A weekly talk-through of IELTS topics and tests to help you learn about the issues, vocabulary, tips and strategies you need to prepare for your test day. Follow me on www.facebook.com/ieltsetc and join the Members Academy for all the downloads, step-by-step online courses and support to get you a Band 7+ in the #ielts test. www.members.ieltsetc.com/academy/
Cambridge Book 15 Test 1 Passage 3--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: 'Street Play Scheme' ⛹️♂️⛹🏻♀️🚗
27:14
27:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:14
This is a really useful Part 2 IELTS Listening (Book 15) about a community that closed their road to traffic so that the children could play safely outside. It practises Multiple Choice and Choosing from a list. Useful vocab: 'the idea caught on' = the idea became very popular in other places 'give it a go' = try it Useful grammar: Present Perfect …
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing: 9️⃣ tips for a Band 9️⃣ essay
30:24
30:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:24
In this podcast lesson, I review an online Band 9 essay and discuss 9 features of this essay which could be improved. For each of the points I mention, I provide an alternative so that you can make changes to your own writing. I'll put this on my website ASAP, but in the meantime, you can watch my YouTube video here, so you can see the essays that …
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing: Should CEOs earn such high salaries?
25:27
25:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:27
In this episode, I talk you through a Band 9 Model IELTS Writing Essay covering: - First lines - PEEL paragraphs - Hedging - Common myths - Conclusions Get the full essay on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/2021/03/ielts-task-2-band-9-essay-ceos/ #ielts #ieltswriting #ieltsfiona --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading TFNG: Alexander Henderson 📸📸📸
22:13
22:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:13
This is a nice and easy Academic Reading Part 1 (great for GT too). It goes in chronological order, so it's easy to find information from dates, names and places, and there are 2 sets of questions (TFNG and gapfill). If you're aiming for 7 and you can get 10/13 correct in less than 20 minutes, you're doing very well. Check your band score here: htt…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: 🦣🦣🦣Woolly mammoths on St Paul's Island
26:35
26:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:35
Today's Listening is a 6/10 for difficulty. It's a Part 3 Listening with multiple choice and matching from a list.Useful vocabulary and synonyms: surprising = amazing got cut off = became isolated exact = precise contact = get in touch with make detailed notes = write down all the ideas check timing = make sure we won't overrun add personal opinion…
This is a really really useful passage to read because of how it can help your WRITING. The passage itself is not difficult, but it is jam-packed full of excellent examples of Formal Academic Writing so if you have this reading at home, go through it carefully. - 'PEEL' paragraphs - Hedging https://ieltsetc.com/2020/12/hedging-in-academic-writing/ …
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Motivational Factors and the hospitality industry 👩🍳🧑🍳
28:45
28:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:45
This is an extremely difficult Academic Reading Passage 3. It took me 30 minutes to find the answers even with the answer sheet in front of me. What can we learn from a text like this? Background knowledge and vocabulary will aid understanding Strategies such as locating the researchers' names will speed up your responses Every little helps - 2 of …
In this lesson you'll learn the 9 main ways of hedging - an essential feature of sophisticated academic writing. Get the full lesson and more practice on the blog: https://ieltsetc.com/2020/12/hedging-in-academic-writing/ This is Day 17 of the Advent Challenge - catch up on anything you've missed by going to this page: https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-ad…
No time to do my Advent Challenge? This podcast (watch the video version on www.YouTube.com/fionawattam) talks you through the past 12 days, so you'll get up and running really quickly!It's never too late to start - just go to my website:https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-advent-adventure/and open the windows which will take you through to all the links.Co…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening Part 3: Children's Literature Course 📚
29:59
29:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:59
Is this Listening more difficult than usual? I got a special request from Elango in my Members Academy, and yes I think it is a tricky one! I had to read the tapescript very carefully to figure out the answer to Question 27, and it even required a bit of background knowledge (possibly true of Question 28 too!). Apart from that, this is a really goo…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing: ⚖️Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
29:59
29:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:59
This is Day 1 of the November Writing Task 2 Challenge. Join us in the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ieltsAtoZ/ And on YouTube (this is the first video) https://youtu.be/Eo8y8ygcgcI And on my website https://ieltsetc.com/2020/03/ielts-writing-workouts/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Why fairy tales are really scary tales 🧚♀️👻
30:00
30:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:00
