Hey! To end 2024, Shelly is going to take you on a tour of the CEFR. She will explain what the Common European Framework of Reference is and how it underpins every high-quality language test, including IELTS. More importantly, she will explain what happens when "teachers" forget that IELTS is based on the CEFR (Spoiler: It is not good). There is a YouTube video to accompany this post, which will be posted later this week. So, if you would like to see the slides and examples of the CEFR table...
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Hey! To end 2024, Shelly is going to take you on a tour of the CEFR. She will explain what the Common European Framework of Reference is and how it underpins every high-quality language test, including IELTS. More importantly, she will explain what happens when "teachers" forget that IELTS is based on the CEFR (Spoiler: It is not good). There is a YouTube video to accompany this post, which will be posted later this week. So, if you would like to see the slides and examples of the CEFR table...
Hey! To end 2024, Shelly is going to take you on a tour of the CEFR. She will explain what the Common European Framework of Reference is and how it underpins every high-quality language test, including IELTS. More importantly, she will explain what happens when "teachers" forget that IELTS is based on the CEFR (Spoiler: It is not good).There is a YouTube video to accompany this post, which will be posted later this week. So, if you would like to see the slides and examples of the CEFR tables,...
Hey! Nick and I are back with our final (and second!) episode of 2024 - our breakdown of the essay questions in the Cambridge IELTS General Training 18 book.As usual, we analyse the four questions in turn, offering our ideas and discussing what could make each question easy or difficult for test-takers. And, boy-oh-boy, do the questions in this book range in difficulty! We think they go all the way from a 0 to a 10, which just shows how much the difficulty of a test can vary based on the topi...
Hello? Is anybody still out there? It has been 410 days since we last released a podcast, but Nick and I are back to spread some Christmas IELTS joy! Is this the start of a new run of My IELTS Classroom episodes, or just some festive fun? Well, you will have to listen to find out!Support the show
Yes, after 76 days of silence, Nick and I are back to start a new season of My IELTS classroom!Today, we consider how much IELTS actually prepares you for university life in the UK. We will consider what skills you need to succeed in a degree course and how many are covered in the exam. More importantly, we’ll think about what “gaps” a student might have in their academic skills even if they gave achieved a high-level score.Useful LinksDownload my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Ban...
Hey! Today Nick and I tackle a reading from the new Cambridge IELTS 18 book. We choose to passage 3 from Test 2, which is titled "An Ideal City". Why? Well, it's because it contains a rather unusual summary completion question. Usually summaries are given in a single paragraph, or divided into two shorter paragraphs. This summary, however, is divided into THREE parts and is much longer than the usual summaries that appear. What difference does this make to the way that you should approa...
Hey! Today, Nick and I tackling the listening test from IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4. This is the latest book of past test papers, so is a great chance for you to practice the most recent IELTS test format.Plus, Nick and I will analyse all of the questions and discuss which we think are "easy" and which are difficult.This is an interactive lesson, so you can download the listening test that we use in this lesson here:.Useful LinksDownload my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS D...
Hey. Last week Nick and I answered 6 of your questions about the IELTS exam. Today, we go though more of my mailbox to give you answers to enquiries such as how can you tell if a letter is semi-formal or informalwhen you should complain about speaking scoreswhether singular and plural nouns are important in the listening exam or notYou can ask me a question any time by emailing hello@myieltsclassroom,com.Useful LinksDownload my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descrip...
Every week I get dozens of emails from our My IELTS Classroom students, podcast listeners, YouTube followers and Newsletter subscribers asking questions about the IELST exam. They range from questions are about exam procedures to questions about how the exam is marked or how the student can maximise their preparation.Today, I thought that I would share a range of the emails that I have received in the last couple of weeks. Not only will that give you an insight into the life of an IELTS teach...
Yes! Finally, on our third attempt, Nick and I have managed to successfully record an episode analysing the essays in the new Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic book. We offer our ideas and insights into the new questions, including how we will organise each essay and what our position would be. Plus, we rate the difficulty level of each question.This is an interactive lesson, so make sure you spend at least 5 minutes generating ideas for each essay before you listen. Useful LinksDownload my free eb...
