t want to learn slang or some strange accent :)

@ Richard H > Thank you for buusu.com. I’ll check it out. I also agree with you that losing an accent is difficult. I actually do record my voice and compare it, but I’m not happy with my results.

@ Renata K > Congratulations on passing the exam! What specific “youtube materials for preparation” do you refer to? Could you share some of them? I do agree with you that the pronunciation will improve only if a native speaker monitors me.

@ Andy C > 1) Strangely enough, one of my colleagues had previously recommended me the same, i.e. to listen to BBC Radio 4, but I mistakenly dismissed the advice. This time I’ll listen to it. 2) I do read the Economist every now and then. I have never known that big newspapers have their style. By doing a simple Google search, I found out that there are “style guides” from BBC & Guardian as well. So, this was a really good hint! 3) I will also consider joining the book club.

@sheila C> will send you a private message.

Thank you all for useful hints!

Hello Alirus,

I am an english teacher with quite a few materials for exam preparation. Should you be really pressed, I can give you some in soft copy at a small fee. However, the best thing to do is check online for the particular exam that you will be taking be it; Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL etc, then familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam.

For pronounciation, I recommend BBC Radio 4 as well or watch the BBC news broadcast. Losing an accent is very difficult however, it is possible with lots of practice and you need to literally surround yourself with english.

As for vocabulary, the best tip I can give you is read and listen. Most vocabulary words are learned from context. The more words you're exposed to, the better vocabulary you will have. After you have done this, I suggest writing down the new word, then use it in a sentence and write the sentence down. Another way is to write down a new word together with the word's antonym.

All the best in your preparation and you'll do well as you seem determined.

I think I already have enough good material to work with. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the exam that I'm going to have; all I know at the moment is that the better I do the oral part, the more chances I have to pass it. But it's definitly not IELTS or TOEFL.

I've already started listening to BBC Radio 4. I'm skeptical that I'll improve my English only by listening to the radio. I guess I need a native speaker who can hear me and help me correct certain sounds and speech rhythm.

I will also send you a private message, to ask a related question.

Thank you.

For pronnounciation use your own natural style, do not copy anyone else it will effect in a way the other person will not understand the word clearly.

For vocabulary, google different sites to learn words and importantly write articles on different topics so it will help you to get synonyms and for sure your vocabulary will increase.