I had a special request from Isabella on Instagram today 👋🇧🇷. She asked me to look at a really difficult text (yes, this one's 9/10!). It's an Academic Passage 3 and it follows the Reading Type 2 structure (discursive) which goes like this - Title: asks a question (Why? The answer is not what everyone thinks). 1. Old theory: Everyone thinks fairy t…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: 🚴♀️Bike-sharing schemes around the world
30:00
30:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:00
Do you have a bike-sharing scheme where you live? In London there are the so-called 'Boris bikes' (named after Boris Johnson, who launched them in 2010 after being inspired by the success of a similar scheme in Paris, which is mentioned in this reading). This is a Section 2 Academic Text with 3 types of questions: Matching Statements, Choosing from…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: The hunt for sunken settlements and ancient shipwrecks 🚢⚓️⚱️
30:00
30:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:00
This is a difficult Section 4, but if you listen to my podcast regularly, you will be very familiar with this common IELTS topic! It's about marine archaeology, the use of technology to find ancient shipwrecks and building under the sea, and the lessons researchers can learn about how ancient civilisations lived. In this episode I refer to similar …
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading GT Part 2: Border crossing and Dealing with absence in the workplace
20:18
20:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:18
Both texts are gapfill summaries. The first one gives you practice with summary Flow Charts (IELTS 28-Day Planner Day 12) and the second covers the common topic of how to deal with absence in the workplace (good practice if you never usually read this kind of document). Get more General Training Reading tips on my website. Follow me on Instagram an…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: Agricultural programme in Mozambique 👩🏽🌾🌾🐝🎣
30:00
30:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:00
Listen out for the 5 most common gapfill types in this Part 4 gapfill on the very common topics of Agriculture and Water (28-Day Planner Week 1). Practise these topics on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/?s=agriculture Watch my YouTube 5-minute Vocab review of Agriculture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha1KIJfkglA&t=56s And here's the Honeyb…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Nutmeg - a valuable spice 🌰🥜
29:02
29:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:02
This is an Academic Reading Part 1 (so it's good for GT too). The structure is chronological (in order of time) which helps you locate the answers more easily. It's also very similar to a text on my website: The Story Of Silk, which you can find here: https://ieltsetc.com/2018/12/ielts-reading-story-silk/ and I refer to last week's podcast about Th…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
Factors influencing your IELTS Score 🎰 - how my new IELTS Progress predictor works.
28:56
28:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:56
If you've taken my IELTS Progress Predictor Test, you may be wanting to know a bit more about how it works and what it means for your IELTS Preparation.This podcast talks you through how to make the most of your assets and build a mindset that will help you prove the test wrong! Get the quiz and full blog here https://ieltsetc.com/2020/07/how-long-…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: The Eucalyptus Tree in Australia 🇦🇺
29:10
29:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:10
#ielts Listening Part 4 - gapfill summary. Find a similar topic here: https://ieltsetc.com/2018/08/ielts-listening-honeybees-australia/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: Birth order and personality 🚼
29:40
29:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:40
IELTS Listening Part 3: How birth order affects your personality. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS GT Reading: 🦖🦕Dinosaurs and the secrets they hold 🦖🦕
29:59
29:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:59
IELTS GT Reading Part 3 - gapfill summary, multiple choice and choosing from a list. Find a similar reading with the vocab you need to know about animals here: https://ieltsetc.com/2019/04/ielts-reading-history-of-the-tortoise/ Listening about a dinosaur museum and how to spot distractors: https://ieltsetc.com/2018/08/ielts-listening-dinosaur-museu…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening - Cities built by the sea 🌊🏙️
52:33
52:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:33
This is a Section 3 (dialogue between 2 students) with lots of vocab related to the environment:- urban planning- coastal cities- pollutants are discharged into rivers- to protect against flooding- global warming- sea levels are rising- they need to consider the whole ecosystem- environmentalistshttps://ieltsetc.com/2019/09/ielts-listening-how-to-r…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Saving bugs to find new drugs 🐞💊
30:00
30:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:00
A long and difficult but FASCINATING text with SO MUCH useful vocabulary which I list at the end. - Matching Information with paragraphs - Choosing from a list - Gapfill summary It's a KEY TOPIC (see similar texts on my website - https://ieltsetc.com/2019/01/ielts-reading-doctoring-sales/ and https://ieltsetc.com/2018/10/ielts-gt-reading-snake-oil/…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: An unusual Academic Passage 1 - The concept of intelligence.
