IELTS Speaking: The Right Way and The Wrong Way

The IELTS Speaking Test can be daunting. Students often feel nervous and can become frozen during the exam. There are so many possible topics, and figuring out what you'll need to talk about is not the only problem.

Sometimes small issues with body language and attitude can get in the way of receiving a high score.

Below, you will find two sample videos of IELTS Speaking Exams. They are shortened significantly, but still contain all the main parts of the IELTS interview. 

In the first video, you will see what NOT to do, such as giving one word answers, mumbling, and using bad body language.

In this video, you will see an example of what the interview should look like in order to practice for yourself. 

Describe A Work of Art (Speaking Part 2)

The following videos contain perfect examples of spoken answers to the following Part 2 IELTS topic.


Describe a work of art that you really like. Tell:

• What it looks like
• Where you first saw it
• Why you like it

You can find transcripts for the answer below each video. Enjoy!

Ok, so, I’ll tell you about a painting I saw several years ago when I was living in Ecuador. It’s a painting that I’ll never forget, because it was so different from anything I’d ever seen before. The painting was done by an Ecuadorian painter named Oswaldo Guayasamin, and I guess it’s a modern painting because it was done in the 60s or 70s? I’m not exactly sure. Anyway, my friends and I went to the Guayasamin museum in Ecuador, and we really enjoyed his paintings. He has this very unique style. It’s a little bit abstract but he still conveys a lot of emotion with his art. Many of his paintings have a sad and lonely feeling to them. Anyway, as I walked around the museum, I was particularly struck by a painting called “The Pentagon.” It’s five paintings, actually, and all of them are very evil-looking men. The colours are very dark and grey and you get a frightened feeling when you look at it. I also think that, because of the title, this painting makes you think about the Pentagon in America, and you can imagine these evil guys making plans for war. They look really greedy and corrupt. So, I guess I wouldn’t say that it’s a beautiful work of art, but I like this painting because it’s really striking and it makes me think.

My favourite piece of art or my favourite  painting is very playful and a little bit sexy, and it’s one that I saw at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. Paris is a very artistic city, so there’s lots of paintings I could talk about, but I’ll just stick to this one. I’m not sure what it’s called or even who painted it but it’s probably a few hundred years old. The painting shows a knight, wearing very shiny silver armor and standing in the middle of a meadow, and he’s completely surrounded by a group of beautiful naked women. I think they are meant to be magical fairies or sprites or something like that. Anyway, the women are looking at the knight and touching him curiously as if they’re not sure what to make of him. The painting is very colourful as all the women are covered in flowers and the grass of the meadow is bright vivid green and the knight’s armour reflects all these colours. Everything about the image is very fantastical and surreal and dreamlike, in fact, you get the idea that the knight might have died and gone to heaven. In any case, I like the painting because of its fanciful mood and interesting colours.

So…that’s that.

Actually, I’m not that interested in art, but I’ll tell you about a work of art that changed my opinion a little bit. It’s a famous sculpture called David by Michelangelo, and I’m pretty sure everyone knows about it. I saw this sculpture for the first time when I went to Florence with my aunt. She dragged me to all these art museums even though I really wasn’t interested. Anyway, I was quite impressed when I saw Michelangelo’s David for the first time. The statue is very realistic and lifelike, even though it’s made of marble. His face has a serious expression and it seems like he’s looking into the future. I think this sculpture is supposed to represent the perfect man, or the perfect ideal of humanity. Maybe we don’t meet the ideal all the time, but it’s worth trying for. That’s only my opinion, though.

Should The Government Support The Arts? (Task 2 Writing)

Below you can find 2 different essays on the topic:

Some people believe that the government should provide financial assistance to artists such as painters, musicians and poets. Others think that it is a waste of money.

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

The first essay is Argument-led, meaning that both sides of the issue are equally mentioned.

The second essay is Thesis-led, meaning that the writer takes a strong viewpoint and only briefly mentions the opposing view.

Both are excellent examples of a Task 2 essay and would receive Band 9 scores.

For more information about Thesis-led and Argument-led essays, please see the previous post.

The first essay opposes government support of the arts, while the second essay supports it. Which one do you agree with?

Essay 1 

There are differing opinions about whether the government should give financial assistance to artists or not. Although there are valid arguments to be made in support of government arts patronage, it is my belief that the arts should be primarily supported not by the government, but by private enterprise.

