IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the world’s most popular English Language proficiency test, with over 2.7 million tests taken in 2015. Taking IELTS opens doors – it can help you live, study and work around the world. IELTS is recognised by over 9,000 organisations worldwide, including schools, universities, employers, immigration authorities and professional bodies. In fact, IELTS is the only English language test accepted for immigration purposes by all countries that require one. (British Council website)
We can coach you to success in IELTS - occupational or academic
You would not be considering taking an IELTS test unless you already have some success in English - so our focus in these courses is on improving your existing skills. Also, we aim to help you understand the test better - there are many "myths and legends" circulating about the test, it's objectives and the examiners. We will de-mystify these and give you the confidence to be yourself and score well in the test. And, like all tests, there are some tips for preparation which can make the difference between a "good" grade and an "excellent" grade.
We have listened to our students and many others, and it is clear that the "Production" (Speaking and Writing) components of the test worry students much more than the Listening and Reading components. So, we decided to offer you opportunities to practice, Practice and PRACTICE! - with expert guidance to remedy specific problems.
We have listened to our students and many others, and it is clear that the "Production" (Speaking and Writing) components of the test worry students much more than the Listening and Reading components. So, we decided to offer you opportunities to practice, Practice and PRACTICE! - with expert guidance to remedy specific problems.
IELTS Speaking test components
Fluency and coherence
You are being assessed on your ability to speak without unnatural hesitation and maintain a steady flow of conversation. Your ideas will need to be logically organised, developed or justified and well-connected to each other. |
Lexical resource
In short, this means "vocabulary". Not using long, poorly-understood words (never a good idea!), but being able to demonstrate that you are familiar with SEVERAL words to describe each main concept. (A Thesaurus can be your "best friend") |
Grammatical range and accuracy
This is both about the variety of tenses, connectives and sentence structures that you can use and your ability to use them with minimal errors. |
Pronunciation
Variety and accuracy of sounds - word and sentence stress, intonation, chunking and rhythm of speech. This NOT about accent - British English, US English and many others are completely acceptable. |
IELTS Writing test components
Coherence and Cohesion
This aspect of the test will examine the structure of your writing. Are your points logically organised and do they follow on from one another? Correct use of paragraphs, connective devices and punctuation all contribute to your score here. |
Task Achievement
In short: the degree to which the task has been answered. A clear overview, accurate reportage of data and (for the General Module) clear structure of a letter. Planning responses and sequencing responses will give you a great start to these tasks. |
Lexical Resource
In short, we are talking about good use of vocabulary - using the right word to express an idea, using the correct form and spelling of the words, using synonyms to increase the range of vocabulary that you can demonstrate and proper use of collocations to show fluency. |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
This is both about the variety of tenses, connectives and sentence structures that you can use and your ability to use them with minimal errors. |
How does it work?
What you can do yourself:
We are building a series of web pages of facts, hints and tips that you can study at your leisure, at no cost to you!
We are working on a comprehensive set of links to British Council IELTS material.
What you can do with our help:
You can practice and improve by ordering:
We are building a series of web pages of facts, hints and tips that you can study at your leisure, at no cost to you!
We are working on a comprehensive set of links to British Council IELTS material.
What you can do with our help:
You can practice and improve by ordering:
- a single, example assessment of a speaking or writing assignment for an introductory price of just US$5.00.
- a course of five assignments with expert assessment - speaking, writing or a mixture of both for US$50.00.
- a series of ten exercises as above for US$90.00.