22:20
22:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:20
This passage has an academic, theoretical structure rather than a factual, chronological one. Watch the video on YouTube to see how it looks: https://youtu.be/7JHQdVkENMU This video will show you how to use the structure to get answers even when the content doesn't make much sense! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message…
Finding a roommate, the best fitness apps, How to Delegate and Choosing the right CV Format. Find the word formation booklet here: https://ieltsetc.com/2018/04/how-a-knowledge-of-word-forms-can-increase-your-score/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
This video looks at Section 2 of the IELTS Listening Test, which often includes a MAP in the second half. Watch the video on YouTube if you would like to practice with the real test. https://youtu.be/PwXSREaBQ-k The first part is Multiple Choice and this video shows you how to recognise distractors: 'rather than' and 'instead of' are CLUES which te…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Why companies should welcome disorder
34:32
34:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:32
So sorry for the delay - I'm back now! Been working on the daily YouTube lives during Lockdown. Did you miss them? Just go to my YouTube channel (I'll add this podcast as a video if you prefer to read the text and try it for yourself). This is a difficult Academic Passage 3 with Matching Headings, Gapfill and TFNG. Get more Reading practice on my w…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Experts - 10 of your most common questions about IELTS answered
21:51
21:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:51
In this podcast (also on YouTube) I ask my boss Max to give us his insider tips about #IELTS (it's exactly the same as what I say but people actually listen to him!). Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vCqJ3zLGbcs --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing: How to use 'despite' and 'in spite of'
41:20
41:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:20
This week I've been working really hard on preparing full lessons for my free YouTube Writing Workshops, and I wanted to give you a taste of what happens in the workshops. They are very interactive - I ask you questions and you give me your examples so I can check them. I also take requests! This lesson followed on from 'Although' and 'whereas', so…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing: Complex sentences made easy for Writing and Speaking ('reduced adverbials'!)
26:39
26:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:39
This was the first day of my Live IELTS Writing Workshops on YouTube, so I wanted to give you a taste of what happens in the workshop. You post a question on my special website page for the workshops https://ieltsetc.com/2020/03/ielts-writing-workouts/ I prepare a lesson based on your question You join the live session on YouTube https://youtu.be/g…
Need to read faster in the test? In this video and podcast, I'll take you through a Reading test and show you what you can do at each stage to answer the questions more quickly. The text is called 'The Birdmen' and you can watch the video and try it yourself on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R7H38LB28P0 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iel…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Computer-Delivered General Training Reading Test Part 1
22:27
22:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:27
This podcast is taken from my YouTube Video (watch this to see the text). https://youtu.be/Fq000OEq_OU I take you through the first part of a Computer-Delivered #IELTS General Training Reading Test and look at the benefits of taking the test online (as well as the drawbacks!). The first reading is horrendous - the second is much easier, so skip for…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Writing Error Correction - The Blue Book project 📘
18:53
18:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:53
Do you rely on a teacher to correct your writing mistakes for the IELTS Test? Is this the most effective way? In this podcast I look at some research that's been done about the best way to learn from your mistakes - and the answers may surprise you! Here is the YouTube video, where you can see all the texts that I mention: https://youtu.be/JPjqoJA-…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: 🔆The history of weather forecasting 🔆
19:32
19:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:32
I made this as a YouTube video so you can watch it here if you'd like to see the text at the same time: https://youtu.be/3px5vTBQ5Mk It's a Part 4 gap-fill Listening and I would give it a difficulty rating of 9/10! What do you think? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Matching Headings - A visit to Oymyakon 🥶
20:04
20:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:04
GT IELTS Matching Headings and gapfill practice. Watch the podcast on YouTube so that you can see the text and my explanations (and try the test for yourself). https://youtu.be/R7H38LB28P0 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
BONUS episode! My interview with Dr Heidi Brumbaugh, creator of the Vocab Victor app.