There is no doubt that artistic pursuits are worthwhile. Playing music, painting, sculpting or even simply viewing art can have therapeutic effects on people, helping them to relax and express themselves. Arts education is especially beneficial for children and helps them develop creativity, which will integral to their success in later life. Additionally, I believe that public art projects such as statues and murals can help to beautify urban areas and could be partly funded by government grants.

These arguments aside, I would like to assert that spending tax money on art and artists is wasteful, as there are countless other sectors in desperate need of government funding. For example, even in highly developed countries, there are people who are unable to meet basic needs like food and shelter. Many thousands of people die every year from diseases that could be easily cured. Furthermore, the governments of many countries have not yet addressed the important issues surrounding environmental protection and clean energy. Surely, meeting these requirements is far more important than promoting art, despite all its merits.

In an ideal world, there would always be plenty of revenue for all of a countries needs as well as its wants. Until that time comes, however, I believe that the government should focus on solving the aforementioned health and environmental issues and leave the funding of creative projects to motivated individuals and private enterprises.

Words: 281

Essay 2

There are differing opinions about whether the government should give financial assistance to artists or not. Some people believe that the government has a responsibility to help support the arts, while others believe that this is a wasteful practice. I wholeheartedly believe that patronage of the arts is fundamental to the role of government, and that it benefits each and every member of society.

Expressing oneself creatively is a human need that is not unlike our basic needs for acceptance and love. We have been writing songs and drawing on the walls of caves since the dawn of our species. Although creating art is arguably less important than food or shelter, it remains something that all people have a right to enjoy and participate in, and so we should not balk at using tax dollars to support it. Providing government money for artistic endeavours ensures that all people can take part, regardless of their financial means.

Another important point is that arts education for children is an absolutely essential part of their development, and should be publicly promoted. Children who learn to be creative today can become the inventors, designers, and innovators of tomorrow. It has been proven, for example, that young people who learn to play a musical instrument early in life will achieve higher scores in mathematics and have an easier time learning new languages when they grow up. Additionally, people who develop creative outlets at an early age tend to be better at dealing with stress as adults.

In sum, the benefits of publicly supporting the arts go far beyond mere aesthetic appreciation. It is our duty as a society to support the arts along with the rest of our human requirements.

Words: 284

Make A Plan! (Task 2 Writing)

Before you travel to another country, you have to make a plan.

Before you present your business proposal, you have to make a plan.

If you want to receive a high score on IELTS writing, you’d DEFINITELY better make a plan! IELTS examiners can always tell if a student has taken a few minutes to plan their ideas before they start writing. Planned essays are easier to understand and usually have the correct number of words. They communicate all the important information without a lot of extra rubbish.

So how do we make a plan?

Most IELTS Task 2 Questions come in this form:

Some people believe that the government should provide financial assistance to artists such as painters, musicians and poets. Others think that it is a waste of money. 

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

The first and most important advice that you should follow is that, when the topic says

“give your opinion”

you must

give your opinion.  

This may seem like a silly thing to say, but it’s surprising how many students write a big, long essay without actually answering this part of the question. Your essay will be clearer and better if you choose your opinion right away. Of course, you can still speak about the opposite viewpoint, but in the introduction and in the conclusion, you should state which opinion you hold.

Most IELTS essay topics are dichotomous, meaning that there are two main opinions to choose from. Very rarely, you will see a topic that asks you to “write a report” but we will deal with that problem in a later post.

For now, let’s talk about opinions.  In the topic above, there are two main opinions I can hold.

The first one is:

The government has a responsibility to support the arts.

The second one is:

Supporting the arts is a waste of money, and government funds would be better spent in other areas.

Remember that I should state my opinion right away in the introduction! Don’t wait until the end of your essay to state your opinion as this usually leads to confusion. Another point is that you needn’t write about the topic that you feel the most deeply. When taking the IELTS exam, PICK THE OPINION WHICH IS EASIEST TO WRITE ABOUT.

The examiner does not care very much about your opinion. He or she just wants to know if you can communicate your ideas clearly in English. For me, the opinion

The government has a responsibility to support artists because their work benefits society as a whole.

is easier for me to write about, so that is what I will choose.

