These days there are plenty of ESL podcasts hosted by professional teachers online. Although many of these podcasts are intended to entice students to enroll for a more comprehensive course that is being offered by the host. However, there are still some ways in which these podcasts can be put to good use for your IELTS preparation, even if you don’t intend to enroll in any of the host's courses or services.

What Is A Podcast?

A podcast is basically an updated version of a radio program. You can subscribe to a podcast and be notified whenever a new episode is available. You can listen to a podcast on any device that has internet connectivity, like your mobile phone, or laptop.

Why Podcasts Can Be Useful

More often than not IELTS candidates suffer from burnout from staring at textbooks and screens during their IELTS study time. Listening to a podcast can be a refreshing change from typical preparation methods and it's something you can do while relaxing, taking a walk, or on your way to work. It’s a good way to immerse yourself in the English language as spoken by qualified native speakers.

With a little bit of dedication and commitment, you can use these types of podcasts to improve not only your listening skills but your speaking and reading skills as well.

How Can Podcasts Improve Your Language Skills

Speaking Skills

Why you listen to an ESL podcast you have the opportunity to hear how the English language is spoken by a native speaker. You should pay attention to how certain words are pronounced. Focus on how words are pronounced. This is a great way to aid in your IELTS preparation is to familiarize yourself with how native English speakers speak. This will also help acclimatize you to the sounds and unique pronunciations used by multiple speakers with different accents.

You can also read along with the script as you listen to the recording. Make sure to note down unfamiliar words, and keep a record of these for future use. During the podcast, you will be able to hear how these unfamiliar words are used and pronounced in a natural conversation, you can also use the transcripts to learn about the spelling of these new words.

Listening Skill

You can also use podcasts to improve your listening skills. You can greatly improve how well you focus on what is being said during a conversation. Try to follow the conversations as much as possible. You could even try listening to a podcast in chunks, and then try to summarise every ‘small chunk’ Go back to the transcript to see if you missed out on any important details.

It would be even better to practice doing this in a busy or noisy area so that you can mimic the conditions of a busy test center. By doing this you will be able to listen attentively without being distracted by background noise.

Having a wide range of vocabulary is essential for the IELTS essay question. However, most students go about learning new vocabulary by simply memorising word lists. They fail to understand that have a good range of vocabulary involves more than just knowing a word’s meaning and pronunciation, you also need to know which words to use and how to use them effectively in different situations. In this article, you will learn about the right words to include in your vocabulary bank and how to learn new words for the IELTS Essay.

Know Which Words To Learn

The IELTS Essay Questions are sourced from a list of common core topics, which include

Familiarise yourself with the vocabulary and phrases related to these topics as part of your IELTS preparation. Remember to note down synonyms for each of the words you learn as the ability to paraphrase (rephrase) is an important criterion to obtain a high score. If you repeat the same words again and again, you will give the impression that you do not have a wide enough range of vocabulary on the given subject and this can severely affect your score.

How To Learn New Words

You can start off by sourcing words through active reading. Read for enjoyment. Pick topics that interest you, so that you will stay motivated while learning. Whenever you come across unfamiliar words, try to understand their meaning by looking at the context in which they were used.

You can these words in a vocabulary journal, and make sure to update your journal every time read or hear a new word. You can also organise these new words thematically. Record the new words and phrases in a way that’s easy for revision. Make sure you record more than just the meaning and pronunciation. You can also list different forms of the word as well as common collocations and idioms that include these new words.

I find that one of the best ways to commit new words to my long-term memory, is to actually write out sentences using these words. This will give you a better understanding of the usage and grammar related to each word, and it will also help you to recall these words when you need to use them for your essay.

Another neat new method to learn new words is to use vocabulary builder mobile apps. There are plenty of apps that help you memorise new words by using repetitions and a flashcard style of learning that helps you to commit new words to memory faster than ever.

In order to build up your vocabulary as quickly and effectively as possible, I recommend that you use a combination of the above-mentioned methods.

Prior to 2018, the IELTS exam had strict word limit criteria for the writing section. Candidates had to write more than 150 words for Writing  Task 1 and more than 250 words for Writing Task 2. Candidates who failed to do so were heavily penalized. These penalties however were removed in 2018, leaving candidates a bit confused as to how much they have to write for each module.

How Many Words Is Enough

The instructions for both writing tasks still remain the same, write no more than 150 words for Writing  Task 1 and no more than 250 words for Writing  Task 2. However, you will not be penalized for your word limit. This does not mean if you write less then it will not affect your score.