30:07
30:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:07
This week I interview the creator of the marvellous Vocab Victor app, Dr Heidi Brumbaugh. Dr Heidi realised that my 28-Days of IELTS Word List would be a perfect match for her app, so now you can practise the essential words that you need to learn for IELTS in a fun and motivating way. In the interview, we talked about: the problems students have w…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
Computer-delivered IELTS: An interview with Jessica from the IELTS Energy Podcast
39:21
39:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:21
This week on the podcast I was very happy to invite Jessica Beck from All Ears English and the IELTS Energy Podcast to talk about the pros and cons of the Computer Delivered IELTS Test (amongst other things!).Jess actually took the test herself, and in the interview she tells us what she thinks is great about doing the test on a computer.Here's the…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Listening: Kite-making kite 🪁 by the Maori people of New Zealand 🇳🇿
18:36
18:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:36
Part 4 IELTS Listening on the topic of Civilisation (again! See my YouTube video about this). Vocab Victor is the app where you can develop your IELTS vocab with my 28 days of Vocab wordlists. YouTube video about Civilisation: https://youtu.be/FzJCdaWMB7o NEW!Vocab Victor App with all my IELTS Vocabulary wordlists from the 28-Day Vocabulary Course …
Multiple Choice and Matching in a Part 3 (student and tutor). Watch my YouTube video about how to recognise signals in Part 3 Listening: https://youtu.be/x6TE-ZND6xA The Reading I mentioned is called Henry Perkins - the man who invented synthetic dyes, and I did a podcast about it with all the questions on Instagram. https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/epis…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading GT Section 1: How synonyms work in Part 1 - The best suitcases 💼🧳and The Oxford School of Drama 🎭
17:26
17:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:26
GT Reading is not always as easy as it looks in Part 1. Yes, the texts are shorter but you have to do 2 of them in 20 mins and you need a good level of Vocab to get the answers quickly and not fall for the tricks! Here we look at Matching Info and TFNG. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Meet the Organoleptics 🤥👺👃🏽🐽
20:53
20:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:53
GT Reading Part 3 - matching people, matching info and TFNG.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
Listening Part 3 (Book 8 Test 1). Looking at signals, multiple choice and gap fill. Get more help with Part 3 here https://ieltsetc.com/2019/09/ielts-listening-how-to-recognise-signals-and-signposts/ and watch my video about the Answer Sheet here https://youtu.be/iVM_uRkWpm4. Join my A-Z of IELTS challenge here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS GT Writing - How to write a letter of complaint
22:35
22:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:35
Today's podcast focuses on using Reported Speech and Reporting verbs in Letters of Complaint to tell the reader what you've been told (e.g. by a shop assistant or landlord) so that you can complain about something that hasn't been done. e.g. if the landlord says 'I'll fix it!' you might need to report what he said. There are lots of rules about thi…
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: The return of artificial intelligence 🤖
30:35
30:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:35
Reading passage 3 Test Book 5.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS GT Writing: A job application 👨🏽🏫👩🏻🏫
28:03
28:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:03
Day 15 of the GT IELTS WRITING 28-Day Course is all about different types of job applications. Get all the tips here https://ieltsetc.com/2019/12/how-to-write-a-job-application/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I spend half my life telling students to write more formally, and half my life telling students the opposite. There is a huge gulf between the two styles, and it’s probably affecting your score and costing you money. But there are simple solutions. This podcast looks at a few of them. I hope it will help the 77% of my followers who don’t know that …
Here’s the full blog https://ieltsetc.com/2019/11/ielts-reading-the-lost-city/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
This has been on my list of things to do for about a year! Such a tough text but so easy to guess at least half of the answers without a PhD in Astronomy!--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message
I
IELTS Made Easier


1
IELTS Reading: Biological control of pests 🦗🐌🐛🦅
26:23
26:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:23
A truly awful text but totally worth it for the vocab and strategies. Learn how to answer these questions without understanding almost anything 😯!--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ieltsetc/message