So, after we have chosen our opinion, we should very quickly plan the structure of our essay. All essays should follow one of the following two structures. The first way is called the Thesis-led Approach, which we should use if we have a strong opinion or a lot of information about our opinion. It usually goes like this:

• Paragraph 1: Introduction, including a clear statement of my opinion.
• Paragraph 2: The first reason for supporting my opinion with some examples.
• Paragraph 3: Another reason for supporting my opinion with examples.
• Paragraph 4: Conclusion, including a restatement of my opinion.

It seems like we are repeating ourselves a little, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, we are going to use a variety of vocabulary to say our ideas so that it will not be exactly the same. Also, keep in mind that English is a very explicit language. We must say exactly what we mean. Do not assume that the reader of your essay has any knowledge on the topic that you’re writing about. Pretend that you are explaining your ideas to a child or a stupid person!

Another way to write an essay is called the Argument-led approach. If you would like to use this way, you must still state your opinion in the first paragraph. However, in this approach, you will talk a bit about the advantages and disadvantages of the opposing view. 

So, your essay structure will be like this:

• Paragraph 1: Introduction, including a clear statement of my opinion.
• Paragraph 2: Advantages and disadvantages of the opinion that is NOT mine.
• Paragraph 3: Disadvantages and advantages of my opinion.
• Paragraph 4: Conclusion, including a restatement of my opinion.

Notice that we will speak about the opinion which is not ours FIRST. Then, at the end of my essay, we will conclude that our opinion is the best.

Of course, the main problem with IELTS writing tends to be running out of time. People wrongly believe that they will be able to finish more quickly if they jump into writing immediately without making a plan. This is almost never true!

So, regarding the topic above, we can simply write out a quick plan using the Thesis-led approach:

• Paragraph 1: The government has a responsibility to support artists because their work benefits society as a whole.
• Paragraph 2: Music, art, and writing are very valuable forms of expression that benefit everyone.
• Paragraph 3: The government has a large amount of money and influence, and so it can give support more easily than individuals.
• Paragraph 4: In conclusion, our society will be much poorer without government support for the arts.

Here is a basic plan using the Argument-Led approach:

• Paragraph 1: The government has a responsibility to support artists because their work benefits society as a whole.
• Paragraph 2: Some say that the arts are a waste of money because there are other more useful things to do with artistic funding.
• Paragraph 3: However, the government must fund artists because music, art, and writing are very valuable forms of expression that benefit everyone.
• Paragraph 4: In conclusion, the government must provide funding for the arts.

In conclusion, when you have a basic idea for what your essay topic and main supporting reasons will be, you can write your essay much more quickly. It will also improve your organisation and help you get the score you need!

To review the steps of making a plan:

1. Choose your opinion.
2. Decide which opinion is easier for you to write about.
3. Decide if you will use Thesis-led or Argument-led approach.
4. Quickly write down or think about your main points.
5. Write your essay!

Before you take the exam, it’s a good idea to choose a few common IELTS topics and make a plan for them. That way you will be prepared with ideas and you can get right to work.

(2 Example Essays For This Topic Coming Soon.) 

Writing About Bar Charts (Task 1 Writing)

Oh, no! It’s the dreaded Task 1 essay! On the IELTS Academic exam, the Task 1 writing assignment will require you to write about a chart or graph. You must write 150 words as quickly as possible.

The Task 1 essay can be scary because we are not always sure where to begin. Usually, we are presented with something like this:

You have 20 minutes to complete this task.

The bar chart below gives information about the average weight of men in kilograms in several different countries. Write a report summarising all the relevant information and give specific examples to illustrate your points.

You should write 150 words for this task.

Actually, this example is a little more simple than most Task 1 Charts, but let’s start with an easy one!

So, where should we start???

Well, the best place to start is looking at the text of the question and noting the most important points.

We know that this chart is telling us

“the average weight of men in kilograms in several different countries”

So we know that our main goal is to COMPARE and CONTRAST the weights of men in different countries.

Remember that you should ALWAYS write an introduction sentence that gives general information about the chart. Luckily for us, we can steal the introduction sentence from the text above the chart. It is absolutely OK to copy the sentence with only slight changes. Therefore, our first sentence should be:

This bar chart gives information about the average weight of men in kilograms in several different countries.