Students who fail to produce these amounts of words are guaranteed to not score above 7.0 for the task achievement score. You might not also have written enough for the examiner to thoroughly check whether you can produce a wide range of complex and accurate grammatical structures.

Similarly, if you have a very short answer, there might just not be enough data to accurately assess your lexical resource. So you have to produce enough of a substantial answer in order to give the examiner a good idea about your upper limits in terms of lexical resource and grammatical range and accuracy.

On the other hand, if you write too much, you might run out of time before you ever get to write your essay conclusion. In this case, this will affect your task achievement and coherence and cohesion scores, since your paragraphs remain incomplete, and you haven’t solidly put forward your position at the end of your essay.

Another drawback of writing too much is that there is a greater chance of making errors. The more sentences you write the more chances there are you will make grammatical errors, which will negatively affect your grammatical range and accuracy score.

What Is The Ideal Amount To Write 

As you can see from the above information, writing too much or too little can cost you either way. A balance needs to be struck between writing enough to provide the examiner with enough data to assess you and not writing so much that you run out of time during the test and don’t have enough time to recheck your work.

In my opinion, an essay of around 280 - 300 is ideal. For reports or letters, this should be around 180 – 200 words.

This will give you enough leeway to fully develop your ideas into well-constructed paragraphs, as well as give you enough time to recheck your work.

Of course it is important to remember that it is always quality over quality. Every word that you use in your responses should serve a purpose. Avoid padding just to meet the minimum amount of words, as this may result in your answer sounding incoherent and without structure.

The owners of the IELTS exam make every effort to make the IELTS exam accessible to all types of test-takers. For this reason, arrangements for candidates with special needs can be made at any test center can be upon request.

Who Can Make IELTS Special Arrangements

Special arrangements include arrangements for candidates, with learning difficulties, sensory disabilities, such as visual or hearing difficulties, or any medical conditions.

How can you request special IELTS arrangements

To request a test center for special accommodations due to medical issues or disabilities, candidates will need to provide the following information:

Candidates need to inform their respective test centers about their special arrangements 6 weeks before their actual test date. This is because it will take time for the responsible people at the test centre to review your request to determine if they are authentic, and make the necessary arrangements if your request is approved.

In certain cases, like sensory or disabilities, candidates may be provided with a modified version of the IELTS test. candidates with medical issues may be asked to provide a medical certificate to prove the validity of their special needs.

Visual Difficulties

Hearing and speaking difficulties

Learning Difficulties

For test-takers who suffer from learning disabilities, there are a number of options to help them during the IELTS  exam. they could ask for extra time to complete the exam. candidates are allowed up to 25% of the original time as extra time.

You can also opt for a special version of the listening test, in which there are more pauses allowed during the recording in order to help you answer in time. Supervised breaks are also allowed for those students who have difficulty concentrating.

If you  require special assistance during the IELTS exam, it's best to contact your test center as soon as possible to iron out the details of your special arrangements. Don’t assume that you will just be accommodated during test days, as you might end up not being able to take the exam

Having to fake a native speaker accent in order to score well in the IELTS exam is a common myth that has unfortunately been perpetuated throughout the internet. In this article, we will take a look at whether there is any truth to this statement or not.

What Is An Accent?

In truth an accent is not apart of the speaking criteria of (so you do not need a native accent at all to score well in the exam). In fact most people actually confuse the meaning of the word accent, when they really mean pronunciation.

Pronunciation refers to a specific set of speaking features like word stress, intonation, and enunciation, while the word accent refers to how people from a particular area speak. All accents in the IELTS exam are generally fine unless of course your accent somehow hinders the understanding of what you are trying to say

Pronunciation is an important criteria for the speaking exam. Pay attention to your pronunciation as this accounts for 25% of your speaking score. Don’t overcomplicate or fake your accent but rather keep it simple, and easy to understand.

How Can You Improve Your Pronunciation?

A significant portion of your speaking score is based on In order to mimic the pronunciation features of a native speaker, you have to be aware of the flow and tempo of your speech, you also have to pay close attention to your tone and intonation.

You can think about it in terms of whether your voice is following the right patterns of speech, is the rhythm of your going up and down in the correct places, and are you speaking at the correct speed.