Today, Nick and I discuss one of the most important IELTS questions - why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing? Is it because there is a conspiracy to trick test-takers, or are there other less sinister reasons? You can find the full episode notes and a transcript of the conversation at http://podcast.myieltsclassroom.com/This is a re-run of an episode from 2020, so don't be surprised if Nick and I sound so youthful!Episode NotesFollowing on from our lesson last week, today w...
Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was! Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band descriptors for writing. Let me be clear, this will NOT change the way that your writing is marked in any way. However, it does give students a better ...
Today, we continue our journey into the world of IELTS listening any how the exam writers try to confuse you by playing with opposites. This week, we move away from lexis and into the word of grammar. In particular, the 2nd and 3rd conditionals. Nick and I will explain exactly what the 2nd and 3rd conditional are, how they are formed, and how IELTS using them in listening recordings to confuse you!This is an interactive episode so please have a pen and piece of paper ready so that you ca...
Hey! Nick and I have recorded many episodes about IELTS listening. Usually, we focus on one particular type of question and break down which listening skills it is testing, and how you should approach it best. Plus, for everyone type of question, there are two or three "tricks" that IELTS uses to try to force you to choose the wrong answer (although these are not really "tricks" but good testing methods that check that you really understand the recording!) Today, we are doing something d...
Hey! Today, Nick and I continue our journey into idiomatic language by looking at phrasal verbs. We will explain what phrasal verbs are, how some are separable and some are inseparable, and demonstrate phrasal verbs in action in Speaking Part 1!Useful Links Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingIntroduction to IELTS Speaking http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/introduction-to-ielts-speaking/Rate and review My IELTS ClassroomIf you are ...
Hey! One of the criteria to score a 7.0 or higher in the IELTS speaking test is being able to show good use of "idiomatic language". But, what is idiomatic language, and when should you introduce it into your vocabulary. Join Nick and I today to discuss the path that most English language learners take when they are learning lexiswhen idioms should be introducedthe problems second-language learners face when using idiomswhich idioms we fee could be useful for IELTS test-takersAnd finally...
Hey! It is the first podcast episode in May, which can only mean one thing - it is time to get motivated! Spring can be a great time of year to start new patterns of living and affect change in our lives. So, why not join Nick and I today as we go back and look at some of the motivational techniques that we have recommended in previous years to see if we still feel they work. Plus we will offer a brand new technique (The "Do Something" principle), and Shelly will share a personal story that s...
We have spoken in depth on the podcast about IELTS maps, and IELTS line graphs before, but today it is the turn of IELTS bar charts. I would say of all the possible charts that you could be given on your exam day, IELTS bar charts are the most versatile. Why? Well, not only can they be used to represent change or to show comparisons individually, but they can also be used to show changes without time! Intrigued? You should be!In this episode, Nick and I will clearly explainhow you should look...
Hey! Way back in 2020, Nick and I discussed the basic techniques for completing IELTS listening matching questions. However, these are some of the most difficult question in the exam, especially in Part 3, and we have noticed that many students still struggle answering them even when they know the basic principles.That's why today, we want to share a more advanced technique that can help you deal with tricky questions in the exam. Plus, we will attempt one of the most difficult questions that...
Join Nick and I today as we look at six essay questions that have recently appeared in the IELTS Academic and General Training exams. We will discuss our ideas for each topic, explain what our positions would be, and give each question a difficulty rating.You will get far more from this episode if you spend 2 or 3 minutes looking at each question and planning your IELTS essay nowSome people think that water is the most important natural resource. Others believe that other resources (such as o...
Hey! 2 weeks ago Nick and I set you to the challenge of recording your answers to 5 very difficult Speaking Part 3 questions. Today, Nick and I listen to the recordings sent by our our listeners to give feedback. We will considerthe quality of the students' ideas (and how they could be improved)the appropriacy of the vocabulary used in the responsesthe impact of L1 on pronunciationthe affect of small grammar errors on a test-takers's scoreThank you to everybody who sent us a recording - we wi...
Hey! To end 2024, Shelly is going to take you on a tour of the CEFR. She will explain what the Common European Framework of Reference is and how it underpins every high-quality language test, including IELTS. More importantly, she will explain what happens when "teachers" forget that IELTS is based on the CEFR (Spoiler: It is not good). There is a YouTube video to accompany this post, which will be posted later this week. So, if you would like to see the slides and examples of the CEFR table...