Good, that was easy! Next, we need to make a GENERAL STATEMENT about all the information that we see. Is there anything that we can say about ALL the countries on the chart? It’s tricky when all the countries are different, but we can say something like this:

We can see from the graph that the average weight for men in each of the countries listed ranged between 74 kilograms and 88 kilograms. Within this range, however, there is some notable variation.

So ALL the men in ALL the countries had an average weight between 74 kilograms and 88 kilograms. Fantastic! Now we can pick out the notable features.

Whenever you are presented with a chart of any kind, you should always look for notable features. These are the largest and smallest numbers represented. In this case, which country has the highest weight and which country has the lowest?

It’s easy to see that the U.S. has the highest average weight for men, while Brazil has the lowest average weight for men.  Let’s make a statement about that.

The USA has the highest average weight for males.

That’s good, but we always need to support our notable points with details. So here’s a better sentence:

The USA has the highest average weight for males, with a figure of approximately 88 kilograms per man.

Let’s also mention Brazil!

On the other hand, Brazil shows the lowest figure, with an average weight of about 74 kilograms for men.

Those are two notable points. Another notable point is that most countries on the chart are close to 81 kilograms. The most common weight on the chart is 82 kilograms.

Most countries averages hover around 81 kilograms, with Australia, Canada, and Germany all falling within this range. Australia and Canada show the same average weight of 82 kilograms each.

Great! We’re almost done. Is there anything else that we can notice about the chart? Is there any way to divide these countries into categories? Australia, The USA and Canada are all English-speaking countries. So, it’s possible to say:

Generally speaking, English-speaking countries tend to have higher weight averages than countries that do not speak English.

OK, I think that we covered all the most important information. Maybe I should say…

I think perhaps English-speaking countries have higher weight averages than other countries because of unhealthy diets.

NO!!!

Do not give opinions or make assumptions when writing Task 1! Do not use personal pronouns such as "I" "You" or "We." You should absolutely stick only to the FACTS and write about the information that you can see on the chart. Make a conclusion which expresses your introduction again, but using slightly different words.

In conclusion, although the average weight of men in the countries shown measured from 74 kilograms to 88 kilograms, we can observe some significant fluctuation within that range.

All Task 1 essays should follow this pattern:

• Introduction
• General Statement About the Whole Chart
• Mention a Notable Feature
• Give A Detail to Support Notable Feature
• Mention Another Notable Feature
• Give Another Detail to Support Notable Feature
• Conclusion

Your final essay should look something like this:

This bar chart gives information about the average weight of men in kilograms in several different countries. We can see from the graph that the average weight for men in each of the countries listed ranged between 74 kilograms and 88 kilograms. Within this range, however, there is some notable variation. The USA has the highest average weight for males, with a figure of approximately 88 kilograms per man. This is significantly higher than other countries. On the other hand, Brazil shows the lowest figure, with an average weight of about 74 kilograms for men. Most countries averages hover around 81 kilograms, with Australia, Canada, and Germany all falling within this range. Australia and Canada show the same average weight of 82 kilograms each. Generally speaking, English-speaking countries tend to have higher weight averages than countries that do not speak English. In conclusion, although the average weight of men in the countries shown measured from 74 kilograms to 88 kilograms, we can observe some significant fluctuation within that range.

Words: 168

Speaking About Festivals (Speaking Part 2)

The Speaking section of the IELTS exam has 3 different parts. During the first part, you will answer basic questions about every day topics. Then we go on to Part 2 or as it is commonly called, "The Long Turn."

During Speaking Part 2, you are given a card with a topic and expected to speak about the topic for about 2 minutes. Here’s a very common example topic:

Describe your favourite festival or celebration. You should tell:

                -When and where it takes place

                -What is the origin of the festival or celebration

                -What activities are done to celebrate

                -Who you celebrate with

Tell why it is your favourite festival and how you usually celebrate.

Below, you can find some excellent answers to this question. Please note how each response answers ALL parts of the question. There is an introduction which tells what the holiday is and a conclusion to let the examiner know that the speaker has finished. Good answers to Speaking Part 2 should usually answer all the important questions: what, who, when, where, and why.

The answers below are given without naming the festival in question. Can you match the name of the festival  with the correct example? Write your answer in the comments section!!! Answers will be given in the comments section next week.

