[Skip the 5-minute introduction if you want to just get to the question types!] Different websites have different ways of categorising IELTS Reading Question types. See my latest blog for all the details: https://ieltsetc.com/2023/03/how-many-ielts-reading-question-types/ In my online courses, I follow the official IELTS.org guidelines , and I have simplified the types so that you focus more on developing your reading skills. Developing good reading skills will enable you to answer all question ...
Mar 10, 2023•22 min
The best thing about the IELTS Test is that you cannot fail it. The test simply takes a ‘snapshot’ of your current level of English. So if you’ve suddenly realised that you need to take the test in 10 days don’t panic too much. Consider it a ‘practice run’. 10 days is just enough time to familiarise yourself with the test requirements so you can give yourself the best chance of getting the best indicator of your overall ability. Here’s what I would do in the next 10 days. Read the blog here http...
Feb 20, 2023•35 min
There are 7 key features of fast speech and pronunciation that you need to develop a better understanding of in order to increase your Listening Score: Features of connected speech (dropping sounds, adding sounds, changing sounds, weak sounds and twin sounds). Word boundaries Homophones Sounds that are different or don’t exist in your language Accents and rhoticity (‘r’) Minimal pairs Consonant Clusters Read the full blog here . https://ieltsetc.com/2023/02/ielts-pronunciation-tips-listening-tes...
Feb 11, 2023•26 min
In this Listening Section 2 we look at: - Multiple choice questions - distractors - matching from a list - the word 'staff' and how it's repeated 32 times - how to pronounce 'staff' - academic language you can use in Task 2 Improve your IELTS score with my intensive Listening Course: ieltsetc.com/courses
Jan 26, 2023•28 min
What will you do differently in 2023? Here are my 7 resolutions to help you get the IELTS test over and done with once and for all. Get all the tips on my Daily Tips page https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en and get all my lessons on my website ieltsetc.com. Join the Members Academy to make faster progress.
Jan 13, 2023•30 min
In this episode, I'll take you through one of my Guided Readings - it's an Academic Passage 3 from Book 17 and, unusually, it's a book review. Follow my Advent Challenge on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-advent-adventure/ Join the Members Academy: https://ieltsetc.com/courses
Dec 16, 2022•33 min
Question: "How do I cope with so much information when I'm preparing for the IELTS test?" Answer: "Just do as much as you need to do for the Band score that you want." In all aspects of life, there are different levels of expertise and knowledge. Deciding what you want to do with your IELTS score will help you manage your time and your learning. I've carefully programmed this into the Members Academy. Aiming for Band 6? Just watch the videos. Need to get Band 7? Watch the videos and do the pract...
Nov 13, 2022•30 min
Can you guess the answers to the gapfill before you listen? In this episode I talk you through a Passage 4 where I think about 60% of the answers are guessable! Thinking of becoming a Member of my Academy? Find out more on my website: ieltsetc.com/courses
Nov 04, 2022•25 min
A tricky GT Part 3 Reading with Matching Headings, Multiple Choice, and Matching Sentence Endings.
Oct 25, 2022•29 min
I've spoken a lot about Mindset for IELTS in 2 earlier blogs: 1. How to train your mindset for IELTS https://ieltsetc.com/how-to-train-your-mindset-for-ielts/ 2. How to stop making excuses and start making progress https://ieltsetc.com/2020/11/improve-ielts-score/ In this (rather long) podcast I talk about asking SMARTER questions to get smarter answers. S = Specific (Why, What, Why, When, Where?) M = Measurable (How much? How many?) A = Achievable R = Realistic T = Time-bound E = Evaluate R = R...
Oct 16, 2022•37 min
In this podcast, you'll practice listening for the tricks in Multiple Choice Questions. This is yet another Listening based on the topic of farming, and it includes many of the keywords on my IELTS planner list Day 1 (Agriculture), for example: - breed - bred/reared - livestock - to increase production - domesticated animals - controlling and eradicating those diseases Add these to your wordlist and check out the other lessons related to agriculture on my website https://ieltsetc.com. Get the fu...
Sep 26, 2022•22 min
This Reading will also help your Task 2 Writing. Watch this quick video to see why: https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/week-2-september-challenge-reading-about-farming
Sep 09, 2022•23 min
In today's September Challenge, we're reviewing Task 2 essays, starting with how to write a good Introduction. Check out the blog I refer to here (with a model essay): https://ieltsetc.com/2021/03/ielts-band-9-sample-essay-charity/ and learn more about Introductions here: https://ieltsetc.com/2020/05/ielts-writing-task-2-how-to-write-an-introduction/...
Sep 05, 2022•21 min
Day 3 of the September IELTS Planner Challenge is all about describing changes in Writing Task 1. See the graph and video here . https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/september-challenge-day-3-writing-task-1 Or just go to my Daily Tips Day 3 on ieltsetc.com...
Sep 04, 2022•18 min
Day 2 of the September 2022 Challenge. This is a Part 1 but full of TRICKS! Get the full video version in the Members Academy. Join the challenge on my website: www.ieltsetc.com (find it in the Daily Tips section)
Sep 02, 2022•17 min
This is Day 1 of my free IELTS September Challenge 2022. Follow the challenge every day on my website (What's new - daily tips): https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/september-challenge-day-1-reading-the-best-hiking-boots Get your FREE copy of the planner and work through it with me: https://payhip.com/b/7OZlV
Sep 01, 2022•16 min
This is a slightly unusual Listening Part 1 from the latest Cambridge Test Book 17. Get more in the Members Academy: https://members.ieltsetc.com/academy and on my website https://ieltsetc.com
Aug 26, 2022•21 min
This is a fascinating Section 3 General Training Reading text about the origins of women's football and why it disappeared for 50 years. Practice Multiple Choice Questions, Matching Information and Gapfill Summary. Get the full video version with all of the other General Training Courses in the Members Academy : https://members.ieltsetc.com/academy...
