Course
IELTS
Preparation for all four parts of the IELTS test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Each skill is taught one question type at a time, with practice that builds towards full test conditions.
What we cover
What each part of the test asks and how we practise it. Speaking gets the most time: sixteen topic banks give students plenty to say, not just a method.
Listening
- 1
Part 1: an everyday conversation
Form, note and table completion; spelling names and numbers
- 2
Part 2: a talk about everyday life
Plan, map and diagram labelling; multiple choice; left and right as the speaker walks
- 3
Part 3: a discussion about study
Multiple choice; matching; following who says what
- 4
Part 4: a lecture
Note and summary completion; signposting words; keeping pace with an academic talk
Reading
- 1
True, False, Not Given and Yes, No, Not Given
Telling False from Not Given; the writer's views against facts
- 2
Matching
Headings; information; features; sentence endings
- 3
Completion
Sentences; summaries; notes, tables and flow charts; diagram labels
- 4
Multiple choice and short answers
Reading the question first; word limits
- 5
Timing
Skimming and scanning; three passages in 60 minutes
Writing
- 1
Task 1: describing a visual
Line graphs; process diagrams; bar charts; maps; tables; pie charts; two charts together; the overview
- 2
Task 2: the essay
Agree or disagree; discuss both views; problems and solutions; advantages and disadvantages; two-part questions; planning in five minutes
- 3
The four marking criteria
Task response; coherence and cohesion; vocabulary; grammar; feedback on every essay against each one
Speaking
- 1
Part 1: the interview
Familiar topics; answers of two or three sentences
- 2
Part 2: the long turn
One minute to plan; up to two minutes to talk; never running out of ideas
- 3
Part 3: the discussion
Giving a view, a reason, an example and the other side
- 4
Sixteen topic banks
People; home and hometown; cities and buildings; travel; food; work and study; free time and sport; technology; films, books and news; music and art; shopping; celebrations; health; nature and weather; the environment; experiences
Ask about IELTS
Tell me the band score you need, when you're taking the test and which part feels hardest, and I'll suggest a plan.