Chuseok              
Witch Burning Day           
Carnival               
Kumbha Mela                  Halloween          

Chinese New Year/Spring Festival 

                          

1.       “My favourite celebration is called ___________.  On this holiday, which is very popular in the U.S., people dress up in costumes as ghosts, witches, monsters or other famous creatures. ___________ takes place on the last day of October, and it’s meant to usher in the beginning of winter. A long time ago, people believed that evil spirits could walk among living people during the winter season, so people put on scary costumes in order to repel them. On ___________, it’s traditional for children to walk from house to house and ask people for candy and other treats. Some people also carve pumpkins, visit haunted houses, or watch scary movies to celebrate ___________. I like this holiday because it’s a good chance to get together with friends and wear silly costumes. ___________ is usually a great time!”

2.       “I am from Brazil, and so of course my favourite festival is ___________. This festival is always held 40 days before Easter, and it offers people their last chance to enjoy meat, wine, and other crazy behaviour before the season of Lent begins. During Lent, people are supposed to behave well and abstain from all these things. ___________ is celebrated with huge city-wide parades and musical performances. Sometimes women dress in revealing costumes and do dances in the streets. Everyone celebrates ___________ by going outside with family and friends and taking part in the parades and dances. There’s a wonderful energy in the air during ___________, and that’s why it’s my favourite festival.”

3.       “My favourite holiday is definitely ___________, which takes place every year at the end of January or the beginning of February. The date of ___________ varies because it depends on the Lunar Calendar. During this holiday, it’s important for people to get together with their families and eat a meal together. During ___________ it’s considered good luck to decorate the house with red decorations. People often clean their houses during this time as a way to get rid of all the bad luck from the previous year. Older family members commonly give gifts of money to younger family members in red envelopes. Traditionally, people used to set off fireworks during ___________, but that has been banned in many places now. Even so, the most important thing is to get together with family members. This is why I really enjoy ___________.”

4.       “That’s an interesting question… Well, I’d have to say that one of the most popular festivals in my country is called ___________. It’s a rather serious occasion, so you won’t find a lot of people drinking or eating like they do during other festivals. Instead, people travel very long distances in order to bathe in one of India’s four holy rivers. The ritual usually takes place at a different river every year.  I’ve read that ___________ is one of the largest gatherings in the world and that sometimes 100 million people participate in it. When I am in India, I usually celebrate this festival by traveling to the riverside towns with my family and bathing in the water. It is my favourite holiday because it gives me a very good, spiritual feeling.”

5.       “Oh, that’s easy! The best festival in the Czech Republic is called ___________ in English. It takes place annually on April 30^th and it’s meant to celebrate the beginning of spring. People used to believe that cold weather was caused by evil witches who used their powers to create winter. So on ___________, people make a large effigy of a witch and burn it on a huge bonfire. Once the fire is burning, people gather around and drink beer, roast sausages, and play songs on the guitar. My friends and I always have a great time at this celebration. Sometimes children wear costumes and dance around the fire. It’s a really fun and upbeat holiday and it seems to put everyone in a great mood and get them ready for summer.”

6.       "I don’t think I have a favourite celebration, but I will talk about an important holiday which is celebrated in my country. It’s called ___________, and it’s celebrated every year in September to commemorate the harvest. There’s a ton of traffic during ___________ because people often travel long distances to return to their hometowns. Everyone in the family gets together and makes traditional rice cakes shaped like half-moons called Songpyoo. They are really delicious! Sometimes people offer rice cakes to the ancestors as a way to remember them on this day. I like ___________ because even though we live in a busy, modern world,  we can get together with family at this time and remember our traditions."

Pay attention to details! These answers are great because they answer all parts of the question and use academic vocabulary. Try reading them aloud to practice your fluency!
 

Also, here is a word cloud with vocabulary words which are very useful for this topic:

How Do They Judge My Speaking Score?

Your IELTS Speaking Score is evaluated based on 4 different categories. These categories are: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.

Each category is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 9. The results are then averaged into your total speaking score. This score is often called a “Band.” So a student who performs all categories perfectly will receive Band 9.

But teacher, what do those categories mean??

Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Fluency and Coherence is an evaluation of the flow and speed of your speech. This means that you speak continuously, avoiding too many stops for “Ah…” or “Um…” Behaviours like waiting a very long time to begin, giving a one word answer, or repeating the same words many times will probably cause your Fluency and Coherence score to go down.