To do this you can listen to how native English speakers speak. There are many ways in which you can do this by watching  English TV programmes or News channels, or listening to podcasts about topics that interest you This will help acclimatize you to the sounds and unique pronunciations used by speakers. Try getting a hold of the transcripts and repeating what you have just heard, with the same pronunciation and stress. Pay attention to the rhythm and how intonation is used to show attitudes and emphasis. It would be best to record what you say and then listen back to it to see how it compared to the original audio.

You should improve your pronunciation skills before you sit for the exam. However, it is very difficult for second language learners to objectively point out their own weak areas when it comes to productive skills like speaking. This is why the best approach would be to work on your pronunciation with a trusted PTE professional, who can guide on all the best methods and tips to improve your pronunciation.

The IELTS speaking test is designed to be an accurate simulation of a real-life English conversation. Although the setting is somewhat formal, the features of this interview-style conversation are meant to reflect natural-sounding English speech.

Therefore it often surprises me to listen to Asian students practicing for the speaking exam using extremely formal words and phrases. These are usually phrases that a native speaker would never use in real life. This is not because these students actually speak this way. More often than not, they have gotten the wrong impression about the kind of language required for the speaking test, either from their teachers or free IELTS preparation websites.

So Which Tone Should You Use During The IELTS Speaking Test?

Using overly formal and complicated phrases will not impress the examiner in any way. In fact, it will do the opposite, and signal to the examiner that you don’t really understand the criteria for everyday natural English speech. The overuse of formal phrases and discourse markers can actually lower your score for fluency and coherence all the way to a band 6.

Here is a list of commonly use formal phrases and their more appropriate informal counterparts.

On the other side of things, you shouldn’t use slang or collocations either. Remember that this is still an academic interview, so you can't exactly tell your examiner that ‘the party is lit’ It would be better to keep your conversation respectful and polite at all times

How Can You Understand Which Tone To Use

Try to familiarize yourself with typical English conversation in a semi-formal situation like the workplace or at university. Many of the recordings for the IELTS listening practice tests contain similar types of situations, along with useful vocabulary. You can kill two birds with one stone, and prepare for both the speaking and listening section simultaneously. Remember to only use authentic IELTS practice tests that have been endorsed by any of the owners of the IELTS exam.

A successful outcome after taking the IELTS exam can be a life-changing experience. The IELTS exam is a language proficiency test that is a requirement for non-native speakers who want to apply for higher learning at a university or migrate to work in an English-speaking country.

With so much depending on having a good IELTS score, many IELTS students panic and resort to unscrupulous means to get a good score.

It is important to note the cheating of any kind is prohibited. If you are caught trying to alter your score in any way, you could not only be banned from taking the IELTS exam but you could also risk your visa application or university admission.

What Constitutes Cheating

Security Measures Taken By The Owners Of The IELTS Exam

To prevent cheating of any form, during the exam, the hosts of the exam have introduced a number of strict measures

IELTS test centers are bound to follow strict security protocols such as biometric, and photographic identification as well as having security cameras record every test and take strict rules about what is allowed in the test room. This ensures that there is no possibility of cheating during the exams. Also your test day photographs will be used on your Test Report Form.

The Consequences Of Cheating

The length that some students go to find a way to cheat in the exam or ‘hack it’ always surprises me. They end up wasting valuable time, money, and effort that they could have more wisely used to prepare for the exam.

When you think about it, it's not really worth taking the risk of cheating, when the consequences of getting caught could literally jeopardize your entire future.

In my opinion, it would be better and more productive to invest in finding a good IELTS teacher to guide you and offer you valuable feedback on your weaknesses and strengths, so that you can effectively prepare for the exam, without needing to cheat in order to score well.

If you are preparing for the IELTS exam then you might already be aware that one of the major areas assessed during the writing test is Grammatical Range and Accuracy. In this article, we will take a detailed look at one of the most components of GRA and that is complex sentences.

What Is Grammatical Range and Accuracy?

Grammatical Range and Accuracy refers to a candidate’s ability to use a wide range of grammatical structures, comfortably and with great accuracy (i.e. very few errors/mistakes)

What Are Complex Sentences?

A complex sentence is a sentence that contains more than one clause. It includes more than one piece of information. For example, Mary is on her way to book her IELTS exam, and she wants to take the computer-based test, but she is not sure if it is available in her country.

This sentence contains three clauses, each giving a different piece of information and these need to be separated correctly by using the correct conjunctions and punctuation.

Mary is on her way to book her IELTS exam, and she wants to take the computer-based test, but she is not sure if it is available in her country.