Aug 18, 2022•24 min
In this lesson we cover more words from The List (my 100 Most Common Listening Gap Fill Answers). Pay special attention to the second half, where the speaker describes how maple syrup is produced. This is really useful for Academic Writing Task 1. Get my guide to IELTS Reading Book 17 (Course) in the Members Academy with all the other workbooks, guides, planners and lists. Get individual printable PDF guides in my shop: https://payhip.com/ieltswithfiona Thank you for supporting my small business...
Jul 27, 2022•29 min
This is an Academic Test Passage 2 Reading from Book 17 and the podcast covers 3 types of questions: matching information, matching people, and gapfill. In the podcast I discuss how you can understand more of the text if you learn my basic vocabulary lists - you can buy my 3 IELTS vocabulary workbooks and guides on my website shop: - A complete guide to IELTS Word Formation and Spelling - A complete guide to IELTS Vocabulary - A complete guide to the most common IELTS Listening gapfill answers. ...
Jul 18, 2022•33 min
Book 17 Test 1 Part 4 I chose this Listening just because it's from the most recent Cambridge Practice Test book, and I was pleased to see that all of the gapfill answers conformed to my theories about common IELTS gapfill answers e.g. uncountable nouns, irregular word forms, "made from ____" etc. I put all of my research together in a handy little booklet which you can get in my shop: https://payhip.com/b/vQlet I also mentioned the previous Listening Podcast I did a couple of weeks ago, which a...
Jul 09, 2022•27 min
This is a Section 4 IELTS Listening Test Gapfill Summary based on a lecture about the history of keeping clean. Get more listening practice on my website or follow my 28-day Listening Course in the Members Academy. https://ieltsetc.com/courses
Jun 25, 2022•24 min
Here's my roundup of daily tips from February. Watch the video version on YouTube with this link: https://youtu.be/zZ0TLDv0qxc In the podcast we'll review: - Idioms for IELTS Speaking ('food for thought' 'peckish' 'flagging') - Formal language ('a high risk of failure') - How to use inversion (Rarely I have? Or Rarely have I?) - Tech tools to help you practise Speaking - Collocations with sports (do, go, play or practise?) - Can or Should? - Task 1 Graphs: "Temperature AVERAGED 25 degrees") - Po...
May 09, 2022•30 min
Here's my round-up of the weekly tips that you can find on my website (ieltsetc.com). This podcast is also on YouTube/fionawattam: https://youtu.be/TNcyL63yWbI https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en In this episode we look at my daily tips from January 19th: - when to use the contraction 's' instead of 'is' (Pronunciation) - how to start a letter and why you shouldn't use 'maam' (GT Letter Writing) - 'claptrap' advice: "elucidate" (Academic Task 1) - when to use "Having said that" (Academic...
Apr 17, 2022•21 min
This is a particularly challenging Reading Passage 1, which follows the structure of a Passage 3 'discursive' argument rather than the usual Passage 1 'factual' description. The title gives us a warning of this academic style - it starts with a question, suggesting that there will be a theory developed, with the opinions of expert. It will pose a problem and try to find a solution. This is uncommon for a Passage 1. Also the question types are: Matching information (rare for Task 1) Gapfill (norm...
Apr 06, 2022•27 min
This podcast talks you through a fortnight of daily tips, with an accompanying YouTube video. https://youtu.be/byb9_Dg2UP8 Get the daily tips here on my website. https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en In this episode we cover: Pronunciation features - weak sounds e.g Fishnchips How to spot a terrible "Model answer" Free Flashcards for common IELTS topics (Quizlet - Marine Ecosystems) How to use the LABELS in IELTS Task 1 Academic Writing Synonyms for 'houses' in Task 1 A model Task 1 about ...
Mar 19, 2022•20 min
In this IELTS GT Part 3 Reading lesson we'll practise Matching Headings, Multiple Choice and Gapfill summary on the topic of plastic.
Mar 03, 2022•24 min
In today's podcast you'll review my daily tips from my annual advent challenge which you can find on my website under "What's New" and https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-advent-adventure/ Day 9: "It's not worth + ing" Day 10: Pronunciation - Juncture e.g. Ice-cream/I scream, That stuff/That's tough Day 11: Factor vs reason vs cause Day 12: Linking devices - the present participle Day 13: Modals of deduction (must) Day 14: Not only but also Day 15: Mustn't vs Don't have to Day 16: Academic Phrasal Verbs ...
Feb 03, 2022•25 min
In this episode I catch up with the daily tips that you can find on my website under "What's new" . This episode covers: Pronunciation of phrasal nouns vs phrasal verbs (to give someone the go-ahead) The meaning of 'a shambles = shambolic' The real meaning of 'actually' The use of 'tripling' (reduce, reuse, recycle) Inversion (Never have I ever...) 'comfortable' gapfill in the Listening test "You do the math" (UK = maths) can vs be able to despite due to The closer you get, the slower I go (car ...
Jan 26, 2022•30 min
This is a nice GT Part 3 Reading to get 2022 off to a great start. It practises Matching Headings, Multiple Choice AND gapfill, and it's absolutely jam-packed with useful IELTS vocabulary, so I made a Quizlet for you to review it. Go to my website "What's new" to get the Quiz Link. https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/new-podcast-marine-ecosystems
Jan 04, 2022•29 min