To the right you can see a sample of the criteria used by IELTS examiners. Note: This is not exactly what examiners use, but it is very similar.

How can I improve my Fluency and Coherence?

• Relax! Fluency problems are often caused by nervousness and poor preparation. Make sure that you practice speaking whenever possible so that you feel comfortable during the exam.

• Avoid Repetition! Make sure you learn useful vocabulary words that are related to common IELTS topics. This way, you can speak for a long time without repeating yourself.

Lexical Resource means vocabulary. You must use words accurately to answer the question you are asked. Don’t just stick to easy words! Many examiners prefer for you to attempt to use high level words instead of sticking to the easy words that you know.

How can I improve my Lexical Resource?

• Keep a list of new words! Of course, it’s good to learn new words in the dictionary. However, it’s more important for you to USE new words whenever possible. Write sentences using new words and read them out loud. Make sure you can pronounce them correctly.

• Be brave! Many people feel uncomfortable using new words during an exam, but you must give it a try. Using simple, familiar words is not likely to raise your speaking score above Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy is of course, your grammar. It means using grammar well, but it also means using complex grammar forms. It’s not enough to say, “Exercise makes us healthy.” We must try to make longer, more academic sentences such as, “Exercise is beneficial because it improves circulation and releases endorphins in the brain.”

How can I improve my Grammatical Range?

• Nail the basics! Make sure your basic grammar is perfect. The examiner will notice if you make common mistakes such as “She do her homework” rather than “She does her homework.”

• Practice saying longer sentences! It’s a good idea to find articles with academic grammar and practice reading them aloud. Say them many times until you can read them fluently and automatically.

Finally, there is Pronunciation. The Pronunciation category includes things like basic pronunciation, word stress, sentence stress, and overall expression. To put it simply, Pronunciation is an evaluation of how well the examiner can understand you. Even if you have wonderful vocabulary and perfect grammar, your score will be negatively affected by bad pronunciation.

How can I improve my pronunciation?

• Listen to others and Repeat! Listen to native speakers whenever you can and say words and phrases just like they do. This website provides many resources to help with this!

• Record yourself! Use a smart phone or computer to record yourself saying sentences in English. Do you sound like a native speaker?

What Does a Level 9 Essay Look Like?

Many people are particularly worried about Task 2 Writing. Test-takers must write 250 words in approximately 40 minutes. It's necessary to communicate a lot of information in an organised way in a limited period of time. How does your writing stack up?

Task 2 Essay, Band 9:

Every year, countries spend large amounts of money to host international sporting events such as the Olympics or the Football World Cup. Some believe these events are important for building national pride and international unity, while others think that these events are a waste of money and resources. What is your opinion on this issue?

            Hosting an international sporting event such as the Olympics or the Football World Cup can be an incredibly costly and labor-intensive endeavor. While some people believe that these efforts are not worth the time and money they require, I believe that the advantages of hosting such an event are far greater than the disadvantages. Bringing international sports to a country can provide economic, diplomatic, and cultural benefits that may last many years.

            The first way that an international sporting event can benefit a country is by boosting its economy. In order to host the Olympics, for example, the government must build new sporting facilities, transport routes and tourist sites. This provides jobs for unemployed people and puts additional funds into the economy. Furthermore, when people visit a country to watch the Olympic Games, they will spend money on food and other items, which benefits restaurant and shop owners.

            Another benefit that countries can experience is an improvement in their diplomatic relationships. When a nation invites foreigners within their borders to enjoy sports, they are demonstrating that they are part of the international community and that they are open to the world. For example, when South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010, it was a symbol that this country had overcome its human rights problems and was ready to participate in the world as an equal partner.

            Finally, whenever people from many countries come together in one place, it provides a valuable opportunity for communication. Both athletes and spectators can learn about each other and appreciate cultures that are different from their own. Sports can be an extremely powerful way to bring people together and promote multicultural understanding.

            For all of the above reasons, I believe it is incredibly beneficial for a country to host international sporting events, and I hope that my country will be able to do so in the future.

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                    Words: 298

What *is* IELTS??

What is the IELTS Exam?

  

The IELTS Exam is an exam designed to assess your abilities in listening, reading, writing and speaking in English. IELTS is available in two test formats, General and Academic. Both exams share the same listening and speaking portions, but are slightly different with regards to reading and writing.