Why Are Complex Sentences Important?

According to the publicly available IELTS Band descriptors to achieve at least a band 6 for this particular skill, candidates must be able to use a range of complex structures with some flexibility. Meaning that without complex sentences you will probably never score beyond a band 5.

Complex Does Not Mean Complicated!

As we have learnt from the above, complex sentences communicate to us multiple pieces of information and can be divided into a number of clauses. They don’t always have to be overcomplicated. As in the above example, simple conjunctions like ‘but’, ‘so’, and ‘and’ are sufficient to convey information accordingly. Unfortunately, many test takers don’t realise this and use overcomplicated and unnecessarily  long sentences to get their message across. This can end up not only confusing the examiner, but it also increases the chances of errors, which can negatively affect your score. Always remember that using complex sentences should make your writing more effective and engaging, instead of perplexing.

Remember accuracy is just as important, so never overcomplicate things unnecessarily, just to impress the examiner. You might make many mistakes and end up doing just the opposite!

If you feel that your grammatical skills are in any way lacking or you would like to get a clearer understanding of which grammar topics are important for the IELTS exam, I recommend enrolling in an IELTS prep course. It would be far easier to understand your grammar weak areas and improve upon them by taking the assistance of a trusted IELTS professional, who has a better understanding of the grammar rules and structures needed to impress the examiner.

Many students wonder if their handwriting will affect their scores. Your handwriting is not assessed during the writing test and cannot affect your score. However, there are a couple of factors about your handwriting that you need to consider.

Technically examiners are not allowed to let a candidate’s handwriting affect how they assess your responses. That said having handwriting that is neat and legible will make it far easier for the examiner to the ideas that you're trying to communicate.

The Better Writing Utensil – Pen Or Pencil?

Both pen and pencil are allowed during the W1 and W2. You should choose the one you feel the most comfortable using. Also, you should note that if you use a pencil, it's much easier to erase your mistakes.

What to avoid when writing down your answers

Here’s a list of some of the big do and don'ts when it comes to handwriting, during the writing module:

Should You Write In All Caps?

Previously, students were allowed to write their essays and reports using all capital letters. However recent amendments to this rule require candidates to use proper lowercase letters.

Can Bad Handwriting Lower Your Score?

If you think about it, if your handwriting is extremely illegible, the examiner will have no choice but to penalize your score, which is why good presentation is still important.

How Can You Overcome This Issue?

Writing at such speeds as are required, during the writing test isn’t everyone's cup of tea. If you aren’t happy with how untidy your handwriting is, you could always try taking timed-speed writing tests. The average person can write about 100 words in 5 minutes. Try achieving this goal, while keeping up your legibility to an acceptable rate. Get your friends to read it and tell you just how understandable it is.

The IELTS speaking test assesses a candidate's ability to produce natural-sounding speech, that is coherent, well structured, and easily understood by native speakers.

In order to assess these skills, the IELTS examiners ask a number of questions based on a set of common core topics like work, study, family, or travel etc.

To prepare for the exam most students learn words and phrases related to these topics as well as practice speaking about them, but what happens when you are asked a question about a topic that you are unfamiliar with?

In this article, we will deal with the issue and offer you some valuable guidance on what to do in such a situation.

Don’t Panic

Don’t panic, stay calm and collected. It is important to remember that during the speaking test you are not being tested on how knowledgeable you are on any particular topic, but rather on how well you communicate whatever knowledge you have.

Buy Time To Think

Buy time to think using certain phrases. It is not good to show that the examiner that you don’t know how to answer. Often when we are unsure we use pause or use fillers or pause for too long, and this can give the examiner the impression that you lack the vocabulary to answer the question. To give yourself time to think you can use phrases like:

Alternatively, you could just be honest with the examiner and let them know that although you know very little about the topic, you will try your best to answer as best as possible. you should also explain why you are not familiar with the topic. Again, whatever you say will be assessed on how you say it, so make sure you use sufficient grammatical structures, a good range of vocabulary, and give well-structured answers.

Make Up A Good Example

If you really don’t have much to say you could always make up a related example or story. The examiners do not fact-check the validity of whatever you say during the exam. as mentioned before it's more about how well you express your ideas. However, if you are not comfortable with making up a story, then you might not end up sounding more nervous, and this would negatively affect your score.

An effective way to overcome this is to practice daily by speaking on a wide variety of topics, especially those that are outside your comfort zone.