The score is given on a scale of 0 to 9, where 9 is only achievable by those who are virtually native speakers. (To be honest, I know some native speakers who could not score a 9!)

The IELTS exam is required to live and study in many different English-speaking countries. In New Zealand, where Super Best IELTS !? is based, you must have a score of 6.5 to apply for Permanent Residency. In Australia, you need to have a 6. Many Universities also require IELTS, with score requirements generally ranging from 5.5 to 7. (Some Literature and Linguistics courses require 8 or even 9!)

Chances are, if you are visiting this site, you know what score you need!

What are the four sections of the IELTS exam?

The Listening portion of the IELTS exam lasts approximately 40 minutes. You will hear four different recordings, which increase in difficulty as the test goes on. There are 40 questions in the listening section.

• Listening Section 1 is an everyday dialogue (conversation between two or more people) which assesses your understanding of basic English situations. For example, you may hear a man making reservations or speaking to a friend about going to a movie.
• Listening Section 2 is an everyday monologue (short speech by one person) on a familiar topic. You may hear a woman giving directions or describing an object.
• Listening Section 3 is an academic dialogue. You may hear a student speaking to his or her professor about an assignment, or several students discussing a lecture.
• Listening Section 4 is an academic lecture. This section is often quite long and includes high-level vocabulary. It usually consists of a professor speaking about a common academic topic such as business, history, or the environment.

The Reading portion of the IELTS exam lasts 60 minutes and consists of either 2 or 3 texts. The texts are taken from academic journals, books, and newspapers and may be on a variety of topics. The reading section has 40 questions. Reading texts become more difficult as the exam goes on.

The Writing portion of IELTS lasts 60 minutes and has 2 parts. Part 1 is a 150 word essay on either a chart or graph (for academic IELTS) or a 150 word letter (for general IELTS.)

Writing standards for the IELTS exam are quite high, but luckily for you, Super Best IELTS has fantastic tips to help you improve! You can also submit a practice essay for detailed feedback from an IELTS instructor.

The Speaking portion of IELTS lasts approximately 15 minutes and has 3 sections.

• Speaking Section 1 includes everyday questions about you. For example, the examiner may ask how long you have been in New Zealand or what you enjoy doing in your free time. This section is also meant to help you relax and think about topics in English.
• Speaking Section 2 is called the “Long Turn” because you must prepare to speak for about two minutes on a given topic. There are many topics included in the speaking section which we will study over the course of our class.
• Speaking Section 3 is the short answer section. The examiner will ask you general questions related to your “Long Turn” question. These questions should be answered with one or two sentences.

How can I improve my IELTS score?

Of course it is important to practice all the four skills and improve your English overall. This site provides help in all areas and gives secret tips and tricks for achieving the score you need!

We also recommend watching movies, reading books, and listening to songs in English whenever you can. Make some English-speaking friends. The more you expose yourself to English, the more you will understand and the higher you will achieve.

Welcome to Super Best IELTS!?

Whether you are looking to improve your writing, listening, speaking or reading skills to pass the IELTS exam or just want to improve your academic English skills, you've come to the right place!

Here you will find up-to-date information on commonly used speaking and writing topics, along with tips and tricks for improving your reading and listening skills. We can also give one-to-one feedback on your essays and answer your questions about the IELTS exam. All materials are divided by category for easy, targeted improvement.

This site is operated by certified IELTS instructors and examiners with loads of classroom experience. We will update the content to suit your requests, so please get in touch!

Feel free to leave a comment contact or us if you have any questions at:

AndreaForIELTS@gmail.com

Meet Your Instructors!

Andrea Holland has a B.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin, USA and many years of TEFL training. She has been teaching English as a second language for 6 years and has been specialising in IELTS instruction for the past 4 years. She has also received training in IELTS exam evaluation. Currently employed as an IELTS instructor in Auckland, New Zealand, Andrea is constantly developing new methods for improving English teaching. 

Contact her via email: AndreaforIELTS@gmail.com

David Brown graduated from the University of Waikato, New Zealand with a Bachelors Degree with Honours in Philosophy. He further received a CELTA certificate from The Waikato Institute of Technology. He has been teaching English as a second language for nearly 10 years and has experience in academic training. He currently works as an ESOL instructor in Auckland, New Zealand.